Peoples Daily Newspaper, Thursday 22, August, 2013

www.peoplesdailyng.com

Vol. 11 No. 69

Thursday, August 22, 2013

. . . putting the people first

Suntai returns Sunday, says wife >> Pg 2

Shawwal 15, 1434 AH

N150

Shekau: Give Power privatisation: military beneϐit of Investors ϐlout payment doubt, FG says >> Pg 3 deadline >> Pg 5

Kindergarten President

I don’t owe Jonathan apology, says Akande

By Umar Muhammad Puma

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cting National Chairman of the newly registered All Progressives Congress, (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, yesterday said that he owed President Goodluck Jonathan no apology, for referring to him (Jonathan) as a kindergarten President.

Answering questions at a press briefing after the APC leaders’ meeting in Abuja on the call on him from some Nigerians to apologize to the President over his comment, Akande said: “the constitution of Nigeria is very clear; it allows for free speech. I have made my speech and it is left for Nigerians to continue to debate on it. I owe nobody any apology”.

He said the purpose of the meeting was to commence the process of sensitizing members and millions of supporters all over the country on what the party stands for: a party that represents and champions the aspirations of most Nigerian citizens.

He maintained that the APC is determined to bring the Contd. on Page 2

Yobe state Governor, Malam Ibrahim Gaidam (middle), Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume (right), and Oyo state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi (left), during the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders meeting, yesterday at Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel, in Abuja.

PDP NEC: Tukur may survive

By Lawrence Olaoye

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ontrary to speculations making the rounds that some aggrieved governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic

President, govs set to get auto tickets

Party (PDP) may have concluded plans to move for the sack of the party’s National Chairman,

Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, today at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC)’s meeting,

indications emerged yesterday that the issue may not be raised.

Some national dailies (Peoples

Daily not included) had recently reported that the PDP boss would be shown the way out today.

But, a top source within the party’s hierarchy disclosed that Contd. on Page 2

Don’t dump PDP, North-east stalwarts beg Atiku >>Pg 5

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

News CONTENTS News Editorial Op.Ed

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

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Update Feature

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Suntai returns Sunday, says wife

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h e ailing Taraba state governor, Danbaba Suntai, who sustained severe brain injuries in a plane crash in October 2012, is expected to depart the Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Centre and Home in New York for Nigeria on August 25.

The Governor’s wife, Hauwa Suntai, who is currently in New York, said this in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

She said that arrangements

had been concluded for the return of Suntai who had spent some months at the rehabilitation centre.

Mrs. Suntai also expressed the family’s appreciation to all who had in many ways supported the family throughout their trying moment.

Some Nigerians living in New York have volunteered to accompany the Governor home.

On August 3, members of the PDP fact-finding committee on

the Taraba political situation, led by its chairman, Senator Hope Uzodinma, paid solidarity visit to the Governor at the rehabilitation centre.

Uzodinma was accompanied by the Special Adviser to the PDP National Chairman on INEC and Inter-party Affairs, Shittu Mohammed, the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, Abubakar Gada and the Consul-General of Nigeria in

New York, Habib Habu.

“We are impressed with what we have seen and we thank God for that.

“We will take back home what we have seen and we will inform the leadership of the party.

“We are impressed; we are also happy that the governor is recovering.

“We will still go back home and relate what we have seen,’’ he said after the visit.

13 killed in fresh Borno attack From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

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t least 13 persons were reportedly killed yesterday when suspected Boko Haram insurgents carried out separate attacks in two local government councils of Borno state, residents of the area who fled to Maiduguri told newsmen.

Several others have equally sustained gunshot wounds when the

invaders opened fire at the people.

Those killed in the attacks comprised of seven Boko Haram militants, two policemen and four civilians.

The latest spate of violence rocking the state came barely two days after operatives of the Joint Military Task Force, (JTF) said the spiritual leader of the insurgent group, Abubakar Shekau, may have been killed following gunshot wounds he sustained in a gun battle

with security forces.

The first incident occurred at about 2 am when suspected insurgents, armed with assault rifles reportedly raided Flatari Ward of Ngamborou Ngala town, in Ngala local government area and ordered residents to come out of their respective houses.

It was further gathered that the gunmen were on reprisal mission following the recent arrest of one of their members by the Youth

Vigilante Group also known as civilian JTF. A resident of area who fled to Maiduguri, Bulama Gana disclosed the assailants, numbering about 50 attacked the town in a convoy of nine Golf salon cars and motorcycles.

Gana explained that there was heavy gun fire from the insurgents which forced the residents to vacate their houses and sought for refuge in nearby farms and bushes.

I don’t owe Jonathan apology, says Akande Power privatisation: Addressing flaws in bidding process, Page 4

Int’l

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Strange World Digest` Politics Newsxtra Sports Leisure Columnist

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Contd. from Front Page country back from the brink of collapse, despair, and possible disintegration. He added that the party is poised to reposition the country decisively with a view to making it emerge a modern and stable democratic nation, with a productive economy that is based on equity and justice for all citizens.

According to him, this would be attained through the harnessing of the abundant energies, enterprise and intellect of all Nigerians which will lead to producing leadership of substance that will be able to lead the party into 2015 general elections.

On whether Buhari will contest the 2015 presidential election, Akande said he overruled Buhari from answering any question as the according to him, “this conference is my own conference; anybody who desires to contest any election will call his own conference and announce his intention”.

Answering questions on what the new APC intends to offer the nation’s teeming youths, Akande pointed out that a disconnect has been created between the first generation of Nigerians and the upcoming youth, thereby creating a gap between the youth and the elders.

“We in the APC see engagement

with the youth as a strategic imperative in prioritizing human development in health, education; particularly intensification of mass women education, and employment opportunities for all our youths; ensuring rapid economic growth with equity; as well as ensuring people centred economic management.”

He continued: “Part of the APC’s agenda in particular will centre on the Nigerian youth, two thirds of the over 160 million citizens of Nigeria are youth: people below the age of 35 years. Unfortunately, the process of governance in Nigeria, for all practical purposes, remains impervious to the aspirations of

this category of Nigerians”.

Commentng on gender imbalance in governance, Akande said: “The female members of our society constitute about half of our country’s population. Yet women issues have been largely consigned to the back burners of governance. For the APC, the specific aspirations of women constitute a major ideological platform. Our party would not resort to the usual tokenism and sloganeering where the issue of women aspirations are concerned; but through this ideological platform transform itself into a party of true gender balance”, he assured.

PDP NEC: Tukur may survive Contd. from Front Page such was never part of the agenda of the meeting and as such will not feature.

He said “The agenda of the meeting is clear and Tukur’s removal, for whatever reason, is not part of it. The main agenda of tomorrow’s (today) meeting is the oncoming Special National Convention meant to fill the vacancies created by the members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) who resigned their appointments based on the INEC report that they were not constitutionally elected.

“The issue of the crises in the South West where members have obtained court injunctions to stop the zonal congress scheduled to hold this weekend would also be discussed. Remember that there would be governorship elections in Anambra this November and there is crisis in the party in that state. The NEC would find a way

of reconciling both factions laying claims to the leadership of the party in the state. Tukur’s removal is clearly not on the card,” he stressed.

He also added that the NWC would also brief the NEC on the extent of its reconciliation efforts within the party.

There are however indications that the earlier plans made by some governors to push for Tukur’s removal may have been thwarted

by President Goodluck Jonathan who has consistently maintained his support for the PDP chairman.

Tukur himself had recently, in a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen in Abuja, claimed he maintained a good relationship with the President and other critical stakeholders in the party whom he said he has been strategizing with on the need to address the challenges facing the PDP. Meanwhile, there are indications that some stakeholders

loyal to Jonathan may move a motion for the amendment of the party’s constitution to give serving President, governors and National Assembly members on the platform of the party, who may wish to contest on its platform, the right of first refusal .

Barring a last minute change of strategy by Jonathan’s loyalists, considering the mood of certain critical stakeholders in the party, the motion may be moved to be adopted at the party’s August31st Special National Congress.

A source within the party disclosed that the stakeholders were yet to reach an agreement on the motion as at yesterday but confirmed that some people are mulling the idea.

According to him, those opposed to the motion are arguing that most governors on the platform of the party, who are serving out their second term, would definitely kick against the proposal.

Reason: “Those governors serving out their second term would definitely kick against the proposal because they would have been confined into political oblivion.

This is because most of them are eyeing the Senate and any attempt by the party leadership to foreclose their ambition on the platform of the party would be vehemently rejected,” he explained.

The source added that though the idea had been mooted by the Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih, at the Presidential Villa recently that Jonathan be given the right of first refusal as done in other mature democracies the world over, those interested in contesting the Presidency is diametrically opposed to him.

All governors on the platform of the ruling party are already serving out their second term except the governors of Kogi, Kwara, Kaduna and Gombe states.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 3

News Poly teachers may resume strike soon, says Kadpoly ASUP Chair

By Maryam Garba Hassan

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L- R: Niger state Deputy Governor, Hon. Ahmed Musa Ibeto, Research Fellow, United Nations University, Dr. Abel Atiti, Niger state Governor, Dr . Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu , and Coordinator, Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE), Professor Rob O’donoghue, during a visit by the delegation of RCE to the governor, yesterday at Niger State Governor’s Lodge, in Abuja.

Shekau: Give JTF benefit of doubt, says FG

By Aisha Biola Raji

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he Federal Government has urged Nigerians to give the military the benefit of the doubt over its claim that the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau might have died of gunshot injuries after a battle with the Joint Military Task Force (JTF).

According to the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, Shekau’s reported death is logical, “if the military is successfully prosecuting its operations against the insurgency, then there should be no reason to doubt them.”

Maku who briefed State House correspondents yesterday after the weekly Federal Executive Council

(FEC) meeting noted that, “relating to the story that we have read, I think it is better we leave it at that.

“These people are on the run and we will allow the military to tell the story. It should give us more confidence. What it means is that the security forces are closing up on some of the kingpins of this murderous group that has denied

thousands of Nigerians their lives.

“Some of the key leaders have been pronounced dead. I think that rather than losing confidence, we should continue to pray for the military continue to hope that in the end they succeed and they are succeeding.

“You will notice that since the president proclaimed the state of emergency three months ago we have kept political comments out of it.

“We decided that it is better for the military to tell their story that is why I have not spoken on it.”

Amnesty refutes Minister’s apology claim

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mnesty International (AI) has refuted the claim by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru, that it apologised to the Nigerian government for ‘factual errors’ contained in its 2012 report.

“When Amnesty was here, they said they were sorry; if you are sorry, you say it outside, let people know.

I have given them the invitation to come and open an office so that when they write, it will be factual,” Ashiru

said on Tuesday at an international conference on Human Rights in Abuja.

But reacting in a statement yesterday, Amnesty International Deputy Africa Director, Lucy Freeman, said her organisation is “deeply disappointed.”

According to her, “Amnesty International has never publicly nor privately apologised for any of the contents of the report and stands by its research, conclusions and

findings, 100 per cent.

“In a meeting with the AttorneyGeneral in Abuja on 1 August 2013, Amnesty International reiterated its concerns about grave human rights violations committed by the Nigerian security forces and received assurances from government that it was conducting investigations into them.

“The government should be demonstrating its commitment to human rights by investigating

credible and serious allegations of human rights violations by its security forces.”

“The Nigerian government and the security forces should recognise that the population will not be truly secure until everyone in Nigeria can be confident not only that the risk of attacks from Boko Haram has been reduced, but also that they will not face human rights violations at the hands of the very state security forces mandated with their protection.”

hairman of Kaduna Polytechnic chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Yahaya Mustapha Bidda, has denied insinuations that the union was meeting in Kaduna in preparation to resume the national strike it embarked on April 29 which it temporarily suspended over a month ago.

In a telephone interview with Peoples Daily, Bidda noted that it is true that there was a meeting between three unions in Kaduna comprising of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (NASUP), chaired by ASUU to resolve some certain issues.

Bidda said that there was the possibility that the union may soon resume the suspended strike since it was yet to hear from the Federal Government.

He explained that the action will be as a result of the government’s inability to meet its demands.

According to him, “no date has been fixed for the resumption of ASUP strike but I tell you it is possible that we will soon resume the industrial action since the Federal Government is unable to meet our demands.”

2015: PDP group warns Jonathan From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

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he Peace & Justice Movement of Core/Pioneer Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said President Goodluck Jonathan lacks the moral right to contest the 2015 election.

Speaking at a press conference in Kaduna yesterday, the National Coordinator of the Group, Malam Abdullahi Maibirgi, regretted that “from all indications, the President is warming up for the 2015 and this is totally unacceptable.

“The PDP Peace and Justice Movement hereby throws its full weight behind the Save Democracy campaign being mounted by some PDP governors and urges all party faithful to support this patriotic effort.”

Fraud: Kwankwaso sacks five senior civil servants From Edwin Olofu, Kano

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ano state Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has ordered the termination of appointment of five top civil servants in the state over fraud related cases.

The Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, Muhammad Nadu Yahaya, who disclosed this

to newsmen in his office, said the affected officials include two Directors and three Surveyors found wanting for inflating of compensation allowances to land owners.

Yahaya refused to disclose the names of the dismissed civil servants but however revealed that the affected Directors are from the state Urban Renewal Agency

(KNUPDA) while the sacked Surveyors are from his ministry.

The Commissioner stated that the sins of the sacked Directors was a ‘cumulative offences’ that dated back to the past, adding that the fraud was brought to fore by ongoing investigation on flood that devastated the state capital.

Nadu said that the three Surveyors were assigned for

land verifications and other plots compensation exercise to Gurjiya area of the state by the government, stressing that that they submitted an inflated amount that is supposed to be paid to the victims.

According to him, “for example, where it said N5 million they will turn it to N50 million, N6 million they will put N60 million and we who are on ground as a

former National Surveyor General I have to see for myself before effecting payment and that is how we exposed them.”

The cases were referred to the Civil Service Commission and after careful investigations and thorough findings they were found guilty.

“We have no option than to allow the rule of law take its course to serve as a deterrent to others.”

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

Page 4 Report Power privatisation: Addressing flaws in bidding process

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ast month, the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) had announced Taleveras and NorthWest Power Limited as preferred bidders for the Afam Power Plant and Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company.

NorthWest Power Limited emerged the preferred bidder for the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, the only remaining of the 11 distribution companies carved out of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

Media reports show that the bidders for the Kaduna Distribution Company (Disco) were judged on the Average Technical, Commercial and Collection Loss Reduction (ATC&C) they proposed to achieve, should they acquire controlling equity in the company.

The ATC&C, according to experts, is the percentage of power lost in the process of distribution that the bidders plan to reduce in five years. It also expresses the efficiency they plan to achieve in collecting revenues from customers.

With a bid of $260.05million, Taleveras beat TES Power to emerge the preferred bidder for Afam Power Plc, the last of the generating companies carved out of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria.

TES Power had offered $222.9million to emerge the reserve bidder for the generation company (Genco) at the financial bid opening, which saw only two potential investors fighting for the 60 per cent equity in the company put up for sale by the government.

The two companies met the reserved price for Afam at the first round of bidding and were, therefore, designated preferred and reserved bidders without any need to enter into a second round of bidding.

Given the unwillingness of the banks to lend to investors in the circumstance, observers are of the opinion that the transaction may go the way of NITEL which has remained a sour taste in the mouths of Nigerians.

Successive buyers and management contractor starting from IIL of London, Pentascope, Transcorp Plc and Orascom of Egypt among others have failed to purchase the NITEL. On Kaduna DISCO, according to media reports, Northwest Power had offered to reduce losses in the company by 29.26 percent. The second bidder, the LEDA Consortium, offered an ATC&C of 26.71 percent, while the remaining

As the deadline for the preferred bidders to pay 75 per cent balance in Nigeria’s power privatisation process ended yesterday, Etuka Sunday reports that there are concerns that the business is unfinished.

Power grid lines like these would transmit sufficient megawatts of electricity when the privatisation process is successfully completed bidders offered an average ATC&C of 22 per cent.

The media reports showed that analysts have faulted the choice of NorthWest Power, arguing that the 22 percent average ATC&C was more realistic. Given the cultural attitudes of Nigerians, a higher ATC & C of 29 percent looks less promising and unrealistic. They say it means that in five years all technical and commercial losses will be around 4 percent.

An industry observer, while speaking to newsmen said, “This would be a Guinness Book of Record if achieved, as no nation in the world has achieved such a feat. This is so because it would

require more than $300million new investment”.

Even as observers wait to see how the entire privatization process proceeds, questions that are begging for answers are rising by the day, just as the ghost of the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL)’s failed transaction continue to affect the fortunes of the Federal Government.

An important enquiry on the minds of stakeholders is: How many banks in Nigeria have carried out power financing transactions? There are fears that no matter how long the Federal Government postpones the handover, they will still not

find the money.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) could as well run the name of the sponsors against its list of bad creditors in order to have a fool-proof of their credit worthiness.

Meanwhile, what is on the lips of Nigerians and keen observers is that the ATC&C criterion is a welcome one but that more importantly is the financing, good corporate governance and quality of management. They argue that only a quoted company should scale through if the country is desirous of getting a truly

“

Meanwhile, what is on the lips of Nigerians and keen observers is that the ATC&C criterion is a welcome one but that more importantly is the financing, good corporate governance and quality of management.

Minister of State for Power, Hajiya Zainab Kuchi

patriotic company, which has Nigeria in mind even before now.

Another observer who recently spoke to journalists on the issue said: “If the 11 bidders finance the acquisition through debt at the current 21 percent interest rate, they will collapse within three years as the Multi-Year-Tariff-Order (MYTO) has been approved and no change will happen on the tariff structure until after five years; more so, that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and BPE seem to believe that any investor should not borrow more than 60 percent.”

He said: “The deal is clearly not bankable and sustainable at the current double digit interest rate. This is why we think that most of the bidders especially those that offered unrealistic rates and unattainable projections will end up being finance by politicians very eager to launder dirty money, than from banks who clearly cannot finance unviable deals under the CBN’s watch.”

Even if the core investors were able to cough out the money, industry observers are of the view that reforming the power sector is still far from completed.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 5

News

L-R: National Vice-Chairman North West of All Progressives Congress (APC), Barrister Salisu Fagge, General Muhammadu Buhari, APC Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, and Interim Deputy Chairman of the party, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, during the APC leaders’ meeting, yesterday at Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Don't dump PDP, North-east stalwarts beg Atiku

By Lawrence Olaoye

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fficials of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the North Eastern part of the country yesterday stormed the residence of the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, pleading with him not to dump the party.

The party stalwarts consisting of the executive members of the party from the North-East led by the zonal vice Chairman, Senator Lawal Girgir, pleaded with Atiku for financial and material support in the zone.

This is coming barely few days after the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) rumoured to be enjoying Atiku’s backing was registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The zone also threw its weight behind the leadership of the national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, stressing that the party is intact in the north east and pledged to bring all the stakeholders on board to uplift the party in the zone.

At a crucial meeting held yesterday at the residence of the former Vice-President in Abuja, leader of the delegation and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) north west zonal chairman told Atiku that the zone came to identify with him and seek his support on how to elevate the PDP in the zone and provide panacea to myriads of problem confronting the party in the north east.

Governors, South-West PDP leaders in closed door meeting with Jonathan

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he South west leaders want a resolution of the PDP crisis in the zone.

Some governors and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), South-West held closed door meetings with President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday.

The Governor of Sokoto, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko and Kano Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, were at the villa to confer with the President.

Mr. Wamakko, who had a private meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan, told journalists that his visit to the Villa was “just a routine visit to the President of this great country” and had nothing to do with the planned

National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the party.

He added that the consultations by five northern governors including Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) would continue.

The President also met with South- West PDP elders led by former PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Bode George.

South-West PDP leaders who met with the President and Vice President Namadi Sambo include Abiola Ogundokun, Ebenezer Babatope, Iyiola Omisore, Hosea Agboola, Tunde Adeniran, Lekan Balogun, Musliu Obanikoro, Kayode Adetokunbo, and Wole

Oyelese.

Speaking with journalists at the First Lady’s Residence , where the meeting held, Mr. George said the meeting was convened to settle some of the rifts in the south west PDP. “We came to brief the leader of the party, situation in the South West and with all intents and purposes, we do not want to have an acrimony. You know, that is why we have come because we see that there is need to take a cursory look at the PDP South-West.

The house that has been built we cannot allow it to be destroyed.

You know, if termites enter your house, you do not run out to go and be a tenant somewhere, you must fight it,” he said.

The PDP leader said he believes the meeting was very successful.

“The national convention will go on and the speculations about what is happening in the party and all that, you know, big man big problem. The way the new parties are coming up, we had been there since 1988. They will have to come and learn how to manage Nigeria, managing the tribal sectors all over the place, they will have to, learn how to manage Nigeria and that is what PDP has been doing,” he said.

When asked to comment on strategies by the party to win in the South-West in 2015, he declared that “as an old soldier, you don’t discuss your strategies on the pages of newspaper. We will get there.”

(Premium Times)

FG approves N1.6bn for N1trn saga: roads, power contracts Ezekwesili challenges NASS to public debate

By A’isha Biola Raji

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By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

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he former minister of Education, Obi Ezekwesiri, has challenged the National Assembly on a public debate over her claim recently that the legislature has gulped over one trillion naira over the last seven years.

Reacting to the reported attacks on her person by the spokes persons of the National Assembly, Ezekwesiri argued that what she said was derived from a public document which was obtained from the Federal Ministry of Finance.

While challenging the lawmakers to come out with their own facts and figures to counter her, she regretted that the lawmakers would come so low to take the issue personal and raining all kinds of abuse on her person, rather than addressing the issue.

"I shall make myself available to the NASS as soon as it decides to host a Public Hearing on this and other related issues of the lawmakers’ interest", she said.

he Federal Government yesterday rose from the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) approving the sum of N125.626 billion contracts to reconstruct five major critical roads and the procurement of six units of 40MVA 132/33 KV mobile sub-stations for electricity supply.

Another outcome of the FEC meeting was the ratification and domestication of United Nations Treaty on Arms Trade as well as two conventions against taking of hostages and the suppression of terrorists bombings.

Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, along with his counterparts in the ministries of Power, Works and Transport, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, Mike Onolememem and Senator Idris Umar respectively briefed journalists on these after the meeting which was presided by President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The contract of reconstruction of five roads namely, Apapa-Oshodi expressway

Section 2 Phase II,Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonshoki-Ojotaexpressway and Service lands; Beach land junction as well as six other parts of Cele bus-stop, is expected to gulp N123. 735billion.

Other roads slated for reconstruction under the Federal Roads Development Project (FRDP) are Mokwa-Bida road and Akure-Ilesha Road, the Enugu-Port Harcourt dual carriageway spanning Lokpanta-Umuahia tower, Enugu-Port Harcourt, Umuahia tower-Abatownship and rail/road bridge crossing in Abia state.

Onolememem explained that the Apapa-Oshodiroad is a gateway to Apapa and Tincan Island ports and part of Trans West Africa highway (Coastal). He said, “This is therefore of immense economic importance to the country and the subregion.

“Due to aging, the roads have virtually collapsed due to damaging effects of heavy axle load vehicles carrying goods to and from the ports. “The drainage system had also collapsed.”

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 6

News Al-makura denies spending public funds on son’s wedding abroad

By Umar Muhammad Puma

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ontrary to speculations making the rounds that Governor Tanko Almakura of Nasarawa state spent over N1.5 billion from the state treasury for his son’s wedding ceremony in America, the governor said the allegation was baseless and had no iota of

truth.

A press statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Press Affairs, Sani Musa Mairiga, described the allegations as baseless, unwarranted and unfounded.

“This is the handiwork of mischief makers and enemies of progress inflaming the social media with incongruous reports

that the state government sponsored the wedding ceremony and all those who attended the wedding Fatihat of Abdul Tanko Al-makura and his bride Aneesa”.

The statement wondered how on earth a wedding ceremony could consume such an amount of money which amounts t o se v e n t y p e rc e n t m o n t hly

allocation to the state from the federation account.

“Al-makura was not a pauper even before he became governor, so spending such an amount of money from his personal account is nothing, but as a prudent and accountable leader he cannot afford that extravagance”, the statement read.

The media aide therefore

urged members of the public to “disregard the misrepresentation of facts made by his enemies to hoodwink them in order to achieve cheap political goals” The statement appealed to the people of Nasarawa state to co-operate and give maximum support to the government of Umar Tanko Al-makura in its quest to transform the state.

Youth vow to stand by Al-makura against House From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

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he Nasarawa State Concerned Youth Forum has kicked against the decision of the state house of Assembly to invite the state governor, Umaru Tanko Al-makura, to appear before the house to explain his inability to implement some resolutions of the house.

Speaking during an enlightenment programme organized at the Abacha youthcentreinLafia,MohammedKabir, a member of the forum from Keana local government area of the state said they were prepared to defend the governor with their blood.

Kabir dismissed recent agitations by the house as being selfish rather than issue-based, saying that the present governmenthasdonemorethanenough to uplift the standards of living of the common man.

He alleged that the group can go to any length to defend the governor, saying, “when the time comes, we can defend the governor even with the sword”.

Another speaker from Lafia, Mamman Nasir, said the lawmakers have abandoned their responsibility and resorted to personal vendetta against the government.

The chairman of the group, Isiyaka Shuaib, said the meeting was meant to draw the attention of the lawmakers to avoid confrontational statements that can ignite unnecessary crisis that would overheat the polity.

Shuaib said 10 members of the forum were drawn from every local government of the state to attend the sensitization meeting, as well as to appeal to members of the assembly to sheath their swords.

L-R: Director Community Health Services Department, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Emmanuel Odu, Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of NPHCDA, Dr. Ado Muhammad, Director, System Development Agency of NPHCDA, Dr. Nnenna Ihebuzo, Team Leader, Health Population and Nutrition of USAID, Ms. Nancy Lowenthal, and Deputy Team Leader of Health Population and Nutrition, Celeste D. Carr, during the presentation of anatomical models and neonatal resuscitation equipment to the NPHCDA, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Boko Haram: Presidential committee praises Gombe From David Hassan, Gombe

he minister for special duties and governmental affairs and chairman, Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North, Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, has scored Gombe high as one of the peaceful states in the North.

The chairman stated this yesterday during a one day visit to the state to assess the level of peaceful co-existence that residents of the state have been enjoying with one another.

He said the Committee was commending Gombe state for being one of the peaceful states that have not recorded any mishap in the state.

According to him, the committee headed by him met governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo on the need to sustain the peaceful coexistence that people in the state have been enjoying.

Speaking further, the chairman said the committee would do every thing possible to ensure they tackled the security problems in the north.

Also speaking during the event, the chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Gombe state, Rev. Abare Kallah, condemned government for not allowing citizens in the country to vote candidates of their choice, stressing that the problem that the north is facing today is that citizens did not vote candidates of their choice.

Government House Chamber, Sokoto.

He said the areas affected were: Wammakko Local Government with districts as, Kalambaina, Gidan Kanawa, Arkilla, while Dange/ Shuni went away with only one village, Wababe.

Others were: Sabon Birni with Sabon Birni West and Unguwan Lale, Gada went with Kadadi, while Binji local Government went with Nabunkari, Goronyo went with, Giyawa and Taloka, Rabah Ertsakuwa to mention a few

The Commissioner said the expansion was done considering the population increase and cultural value of the people in the area, including the need to move the state to a greater height.

Similarly, the state government on Wednesday in Sokoto commenced the payment of N1.026 billion pension and gratuities arrears to 920 retired, contract and deceased staffers.

The payment was inaugurated

by Gov. Aliyu Wamakko of the

state.

Wamakko, who was represented by the Rural Development Commissioner, Alhaji Abdullahi Maigwandu said the payment would be effected in four batches between August to October, 2013.

The governor explained that the gesture was aimed at further alleviating the sufferings of the beneficiaries, including the families of the deceased workers.

“The state government is fully committed to the welfare of the entire

people of the state, the serving, retired and dead workers”, he added.

The Permanent secretary, Establishment, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi, urged the beneficiaries to use the money judiciously.

“I also want to caution you against all kinds of fraudsters and sundry criminals as this money is now your lifeline”, Abdullahi advised.

Two beneficiaries, Dr Cosman Emeagi and Alhaji Abubakar ModeDogonDaji commended the state government for the gesture.

T

Sokoto govt creates 23 new districts From Mahmoud Muhammad, Sokoto

S

okoto State Government yesterday approved 23 new districts from 14 Local Government Areas of the State.

Previously, Sokoto had a total of 66 districts which covered the whole 23 local government areas of the state.

The state Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Danladi Bako, disclosed this shortly after the executive council meeting held at

PAGE 8

Photo Splash

Pioneer staff of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Alhaji Sani Sambo, being buried, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY,THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

L-R: Former Assistant Governor, Rotarian Tony Egboko, District Governor 9110, Rotary Nigeria, Rotarian Olugbemiga Olowu, President Rotary Club of Ogba, Rotarian Samson Olanrewaju Omodara, District Secretary, Rotarian Bola Oyebade, former President, Rotarian Bosun Oladele, and Assistant Governor, Rotarian Lanre Adedoyin, during the governor visit to Rotary Club of Ogba, recently in Lagos.

L-R: Minister of Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafiya, Alhaji Ismai’l Ahmad Inuwa, his new wife Hajiya Fatima Inuwa, and former First Lady, Justice Fatima Abdulsalami Abubakar, during the reception dinner for Alhaji Ismai’l and Hajiya Fatima, recently at Ladi Kwali Hall of Sheraton Hotel, in Abuja.

PHOTO: JOE OROYE

An accident scene, yesterday at Alaka bus stop, Funso Williams Avenue, in Lagos.

Photo: NAN

A truck that fell into a ditch while trying to off-load sand, yesterday at Kwami Bridge on Kwami-Dukku road in Gombe.

Photo: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 9

News

R-L: President Goodluck Jonathan, and Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, walking to take their seats, before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Gombe: Amal Trio company decries low production From David Hassan, Gombe

T

he General Manager, Amal Trio fertilizer company in Gombe state, Mr. Usman Aliyu, has said the company is suffering from poor funding to boost the production of fertilizer to enable farmers benefit from the product.

The manager stated this yesterday in an interview with reporters in Gombe, Gombe state capital.

According to him, since the inception of the company, the management of the company had been doing its best to see that they produced quality product for the consumption of farmers across the country.

He said though the company was facing the challenge of poor funding, the product has consistently been in the market, adding that the passion of the company is to see that the product reaches farmers in good time.

According to him, if the company is given support to produce its product as expected, Nigerians will have better quality fertilizer products.

He thanked Gombe state government for being supportive to the company and called on the government not to relent in assisting the company.

Benue 2015: Lawani set to run for governorship From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

B

enue State Deputy Governor, Chief Steven Lawani, has declared his intention to contest for the governorship seat of the State in 2015.

Sometime ago, Chief Lawani had adamantly denied in the media that he was nursing the ambition to become governor in 2015.

His denial had come on the heels of circulation of his posters for governorship which had flooded Makurdi, the Benue State

capital.

At the declaration yesterday in Makurdi, while receiving in audience members of the Benue State Governor's Aides Forum from the Benue South Senatorial district at his Makurdi office, Lawani told the group that he had three weeks ago informed the Benue state leadership of the ruling Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) of his intention to run for the position.

“About three weeks ago, before I travelled, I had informed

the state executives of the Peoples’ Democratic Party of my intention to put myself forward to run for the office of Governor of Benue state.

Before today, I've had delegations coming to me to urge me to run and I am declaring today before you that I am running and I am counting on your support to actualize the dream”, he appealed.

Chairman of the forum, Mr. Clement Okoh, explained that the visit was purposely to elicit the Deputy Governor's stand on the

forthcoming 2015 general election.

“As leader and father of the Governor's Aides from Benue South District, we are here to seek your direction ahead of the forthcoming 2015 general election”, Mr. Okoh said.

More than 5 persons from the Idoma speaking area which has never governed the state since its creation in 1976 have shown interest in running for the state’s number one seat.

Former Katsina SSG Immigration deports asks court to stop trial 18 expatriates From Lawal Sa'idu Funtua, Katsina

F

ormer Secretary to Katsina State Government (SSG), Alhaji Mustapha Inuwa, who is facing trial for alleged defamation of character of the state governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Shema, has asked a High Court sitting in Katsina to sop his trial by an acting magistrate.

The former SSG who approached the court yesterday through his counsel, Barrister Ernest Ogunadike, prayed for an interlocutory injunction restraining the dependants from continuation of his trial pending the determination of his prayer.

Mustapha further prayed “that there is urgent need to restrain the 5th dependant either acting on his own, through his agents and / or privies from performing judicial functions that are not vested on him, pending the determination of my originating summons which

is before this honourable court".

He told the court that the acting magistrate appointed to preside over his case is currently a deputy chief registrar at the judicial service commssion without judicial powers to try criminal cases.

Similarly, the plaintiff further alleged that the 5th dependent, Barrister Aminu Tukur, does not have any court assigned to him which he presides, having been appointed and promoted over and above magisterial cadre.

Those joined in the suit include, Katsina State Government, state attorney general and commissioner of justice, acting state chief judge, chief registrar of Katsina state, the deputy chief registrar (litigation), and chief magistrate court 11, Katsina state judiciary.

Presiding judge, Justice Abbas Bawale, adjourned the case to September 4, 2013 for the determination of the suit.

N

igerian Immigration Service, Bauchi command, has deported eighteen expatriates residing in the state in order to maintain law and order.

The State Comptroller of the service, Yunusa Aliyu, stated this in an interview with newsmen at the NUJ Press Centre in Bauchi, shortly after paying a condolence visit to the State NUJ Chairman over the death of three NUJ union leaders who lost their lives in an auto crash early in August.

He said the command carried out an intensive investigation of the expatriates and discovered that they were illegal immigrants who smuggled their way into the state.

The state Comptroller who disclosed that the expatriates were from countries such as Niger, Chad and Cameroon, said that further investigations by the command revealed that acts of terrorism were perpetrated by some of them.

According to him, “as part of efforts to address problems of insecurity such as terrorism, armed robbery and kidnapping, the command had embarked upon the deportation of illegal immigrants in the state and from our findings, we apprehended eighteen expatriates who were residing in the state without authentic official travel documents. We felt their stay in the state was unacceptable and is a threat to security”.

Yunusa who restated the commitment of the command of relieving the state of illegal immigrants, warned the people of the state to be vigilant and report any suspected person who is not a legal citizen of the country.

While responding, the state Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalist, Dahiru Garba, commended the state immigration service for commiserating with the NUJ over the death of its members, saying that it has maintained cordial relationship journalists in the state over the years.

PAGE 10

News B R I E FS Flood: Benue gets EU support

T

he European Union (EU) has expressed its desire to offer technical support to the Benue state government in the area of disaster management.

Team leader of the EU Disaster and Management Committee, Mr. Miroslav Luks, gave this indication during a courtesy visit on Deputy Governor, Chief Steven Lawani, at the Government House.

Luks said the EU received a lot of information about the flood disaster in 2012, adding that they were collaborating with the meteorological as well as the hydrological agencies in offering technical assistance to the country.

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

Katsina: Robbers invade Faskari LG B From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

arely a week after the Katsina state government donated vehicles to the state police command to fight bandits in the Southern part of the state, suspected dare devil armed robbers invaded Maigora town in Faskari local government area.

Sources from the area told our correspondent that the armed

bandits moving in large numbers launched the attack in the town around 1am and it lasted up to 4 am where they embarked on a house to house raid.

The source added that the robbers moved from house to house dispossessing people in the area of their money and carted away cows, other animals and motorcycles.

He said “we were surprised

that this time around they carted away even smaller animals like goats, and rams. Even chickens were not spared by the invading robbers” Similarly, the source disclosed that the robbers, apart from carting away money, motorcycles and animals, also attacked some residents with machets where they inflicting various degrees of injuries on

their victims.

He lamented that the robbers who had a field day were operating unchallenged for about three hours and disappeared with their loot.

However, when contacted, the Katsina Police Command Spokesman, Alhaji Aminu Abubakar Saddiq, told our correspondent that he was not aware of the incident.

Lagos demolishes shopping complex

L

agos state government has demolished a three-story shopping complex under construction at Oshodi area of Lagos.

The building situated at IretiOluwa street along Apapa-Oshodi Express way in Oshodi-Isolo local government area, though has an approval was discovered by officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) to have been built without consideration for the necessary setback and space required for a commercial building.

Leader of the demolition team and General Manager of the Agency, Mrs. Animashaun Odunayo, moved into the area with security operatives to effect the demolition of the building.

From Adesoji Oyinlola, Lagos

Metallurgy engineers

M

inister of Power, Prof.

Chinedu Nebo, has assured of the effective use of Metallurgical Mining and Material engineers in the ongoing power transformation in the country.

The Minister who received in audience, representatives of the Nigeria Society of Engineers, Metallurgical Mining and Materials Division led by Prof. David Ezesobor, stated that the “group of engineers are most needed in material selection process which is an important aspect in engineering design.”

According to him, the Ministry would effectively utilize the services of Metallurgical, mining and materials engineers in all relevant areas in the electricity chain.

By Etuka Sunday

R-L: FRSC Corps Marshal, Mr Osita Chidoka, decorating Mr. Njoku Ndubuisi with his new rank of Corps Commander, assisted by Mrs Njoku, yesterday in Abuja.

PHOTO: NAN

Remediation officers down with lead poisoning

From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

R

emediation personnel who conducted remediation exercise in the villages affected by lead-poisoning in Zamfara state, yesterday staged a protest over non-payment of hazard allowances owed them, and claimed manifestation of signs of lead poisoning- related illnesses in their blood.

Speaking to newsmen in Gusau, leader of managers of the

exercise, Abubakar Baba Gusau, claimed that they had completed the task of remediation project since last June, but they are yet to be paid their due allowances despite medical checks that have revealed that majority of them have been tested positive on lead-poisoning.

He lamented the refusal of the Permanent Secretary of the Federal ministry of environment to release the reported sum of N850 million naira approved

by the federal government for the conduction of the whole exercise in despite series of requests by the Zamfara state ministry of environment.

“We the crew managers are 22 in number and we started this work in February and completed in June this year.

During this period, no proper examination was done to ascertain the blood lead level in us as a result of inhalation of the poisonous soil particles

in the course of our work, and I can tell you that almost all of us are affected by this and some of us are seriously complaining of weak erection” he complained.

He further lamented that wives of four remediation workers had miscarriages during the exercise and one of them lost his wife, adding that “this is to tell you the level of danger we are exposed to, yet we were not compensated” he narrated.

LASAA parleys with military, police Bauchi to enjoy 24-hour uninterrupted power supply on unapproved billboards From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

G

overnor Isa Yuguda has said that Bauchi state will enjoy 24 hours uninterrupted power supply before he leaves office in May 2015, thus taking the lead among the states in the federation in realization of an Independent Power Plant (IPP) project.

“We want the Chinese to make it history by making it possible for us to be the first so that they can do it in several other states of the federation”, Yuguda said, stressing that the project will take only nine months to complete.

Yuguda who explained that the loan agreement will be entered between the state government and Exim Bank of China said his

dream is “to have 24-hour power supply in Bauchi before we leave office”.

The Governor who spoke at the press conference room of Bauchi NUJ said the Bauchi State IPP “will be the 1st successful IPP project that is going to take-off in Nigeria by the grace of God”.

Yuguda said he was reassured of the realization of the IPP project in Bauchi three months ago by a team of 18 engineers from China that came to fine-tune the project execution, adding that the successful completion, 6 months ahead of stipulated period, of Omotosho Federal Government power projects clearly demonstrated Chinese determination in the project execution.

From Adesoji Oyinlola, Lagos

T

he controversy surrounding outdoor structures in police and military formations in Lagos State may soon end following series of meetings with stakeholders organised by the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA).

The agency said the meetings were organised to find a lasting solution to regulatory bottlenecks in those locations.

Managing Director of LASAA, Mr. George Noah said the agency had no fundamental opposition to outdoor structures in military formations.

“All outdoor structures in Lagos state must be subjected to LASAA’s scrutiny and approval. We are not planning to run operators out of business, but our responsibility is to ensure that every billboard in the state

is fit and proper in terms of structure, illumination, location and size. “Many of the Unipoles outlawed in Lagos state that are in military and police premises must all be subjected to the same regulatory tests that other structures elsewhere in the state are subjected to’’.

Continuing, he said “The issue of billboards within military formations in the state has been a longstanding dispute between LASAA and the military authorities.

“Only recently, LASAA wrote to all advertisers whose brands are currently displayed on such unapproved boards to withdraw their campaigns. It is expected that this new direction will put an end to the long drawn battle”.

This point was buttressed by the representative of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Mr. Lanre Akinsola, who reiterated the need to resolve the issues rather than resorting to a law suit.

PAGE 12

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

EDITORIAL

n August 4, Vanguard newspaper published an online interview with the Indonesian ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Surdiman Haseng. The interview was carried in the hard edition the following day but it was tucked away inside. It is likely that many readers, including top government policy eggheads, missed it. The interview spanned issues like Nigeria-Indonesia diplomatic and trade relations and what the story would be by 2015. But of particular importance is what the envoy had to say about his country’s protracted anti-terrorism struggle and how Indonesia today is seen as a haven of stability and peace.

Between 2000 and 2005, starting with the Marriot-Ritz Hotel bombings in Jakarta, the capital, Indonesia was almost hobbled by urban terror attacks. However, a combination of focused and people friendly strategies that assigned only a peripheral role to the military has ensured the terror attacks have all but died down since 2005. This is what Ambassador Haseng said in the interview: “The strategy of law enforcement in combating terrorism in Indonesia puts the police in the frontline of the anti-terrorism operations. The roles of the police have been enhanced through the establishment of the Special Detachment 88 anti-terrorism unit…

“President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issued regulation No. 46/2010 on the establishment of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) as coordinator of all the country’s legal instruments: the

police, the prosecutors, the courts, the imprisonment system. The Indonesian Military (TNI) has been participating as well in the process, especially in collecting, providing, and exchanging intelligence information with other legal instruments.”

Put simply, the arrowhead of the Indonesian government’s anti-terrorism strategy was the police; not the entire

“

O

Anti-terrorism: A leaf out of Indonesia’s book

As it is, the military is neither winning the war against Boko Haram nor winning the minds of the people police force but a special unit under a National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT). This also coordinated the work of other “legal instruments” involved in the task of ridding a traumatized nation of terrorists’ bombs, “ensuring justice and a return to normalcy”.

Those other legal instruments included the courts, prosecutors and prisons.

It is noteworthy that the military not only came last in this pecking order of roles but was limited to “collecting, providing, and exchanging intelligence information”. In other words, no direct combat role for the military.

The message the government wanted to send out was that even terrorists deserved fair hearing under the law and it was not going to fight terror with terror. That policy resonated well

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”

with the population and denied the terrorists any public sympathy official highhandedness would have assured for them.

Sadly, our case is the very opposite of the Indonesian story. The high visibility of our military, represented by the non-discriminating Joint Task Force (JTF), puts it smack in the thick of the counter-insurgency campaign in the northern part of the country.

Trained to kill, not to ask questions, its personnel saw everybody but themselves as the enemy. This explains the rising cases of extra-judicial killing by the military. Again the high profile role of the military and the special treatment soldiers reportedly receive have put them at odds with other elements in the JTF like policemen who don’t enjoy similar privileges.

An erosion of esprit de corps is the result. Moreover, extrajudicial killings mean very few cases reach the courts and those that do are seldom pursued to the end. Suspects, if not already killed, are left to languish in detention facilities of the security forces and relations left to agonize over the fate of detained loved ones.

As it is, the military is neither winning the war against Boko Haram nor winning the minds of the people. Herein lies the lesson of the Indonesia narrative. But is the Nigerian government willing to learn this lesson? It doesn’t appear so, regrettably. The creation of a new division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri can only mean a scaling up of the role of the military and a prolongation of the insurgency, unfortunately.

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 13

Opinion Celebrating return of Emir of Pindiga

By M. L. Ismail

T

he plot to enthrone a new Emir of Pindiga Emirate in Akko local government area of Gombe state came to a halt last Monday when the deposed Emir, Alhaji Mohammed Seyoji Ahmed, was reappointed to the traditional stool which he vacated nine years ago. His restoration was received amidst fanfare. The palace was filled to overflowing as the people of the emirate, young and old, showed up to catch a glimpse of him; others sang his praiseswhile others wept for joy.

The merriment that greeted the recall of the emir seemed to have obliterated the memories over’ from him, Alhaji Adamu Haruna Yakubu.“The level of cheering by the people on Monday, August 12, 2013 could only mean one of two things or both; either Seyoji is far more popular than his successor or the latter left undone so much that the people desired or both,” said a member of the community, Mallam Isa Adamu.

Alhaji Adamu had been on the throne for the last nine years. But within the last couple of years, his antics regarding public interest daily pointed to his eventual fate, especially when they assumed an intolerable dimension of late. It therefore did not come as a surprise when he was asked to stay aside to give room for proper and just investigation after which he was found wanting and ultimately sent packing and Alhaji Ahmed Jauro, Galadima Pindiga was appointed to oversee the affairs of the Emirate pending the appointment of a substantive emir. Adamu Yakubu was among

other things accused of causing disunity, disaffection and illfeelings among the people of his emirate, inciting the public against government, bearing hand in incisive publications and gross insubordination to constituted authority – the government. And when the powers-that-be could not condone his gross breach of the rules of his engagement any longer, he was eased-off traditional seat for peace and development to reign.

But that was not until he was duly investigated and found guilty of the indictments leveled against him. This was confirmed by the Secretary to the Gombe State Government (SSG), Alhaji Abubakar Sule Bage at the Emir’s Palace in Pindiga when he said a committee set up by the government to investigate the many complaints brought against the former Emir, Alhaj iAdamu Haruna Yakubu found him guilty. He added that “the

“

committee investigated and found the former Emir to be disloyal and among other things not supportive of Government.”

The SSG further explained in a press release that “in exercise of the powers vested in him by the Creation of Emirates, Districts, villages, wards and appointment and deposition of Emirs and Chiefs (Amendment) Law of 2004, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo OON (Talban Gombe), Governor of Gombe state has approved the appointment of Alhaji Mohammed Seyoji Ahmed as the Emir of Pindiga with effect from 12th August, 2013.”

Adamu Haruna Yakubu was replaced exactly two weeks after

by Alhaji Mohammed Seyoji Ahmed who was unjustifiably thrown out nine years ago by the immediate past administration in the state, using the instrumentality of the Emirate’s Kingmakers constituted by the

same government without taking public interest into cognizance.

But the good thing here is that Seyoji (as the new Emir is fondly called) has not just returned, but his then successor, now his predecessor was removed in the most neutral and just manner which reflects the principles of fairness, equity and justice Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo has always preached.

He (the new Emir) was appointed on the recommendations of the reconstituted kingmakers’ council of Pindiga Emirate which received interest from six candidates within the three ruling houses of the Emirate that included the House of Shuaibu, Hassan and Yakubu, explained the SSG. Alhaji Sule Bage then charged the new Emir to be responsible to all persons within his emirate and to avoid revenge or discrimination of any sort because his enthronement was ordained by God. He also drew the

Adamu Haruna Yakubu was replaced exactly two weeks after

by Alhaji Mohammed Seyoji Ahmed who was unjustifiably thrown out nine years ago by the immediate past administration in the state, using the instrumentality of the Emirate’s Kingmakers constituted by the same government without taking public interest into cognizance. But the good thing here is that Seyoji (as the new Emir is fondly called) has not just returned, but his then successor, now his predecessor was removed in the most neutral and just manner which reflects the principles of fairness, equity and justice Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo has always preached.

attention of the new Emir to the need for obedience to constituted authority by ensuring that he takes permission before traveling out of the state at any point in time or for any reason. The SSG also announced some adjustments in the Emirate where one of the contestants to the Emir’s throne, Alhaji Mustafa Aliyu Hassan was appointed the District head of Kashere while Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Jauro was moved from being the District Head of Kashere to Gwaram also as its district head. But it the Wazirin Pindiga, Alhaji Samaila Mua’zu Hassan who made it clear to traditional leaders that their stool should not be mixed up with politics; rather, it should serve as a unifying factor and a bridge between the government and the people.

The Waziri of Pindiga, equally from a ruling household in the emirate reminded all and sundry that Seyoji’s recent reinstatement should not be seen as continuation of the initial reign that was truncated nine years ago but an entirely different ball game. Rightly reacting to words of wisdom, the new Emir promised to be that pillar on which the people could actually rest on and be rest assured of the needed support, a rallying point and a symbol of unity with an assurance to be guided by the rules of his engagement. Alhaji Mohammed Seyoji Ahmed was deposed as a second class Emir and by providence returned as a ‘first class’.

M. L. Ismail wrote in from Bolari Quarters of Gombe metropolis

Need for anti-trust law in electricity regulation

By Felix Ayanruoh

W

hy should there be any opposition to the enactment of a law with strong power of enforcement to protect consumers from exploitation by electricity companies, and other purveyors of the Nigerian consumer? With the fixed charge – tariff that makes it mandatory for power consumers to pay between N700 – N800 monthly regardless of whether the consumer makes use of electricity for the period or not, calls for a holistic examination of what liberalization of the power sector have done to consumers’ fairness.

I am not oblivious of the underlying reasons behind the increases. It was a known fact that before the tariff increase, electricity was sold to consumers below the short-run and longrun marginal cost of production; and even the most rudimentary understanding of basic economics and common sense dictates that it was not a sustainable business model. But the rationale behind the “fixed charge” levied against the consumers under the name of pre-paid meters is a different issue altogether.

There is potential for market manipulation and other abuses

without antitrust regulation.

Leaving full economic regulatory power to the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) will not serve this country well, particularly at this stage of the reform process. Traditionally, economic regulation of energy industries can be done from two basic sources, (a) direct regulation through administrative agencies – NERC, and (b) indirect regulation under antitrust laws. These two forms of regulation are geared toward protecting the public interest by achieving the most efficient allocation of resources possible.

Administrative or sector specific regulation is believed to be successful in dealing with

“

general competition issue.

However, experiences have shown that sector-specific regulations cannot meet all the challenges inherent in a liberalized industry.

When sector regulators have to apply wider standards than competition standards, they may contemplate that some of the interests they must safeguard require that competition be assuaged. For example, the public interest standard may clash with the efficiency standard and lead a regulator to protect non efficient competitors to favor creating an investment friendly environment.

However, it is not necessarily true that overbearing standards will clash with competition standards.

The promotion of competition

and efficiency is a worthwhile goal in itself and an important part of a broader public interest standard.

There may be other circumstances in which the lack of a proper regulatory framework may limit the effectiveness of competition law enforcement.

Take for example, where consumers have very little information about their demand or the quality of the products or services offered them. In such cases regulation without competition law enforcement may lead to artificially increasing market power and to consumers being offered less than optimal quality service or products.

Antitrust laws have played a small role in the evolution of the

There is potential for market manipulation and other abuses without antitrust regulation. Leaving full economic regulatory power to the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) will not serve this country well, particularly at this stage of the reform process. Traditionally, economic regulation of energy industries can be done from two basic sources, (a) direct regulation through administrative agencies – NERC, and (b) indirect regulation under anti-trust laws.

energy industry. The basic purpose of the antitrust laws is to protect competition from predatory business practices by ensuring that fair competition exists in an open market economy. Thereby increase the welfare of, and ensure fairness to consumers. Antitrust laws are applied to a wide range of questionable business activities, including but not limited to price related issues. There appear to be growing convergence that antitrust rules also remain essential in dealing with a range of issues of economic regulation not addressed by the sector-specific rules and to fill any gaps in sector-specific regulatory regimes.

Sector regulations and competition law enforcement may be complementary even if they have different goals and they may sometimes contradict one another even when they share the same goal. Consequently, we need a law that would give the government greater power to enforce consumer welfare and anti-competition violation. Also, because of the importance of electricity to all segments of the economy, there is a strong need to ensure that this sector’s service is reliable and just.

Felix Anyaruoh via felix. ayanruohlaw@gmail.com

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

Opinion

Universities and desecration of academic excellence

By Obinna Akukwe

I

spent five years in the university for a four-year programme and witnessed three Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strikes in my 2nd, 3rd and 4th years led by Dr. Attahiru Jega and Dr. Assisi Asobie plus a ‘Babangida Must Go’ riot which led to closure of universities. Cumulatively extra thirteen months were added to the academic calendar. Thus the first bastardization of academic processes and procedures is the frequent disagreement between government and lecturers leading to industrial disputes.

Whenever the disputes are suspended, students get rushed through examinations without adequate notice resulting in mass failures and carry over. Due to frequent strikes, some idle students gets involved in vices ranging from rape to murder, cultism, drunkenness, drugs, robbery, fraud and when academic activities finally resumes, these behaviorally downgraded students pollutes the already tensed academic environment with their new found vice, fostering cultism and criminal activities on campuses.

While the vice-ridden campuses constitutes academic nuisance, the activities of lecturers who constantly harass female students with sexual advances is another form of academic bastardization.

These female students especially the cute, sexy and kinky among them are deliberately failed in examinations so that they will surrender their underwears to the lustful teachers. Those that refused to submit their bodies are deliberately kept on campuses while their colleagues graduate till they recant their stubbornness.

In July 2013 female students of Creative Arts Department

of University fund. In 2011, of Lagos were a new law so abused by established the sexually the Tertiary Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, rampaging Education lecturers that they Trust Fund text messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written had to go on public (TETFund) contributions should be concise.

Word limits: Letters protest to preserve requiring - 150 words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your their cherished corporate womanhood. They firms to name and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be urged the Vice dedicate 2% of addressed to: Chancellor, Prof. their realizable Raheem Bello, profit to to investigate tertiary The Editor, the allegation education. In Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, and bring the 2012 alone, 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. culprits to book.

FIRS remitted During my time N183 billion to Email: opinion@peoplesdailyng.com as a student union ETF. Where is SMS: 08134607052 leader, I took the impact of up such issues N183 billion with the university collected results in the examinations records authority severally though those in 2012 by ETF on the nation’s registry. Some students have who indulge in it then do so tertiary education system. ETF learned the act of influencing more discreetly - now it is openly could transform university workers at the exams registry solicited. In addition to sexual education by applying these so that results could be falsified harassment, there is the problem of to upgrade their low academic funds towards provision of hostel truant lecturers who abandon their accommodation, lecture halls, status. In March 2013, Abia State academic tutorship to gallivant research support, library etc. There University had to withdraw an around for other businesses. This is also the annual education budget academic degree they issued truancy is noticeable in schools from the presidency to augment, a former governor of the state in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt all these are enough to improve because according to them, it was and other first generation the quality of educational services irregularly awarded. Sometime universities domiciled in cities in Nigeria. This Education Trust around 2009 authorities of a where various political, business Fund has over the years been a university in Benin discovered and social activities abound. These chess pool of corruption and the that their computerized registry gallivanting lecturers appear in funds used to settle politicians has been compromised. Some the lecture hall sometimes once or and party loyalists with fictitious fraudsters actually inserted names twice per semester, issue handouts spending. of non-existent students into the and disappear again. The students All this turns the student’s system and were awarding results end up hearing and knowing academic life cycle into a bundle to them at every turn. When this nothing especially in technical of turbulence and the processes computer manipulation was related courses, engineering, serially bastardized. One of discovered, the school sought the accounting and sciences. I have had assistance of a US-owned IT firm the attractions of some private course to jokingly ask some senior universities in Nigeria is the in Abuja and that was when I knew lecturers and professor friends of stability of academic procedure. about the issue. The school was mine whether they actually see Thus parents could predict when advised to install Oracle database their students, especially from the their wards would graduate from and run it on Linux platform. manner they absent themselves school. There is also low incidence There is the Education Tax during academic seasons. of sexual harassment, truant Fund (ETF) which requires that Next to the truancy of lecturers lecturers and incompetent ones every corporate firm pays 2% of is the issue of falsification of who have refused to upgrade their their profit towards the education

WRITE TO US

…The grass in the FG, ASUU conflict

By Aileru Yinka

T

he news of the latest Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike came as a rude shock when it was first announced. After the strike in 2009 which lasted for a full four months, I thought I had heard and seen the last of strike by ASUU pending my graduation from the University. How wrong I have been! Since the beginning of July this year, ASUU has embarked on another round of indefinite strike.

If I thought the news of the strike was shocking, more distressing is the reason given by ASUU for embarking on the strike action.

According to reports, the resolve

by ASUU to go on strike is to compel the Federal Government to implement and honour the terms of the bargain it entered into with it in 2009. Immediately, different questions begin to agitate my mind.

Why should things deteriorate to the extent that ASUU must go on strike before an agreement freely entered into is implemented?

Didn’t the parties agree on the modalities for the implementation of the agreement before the conclusion of negotiation? Did the federal government enter into the agreement in 2009 merely to make striking workers return to the Universities without having any

genuine intention of honouring the terms of the bargain? These and other questions have greatly troubled my mind and given me quite some sleepless nights.

Then negotiation commenced between the representatives of Federal Government and officials of ASUU to find a way out of the present impasse. Initially there were talks of progress and positive negotiation to find a lasting solution to the never ending strike.

According to reports credited to the head of the Federal Government negotiating team Governor of Benue State Gabriel Suswan, the University teachers would soon be returning to their various campuses based on the progress recorded in negotiation. Then, the negotiation turned on the nitty-gritty of finance and it became expedient to invite the Finance Minister Dr. OkonjoIweala to the negotiation table. That was when the bubble burst and all hell let loose. The Finance Minister in her characteristically arrogant manner declared after the meeting with ASUU officials that the federal government does not have the financial capacity to honour the 2009 agreement. According to the Finance Minister, the Federal Government need about N92 billion to finance the issue of allowance which is part of the demand of ASUU. The announcement credited

to the Minister generated no small denunciation with lots of people calling her all sorts of names and calling for her resignation. ASUU in turn condemned the Minister for what they termed deliberate falsehood. According to ASUU officials the amount needed to implement their demand was N82 billion, and not N92 billion as represented by the Finance Minister.

My first reaction when I heard these series of accusations and counter accusations was that of pity for the poor Nigerian students who are at the receiving end of the present face-off. Then pity turned to anger over the insensitivity and sheer wickedness of the Federal Government, and lack of tact and decorum on the part of the Finance Minister. Whether N92 billion or N82 billion, or N100 billion, the crux of the present imbroglio between ASUU and the Federal Government is the implementation of the agreement freely and mutually entered into in 2009.

It is rather absurd and offensive for the Federal Government to come out at this stage to declare that it is insolvent to honour the bargain. It is really not the business of ASUU whether the Federal Government borrows or steals the resources needed to implement the agreement. The only thing

that should be paramount in the negotiation is how soon the Federal Government will commence implementation of the terms of the 2009 agreement. The action of the federal government in the circumstances is akin to unilaterally varying an agreement without the consent of the other party. Such act clearly offends against all ethics of civil behaviour and negates the sanctity of contract.

One thing the federal government is banking on for not honouring the pact is the fact that the agreement is not legally enforceable but binding only in honour as a gentlemen’s pact. It is however the height of insensitivity for the Federal Government to capitalize on this fact as the basis for its present actions and attitude. Ultimately the loser is the federal government as it has already succeeded in holding itself out as an entity which is not to be trusted when it comes to honouring a pledge or abiding by an existing obligation. Such a trait will make other entities to be wary of the federal government in future dealings. If a government cannot honour an agreement with its citizens, it is difficult to see how foreign investors who the government is always keen to woo into the country would take deals seriously with the government

knowledge base are weeded out.

However, the gain of some of these universities is countered by the exorbitant cost of enrollment.

Highly rated Covenant University, Otta, owned by Winners Chapel charges about N520,000 per session as at 2013 and many cannot afford such per head - though the church offers scholarship to some of their members to study there.

Therefore, the poor will have no option than to contend with the decayed system.

The Nigerian student suffers a plethora of adversities which makes them unable to grasp the much intended knowledge transfer.

Little wonder many of them cannot defend their certificates anywhere.

I have had course to interview and discuss with groups of fresh accounting graduates desirous of jobs and was shocked that some of them have not grasped the basics of Double Entry Book Keeping, while more cannot perform simple Bank Reconciliation Statements.

The Nigerian government should declare a state of emergency on tertiary education. They should sanitize the processes of gaining admissions and regularize the academic procedures to disenfranchise truant lecturers, checkmate academic victimization and sexual harassment. The lecturers should be provided the enabling environment to undertake serious academic experiment.

Staff of the Universities should be adequately remunerated to reduce incidence of abandonment of duty. The academic community should have upper hand in who become the Vice Chancellor and the University Visitor, whether president or governor, should minimize interference.

Obinna Akukwe is reachable at Profetobinna2@ yahoo.com. on the basis of mutual trust and confidence. The attitude of the federal government in the face-off with ASUU is being penny wise and pound foolish.

The sanctity of agreement goes to the root of society itself and it is the fabric that binds together the entire social order. The reasonable expectation of parties when entering into a bargain is that both sides will fulfill their part of the bargain. One of the surest ways of inviting anarchy and chaos is for men to freely break their promise and renege on an agreement freely entered into. It does not lie in the mouth of the federal government to say at this eleventh hour that it does not have money to honour the 2009 agreement. Even if the federal government is broke as declared by the Finance Minister, there are better ways of handling the situation with tact and good sense, rather than calling ASUU’s bluff as was done by the Finance Minister.

Meanwhile, the universities remain locked, and students are roaming the streets. The ripple effect of their idleness is best left to the imagination. The likes of Okonjo-Iweala can remain unfazed because their children and wards are not affected by the never ending strike. They are most probably tucked away in the safety of Ivy League schools abroad. For all the government cares ASUU can go on strike till kingdom come.

Aileru Yinka is a final year law student at the University of Lagos.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 15

Comment The myth of victimization

By Suraj Oyewale

T

his article is coming almost late, as the raging controversies over the status of Igbo people in Lagos is gradually subsiding. Four times I had set out to bare my mind on this issue with this piece, three times I had called it off. But one’s opinions on issues like these are just hard to bottle up, especially when one reads other contributors express their views on daily basis. The most vocal contribution to the matter so far has come from former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode. A friend asked me what I thought of Fani-Kayode’s series of articles on this matter, my response was: factually correct for the most part, but probably too combative and crudely delivered. I will not go into the history of Igbo in Lagos like FFK did, partly because it doesn’t add much value to the discussion, but more importantly because I believe Nigerians should have right to freely live and carry on their livelihood in any part of the country. This is why, much as I am a fan of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola for providing sane leadership in the midst of mediocrity that is governance in Nigeria today, I believe he is wrong on this score.

Some people have always regarded Fashola’s policies as

elitist (citing Eko Atlantic project, Ikoyi/Lekki tolling, LASU school fees hike etc as proof) but I have always argued that the rich pay (more) taxes too and deserve benefit from governments as well, even as Fashola is not doing badly for the poor too (flaunting Oshodi reconstruction, road projects in low income areas of Lagos like Langbasa etc as my evidence).

Indeed, I took this debate to the pages of newspapers with my friend and columnist with Abujabased Blueprint newspaper, Gimba Kakanda. I’m now beginning to see reason in Kakanda’s stand on Fashola. It is not a crime, after all, to be poor, to be a destitute.

Nobody has said the ‘deported’ men and women committed any

“

crime. This is why I also hold that Fashola is wrong this time.

But equally disturbing is the ethnicization of this matter. The manner the Igbo nation reacted to this issue made one wonder whether there is more to it than meets the eye. Suddenly, we began hearing that they were deported because they were Igbo and Yoruba are feeling threatened by their complete ‘dominance’ of Lagos. We began seeing laughable statistics being thrown around.

Pray, were they the first people that were sent back to their states

by Lagos state government? I have read in newspapers news of at least two past deportations by the state government. One to Katsina state, and another batch to Oyo

state. These were Hausa/Fulani and Yoruba, and I did not see the matter ethnicized. The Hausa/ Fulani leaders did not cry that their people were deported because of their tribe, the Yoruba did not cry that they were being deported from their forefather’s lands. There are one thousand and one grounds to validly call Fashola’s attention to the impropriety of his act. One is the constitutional ground, as the ‘destitutes’ are Nigerians and have not committed any crime; another is the morality argument, that being a destitute is not by choice.

These are valid grounds to argue this matter. The tribalization of the matter is very petty and a disservice to their intellectualism.

The constant resort to ethnicity

The constant resort to ethnicity in every matter in Nigeria is not helping matters. I recently resigned as moderator of the politics section of Nairaland.com, Nigeria’s biggest online discussion forum due to my inability to stand same. Despite my fair dealing with everyone, coming up with initiatives like debate to raise the level of intellectualism on that discussion board, the Igbo still were not satisfied. An Igbo member of the forum had broken a forum rule and was disqualified from being nominated as best poster in the section for the year 2012. Tens of other people were disqualified,

Edo and the Nigerian state

By Michael Egbejumi-David

S

ix years or so ago, when I wrote that Imo State has the highest literacy level in Nigeria, an Edo lady from the Nigerian Village Square disagreed heatedly – even in the face of incontrovertible statistics. She was trying to push the line that that distinction belongs to Edo state. So it gives me no particular pleasure (wink!) when a video turned up showing a school teacher in Edo State who is unable to read. The video went viral about a week ago. I am sure most of us have seen the video: The Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole had made an unscheduled visit to a Staff Training Centre that was being used for the verification of certificates of primary school teachers in the State. Unfortunately for one Mrs Augusta Odemwinge, a teacher at Asologun Primary School, Ikpoba, this was the precise moment she too turned up at the Centre with her certificates and a sworn affidavit. The governor asked MrsOdemwinge to read out her affidavit and that was when all hell broke loose. The teacher could not read! She was unable to read over half the words on the paper, and her pronunciation was atrocious.

When the governor asked her to go write on the board, she demurred and asked to take the paper with her.

Everyone present was taken aback; they were greatly shocked.

Embarrassment was etched on the face of the governor. A kindergarten pupil would have done better. Watching that video for me was painful and quite disheartening. Watching the teacher struggle and bumble along recalls another one time teacher.

This was someone’s mother being put through the griller in public.

And in a cruel twist of irony, sitting directly behind poor Mrs. Odemwinge was the Chief of Staff to the governor. The one and only Igodomigodo, Patrick Obahiagbon, a man partial to turbulent and concussive grammatical bombast.

The one man in whose very presence you want to watch your spoken English.

When a teacher cannot not read; when a teacher cannot pronounce words such as, ‘judiciary,’ ‘residing,’ ‘hereby,’ ‘registered,’ ‘declaration,’ ‘provisions,’ ‘solemn,’ ‘affidavit,’ ‘virtue,’ what hpe is there? What has happened to education in Nigeria? Back in December 2011,

“

in the same Edo State, all the secondary school students that sat the National Examinations Council (NECO) exams failed. ALL of them! The great Ogbemudia must be crying in his drink. When I also wrote that in the late 1970s and early 1980s, students were being taken out of some secondary schools in Kaduna as early as Form 3 and were being enrolled in Ahmadu Bello University’s pre-law programme, some folks locked horns with me in disagreement.

But look at the shape and the state of the Nigerian judiciary today.

Here in the UK, not too long ago, the General Medical Council (GMC) was forced to bar graduates of nine Nigerian Universities from practicing in the UK. Medical graduates from Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma; University of Benin; University of Jos; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; University of Port Harcourt; Ebonyi State University; Igbinedion University College of Health Sciences; Ladoke

Akintola University of Technology; and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka were not allowed to practice in the UK because, in the view of the GMC, the schools did not meet prescribed minimum standards.

Also here in the UK, there are very many Law graduates of Nigerian universities. But quite a few of them cannot put two coherent sentences together to save their lives. They are unable to pass the UK Bar exam. In frustration, about half of them have become Pentecostal pastors.

What has become of Nigeria’s educational system? There is a visible and a very loud generational divide in our educational quality and erudition. It is beginning to look like quite a few people that graduated from our tertiary institutions post the 1980s were not quite fully cooked. We used to export professionals – especially Jurists and Professors - to other developing countries to help develop their systems. Our military

Here in the UK, not too long ago, the General Medical Council (GMC) was forced to bar graduates of nine Nigerian Universities from practicing in the UK. Medical graduates from Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma; University of Benin; University of Jos; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; University of Port Harcourt; Ebonyi State University; Igbinedion University College of Health Sciences; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology; and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka were not allowed to practice in the UK...

in every matter in Nigeria is not helping matters. I recently resigned as moderator of the politics section of Nairaland.com, Nigeria’s biggest online discussion forum due to my inability to stand same. Despite my fair dealing with everyone, coming up with initiatives like debate to raise the level of intellectualism on that discussion board, the Igbo still were not satisfied. An Igbo member of the forum had broken a forum rule and was disqualified from being nominated as best poster in the section for the year 2012. Tens of other people were disqualified, who were from Yoruba and other ethnic stocks. But our Igbo brothers refused to see things from the rule angle; rather, they accused me of disqualifying the Igbo nominee because of his being Igbo. How petty! When I couldn’t stand such pettiness, I threw in the towel.

I am not unaware of the fact every major tribe in Nigeria is guilty of this mutual rivalry and suspicion, but the level our Igbo brothers are raising it to, is worrisome. The ethnicization of the Fashola deportation is a pointer to this. Igbos were not the only ones deported, they were not deported because they were Igbo.

Looking at every matter through ethnic prism will not do good for our Igbo brothers. The earlier our Igbo brothers dispel the myth some people are sitting down somewhere trying to victimize them or hold back their development, the better.

Suraj Oyewale can be reached via oyewalesuraj@ gmail.com

officers used to train and used to lead international military organisations and peace corps. Our schools and universities used to boast of renowned indigenous and expatriate professors and teachers.

But not any more. We now turn out teachers who cannot read!

Some point the accusing finger in Babangida’s direction. The man probably accelerated the downward spiral but I suspect the problem predates the evil genius.

I think Ali-Must-Go started it all.

Then came IBB. Incessant ASUU strikes. Then hunger. Emphasis shifted from learning to merely passing exams. Some lecturers became corrupt. They became more interested in food, money and sex. These they traded for passing grades. Affirmative action and federal character destroyed the rest.

Things were particularly bad during IBB’s time. Government deliberately starved educational institutions (and the Police Force) of funds and support. They were crippled and made near worthless.

As a result, disparate and chickenshed private schools sprang up everywhere. I still don’t quite know the rationale behind that policy. And so today, we have a teacher who cannot read her own credentials. Please think about that for a moment: A primary school teacher who is unable to read! That means the future of the young wards under her tutelage is being severely compromised right at the very foundation. To make a bad situation worse, now, there is ‘text’ or ‘texting’ language and writing, and some of our graduates can’t tell the difference anymore.

Michael Egbejumi-David via demdem@hotmail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 17

Metro

NGO trains social workers in FCT

By Adeola Tukuru

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non-governmental organization, Kiara College in collaboration with the Society against Prostitution and Child labour in Nigeria (SAP-CLAN) yesterday gave a two days training programme to social development workers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to the President of the NGO, ND Ezenwa said the essence of the training to give a social care practices through communication and to also learn more on how to give care and support to their various clients on the field.

He said: “We are running a programme on social care practices through communication and how to make a change to SAPCLAN; we taught them on how to communicate because communication is the avenue for one to make a change and today we did the actual thing which is care and support”.

He explained that, a social work is something that should be allowed in churches and mosques to deal with and even the women affairs and social development.

“We have traveled to some countries to like Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, and Gambia. We did some research in community health care works, before we came to Nigeria so we are trying to put it into practices what we gained in other countries”, He said.

He further explained: “Working with human beings is more challenging because human beings are dynamic, it’s important that a social worker is fully equipped, so for us to achieve anything in this sector, these social workers need to be trained. It’s our own little contribution to the society”.

Also the Coordinator of SAP-CLAN, Mrs. Grace Adogo , said the training was very essential to them, because they deal with social issues, “We feel we should periodically update our staff on the new method of dealing with social issues” .

“Part of the things we were taught was how to communicate with social care for children and young persons and then how to promote active support, now we have learnt new tactics of handling social issues”, She said.

The Director of Social Welfare in FCT, Mrs. Folashade O. Ayileka , also lauded that training, stating that this will go a long way in assisting all social workers in FCT and outside FCT in achieving their set goals.

You can’t cheat nature! A man taking a nap under a tree in the Phase 2 Site 1 area of Kubwa in Abuja recently.

Photo: Miriam Humbe

AFAN to sensitise farmers against consumption of seeds A ll Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), FCT chapter, says it will soon begin sensitising farmers on the dangers of consuming the seeds they collect under the Growth Enhancement Support scheme.

The chapter’s Chairman, Alhaji Lawal Abubakar, said this in Abuja on Wednesday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Abubakar was reacting to a recent report which indicated that some farmers consumed the seeds and instead plaanted the grains thy had preserved from their previous harvest.

He said that the sensitisation was necessary to ensure that

farmers are well informed about the Federal Government’s reforms in the agriculture sector. ‘’What the Federal Government is doing toward poverty eradication is very important. ‘’You can imagine a situation that will make a farmer not plant the seeds given to him, but rather eat it. ‘’To the best of my knowledge though, we have not experienced that in the FCT yet and I don’t think we will. ‘’But what we will try to do is to enlighten the farmers so that they understand the benefit they stand to gain if such seeds were planted.

‘’We will break it down into ABC; that the idea is to boost agricultural production and ensure that there is food security in all the states. ‘’That is why even the FCT is not spared; we are making all efforts to produce like any other state, because this programme (ATA) is of national interest.’’

NAN recalls that Mr Ibrahim Abdullahi, the Managing Director of Mashalaha Seeds Ltd, Gusau, had also urged farmers to desist from the consumption of the seeds, saying that it is hazardous to human health.

Abdullahi stated that such seeds were usually treated with chemicals and colouring, to

preserve them, stressing that consumption of these chemicals amounted to taking poison.

The AFAN boss said that all structures and contacts had been put in place in the different area councils within the FCT for the progress of the programme, which, he said, would commence on Oct. 1, 2013. ‘’Farmers are still very busy on their farms now, but by October, some would have started to harvest and they will have time to listen to us.’’

He said that the programme would also address other related difficulties its members had encountered with the GES scheme. (NAN)

Lecturer tasks SSANU on welfare packages for members

By Usman Shuaibu

A

university lecturer with the University of Abuja in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Otaki Osana Alanana, has called on the leadership of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) University of Abuja chapter to place a great emphasis on the welfare of members all the times.

He also urged the leadership of SSANU to deem it fit to checkmate the activities of the management of the universities on the financial recklessness to ascertain probity

in the university system.

Alanana, who made the call while presenting a paper tagged: “The Prospects and Challenges of Labour Union in Nigerian Universities” during the SSANU National Delegates Conference in Gwagwalada, pleaded with the unionists of the universities to provide insurance cover for members to guarantee lives and property at work.

He frowned at the government inability to pay the universities retirees despite their money being deducted by the government every month and urged the SSANU to work hand in hand to make sure

the pensioners’ money were paid as at when due.

He called on the government to provide the needed infrastructural facilities at the various universities in the country to enhance service delivery by the universities staff.

Alanana appealed to SSANU as well as ASUU and other unions at the universities to come together to pursue a common goal for overall progress of the universities education.

Responding, the chairman of SSANU at the University of Abuja chapter, Comrade Jude Nwabueze, said that the

leadership of the association would continue to contribute tremendously towards the productivity of the staff in the university.

He urged the government to always focus on the education of Nigerian children to better the lives at the universities, noted that the government had neglected educational sector in terms of facilities.

Nwabueze commended the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. James Sunday A. Adelabu for donating sporting facilities as well as trophies to the association.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 16

FCTA to commence tax on entertainment soon

By Adeola Tukuru

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ITV camera man and reporters interviewing a middle-aged man, yesterday at Beger roundabout, in Abuja. Photo: Chinenye Akwaja

FEMA solicits partnership with FRSC to curb disaster in FCT

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has solicited the support of the FCT Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps to tackle disaster in the nation’s capital.

This was disclosed when the management staff of the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency led by its Director General, Mallam Abbas Idris paid a courtesy call to FCT Sector Command of FRSC in Abuja.

The areas of collaboration according to the Director General

include information sharing, evacuation of victims in disaster situation and training of its personnel Idris used the occasion to reveal that plans have been concluded with UNICEF to organise training for staff in Kaduna later in the year with a view to equiping the personnel of the newly established agency to carry out the onions task ahead.

Responding, the FCT Sector Command, Mr. Joshua Fanola commended the FCT Administration for setting up emergency outfit to tackle disaster situation.

Fanola explains that in view

of recent happenings across the country, the issue of disaster management should not be left in the hands of one agency, stressing that synergy among relevant agencies should be encouraged According to him, “changes in recent times both human and natural changes have made it imperative for government to set up more emergency outfits. It very clear that one single agency cannot tackle the issue of disaster management in this country. On this note, I commend the FCT Administration for coming up with this noble emergency outfit.”

He harped on preventive measures, noting prevention

rather than control should be the hallmark of disaster management.

The Sector Command equally tasked the FCT emergency agency to embark on aggressive enlightenment campaign and monitoring of disaster prone areas in the territory, ssaying “it is only by enlightenment that the people will know the right thing to do.”

While canvassing for three digits toll free line for the agency, he equally pledged the support of his command to FCT Emergency Management Agency to tackle any emergency situation in the territory.

Excessive intake of sugar, sweets, predisposes people to tooth decay- Dentist

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Dentist at the National Hospital, Abuja, Dr Seyi Lojede, has said excessive sugar, sweets and starchy food consumption, predisposed people to tooth decay Lojede told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that tooth decay was also called ``dental caries’’ or a cavity.

He said that for tooth decay to take place, the tooth structure, the substrate which is the food substance, bacteria and time must be present.

``So if your tooth is not well formed and laid down, there is a tendency of having tooth decay. ``When you consume food that are high in carbohydrates and soft drinks, the bacteria in plaque turns the carbohydrates into the energy it needs by producing acid at the same time. ``When the acid makes contact with your tooth, with time, it creates a little hole, leading the bacteria into your tooth. ‘’ The dentist said that the bacteria would always fight to stay within the

environment of the mouth because they died if they got into the stomach.

According to Lojede, if one does not brush the tooth at night, the food particles left in the mouth creates an environment for the bacteria to make more holes in the tooth.

He said that eating foods high in carbohydrates and taking soft drinks, particularly in between meals, also increases the risk of tooth decay.

He also said that smokers were also at risk of having tooth decay. ``Saliva helps to keep the surface

of your teeth clean but tobacco interferes with the production of saliva and once the saliva is not sufficient, it could lead to tooth decay.’’

For proper oral hygiene, Lojede advised the public to brush at least twice daily and visit the dentist twice a year. ``You can easily prevent tooth decay by brushing twice daily, flossing your teeth regularly, see your dentist for teeth cleaning and checkups and avoid food high in sugar.’’(NAN)

ederal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), is set to commence the enforcement of entertainment tax.

Briefing journalists after the FCT executive meeting recently, Director of Economic, Planning, Research and Statistics, Isa Mohammed, said, this tax will entail residents parting with five percent of the money expended on goods or services accessed to support the infrastructural development of the territory.

He said the administration loose about N50 million every month from a fraction of the territory sampled.

In his words: “it is a kind of tax you pay when you visit such places like Wuse 2 to take your point and kill. We are living in a city which is too free. If you go to Wuse 2, to take a point and kill of about N5, 000, what you will be parting with will be a token of N250.

On the legal framework backing the tax in FCT, he said, “there are laws governing entertainment tax” in the federal capital territory as if it were a state. “I don’t think it will be beyond five percent,” he said.

Soldiers nab 5 Indian hemp smokers in Gwagwalada

By Usman Shuaibu

T

he men of Nigerian Army have arrested five suspected Indian hemp smokers in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.

An eye witnessed account told the People’s Daily that the soldiers who arrested the five suspects were five in number.

It was revealed that the soldiers shot indiscriminately which scared the people away from the area. It was also gathered that the vehicle of the soldiers has no plate number.

The sources disclosed that the suspects were beaten by the soldiers before they were forced to enter their vehicle.

One of the victims, Mr Audu Yaro, a security guard of Kasuwa – Dare, who narrated his ordeal to our reporter, said that he was beaten by the soldiers mercilessly without knowing the offence being committed but they were later released.

Meanwhile, some of the traders who reacted to the incident, appealed to the Army Superior Authorities (ASA) to put their men in order to avoid unnecessary intimidation by them.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 18

Metro

Woman, 25, jailed for pouring hot oil on boyfriend A

Karu Senior Magistrates Court yesterday sentenced a 25-year-old woman, Victoria Alonge, to one year in jail for pouring hot oil on her boyfriend, Roland Nna, over his refusal to marry her.

The Senior Magistrate, Omolola Akindele, summarily sentenced Alonge without an option to pay a fine after the convict admitted to committing the offence in court.

Alonge was arraigned by the

police on a one-count charge of causing grievous hurt on Nna, her boyfriend, who lives in Kurudu, Abuja.

The Police Prosecutor, Cpl. Paschal Njoku, had earlier told the court that Nna reported the incident at Kurudu Police Station on Aug. 11.

Njoku said that Alonge went to Nna’s house at about 4:30 a.m. on the fateful day and poured hot oil on him while he was asleep, resulting in grievous hurt on his

body.

He said that she was immediately arrested by the police, based on the report and confession to committing the crime before the police.

Njoku said that while in detention, Alonge threatened to inflict more harm on the victim.

The prosecutor urged the court to summarily punish the accused since she did not deny the charge brought against her.

In her defence, Alonge told

the court that her estranged lover dated her for over four years and promised to marry her, only for him to change his mind after falling in love with another women in Abuja. ``I did that to teach him a bitter lesson because he refused to marry me after dating me for over four years. ``He fooled me and my parents and ditched me after finding a new lover here in Abuja. I live in Lagos with my parents,’’ she said. (NAN)

INSIDE FCT COURTS Housewife jailed for selling husband’s property

A

Zuba Grade 1 Area Court has sentenced a housewife, Husseina Danhadejia, of Yimi village, Abuja to three months imprisonment for stealing and selling her husband’s property.

The presiding judge, Malam Alhassan Kusherki, handed down the sentence after Danhadejia had pleaded guilty to the one count charge of theft.

Kusherki, however, gave the convict an option to pay N15,000 fine.

Danhadejia was charged with stealing a mattress, a bag of rice, two DVD players and a bed sheet.

The prosecutor, Cpl. Momoh Ibrahim, had told the court that one Abubakar of Yimi village Zuba, Abuja reported the matter at the Zuba Market Police Outpost on April 4. ``The complainant returned from work and discovered that his wife had stolen his property. ``They included a bag of rice valued N12,000, one mattress worth N20,000, a bed sheet and two DVD players valued N6,000.’’ ``She sold some of the stolen items to Binta Isa of the same address.’’ (NAN)

Man arraigned for allegedly assaulting woman

T Nigerian Institute of Architects, Abuja Chapter, during a Road Walk to create awareness for one million trees-planting programme, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Photo: NAN

Man, 33, arraigned for alleged cheating, joint act

T

he police has arraigned a 33-year-old student, Mike Samson, of No. 62, Rukuba Road, Jos, Plateau, before a Kado Grade 2 Area Court, Abuja, for alleged cheating and joint act.

The Police Prosecutor, Mr Simon Ibrahim, told the court on Friday that, Mr Jonah Sanda, of Kadokuchi village, Abuja, reported the matter to the Utako police station on June 18.

Ibrahim said that the accused

and his accomplice, Collins Obasi, of DB Zang Junction, Rukuba Road, Jos, now at-large, duped Sanda.

He said that sometime in June, the accused and his accomplice collected N615,000 from the complainant on the pretext to supply PVC products to him.

Ibrahim said that police investigation revealed that the accused had provided a GT Bank account details for the money to be paid in.

He said that the offence contravened the provisions of sections 79 and 322 of the Penal Code.

Section 79 states that ``when a criminal act is done by several persons in furtherance of the common intention of all, each of such persons is liable for that act in the same manner as if it were done by him alone’’.

Section 322 stipulates that, whoever cheats, shall be punished

with imprisonment which may extend to three years or be fined, or both.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Presiding Judge, Alhaji Ahmed Ado, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 with one surety who must be a civil servant of not below Grade Level 08.

He adjourned the case to Oct. 14, 2013 for further hearing. (NAN)

Herbalist charged for allegedly cheating man of N120, 000

T

he police yesterday arraigned a 36-year-old herbalist, Kole Kehinde, before an Abuja Magistrates’ Court sitting in Wuse Zone II for allegedly cheated a patient of N120,000.

Police prosecutor Nnamani Emmanuel alleged that the accused, who resides at No. 16, Danki Village, behind Sunny Vale, Abuja, committed the offence sometime in May 2010.

He said Adedokun Adekunle of Jikwoyi Phase II, Abuja, reported the case at the Garki Divisional Police Station, Abuja.

Emmaunel said the complainant alleged that the accused deceived him and collected N120,000 as payment for natural medicine to cure his haemorrhoids (pile).

He said the accused collected the said amount and dishonestly

converted the money to his personal use and relocated to an unknown location.

Emmaunel said the offence contravened the provisions of section 322 of Penal code Law. If convicted, he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine or with both.

The accused pleaded not guilty,

denying the charge filed against him.

Senior Magistrate Mimi KastinaAlu admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Mimi ordered that the sureties must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court with a verification address.

She adjourned the case to Aug. 27, 2013 (NAN)

he police has arraigned a man, David Abayi, of Agadez St., Wuse 2, Abuja in a Wuse Zone 2 Senior Magistrates Court for allegedly assaulting one Miss Helen Ameh.

Abayi is standing trial on a fivecount charge of joint act, criminal force, assault, mischief and criminal intimidation.

The Police Prosecutor, Mr Abdullahi Adamu, told the court that the matter was reported to the Wuse Divisional Police Station on Aug. 8, by Ameh of One-Man Village, Nasarawa State.

Adamu said that on the same date, Ameh went to one Emmanuel Ogbodo to collect the N200,000 he owed her.

He said that an argument ensued between Ameh and Ogbodo, after he refused to pay the money he collected.

The prosecution alleged that Ogbodo invited Abayi (accused) and three others, who are now at-large, who beat her up and tore her dress, worth N30,000.

He said that the offence contravened sections 79, 263, 265, 327 and 397 of the Penal Code.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Magistrate, Mr Aliyu Shafa, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N100,000 with a surety in like sum.

Shafa ordered that the surety must reside within the jurisdiction of the court and adjourned the matter to Sept. 5, 2013for hearing.(NAN)

PAGE 19

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

INSIDE

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

Capital market indices dip by 0.58 per cent

T

ransactions on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday continued on a downward trend as its indices depreciated by 0.58 per cent.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that due to the depreciation, the All-Share Index also dipped by 213.17 points to close at 36,345.33 from the 36,558.50 recorded on Tuesday.

Also, the market capitalisation which opened at N11.57 trillion dropped by N67 billion to close at N11.51trillion.

However, the volume of shares traded on Wednesday rose to 249.97 million shares worth N1.9 billion from the 198.15 million shares valued at N1.8 billion traded on Tuesday.

Flour Mills recorded the

highest price loss of N7.08 to close at N69.48 per share.

Guinness trailed behind Flour Mills with a N4 loss to close at N254 per share, while Lafarge WAPCO dropped N1 to close at N93 per share.

Ashaka Cement’s share price depreciated by 74k to close at N21.26, while NASCON lost 50k to close at N10.70 per share.

GlaxoSmithKline led the price gainers’ chart by 40k to close at N65.40 per share.

Cadbury followed with 35k to close at N51.25 per share, while Okomu Oil grew by 30k to close at N45 per share.

Air Service appreciated by 28k to close at N4.28 per share, while Jos International Breweries rose by 13k to close at N1.52 per share. (NAN)

FG, Lufthansa sign agreement on type, jet ratings training - Pg 22

NIMASA making Progress on ISPS Code Implementation–DG - Pg 22

Shoprite ramps up Africa expansion as home market slows - Pg 21 Exchange Rates CBN L-R: head, Development financing officer, Mrs Georgina Nwakwo, controller, Awka prisons, Mr Columbus Omenuko, branch controller, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Awka Branch, Mazi Azubuike Okoro, Controller,CBN Enugu branch, Mr Patrick Okonkwo, and a staff of CBN, Mrs Patricia Ukwu, during the hand-over of CBN renovated prison block, yesterday in Awka.

PHOTO: NAN

Agriculture remains bedrock of economy transformation- stakeholders

By Abdulwahab Isa griculture has been identified as the bedrock and key to the rapid growth capable of transforming Nigerian economy.

This forms the nucleus of stakeholders and participants views at the just concluded two day zonal advocacy workshop for the North-East Zone on economic diversification and enhanced revenue generation orgainsed by the Revenue Mobilsation Allocation and Fiscal Commission(RMAFC) that held on Monday, 19th and

A

...urged diversification of revenue sources Tuesday, 20th August, 2013 at the Gombe State University Conference Hall, Gombe, Gombe State.

The Theme of the Workshop: “Economic Diversification for Sustainable National Development.

Rising from the two day brain storming event which drew top officials of Gombe, Yobe, Borno and Bauchi state governments ; participants unanimously said a thriving agriculture will provide not only food security, employment opportunities, foreign exchange earnings; it will generate

income , rural savings, industrial raw materials, poverty alleviation and empowerment.

A communiqué issued noted that, Nigeria never lacked in formulating good agricultural policies and programmes, but pointed that the problem had largely been that of weak political will and policy inconsistency.

“Agricultural production was neglected over the years and its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product declined considerably due to dependence on revenues from

Kano IGR hits over N1.5 billion - Kano Dep. Gov.

By Umar Muhammad Puma eputy Governor of Kano state, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has said that the state Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has improved from a little above N300million to over N 1.5billion monthly.

Ganduje confirmed the figure on Tuesday in Abuja while delivering keynota address at the opening session of the 4 day retreat for Honourable members of the Kano state House of Assembly.

D

The retreat had as its theme; “entrenching good governance through openness, transparency and people oriented legislation”.

According to him, in the last two years, through prudent application of human and financial resources, the state government made a land mark history in the overwhelming infrastructural development in education, health, water, and land sector that was never witness before.

He attributed the success

recorded by the administration to the overwhelming ambiance of Kwankwasiyya ideology of upholding public trust, prudence and frugality in the management of public resources, as well as openness and transperancy of public policy, decision making process and its implementation.

“I’m proud to say that no government in recent history has set up and achieved such high ideas that meet with so much public expectation as our government does.

oil and gas sector” citing other factors that negated the growth of agriculture to include, land tenure limitations, lack of access to credit facilities to farmers, low level application of modern techniques, poor inputs particularly fertilizer, frequent policy changes, low budgetary provisions for agricultural projects and schemes”, observed participants.

as at 21th August, 2013

Buying

Selling

$

154.76

155.76

€

242.88

£

207.27

Riyal

41.26

41.53

YEN

1.58

1.59

CFA

0.297

0.317

243.44 208.60

MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE DAY 3 ways to support a growth initiative

A

ll too often senior leaders see managing today’s earnings as their main job and don’t spend enough time on the pursuit of long-term growth. It’s important for all executives to nurture “internal start-ups,” clusters within the organization that help deliver both earnings and growth. Here’s how: Create the conditions. Make earnings and growth equally important top priorities. Work to remove cultural impediments such as risk aversion and the

notion that any kind of failure is bad.

Choose the right team leaders.

Assign your best, most experienced general managers to lead growth initiatives. They have the necessary internal networks and understand the company’s values and culture.

Fund the ventures. Create funds for financing new ventures separate from the company’s annual budget process. Tie funding to milestones with realistic time frames.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 20

Aviation Company News

Nigeria’s Access Bank says H1 profit falls 14 pct

N

igeria’s Access Bank said on Wednesday its half-year pretax profit fell to 26.1 billion naira, down 14 percent from the same period a year ago.

Gross earnings also declined 5 percent to 104.1 billion naira during the six months to June 30, the top tier bank said in a filing through the Nigeria Stock Exchange.

The lender proposed an interim dividend of 0.25 naira per share.

BoI, others starving SMEs of funds- Group

Stories by Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

T

he Association of Micro Enterprises of Nigeria (AMEN) has blamed banks for starving small businesses of fund to survive in the turbulent business environment.

AMEN President, Prince Saviour Iche, said the Bank of Industry (BoI) and other commercial banks have done nothing to assist micro enterprises in the last three years. “it was ‘heartbreaking’ to see

so many businesses collapsing because lenders refused to assist them. Despite billions of naira claimed to have been pumped into the economy, small businesses are not getting them.”

He said banks have refused to even consider the request of micro entrepreneurs simply because they were start-ups and their turnover wasn’t high enough.

He said that the industry was awashed with stories of healthy small businesses mucked around by banks, either by withdrawing a

finance or with massive increases in their charges.

He said there was need to create a SMEs credit portfolio to look into the requirements of this sector .

“One objective of this idea, is to develop a financing mechanism for SMEs, which would enable business owners to access the loans without being subjected to unattainable requirements put forward by the traditional banking sector.

“The requirements of collateral, business plans, proper

maintenance of business records and the impressive deposits would not be a factor in considering loans for the SMEs,” he said.

Iche if the SME sector is properly harnessed and given financial backing, technological and market back-up, can trigger economic development.

He insisted that one of the key priorities for banks is to support small businesses and encouraging investment practices if they want more jobs created.

world class pan-African bank and contribute to the economic development and financial integration of Africa. “Ecobank is a full service bank that caters to the corporate, small

and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), the micro, and the growing middle class. The bank has something for everyone’s needs; that is why we are the pan-African bank”

N774bn spent on calls, SMS in six months

B

ased on an Average Revenue per User of $7 (N1,092), the active telecoms subscribers in the country must have spent about N774.06bn on voice calls and Short Message Services in the first half of this year.

This is going by the figures obtained from the industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission.

With 120,362,218 active subscribers, the revenue profile of the telecoms service providers could have been boosted by over N131.4bn in June alone; while for May, April, March, February and January when the active lines were 120,748,754; 119,356,665; 117,281,669; 116,601,637 and 114,492,384, respectively, the telecoms firms were estimated to have made about N131.9bn, N130.3bn, N128.1bn, N127.1bn and N124.8bn, respectively.

Abia to relocate $1bn Ariaria market to Osisioma

T

he Abia State Government on Tuesday said it had concluded arrangements to relocate the popular Ariaria International Market from Aba to Osisioma community, which is about one kilometre from the capital city.

The move, according to the development partner, Acroideation International Limited, is sequel to “advice from a former World Bank President, Paul Wolfowitz, and the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, during their visit to the market in 2005 to assess its economic potential.”

NNPC floating filling station at Buguma in Rivers state.

Ecobank Nigeria sets up department to Finance small Businesses

E

cobank Nigeria says it had set up a microfinance department to support small business owners in Nigeria. These groups of people constitute the unstructured market and are small entrepreneurs whose businesses are below the range of a million naira.

The Development Finance Department of the bank would give out small loans to this category of entrepreneurs at special and flexible rates and the use of identification methods.

Ecobank Head, Development Finance, Felix Oyakhamoh who stated this during a chat with the media in Lagos, said small business owners that cut across artisans, traders, small time farmers amongst others qualify for this special window. The beneficiaries do not necessarily need collaterals, but guarantors to collect the loans.

According to Mr. Oyakhamoh the bank has dedicated staff

in select branches of the bank in the six geo-political regions of the country to attend to customers who fall within this loan bracket. In his words “we are dedicated to rejuvenation of the wealth creation process in Nigeria. Our ultimate goal is to empower as well as provide financial services to the otherwise down trodden, being part of our financial inclusion drive”.

He encouraged small business owners to embrace the opportunity by walking into any Ecobank branch for detailed information on how to benefit from the special scheme. Mr. Oyakhamoh noted that the beneficiaries will also get all other bank incentives like debit cards, mobile banking and all other e-banking services that go with being a customer of the Pan African Bank.

Mr. Oyakhamoh reiterated that this gesture by the bank is in line with its vision to build a

PHOTO: NAN

Substandard Phones: SON takes battle to computer village

F

amous for multi-billion naira deals in ICT equipments, Computer Village located in Ikeja, Lagos is always found wanting in sales of substandard products, the Director General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Joseph Odumodu has appeal to traders in the market standards and quality in their dealings with the consuming public.

Odumodu noted that computer village had become a haven for substandard products ranging from mobile phones, computer accessories, software and many other products.

He advised them against delving into businesses which would cost lives or make people waste their hard-earned resources, adding that the dealers must be ready to accept products which have failed to live up

to consumers’ expectations.

Odumodu assured dealers who are ready to work ethically of the Federal Government’s support through its agencies like the SON, adding that anyone engaging in the act of sabotage against the nation’s economy, by dealing in substandard products would be prosecuted.

“The problem is that many of us appear to be in a hurry to make money. That is not good. The only way for Nigeria to make the muchneeded progress is for everybody to decide to abide with the rules and regulations guiding the sale of some of these products,” he stated.

He noted that the agency would not relent in its efforts at ensuring that products manufactured or sold in Nigeria lived up to their manufacturers’ promises.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 21

Business

Shoprite ramps up Africa expansion as home market slows

By Abdulwahab Isa with agency report

S

hoprite, Africa’s biggest grocer, is ramping up its expansion across the continent with 47 new supermarkets as its core South African consumer base grapples with high personal debt levels and growing fuel and transport costs.

Nearly half of South Africans failed to pay back their debts for three straight months this year, prompting banks to tighten their lending criteria, while a weaker rand currency fuelled inflation and higher petrol prices.

“It’s tough out there,” Shoprite deputy managing director Carel Goosen said at the presentation of the company’s full-year results.

Cape Town-based Shoprite, which reported an 11 percent rise in full-year profit that fell slightly short

of market expectations, said it could double its stores outside of South Africa in the next four years.

Shoprite has 153 supermarkets in 16 countries outside South Africa.

Those foreign outlets registered a 28 percent jump in sales in the 12 months to the end of June, nearly three times the rate of growth in its home market during the same period.

The bulk of the new stores would be in oil-rich Nigeria and Angola.

The company sees scope for 44 new outlets in Nigeria and 21 in Angola in the next three to four years, Chief Executive Whitey Basson said.

After more than two years as an investor favourite, South African retailers are fast falling out favour due to concern that

high personal debt levels and reluctance among banks to lend more will squeeze spending in Africa’s biggest economy.

South African retail sales grew by a smaller-than-expected 1.9 percent in June, data from the government statistics office showed last week.

Shares in Shoprite, which are down about 20 percent this year, gained 3.3 percent to 166.73 rand in what analysts said was a recovery from oversold levels and optimism that its Africa focus would help it ride a slowdown in consumer spending.

“In Shoprite, you have a company that’s still growing profits and paying dividends even in a tough environment and the results were not that far away from the consensus,” said Reuben Bleeders, an analyst at

Cape Town-based Gryphon Asset Management.

The stock is trading close to its intrinsic value, according to Thomson Reuters StarMine valuation model, which takes into account the company’s most likely earnings trajectory over the next five years.

Shoprite posted an 11 percent rise in headline earnings per share to 675.4 cents in the year to the end of June, a touch below the 681 cents forecast in a Reuters poll of 11 analysts.

Headline EPS, South Africa’s primary profit gauge, excludes certain one-time items.

Sales rose 12 percent to 92.7 billion rand ($9.11 billion) and the company lifted its annual dividend by the same amount to 338 cents per share. (Reuters)

Custom officers during the launch of Nigeria trade hub portal and the Nigeria import, export and transit process manual, on monday in Abuja.

PHOTO: NAN

NIPC advises Thailand to invest in agriculture in Nigeria

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Executive Secretary, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Engr. Mustafa Bello, has told the delegation from Thailand who are on a fact finding mission in Nigeria to explore the Investment opportunities in the country especially in the agricultural sector.

Engr. Mustafa Bello who hosted delegation led by Ms, Vasana Mututanont, Deputy Secretary General, Office of the Board of Investment, Thailand also told them that the commission was the first point of call for any investors (both Foreign and Local) that want to do business in the country.

The NIPC Boss specifically called on Thailand investors known for its agricultural prowess to invest in the sector as the Federal Government has given priority attention to the transformation of the sector from its subsistence

farming to merchandised farming or Agric-business.

According to him, the Commission provides all the relevant information on doing business in Nigeria; it offers incentives to encourage investments and have the One Stop Investment Center (OSIC) that facilitate business registration and provide efficient and transparent services to investors.

In a statement by NIPC’s Assistant Director/Head, Media & Publicity, Joel Attah, Bello maintained that the Commission through the activities of OSIC, it shortens and simplifies administrative procedures for the issuance of business approvals, permits and licenses and company registration thereby removing all bottlenecks faced by investors in establishing and running business and ultimately reduces the cost of doing business in Nigeria.

He emphasised that the

Commission plays advisory role to all potentialand existing investors through its “Pre and After Care Services” and do hand-holding to investors to ensure that they are not defrauded and mitigate against corruption from some unscrupulous Nigerians.

The NIPC Chief Executive further disclosed that the Commission has concluded arrangements to establish desks at the various international airports and major Hotels in the country in order to assist investors in providing statistical data and information on the Nigerian economy, nvestment climate, legal and regulatory framework as well as sector and industry specific information to aid existing and prospective investors in making informed business decisions.

He said the NIPC enabling law support investors to repatriate their profits and dividends 100 percent and guarantees against

appropriations and also provides incentives that will enable investors to expand their businesses.

Earlier, in her remarks Ms, Vasana Mututanont, Deputy Secretary General, Office of the Board of Investment Thailand who led a nine man investment delegation to the Commission described Nigeria as the preferred investment destination in Africa.

She stated the willingness of Thai investors to invest in the Nigerian economy giving its size and attractive incentives available.

She said the team was in the country on a fact finding mission and to gather relevant information on the investment climate and activities of the various sectors in order to make an informed decisions.

She assured that Thailand thrives so much in Agriculture therefore would strive to invest in the sector in Nigeria.

Shippers Council introduces new freight rates on Imports, Export From Dapo Olawuni, Lagos

I

n what seems like a direct response to cries from industry stakeholders on the high cost of doing business in Nigeria, the Nigerian Shippers Council in collaboration with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has introduced a reviewed benchmarked freight rate for import and export in Nigeria.

At a sensitization meeting between the council and shipping companies in Lagos yesterday , the Director of Commercial Shipping Services of the Council, Mrs. Dabney Shal-holmer said that the new rates will ensure that trading in Nigeria becomes cheaper.

Making a presentation on the provisions of the reviewed 3% rates that will be collected by NIMASA from shipping lines, Shal-holmer explained that the document has been submitted to the Federal Government and that it is already harmonized in the Nigerian Trade Hub of the Nigerian Custom Service.

Explaining the review of the NIMASA 3% levy, she said “There are certain trades that were being over charged and some were being under charged, in our classification we have separated them so that high premium cargoes does not benefit extremely while low premium will suffer” “What we import into the country mainly is not premium cargo, so if you peg it high you are making it difficult for the trader who is importing to even sell and break even” “Market price of product will be grossly affected, so it is not just the trader that ill benefit, it is the Nigerian economy that will benefit” Shal-holmer said.

She further explained that there was a trade off between both the council and the NIMASA as the new classification will affect the revenue that should accrue naturally to NIMASA. “The NIMASA 3% collection, shipping company earning are going to be jolted a little, for the time being and a very short period, revenue in NIMASA will certainly drop by a very little percentage but we will be gaining because what it will now mean is that we can trade cheaper, and an economy that trade cheaper is an economy on its way to prosperity” Implementation of the reviewed rates according to her will begin by 1st of October 2013.

However, while reacting at the meeting, some of the shipping companies lamented that the rates ought to have been reduced from what it has been since year 2008.

PAGE 22

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

Business

FG, Lufthansa sign agreement on type, jet ratings training T he Federal Government and Lufthansa Flight, a German company, on Wednesday in Abuja signed an agreement on type and jet ratings training of pilots.

The special type and jet ratings training is for the 20 Niger Delta pilots who were trained earlier under a scholarship scheme.

Mr Kingsley Kuku, Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, signed the agreement on behalf of the Federal Government while Capt.

Holger Hoffmann signed for Lufthansa Flight.

Kuku, who stated that the new pilots are not part of the amnesty programme, explained that the 20 pilots were trained under the scholarship scheme approved for his office by President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said the agreement was to furnish and develop the pilots to fly different kinds of aircraft, adding that the 20 pilots would be the first batch to receive the training on type and jet ratings.

Kuku recalled that 30 of the 53 Niger Delta youths that enrolled in the Afrika Union Aviation Academy, Mafikeng and Flight Training School in South Africa in 2011 had passed all the requisite examinations.

He said they had secured their Private Pilot Licence and Commercial Pilot Licence.

“The new pilot successfully passed a good number of ground courses and flight operation techniques.

“The courses include

meteorology, Navigation, Air Law, Flight Planning, Instruments, Radio Aids, Aircraft Technology and Human performance,’’ said Kuku.

Hoffmann, who is the Managing Director, Pilot Training Network, Lufthansa Flight, promised to furnish the pilots with the theory and practical training on type rating and jet rating.

This, he said, would make them to be specialists in piloting different kinds of aircraft. (NAN)

L-R: Adamawa state Governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako, Chairman, IBTC Bank, Mr. Atedo Peterside, President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and Chairman, Forte Oil, Mr. Femi Otedola, during the Economic Management Team meeting, on Tuesday at the State House, in Abuja.

PHOTO: JOE OROYE

Conoil grows half-year profit by 255 % From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

C

onoil Plc has posted anunprecedented performance for the first half of the year 2013.

According to a statement issued by the company, the oil marketing giant recorded 255 per cent increase in profit after tax from N450.9 million in 2012 to N1.6 billion in 2013.

The performance demonstrated the company’s resilience to overcome the overwhelming challenges in the

downstream oil sector.

The company also declared a whopping N1.98 billion as profit before tax against N663.1 million recorded in the corresponding half year period in 2012.

Revenue rose to N79.6 billion from N76.2 billion, while Earnings per Share (EPS) increased significantly from 65kobo to 230 kobo.

The company attributed this sterling performance to the adoption of robust growth strategies, efficient management of resources and total elimination of waste in its operations.

The company assured its

shareholders of its optimism to sustain and grow the impressive performance in the remaining six months of the year. It also assured juicier returns for shareholders at the end of the current financial year.

Revealing its edge, the company said it strengthened and repositioned its core businesses, with huge investments in retail network expansion, which involved building multi-million Naira mega stations across the country.

In the statement issued to announce the result, the company emphasized: “For

us, the downstream remains fundamentally attractive now, in the medium and long term.

“With our clarity of direction and focus, our company’s long term success is assured”.

It added: “We will sustain our improved performance and realize our aspiration to become the leading petroleum products marketer and one of the most profitable quoted companies.

“We will continue to benchmark our company against best global standards and practices to ensure that the business is managed in the best interest of all stake holders”.

NIMASA making Progress on ISPS Code Implementation– DG

By Dapo Olalekan

A

s ultimatum given Nigeria by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) on implementation of the International Ships and Ports facility Security (ISPS) code expired yesterday , 21st August 2013, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) says it is making reasonable progress with the implementation of the code.

The Director General of NIMASA, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi gave the indication at a press briefing in Lagos saying it had commissioned a stock taking of the nation’s coastal maritime assets declaring that many of them were now compliant.

He said that a Verification Inspection Exercise (VIE) was recently conducted on these facilities and further assured that the result of the exercise would form the basis for further re-certification of port and jetty facilities.

Existing certificates carried by the facilities are valid until August 31st 2013, NIMASA has however said that new certificates will be issued as from 1st of September 2013 in line with ISPS code requirements.

He also assured that NIMASA’s action plans had already been given a positive nod by the US Coast Guard and that it had pledged to support NIMASA in ensuring that the issues raised were remedied.

Speaking further, the DG said that the agency had outlined its implementation framework in the form of a handbook to enable the public understand its agenda with respect to the new implementation regime.

“A critical success factor to the implementation program will be the capacity and the will to enforce this implementation mandate by a regime of incentives and sanctions” “In the past, compliance was a huge issue as the previous DA lacked capacity to strictly enforce its mandate haven lacked constitutional powers to do so” Akpobolokemi took a quick swipe at the PICOMMS for haven derailed from its core objectives, even as he assured that financial muscles to implement ISPS will not be a challenge for NIMASA. Assisting the DG, the NIMASA Executive Director of Maritime Safety, Capt. Ezekiel Agaba noted that the agency has made progress on implementation; even as he pointed out that it is not possible to cover all port facilities less than three months.

He expressed NIMASA’s readiness for the return leg of the visit of the US coast guard back to Nigeria by the weekend.

“We know that they are coming back sometimes this week, they are going to come back before the end of this month and we are waiting for them” he said.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 23

Stock Watch

Report as at Wednesday, August 21, 2013

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 24

Special Report

Curbing the rising trend of corruption in Nigeria’s economy

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y most accounts, corruption has reached a critical level in Nigeria so much so that it now affects virtually all the socioeconomic activities in the country.

Economists moan that corruption is seriously retarding Nigeria’s economic growth, as some privileged citizens habitually divert the resources meant for country’s development into personal uses. Going by their analysis,

EFCC Boss, Ibrahim Lamorde

PAGE 25

however, corruption can involve more than one party, while it can also be viewed as an organised crime, which involves dishonesty, fraud and pretence, among others.

The Transparency International (TI) views corruption in a more elaborate frame, which entails the misuse of entrusted power for private gains.

Due to its negative effects on nation-building efforts and the citizens’ wellbeing,

many Nigerian leaders and international organisations have, on several occasions, made frantic efforts to address the menace of corruption in the country.

According to the perception index of the Transparency International, Nigeria was ranked 144th out of the 146 countries, beating Bangladesh and Haiti to last position.

Nigeria is widely perceived as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, prompting concerned citizens to call for the intensification

of the fight against corruption in the country.

They, however, note some anti-graft agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practice and other related offences Commission (ICPC) were set up to fight corruption.

The ICPC was established in 2000 to handle the crusade against corrupt practices and allied offences. To make the campaign more efficient, the EFCC was set up in 2003 to investigate cases of financial crimes such as advance

fee fraud (419) and money laundering.

These efforts notwithstanding, some financial experts insist that the operations of the antigraft agencies are often hampered by interference from the government and some external forces.

The former President of Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Dr. Samuel Nzekwe said that the level of corruption in the country had not declined in spite of the activities of the anti-graft

Some policemen at a checkpoint soliciting from a motorist, in Abuja.

agencies. He stressed that corruption had been identified as a major challenge facing the Nigerian economy, adding that concerted efforts were required to tackle corruption.

Nzekwe, nonetheless, underscored the need to incorporate pragmatic anticorruption strategies into the Federal Government’s Transformation Agenda, reiterating that corruption was the main cause of budget deficits over the years. ``Corruption constitutes a prime impediment to our national development; it is at the centre of the recent subsidy probe of the House of Representatives. Corruption

is always mentioned in every national debate and it is definitely tainting our country’s image abroad,’’ he said.

Nevertheless, the General Manager of Cash Craft Assets Management Ltd. in Lagos, Mr. Ayodeji Fagbenle noted

that the level of corruption in Nigeria was more than the reported intensity.

He emphasised that the development had discouraged foreign investors from coming into the country, saying: ``A corruption-free environment is a major attraction to

“

Until people begin to vote for trustworthy candidates in elections; the issue of corruption will definitely persist in the country,” he added

Former Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun was also found culpable on corruption

international investors. ``Government should provide an enabling environment where foreign investors will not have to bribe government officials to do their businesses,’’ he

Former Delta state Governor James Ibori, was in 2012 convicted by a UK court

added.

Dr. Kazeem Bello, a senior lecturer in the Department of Economics, University of Ibadan, however, noted that corruption was somewhat rampant in the country ``because of our neglect of our traditional norms and values’’.

All the same, a former Director (Budgetary Unit), Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Titus Okunronmu said that it was unfortunate that corruption was fast becoming ``part of our ways of life. ``Until people begin to vote for trustworthy candidates in elections; the issue of corruption will definitely persist in the country,” he added.

He, nonetheless, urged the Federal Government to check the increasing menace of fraud, relating to financial crimes and money laundering, so as to attract more foreign direct investments into the country.

Besides, Okunronmu noted that Nigerians wanted an effective reform of the country’s election processes so as to promote transparency, integrity and accountability in governance.

He also underscored the

need to give the judiciary the necessary latitude to interpret and protect the constitution, while prosecuting and punishing those who engaged in corrupt practices without undue interference from any quarters.

According to him, there should be strict enforcement of anti-corruption laws, while the government should make determined efforts to improve the citizens’ well-being.

Irrespective of these contentions, President Goodluck Jonathan recently said that Nigeria was one of the African countries that had recorded appreciable achievements in efforts to fight corruption, citing a report of the TI to buttress his claims.

All the same, economists insist that the country’s crusade against corruption would be more effective and purposeful if the government strives to enforce all the anticorruption laws.

The government should also support the anticorruption agencies in their efforts to apprehend and prosecute high-level officials who are corrupt, they add.

(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 27

Mother Earth

All kinds of global dimming

M

any of us are already familiar with the global warming that has continued to generate intense debate and speculations round the world.

It could be said that most people are today conversant with the science and intricacies of Ozone Layer and its depletion. But for the sake of those that are still not, Ozone Layer depletion occurs within the range of 20-25 kilometres above the earth in the stratosphere.

Scientists have also outlined dramatic evidence

change the properties of clouds.

Clouds are formed when water droplets are seeded by air-borne particles, such as pollen. Polluted air results in clouds with larger number of droplets than unpolluted clouds. This then makes those clouds more reflective.

More of the sun’s heat and energy is therefore reflected back into space.

T

his reduction of heat reaching the earth is known as Global Dimming. But global warming results from the greenhouse effect caused by, amongst other things

A deeper investigation by scientists, however, shows that unfortunately this is not the case. The pollutants that lead to global dimming also lead to various human and environmental problems, such as smog, respiratory problems, and acid rain.

The impacts of global dimming itself, however, can be devastating. Millions from famines in the Sahel in the 70s and 80s were said to have been due to global dimming.

The death toll that global dimming may have already caused is thought to be massive.

Climatologists studying this phenomenon believe

S

that the reflection of heat have made waters in the northern hemisphere cooler.

As a result, less rain has formed in key areas and crucial rainfall has failed to arrive over the Sahel in Northern African.

2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, all commercial flights were said to have been grounded for the next three days.

This allowed climate scientists to look at the effect on the climate when there

cientists are saying that the impact of global dimming might not be in the millions, but billions.

The Asian monsoons bring rainfall to half the world population. It this air pollution and global dimming has a detrimental impact on the Asian monsoons some 3 billion people could be affected.

As well as fossil fuel burning, contrails are another source. Contrails (the vapor from planes flying high in the sky) were seen as another significant cause of heat reflection.

During the aftermath of the September 11,

Ambrose Inusa Sule,

mnes

ENVIRONMENT WATCH globenviron@yahoo.com 0703-441-4410 (sms only)

were no contrails and no heat reflection.

What scientists found was that the temperature rose by some 1 degree centigrade in that period of 3 days.

T

he above impacts of global dimming have led to fears that global dimming has been hiding the true power of global warming.

Currently, most climate change models predict a

in 2003.

I

t has been noted that the impacts of addressing global dimming only would increase global warming more rapidly.

Irreversible damage would be only about 30 years away.

Climatologists noted that this would be a more rapid warming than any other time in history. With such an increase, vegetation will die off even more quickly, soil erosion will increase and

How industrial activities leads to global warming

that global warming has continued to threaten the planet in unexpected ways that trigger more disasters like earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, storms, tsunami, among others.

Y

ou may then ask what again this issue of global dimming is all about. It could be called the other side of a coin; but each is identified with uncomplimentary news.

According to scientists, fossil fuel use, as well as producing greenhouse gases, creates other by-products.

These by-products are also pollutants, such as sulphur dioxide, soot and ash. These pollutants however, also

excessive amounts of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere from fossil fuel burning. It would seem then, that the other by-products which cause global dimming may be an ironic savior.

“

Scientists have also outlined dramatic evidence that global warming has continued to threaten the planet in unexpected ways that trigger more disasters like earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, storms, tsunami, among others.

5 degrees increase in temperature over the next century, which is already considered extremely grave. However, global dimming has led to an underestimation of the power of global warming.

S

cientists are saying that addressing global dimming only will lead to massi9ve global warming.

Global dimming can be dealt with by cleaning up emissions.

However, if global dimming problems are only addressed, then the effects of global warming will increase even more. This, climatologists said may be what happened to Europe

food production will fail. And a Sahara type of climate could be possible in places such as England, while other parts of the world would fare even worse.

“This is not a prediction,” say climatologists, “it is a warning of what will happen if we clean up the pollution while doing nothing about greenhouse gases.”

They are also stressing that the roots of both global dimming causing pollutants and global warming causing greenhouse gases have to be dealt with together and soon.

Global warming and global dimming seems to be six and a half dozen. None is desired to usher in a healthy and sustainable environment.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 26

Mother Earth

UNEP to convene Africa youth conference on environment

By Mohammed Kandi

T

he United Nations Environmental Programme Regional Office for Africa (UNEP-ROA) is organising the 4th Africa Youth Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development, tagged: ‘TUNZAFRIKA 2013’.

The event, which is coming up in Lome, Togo in September 2013, has a theme: “Charting a

Sustainable and Sustainable and Eco-Responsible Africa: Harnessing African Youth’s Contribution”.

In a statement issued by Hamzat Lawal, member of the conference’ communications committee and head of a Non-governmental organisation (NGO), called: “Follow the Money”, it said UNEP-ROA was ready to support African youth leaders to champions environment issues on the continent.

“The event was due to UNEP’s commitments in engaging young people on environmental issues and the Governing Council extension of the Tunza programme for the next 5 years and the outcome of a meeting that was hosted by the UNEP ROA during the UNEP TUNZA International Youth Conference, was that the Director adviced youth leaders who paid him the curtsey visit to better coordinate themselves and bring for-

ward a unifying strategy for better engagement with UNEP. This inspired the formation of TUNZAFRIKA in Nairobi, Kenya, which all African youth leaders endorsed,” the statement explained.

It however recalled that “during the Tunza International Conference on the theme: 'Health and Environment' held in Nairobi from 11-14 February 2013, African youth decided to transform the AYEN into TunzaAfrika, which

can finally federate all existing networks and serve as an interface between the youth and all development partners as well as regional and sub-regional political institutions on issues related to environment and sustainable development.”

Director of UNEP-ROA, Mounkaila Goumandakoye, the statement said, stressed that the main objective of the conference was to provide participants a platform for action learning and exchange around the challenges of the transition to a sustainable Africa.

“Youth contributions into this process, and for discussions on the operationalisation of TunzAfrika as a main platform for UNEP engagement with the youth in Africa,” Mounkaila said.

Flooding: Agency dispatches personnel to councils in Kano

T

Participants at the UNEP-TUNZA International Conference 2013 in Nairobi, Kenya, recently

Flooding of coastal cities to cost $1tr in damages by 2050- Study

B

y 2050, flood damage in the world’s coastal cities is expected to reach $1 trillion a year as sea levels rise and global warming triggers new extremes of heat, windstorm and rain.

More than 40% of these prodigious costs could fall upon just four cities – New Orleans, Miami and New York in the US and Guangzhou in China.

Stephane Hallegatte of the World Bank in Washington and colleagues looked at the risks of future flood losses in the 136 largest of the world’s coastal cities.

Any coastal city is always at some risk – by definition it is at sea level, and often on an estuary or floodplain, and very often began as a seaport.

But risks increase as the environment changes: some coastal cities are subsiding; sea levels are slowly but surely rising as the oceans warm and the glaciers melt; and for two decades researchers have repeatedly warned that what used to be “extreme”

events such as once-in-a-century floods are likely to arrive considerably more often than once a century.

But, Hallegatte and colleagues point out in Nature Climate Change, there is another factor: populations are growing, and even in the poorest nations there is greater economic development.

At bottom, for any future disaster, there will be more potential victims, with more investment to lose.

In 2005, average global flood losses are estimated to have reached $6 billion a year. This figure is expected to grow to $50 billion a year, and unless cities put money into better flood defences, losses could pass the $1 trillion mark.

To make their calculations, the authors matched average annual losses (and in a city like New Orleans, much of it already below sea level, this is estimated at $600 million) against a city’s gross domestic product, to provide a

measure of how much should be set aside to pay for such losses.

Both New York and New Orleans have already undergone catastrophic flooding this century, and flood hazard can only increase.

Some cities – Amsterdam in the Netherlands is a classic example – are highly exposed to flood risk, and the once-a-century flood could cost the Dutch $83 billion, but in fact Dutch sea defence standards are probably the highest in the world. Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and Alexandria in Egypt have less to lose, but in relative terms both are far more vulnerable.

Prophecies such as these are intended to be proved wrong: the idea is that a prophet warns of horrors to come, people take steps, and as a consequence the horrors do not arrive.

But as disaster professionals have learned again and again, governments, city authorities, in-

vestors and even citizens tend not to listen to prophecies of doom: scientists and engineers repeatedly described what could happen to New Orleans if it was hit by a powerful-enough hurricane, and in 2005, as Hurricane Katrina arrived, the levees gave way, with catastrophic results.

The paper’s authors argue that with systematic preparedness and adaptation, annual flood losses in the great global cities could be cut to $63 billion a year.

Engineering projects can help, but will not be enough, so civic authorities should also be thinking about disaster planning and comprehensive insurance programmes to cover future losses.

Since risks are highly concentrated – any city piles millions of people and billions of dollars of investment into a relatively small area – flood reduction schemes could be highly cost-effective.

Source: The Guardian. co.uk

he Kano State Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (SERERA) said it has dispatched its workers to three additional local government areas hit by flood after a heavy rainfall on Saturday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the local government areas affected by the recent flood were Bichi, Kunchi and Makoda. The Executive Secretary of the agency, Alhaji Aliyu Bashir, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recently in Kano.

He said the deployment of the agency’s staff followed a formal report received by the agency from the officials of the local governments. “We have received reports of flooding in three additional local government areas and we have since dispatched our staff to assess the extent of damage in the areas.

“We equally sent our officers to some areas like Unguwa Uku and Yoruba road in Kano metropolis, where flooding also affected houses,” Bashir said.

The Executive Secretary said the agency had already submitted an interim report to the state government for necessary action.

PAGE 29

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

Emergency Update S/South lose N2.51tr to flood disasters in 2012

T

Officials of NEMA, UNDP and the World Bank at the recent stakeholders workshop on National Disaster Disaster Recovery Strategy/ Framework and 2012 Flood Recovery Action Plan recently

Agency trains emergency volunteer groups on flood mitigation

By Mohammed Kandi

T

he National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said about 40 volunteers, drawn from Gwagwalada and Bwari area councils of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been trained on flood disaster-mitigating techniques.

A statement issued by Mr. Ishaya Isah Chonoko, the coordinator, Abuja Operations Office of the agency, said the volunteers were amongst participants who attended a one-day training and aware-

ness campaign held at Kubwa, in Bwari Area Council. Speaking at the event, Chonoko noted that the disaster management implication of the NIMET’s prediction requires concerted and proactive efforts in curbing the menace.

According to him, volunteerism is an integral part of disaster management globally, even as he said that frequent training/capacity building is a sure way of equipping the volunteers in carrying out the enormous task of saving lives.

“This forum cannot come at a time better than now when all ef-

forts are geared towards ensuring that the scale of destruction is reduced to barest minimum so that the energy and resources saved can be channeled towards other areas of human endeavours,’’ Chonoko said.

According to Chonoko, the volunteers are being exposed to general overview on disaster management, search and rescue/evaluation of flooded communities, camp management and coordination and first aid for drowning victims.

Representative of the DirectorGeneral, FCT Emergency Manage-

NEMA develops disaster recovery document, trains SEMAs

By Mohammed Kandi

T

he National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has developed a National Disaster Recovery Strategy and Framework (NDRSF).

In a statement issued by the agency’s Press Officer, Manzo Ezekiel, it said it has also commenced the special training on Camp Coordination and Camp Management for the stakeholders, in order to strengthen preparations ahead of the predicted 2013 flood and other disasters.

Presenting the draft NDRSF for adoption by the stakeholders at a workshop in Abuja, Director-General of NEMA Muhammad Sani Sidi said the document was developed in collaboration with the United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP) and The World Bank to expedite the process of recovery from disaster situations and complement other existing policy frameworks for operational efficiency and effectiveness of disaster management in Nigeria.

The D-G NEMA, Muhammad Sani Sidi who was represented by the Director of Training, Engineer Daniel Balarabe Gambo, urged the stakeholders to make their inputs to the document designed to specifically address the scourge of flood and its related impact to also provide a “new road map capable of preventing possible effects of floods and associated risks in 2013 and beyond rainy seasons.”

He said: “the strategic priorities of the Agency is to reposition the country by providing

a solid foundation and frameworks for building a national and community resilience to reduce all related disaster risks towards actualizing the gains of any developmental strides aimed at total transformation for rapid socioeconomic development of our great country.”

On the training of the stakeholders on Camp Coordination and Camp Management, he said it was targeted at the State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) which will hold in Lagos for the southern states and Akwanga, Nasarawa state for the North.

Participants at the workshop were drawn from the State Emergency Management Agencies and development partners including NonGovernmental Organizations (NGOs).

ment Agency, Mrs. Nnena Sam Ochea said the agency has been doing a lot of grassroots campaign on the need to checkmate factors that aid flood disaster.

Eben Kolawole of the FCT National Orientation Agency commended NEMA for its efforts towards disaster management. He promised that his office is ready to partner with the agency.

Officials of the Red Cross Organisation, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the police and officials from other related government agencies were present at the event.

NEMA begins assessment of floodprone areas in Kebbi

T

he National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said it had commenced the assessment of areas identified as flood-prone in Kebbi State.

The North-West Coordinator of the agency, Alhaji Rilwanu Isma’il, announced this when he visited the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu, in his office in Birnin-Kebbi recently.

Ismail said the assessment would help the agency to adopt measures to prevent future havoc in the state. He called on state governments to support the agency in preventing damage sequel to the expected flood, adding: ``the agency will collaborate with states to prevent the havoc’’.

Aliyu said a statewide campaign would be conducted on the measures to prevent damage during the expected flood. He said the relevant authorities had been alerted on the expected flood, and ``we will adopt measures to prevent that, especially finding alternative settlement to people living on flood plains.

NAN reports that Kebbi was among the 14 states identified by the Ministry of Environment which would experience heavy rains and flood in 2013. (NAN)

he Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Muhammad Sani-Sidi has said that the South-South region lost about N2.51 trillion to the 2012 flood disaster.

Sani-Sidi gave the figure in Asaba, Delta state at the South-South Zonal Flood Awareness Campaign for NonGovernmental, Community and Faith-based Organisations and government agencies, organised by NEMA and the Delta state Emergency Management Agency.

He said that the amount was the “estimated combined value” of the damage and losses suffered by people, communities and organisations in the region during the period the flooding lasted.

According to the DG, who was represented by Emenike Umesi, NEMA Zonal Coordinator, South-South, the total value of losses on economic activities alone is estimated at N1.1 trillion. He said that 363 deaths were recorded while seven million people were affected, with 2.3 million people displaced and 597,476 houses damaged.

Sani-Sidi noted that the flood marked a watershed in the nation’s disaster management apparatus as it tested the country’s contingency plans “at every front”. He said that though the impact of the flooding was enormous, it brought all stakeholders together “as never before to address the consequences of the flood”.

The D-G said: “If experiences of last year flooding are anything to go by, then the 2013 seasonal rainfall predictions by the Nigeria Metrological Agency must be taken seriously. In addition, the National Flood Outlook for Nigeria by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency must be taken seriously.”

Earlier, Mr. Kingsley Osawaru, NIMET’s Manager in Delta state, while reviewing the rainfall predictions of the zone, said that there would be lots of rainfall in the area with possibilities of flooding. According to him, the volume of water expected this year in the region will rise more than that of last year.

He said that the region would experience an average about 260 days of rainfall and 2,000 millimeters of rainfall this year and are advised all stakeholders to rise to the challenge and do all within their reach to avert a repeat of 2012 experience by clearing all water channels.

PAGE 28

Emergency Update

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

EU p ar t ne r s N E M A o n f loo d m an a g e m e n t

By Mohammed Kandi

T

he European Union (EU) has offered to provide technical assistance towards the early recovery of communities that were ravaged by the recent flood disasters in the Nigeria.

The EU team, led by Kimmo Tuominen, will map risks, focusing on hydro-geological risks and

related industrial hazards.

In a statement issued by NEMA’s Information Officer, Sani Datti, it said, “It will also work on procedures and planning for emergencies, how different agencies communicate in emergency, as well as early warning systems and how information related to forecast and alert procedures is managed”.

NEMA and the EU work jointly in finding areas they both can assist and arrange to tackle the challenges of flooding in the country.

Kimmo Tuominen said the assistance would be based on analysis of specific aspects of the emergency management structures and procedures to be assessed by them, adding that the EU would further assist in the areas of flood

information management, especially as relating to forecast and alerts procedures as well as early warning systems.

Responding, Director-General of NEMA, Muhammad Sani-Sidi appreciated the kind support of the EU, noting that “it will boost efforts of the government at assisting the affected communities and appealed for sustaining of the

support”.

Sani-Sidi said Nigeria is now better prepared to tackle disaster including this year’s predicted flood. He urged the team to identify some of the gaps that have not been adequately addressed.

The team will visit some of the communities in Kogi and Benue states where they will also meet with state authorities.

EU team and NEMA officials during an assessment tour of flood-affected communities in Lokoja, Kogi state on the 18-19th of August 2013

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 31

International

Egypt, the ‘war on terrorism’ and Islamophobia ANALYSIS

By Hatem Bazian

I

n an interview with Der Speigel, Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy offered his German audience a history “lesson” reminding them of “their experiences with a democratically elected politician who then behaved in an undemocratic manner”,thusassertingthattheremoval of Morsi is in reality a preemptive action undertaken to protect democracy itself.

Fahmy comparing Morsi to Hitler followed a strategy centred at the demonisation of the ousted president and his many followers across Egypt since their protests began on July 3. The interview came after General el-Sisi’s call for Egyptians to grant him authority to fight terrorism in the country, a very subtle reference to a changing strategy in confronting a persistent opposition to the military coup and the suspension of the constitution.

At the beginning, the military and its supporters were confident that the opposition would only last a few days, considering the cast of characters assembled to support the removal of Morsi, but the response and the continued mobilisation created a counter balance and disrupted their “well-developed” and laid-out plans.

Seeking legitimacy through Islamophobia Three weeks into the military coup that ousted the first democratically elected president in Egypt, the planners made a deliberate shift and methodically constructed a “war on terror” campgain directed at those standing in opposition to the removal and suspension of the constitution.

The “war on terror” public “debate” was stage-managed and crafted in a way to redefine opposition to the coup and in particular the Brotherhood in terms of a national security threat if left unattended will undermine Egypt, as a state.

Not wanting to debate its illegal actions against the only elected president in the history of the country, disbanding the Assembly and the suspension of the constitution, the military and the old hands at the Interior Ministry moved swiftly to redefine the opposition and in the process establish legitimacy by means of brute force and power utilised in “defending” the nation.

To accomplish this task, the military unleashed a deliberate “Othering” campaign against the Brotherhood and its supporters that was highly Islamophobic, deploying a barrage of anti-Muslim tropes to achieve the desired outcome.

The state and the privatelyowned press worked to magnify and project this otherisation message, and in a short period the protesters in the encampments were no longer Egyptians protesting the military’s undemocratic actions but “a terrorist breeding ground” threatening Egyptian national security.

The MB encampments, according to the military and the Interior Ministry, were “sufficiently” documented sites witnessing torture, violence, and hostage-taking, and if left unaddressed would further disrupt national harmony and prevent the return to democracy.

Furthermore, the argument or the charge levelled against the Brotherhood that they are the real

Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy. force behind all the “terrorist” attacks in the Sinai made it possible to provide images and evidence for the daily news cycle.

Speaking from an American political lens, the Brotherhood and its supporters experienced a “Swift Boating” moment, and in a short period were redefined in the consciousness of many Egyptians.

Indeed, time will tell whether they will recover from it, considering the level of state violence unleashed in the past few days and the existing societal split being cemented with a river of blood.

More importantly, the military, official state religious leadership and the “liberal secular” forces used Islamophobia to defend their collective actions against those elected while casting themselves as the defenders of “liberal” values or true religious tolerance that was undermined by the president and his supporters.

In essence, those constituting the political elite believe that the Egyptians can’t be trusted to make their own decisions through the ballot box, but are in constant need of a paternalistic custodial power to correct their clear error or ignorance, for they are unable to think for themselves.

Islamophobia and Egyptians’ political agency Those participating in the encampment were denied agency, and it was asserted that either they were forced by the cunning Brotherhood leadership or paid to participate, thus demonstrating a lack of real political consciousness to take action on their own.

It was reported that the leaders of the encampment tortured those refusing to stay and participate in the sit-ins while a more outlandish charge of killing followers and keeping their

corpuses in a garage under the plaza made the rounds in press coverage, including in Al-Ahram .

Also, in order to legitimise the use of violence against protesters, it was claimed that weapons were being stacked in various places around the encampment to be used against security forces. The intended public campaign was to demonise on the one hand the leaders of the encampment, and on the other remove political purpose or agency for the followers.

Taken together, this would legitimisethe military and security intervention to remove the evil Muslim Brothers and rescue the infant Egyptian “ignorant” subjects illequipped to make the right decisions on their own.

The campaign created a demonised outlier and at the same time threatened its existence.

Essentially, the Muslim Brotherhood and those supporting their call became outsiders and irrational sub-humans for refusing to accept the higher “liberal” and “civilisational” purpose behind the removal of President Morsi and suspension of the constitution.

The utilisation of Islamophobic and “war on terror” tropes in Egypt are reflective of the global postcolonial epistemological trend that problematise Islam, as a religion, and Muslims, when seeking political agency grounded in a living tradition in the “modern” nation-state.

What started as a coup against an elected president was successfully trans-configured by the military and the elite into a “war on terror” against a subhuman group that no longer belongs to the Egyptian body politic. Added to this is the charge of external support or militant conspiracy from Hamas in Gaza and, by extension, Iran as well.

“

Adding more fuel to the fire is the systematic stoking of religious tensions between Muslims and Coptic Christians with emphasis on assigning responsibility to the Brotherhood for fomenting attacks on some 30 churches across Egypt.

The attacks on Coptic churches are an old Interior Ministry strategy intended to divide the communities, develop mistrust on the ground level and increase the feeling of insecurity that then can be harnessed to consolidate power by means of extracting cooperation through intimidation.

Furthermore, the attacks on churches serve a more strategic purpose of magnifying the threat of the Muslim Brotherhood and through it prevent any real criticism from the international community since the European and American public will not be moved to action considering attacks on a Christian religious minority.

The same strategy was used by Mubarak on more than one occasion, and it does produce results stoking religious tensions and preventing national unity from developing among the majority Muslim population and the Christian minority. More critically, the campaign results in fragmenting the national identity resulting in a more conservative and reactionary mode of engagement which becomes the norm.

The divisions between the Muslim and Christian communities will further erode the real possibilities of building a nation-state on the basis of equality, justice and fairness, since each group will seek to consolidate its position in the state by using only a fragmented and threatened religious identity as a basis of constituting political power.

The military and the elite who stoked these sentiments in the first place appear and act as the protectors of civil

Egypt and the Arab world in general are in the middle of a transformational period, and at the heart of it is the role of Islam in shaping the emerging region and the political order.

society, but doing so on the basis of all parties recognising their undisputed power and surrendering any agency directed at an alternative. Fear and state privilege will be the basis of the reconstituted authoritarian military state with a civilian veneer.

This essay is not a defence of the Brotherhood or their political programme, but an analysis on how a removal of an elected president has been transformed into a “war on terror” with an effective Islamophobic campaign deployed to bring it about.

I do maintain that the Brotherhoodled government failed in developing the needed governing coalition in this critical transitory period. I do fault the deposed President Morsi for his reactionary decision-making style, moving to the political right and away from the centre to respond or placate more conservative Islamic forces, promising more than what can be delivered.

In addition, opting to strike an accommodationist alliance with the military while distancing himself from revolutionary partners and taking a slow gradual approach to change rather than a bold and aggressive political programme and in particular on the economy.

One can add more but all were made worst by the “Deep Mubarak State” and the rich elite that wanted to frustrate the upstart political force that in their view should be either in prison or their servants at country clubs but for sure not residents in the presidential palace or the seats of the assembly.

Islamophobia discredited Bush’s global “war on terror” with the simplistic line “you are either with us, or with the terrorist”, and has been barrowed and deployed into the Egyptian landscape, the consequences of which will be far reaching. Needless to say, it will give a great ideological boost for the Islamophobes in many parts of the world and will immediately negate any efforts at remedying Muslim standing and image across the globe.

Egypt and the Arab world in general are in the middle of a transformational period, and at the heart of it is the role of Islam in shaping the emerging region and the political order.

By declaring a “war on terror” and stereotyping Muslim political parties in negative ways, this will only complicate and prevent a normative political maturation and resolution of historical and contemporary existing religious contradictions.

In resorting to a structured and forceful exclusion of Muslim religious parties, the outcome would be the development of a siege mentality, the setting-in of protectionist and attitude, and in due time the emergence of violent trends since the door to orderly participatory politics has been shuttered.

Thus, I say the deployment of Islamophobia and excluding Muslim parties from the process is intended to push them toward violence that then can justify the use of unrestrained violence and force against them, which would go a long way in rationalising the maintaining of the status quo in power distribution. The Egyptian military and the elite have hitched its horse onto the Islamophobic wagon and will ride it into power, wealth and destruction.

Source: Al Jazeera

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

International

Egypt court orders Mubarak’s release

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criminal court in Cairo has decided to release former President Hosni Mubarak pending further investigation of corruption charges against him.

Yesterday’s ruling does not mean Mubarak will be immediately released: He will remain in prison for at least 48 hours pending a possible appeal by prosecutors, judicial sources said.

It also does not mean Mubarak has been acquitted on charges of taking about $11m worth of gifts from Al-Ahram, the state-run newspaper. But it removes the final legal hurdle blocking his release.

The 85-year-old former president was acquitted last week on charges of embezzling money from a fund earmarked for the upkeep of presidential palaces.

He is still facing retrial in connection with charges of killing protesters during the 2011 revolution. He was sentenced to life in prison last year, but a retrial was ordered earlier this year.

Defense attorneys argued that the case against him was weak, something even the first

presiding judge, Ahmed Refaat, acknowledged in his verdict: He said there was no direct evidence that Mubarak ordered the killings, but found him guilty of failing to stop the violence.

His next court hearing is

scheduled for August 25.

If Mubarak is freed later this week, it would come only six weeks after the armed forces that he once commanded deposed his freely elected successor, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi.

Morsi remains in custody since the army toppled him on July 3, but his supporters have held protests calling for his reinstatement.

Mubarak ruled from 1981 until he was toppled by protesters in February of 2011.

S Africa mobilizes disaster agencies amid fears of oil spill

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Mubarak

Somalia gunmen kill two in kidnap attempt

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unmen killed two men and wounded two women, including a Swede, in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu yesterday when they ambushed a car in what police believe may have been an attempted kidnap.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. However, al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants have kept up guerrillastyle attacks and kidnappings in the city despite being largely pushed out by Somali and African forces two years ago.

Witnesses said the Swede going back to her hotel after giving a speech at the University of Somalia when the gunmen struck near the Turkish embassy.

Student Ahmed Dek said the Swedish woman flung open the rear door of the car and ran under a hail of bullets towards the university. She was bleeding badly from her left side, he said.

A police officer guarding the Swedish woman and a Somali man said to be her translator were killed, police said. A Somali

woman from Sweden was also wounded.

Bile Ibrahim, of the criminal investigation department, said police were investigating a possible attempted kidnap.

The Swedish Foreign Ministry confirmed a Swedish woman had been shot and injured and said it was investigating the circumstances of the attack.

The ministry said preparations were under way to move her to Kenya after treatment in Mogadishu. A spokesman for

the U.N. hospital there said her wounds were not life threatening.

Somalia has a new elected government that has been in charge for about a year and is attempting to rebuild itself after two decades of civil war and lawlessness, triggered by the overthrow of presidentSiadBarre in 1991.

Last week, a medical charity that was a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of Somalis announced it was pulling out of the country, saying the threat of deadly violence had become intolerable.

Kenyan troops kill hunted Al-Shabaab militants

Kenyan security officials and Garissa elders inspecting the site of the police killings.

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enyan troops have killed several Al-Shabaab militants responsible for the murder of four police officers in the northern county of Garissa last week, Kenyan officials said yesterday.

Garissa County Commissioner Rashid Khator said the militants were killed at the border town of Hulugho on Tuesday evening by the

Kenya Defense Forces (KDF), who had been pursuing the militants since last week.

“We believe these are the same individuals who were involved in the killings of our four police officers. Our KDF officers engaged them in a heavy exchange of fire and gunned down several of them,” Khator told Xinhua by telephone.

Kenyan police had intensified a major manhunt for the heavily armed suspected Al-Shabaab militants who killed four police officers and burned down a security camp in northern county of Garissa near border with Somalia.

The suspected to members of the Somali Islamist group, Al-Shabaab raided Galmagala administration

police post in Fafi district 10 km from Somali border at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and killed four officers manning the security station at dusk attack that also saw the scores of residents missing.

Following the attacks, Locals who spoke to the press blamed the police and the military for not responding to their distress calls despite being only 40 km away in nearby Hulugho town.

The restive town and other towns in the region have been plagued by insecurity since late 2011 when the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) launched cross border incursion into southern Somalia in pursuit of Al-Qaida linked militants.

The violence dates back to October 2011 when Kenya Defense Forces entered Somalia to fight the terrorist group Al-Shabaab in their territory.

Since then dozens of civilians including the police have lost their lives.

Kenyan security personnel patrolling the Somalia border have been hit with a series of explosion attacks since Kenya sent its troops to fight Al-Shabaab inside Somalia, often killing or injuring officers.

he South African government yesterday mobilized disaster response agencies to protect the country’s coastline against possible oil spill after a cargo ship ran aground off Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal Province.

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) said it has activated its emergency response plan for the Richard’s Bay area, where the wellknown Mhlathuze Sanctuary is located.

The Panamanian-flagged ship, MV Smart, split into two after running aground off Richards Bay on Monday.

The bulk carrier had just finished loading 147,650 tonnes of coal at the Richards Bay Coal Terminal when the accident occurred.

Although the vessel’s fuel tanks were still intact by yesterday afternoon, several cargo hatches had sustained damage resultinginthereleaseofsomecoalcargo.

A monitoring plan is currently being prepared to investigate the potential impact of coal and coal dust pollution on the surrounding marine environment, the DEA said.

At present, the department’s immediate priority is to close off the Mhlathuze Sanctuary, located South of the wreckage, from any possible oil spills. The sanctuary is considered important, from both conservation and social perspective, because it is a breeding and nursing area for important fish species, and it provides a home to over 20,000 birds of various types.

It is an area that provides important life-supporting and recreational benefits, the DEA said.

The department, working closely with the local authorities, has put in place steps to respond as quickly as possible to any oil spills that may affect the nearby beaches, and continues to remain on highalert,shouldthesituation deteriorate, the DEA said.

Less than two weeks ago, a German ship, KianiSatu, ran aground just west of Goukamma River estuary in Knysna about 450 kilometers east of Cape Town, spilling tonnes of fuel into the sea and posing a threat to the estuary. Rescuers managed to contain the spill. The ship sank early in the morning to a depth of about 1,000 meters and 100 nautical miles away from the Knysna coast.

Zuma

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 33

International

Hundreds reported killed in Syria gas attack

Images, including some taken by freelance photographers and supplied to Reuters, showed scores of bodies including of small children, laid out on the floor of a clinic with no visible signs of injuries. Reuters was not independently able to verify the cause of their death.

The Syrian armed forces strongly denied using chemical weapons. Syrian state television said the accusations were fabricated to distract a team of U.N. chemical weapons experts which arrived three days ago.

Western countries called urgently for the inspectors to be dispatched to the scene to investigate what would

be the deadliest single incident of the Syrian war.

Activists said rockets with chemical agents hit the Damascus suburbs of AinTarma, Zamalka and Jobar during fierce pre-dawn bombardment by government forces.

The Damascus Media Office monitoring centre said 150 bodies were counted in Hammouriya, 100 in KfarBatna, 67 in Saqba, 61 in Douma, 76 in Mouadamiya and 40 in Irbib, all suburbs of Damascus.

A nurse at Douma Emergency Collection facility, Bayan Baker, earlier told Reuters the death toll collated from

medical centers was at least 213.

“Many of the casualties are women and children. They arrived with their pupils dilated, cold limbs and foam in their mouths. The doctors say these are typical symptoms of nerve gas victims,” the nurse said. Exposure to sarin gas causes pupils in the eyes to shrink to pinpoint sizes and foaming at the lips.

TheU.N.teamisinSyriainvestigating allegations that both rebels and army forcesusedchemicalweaponsinthepast, one of the main disputes in international diplomacy over Syria.

The Swedish scientist leading the team, AkeSellstrom, said the reports should be looked into, but doing so would require a request from a U.N. member state.

France said the mission must be sent to the site to “investigate immediately”.

Turkey made a similar call. Britain said it was deeply concerned and would raise the issue at the U.N. Security Council, adding the attacks would be “a shocking escalation” if confirmed.

Extensive amateur video and photographs appeared on the Internet. A video purportedly shot in the KafrBatna neighborhood showed a room filled with more than 90 bodies, many of them children and a few women and elderly men. Most of the bodies appeared ashen or pale but with no visible injuries. About a dozen were wrapped in blankets.

Other footage showed doctors treating people in makeshift clinics.

One video showed the bodies of a dozen people lying on the floor of a clinic, with no visible wounds. The narrator in the video said they were all members of a single family. In a corridor outside lay another five bodies.

administered Kashmir at 11:15pm local time on Tuesday night (18:15 GMT).

The incident took place in the Shakma sector and the exchange of fire continued for at least three hours, the military said.

There was no immediate response from the Indian army or government.

Recent weeks have seen an escalation in tensions between the

two South Asian neighbours, with several soldiers killed on both sides of the border, which either side declares to be unilateral violations of a 2003 ceasefire by the other country.

The latest crisis began after the Indian government accused Pakistan of having supported an incursion into Indian territory which resulted in the deaths of five Indian soldiers on August 6. Islamabad denied the

allegation.

Kashmir is divided between Pakistan and India but claimed in its entirety by both. The countries have fought two major wars over the disputed territory.

India’s Defence Minister AK Antony said on Monday that the army would take “all possible steps” to counter ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the border.

Musharraf escorted into court

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yrian activists have accused President Bashar al-Assad’s forces of launching a gas attack that killed nearly 500 people yesterday,inwhatwould,ifconfirmed,be by far the worst reported use of chemical arms in the two-year-old civil war.

An opposition monitoring group, citing figures compiled from medical clinics in the Damascus suburbs, put the death toll at 494, 90 percent of them killed by gas, the rest by bombing and conventional arms.

The rebel Syrian National Coalition said 650 people had been killed. Other rebel groups cited even higher figures.

Pakistani soldier killed in violence with India

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Pakistani army officer has been killed and a soldier wounded after shelling across the de facto border with India in the disputed territory of Kashmir, the Pakistani military says.

The military said that Indian forces opened “unprovoked fire” from across the Line of Control, which divides Indian- and Pakistani-

Japan upgrades Fukushima nuclear plant alert level

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apan’s nuclear agency has upgraded the severity level of a radioactive water leak at the Fukushima plant from one to three on an international scale.

Highly radioactive water was found to be leaking from a storage tank into the ground at the plant on Monday.

It was first classified as a level one incident on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (Ines).

But Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority proposes elevating it to level three on the seven-point scale.

Japanese reports say it is a provisional move that had to be confirmed with the IAEA, the UN’s nuclear agency.

This week is the first time that Japan has declared an event on the

Ines scale since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The move was announced in a document on the agency’s website and was subsequently approved at a weekly meeting of the regulatory body.

Shares of plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) fell as much as 13% to 537 yen as investors worried about the impact of the development.

The March 2011 tsunami knocked out cooling systems to the reactors at the plant, three of which melted down.

Water is now being pumped in to cool the reactors but this means that a large amount of contaminated water has to be stored on site.

There have been leaks of water in the past but this one is being seen as

the most serious to date, because of the volume - 300 tonnes of radioactive water, according to Tepco - and high levels of radioactivity in the water.

A puddle of the contaminated water was emitting 100 millisieverts an hour of radiation, Kyodo news agency said earlier this week.

Plant workers inspecting the damaged nuclear facility.

Asia & Middle East

Hamas calls on Egypt to reopen border crossing

Hamad

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alestinian Islamist group Hamas urged Egyptyesterday to reopen the border crossing with the Gaza Strip that was closed after a suspected militant attack on Egyptian policemen near the frontier earlier this week.

Hamas, an off-shoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, has ruled Gaza since 2007 and has an uneasy relationship with Egypt’s new army-backed leadership, which toppled elected President Mohamed Mursi, a Hamas ally, last month.

Cairo has accused Hamas of interfering in Egyptian affairs and suggested that Palestinians might be helping Islamist militants active in the Sinai peninsula, where 25 policemen were killed in an ambush on Monday.

The Egyptian army, which has long been suspicious of Hamas, has also clamped down on smuggling tunnels that run underneath the desert border between Egypt and Gaza.

“The Palestinian people, the people of Gaza, must not pay the price for any problems or differences inside Egypt,” said Ghazi Hamad, deputy foreign minister of the Hamas-run government in the territory.

Mursi’s ouster was seen as a major blow to Hamas, especially as the group’s ties with traditional allies Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah party have also suffered because it sided with the rebels in the uprising against their onetime friend, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Thousands of Palestinians, including students and patients seeking medical treatment, have been unable to travel to Egypt since the Rafah border crossing was shut.

Hundreds of Palestinians have also been stranded outside the Gaza Strip by the upheaval that has shaken Egypt since the military ousted elected President Mohamed Mursi on July 3 after mass protests against the Muslim Brotherhood leader’s rule.

“Gaza people have enough problems. This crossing should be named the crossing of humiliation and not Rafah,” said Mai Jarada, a business student in Tunisia who attended a wedding in Gaza and now cannot leave the Palestinian enclave.

Some 1,200 Gaza residents used to enter Egypt daily before Mursi’s ouster, but the figure has dropped to only 300 since he was deposed.

At Rafah, the main window to the world for the 1.7 million Palestinians in the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip, several dozen people waited in vain on Wednesday to cross the border into Egypt’s Sinai.

Citing security concerns, Israel allows only a limited number of people to travel through its own passenger crossing with the Gaza Strip.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 34

International

US soldier Manning sentenced to 35 years in WikiLeaks case

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S Army Private First Class Bradley Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison yesterday for providing secret files to WikiLeaks in the biggest breach of classified data in U.S. history.

Judge Colonel Denise Lind, who last month convicted him of 20 charges including espionage and theft, could have sentenced him to up to 90 years in prison. Prosecutors had asked for at least 60 years; Manning’s lawyer suggested no more than 25 because by then, some of the documents Manning leaked will be declassified.

Manning will also be dishonourably discharged from the military, a military judge ruled yesterday.

The judge convicted the 25-yearold last month of 20 offenses, including six violations of the Espionage Act. Manning leaked some 700,000 Iraq and Afghanistan battlefield reports and US State Department diplomatic cables in 2010 while working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq. He also leaked video of a

Manning (middle) been escorted out of court.

US helicopter attack in Baghdad in which at least nine people were killed, including a Reuters news photographer.

Manning’s defense argued that

his aim had been to “spark a broader debate” on the role of the US military and make Americans aware of the nature of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

According to defense testimony, military supervisors ignored erratic behavior on the part of Manning which included trying to grab a gun during a counseling session.

since the EU has emerged as a key mediator in the conflict.

Meanwhile, the EU’s top foreign policy official, Catherine Ashton, has offered to go to Egypt to help mediate a political solution to the crisis in the country.

“I have offered to go back. I told the Egyptian prime minister at the

weekend that I would be more than willing to go back to Egypt, if they wish me to come back,” she said.

Ashton was speaking to reporters in Brussels on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s emergency meeting, where foreign ministers will consider what steps the EU might take in response to the crisis.

The bloc’s 28 governments are likely to tread carefully, mixing expressions of concern over bloodshed, with limited - if any changes in the $6.7bn aid package Europe promised to Egypt last year, diplomats said.

Ashton travelled twice to the country last month following the July 3 ouster of President Mohamed Morsi after massive protests against his administration.

On July 30, she was the first senior foreign official to meet Morsi who is in detention in a secret location.

During her last visit she and the EU’s special envoy for the southern

Mediterranean, Bernadino Leon, sought to facilitate a political deal including the Muslim Brotherhood.

But foreign mediation efforts by the EU, the US and the Gulf nations broke down. The situation in the last days has degenerated further, with almost 900 people reported dead in the last week.

Ashton said the 28-nation bloc had “worked on ideas to try and have confidence-building measures with the different groups in Egypt, across the political spectrum, and to try and help support a political solution”.

“We remain ready to offer our support to achieve that, not interference, support,” she said.

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Feltman, the UN under-secretary-general for political affairs, has arrived in Cairo to facilitate reconciliatory dialogue.

Feltman, who will be at the Arab League on Wednesday, will hold “wide-ranging discussion” which will focus on how the UN can best support the peace process in Egypt.

were slowing down defence efforts.

“We can’t handle discovery correctly,” he said.

Cheryl Bormann, lawyer for Walid bin Attash, called for the hearing to be suspended, saying her client was unwell. Walter Ruiz, who represents Saudi national Mustapha al-Hawsawi, cited his client’s “neck condition”.

“Please hear the difficulties we have... the situation has deteriorated,” Bormann told the court, asking Judge James Pohl to look into the problems in attorney-client communications.

“When is it going to end?” Pohl asked.

In their scheduling motion, prosecutors have called for the trial to begin on September 22, 2014.

“Lots of work has been done,”

Martins said, urging the court to stick to the timetable set out by prosecutors.

“The government has provided approximately 185,000 pages of unclassified discovery to defence counsel for each accused, so that the accused may meaningfully confront the charges against them,” Martins said late Sunday in a statement.

The five defendants were held incommunicado in secret CIA prisons from 2002 to 2006, before they were transferred to Guantanamo.

The detainees’ treatment has come under close scrutiny. Mohammed is known to have been subjected to 183 sessions of waterboarding, the technique of simulated drowning which has been decried as torture by rights groups.

Ashton

E

US wants quicker hearings for 9/11 suspects

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he US government is pushing for an acceleration of preliminary hearings in the case of five alleged September 11 plotters as proceedings resumed in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

Lead prosecutor Brigadier General Mark Martins told the court on Tuesday he hoped to see progress “this week” after prosecutors filed a motion calling for a September 2014 trial date.

Self-declared mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, wearing camouflage garb and his beard tinted with henna, appeared in the military court at the US prison in Cuba with his four co-defendants.

All face the death penalty if convicted of plotting the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington,

Cameron was behind UK attempt to halt Snowden reports- sources

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EU debates response to Egypt’s crisis

urope’sforeignministersaresetto decide how to use their economic muscle to force the Egyptian government to end a crackdown on deposed President Mohamed Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood.

Yesterday’s debate was closely watched by all sides in Egypt’s worst internal strife in its modern history,

Europe and Americas

which left nearly 3,000 people dead.

Preliminary hearings in the case began in May 2012.

“The current practice of being in court for five days approximately every six weeks is inefficient and will result in litigation that is unnecessarily prolonged, and does not serve the interests of justice,” the prosecutors’ motion said.

Defence lawyers countered, however, that their efforts had been hindered by a variety of factors.

The hearings have been delayed due to storms and problems in retransmitting the proceedings from the US prison in Cuba to the Fort Meade military base outside Washington.

David Nevin, who represents Mohammed, said internet problems

ritish Prime Minister David Cameron ordered his top civil servant to try to stop revelations flowing from the Guardian newspaper about U.S. and British surveillance programs, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

News that Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood had contacted the Guardian dragsCameronintoastormoverBritain’s response to media coverage of secrets leaked by fugitive U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.

GuardianeditorAlanRusbridgersaid on Tuesday that he had been approached by “a very senior official claiming to representtheviewsoftheprimeminister” after his paper had published a series of exposes based on the Snowden material.

The sources named the official as Heywood, who is Cameron’s most senior policy adviser. “The prime minister asked the Cabinet Secretary to deal with this matter, that’s true,” one source told Reuters.

Government supporters say informationleakedbySnowden,whohas obtainedasyluminRussia,couldthreaten national security. However, rights groups haveaccusedthegovernmentofanassault onpressfreedomoveraseriesofincidents.

These include the detention of a Guardian reporter’s partner, and news that the paper had been forced to destroy computer files containing information from Snowden under threat of government legal action.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “We won’t go into specific cases but if highly sensitive information was being held insecurely we have a responsibility to secure it.”

The government had tried to distance itself from Rusbridger’s allegation that the Guardian was made to destroy the computer hard drives, and from the detention of David Miranda, partner of reporter Glenn Greenwald who has led the paper’s coverage of the Snowden leaks.

It has argued that these were operational security matters.

On Tuesday a White House spokesman said he could not comment on the destruction of Snowden material. But spokesman John Earnest said he could not see U.S. authorities destroying an American media company’s hard drives to protect national security. “That’s very difficult to imagine a scenario in which that would be appropriate,” he said told reporters.

Britain says its security agencies act within the law and that Snowden’s leaks are a grave threat to national security.

Rusbridger described conversations with the official now said to be Heywood and with “shadowy Whitehall figures”, a reference to the seat of government, and said he was told: “You’ve had your fun.

Now we want the stuff back.”

Cameron

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 35

Strange World

Blind, disabled biker sets motorcycle speed record E leven years ago, Scottish biker Stuart Gunn was involved in a horrific accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Seven years later, following a seizure caused by the same accident, he lost his sight. Last Saturday, he became the fastest blind man on a motorcycle, after after hitting 167.1mph.

In 2002, Stuart Gunn was heading to a hospital for a pre-op on his shoulder. To avoid parking troubles, he decided to ride his bike instead of taking a car. At a junction in Edinburgh, Scotland, a van jumped lanes and crashed into the experienced biker.

“When the van hit me, the base of my back hit where the windscreen and roof join. My head and shoulders went through the sunroof and my legs went through the windscreen, literally snapping me in half backwards. He then braked, as you might, and I got lobbed back out of the van,” Gunn remembered in an interview with Suzuki Bulletin.

He nearly died, and doctors told him he was never going to walk, let alone ride a motorcycle again. But Stuart had always hated being told what he could and could not do, so he worked hard during his recuperation sessions, and in two years time he was walking with a stick.

Unfortunately, the accident had caused more damage than anyone had realized, and in 2008 he started having really bad seizures which eventually left him completely blind

Gunn on his motorcycle.

and paralyzed on his right side.

Most people would have given up the fight, but not Stuart. He fought hard, and eventually regained 40% feeling in his right arm. He still couldn’t feel his legs, but it was enough for him to get back on a motorcycle.

But he didn’t just decide he was going to ride again, but that he was going to set a new world record. Stuart had heard about the World Land Speed Record for being blind and disabled set by Billy Baxter, who is also blind, and reckoned he could best it.

Despite injuring his shoulder, he remained determined and on Saturday, he arrived at Elvington Airfield in North Yorkshire, ready to make history. He had to battle crosswinds while trying to push a Suzuki Hayabusa to over 164mph (the

former record), and he managed to do just that, setting a new world speed record of 167.1mph.

If you’re wondering how a blind and disable man can pull off such a monumental feat, the answer is sheer determination and a bit of help from his dad. Stuart Gunn’s father rides alongside him and uses an intercom system to let him know when he needs to steer and brake.

Basically, he keeps him riding straight. “I was surprised to hear I’d done it,” Gunn told the press after his successful attempt. “I hope this proves to people that just because you are blind or have a disability, doesn’t mean it should change or limit your life.”

Aside from setting a new speed record, Stuart Gunn also managed to raise much-needed funds for a number of charities he cares deeply about.

But this isn’t the end of Stuart’s inspirational story. Now, he wants to run a lap at the International Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) Race, one of the world’s most prestigious motorcycle racing events.

As a kid, he had dreamed of racing there one day, and being blind and disabled isn’t enough to keep him from realizing his dreams. “I want to do the TT, definitely. That’s my main goal; I love it,” he says.

“I think maybe a year or year and half to figure out the entire track to get safely round. Being in the dark makes it easy for me to work things out, so I can concentrate on learning that and aim for 2014 hopefully.”

Meet the black Rapunzel who has the World’s longest dreadlocks

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0-year-old Asha Zulu Mandela started growing her lovely dreadlocks 25 years ago, after moving from Trinidad Tobago to New York. Today she is known as “the

Black Rapunzel” and holds the record for the world’s longest locks, which measure 19 feet, 6 inches long.

Soon after she settled in Brooklyn, New York, Asha Mandela started

One of Asha’a dreadlocks was a whopping 55 feet, 7 inches long.

working as a nanny, spending most of her time in parks and playgrounds.

Perming and styling her hair just wasn’t working very well with her hectic schedule, so she decided to go for an

easier, more natural alternative.

After careful consideration she started growing “locks, which didn’t sit too well with her family, especially her mother, who though it made her head look like “a riff-raff mop”. Not even Asha herself was sure she had made the right decision because her short hair made them look spiky. But as they grew, she fell in love with her new hairdo and even started referring to her hair as “my baby”.

The years passed and her dreadlocks grew past floor length, but she didn’t realized how unique her natural hairstyle had become until about 5 years ago when people started complimenting her and asking all kinds of questions, like how long she had been growing the locks for, how long it took to wash and if she was featured in the Guinness Book of Records.

That last one sparked her interest, so she reached out to Guinness and Ripley’s to make her record official.

After following the strict rules imposed by Guinness and having her locks examined by two hair care professionals who made sure she had no extensions, Asha set a new record for the World’s Longest Locks, which measured 8 feet, 6 inches.

The length of her hair was nothing

short of impressive, but as it turns out, the official measurements weren’t even half right. Soon after her record was acknowledged by Guinness, Mandela remembered that for over a decade she had been knotting her locks to prevent breakage.

Eight years after she started growing her locks, Asha had a series of medical problems, including 13 surgeries, two mild heart-attacks and two mild strokes, so she spent the next 14 years in and out of hospitals.

Her hair, which had already passed floor length had become hard to ope with and very fragile. Unable to follow the suggestions of her family and friends to cut it, the woman started knotting her locks to make them manageable.

After realizing her mistake, the Black Rapunzel contacted 3 “locticians” to find out if her hair knots could be undone. Two of them said it was impossible, but the third said that while she didn’t have the time and skill to do it herself, there was someone in Trinidad who could help her.

There was no guarantee that there would not be any damage or breakage to the locks, but Asha spent 14 long hours in Odette’s Hair Clinic, in Point Fortin, Trinidad to have her hair set free.

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

Digest Herrings - good to eat, not to inhale

By Paula McGrath and Cathy Edwards ish has been a key source of protein for humans throughout recorded history, but getting it to the dinner table can be a dangerous business.

Modern techniques have addressed many of the hazards of old, like flesh wounds from the knives used for filleting. But they have also introduced new ones.

Now Swedish researchers are warning about the risks to workers in the herring industry of asthma and allergies.

Their study, published in the Annals of Occupational Hygiene, found high levels of fish protein in the air close to fish filleting machines, thrown out by the machines and by the high-pressure hoses used for cleaning.

These tiny particles can be inhaled deep into the lungs, triggering health problems in some workers.

Oily fish: good for the heart, not the lungs?

Herring is a popular dish in Scandinavian countries like Sweden, especially at Easter and Midsummer. In the north they prefer it with a mustard-based dressing, whereas in Stockholm pickled herring is popular.

It is an oily fish, high in omega-3 fatty acids, and known to be good for the heart - when you eat it.

Dr Anna Dahlman-Hoglund is one of the study’s authors and an occupational hygienist at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg. She told Health Check that over the past decade some of her patients who worked in the fishing industry had developed breathing problems, including asthma.

So she and her team decided to look at their working conditions, measuring the quantity of herring protein in the air at various

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locations inside a fish processing factory. Smaller monitors were worn by some of the workers.

She found workers had high exposure to the fish particles, and attributes this to the filleting machines and high-pressure cleaning jets casting particles into the air.

Previous research has shown that inhaling these particles causes breathing problems, either because the tiny particles irritate the lungs and airways, or because of an allergic reaction to the protein.

This phase of the study just measured protein levels in the air, without looking for a correlation between these levels and workers’ breathing problems. But Dr Dahlman-Hoglund says there is a clear link between the illnesses

of some of her patients and where they work.

“When these patients aren’t at work or are on vacation, they feel much better, so it’s very related to their work situation.”

From tennis elbow to herring lung Certain jobs have specific health risks attached to them, and “herring lung” could be added to a long list including tennis elbow and writer’s cramp.

Like the herring workers’ condition, many other occupational diseases are respiratory. Hair salons, bakeries and metal factories are some of the other places where workers are at risk from breathing particles into their lungs.

Occupational asthma is now the most common work-related lung

disease in the UK and accounts for an estimated 20% of cases of new adult asthma.

Proteins in the air, like those from fish and flour, are more likely to cause problems because they are allergenic, says Dr Joanna Szram, a Consultant in occupational lung disease at the Royal Brompton Hospital.

“Fish processing workers are a known at-risk occupation, seen in population studies and reported to registries in many countries including the UK.” But only a minority of people will suffer from asthma after breathing in fish proteins, Dr Szram says.

“In a factory population, occupational asthma generally affects a minority of the workforce,

Cocaine doesn’t just curb appetite, suppresses body’s ability to store fat- scientists

Taking cocaine prevents the body storing fat, new research has revealed

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aking cocaine prevents the body storing fat, new research has revealed.

Previously experts believed cocaine users were slim because the class A drug was suppressing their appetites.

The new research, by scientists at the University of Cambridge, also found that the slimming effects stop when users ‘go clean’ and that this can lead to dramatic weight gain.

The findings support theories

that body-conscious drug users sometimes relapse because they become so unhappy at gaining weight when they stop taking cocaine.

Dr Karen Ersche, from the Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cambridge, compared 30 cocaine-dependent men to 30 healthy ones.

She found that cocaine users actually choose worse diets than healthy men - opting to eat fatty foods and carbohydrates – but that they lose weight regardless.

Meanwhile, levels of appetitecontrolling hormone leptin in the drug-users’ bodies were cut leading to severe over-eating.

Researchers believe the habitual overeating, and poor diet, only confound the weightgain when users’ metabolisms slow when they come off the drug.

Dr Ersche said: ‘We were

surprised how little body fat the cocaine users had in light of their reported consumption of fatty food.

‘It seems that regular cocaine abuse directly interferes with metabolic processes and thereby reduces body fat.

‘This imbalance between fat intake and fat storage may also explain why these individuals gain so much weight when they stop using cocaine.

‘For most people, weight gain is unpleasant but for people in recovery, who can gain several stone, this weight gain goes far beyond an aesthetic concern but involves both psychological and physiological problems.

‘The stress caused by this conspicuous body change can also contribute to relapse.

‘It is therefore important that we better understand the effects of cocaine on eating behaviour and body weight to best support drug users on their road to recovery.

unless exposure levels are very high. In the UK, about a third of people have increased susceptibility to allergies, and their risk of developing asthma will be higher.”

Sweden only has a small fish processing industry, but the new research has implications for the millions of fish processing workers all over the world.

If people have occupational asthma, they may need to find other work. However, there are ways to lower the risks by minimising exposure.

Part of the problem for the fish processing industry is that new machines are being used in old factories with poor ventilation, says Dr Dahlman-Hoglund.

The research team advised factories to improve their ventilation and use traditional methods to clean their floors instead of high pressure hoses.

In addition, the air monitors worn by the workers in the study allowed them to see when and where they were most at risk, and change how they worked accordingly.

Michaela Archer from Seafish, a UK fish industry body, says there are a number of things companies do to protect workers.

“Where people are prone to such issues, companies can provide a range of safeguards such as breathing apparatus, guards over machines, protective clothing and health and safety training,” she explains.

Just knowing the problem exists is an important first step, says Dr Dahlman-Hoglund.

“Today when factories buy new machines they are not aware that they can produce so many particles. When we told the factory about it, it helped them to improve their working conditions.”

Source: BBCNews.com

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

By Ali Abare Abubakar

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or the ardent observer of unfolding events in the country’s political landscape, it is clear and unambiguous that the battle line for the 2015 general elections has been drawn. From the mathematics of 16 being greater than 19; when only 36 governors failed to agree on the outcome of an election conducted to appoint a new chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum (NGF), to the clandestine approach to make incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan the sole candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the coming election, to the emerging realignment between political forces resulting into the registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the All Progressive Congress (APC), PDM; are all indications that political horsetrading has commenced in earnest and that political actors from across the country have since rolled up their sleeves as they go into the trenches preparatory to the 2015 general elections.

In Nasarawa state, it is the same story being re-enacted, with political entities within the state prevaricating, scheming and unfolding an array of armada to prosecute the titanic battle ahead of the 2015 general elections.

The battle line is already drawn between the supporters of the PDP who, smarting from the 2011 defeat when a neophyte political entity, the now defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), under the effectual leadership of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura, who was himself, shown the gates out of the PDP barely some weeks before the election, demystified the concept of incumbency by roundly trouncing the then PDP administration of Aliyu Akwe Doma, are now embarking on a revenge mission to try to reclaim the coveted position of the governor of the state.

On the other hand, the CPC, administration of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura, which has now transmuted into that of the All Progressive Congress (APC), thanks to the successful merger of opposition political parties comprising chiefly of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) , All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANOP)and the CPC, is not laying on its oars. Rather, buoyed by the precedence being set by the administration in the political history of the state, the party is looking to harvest a mountain of goodwill from across the state based on its capacity to deliver much needed dividends of democracy.

Under the present administration of Governor Al-makura, the concept of governance, according to analysts, have been demystified, with the governor pursuing an open style of leadership that exposes otherwise hidden internal workings of government, in terms of the distribution of the resources accruing to the state aimed at making the standard of living of the people of the state better. There was never a time in the history of Nasarawa that the state witnesses such avalanche of

PAGE 37

2015 Guber: Can PDP spring surprise in Nassarawa?

Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura intervention at such short period of time.

Not only was Al-makura able to settle an outstanding debt of N30 billion, embark upon an ambitious road construction at the cost of another N11.5 billion, commissioned one of the newly completed 39 model schools, tackled the twin problem of lack of portable drinking water and the perennial epileptic power supply, among so many other interventions that have direct bearing on the lives of the people. Pundits are of the view that the APC governor has not only brightened his political future but has succeeded in banishing the opposition to what can be better described as a feeble response to the glaring disparity between the 14 years the PDP held sway in the state and the short time the APC took to bring positive development to the state.

According to a source, “at the pace at which Al-makura is moving in his bid to develop the state, the people are now aware of what they have been missing all the while. No wonder the PDP has been reduced to a weeping boy, chasing vain, petty, goals as recently exemplified by the show of shame on the floor of the state Assembly, when members instead of recognizing the substance rather chose to chase shadows by moving a resolution to order the governor to change the name and painting of a school.”

With the consolidation of power through reaching out to major stakeholders across the political arena, in terms of the distribution of appointments and other perks, the consummation of the merger

that eventually brought together supporters of the defunct ACN and ANPP, further swelling the ranks of supporters for the governor, coupled with the fact that the council elections is just by the corner, when it is expected that the APC will further consolidate its hold on power, it is clear that the PDP is up against a steep, albeit slippery hill in its efforts to take centre stage in the politics of 2015.

Not that the APC may not have its own worry, especially among claims that the governor has been hijacked by a scheming lot, cut off from the people, alongside snide remarks of a tight fist approach to governance leveled particularly against the governor, the obstacles before the ruling party pales into insignificance when viewed against the internal strife tearing the PDP apart in the state.

Again, the agitation by the Eggon people to produce the governor of the state, which many believe may not be unconnected with the emergence

Senator Solomon Ewuga of the Ombatse cult alleged to have masterminded the murder of scores of security operatives in Alakyo village, have set many tongues wagging, in spite of the fact that the claim by the Eggon people to have singlehandedly installed the administration of Governor Almakura, when they voted en-block during the 2011 guber election, have been overstretched and bloated.

It is generally agreed that the Eggon people, following the footstep of their Generalissimo, Senator Solomon Ewuga, who at a reception in his country home to celebrate his election into the hallowed chamber, told the mostly Eggon audience that his being a Senator is like being half dressed and the he would only be fully dressed when they (Eggon people) make him the governor of the state.

What is however not acceptable is the almost rhetorical assumption that the Eggon people were responsible for the emergence of Al-makura as governor, or that

“

Many are of the view that it would amount to a political suicide for the Eggon people to think that violence or intimidation can give them power.

The only probable avenue to occupy the Lafia Government House, is for them to build bridges of understanding among the other zones of the state but not to embark on a fruitless venture that could as well throw them into the dustbin of history

through threat and intimidation, they can ascend to the seat of power.

Going by statistics coming from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), obtained during the 2011 general elections, the total votes garnered from the Eggon predominant Akwanga zone, comprising of Akwanga with 69, 139 votes, Wamba with 42,859 votes and Nassarawa-Eggon with 92,288 votes, cannot compare with the two other zones, with Lafia alone turning in 243,508 votes as against the 81, 233 votes recorded in Keffi only.

Many are of the view that it would amount to a political suicide for the Eggon people to think that violence or intimidation can give them power. The only probable avenue to occupy the Lafia Government House, is for them to build bridges of understanding among the other zones of the state but not to embark on a fruitless venture that could as well throw them into the dustbin of history.

When some months back Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, National Chairman of the PDP visited the state to witness the decamping of some prominent personalities such as Professor Onje Gye-Wado, one time deputy governor and gubernatorial candidate of the ACN in the 2011 elections, a false calm pervaded the state secretariat of the party beseeched by loyalists and supporters including people like Alhaji Yusuf Agabi, Hon. Aliyu Wadada and surprisingly, Aliyu Akwe Doma , wielding posters proclaiming their principals’ intention to gun for the position of governor under the Continued on page 38

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

Politics Stop distracting Tukur, PDP National Auditor warns

By Lawrence Olaoye

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head of the Peoples Democratic Parry (PDP)’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting today, the National Auditor of the Party,Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju, has warned all aggrieved members of the party to stop distracting the National Chairman, Slhaji Bamanga Tukur.

Adeyanju said Tukur is unnecessarily being misunderstood.

Commenting on the incessant threats and plots to remove Alhaji Tukur from office as the National Chairman of the Party since last year by some aggrieved members of the Party, the PDP National Auditor declared that Tukur, with his wealth of experience, was capable of taking the PDP to a greater height when allowed to function optimally without unnecessary distractions from members.

Adeyanju who pointed out that contrary to the wrong notions in some quarters that Tukur was not capable of leading the Party ahead of the 2015 general elections, said, “Alhaji Tukur is fit and capable to lead the party to greater heights; he will lead the PDP to victory in future elections, but we have to give the chance and the necessary supports”.

He added “It is high time our party members put an end to all these propaganda and campaign of calumny against our National Chairman; he is a man of high integrity with wealth of experience; he became a Governor of the old Gongola State over 34 years

ago; he is a reknown industrialist who will not be a “yes man” to any body, no political party in the country has such a man as its National Chairman, we ought to be celebrating him”.

Adeyanju who insisted that PDP was a lucky Party for having Alhaji Tukur as its National chairman at this critical period when the nation would be going for a general election said, “we should not play into the

hands of the opposition as the 2015 approaches. When he was elected, they claimed that he would not last a month in office but the man is over a year in office now. Within this short period, he has been reuniting the party through his three Rs agenda of Reconciliation, Reformation and Rebuilding which has been yielding the desirable results”.

He therefore pleaded with the

aggrieved members use the available avenues within the party to seek redress in the overall interest of the party, saying “If you are annoyed or aggrieved ,come to the party; report to the National Working Committee, NWC; make your case and we will discuss as a PDP family and move forward. Alhaji Tukur represents stability, sincerity and reliability and he has a very large heart”.

L-R: Secretary, North-East Zonal Working Committee of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Bala Isa Endafo, Chairman, North-East Zonal Working Committee of PDP, Senator Mohammed Girgiri Lawan, and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, during the North-East Zonal Working Committee of PDP visit to the former Vice-President, yesterday in Abuja.

PDP South-West congress: Doherty heads zonal caretaker committee From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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head of Saturday South-West zonal congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Engr.

Adedeji Doherty, a PDP chieftain has been appointed as Acting Zonal Chairman of South-West Zonal Caretaker Committee.

PDP South-West in a statement

signed by the outgoing Zonal Secretary, Chief Adepegba Otemolu, which was made available to journalists, stated that the new acting zonal caretaker committee led by Doherty will act as members of the Zonal Executive Committee (Caretaker) until the completion of the zonal congress.

The statement reads in part: “Following the unanimous resolution

of the Zonal Working Committee of our great party, after the resignation of most of the key officers of the Zonal Executive Committee members wishing to contest in the forthcoming Zonal Congress of August 24, I am pleased to inform you that the party in compliance with party constitution has appointed you (Doherty) as the Acting South-West Zonal Chairman.

“The remaining members of the Zonal Caretaker Committee are; Otunba Banji Obasanmi (Acting Secretary). Barr. Seun Adesanya, Prince Tope Ademiluyi, Tunde Olowofoyeku and Prince Omoniyi Alo, shall continue to as members of the Zonal Executive Committee (Caretaker) until the completion of the zonal congress.”

Adamawa: Guyuk LG’s boss suspension ignites fear, apprehension From UmarDankano, Yola

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he suspension of the chairman of Guyuk Local Government Area in Adamawa state, Mr Ethan Buggy, by the state government has ignited fear of uncertainty among other local council chairmen in the state.

Following Buggy’ssack, his Vice, Mr Kube Wilberforce Danglock was immediately sworn-in on yesterday in his place.

Though no reason was advanced for Buggy’s sack, investigations however revealed that it may not be unconnected with the cat and mouse politics being played in the area between the sacked chairman and the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Kobis Ari Thinmu. Though some alleged that the council boss was engaged in frivolous spending.

Buggy’s successor was swornin by the Solicitor- General and Permanent Secretary in the state ministry of Justice, Barr. Suleiman Shelleng, in the presence of the state Governor’s representative, Deputy governor Bala James Ngillari.

Speaking at the event, Ngillari, charged the acting chairman to ensure equity, justice and fair play in the discharge of his duties. He urged the acting chairman to use the mandate given him to improve the lots of the people of Guyuk.

The deputy governor however asked the people of the area to have fear of God in whatever they do and assuring them that all will be well.

Responding, the new acting chairman thanked the state government for seeing his capability to serve as acting chairman and assured of total loyalty to the government.

Before this, there was also a palace- coup at the council’s legislative chamber with the impeachment of the council’s Speaker, Ali Shabri, who was later succeeded by Mr David K. Nelson.

2015 Guber: Can PDP spring surprise in Nassarawa?

Continued from page 37

banner of the party.

Unknown to the national chairman and in spite of concerted effort by the Chief Yunana Iliya-led faction of the party to appear to be in firm control of the party machinery in the state, it is clear, except for the gullible, that things may after all not be what it seems regarding the unity of the party in Nasarawa state.

Political observers in the state are quick to point out that the problem of the party got to a peak when former governor Aliyu Doma attempted a stranglehold on the party; when he made sure that only his loyalists emerged as state party officials, ostensibly to prepare the ground for his

shot at a second term in office.

According to another source, the beginning of the downfall of the party in Nasarawa was when efforts were made to ignore the contributions of the first executive governor of the state, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, former Minister and ex-scribe of PDP board of trustees, when Doma among others miscalculated on the hold Sen. Adamu has on the party and its supporters, a move the source said, has rendered the party comatose in the state.

According to this source, “there is no preparation for 2015 in the PDP, with the current leadership of the party in the state and their few accolades in Abuja, not ready to accept the reality on ground.” He lamented that instead of learning from the 2011 experience, when the then CPC ousted the Doma

administration, thinking that the party supporters would accept their fate, come together and fashion a way out to reclaim what the party lost by default, so to say, “what are happening now are sentiments, selfishness that led to the failure of the party to conduct credible local government and state congresses, which further led to the inevitable breaking down of the party into factions.”

“All we are saying is that, if the leaders that be at the helms of affairs of the party will not come and reconcile supporters in the state, then let PDP forget any election in Nasarawa state”, the source further declared.

Like already mentioned and on the personal level, prominent individuals are already warming up to vie for the governorship ticket of the party. Alhaji

Yusuf Agabi, undoubtedly the richest among the pack, has however been described as unreliable, deceptive and not a man of his words. “He is the richest but he is not a man of his words, he would say one thing today and do another thing tomorrow”, chipped in a source.

“Even, as Iam talking to you, no one knows what Agabi wants, is it to be governor or a senator? That is practically is undoing.” Mr. Labaran Maku, the Minister of Information, reported to have alerted the President of his impending resignation in preparation for his contesting for the governorship seat, may have a Herculean task ahead in his ambition to clinch the ticket of the party.

Even though the Ewuga factor may in itself constitute a stumbling block

to Maku’s political aspirations. It is a known fact, Maku, working in cahoots with Aliyu Doma, are altogether incapable of challenging the political sagacity of Sen. Adamu, who for now may not take kindly to supporting the cause of those whom he helped to come into limelight and only for such people to try to rack up mud across his face.

So, going by feelers across the state, the idea of either Maku or Doma taking a shot at the Lafia Government House, is an idea that is already dead on arrival, leaving the coast clear for the younger generation of politicians, represented by the hard working former member of the House of representatives, Hon. Aliyu Wadada, whose chances of picking the PDP governorship ticket brightens by the day.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

BRIEFS

2015: “APC will capture Akwa-Ibom”

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takeholders of the new All Progressive Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom state have given strong indication that the party will take over government in the state in 2015.

Rising from an inaugural meeting of the party at the weekend, they declared that despite the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) strong control in the state, APC has what it takes to convincingly beat the ruling party in the polls in 2015.

Hinging their confidence on the strong showing of ACN on 2011 polls which was won by PDP, one of the stakeholders and the senatorial candidate of the ACN in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District in the 2011 elections, Joe Ukpong said that the support ACN enjoyed in the 2011 polls was still there and was enough to guarantee APC victory.

By Mike Etim, Uyo

PAGE 39

News Extra

“Import prohibition list ready in October”

By Stanley Onyekwere

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he Federal government has disclosed that by end of October, 2013, it would have concluded the on-going review process of Nigeria’s import prohibition list, as part of the country’s commitment to the realisation of the economic integration objectives of Economic

Community of West Arica States (ECOWAS).

The Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom, dropped the hint yesterday, when he received a delegation of Nigeria Union of Traders Association in Ghana (NUTAG), on a thank you visit to the ministry over the FG’s intervention in resolving lingering

trade disputes with the Ghanaian government.

He noted that it was part of efforts to finding lasting solution to the lingering trade problem with Ghana over the closure of shops belonging to foreign traders including Nigerians in the forty traditional markets in Ghana, that the ministry commenced a process to review the Nigeria’s import prohibition list.

According to him, “I believe in the next two months, we should be able to resolve all issues that are before us because, as we are already holding an inter-ministerial meeting with other MDAs that also have issues to do with this matter (review); and as soon as that is done, we will send our recommendation to Mr. President; and once it is approved we will just go ahead.

PFN hails Oshiomhole

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resident of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Rev. Felix Omobude, has hailed the Edo state Governor, Adams Oshiomhole for “repositioning” area after many years of neglect by the past governments.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Governor in Benin City, Omobude said from the outset, it was clear that Oshiomhole had He said, “you left no one in doubt that you mean well for Edo state.

I am very thankful to God and proud that once again,Edo state has come to the forefront.

“While we commend your efforts so far, we know that there are many things to be done, many miles to be crossed.”

From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

Members of Units Executive Committee of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria Adamawa state branch taking oath, during their inauguration, yesterday in Yola.

Photo: NAN

FG to integrate youth in national developmental process, says Minister

By Albert Akota

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inister of Youth D e v e l o p m e n t , Inuwa Abdulkadir, has reaffirmed Federal Government’s determination to involve the youth in efforts at national development.

Justice Abubakar frowns at transfer of IPOs From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

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iger state Chief Judge, Justice Fati Lami Abubakar, has expressed dismay over the incessant transfer of Investigating and Prosecuting Officers (IPOs) by the police authorities lamenting that it has grossly hampered smooth administration of criminal justice in the state.

Justice Fati also blamed inability to bring to book some culprits of rape cases on delay by victims to undergo medical test and obtain medical reports immediately they are violated.

She spoke in a message she sent at the opening ceremony of a twoday capacity building workshop for

prosecutors and investigators of the state police Command in Minna.

The Chief Judge lamented that the constant transfer of IPOs often create logistic problems which in turn grossly affects smooth administration of criminal justice.

“It often causes logistic problems as IPOs who are transferred midway into cases are not often available when such cases are mentioned.

“We often have problem in getting them (IPOs) to appear for such cases,” she said.

She also observed that delay by rape victims to go for medical test and obtain medical reports immediately they are violated have stalled prosecution of many rape cases.

The Minister spoke on Tuesday when he declared open the 4th International Youth Fellowship, World Youth Camp in Abuja.

He explained that the process of integrating the youth entails “reforming and re-strategising to ensure that projects and programmes actually respond to the needs and aspirations of the youths in their quest to become

relevant in the society.

He noted that government has initiated various development strategies towards empowering and developing the potentials, creativity and skills of young people as productive and dynamic members of the society.

“The Federal Government has adopted the multi-stakeholders and cross-sectoral approach to

youth development with a view to creating an enabling strategic framework for sustainable youth development objectives across the country,” he said.

He pointed out that as part of efforts of government to address the challenge of unemployment among the youth, the Ministry was already implementing the Youth Empowerment Programme.

Olofa stool: Olugbense House wants Appeal Court to enforce judgment on Oba Gbadamosi From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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he Olugbense ruling house in Offa, Offa local area of Kwara state has sought the permission of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, to enforce its judgment on Alhaji Mufutau Gbadamosi, who was in July 2013 sacked from the stool of Olofa of Offa.

It also alleged that the sacked Olofa was still parading himself as Olofa of Offa which was tantamount to flouting the order of the appellate court which had res trained from parading himself

as the traditional ruler of the community.

In a counter-affidavit to the respondent and applicant’s motion on notice filed yesterday before the Appeal Court in Ilorin as deposed to by the 3rd Appellant, Prince Saka Keji, and copies made available to journalists in Ilorin, the complainant argued that the respondent has disrespected the Court and guilty of misconduct.

Keji claimed that the paragraphs 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 as contained in Alhaji Mufutau Mohammodu Gbadamosi’s

supporting affidavit are totally falsehood.

“Contrary to the averments in the applicant’s affidavit and in specific response to the paragraphs 23, 24, 25, 27, and 28, it is not in the interest of justice to grant an application for stay which will have the effect of undermining and undoing the judgment of this court.

“In further response, the applicant is guilty of misconduct in that, through his agents, privies and by himself personally, he has treated the judgment of this court with impunity, contempt and utter disregard.”

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

News Extra

BRIEFS Jigawa LG plants flowers

L-R: Minister of State for Works, Alhaji Bashir Yuguda, Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen, and Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, jointly briefing journalists after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

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hairman of Kiyawa local government council of Jigawa state, Alhaji Dahiru Madaki Katuka, has flagged off distribution of seedlings for the tree planting exercise.

Speaking at the ceremony, Madaki said over 20,000 seedlings would be planted at about 70 kilometers road distance.

He said the seedlings will be planted at the major road side that linked Kiyawa local government with its.

Earlier the Head of Agricultural department, Alhaji Musa said the council has purchased the seedlings for distribution free and called on the state Ministry of Environment to provide additional seedlings to the council.

From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

Photo: Joe Oroye

NSCDC Inspector jailed

Murtala Muhammad Airport: Sambo A commissions D, E wings today From Suleiman Idris and Mariam Nurudeen, Lagos

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head of today’s commissioning of the extended D and E wings of the international wing of the

Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, finishes touches had been applied by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to ensure a hitch-free exercise.

The commissioning which will be performed by the Vice

President Mohammed Namadi Sambo was earlier cancelled last week.

Also, more than 200 petroleum tankers hitherto parked along access road on the Oshodi-Mafoluku expressway

have been relocated.

Our correspondent who visited the terminal yesterday noticed a combined term of security personnel from the different security agencies conducting checks around the facility.

Flood: Katsina re-locates victims From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

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he Caretaker Chairman of Charanchi local government area of Katsina state, Alhaji Yahaya Galadima, has disclosed that the state government had relocated over 500 persons affected by flood disaster in ‘Yan Tuluna village.

The Chairman who made the disclosure while giving compensation to people whose land was acquired for the relocation noted that the, “Yan Tuluna community were affected by the disaster about four weeks ago where they lost their all their houses totaling about 78.

Galadina lamented that although no life was lost, people in the village lost

all their property including food and livestock.

He noted that on realising the extent of the disaster the local government relocated them temporarily to Kartaka village primary school where he added the government feeds them, provides water and medication for the victims.

Similarly, the chairman stated

that the state government has bought land for them close to Kartaka village where he said they would be relocated and the new settlement was named Sabon Garin Shema.

At the new settlement, Galadima stressed that government would assist in providing school, hospital and other social amenitites in making their stay confortable at the new place.

Police parade kidnappers of Edo teachers, arms manufacturer From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

Also paraded along was a female informant of the kidnappers alongside a 47-year-old farmer, Mr. Godwin Idon involved in the murder of his 40-yearold wife.

Edo state Police Commissioner, Folusho Adebanjo, who addressed newsmen yesterday while parading the suspects before newsmen in Benin-City, said the farmer was said

to have killed his wife on July 26 at Uzeba community in Owan West local government area.

According to the Commissioner, the couple were alleged to have been married for 14 years and blessed with three children.

He said that about 100 suspected criminals have been arrested in the area within the last two months.

suspected arms dealer and manufacturer, Joseph Ato, two kidnap gang members who allegedly participated in the kidnap of two female primary school teachers, Mrs. Patience Osadolor, Momodu Aisha in Edo state, Maris Okheren Idon were among the 44 suspects

paraded yesterday by the police.

The three kidnappers, Ebimene Puwano, Morrison Oyibo and Joseph Ato were said to have been arrested on the 19 August by operatives of the command after successfully kidnapping the teachers of Orogbua primary school, Ekenhuan community in Ovia North East local government area of the State on 30 July 2013.

From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

Defence hqtrs to prosecute Boko Haram suspects

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Governor, Kashim Shettima, at the Government House Maiduguri.

Abubakar said the Joint Investigation team comprised of officers from the Army, Navy, Airforce, State Security Service, (SSS) Police, Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Nigerian Immigration Service, (NIS).

He listed the others to also include lawyers from the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and that of commissioners of Justice

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he Defence Headquarters is to prosecute suspected members of the Boko Haram sect being detained in various detention centres in Borno and Yobe states.

Chairman of the Joint Investigation Team set up by the Defense Headquarters to verify the Boko Haram-related cases in the two states, Brigadier-Gen. Abdulkadir Abubakar disclosed this on Tuesday while on a courtesy call on Borno state

from Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

He explained that the arrested members of the sect will be prosecuted at the federal and the state High Courts.

According to him, the detainees have been classified based on their involvement in the insurgency and that their case files were being investigated to ensure justice to all.

“We are expected to classify the detainees for prosecution or as

witnesses or for further investigation, deportation or as the case may be, to determine the offences of suspects that could be tried either by federal or state courts and make any other recommendation that may be necessary,” he said.

Responding, Shettima commended the Defence Headquarters for constituting the team, adding that, “I urge this team to abide by its inspired commitment to free anyone found to be innocent.”

Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Minna, on Monday sentenced Inspector Audu Kaji of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to two years imprisonment for cheating.

The court however gave the convict an option of N20,000 fine.

Kaji was found guilty of extorting N293,000 from two applicants seeking job with the corps.

The accused was said to have extorted N145,000 and N148,000 from Latifat Sarakat and Jummai Umar respectively on the pretext of securing employment for them with the corps.

The offence is contrary to section 322 of the penal code.

Nasarawa: Mada people on royal visit

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n an apparent move to reconcile aggrieved parties regarding the emergence of the new Chun Mada, a first class paramount ruler of the Mada people of Akwanga local government area of Nasarawa state, citizens of Mada South, have paid a solidarity visit to the home of the Chun Mada, Samson Gamu Yare.

Led by the state Commissioner for Agricultural and Water Resources, Samuel Meshi, the delegation, including Hon. Philip Aruwa Gyunka, visited the Chun Mada to pledge their support and allegiance to the stool of the royal father.

Meshi told the Chun Mada that with his appointment the yearning and aspirations of the Mada people which had been in limbo for the past 30 years, have been fulfilled.

From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

PEOPLES DAILY,THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 41

NFF orders Keshi to invite 23 for Malawi Stories by Albert Akota

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he Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has instructed Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, to focus primarily on earning Nigeria a 2014 FIFA World Cup finals ticket, before the business of full preparation for the 2014 African Nations Championship can start in earnest.

The NFF Technical and Development Committee told Coach Keshi to come up with a 23-man list for the World Cup cracker against Malawi in Calabar on 7th September, and do away with the jumbo list of 42 that he had earlier submitted.

The former Nigeria captain has been told in no uncertain terms that there would be no elaborate camp for 24 homebased players, earlier scheduled to arrive in Abuja on Sunday, out of which only five will make the

shortlist for the match in Calabar.

Chairman of the NFF Technical and Development Committee, Barrister Chris Green, explained: “We must be very pragmatic and take it one step at a time.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup ticket is very, very important to Nigeria and Nigerians. Yes, we have qualified for the African Nations Championship, for the first time ever, and we very much appreciate it.

“But there are three very crucial 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches that we must prosecute successfully to qualify for Brazil before we can start the build-up to the African Nations Championship. Our smart money must be on focusing hard, and without any distraction, at the World Cup ticket.

Keshi is expected to harmonise his list and submit a reviewed document to the NFF before the end of the week.

...Keshi shocked by NFF order

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he Chief Coach of the Super Eagles Stephen Keshi has said he is shocked that he should cut down his list of call-ups to 23 for next month’s qualifier against Malawi.

Keshi has picked 42 players made up of 24 players from the domestic league and 18 from overseas, but the NFF technical committee has asked he prune it down to 23 for better focus.

“I have not heard from the technical committee, but if the information you are giving me is true, then I am surprised," Keshi said.

“I released a list of 24 home-based (players), who would resume camp next week so we can bring the home boys’ fitness level to that of the European boys when they join us in the upper week.

“It’s not any different from what we used to do before so I do not understand when you say 23 players for only Malawi game, because I intend to pick at least five players from the 24 home-based to join the 18 foreign boys."

The Eagles handler added that using 23 players for the Malawi game would be a crowd and waiting to start camp on the first of next month would compromise the importance of next month’s game.

“You see this game is very important and I know my bosses understand the importance of the game to suggest that we start camp six days to the match. Anyway they have not communicated me, but we will see how it goes."

FIFA team hails NFF, inspects land in Bauchi

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NFF shocked Keshi

Enyimba beat Lobi 1-0 to reach Fwederation Cup final

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nyimba qualified for the final of this year’s Federation Cup yesterday after they pipped Lobi Stars 1-0 in Benin City.

Enyimba will now meet the winners of the other semi-final between Akwa United and Warri Wolves, which was rained off in Bauchi with scores at 1-1.

The replay is fixed for the same venue today.

Enyimba coach Imama

the ball that was crossed in for the goal had rolled out of line, but the AR waved it, my defender too was to blame because he didn't play to referee’s whistle. The game has been lost and won," he lamented.

Eagle’s striker Ifeanyi Edeh again proved to be the match winner for the two-time cup winner’s just days after he scored the winning goal against Kaduna United in a league game.

Edeh Kayode

NFF President, Maigari

Amapakabo said that the better team won.

“It was an interesting game, both sides came out to play good football with the aim to win and at this stage of competition of such magnitude, you don't expect a weak opposition, but I must tell you the better side won,” he said.

Lobi coach Evans Ogenyi blamed the assistant referee for the loss.

“It was an interesting game both sides played their hearts out, but we lost to a controversial goal. It is not in my character to blame referees but in this case

Edeh hit target in the 59th minute.

Both teams made several efforts at goal in the first half, but could not yield any fruit as they ended the first period scoreless.

Enyimba goalkeeper Femi Thomas was on hand to keep out Bassey Ezekiel’s dangerous pull out from the left flank in the 25th minute, and he was again on hand to save Moses Orkuma's powerful shot.

Kingsley Sokari would have put Enyimba in front earlier, but he failed to connect Ugwu Uwadiegwu's inviting cross.

fficials of world footballgoverning body, FIFA who are in Nigeria for deliberations with the top hierarchy of Nigeria Football Federation on Goal Project 2 and FIFA courses in coaching, administration, management and refereeing, showed visible elation on being conducted round the Sunday Dankaro Football House, the new NFF headquarters, yesterday.

The two-man delegation of Mr. Francesco Bruscoli, Senior Development Manager (Africa) and Mr. Sampon Kablan, FIFA Development Officer (West Africa) expressed delight at the 26-room edifice, which was commissioned on July 18, 2013 by Vice President Namadi Sambo, GCON. “I must observe that this is an impressive facility. This is more like it for headquarters of Nigeria Football Federation, considering your country’s standing in world football,” said Bruscoli, as the duo were shown round the elegant facility by NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, NFF Vice President, Chief Mike Umeh, Acting General Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme and other senior NFF officials. The officials also heaped praises on the NFF for good maintenance of the National Technical Centre (Goal Project 1) and the FIFA Football Turf, otherwise known as artifical turf, which was donated by FIFA as part of the Win-In-Africa-WithAfrica programme around the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The delegation then flew to Bauchi, where the FIFA officials inspected the landscape for the Goal Project 2 construction of Regional Technical Centre, which will compose of a FIFA Football Turf and a hostel. Similar projects are planned for Anambra and Lagos States.

Both Bruscoli and Kablan expressed satisfaction with answers provided for all their questions concerning the site and the building plan.

The team then paid a courtesy call on the Executive Governor of Bauchi State, Mallam Isa Yuguda, and the Emir of Bauchi, Dr. Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu.

The NFF President used the opportunity to present the Nelson Mandela Challenge trophy, won by the Super Eagles in Durban last week, to the two eminent citizens.

The entourage later proceeded to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, where they saw one of the semi final matches of this year’s Federation Cup competition abandoned due to heavy downpour.

The match between Akwa United FC and Warri Wolves FC was 1-1 when it was called off, and would be concluded on Thursday.

On their return to Abuja on Thursday, the FIFA team and NFF top hierarchy will pay a courtesy call on the Honourable Minister of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.

PAGE 42

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

Sports Rizespor sign Oboabona

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Oboabona

urkish club Rizespor has announced the acquisition of Nigeria defender Godfrey Oboabona.

According to a statement on the club’s official website signed by the club’s director and press officer Spacious Aykut, the exSunshine Stars captain sealed a four year deal.

AFCON 2013 winner will formalise the deal with contract signing ceremony as well as unveiling on today August 22 at Rizespor Mehmet Cengiz club house.

The versatile player, who could play central defence, defensive midfield or right fullback, is expected to earn 450,000 Euros a year.

He became the second Nigeria player at Rizespor as he joined ex-Enyimba striker Uche Kalu.

Muntari to apologize to Ghana coach

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eputy Sports Minister Joseph Yammin has twisted the knife further into Sulley Muntari after asking the AC Milan ace to apologize unreservedly to Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah.

The midfielder showed gross disrespect to the Black Stars coaching staff by questioning his substitution in the 2-0 World Cup qualifier win over Lesotho in June.

He later confronted the coach in the dressing and unconfirmed media reports say the 28-yearold used abusive language on the trainer.

Muntari’s refused to grovel for his unprofessional act is likely to deny him a call-up for Ghana’s final Group D Brazil 2014 qualifier against Zambia on 6 September.

“I think it is proper and right for Sulley to apologize for his behavior towards coach Appiah in the Lesotho-Ghana game,” Yammin said.

“Why am I saying this? He is a senior player and should set a good example for the young players to follow.

“Discipline is key to every success story, and as we strive for our third World Cup appearance, we must ensure that we instill discipline in the team by setting good precedents.

“It appears coach Appiah is not happy, and the earlier Muntari apologizes for his rude behavior,

Sulley Muntari

the better it will be for him.

“In as much as we need him in the team, overlooking what he did to the coach will set a bad precedent, hence the need for him to apologize to serve as an example to all the players.

“He must apologize to coach Appiah before the Zambia game in Kumasi if indeed he wants to return to the Stars fold.

Nasarawa United appoints Ikhana as substantive coach

Ikhana Stories by Albert Akota

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h e N i g e r i a Professional Football League (NPFL) topflight clubs Enyimba and Lobi Stars will battle in Benin City today for a place in the final of this year’s Federation Cup billed in Lagos.

Enyimba are on course for a

Nembe City may boycott Kaduna trip

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layers of Nembe City have vowed not to honour their NPFL Week 27 tie away to Kaduna United following a disagreement with the management over unpaid salaries.

Report had it that gathered that the players are being owed salaries for eight months, and that the problem began when the proprietor of the club, Victor Baribote Rumson reacted angrily to their demands for the debt to be paid.

A player, who pleaded not to be named, said Baribote asked the players to leave the club’s camp if they are not ready to play, and that they are ready to call his bluff if he is not prepared to address the issue.

“We are tired of the way we are being treated by our proprietor, and if he doesn’t meet his obligations this time then we are ready to quit,” the player said “We have been paid only three times this year, and he is telling us to leave the camp simply because we demanded to be paid the outstanding eight months or a substantial part of it.

“He has always been promising to pay without fulfilling such promises, so now we will not play if we don’t see the money.

“We are aware the NPFL has given all the clubs money, and that there was a grant by the Bayelsa State government to the teams representing the state in the Federation Cup, so if they haven’t been able to pay with these funds, then when will they pay?

“We have not trained since Sunday’s

match against Warri Wolves and have told him that he should pay at least two months salaries before we’ll resume training or even consider travelling to Kaduna for our next league match.”

The player also said that they were owed large sums of money last season.

“We were paid for just one month last year, and that was when we helped the club to the top flight.

“Nobody is talking about that, yet the same thing is happening all over this season.

“All of us have responsibilities.

Many of us are the breadwinners in our families.

“It is better to pack my bags and go home than to continue living this way,” he said.

Chairman Nembe City, Ransom Baribote

third cup triumph having won it in 2005 and 2009, while Lobi Stars have won the trophy once.

Both clubs will fancy their chances of reaching next month’s cup final in Lagos.

Enyimba coach Imama Amakapabo said that even though they are now top of the league table, they will not take struggling Lobi lightly today.

“We are in good form, but we know that Federation Cup is different from the league games, we won’t underrate Lobi because for them to be in semi-final of the competition, it shows they are good,’ said the former Sharks goalkeeper.

“We will approach the game with all seriousness a top clash like this deserves; we know there won’t be a second chance as it is a knock out stage.

Enyimba pipped Nasarawa United 1-0 to reach the last four of the competition.

However, Lobi coach Evans Ogenyi said his team will be gunning for victory against his former club Enyimba.

“I am happy we are in the semi-final. We will face Enyimba with all the seriousness and the urgency the match requires,” said Ogenyi aka Jose Mourinho.

“I don’t dwell in the past and I believe my past experience at Enyimba will not count as most of the players I worked with are no more there.

“The target is to lead Lobi to success in this competition and win the cup after we lost the trophy last year to Heartland.

Lobi Stars defeated giant k ille rs Ak w a S tarlets 2- 1 to reach the semi-final of the competition.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

PAGE 43

Sports

will Arsenal swoops for £25m Guaita Cabaye not join PSG

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— Source

alencia president Amadeo Salva has told Arsenal they will have to stump up with £25million if they want to prise away goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.

The Spanish stopper, 26, wasn’t a regular starter for the La Liga side last year, but Arsene Wenger was impressed enough to open negotiations over a possible deal.

But the Gunners may now have to back off the deal, even though fans have been urging the club to spend money to fix their depleted squad.

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Manchester United offer for Shaw rejected

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avid Moyes was reported to be switching his attention to Shaw after seeing two offers for Leighton Baines rejected by his former club Everton.

United are yet to contact Southampton about the 18-yearold, who signed a new, five-year contract at St Mary’s last month.

And ambitious Saints, who have spent around £40 million on Dejan Lovren, Victor Wanyama and Pablo Osvaldo this summer, are adamant that their best players are not for sale.

United bid £12 million for Baines and had a £28 million joint offer for the England international and Marouane Fellaini rebuffed and deemed “derisory” by Everton.

They were then linked with Shaw, who has been scouted by Chelsea and Arsenal in the past.

Patrice Evra has continued to occupy the left-back position for Moyes’ United but his deputy, Alexander Buttner, is being tipped to join Turkish side Besiktas.

Amadeo Salva

Norwich complete Elmander deal

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weden international Johan Elmander has become Norwich City’s eighth signing of the summer window, moving to Carrow Road on a season-long loan from Galatasaray.

Elmander, 32, joins the East Anglians subject to international clearance and will be spending a second stint in the Premier League, having previously played there with Bolton Wanderers.

He joins Javier Garrido, Ricky van Wolfswinkel, Gary Hooper, Leroy Fer, Carlo Nash, Nathan Redmond and Martin Olsson as a new arrival at Carrow Road and told Norwich’s official website.

Norwich manager Chris Hughton said he was “delighted” with the signing, hailing Elmander’s experience “not only at club and Premier League level but as a current

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Amadeo Salva

Claasen signs for Polish club

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afana Bafana midfielder Daylon Claasen has signed for Lech Poznan, the Polish club announced on its website yesterday.

He is their fifth signing of the new season and has concluded a one-year deal with an option for two more.

The 23-year-old joins from the Belgian club Lierse, where his contract ended last May. He has since been on trial in Germany and England, but was unable to obtain a British work

permit, which scuppered offers from both Hull City and Blackpool.

Lech Poznan were runners-up in the Polish league last season but suffered a surprise early elimination from the Uefa Europa League earlier this month.

Claasen previously played at Ajax Amsterdam and made his Bafana debut in 2010. He has seven caps for the country, playing last for his country against Equatorial Guinea more than 18 months ago.

Palace seal Puncheon loan

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Johan Elmander

Mathieu keen to clarify future with Velencia

alencia defender Jeremy Mathieu has backtracked on comments which suggested he was looking to leave the club despite having signed a new contract just three months ago.

Mathieu had appeared set to leave the Mestalla early in the summer, with Barcelona reportedly

rsenal target Yohan Cabaye is not on the brink of joining Paris Saint-Germain, a source close to the player said.

Arsenal saw a bid of £12 million for Cabaye rejected by Newcastle on Monday, although the player was left out of the Magpies’ squad for their 4-0 loss at Manchester City.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew was particularly scathing about the timing of the offer, as the Gunners look to bolster their squad before the close of the transfer window on September 2.

It was reported by the Independent and Daily Mail yesterday that PSG could scupper Arsenal’s attempts to land the France international, who signed on Tyneside for around £3 million from Lille in 2011.

Cabaye is understood to be keen on a move to Emirates Stadium with negotiations ongoing, amid reports Newcastle are seeking nearer £20 million for his services.

interested in signing the versatile France international, but in June he extended his contract until 2017.

That appeared to end all hope of a move, until a press conference on Tuesday when the former Toulouse player appeared to send an ultimatum to new Los Che coach Miroslav Djukic.

The comments were even more surprising, given that Mathieu was suspended for Valencia’s opening game of the season last Sunday,

when Adil Rami and Ricardo Costa were Djukic’s central defensive pairing.

With Aly Cissokho having moved to Liverpool on loan, youngster Bernat played at leftback against Malaga. Mathieu’s best chance of getting into the first team appears to be on the flank, where he spent most of his career until last season, however even that would not make him happy, the 29-yearold suggested.

outhampton winger Jason Puncheon has joined Premier League newcomers Crystal Palace on a season-long loan deal.

Puncheon, 27, is reunited with Eagles manager Ian Holloway, for whom he played at Blackpool.

The Croydon-born player is also returning to Selhurst Park, where he began his career with the former Wimbledon FC when they shared the ground.

He made 34 appearances for Southampton in all competitions last season, and scored the equaliser as the Saints came from 2-0 down to draw at Chelsea in what proved to be Nigel Adkins’ final game in charge.

“I think it’s a great move for myself to come and play games,” Puncheon told Palace’s official website. “Obviously Crystal Palace is my hometown club and, more importantly, Ian Holloway is here as well.

Jeremy Mathieu

Puncheon

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

Sports

8 Chinese athletes fail tests ahead of National Games

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oping violations have increased in China ahead of this year’s National Games with eight athletes testing positive in the second quarter of the year, the country’s antidoping authorities said yesterday.

A total of 12 positive cases have been registered this year, already matching the number of violations in 2012, China’s AntiDoping Agency said.

“The number of positive cases has largely increased compared

with that of last year, which sent us a warning,” anti-doping chief He Zhenwen told the Xinhua news agency.

The 11th version of the interprovincial National Games attracted 15,133 athletes from 46 teams competing in 362 events in 33 sports in Jinan, Shandong Province in 2009.

The quadrennial event, first held in 1959 in Beijing when Communist China was isolated from most of the rest of the

sporting world, remains the major way the government appraises the work of provincial sports authorities.

Funding for the provinces is largely based on their success at the Games, which has encouraged cheating through doping and falsifying the age of athletes in the past.

“There always will be someone who risks doping for unfair advantage when the return is lucrative.

‘History taught us that the National Games could well be the reason for cheating,’’ he added.

China’s women’s 100 metres champion Wang Jing was banned for life after she tested positive for the performance-enhancing metabolites epitestosterone and testosterone after winning the 100m race at the 2009 Games in Jinan, Shandong province.

In 2005, Sun Yingjie, a former world championship bronze medalist, tested positive after

finishing second in the 10,000m -- a day after winning the Beijing Marathon.

Eleven athletes failed dope tests, while three field athletes and a swimmer pulled out after ``abnormal’’ results in the 2001 edition.

This year’s Games will be held in Shenyang, the capital of the northern province of Liaoning - one of the country’s sporting powerhouses - from Aug. 31 to Sept. 12.

Barker set for domestic rivals Murray after Sturm defeat

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romoter Eddie Hearn says Darren Barker’s world title triumph could open the door to some long-awaited domestic middleweight match-ups in 2014.

Barker is set to defend his belt against mandatory challenger Felix Sturm in November but compatriots Matt Macklin and Martin Murray lie in wait.

Barker (twice), Birmingham’s Macklin (three times) and St Helens’s Murray (twice) have fought for versions of the world middleweight crown in the last two years without any of them fighting each other.

But Barker’s defeat of Geale could trigger a British middleweight tournament that would revive memories of the Nigel Benn-Chris Eubank-Michael Watson round-robin of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Darren Barker

Enzo Maccarinelli

Commonwealth champion Maccarinelli eyes world title shot

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ommonwealth lightheavyweight champion Enzo Maccarinelli still has ambitions to fight for a world title.

Maccarinelli, 32, was crowned

US Open 2013: Ward, Baltacha advance to second round

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reat Britain pair James Ward and Elena Baltacha is through to the second round of US Open qualifying.

Ward beat Frenchman Jonathan Eysseric 6-3 6-1, while

Baltacha needed three sets to defeat American Melanie Oudin 6-1 3-6 6-2.

Both are two more victories away from a place in the main draw of the final Grand Slam of the year

in New York.

However, Johanna Konta is out after a 7-5 6-4 defeat by Australia’s Olivia Rogowska.

Konta, the world number 112, was seeded eighth for the qualifying

tournament but went down to a player ranked 40 places below her.

Ukrainian Olga Savchuk awaits Baltacha, who at 244 in the world is the sixth-highest British woman.

Ward, the 26-year-old British number two, next meets Matthias Bachinger of Germany.

Dan Evans, Tara Moore and Samantha Murray are also bidding to join defending champion Andy Murray, Laura Robson and Heather Watson in the tournament proper.

Commonwealth champion after stopping holder Ovill McKenzie in the 11th round in Cardiff last Saturday.

“There’s a lot of bad blood been built up between me and Nathan and I don’t think it’s actually between me and Nathan.

Maccarinelli had been stopped

by McKenzie in November 2012 but won the rematch in Cardiff to win the Commonwealth light-heavyweight title.

His victory came on the same evening fellow Welshman Nathan Cleverly lost his WBO lightheavyweight title at the Motorpoint Arena.

Cleverly lost to unbeaten Russian Sergey Kovalev and the 26-year-old say he is considering his future in boxing.

Maccarinelli refused to be drawn on a possible fight with Cleverly should the Cefn Fforest fighter decide to carry on.

15 boxers to represent Nigeria at Glasgow 2014

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James Ward

Cycling coach seeks support for athlete’s development

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he Chief Coach of the Kaduna State Cycling Association, Ismaila Usman, has called for support from the state government and corporate organisations toward the development of skills of cyclists in the state.

Usman said that he had drawn up programmes to develop the cyclists’ skills to international

standards, but needed support to achieve the goal.

“My target is to see cycling in Kaduna State develop further, and the athletes compete in international championships as often as possible.

“I am already working on programmes to achieve my goal, especially by ensuring that cyclists are discovered from the grassroots,”

Usman said.

He also said that the cyclists had begun intensive training for the National Cycling Championships billed for Delta in September.

The coach said that he had drawn up programmes for the U-17 Cycling Championships meant to discover talents ahead of the Delta competition.

t least 15 male and female boxers will represent Nigeria at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF) said yesterday.

A board member of the federation, Azania Omo-Agege, said the ongoing National Open Male and Female Boxing Championships in Lagos would be used to discovered more talents..

“We have discovered in this competition, male and female boxers we can rely on for international events such as the Commonwealth Games.

“Our determination is to feature boxers in all the 10 categories at the Games with the aim of wining laurels in most of them.

“Unlike at the 2012 Olympics in London, where we featured only three

boxers and came back without a medal, Glasgow Games will be different.

“This time around, we are going to feature in all the available events to ensure that we do not pack our eggs in a basket,” Omo-Agege said.

He said that Nigeria would win medals at the Glasgow Games based on the potential of boxers already discovered at the Lagos championships. ``I can assure you that with the skills being displayed here at the championships, Nigeria will storm the Games with skillful and medalwinning boxers,’’ he said.

He gave the assurance that players selected at the ongoing championships in Lagos would be exposed to foreign tours before the Glasgow Games to sharpen their skills.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

P-i-c-t-o-r-i-a-l

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PAGE 45

Sports

2 1. Xabi Alonso faces three months on the sidelines after fracturing a metatarsal at training with Real Madrid yesterday.

2. Willian undergo medical with Tottenham ahead of a proposed transfer from Anzhi Makhachkala.

3. FIFA recalls how an exceptional performance from Hope Solo and a wonder goal from Carli Lloyd helped USA outlast Brazil and win Olympic gold in Beijing.

4. The Cardiff Blues say their bid to keep Wales and Lions “icons” Sam Warburton and Leigh Halfpenny is proceeding well.

5. Promoter Eddie Hearn says Darren Barker’s world title triumph could open the door to some long-awaited domestic middleweight match-ups in 2014.

3

4

5

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

Sports

Top 10 afros in EPL revealed as Spurs land Brazil wizard Marouane Fellaini

Alex Song

Willian

Willian with afros hair style came through the ranks at Shakhtar Donetsk and made his name in the Champions League last year by scoring Chelsea twice in the group stages at Stamford Bridge before signing for Anzhi Makhachkala in January.

Willian completed a big money move from Anzhi Makhachkala to Tottenham this week.

The kinky cut that’s a throwback to the Seventies era of disco cool has earned many a player cult status at their clubs, whether their bouffant burnets have been grown consciously as part of an ultimately regrettable bet.

Rio Ferdinand

Benoit Assou-Ekotto

Manchester United’s cultured defender has experimented with a few hairstyles in his time, ranging from a close shaved crop to a Snoop-inspired braided mullet before settling on an almost omnipresent baseball cap bearing his own branded logo.

Although rarely seen, Ferdinand has sported a natty afro in the past - whether this was down to him forgetting to braid up in favour of a shopping spree, or simply the aftermath of a particularly hostile blast from Fergie’s hairdryer has never been confirmed.

David Luiz

The Brazilian’s iconic coiffure came about after he decided to insulate against a European winter in Portugal, only for it to become his trademark. At Stamford Bridge, it has seen him labelled ‘Sideshow Bob’, and even has its own spoof Twitter handle and Facebook appreciation page.

The Chelsea defender may have been comically compared to playing as if controlled by ‘a 10-year-old with a PlayStation’ by Gary Neville but that hasn’t prevented Barcelona trying to lure him to the Nou Camp.

The Everton midfielder has become a cult hero on Merseyside and beyond based almost exclusively on his ‘Divine Afro’, which has seen his height rise from 6ft 4in to scale almost Peter Crouch-sized proportions.

Should he complete a potential move to be reunited with former manager David Moyes at Manchester United, the business projections of Goodison Park entrepreneurs specialising in bushy wigs are likely to plummet.

David James

Tottenham’s left back is another advocate of the sort of corn row braids adopted by the hip-hop fraternity. However, when he lets his hair down, there are few more impressive mop tops in the league.

The Cameroon player has admitted to playing the game for money not love and could soon be replaced at White Hart Lane with rumours that Portugal defender Fabio Coentrao will arrive as part of the deal that is expected to take Gareth Bale to Real Madrid.

Jo

Signed by Mark Hughes during Manchester City’s initial era of excess, the £18million striker is living proof (alongside Robinho and the likes of Anderson and Kleberson at United) that there’s something about Manchester that doesn’t agree with Brazilians.

Jo only managed to score a single league goal at City before a similarly lean spell at Everton. However, an eventual return to his homeland and gradual downsizing of his ‘fro has seen him stake a claim to be included in Brazil’s World Cup squad.

The former Arsenal enforcer has now completed a familiar rite of passage that has taken him from the Emirates to a bench in Barcelona - where he can at least exchange nostalgic stories with Cesc Fabregas.

The Cameroon midfielder showed his blond ambition after revealing he followed his wife’s advice in dyeing his hair to express his individuality. It certainly worked, although not necessarily for the right reasons and only Bacary Sagna has saved him from having the worst haircut in north London.

Despite being regarded as one of football’s more intellectual players - although competition for the title is admittedly thin on the ground - only David Beckham has made more mistakes with his hair. And anyone who has seen James’ slicked back comb-over will accept that his afro is a step in the right direction.

Unfairly branded ‘Calamity James’ after a series of blunders while playing for Liverpool, the former England keeper found more success between the sticks at clubs including Aston Villa, West Ham and Manchester City.

Huddlestone

The former Tottenham player probably regrets saying he would refuse to cut his hair until he scored a goal following a comeback from injury, especially since his last strike came in April 2011 - leaving him with an afro that could nest a flock of seagulls.

Having completed a £5million move to Cardiff in the summer, the big framed midfielder will have to avoid taking any wrong turn in the Welsh countryside for fear of being sheared by an overzealous farmer mistaking him for a generously wooly sheep.

Glen Johnson

The Liverpool full back has revealed that the reason for his short-lived afro - it was a stag do wager with a long-haired friend who promised to dye his hair blonde and plait it should Johnson grow an impressive enough afro.

PAGE 47

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

Some Interesting Facts

D

uring a solar eclipse, the shadows of leaves make the same crescent shape of the eclipsing sun. The image is made by light passing through tiny holes in the leaves.

Monks in the 16th century recorded seeing a giant explosion on the side of the Moon. It most likely was a large meteor that slammed into the Moon and left a large crater. It was a good thing the Moon was between us and the meteor!

See the rings of Saturn while you can. They slowly wobble up and down over the years as Saturns poles point away from then towards the sun. The rings disappear when edge on to our line of sight. Currently they are almost at their widest point and can be seen even in binoculars and small telescopes.

A star has been found moving closer to the sun. In a million years a star named Gliese 710 will have moved to within 6/10ths of a light year from the sun. This is more than six times closer than today’s nearest star, Alpha Centauri, which is over 4 light years away.

Stars viewed through even the largest telescopes look like tiny points of light. But astronomers, using the Hubble Space Telescope to photograph a star called Betelgeuse (pronounced “beetle jooze”), have now been able to see the surface of another star. Betelgeuse is a red, giant star located at the left shoulder of the constellation Orion and is the largest known star in our galaxy.

Not all stars are found inside galaxies. Astronomers have found stars moving between the galaxies, which are millions of light years apart. These stars may even have planets, possibly with intelligent life on them. If they do,

these beings would see a lonely sky with just one star (its own sun) and a few faint galaxies.

Tired of the cold weather? Take a vacation on the hottest planet in the solar system – Venus. At over 800 degrees, it is hotter than Mercury because the clouds and abundant carbon dioxide hold in most of the heat received from the sun.

Ever notice on a map how the South American and African coasts, along the Atlantic, fit together like two pieces of a giant puzzle? That is because at one time, millions of years ago, they were one continent. Magma from deep in the Earth broke through thin places between these continents and pushed them apart. They are still slowly moving apart and the Atlantic ocean is growing wider.

The lead in pencils, really graphite, is made of the exact same thing as

Leisure

diamonds. Both are pure carbon which just formed under different pressures and temperatures.

Intense heat and pressure form the carbon atoms into crystals making diamond, while lesser heat and pressure form the carbon into sheets making graphite.

Geologists have discovered there seems to be more water miles deep between the rocks of Earths mantle than in all the oceans of the world.

The intense pressure of the tons of rocks above keeps the hot water from turning to steam and escaping.

If you were to place the planet Saturn in a big enough bowl of water, it would float!

Submitted by: Mark-Robert About 20 percent of the earths land is made up of desert, and the worlds largest desert is the Sahara of North Africa.

Black Holes are disappearing!

At first, it was believed that nothing could come out of a black hole and they would be around forever. But a famous physicist, named Stephen Hawkings, discovered that black holes lose energy and eventually evaporate away. But don’t wait around for one to “disappear” because it will take trillions and trillions of years to happen.

On a clear night, the human eye can see between 2,000 and 3,000 stars in the sky.

Water is the only substance on earth that is lighter as a solid tha than n a liquid.

The White Sandsna nati tio iona nall pa park rk in New Mexico iss the the lar larges gestt dese esert rt wi witth the fine whi whitte te sa san nd, made made ofa of ami min neral eral cal alled led gy gypsu psum m. m.

Our su sun n is over over 2.

2.5 5 mill illio ion on miles miles aroun round nd at it itss equa quator tor.

Say what?

SUDODKU

PHOTO OF THE DAY

The Guinness World Record for “Most spoons on a human body” belongs to Etibar Elchiyev. Here he is in Tbilisi, Georgia in December 2011 when he won the title with 50 metal spoons magnetized to his body.

www.peoplesdailyng.com

. . . putting the people first

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

SPORTS LATEST

Arsenal beat Fenerbahce 3-0 in CL play-off

W

ales international Aaron Ramsey scored one goal and set up another to inspire Arsenal to a 3-0 thrashing of Fenerbahce in their Champions League first leg play-off yesterday.

The North London club now stands on the brink of a 17th straight qualification for the lucrative pool stages after a dreadful start to their Premier League campaign with defeat to Aston Villa.

A potential banana skin in the Turkish capital instead ended up as a smooth ride for the 2006 finalists as Kierran Gibbs and Oliver Giroud with a late penalty joined Ramsey on the scoresheet.

The breakthrough after a dull opening half arrived in the 51st minute when Ramsey played in Theo Walcott down the right wing and the winger’s cross was allowed to reach Gibbs who crashed the ball into the roof of the net.

Arsenal were trying to bounce back from a disappointing debut to their domestic season when they crashed 3-1 at home to Villa and endured the wrath of their fans who are growing increasingly impatient with the club’s lack of activity in the transfer market.

Giroud then planted a confident penalty in the top left hand corner after Michal Kadlec brought down Walcott on 77 minutes that has virtually put the tie beyond doubt.

Fenerbahce meanwhile were looking to reach the pool stages despite a potential ban looming over them for match fixing that has gone to appeal and will be decided on the eve of the draw.

The odds were stacked against them having beaten English opposition only once in European Cup history dating back to 1969 when they eliminated Manchester City 2-1 on aggregate.

The second leg is set for next Tuesday at the Emirates Stadium.

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QUOTABLE QUOTE There is no way we can play politics unless you have peace and security, and I want everybody to put politics aside and work for enduring peace, and let politics come later.

— Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, former Chairman, EFCC

Blessing of long jump silver A

ll credit must be given to Blessing Okagbare and our team of 18 athletes who represented Nigeria in the just concluded 14th IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia. Her silver medal in the long jump and bronze medal in the 200m placed Nigeria on the medal table as we finished 24th above many other countries.

Some countries which were also represented did not win any medal at all.

The lesson to be learnt from this championship is the benefit of hard work and preparation for any human endeavour especially sporting activities. Many Olympic champions were dethroned while others were able to defend their titles. Many nations traditionally known for some sports events were toppled, especially Kenya or Africans in the long distance races. Kenya, on the other hand, almost picked the men’s javelin competition. That may have been the first field medal for Kenya in any international championships!

Nigerian athletes have the advantage of a level playing ground.

They can compete favourably in both the field and track events.

The medals won by Blessing sum it all up. Nigerian youths are out there who can threaten athletes from other nations and the various records they hold. Apart from the national sports festival, avenues for catching young athletes are far in between in Nigeria. Most sports competitions in Nigeria are riddled with corruption. The coaches and team captains are involved in sharp practices to share the medals and allowances.

Many athletes are recycled for four editions of the festival and then their older siblings who have belatedly joined the sports are introduced as being younger!

These ones burn out as soon as the start whistle is blown. Then comes the racketeering to source and outsource athletes. Many are farmed out to other states that

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GUEST COLUMNIST John Igoli

Blessing Okagbare are unprepared to hold internal competitions or state wide sports festivals. Thus states with surplus athletes farm them out to those with money to buy. The coaches reap their rewards in this manner.

Similarly athletes who have completed the statutory number of festivals for a state move on to others as ‘new athletes’ complete with change of names and states of origin and start competing afresh.

The coaches and the accreditation committees refuse to report these malpractices and the young or unexposed athletes with potential for better performance are trapped with their talents.

Inter secondary school games and competitions must be encouraged or revived. This should also apply to NUGA games which although is alive but riddled with corrupt practices. The balance between academic progress and sporting achievement is yet to be struck in the Nigerian university system. Often times students involved in sports miss out on lectures and examinations and there is little room for adjustments to accommodate them. Hence sports camps are poorly attended especially during school times and missed examinations are difficult to resolve. Some students ask for

It is not certain the amount of support given to the 18 athletes by the Nigerian Athletics Federation or how many of these athletes emerged from the recently held national sports festival in Lagos but whatever support they received could not have translated to the poor result we have obtained in Moscow. Better results should have been obtained if the ‘support’ were properly utilised. I see these athletes as lone rangers who have determined in their hearts to pursue individual success and thus bring glory to their fatherland.

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waivers or automatic passes in such examinations and a battle soon ensues between the university Senate and the students Union representing the students. For this reason many talented students are afraid of getting involved in sports.

Parent, on the other hand, continuously remind their children of their degrees and discourage them from participating in sports.

This becomes more glaring when such students sustain injuries and are left in the care of their parents. Many students who were athletic in their secondary schools become cold in the universities and continue to bottle their talents in order to obtain a degree. We must strategize to capture, expose and utilise these talented students so they can form the basis of our catch them young sports development.

Sporting glory relies more on personal commitment than collective will. This is why Blessing was able to achieve the medals she won. When we expose young ones between the ages of 16 and 20 to corruption in sports, it kills their motivation and any desire to challenge and excel. We must kick out corruption and politics from our sports. Apart from individual benefits, the country has a lot to benefit from good sports outings.

It raises the morale of the nation and gives a sense of confidence and serves as a rallying point for development in other sectors.

It is not certain the amount of support given to the 18 athletes by the Nigerian Athletics Federation or how many of these athletes emerged from the recently held national sports festival in Lagos but whatever support they received could not have translated to the poor result we have obtained in Moscow. Better results should have been obtained if the ‘support’ were properly utilised. I see these athletes as lone rangers who have determined in their hearts to pursue individual success and thus bring glory to their fatherland. As Long John Silver of the Treasure Island fame ignored his disability in pursuing the treasures in the Island so these athletes have ignored any distractions and shortcomings from home to compete and win athletic treasures for Nigeria. We should all hail the Long Jump Silver we won and the 200m bronze medal too. It was not easy; ask any ‘Blessing Okagbare’ you know!

Finally we must remember the Commonwealth Games holding in Glasgow is around the corner and the time to begin preparations is now.

Dr. John Igoliis is a lecturer at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue state.

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