Peoples Daily Newspaper, Thursday 25, April, 2013

www.peoplesdailyng.com

Vol. 10 No. 84

Thursday, April 25, 2013

. . . putting the people first

Jimadal Akhir 15, 1434 AH

N150

North-West govs shun Maku’s tour

From Mahmoud Muhammad, Sokoto

T

here were indications yesterday that the Good Governance Media Tour initiated by the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, has met a brick wall as governors from the north-west reportedly declined to host the team.

Our correspondent reports that Maku’s slow-moving train managed to crawl to Gusau, Zamfara state in the early hours of Tuesday, from Kebbi state.

Maku is said to have abandoned the over 100 reporters embedded in the train as he returned to Abuja following warnings that the governors from the area were are not excited one bit about his jamboree tour.

Competent Government House sources in Gusau said Governor Abdulazeez Yari, who was away on an official engagement declined to give a definite date to host the team which has already lost at least five days.

The source quoted the Contd on Page 2

Journalists stranded in Gusau

President Goodluck Jonathan (5th left), Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo (middle), Minister of Special Duties and Chairman Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenge in the North, Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (5th right), with other members of the committee, after their inauguration, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja. Photo Joe Oroye

Boko Haram: Jonathan orders soldiers to stop killing civilians They should be prosecuted - JNI Declares 5-day prayers for victims From Mohammed Ibrahim, Kaduna

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resident Goodluck Jonathan has inaugurated the much publicised committee on Boko Haram, expected to dialogue with members of the insurgent group towards resolving the seemingly intractable insecurity situation in the country.

Inaugurating the committee yesterday in Abuja, Jonathan warned soldiers and members of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) to desist from killing

innocent civilians.

But the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) said yesterday that soldiers who carried out last weekend’s massacre of civilians at Baga, Borno state, must be prosecuted even as the group urged Muslims from across the country to embark on a five-day prayers for victims of the massacre.

In a veiled reference to the killings, Jonathan however noted that security operatives found wanting will not be spared adding that, “government will Contd on Page 2

R-L: Yobe state Governor, Malam Ibrahim Gaidam, in a handshake with his Zamfara state counterpart, Alhaji Abdulazeez Yari, during a visit by Zamfara governor to Governor Gaidam, yesterday at the Yobe Governor's Lodge, at Asokoro, in Abuja.

PDP governors move to reconcile Jonathan, Amaechi

>> 3

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

CONTENTS News

2-10

Editorial

12

Op.Ed

13

Letters

14

Opinion

15

Metro

16-18

Business

19-22

Stockwatch

23

S/Report

24-25

Earth

26-27

Update

28-29

ASUP strike paralyses academic activities in polytechnics T

he seven-day warning strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), which entered its third day on Wednesday, has continued to paralyse academic activities in the institutions.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that at the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), students at the Ikorodu and Isolo campuses have resorted to roaming.

Mr Kehinde Olofintuyi, Speaker, LASPOTECH’s Students' Union Government, told NAN in Ikorodu that although the strike was effective, it was not in their best interest.

He appealed to the Federal government to look into the demand of the striking lecturers, while another student, Miss Jesica Chimezie, urged the need for the government and ASUP to reach an

agreement.

However, Mr Chibuzor Asomugba, the National President of ASUP, told NAN that the strike would continue until the Federal Government considered their demands.

"We have not heard anything from the Federal Government; the strike still continues," he said.

Mr Dimeji Macaulay, Coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) in Niger, has appealed to the federal and state governments to immediately meet all the demands of ASUP. Macaulay made the appeal in a statement, a copy of which was made available to NAN in Lagos.

According to him, the series of strikes rocking the nation's education sector are signs of ``the resistance building up against government's neglect of public education and its poor education policies’’.

Macaulay claimed that at the university level, both academic and non-academic staff workers had numerous grievances that could lead to a series of strikes very soon.

"This is aside brewing anger of mass of students at fee hikes and poor condition of hostels and teaching facilities which unfortunately, cannot find

organised expression only because of the lack of a fighting students’ leadership.

"Following closely on the heels of an ongoing strike action declared by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) and ASUP means a total shutdown of all academic and administrative activities in the nation's Polytechnics and Monotechnics.

"To avoid a total strike, we call on the federal government to see to the demand of the lecturers," he said. (NAN)

T.Y. Danjuma sets up c'ttee to redeem pledge to ABU

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ormer Defence Minister, Lt.-Gen. Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (rtd), has set up a five-man committee to redeem a pledge he made to the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, in Kaduna state.

Gen. Danjuma had pledged the sum of N2.2 billion to ABU

during the last convocation ceremony of the university held recently.

The committee, which is to be chaired by Abba Kyari, include Malam Adamu Adamu, Engr. Usman Abubakar, Mr. Obadinah Andor and Dr. Inusa Samaila as members.

Boko Haram: Jonathan orders soldiers to stop killing civilians

What we discussed with Boko Haram- Dr. Datti AhmadPage 4

Feature Int’l

30 31-34

Strange World 35 Digest

36

Politics

37-40

Sports

41-45

Leisure

47

Columnist

48

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

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

Phones for News: 070-37756364 09-8734478

Contd from Page 1 take steps to make sure that if errors are made, such people are cautioned and treated in line with our own laws and regulations.”

He described the Boko Haram committee as “quite critical” arguing that without peace, “we cannot develop, no matter how committed we are, without peace we cannot progress as a nation.”

The terms of reference of the Boko Haram committee, which is expected to submit its report in three months include, establish link and open up dialogue with the members of the Boko Haram, to develop a framework through which disarmament will take place and work out sustainable option that can lead to granting of amnesty to the group.

The committee is also expected to develop a comprehensive victims’ support program to provide succour to casualties of the protracted conflicts which has so far claimed more than 3,000 lives since 2009 when it erupted.

The committee is also expected to suggest how to address the underlying causes of the crisis so as to forestall future occurrence.

According to Jonathan, “and as we are trying to address the issue of Boko Haram, we must also comprehensively address the issues directly affecting the people.

“In as much as we appreciate that in any human situation there must be disputes, disagreements and conflicts but if we know about these and we have a good approach early enough, I believe that it will not degenerate to the situation we have today.”

“Let me use this opportunity to also charge the security agencies that while remaining at work, they must also be mindful

of the citizens of this country.

“In attempting to bring peace to the country or any part of the country, they should do so in a manner that will not bring destruction to the third party.

“As a nation and as a government we will work towards the security of this country. We will continue to do our best, we will continue to do things that will bring development to this nation.

“But we cannot succeed without the support of all our citizens.

Therefore, we crave your indulgence to be patriotic to this country.

“All Nigerians should show their patriotism to the nation, support the government, support these two committees to succeed.

“All of you are aware of the challenges we have as a nation and when their names were mentioned you willingly agreed to play your own part to see how we can stabilise the country to bring peace and development in our country.”

In his remarks Chairman of the committee, who is also the Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, described the occasion as an indication that government is committed to curbing the spate of insecurity in the the country.

According to him, the inauguration has provided a veritable platform for genuine and sincere resolution of the crisis situation in the north.

He said, “I assure you that members of this committee are prepared to bring everything that we have, our diverse experiences, our education, professionalism, tactics, skills and above all our integrity to bear in the work of this committee.

“We are not under any illusion that this will be an easy task but we are resolute, we feel challenge by this enormous responsibility

that has been given to us. I want to assure you Sir and indeed all Nigerians that in doing and carrying out this assignment, we are not going to bring any presumptions, conclusions or assumptions; we are coming with open mind.

“I therefore want to appeal to all Nigerians to assist us with useful information to enable us carry out our assignment.”

But as Nigerians and the international community continue to express shock over the killing of civilians in Baga town, the JNI said it wants the soldiers who attacked and killed the people of Baga community be prosecuted according to the law so as to serve as deterrent to others.

The JNI in a statement by its Secretary General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, in Kaduna said that it received with shock and consternation the devastating news of a senseless attack on the Baga community of Borno state.

According to the statement, “the attack is utterly condemnable and reprehensible and is a clear act of unleashing terror on helpless citizens.

“The way things are unfolding now, Muslims have been put on the receiving end.

“Muslims with one voice described the reprehensible attack as uncalled for, senseless and barbaric.

“Why should a villager in Baga whose fellow Muslims had disproportionately suffered in the hands of the security agents in Maiduguri be hacked to death as a result of sporadic gun attacks?”

“The perpetrators of this heinous crime should be fished out and punished in accordance to the law.

“The pervasive way in which security upheavals are being handled in Nigeria needs serious introspection while it called on

security agencies to curtail the violence guided by the rules of engagement of the military by not using excessive force on the citizenry.”

The group also called on all Imams in Nigeria and their followers to begin a five-day pray for ease and relief and also pray, for Allah to forgive those who lost their lives in the the According to the statement, “the JNI calls on all Imams to begin five days AlQunuut prayers in all their five daily prayers for ease and relief and we pray that Allah forgives the dead and may He grant them Al-jannah.”

North-West govs shun Maku’s tour Contd from Page 1

Governor as saying that he was not ready to showcase his achievements to Maku who may mislead the public into thinking that the projects belong to the Federal Government.

“The journalists are wandering around the streets of Gusau like sheep that have lost their shepherd,” an observer noted yesterday.

For the neighbouring Sokoto state, the Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda, is currently in Saudi Arabia, performing the Lesser Hajj and chances are that Maku and his group may not likely have any good governance project to inspect.

The lack of interest in the entire maku project, according to government sources, may not be unconnected with what is said to be alleged Federal Government neglect of the north-west zone.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

PAGE 3

R-L: Senate President David Mark, Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, and Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, during a National Conference on Executive-Legislature Relations, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

PDP govs move to reconcile Jonathan, Amaechi

By Lawrence Olaoye

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he People's Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum (PDPGF) yesterday disclosed that it has concluded a comprehensive appraisal of the nation's security challenges and made far reaching recommendations which would be submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan and all the affected security agencies soon.

It emerged yesterday also that the PDP governors had resolved to broker truce between President Jonathan and Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state, who have had a no-

love-lost relationship in recent time.

Chairman of the PDPGF and the Akwa-Ibom state governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, who addressed newsmen after the meeting which lasted over three hours disclosed that the five-man security committee chaired by the Adamawa state governor, Admiral Mutala Nyako, did an indept report that ex- rayed the security situation in the country.

This is coming as there are indications that the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, may have bowed to Akpabio's leadership of

the PDPGF as he turned up for the meeting of the governors on the platform of he party.

The NGF chairman had shunned the first two meetings of the PDPGF only to turn-up yesterday at the one attended by eighteen PDP governors.

It would be recalled that the Rivers PDP Executive Council allegedly loyal to Amaechi was recently outlawed by an Abuja High Court while the one suspected to be loyal to the Minister of State for Education, Nysom Wike, was inaugurated in its place.

It was gathered that the NGF chairman may have resolved to make peace with the party's

Robbery suspect regains freedom after 10 years in custody

A

n Ado-Ekiti High Court on Wednesday discharged one Lucky Onome of the offence of conspiracy and armed robbery.

This reprieve came to Onome after he had stayed 10 years in prison remand facing trial.

Justice Ilori Akintayo said in his ruling: “having considered the facts in the case and the authorities cited, the offence of conspiracy and armed robbery were not proved.

“You are hereby discharged and acquitted under section 286 of the criminal laws, which has the effect of an acquital.''

Akintayo said the court should not call the accused to enter into defence under section 286 of the criminal procedure laws.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the accused was, on Dec. 5, 2003 at about 1:00 a.m at Amujagba camp, Ado-Ekiti, alleged to have stolen three bags of cocoa valued at N20,000.

Onome was also alleged to have stolen five kegs of red oil valued at N20,000, property of Benjamin Agbubi while armed with dangerous weapons.

The accused was charged under section 2(1)(a) of the robbery and firearms special provision Act Cap 398.vol 11 laws of Federation of Nigeria.1990.

Counsel to the accused, Mrs Tawa Baderinwa, thanked the court for the judgement delivered.

Onome told NAN that he had been in the prison for 10 years without any concrete evidence against him.

“I have been in prison standing trial for the past 10 years, the complainant could not recognise me as the robber.” (NAN)

leadership by acknowledging the leadership of the newly formed PDPGF. It was also gathered that the Rivers state governor may have resolved to use the leadership of the PDPGF to reach out to President Goodluck Jonathan in order to break the political ice currently causing a frosty relationship between the duo.

Speaking about the governors' report on the challenges of insecurity in the country, Akpabio's said "we are very certain that if well implemented, the report will bring succor to the youth of the country including even provision of jobs and also the

resolution of some of the communal clashes that we experience in some parts of the country."

The PDPGF chairman also disclosed that the report of the reconciliation of the PDP stakeholders in the South-west by the committee chaired by the Katsina state governor, Ibrahim Shema, has been submitted. He assured that those aggrieved in the region would be fully reconciled in the next few weeks.

Commenting on the situation in the PDP, Akpabio's said "We looked at the situation of our party and we are hopeful that come 2015, we (governors) will increase In number.

Academy of Letters condoles with Achebe family

T

he Nigeria Academy of Letters on Wednesday in Abuja condoled with the family of late Prof. Chinua Achebe, who passed away on March 21.

The condolence message, contained in statement, was signed by the President of the Association, Prof. Munzali Jibril.

“Achebe is universally remembered as the author of Things Fall Apart and of Arrow of God, two of the great African novels of the twentieth century.

“Both are stories of colonial encounter told from the point of view of a post colonial,” the statement said.

Jibril said the late Achebe’s

bequest to the younger generation include the creative writing journal ``Okike’’ and the Association of Nigeria Authors that he founded a generation ago.

He described Achebe as a creative intellectual who was politically engaged with the issues of his country.

Jibril also described him as a spokesman for races, nations, ethnic groups and small communities.

The statement quotes Jibril as saying: “He was the visionary who would not see his people perish and would insist on the right of every community to tell its own story.”

(NAN)

Bauchi NYSC collaborates with NDE on skills acquisition

T

he National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) in Bauchi State has designed a skills acquisition programme for corps members to prepare them for the future.

The Bauchi State Coordinator of NYSC, Mr Nuhu Kwaghe, made the programme known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Bauchi

yesterday.

He said that the programme was being executed in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and selected skills acquisition centres.

Kwaghe said the training started during the orientation programme of corps members

and lasted through the service year.

He said participation in the training was voluntary.

“The knowledge of the trades will prepare them ahead so that after their service they will employ whatever they have acquired to become selfemployed,” he said.

The coordinator the corps

members were receiving training in agricultural activities, namely poultry production, fisheries, food processing and preservation.

“Others are welding, landscaping, electrical installation, establishment of day care centres and nursery schools, among others,” he said.

Kwaghe said that no fewer than 54 NYSC members were

undergoing ICT training and had developed a website for the skills acquisition programme.

“Those in ICT have recently developed a website for the NYSC skills acquisition.

“Very soon they will launch it and everyone will see what has been done in the various skills acquisition trainings,” he said.

(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

What we discussed with Boko Haram- Dr. Datti Ahmad The President, Supreme Council for Shari'a in Nigeria,Dr Ibrahim Datti Ahmad, was recently listed among members of the Amnesty committee set up by the Federal Government to end Boko Haram insurgency but he rejected it on the grounds that the government was not sincere. In this interview, Dr Datti told newsmen in Kaduna why he dumped the offer and what he discussed with Boko Haram leaders in the past. Our correspondent, Mohammad Ibrahim was there.

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ecently you d e c l i n e d membership of the Amnesty Committee set up by the Federal Government. Why? We would have since forgotten about the issue of Boko Haram because when I offered to mediate, the government disappointed us.

We have even reached the stage of talking to them and they agreed to come out to discuss with the authority but the government refused to play its own part.

What then is the way out of this problem since government does not want to play its own part?

You are in a better position to tell us since you are a journalist. We have played our own part and so, the way out is left for the government.

We sat with the government and we told them that we can talk to this people (Boko Haram) and we did talk with them. They told us their condition before coming out for discussion and we gave feedback to the government but they refused to do anything.

In the past, you participated in the intermediary effort and now you have rejected the offer to serve in the amnesty committee.

Why? This is because it's of no meaning; I participated in the first one and in the second attempt and the government failed on what they are supposed to do. Then, how do you expect me to keep doing what I know will not yield any meaningful result.

Does that mean innocent people should be allowed to continue being killed?

Who are those killing the people?

Those that are killing people.?

Tell me those said to be killing people and I will give you the correct answer.

Some Nigerian will say the government has

Dr. Datti Ahmad given another opportunity to end the carnage and so, why can't you join the team?

There was no opportunity in the past. When we got the chance to do that, we offered ourselves without the government assigning us to do that. We did that because of the love we have for the

country and the North. In fact, at that time many people were even afraid to say a word with regard to the issue. We offered to mediate and we met with the president face to face but they later spoiled the chance.

We still got another chance not true him (the president) and for the love of our

country, we still opened the door for discussion. We have even gone far with the discussions such that if the government did what they were requested to do, we would have ended this problem by now.

For instance, the smallest demand made by the sect was that if the government is sincere with the discussion, their wives and children in detention should be released. We came back to feed the government on this demand. In fact, we even told the sect leaders that no government will release them until after investigation.

The government hinted that their wives and children that were arrested for no reason would be released.

The Boko Haram leaders said they have agreed. We informed the government on this demand which they said they will comply with but at the end they still refused to release them.

They did not release a single person, if not because the sect members have trust and confidence in us, they will have thought of something else. Still we didn't deter from our duty even though it was not the government that asked us to mediate. We are doing it because of the love for the country. It was our own effort to find a lasting solution and peace in the country. We told the government all they needed

The government hinted that their wives and children that were arrested for no reason would be released. The Boko Haram leaders said they have agreed. We informed the government on this demand which they said they will comply with but at the end they still refused to release them.

that will lead to peace. All their conditions are minor if the government listened to us and released their wives and children, we would have ended this problem. For example, in Kano state, their wives and children in detention are just 24 and they only asked for seven to be released which will serve as a sign of s sincerity from the government and readiness for talks. They wanted four women and three children but the government refused to release them.

Many people will say that if you join the new amnesty committee, you can still recommend this to the government in the interest of peace.

Whoever thinks so is a fool.

The first time we started the talk, we sat with the president one on one. Now, we are to talk with his agents. We are an independent body and not government workers.

Nobody is paying us; we are only doing this because of Allah. Now he has reduced the credibility of the committee by turning it to that of government. The chairman is a minister, the secretary, a civil servant. These are people that will write the minutes of the meeting. Knowing Nigeria very well, we have no guarantee that they will truly report what will transpire in the committee. We are not sure maybe they will end up reporting only what President Jonathan want to hear because they are his boys. This can tarnish our names. This is why we think there is no any open door for us to enter this issue.

What will make you change your mind to join the committee?

Nothing will make me join the committee because it is of no importance as far as I am concerned. The committee that has a serving minister as Chairman and Secretary a civil servant, all are regarded as the President's boys. I don't think it will yield any result.

If they want to set up a committee, they should look for an independent body of credible Nigerians with respect to go and find a lasting solution to the problem. I can give my contribution to them.

But I will not take part in this "nonsense government committee".

Are you saying if the government changes the leaders of the committee, you will have a rethink?

I didn't tell you that.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

PAGE 5

Jonathan inaugurates committee on Small Arms, Light Weapons

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resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday inaugurated the Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons explaining that it is a standing committee which is expected to work closely with existing anti-armament bodies to stem the tide of violence in the country and across the continent.

According to Jonathan, the committee is, “meant to provide government with necessary advice to mitigate the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

“We said so because there are departments of government responsible for this.

“But for these departments of governments to succeed they must be supported with proper advice and international linkages.”

The terms of reference of the committee include, to establish links and cooperation with similar institutions and other agencies that can help to build

…Says it will check violence, insecurity capacity, enhance information sharing and develop multi-level international support relationship as well as strengthen regional cooperation, while also focusing on putting forward policy situations as well as reviewing existing ones.

The committee is also expected to recommend implementation strategy to combat illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons as well as measures to enhance border security, propose legislations and regulatory framework to strengthen control of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in line with international standard.

According to the President, “the establishment of this committee re-affirms the readiness and commitment of this administration to bring the

state of violence and insecurity we have witnessed to an end.

“The the effect of small arms and light weapons in Africa is worse than the effect of nuclear weapons and harmful drugs.

“The effect is as bad as production and distribution of (harmful) drugs because the free use of small arms and light weapons is threatening, I believe that it is even more devastating than that of drugs.

“Without the free flow of small arms and light weapons, leading the war against drug trafficking would have been easier for states.

“So, we use this opportunity to urge the United Nations to again come out with comprehensive approach to the control of small arms and light weapons.

Chairman of the committee, Ambassador

Emmanuel Imohe, said that, “I want to say that there is indeed a connection in easy access to weapons and the problems of insecurity in the countries of Africa.

“And, the reality today is that the ready deployment of these weapons is threatening none state actors and also reinforcing criminal networks.

“As a result, small arms and light weapons now constitute perhaps the biggest threat to peace and security and by extension to development in so many countries in our subregion.

“It is axiomatic to say that development can take place in an environment that is characterised by lack of security.

“Easy access to small arms and light weapons create insecurity which in turn impedes growth and development in several countries within our neigbourhood.”

Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima (2nd right), inspecting equipment for the Pivot Centre Irrigation Scheme, yesterday in Alou, Konduga local government area of Borno state.

PHOTO: NAN

Borno Killings: Shettima dispatches relief verification team to Baga

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overnor Kashim Shettima of Borno state yesterday directed some top government officials to depart to Baga town to verify reports suggesting that the conveyance of relief materials by officials of the National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA) to the victims of the last weekend bloody clash, was being hampered by insecurity.

Shettima’s spokesman, Isa

Umar Gusau, in a statement, said the measure followed reports that relief materials for the victims were being delayed.

According to the statement, “towards this end the delegation was mandated to verify the claim and also reassess the present situation on ground.

“On the orders of Governor Shettima, a group of officials will be departing to Baga town Thursday, April 25, the delegation is saddled with the

task of reassessing the situation on ground following recent media reports that relief materials from NEMA are being delayed from reaching victims.

“This claim is to be verified by the group while the members will also supervise the conveyance of building materials to commence reconstruction of the houses destroyed during the carnage.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian

Red Cross, said lack of communication has hampered its officials from reaching Baga town to provide drugs and other aids to the victims.

An official of the Red Cross, deployed for the exercise, Mr. Nicholas Lourmile, told newsmen that they were yet to arrive the area due to poor network communication while making proper arrangement on the alternative measures to be adopted.

Senators reject pension for exNASS leaders

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

S

enators yesterday rejected the efforts by their leader, Victor Ndoma Egba, to create pension remuneration for past Senate and Deputy Senate Presidents, Speakers and Deputy Speakers of the National Assembly.

Criticising the Bill which seeks to add the leadership of the National Assembly to past heads of states and government, for whom the Constitution has already provided remuneration after service, majority of the senators said the country was facing more daring challenges, including poverty and insecurity, than planning future for ex-NASS leadership. leaders.

The Bill, sponsored by Victor Egba, was passed by the fourth, fifth and sixth Senate but was denied assent by successive Presidents, including former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

Leading debate on the Bill, Egba said it was informed by the uncomfortable and embarrassing economic situation of past leaders of National Assembly, disclosing that the Bill automatically shuts out all former Military Heads of state.

He said the current practice provided for the executives arm only, pointing out that the Bill is very important to the lawmakers as an arm of government, hence it provides them with opportunity to include themselves as beneficiaries.

“It would be the first time that we would be making such provisions because the executive arm has always had a way of taking care of its own”, he said, adding that at committee level, it might be necessary to include remuneration package for both senators and members of the House of Representatives, to enable them maintain certain level and standard.

Senator Chris Ngige said he would never support illegality, insisting that the Constitution has provided for those who should benefit.

He argued that even if the leadership of the National Assembly should be added to those already benefiting, the Constitution review committee, and the lawmakers in general should go and consult their people through public hearing on the mater.

Senator Gyanton Pwajok said there were many Nigerians who do not have hope and future, emphasising that instead of planning future for themselves, the Senate should rather think of how to better the living conditions of Nigerians living in penury.

Senator Heineken Okpobri opposed the Bill noting that if the it will make the leadership of NASS unstable, as everybody will clamour for the seat of Senate President and Speaker, due to the benefits afterwards.

PAGE 6

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

FG Needs N921billion for 195 road projects

FG hands over disputed land in Edo

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From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

T

he Federal Government has finally handed over the disputed Ikpoba Hill Army Barracks parcel of land in Ikpoba Okha local government to Edo state government, following a Deed of Release signed on April 9.

The barracks ceased to be the military base in 1976.

Edo State Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Mr. Donald-Boir Osikhena, who disclosed this yesterday, said, the state government would soon decide what to do with the the land.

Osikhena identified delay in the issuance of certificate of occupancy as one of the problems of the ministry and accused some of the staff of the of engaging in sharp practices that lead to double allocation of land.

The commissioner lamented that a machine acquired by the ministry 50 years ago for verification of allocated land had broken down.

NDLEA intercepts 1.264 tons of Indian hemp in Jigawa From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

T

he Jigawa state Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted I.264 tons of Cannabis Sativa (Indian hemp) along Birnin Kudu-Kano road.

Two suspects, Suleman Abdullahi and Abdulwahab Surajo, were arrested along with their bus with registration number XG192 KMC that was carrying the Indian hemp.

The NDLEA state Commander, Ibrahim Abdullahi, disclosed this yesterday while briefing newsmen.

According to him, the arrest followed a tip off, “as luck ran out on them the eagle eyes of the NDLEA operatives spotted them and in the bid to escape, ran into a ditch.

The Commandant said that the consignment was Maiduguri, Borno state.

“I want to unequivocally state that the NDLEA in Jigawa state will leave no stone unturned in the fight against illicit traffic and consumption of drugs until we make Jigawa inhabitable for the merchants of all forms of hard drugs,” he said.

L-R: President, Campaign for Democracy, Dr. Joe Odumakin, United States Consulate General, Jeffrey Howking, United States Public Affairs Officer, Dehab Ghebreab, and Ben Lazarus, during a reception for Dr. Joe Odumakin for the Woman of Courage Award bestowed on her by American Government, yesterday in Lagos.

Photo: Olawale Rotimi

MEND threat

Sharia’a council promises fire-for-fire if ...

From Mohammad Kaduna

Ibrahim,

T

he Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN) said yesterday that it would give “fire-for-fire” if MEND makes good its threat to attack Muslims and Muslim establishments in the country.

In a communiqué at the end of its emergency meeting in Kaduna, SCSN warned that if government fails to caution the militants and their collaborators, Muslims in Nigeria would have no option but to take measures defend themselves.

The SCSN President, Dr.

Ibrahim Datti Ahmad, signed the communiqué which said that, “the council wishes to state categorically that if the government refuses to call MEND and its collaborators to order, the Muslim Ummah of Nigeria will have no option than to take up the challenge by returning fire for fire.

“And in that event, the MEND and their collaborators will be the losers.

“We condemn in strong terms this terrorist threat and call on the Federal Government, as the custodian of peace and security, to check the excesses of this terrorist organisation.

“MEND said that cease fire could only be possible at the intervention of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) among others. Does that mean that the threat is at the instance of CAN ?

“The security challenge in Nigeria has reached a lamentable dimension such that there are fake Army generals, fake universities, fake NYSC camps for training terrorists pretending to be genuine government outfits.

On the Baga killings, the council called on the government to investigate, “the extra judicial killings and to bring the culprits to justice.”

Jonathan: Executive, Legislature not in battle for supremacy

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that the Executive and Legislative arms of government were not in competition, arguing that the constitutional roles of each arm of government are well defined.

“W are messengers sent to bring democratic goods and our roles, duties and responsibilities are well defined and there is no reasons whatsoever for us not to work together for the greatness of our country, Jonathan said at the National Conference on Executive-Legislature Relations, organised by the office of the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters.

Vice President Mohammed

Namadi Sambo represented Jonathan at the programme with the theme, “Strengthening ExecutiveLegislative Collaboration in Governance.”

According to the President, “ I have maintained a policy of non-interference in the affairs of the National Assembly.

“Today, we have a stable National Assembly and a cordial atmosphere suitable for the conduct of parliamentary business.”

He noted however that there may be disagreements once in a while and that political parties may differ but that, “what Nigerians want and deserve is good governance of the highest standards.

“The relationship between the Executive and the Legislature is not about the two arms but it is about the governed and it is about harnessing our constitutional powers and Godgiven talents, and deploying our positions as public servants to drive our progress as a nation.”

“This is one conference that I have looked forward to be part of, because of its significance in my governance philosophy.”

In her remarks, Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emodi, said that the conference was designed at consolidating on the existing cordial relations between the Executive and the Legislative arms of government.

inister of Works, Mike Onolememen, has said that the Federal Government required N921.4 billion to complete about 195 on-going road projects across the country.

Onolememen noted that the total size of all on-going federal road projects is about N1.39 trillion which he regretted cannot be financed by the annual budgetary provisions.

The Minister spoke with reporters after he presented the ministry’s 2012 performance report to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday.

Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, who also briefed reporters said that FEC also deliberated on the resolution of an industrial dispute threatening to shut down the nation’s health sector.

According to Maku, the Minister of Health, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu briefed the council on the outcome of a ministerial committee that was set up to reconcile the various professionals in the health sector, as, according to him, ”there has always been some level of acrimony between professionals working in our health sector.” on the road projects, Onolemenmen said that a Public Private Partnership (PPP) scheme that would add about 6,000 kilometers of road nationwide was being considered.

Accoprding to him, the ministry has received N85.5 billion from the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, (SURE-P) being used for six projects including the LokojaAbaji-Abuja road.

“As at the turn of the century, that is 2001, the Federal Ministry of Works has grossed up a project portfolio in the six geo political zones of the country to the tune of about N1.397 trillion.

“And the breakdown of that portfolio shows that 31 ongoing projects by the federal ministry works are in the north central zones, covering a total length of 1,054 kilometers at the total sum of N262.3 billion,” he explained.

“Out of this total portfolio size of on-going project that has been put at N1.397 trillion, a total of about N523.6 billion has been certified and only about N475.5 billion has been paid.”

According to him, out of a total road network of 200,000 kilometers only about 65,000 kilometers are paved in bitumen, about half of which is owned by the federal representing about 54 per cent of bituminous road in Nigeria.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

PAGE 7

Vision 20: 2020 unrealisable, says Minister M

By Lawrence Olaoye

inister for National Planning, Dr. Shamsudden Usman, has has described the nation’s target of becoming one of the first 20 most developed economies in the world by year 2020 as unrealizable, given what he called realities on ground.

The Minister, who made this disclosure while presenting his scorecard to the leadership of the

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday also blamed he rot in the nation’s power sector on the more than 30 years military rule.

According to him, as at the time he country set the 20:2020 target in 2009, the country was number 44 pointing out that should the country make it to number 25 by year 2020, it must have achieved a milestone.

He said, “where were we in 2009? We were number 44. By

the end of 2011, we were number 36, this is progress.

“We made quite a lot of progress. In other areas we are not. I don’t want any of you to meet me in 2020 and say you are the one telling us that we are going to be among the top 20.

“But what I am saying is that even if we are not among the 20 by that time, we were number 44 in 2009.

“If by 2020 we are number 25, I will be a very proud man

because we are consciously moving and doing all the necessary things to move up there.

“It is not saying we must be there. What it is saying is that if we get there then these are the actions we must need to take as a country.

“We must do this and that in governance, in human development, in infrastructure.

“That is what the document is saying and we are actually

Remains of Ekiti state Deputy Governor. Mrs Funmilayo Adunni Olayinka, taking to her state for burial after the order of commendation service, yesterday at Anglican Church of Ascension, Opebi, in Lagos.

Photo: Olawale Rotimi.

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

S

enate has passed for second reading, the Bill proposing an increment from N2000 to N50,000, in addition to six months imprisonment for persons who drive tinted vehicles without obtaining permit from the Inspector-General of Police or the Commissioner of Police in a state, 90 days after purchase of such vehicles.

The Bill sponsored by Itah Enang, also seeks to give permission to those who purchase factory tinted glass vehicles to drive such vehicles freely for three months before it is registered, against fourteen days limit that was recommended by the existing Act He said that if the Bill was passed, any person who has obtained the permit from relevant authority to tint glass, should not be held as breaking the law, in so far as he or she did not procure the tint outside the provisions of the Act. According to the Bill, anybody can import a car with tinted glass but must register it with the IGP within 90 days of purchase, failure of which the fine, jail or both will apply.

In their remarks, the senators agreed that the Bill is right timed, considering the fact that the police has begun impounding any tinted vehicle, as long as it has no heath and security

Car tinted glass: Senate approves six months jail, N50,000 fine for violators

justification as provided by the old law.

They also said it would go a long way to stem the current controversy over the matter.

The Senate referred the Bill to its Committees on Police Affairs and Judiciary for further legislative work.

In another development, the Bill seeking to establish the Nigerian Marchant Navy Security and Safety Corps, with the responsibility for the security of Nigerians Merchants’ Navy, was withdrawn by the sponsor.

The sponsor, Joshua Lidani, withdrew the Bill because the

senators argued it is a replication of agencies that will increase the cost of governance.

Itah Enang, argued that it is only proposing to establish another agency that will usurp the duties already spelt out for the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

Group commends Yero over peace initiatives as Kaduna begins privatisation of companies

By Stanley Onyekwere

T

he Yero Frontiers Movement (YFM) has applauded Governor Ramalan Yero of Kaduna state for his initiatives and commitment towards promoting security and peaceful co-existence in the area.

In particular, the group described the recent tours by the Governor to the various zones in the state as clear demonstration that the administration will not leave any stone unturned towards achieving peace and security, “as no serious society can achieved its desire objectives without peace and harmony.”

Coordinator of the group,

Alhaji Abduljalal Jumare Rigachikun, who disclosed this yesterday in an interview further noted that, “it is glaring that our Governor is a detribalised Nigerian who believes in championing the cause of uniting his people irrespective of tribal or ethnic affiliation.”

“Governor Ramalan Yero is organised and highly disciplined person who does not believe in doing things haphazardly.

Abduljalal however, expressed dismay over the issue of youth restiveness in the state which he said posed a serious threat to unity.

He urged the people to rally

round the Yero in order to transform the state in to a greater height.

Meanwhile, the government has commenced plans to revive moribund state-owned companies, through the PublicPrivate Partnership scheme.

Speaking yesterday at a meeting with youth leaders from the northern zone, Yero said past attempts to privatise the companies were not successful.

He listed the companies to include the Ikara Tomatoes Company, Ginger Processing Company in Kachia, Zaria Pharmaceuticals Company and the Sugar Company in Makarfi.

taking those steps and if we are?

What progress are we making?”

Blaming the power failure on the military, Usman said, “during the military, there was planning and for more than 30 years we neglected the power sector.”

He however said that Federal Government was on its way to transform the power sector, just the way it transformed the telecom sector.

The Minister also noted that Nigeria has signed several bilateral and other agreements with other countries, regretting however that Nigerians are not getting the full benefit of signing all these agreement.

Explaining the challenges facing the ministry, Usman lamented inadequate funding of programmes and projects and also capacity gaps in MDAs due to high turnover of staff, the pooling system and current subjective training and performance measures.

Earlier, the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, said that through planning the party could navigate its manifesto, adding that the idea behind the interaction is for people to know that the PDP led government is doing the right thing, as Nigerians expect rehabilitation of infrastructure.

He charged the minister on implementation, adding, “beside this presentation, I hope you connect with your colleagues on implementation.”

Navy lauches website against oil theft

By Joy Baba

T

he Nigerian Navy has launched a website to check the menace of oil theft and pipeline vandalism.

In a press statement yesterday by the Naval Director of Information (DINFO), Commodore Kabiru Aliyu, in Abuja, the Navy said that, “the website, www.cot.navy.mil.ng provides details relating to exploration, nominations, approvals, movement and trans-shipment of petroleum products as promulgated by relevant authorities.

“The website serves as a platform to share information, exchange ideas with the international community and reports of suspicious activities.”

The statement further said that the website would also generate the desired global awareness on the scourge of oil theft and pipeline vandalism.

According to the only agency authorised to nominate, approve lift, move and shipment of petroleum products by whatever means is the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

He said that any vessel not nominated or approved to lift petroleum products by NNPC would be contravening the established regulations.

PAGE 8

L-R Minister of Environment Hajiya Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafiya, Minister of Women Affairs Hajiya Zainab Maina and former Permanent Secretary office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed during a meeting, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar (left), de-worming a child, yesterday at the police barrack in Garki, Abuja. as part of activities to celebrate 2013 police week.

President Goodluck Jonathan(3rd left), Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, with members of Presidential Committee on Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons, after the inauguration ceremony of the Committee, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

L-R: Acting Director, Test Administration of Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Dr. Yusuf Lawal, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, and Director, Corporate Support Services, Hajiya Aisha Dahiru, during the media briefing on the conduct of next Saturday JAMB exams, yesterday in Abuja.

L-R: National President, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Dr. Ayoola Oduntan, Registrar, Nigeria Institute of Animal Science, Mr. Godwin Oyediji and Vice-National President of PAN, North-East, Mr. Ezekiel Ibrahim, during the 2013 Poultry Association of Nigeria Summit, yesterday in Lagos.

Photos: Joe Oroye, Justin Imo-Owo, Olawale Rotimi & NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

PAGE 9

Niger shuts down private schools over poor standard From Iliya Garba, Minna

I

n a bid to promote quality education in the state, Niger state government has closed down 100 private schools over what it described as poor standard of education.

Commissioner for Education, Danladi Umar Abdulhameed, made this known yesterday in an interview with journalists in Minna.

Abdulhameed said there was a synergy between private and public schools because anything that has to do with education in the state should have affiliation to Ministry of Education to achieve a good standard of education.

According to him, “whether private or public schools, what we are trying to do is to standardise the quality of education.

“We do not want a situation where private schools charge per term, some even charge daily, we must make sure we carry them along and that is why we have the body in place.”

“Before Governor Aliyu came, we had teachers for 20 years without new knowledge but we made it a policy that everybody must go back to school to improve.”

Adamawa govt, SSS, LGs, others meet on security From Umar Dankano, Yola

A

damawa state government in collaboration with the Department of State Security Service (SSS) has organised a three-day security awareness seminar for commissioners and the 21 local government chairmen in the area.

The organisers said the programme was designed to enhance security in the state following incessant attacks and other criminal activities.

In his presentation titled, “Threat to local government security: Manifests and counter measures,’’ the state Director of SSS, Mr. Olugbenga Jayeoba, noted that there have been security challenges hence the need for collaborative efforts towards ensuring security of lives and property.

According to him, “the people we have called are people who we believe are key to security issues in this part of the state, stretching from border communities of Mubi, down to Toungo.

“In recent times, we have had some security challenges in this state including insurgent attacks, armed robbery and other criminal activities.

“The reason for this programme is also to inculcate in participants sound principles and practices, consciousness and discipline in the area of security.”

L-R: Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Federal Emergency Road Maintenance Agency, Engineer G.C. Amuchi, Minister of Works, Chief Mike Onolememen, Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, and Minister of State for Works, Alhaji Bashir Yuguda, briefing journalists on the state of federal roads, yesterday, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

EFCC stalls prosecution of Lagos Speaker, says Judge From Matthew Irinoye, Lagos

J

ustice Okechukwu Okeke of the Federal High Court, Lagos has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of stalling the prosecution of the Speaker of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji.

“This matter has suffered series of adjournments all at the instance of prosecution,” Okeke lamented yesterday when the matter came up in the court.

According to him, “it is a deliberate attempt by prosecution to disrupt hearing in

the case and blackmail this court.

“I hereby adjourn this case sine die.

“Whenever the prosecution is ready to diligently handle their case, hearing notices will be issued.”

Okeke outburst was preceded by the announcement of David Ibenu as new counsel to the EFCC following the withdrawal of Godwin Obla.

Ikuforiji is standing trial along with his personal assistant, Alade Atoyebi, on a 20-count charge of money laundering.

They were alleged to have

accepted cash payments amounting to N273.3 million from the Lagos State House of Assembly without going through a financial institution.

Ikuforiji was also alleged to have misappropriated about N500 million belonging to the Legislature, thereby contravening provisions of section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011.

They had pleaded not guilty to the charges and the court granted Ikuforiji bail on self recognition while the Clerk of the House stood as surety for Atoyebi.

Original Abuja inhabitants vow to resist FCTA relocation move

By Umar Muhammad Puma

T

he Original Inhabitants Development Association (OIDA) of Utako, Jabi, Maje Kpanadna, Zhilu and Yakubu, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCTA) has vowed to resist attempt by the FCT administration to uproot them from their ancestral land.

According to the group, the FCT administration has failed at Galawuyi-Shere resettlement centre, where they are expected to resettle.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, the group’s President, Danladi Jeji, said that by extant law, government holds community lands in trust for the people and acquisition of community land can only be exercised in overriding public interest.

According to him, the FCTA

is yet to consult with affected communities on pending issues of enumeration, compensation for land, economic trees and other valuables property.

He said that the technical report of detailed assessment obtained by the OIDA in the Galawuyi-Shere indicated that out of a distance of 18 kilometers from the city centre, only less than three kilometers is accessible to regular vehicles.

“The rest portion of the road is not only in total disrepair but also ruined from usage by heavy trucks that operate from quarry sites in the area.

“There are no access roads within the Galawuyi-Shere resettlement centre. Apart from rudiment degree of earth work in the major pathway that runs through the centre, only a network of footpaths overgrown with bush lead to block of houses

at the resettlement”.

“Apart from the absence of key infrastructure, most of the buildings erected were built with inferior materials, substandard and unfit for human habitation with many of the buildings already at different levels of dilapidation.

“We restate the decision of the affected communities not to move anywhere until our issues are addressed by the government.

“The premise for our decision remains that the government is a tresspasser on our land since 1976 having failed to pay adequate and just compensation to us as required by section 44 of the 1999 Constitution.

“We reiterate the desire of the affected communities to be integrated in our original and current places of habitation instead of being resettled in a very strange environment.”

Group demands recall of suspended Bauchi lawmaker

By Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

T

he Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has demanded the recall of the suspended member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Rifkatu Samson Danna.

Danna who is the only female member in the House was suspended on the grounds of her alleged opposition to the transfer of the headquarters of Tafawa Balewa local government from Tafawa Balewa town to Bununu.

In a press statement yesterday by the National Coordinator of the group, Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Director of Media Affairs, Zainab Yusuf, the group described the continuous suspension of the member as, “untenable, illegal, unconstitutional and a total breach of the constitutionally guaranteed and inherent fundamental rights of her constituents.” The statement said that the House of Assembly acted in contravention of the law which requires constitutional amendment before any such relocation could be validly effected.

“Besides, HURIWA expresses shock that the Federation of women lawyers (FIDA), National Assembly committees on Women Affairs and the office of the First Lady of Bauchi state have remained silent and allowed the only female voice in the Bauchi State House of Assembly to be extinguished even when Nigeria’s First Lady, Mrs. Patience Goodluck, has said a lot about women political empowerment and she is credited with influencing the appointment of the appreciative high percentage of women into the federal cabinet.

PAGE 10

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

Bauchi recruits 5000 teachers From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

B

auchi state government has embarked on recruitment and screening exercise for 5,000 teachers for its primary and secondary schools.

According to the Chairman of the Teachers Service Commission, Alhaji Yahaya Baba, 3,000 of the teachers will be posted to primary schools while 2,000 will be deployed to schools across the 20 local government areas of t5he state.

He said, "we are recruiting qualified teachers regardless of their states of origin because what we are looking for is teachers who will help us impact knowledge on our children and revamp the standard of education in the state."

R-L: President, Association of Pathologists of Nigeria (ASSOPON), Dr. Kenneth Iregbu, and association Secretary, Dr. Olabode Oluwole, during ASSOPON press briefing about fact on the practice of laboratory medicine in Nigeria, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Yero holds peace forum in Zaria K aduna state Governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, has conducted a peace building forum in Zaria, for the northern senatorial zone.

The Governor held a similar programme last week in Kagoro, for the southern senatorial zone of the state, as part of measures

to enhance peaceful co-existence among the various ethno-religious groups in the state.

Speaking at the Palace of the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, Yero reiterated the resolve of his administration to bring lasting peace and security to all nooks and cranny of the state.

According to him, the initiative aims at listening to complaints and suggestions from all stakeholders in the state with a view to finding a permanent solution to the challenges of peace and security.

In his response, the Emir commended the Governor his "well conceived initiative of peace

building in the state."

Yero also met with other traditional rulers and religious leaders as well as elders from the zone and leaders of Fulani communities who made submissions on ways to achieve permanent peace and security in the entire state.

Jigawa empowers 4, 000 persons with disabilities

T

he Jigawa state government said on Wednesday that it registered 4, 000 persons with disability under its social security programme in the last five years.

Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disability in the state "Mr. Muhammad Usman, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Dutse that the gesture was under the social scheme of the state government.

He said that the scheme was a component of the economic empowerment programme of the Sule Lamido-led administration in the state.

Usman said that the programme was introduced to reduce street begging and improve the social and economic well-being of persons with disability.

Under the programme, the beneficiaries are entitled to a N7, 000 monthly stipend as well as training for the acquisition of vocational skills.

Usman said no fewer than 152 of such persons had benefited from the scheme in each of the the 27 local government areas of the state.

"I know many people who were going out to other states to beg but are now at home

utilising the N7, 000 monthly allowances given to them to do one business or the other.

"And also I know some of them who have taken advantage of the scheme to go back to school.

"There are many positive developments in the lives of the people with disability in Jigawa state."

According to him, the persons being trained will be empowered by the state government to set up their own businesses and become selfreliant.

Usman said that the training of the persons with disabilities was a collaborative effort of the state's Ministry of Economic Empowerment, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

"There was a training organised by the Jigawa State Rehabilitation Board in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) whereby some of the beneficiaries of the N7, 000 social security allowance were trained on how

to establish their businesses and become self-reliant.

"Currently, some of our members are undergoing training on e-transaction; they can be private business transactions whereby they can be doing money business through mobile phone."

Usman urged wealthy individuals and corporate bodies to complement government's efforts at uplifting the living standard of the common man and to support persons with disability in the society. (NAN)

Curator harps on preservation of monuments

By Mahmoud Muhammad, Sokoto

C

urator of the National Museum in Sokoto, Alhaji Ahmed Tsafe, has charged the Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara state governments to conserve monuments in their areas, for posterity.

Speaking yesterday in Sokoto at a ceremony to mark the 2013 International Monuments Day, Tsafe noted that, "monuments contribute towards the development of knowledge in Nigeria and even beyond," as he enumerated some of the monuments to include, western and Qur'anic schools established

since 1905.

"These schools were established have contributed to the development of knowledge and scholarship.

"Based on the theme of this year's event, heritage for education, Sokoto , Kebbi and Zamfara states fall under the Sokoto Caliphate which was famous in learning and scholarship, the Curator said.

According to him, Nagarta College was established in 1905 , Anglican Mission Station, in Tsafe and Zamfara state were established in 1930, along with Town Primary School, in Birnin Kebbi.

The Guest Speaker, Mr. Anduwi Hyelnamta, who spoke on the topic, "The importance of monuments to the people of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states," said that, "monuments help to reflect on political, economic, social, religious, military and architectural activities of the past.

Hyelnamta who is also the Officer in charge of the Sokoto state office of the National Council for Arts and Culture, said that there was the need to preserve these precious historical structures.

"We should not allow them to be damaged because once they are lost, it means we have lost them forever," he said.

NGO, USAID warn pregnant women on eclampsia From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

A

n NGO, Target States High I m p a c t Project,(TSHIP),funded by USAID has warned that eclampsia is responsible for 80 per cent of maternal deaths in the country.

The TSHIP Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) Maternal, Dr. Habib Sadauki, disclosed this yesterday during a one-day orientation organised by the group and Northern Education Initiative (NEI), for women.

According to him, eclampsia causes severe bleeding in women during child birth adding that it is responsible for 80 per cent of maternal deaths in the country.

"It is one of the major killer of 50 per cent of women during child birth but can be prevented if it is treated on time.

"Eclampsia is a condition that can be addressed if detected on time.

"Some of the ways in which the disease can be detected are findings in the urine and measurement of blood pressure during pregnancy.

"When a pregnant woman has eclampsia, she suffers from chest pain, convulsion, and seizures.

"In such a state, some of the body organs such as the brain, lungs, liver and chest are brought under attack.

"But when the case is detected early enough, the pregnant woman is administered with an injection called magnesium sulphate to make her regain consciousness during labour."

Habib warned pregnant women against giving birth at home and further urged them to attend regular antenatal clinic.

According to him, "we want to warn pregnant women against giving birth at home because of cases of bleeding.

"When bleeding during child birth is not managed properly and timely, it can lead to the death and that is why pregnant women are advised to seek adequate antenatal care in order to prevent eclampsia.

"If these conditions can be addressed, maternal deaths can be reduced by 70 per cent."

PAGE 11

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

Tips for an easier transition to full-time freelancer

F

ull time freelancing full-time means no pay unless you find your work, constantly dealing with clients' needs, and increased expenses for health care and taxes, too. Terrifying, right?

I'm not going to tell you fulltime freelancing is easy or always incredibly lucrative from the getgo, but I can tell you that it's been incredibly rewarding and well worth the challenges.

Here are my best tips for leaving your job and turning your side-gig into a freelance career.

Know why you want it Earlier this year, I achieved my dream of quitting my job and going freelance full-time. I've always valued flexibility and my free time over the money or stability of a job, and this helped me find the motivation to leave my job as soon as I could afford to.

My major reasons for freelancing: working on my terms with the freedom to live and travel before retirement, wherever and whenever I want. For example, I

Money Tip: Take a snapshot of your finances

I

t's impossible to map out a route to your destination if you don't know where you're starting from. So let's take a "before" picture of your finances.

You've heard me say this a million times, but I want you to open every single financial statement-bank, credit card, mortgage, 401(k), brokerage account-and take a look.

Only when you have everything in front of you can you set priorities about what to do next. If you're vexed by your checking account (you swear you should have more money; you can never figure out why your checks bounce), start fresh by opening a new one. Leave enough in your existing account to cover any checks that haven't yet been processed, then transfer the rest to the new account and close the old one.

Next, sign up for online banking. It should be free, and as long as you use your home computer, it's also safe. The advantage of online banking is that you can pay bills superfast, and your account is automatically credited or debited for each deposit and payment, making it easier to stay on track.

Quote "There is only one boss: the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else."

- Sam Walton

just camped for 3 days without turning on my cell phone or computer even once. Now I'm writing this post in a different city where I'll be for 2 weeks without having to worry about conserving vacation days at a desk job.

You need to think about what gets you motivated and excited.

Just being sick of your job won't cut it. Maybe it's being your own boss and only wanting to work on things you're excited about. Or do you want to work at home because you have kids? Decide your own reasons, and you'll be much more likely to succeed as a freelancer.

Make saving your top priority early-on Having savings as a cushion is, without a doubt, the best decision I made prior to quitting my job. If you're planning to make freelancing your primary income, I'd definitely recommend planning and saving as far ahead as possible.

I paid off N60, 000 in student debt by December two years ago and saved another N70,000, all in less than a year and before I quit my job in same year. This would provide about 6 months of living expenses for me while covering gaps in payment from my

freelance work.

Here's my nearly foolproof plan I used for hitting a goal like this: "Set a concrete goal. If your goal is to quit your job and venture into a fulltime freelancing, set a target number for savings then set a target date to quit your job. Be serious about committing to quit your job by then.

"Cut spending. While I don't live a ridiculously-frugal life, I get by on a reasonable budget each month. I lived in the cheapest apartment out of all my friends, never ate out for lunch at work, and I own a bike instead of a car.

You don't have to do these exact things, but the lower your monthly expenses, the better. This will help after you make the leap, too.

"Increase income. Not only is starting out freelancing part-time necessary before trying to make it a full-time option, but freelancing will increase your income and help reach your savings goal faster.

"Automate. Making the goal automatic was a huge factor towards making this a success. I saved 50% of my paycheck every two weeks by setting up an automatic transfer to a savings account. Don't rely on memory, set up a system.

Line up just enough freelance work Instead of just quitting your job and attempting to live off zero income until you figure things out, I like the approach of what I call being a "part-time quitter."

The idea is that you'll have enough income from your freelancing gigs to cover your monthly living expenses. Trying to fully replace your income may take longer than necessary is a drag if you're miserable at your job.

Plus, I don't recommend completely booking yourself up and potentially being overwhelmed with work. For me, freelancing is about improving quality of life, not just money, so I didn't want to jump into filling my days with work and feeling like I was back at a full-time job.

In my case, I wanted to have some time to enjoy the summer, so I was happy to work a little but not afraid to rely on savings a bit. My freelance work only took about 15 hours a week to complete when I first left my job, and this allowed me to travel and explore a lot more than if I'd had double or triple just the amount of work. Now I'm increasing my work load as I settle into my new lifestyle.

Be mentally ready Making the switch is going to provide some challenges no matter how prepared you are. Your life might not be exactly as you imagined after leaving your job.

If you've taken a cut in your income, there are going to be times when dealing with money will be stressful. You may hit periods when freelance income slows down a bit, too. I've kept myself up at night a few times worrying over this, but having the 6 months of living expenses saved up eventually allows me to relax.

Also, having my fund allows me to make level-headed decisions and avoid undesirable freelance clients that I'm not excited to work with. I have faith in the process, and giving myself more time to get it all figured out is well worth the money I have saved.

Of course the whole experience of quitting your job and striking out on your own is incredibly invigorating. Even if things are a bit tumultuous, don't forget to take it all in and enjoy the ride.

Forestall the unexpected financial predicament by setting up emergency fund

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here is no doubt that life is full of surprises.

Sometimes, you may experience the good side of life and at other times, the bad side.

Emergencies can come inform of job loss, health problem, fire outbreak, death of loved one or even a call from the village concerning the health of one's aged parents.

The need for you to prepare

to handle whatever comes your way is as important as curing high blood pressure.

Experts believe that one of the best ways to face life's challenges is to be financially prepared with an emergency fund, and to be debt free.

Miriam Caldwell, personal finance specialists said an emergency fund is your basic

defense against emergencies. It can help you with everything from home to car repairs, medical bills, and cover stretches where you do not have a paycheck. Insurance is also there to protect you during an emergency. You should have health insurance, home or renter's insurance, and car insurance. This should cover the basics, and help you to get by if disaster were to hit. A little planning can reduce your stress and make it easier to manage an otherwise difficult situation.

According to her, there are things you can plan and prepare for and then things that come out of nowhere. Part of life is the unexpected.

It could be something great, like a job promotion when you were not expecting it. It may be something that is not as good like getting sick or being in an accident. Some things come out of the blue with little warning, but you can be ready for emergencies through planning.

Financial planning will not stop the situation from happening, but it will make it easier for you to get through the situation,

because you will not have the additional financial worry of coming up with the money to handle the situation.

Olufemi Babajide, chairman of the National Association of Microfinance Banks (NAMB), South West zone said creating emergency savings account is the very key because you must have what is called fall back, so that when that time comes, you need to go back there because at that time you already have saved some money.

"When we say emergency, it is a short notice and if there is nothing like that there is no way you can meet that emergency.

So I will encourage people to cultivate the habit of saving so that when that time comes they have something to fall back on.

If people have that they will be able to have access to more funds.

If somebody has a deposit of N100, 000, in our sector, I assure you we will do three times that.

But is somebody has zero deposit, he will just get zero support. So one of the major benefits is that that fund can be increased to three times when the customer comes", he said.

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

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

PAGE 12

EDIT ORIAL EDITORIAL

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Overcome this military hangover (II)

his refusal to consult, to sound someone out, before making him an offer of an appointment is, no doubt, a hangover from our military rule days. In those days, the military rulers, dripping with arrogance and posing as messiahs on a mission to save us from ourselves, had little or no patience with the laid down norms, rules, procedures and even the etiquettes that govern the conduct of public affairs. In fact, they dispensed with most of them, at a terrible cost to the nation in later years.

They appointed people into positions on the radio, and sacked them on the radio. The fact that leaders with military background dominated the polity and called the shots after the 1999 return to civilian rule made things worse.

But there is another dimension to this habit of not consulting people on matters of appointment. It is, in part, at least, a reflection of both the impunity and arrogance of our civilian leaders themselves, whose general perception of the Nigerian elite is of a class of hungry, greedy people who will jump at any offer or

opportunity, no matter in what manner it is extended, to be on a committee or position that comes with perks and fat allowances.

This arrogance on the part of the political leaders is itself reinforced by the greed of our elite who are ready to take whatever insults come their way,

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Our elite too must learn to hold their pride and dignity in their relations and interactions with those in authority as long as an appointment or a committee assignment comes in the end. It is largely because of all this that the habit has persisted, and refused to die, fourteen years after military rule has ended.

It is obviously the reason why the Jonathan Presidency does not deem it proper to first consult people before appointing them into committees, even when it had all the time in the world to do

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it, and even when its failure to consult on such matters in the past had a cause of embarrassments to it. In this particular case, the Presidency did say it was going to do consultations before setting up the committee, but failed or refused to do so.

It is high time our leaders dropped their arrogant attitude and overcome this hangover from the military days. Lest they forget, we are in a democratic dispensation in which the affairs of state should be conducted with civility, decorum, respect for the people and in accordance with the highest standards of conduct by those in public office. But our elite too must learn to hold their pride and dignity in their relations and interactions with those in authority.

Whether or not a desire to draw attention to himself and make the front pages was, as some have argued, part of the reason for Shehu Sani's refusal to serve on the committee, the fact is that he raised a very valid point by his objection to not being first consulted. It is difficult, if not impossible, to disagree with him on this point.

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

PAGE 13

2015: PDP, opposition and us

By Benedict Oladipo Koledoye

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here is no longer pretence about the 2015 general elections. Until recently, even when indications were strong that President Goodluck Jonathan's men were already working for the polls, barely a year after he was sworn into office, for a four year tenure, we still thought it better to give the President a chance and never paid attention to such politicking when there was no need for it!.

There was a very strong rebuttal from the PDP/Presidency advising Nigerians to take such insinuations as rumours and a way of the opposition to heat up the polity and distract Mr. President. However, it appears the situation has changed since the merger of the main opposition parties was proposed.

The turf literally became open for contest after that announcement. It appears now that the greatest consideration of governance is 2015. For the opposition, it seems 2015 offers the opportunity to wrestle power from the PDP, and most importantly, for the rest of us, we hope 2015 will do the magic, by offering hope for good governance, that would enhance the possibility of living out one's potential in full measure, where life and property are sufficiently secure.

The different aspirations have further widened the gulf between the government, as represented by the political class (politicians) and the ordinary citizens. Even

By Farouk Martin Aresa

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here is this song about money: ti m'ba lowo lomode mi ma ni la'gba.

The best time to make the money you will live on for the rest of your life is when you are young.

Waiting to get older to make it is out of the question. Some people never had their first house until they were fifty. Those were late bloomers. We are not all that lucky. Some never had, not because they were lazy, but because of circumstances beyond their control. So why are we surprised that Boko Haram, MEND, MASSOB and OPC are thriving and are even represented at the highest levels in government? You cannot flaunt riches to the poor and expect them to be satisfied with window shopping. If anything it's surprising that the situation is not worse. The poor are so condescending; they tolerate abuse to the highest order in Nigeria. The poor are not blameless.

The poor direct their anger at their neighbourhoods, making them unsafe for even their own families and other relations.

They kidnap the most vulnerable or defenceless, demanding ransoms because those are the ones they could reach. Apart from militias, who

at that, 2015 is very important to all of us, and the arena for realising our goals is the political terrain. The beautiful bride in 2015 'ought to be' ,'should be' and must be, the ordinary citizens; unfortunately, this group has been securely excluded from governance. Twice, I have heard the Special Assistant of President Jonathan on political matters, Ahmed Gulak, on a programme on AIT (Focus Nigeria) advising us to 'leave politics for politicians'. We cannot afford to leave politics for politicians again because the politicians have routinely failed Nigerians. 2015 should, therefore, be the beginning of citizens occupying the political space. However, it is a process.

There seems to be a consensus that 2015 will be a watershed in

Nigeria's politics. There are very many defining moments we have lost. Most of the time, these defining periods were lost because we, the ordinary citizens, were not resilient enough. What is therefore required for a new phase in 2015 is both mental and physical resilience.

Since the politicians have begun the preparations for 2015, the rest of us should start ours too; the first step is the mental aspect of it. We can't wait till the time of election when the politicians will begin the process of wooing us for our votes, when they will begin the 'sharing' of some sort of ridiculous items, like rice, salt, motorcycles (okada), Tshirts and caps, and paltry sums of money that would turn our youths and some adults to political loafers. We must be

adequately prepared for that mental warfare. They have a way of making us forget the past so easily. We should not forget the wastage, irresponsibility, carelessness, years of locust, on the altar of recurrent empty promises of a better tomorrow.

We must start to do serious introspection, and ask relevant questions.

We must commend the efforts of the opposition political parties that has agreed to merge to present a common front, if not for anything, it has shaken the PDP, although there is consistent denial from the part of PDP that the merger is inconsequential, but a discerning mind would know that this is simply political talk. At least they are not talking of ruling Nigeria for sixty years again. However, the opposition

“

For the PDP, what will be the scorecard by 2015, what kind of social contract would they present to the Nigerian people after 16 years in power? Anyway, there is time for them to work, and not continue as if they were descendants of Emperor Nero who fiddled while Rome burned. The way they celebrated their 'achievement's made me to wonder! Even while the situation is getting worse every day, with extreme carnage on our roads, insecurity everywhere, kidnapping everywhere, like Nero who set Rome on fire, and put the blame on the early Christians for every act of bad governance, the problem is placed on the shoulders of the opposition! Change is in our hands

would do us a lot of good from the onset if Nigerians really know what they want to do differently from what the PDP is doing now.

We should be able to spot the difference very clearly, as a different brand, not same brand but different colour. There are serious issues on ground; terrible infrastructural decay, terrible road networks, the Power/ Energy situation remains problematic, the issue of endemic corruption, the terribly corrupt civil service, the terrible security situation, kidnapping and terrorism, all these requires very serious systematic approach, government policies that at minimum would alter the social fabric of the nation.

For the PDP, what will be the scorecard by 2015, what kind of social contract would they present to the Nigerian people after 16 years in power?

Anyway, there is time for them to work, and not continue as if they were descendants of Emperor Nero who fiddled while Rome burned. The way they celebrated their 'achievement's made me to wonder! Even while the situation is getting worse every day, with extreme carnage on our roads, insecurity everywhere, kidnapping everywhere, like Nero who set Rome on fire, and put the blame on the early Christians for every act of bad governance, the problem is placed on the shoulders of the opposition!

Change is in our hands.

Benedict Oladipo Koledoye is on www.facebook.com

The poor are not blameless else has the attention of the politicians?

If the poor people fail trying to make it and a hostile environment makes it improbable, no one should blame them. That is the reason for our wanting an equal playing field for everyone. Nobody should be condemned to a life of poverty because of the neighbourhoods, homes, schools or area/zip code they come from.

Some fell on bad times, others into bad relationships or unfortunate marriages. As for those that claim they never made enough money to make ends meet, how were their friends and colleagues making about the same amount of money able to build a house and send their children to modest school? They would rather party and spend lavishly for the moment with those richer than

“

them.

Greed has a little place in all of us as long as it does not blind.

Gambling in one form or the other is a good example of greed. When we are told that we stand a better chance of being struck by thunder than winning a million, our friends said you got to play to win.

Poor people spend so much money gambling, it becomes a regressive tax. The rich can

The best way rich people make money is to pool money from as many people as they can. The smaller the amount pooled, the larger the crowd. Indeed, most companies make more money selling to more households at a lower price than at a high price like getting more people to buy coca cola than buying cognac.

The more purchasing power the poor have, the better for businesses. This is not working because we refuse to Buy Africa.

So if you are so smart, how come you are not rich? Answer: if you are so rich, how come you are not smart?

gamble all they want, it's proportionally smaller part of their income. Moreover if the rich lose all their income gambling, they stand a better chance of making it back than the poor. Their contacts, class and favours may still be useful.

The same is not true of the poor that is struggling to make it rich. There is nothing special about the rich, more than glamour: glories of our births are shadows, not substantiality.

The best way rich people make money is to pool money from as many people as they can.

The smaller the amount pooled, the larger the crowd. Indeed, most companies make more money selling to more households at a lower price than at a high price - like getting more people to buy coca cola than buying cognac. The more purchasing power the poor have, the better for businesses. This is not working because we refuse to Buy Africa. So if you are so smart, how come you are not rich? Answer: if you are so rich, how come you are not smart?

Farouk Martin Aresa Farouk is resident in Abuja.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

PAGE 14

Stemming the Boko Haram menace

By Sabella Abidde

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dward Judge and John Langdon tell us that appeasement is a "policy of giving in to a potential aggressor in order to maintain the peace."

This policy arose "not out of cowardice but from a sincere desire to avoid another Great War by addressing German concern over the severity of the Treaty of Versailles." The Versailles Treaty was signed on June 28, 1919 at the Palace of Versailles, France, ending the war between German and the Allied Forces after World War 1.

Today, opinion seems to indicate that the general public is against appeasement, against granting Boko Haram amnesty (as it has yet to abandon its killing and destructive ways).

For me, this litmus test is neither here nor there. I had earlier stated that presidential pardon is within the purview of the President. However, should the amnesty deal fall apart, President Goodluck Jonathan will bear the brunt; he will pay a heavy price. There is no doubt about that.

Nonetheless, he will not be alone in incurring the cost of an amnesty-gone-wrong.

Traditional and religious rulers in the northern part of the country will also suffer - and so too would the formal and informal power structures in place since pre and post-1914.

Should the What do I aforelisted mean? Simple: happen, then The what? In ascendancy Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text essence, what do and supremacy all these messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written of Boko Haram portend? Well, it will redefine contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 looks simple to power words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and me: if the north equations in the a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed does not help a north (because) to: helpless if a latter-day Jonathan, then, group like Boko the coming The Editor, Haram Tsunami by Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, becomes Boko Haram omnipotent and 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. and its affiliates omnipresent, Email: opinion@peoplesdaily-online.com may not spare where would SMS: 08134607052 anyone. If the that leave the political and traditional economic elites in the north ever enough to satisfy or pacify power sources? genuinely refuse to help them. Never! Is the group afraid It is projected that by the end Jonathan clip the wings of this of killing or harming anyone? of May, some 3,000 innocent group, they too will suffer.

Was the brutal killing of Gen. citizens would have been killed Jonathan may be the President, Muhammed Shuwa not

by Boko Haram and its affiliates. he cannot do it all and alone. He attributed to the group? What It is a mistake to think that the can't! group was blamed for the indiscriminate killings and Boko Haram is also a threat to destruction that have been going attempted assassination on the the intellectual and artistic Shehu of Bornu, as well as the on for the better part of 18 community in northern Nigeria.

Emir of Fika in Yobe State? And months are Jonathan's problem If it has its way, modernity, consider also the recent attack on and his alone. Oh no! The sooner westernisation and globalisation the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado the north helps to bring these will be a thing of the past. Schools Bayero - considered by many as atrocities and carnage to a halt, and intellectual pursuits will be the second most influential the better it would be for curtailed - when none of these is monarch in northern Nigeria everyone. The bigger and curtailed in Iran, Iraq and in the after the Sultan of Sokoto. This is deadlier the group gets, as it has United Arab Emirates. When a group with no scruple and with the potential to, it will defy even you visit places such as Qatar, no respect for anybody. those who control finances and Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman And so, the questions become: provide training and logistics. It and Indonesia, you see great Who will be its next target? What will become so big, so thirty and evidence of many of the things religious and or traditional so hungry that it will consume Boko Haram is against and building is it going to bomb, next? those who created it.

What power structure is it looking killing people for.

After all, when monsters get Perhaps, Boko Haram for to destroy or undermine? very big, no amount of blood is

members do not know that until it was destroyed by the Mongol Empire in 1258, Baghdad - a great Arab and Islamic city - was the centre of cultural and intellectual activity in the High Middle Ages. They also may not know that Saudi Arabia was once a "waste land," but is today the centre of Arab and Islamic universe. That is progress. That is change. That is modernity. But for the Boko Haram sect, modernity, change and progress are sinful and injurious and for which it has been killing. This has to stop. The intellectual and artistic class must team up with the religious and traditional institutions to put a stop to the calamity that has gained ground in the north, and which has the potential to set the nation on fire.

The time has come for all - for all Nigerians - to know and to accept the fact that Boko Haram is not just a Jonathan-problem, but a problem for all Nigerians in the east, west, south and north.There will be no place to hide! If traditional and religious leaders look the other way as President Jonathan gasps for breath, sooner or later, they too will collapse under the weight of Boko Haram. And if the intellectual and artistic class acts indifferently to the pain and anguish of this President, then, they too shall be asphyxiated by the tentacles of Boko Haram.

Sabella Abidde is on LinkedIn

that wants to do that now."

Boko Haram had, in March 2012, picked Ahmed as a mediator between it and the federal government. At that time, it said his choice was based on the fact that its former leader, the late Mohammed Yusuf, served as a member that represented Borno State in the Council of Sharia in Nigeria. But a few days later, Ahmed pulled out of the process after details of the discussions appeared in the media.

Though the government seems not to be perturbed about the two members' withdrawals, I am quite sure the decline of Ahmed to serve in this committee has dealt it a 'ballistic' blow. The first is that although nobody is indispensable, Ahmed definitely wields a lot of influence both in the northern part of the country and Nigeria as a whole.

In my days in TELL magazine, 1991-2004, he was a fearless critic of whatever he perceived to be wrong with the government of the day without mincing words. No wonder reporters naturally flock around him to extract words or interviews from him. He is widely respected and loved by his people.

For such a man with high level of credibility and in whom a lot of trust is reposed, even by the Boko Haram sect, to have pulled out of the committee means that it has a long, difficult and tortuous road to travel in the discharge of its mandate. There is no doubt that there are still

Amnesty Programme work. One of them is Chibuzor Ugwoha, the immediate past managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. He is an incurable believer in due process and the rule of law who has been passionately championing the process of human capacity development. The products of his human capacity crusades as the boss of the NDDC are there for everybody to see. The people whose lives he touched by his programmes while in office are proud of him and are able to raise their heads everywhere in the world today. Human capacity development is one sure way to right the perceived wrongs wrought on the North by successive northern governments.

With the amnesty committee in place, the country seems to have moved towards enthroning peace in the North, which, by extension, should extend to every nook and cranny of the entire country where banditry now reigns supreme. One sure way to do this is by properly identifying the root cause or causes of the disaffection in all corners of the society. The fact remains that we cannot continue with all the plethora of crises - violent robbery, pipeline vandalism, Boko Haram, kidnapping for ransom, and all that.

Dele Agekameh is reachable on www.facebook.com

WRITE TO US

...Amnesty committee needs 'amnesty’

By Dele Agekameh

I

n its relentless effort to end the Boko Haram insurgency, the Presidency has constituted a body, the Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North. The decision followed the consideration of the report of the technical committee commissioned by the government to review fresh ways of addressing security challenges in the North. The 26member Committee, headed by Kabiru Turaki, the Minister of Special Duties, is saddled with the responsibility of engaging members of Boko Haram in dialogue and designing a framework for resolving the violence precipitated by them.

Unfortunately, two members have declined their membership. They are Shehu Sani, social activist and the Executive Director of the Civil Rights Congress, and Datti Ahmed, the President of the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria. Sani turned down his membership on the grounds that he was neither consulted nor informed by the Presidency before the announcement of his membership was made. On his own part, Ahmed, a medical doctor, said he rejected membership of the committee because of the bitter experience he had with the government in 2012, when he voluntarily tried to mediate between the

authorities and members of the violent Islamic sect.

Alleging insincerity on the part of the government, Ahmed said the composition of the amnesty committee was faulty.

He argued that the chairman of the panel, as well as the secretary, who are nominees of the federal government would always tell the government what it wanted to hear and not the truth. "The minister and secretary will tell lies to the government and we would be left quarrelling with young Nigerians, young enough to be our children."

Datti said he previously made a move twice and that it was not the government that asked him to do so. "We had reached a stage where, had the government agreed with what we resolved with the sect members, by now, we would have forgotten everything.

Nigeria would have witnessed peace by now," Ahmed said.

"From past experience, the government was not sincere and it did everything to ensure that the earlier talk failed. It was just like we were going to have a peaceful resolution the next day, and what the government should have done was not something difficult. It was just for them to release their (Boko Haram members) wives, reduce tension in Yobe and Borno states, and stop persecuting the people there. The government said it was going to do that but it did not. It is the same government

many members of the committee who are eminently qualified in their own right to be on board, but a person like Ahmed is very vital and may be key to an effective interface with the dreaded sect members. Don't forget that he had earlier voluntarily interfaced with some members of the sect in the past.

So, to me, it was like a right step in the right direction for government to have thought it wise enough to include him in the committee.

But now, the bubble has burst. How far can the committee go in establishing trust between the government and members of the sect before any meaningful modality towards a peaceful and amicable solution can be found to the lingering impasse which has claimed several innocent lives and property? It is only hoped that no other member drops out any longer. Otherwise, it may seem that this committee itself needs 'amnesty' to put it on a good footing.

There are several names in the South-South that could have conveniently made the list.

There is Annkio Briggs, a known Niger Delta activist; Timi Alaibe, the immediate past Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty is there, so also is Kingsley Kuku, the incumbent Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty and Alaibe's successor. There are also those who have been toiling day and night to make the Niger Delta

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

By Bayo Oluwasanmi

A

system is as good as the people who operate the system. The unholy alliance between the legislature and Aso Rock presents a reliable compass for a fragile future.The hallmark of a presidential system that we feign to operate is the separation of powers. Separation of powers serves as buffer among the three branches - legislative, executive, judiciary - to ensure that no one branch has all the power. Each branch has its own purpose. The legislative branch is made up of the two houses of Congress - the Senate and the House of Representatives. The most important function of the legislative branch is to make laws.

The President is the head of the executive branch, which makes laws official. The President approves and carries out laws passed by the legislative branch.

The judicial branch oversees the court system. Through court cases, the judicial branch explains the meaning of the Constitution and laws passed by Congress. In order to further protect the citizens, the constitution has a system of checks and balances.

Basically, each branch of government has a certain number of checks it can use to ensure the other branches do not become too powerful. For example, the president can veto legislation, the Supreme Court

PAGE 15

The conspiracy of our 'leaders’ can declare acts of congress unconstitutional, and the senate must approve treaties and presidential appointments. The upper house is supposed to be a chamber of people of superior intellect, unmatched wisdom, matured, reasoned, thoughtful, deliberate, and above all fueled by patriotism for the love of country.

Senators should be gently humble, responsibly committed, and sensitively responsive. The way the Nigerian brand of presidential system operates leaves much to be desired.

Because of corruption and blind party loyalty, the three branches function as one.

President JGoodluck Jonathan (the chief executive) wields power like an emperor with unlimited and unquestionable powers. Few examples will suffice. Consider the enactment of laws. Ninetynine percent of the times, the legislature has sheepishly rubberstamped any legislation and especially appropriation bills sent by Mr. Jonathan.

The senate screening of President's Jonathan's nominees for cabinet positions makes mockery of separation of powers.

Usually it begins like a wonderful comic of the mocking bird. As the screening progresses, the drama

unfolds with increased suspended animation of movie scenes full of satirical tragedies. Most of the time, the protagonist and the cast members failed to capture the acerbic edge of the original play. Confusion, contraptions, and contradictions all add to the sinister twist of the movie's plot.

The screening exercise patently exposes the senators' political cowardice, impotence, and corruption. It reminds me of the French medieval representative institution the Estate General in the 1700s that remained dormant for 175 years until the French Revolution swept it away for good. As members of the upper house, the senators are entrusted with the sacred duty of approving the president's nominees.

The childish carelessness with which they undertake the assignment shows they're either seduced or deceived. Either way, the senators behave like they're suffering from conspiratorial fantasy. Judging by the abysmal performance and parody of statements and questions, the senators have proven with stylistic stupidity that they're in Abuja not for the country's business but for "their turn to eat," a nickname for corruption. The senators' handling of our nation's business

demonstrates beyond belief that they're not thinkers but mere reflectors of the president's thoughts.

How do you interview nominees without knowing the departments they're going to lead? Only in Nigeria is the absurdity possible in a presidential system of government. How else can one explain the confirmation process that lacks probing, rigor, digging and drilling of nominees? The whole process is uninspiring, cold, and robotic. I remember the confirmation hearing of one of the past leaders of PDP, Alhaji Bello Haliru.

Before his nomination as defense minister, he was entangled in the Siemens' corruption network. While the case was being adjudicated, the senators confirmed him as defense minister without any objection or reference to his pending corruption case.

Look at the way the senators mishandled the case for a new constitution. They had the unique opportunity to fashion a new constitution. They bungled it. Instead, they settled for a ragged stained toilet tissue called 1999 Constitution. They're satisfied and comfortable with mends and patch-ups that would ultimately shred the shard of a

piece of tragic military memento. The same conspiracy by the three branches is employed on all issues that affect the country. They prefer to serve as rubber stamps for whatever the president sends them.

Anyway, this is Nigeria where things work in the reverse. No one is disappointed by the complicity of the senators because they lack the fortitude, the conscience, and the love of country to do what is right and righteous. Needless to remind the senators that they occupy a powerful and influential position, they possess the constitutional power of check and balance to douse the excesses, and nearsightedness of Mr. Jonathan. They have the legal and political weapon to alter Nigeria's political landscape for the better and change the course of history.

The people's mandate empowers them to force the president to govern like an intelligent statesman. But because of their insatiable appetites for luxury and lust like the greedy Cassim in "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," the senators are consumed and conscripted by their greed, selfishness, and wicked schemes.

Bayo Oluwasanmi is on byolu@aol.com

Between quality management and a famished road

By Chigozie Chikere

O

n Monday April 15 2013, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) presented to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) the NIS ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Certificate; an award that would change FRSC and road safety management system in Nigeria. It was not an unlikely triumph seeing that the FRSC is one agency of government that, for the past five years, is bedecked with laurels and accolades that have continued to corroborate the Corps' burgeoning national and international reputation. But this very award seems to be wrested from a moment of national gloom occasioned by spiraling reports of fatal road mishaps that have maimed, as well as claimed the lives of many promising Nigerians.

Following the high casualty rate recorded in the month of December 2012, in which 473 persons died and 1115 vehicles were wrecked in road accidents nationwide, April 2013 may go down as the bloodiest month in the first half of the year 2013 as regards road accidents. The carnage began in the wee hours of April 3 claiming 18 persons on Abuja-Lokoja road when a Marcopolo luxury bus collided with a J5 bus. On April 5, 36 travelers in a Marcopolo luxury bus and an articulated vehicle were set ablaze by a petrol tanker at Ugboguii village along BeninOre road. Again, on April 6, 20 persons lost their lives in an accident at Dazigan town about 11km from Potiskum, Yobe State when a mass transit bus rammed into an articulated vehicle. Five days later, on April 11, a bus speeding along Damaturu-Gashua road also in

Yobe State suffered a tyre burst, somersaulted and burst into flames killing 10 of its occupants.

On April 14, the Abuja-Lokoja road witnessed yet another fatality when a Volkswagen Golf car ran into an articulated vehicle leaving 7 people dead.

The day after, on April 15, 5 people were killed when two private cars collided with an articulated vehicle along AsabaOnitsha expressway in Asaba.

The list goes on. Evidently, a close look at these reports would reveal two common features overspeeding and involvement of articulated vehicles.

According to the Minister for Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, Nigeria has the second highest road traffic accident fatalities among the 193 countries of the world. This trend, the minister said, is adversely affecting the health system in Nigeria and hampering its attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5. Also, the National Focal Person for United Nations (UN) Decade of Action in Nigeria, Dr Sydney Ibeanusi, said over 80 percent of injuries in Nigeria are traffic accident related. Stressing that road traffic accidents are the third leading cause of deaths in the country, he said 1.3 million persons are killed and 50 million injured globally each year from road crashes. Conversely, the FRSC is being celebrated locally and internationally. At a recent workshop under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, FRSC was adjudged "the best lead agency on road safety management in Africa" by the World Bank. Some analysts argue that though the successes of FRSC's 'Safe Road Nigeria' campaign may be overstated,

the Minister's statistics might as well be misleading and his conclusion a very serious indictment on the effectiveness of FRSC as a public service agency saddled with the responsibility of road safety management in Nigeria. Going by the 4260 deaths recorded for 2012, analysts have argued that the figure is so far below the international fatality average of 6736 and, as such, cannot place Nigeria as second highest among 193 countries. However, many have complained that the FRSC seems to have lost its initially intimidating clout; a quality that catalyzed its exploits of the late eighties and early nineties.

This perhaps now accounts majorly for the laissez-faire attitude of motorists towards simple safety rules like use of seat belt, use of cell phone while driving, route violation, drinkdriving, overloading, overspeeding, dangerous overtaking, light sign violation and many other simple road etiquette.

It is obvious that the old picture of FRSC with its fabled fangs did create some passing momentum; but the transformation of the corps by the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive, Mr. Osita Chidoka, will be of more lasting significance. The year 2013 therefore deserves its spots in the annals of policing history alongside 2003 when the Phoenix Police Department received the ISO 9001:2000 certificate, or even 2001 when 249 public service agencies in Malaysia qualified for ISO 9001 Quality Management System.

FRSC is not, however, in a mood for much celebration.

Although the organization has transformed from power-point reforms to institutional reengineering, as is endorsed by

the ISO certification, it is still working doggedly towards adopting the ISO39001 standards for road safety management system.

Incidentally, myriads of challenges abound, among which are paucity of funds to finance the implementation of Quality Management Standards, provision of the infrastructure and other requirements of the standards, which are capital intensive. Moreover, there are problems of poor road maintenance culture of government, poor vehicle maintenance culture of motorists, poor legislation on the use of roads, lack of formal driving training, and the cynical view of many Nigerians towards the efforts of the Corps in stepping up road safety standards.

Recklessness of articulated vehicles and general overspeeding by other vehicles are the commonest causes of major road mishaps and fatalities. According to Article 5 of the FRSC's 'Safe Road Nigeria' campaign, most crashes are caused by the drivers' behaviour and not always as a result of bad roads. It has therefore become imperative for the FRSC to launch fresh initiatives that would boost the effectiveness of the Road Transport Safety Standardization Scheme (RTSSS) in curbing the widespread menace of articulated vehicles on Nigerian roads. The recommendation for a Safety Manager for every fleet of articulated vehicles must be given fresh impetus to ensure the curtailment of the destruction articulated vehicles are causing through their carelessness, indiscipline and recklessness. Overspeeding is usually responsible for loss of control, which has spelt doom for

many motorists. Perhaps, it is time to have further testing before the issuance of a Drivers' License. The government urgently needs to fix dilapidated road pavements, and to come up with proper legislation on road rules as the existing ones no longer spell out strict and commensurate penalties for traffic offenders.

The NIS IOS 9001:2008 Quality Management Certificate came as a result of Mr. Chidoka's commitment to reforms in the Corps and his unparalleled passion for the job of road safety management. But to improve traffic law reinforcement, driver education, and driver reorientation requires motivating and monitoring the Marshals out in the field especially at the critical highway corridors where they cope with traffic peculiarities resulting from upsurge of vehicular and human traffic.

The Federal Government has demonstrated commitment to the campaign to reduce road crash fatalities by 50 percent on Nigerian roads by the year 2015 with its collaboration with the World Bank under the Federal Roads Development Project.

This represents the way forward for all critical infrastructures in line with the federal government's policy of promoting partnership with multi-lateral and private sector financiers. Now it is up to state and local governments to ensure that funds meant for road construction and rehabilitation get spent in the right places and FRSC officials are made to enforce road rules. If the tasks now facing FRSC are different, so are its circumstances.

Chigozie Chikere, is a member, The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport (CILT)

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

School fees: Parents fault school authority for sending their children home P

arents of some students of Community Primary and Secondary School, Asokoro, Abuja, yesterday faulted the school authority for sending their children home a day after resumption.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the students were sent home for nonpayment of their third term fees.

Some of the parents told NAN that the action was premature, provocative and counterproductive.

One of them, Mr Clement Onoja, said it was too early for the

Gwagwalada residents urge FCT minister to rehabilitate roads

students to be sent home, adding that the school authority should have at least exercise patience and allow the children to settle down.

“Every parent and guardian knows their responsibility, part of which is the payment of their children’s school fees.”

Mrs Stella Odumegwu, a guardian, told NAN that such action could discourage parents from sending their children to the school.

“What this means is that the school authority is only concern about getting money and not the welfare of their students.

“The school authorities should have contacted parents yesterday when they knew that this is what they planned to do.

“If they had done this, parents who do not have the money to pay would not have allowed their children to go to

school to avoid being embarrassed,” she said.

Another parent, Mr Amaefule Kiris, told NAN that he was disappointed when he saw students of the school parading the streets.

“I was actually coming to pay my children’s fees when I found out that they had been sent home for not paying their school fees.

“That is a very big risk because the school is close to a busy road and any of the children could be knocked down.

“We had enjoyed good relationship with the school authority in the past, but this action taken by them is uncivilised.

“Most parents are salary earners; the school authority should have waited until the end of the month when workers would have been paid their salaries,”

Kiris said.

One of the secondary school teachers, who pleaded anonymity, said that some of the parents were stubborn when it comes to paying their children’s fees.

“Some of them prefer to go to night clubs, or markets to buy new things than to pay their children’s school fees.

“At the close of the last session, parents were notified of the need to pay their children’s fees two weeks before resumption.

“Because some of the parents are stubborn, they refused; with this action I believe that as from tomorrow most of them will come and pay,” the teacher said.

One of the affected SS2 students, Master Timidi Ken, told NAN that the school later allowed some of them to attend classes “but

at that time we had missed some subjects”.

Another student, Miss Princess Eze, said her mother had been hospitalised.

“I normally pay my school fees before the resumption date, but this time around I could not do so because my mum has been on admission in hospital in the past two weeks.

“I explained this to my class teacher, and he permitted me to enter the class today with a warning that I would be sent out if nothing is done by my other family members.”

Mr A.S. Ahmad, the Principal of the secondary school, confirmed the development to NAN. Ahmad, however, declined to comment further on the grounds that he was not permitted to speak to the press or the public on the matter. (NAN)

By Usman Shuaibu

R

esidents of Gwagwalada Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have appealed to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Senator Bala Mohammed to rehabilitate the neglected roads in Gwagwalada and Zuba Some of the residents who spoke to Peoples Daily in Gwagwalada said that so many roads in Gwagwalada and Zuba needed rehabilitation.

One of the residents, Alhaji Salisu Yahaya, the Headmaster of Islamiyya Primary School in Gwagwalada, called on the FCT minister to rehabilitate the road linking Kasuwa-DareAlhaji Nura road.

Mallam Saleh Lawal, a community leader at Angwar Hajara also appealed to the minister to repai Angwar Hajara road which was abandoned for so many years now.

Lawal lamented that the people of Angwar Hajara had been neglected in the area of provision of social amenities especially the electricity supply.

Mallam Aliyu Mohammed Iliyasu popularly Known as ‘Dantani’ of Angwar Bassa, accused the past chairmen of Gwagwalada Area Council of failing to rehabilitate some roads in Gwagwalada and its environs.

Another resident, Mr. John Samuel, a taxi driver in Zuba, said that the roads that needed urgent rehabilitation by the minister included zuba fruits market road, Agora-primary school roads and motor spare parts market roads.

A blocked drainage causing an offensive odour to residents, opposite Kubwa village market, Abuja.

Photo: Adeola Tukuru

FCTA pledges to host World Economic Forum in 2014

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed has expressed readiness to host the World Economic Forum in May 2014.

The Minister gave this assurance while receiving a delegation of the World Economic Forum, Geneva that paid him a working visit in Abuja to assess the possibility of moving the hosting right of the forum for the first time in West Africa.

Senator Mohammed said that Abuja remains the best

business destination in the West African sub-region with its enormous population advantage as well as diplomatic cluster.

The Minister reiterated that Abuja has in the past hosted several Heads of State and Governments including several international conferences, which have given Abuja the opportunity to develop capacity over the years.

According to him, Abuja is the Headquarters of ECOWAS and that the World Trade Centre is being constructed to give Abuja the impetus to play

its destined business role in Africa.

His words: “Abuja has developed the character, the right altitude, the protocol and the administrative capacity to host the World Economic Forum in tandem with the best global practice to be consciously done not for any business or to make profit but part of our global statutory responsibility”.

Senator Mohammed emphasized that safety and security of the residents of the Federal Capital Territory as well as visitors in Abuja are the

watchwords of the FCT Administration.

Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation and Director of Africa, World Economic Forum, Geneva Elsie Kanza appreciated the warm reception accorded them.

She remarked that Abuja might be considered when the Forum takes decision on which city would host the next edition in May 2014.

The Nigeria focal person and Director-General, Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Mr. Frank Nweke JNR, also accompanied the team.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

PAGE 17

Gwagwalada residents condemn poor electricity supply

By Usman Shuaibu

E

lectricity consumers in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have condemned epileptic power supply by the authorities of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in the area.

Some of the consumers,

mostly operators of commercial organizations, who spoke to Peoples Daily in Gwagwalada regretted that the epileptic supply of electricity had crippled their businesses.

They contended that what would have accured to them as gains from their establishments was being channeled into the purchase of

fuel for their generating sets an alternative means to public electricity supply.

The community leader at Angwar Hajara, Mallam Saleh Lawal, explained that for the past 3 months now there was no electricity supply in the area and urged PHCN officials to do something about it.

Mallam Yahaya Adamu said that the people of the area have not witnessed any improvement of power supply in Angwarn Dodo community.

They noted that some parts of Gwagwalada were being neglected in the area of provision of electricity, especially Abattoir and Angwar Hausawa in Kutunku.

Transformation agenda in Abaji is deliberate, says Chairman

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he Chairman of Abaji Area Council, Alh. Yahaya Musa Muhammad yesterday says the transformation of many aspect of human endeavour in Abaji is a deliberate attempts to change the lives of the people of Abaji, The chairman stated this during the visit of Group 6 of Nigeria Institute of Policy and Strategy Studies(NIPPS) from Kuru,Jos .

The leader of the Group , Professor Ibrahim Jama’are. with the aim of carrying out research on FCT as a case study with the them: Strengthening Institutional Frame Work and the Transformation Agenda.

He further explained that the structural aspect of the council consisting of executive aim, legislative, traditional and other department.

According to him, the council performance in grassroots include; Provision of Rural Roads and naming of streets and roads, Primary Health Care Services, collection of rates, radio and television licenses, establishment and maintenance of Grave yard and many others.

The leader of the Group , Professor Ibrahim Jama’are said the aim of visit is to carry out research on FCT as a case study with the them: Strengthening Institutional Frame Work and the Transformation Agenda.

The participants also visited the ONA of Abaji Alh. Adamu Baba Yunusa and some projects executed by Abaji Chairman.

They expressed satisfaction with the chairman’s performance and warm reception accord to them by the council, the present a gift to the chairman.

Long kerosene queue, at NNPC Mega station, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Traditional ruler tasks Suleja chairman on transformers

By Usman Shuaibu

T

he village Head of Rafinsanyi in Suleja local government area in Niger State, Mallam Zakari Madaki has appealed to the Chairman Alhaji Yunusa Adamu to provide two additional transformers to boost the socio-economic growth in the area.

He also urged the chairman

to drill boreholes in the area so as to curb the problem of potable drinking water faced by the people.

Madaki, who made the appeal in interview with Peoples Daily said the people of Rafinsanyi were neglected in the area of infrastructural development.

He called on the present administration of Suleja local government to focus on the

developmental needs of the residents in the area.

He urged the council chairman to repair the dilapidated roads and culverts in Rafinsanyi to reduce the hardship faced by the motorists during the raining season.

The traditional ruler pleaded with the chairman to carry the traditional rulers along irrespective of their tribal, religious and political inclinations.

Delayed appendix surgery can lead to complications, says medic doctor and gets the surgery done

A

Senior Registrar at the National Hospital Abuja, Dr Amadi Ikechukwu,has warned people not to delay the diagnosis of appendicitis.

Ikechukwu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that delayed diagnosis was dangerous as it could lead to complications like ruptured appendicitis.

He said ruptured appendix could be fatal if there was delay in diagnosis and other complications could also set in.

“Because we know that delay in diagnosis could make the patient amenable to complications, which is one of the

things we avoid, bearing in mind that appendicitis is the commonest surgical emergency the world over.

“Even if after the surgery, it is shown that the appendix is normal, it is still safer because we would have saved the patient should it come out to be appendicitis and you missed it initially.

“The consequence could have been grievous; a lot of people have died from that just because it was missed.

“So it is safer that once they are future symptoms suggesting appendicitis, that one consults a

because if it becomes complicated, like if it gets ruptured, it becomes a total different ball game all together because the complication rate will be high.’’

Ikechukwu stressed the need for people to seek early medical help when appendicitis was diagnosed to save the lives of patients and avoid increased complications.

“Something that would have been a small incision will now end up with a very big incision, which could be embarrassing to some people and that is if at the end of the day the patient is unable to go home within five days.

Abuja residents plead for improved power supply

S

ome residents of the suburbs of Abuja have appealed to the Federal Government to improve electricity supply to their areas.

They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews in Abuja that they had yet to benefit from the relatively stable electricity supply being experienced in Abuja.

A resident of Zuba in Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT, Mr Murtala Mustapha, said the cost of diesel and maintenance of generating sets was overwhelming.

Mustapha said that “poor Nigerians are not happy in their homes because they don’t have electricity’’.

Chief Johnson Okechukwu, a businessman at Deidei Building Material Market, urged the President Goodkuck Jonathan administration to implement projects for which it would be remembered.

“I have a 150 KVA generator which is supposed to serve as standby to cater for short periods; but when you use it as the only source of electricity, it will spoil quickly.’’

Alhaji Mufutaudeen Balogun, an Islamic scholar and resident of Zauda village of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), attributed the blackout to the deplorable state of the transformer serving the community.

He appealed to the relevant authorities to assist the community by replacing the old transformer with a new one.

“This community has not seen electricity in the last six months, in spite of Federal Government’s efforts at ensuring stable power supply in the country.’’

Another resident, Mr Sikiru Muhammed, said the blackout in his area, which had paralysed business activities, was making those who have generators to spend more money on the fuelling them.

“We call on the FCT Administration, particularly the Abuja Municipal Area Council, to come to our aid and find a lasting solution to this situation,’’ he said.

Mrs Comfort George, who runs a saloon, said that the inadequacy of power supply in the community was threatening her job.

“I spend over N12,000 to fuel my generator every week just to render service and satisfy my customers but at the end of the day, I hardly make profit,’’ George said.

She appealed to the relevant authorities to provide the community with a new transformer as the residents could not afford to buy one.

(NAN)

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

Woman, 37,docked for allegedly assaulting police officer

A

business w o m a n , C h a r r y Samuel, residing at Area E in Nyanya, Abuja on Tuesday, appeared in a Karu Upper Area Court for allegedly assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.

The Prosecutor, Cpl. Silas Nanpan, told the court that one Cpl. Jinan Nimmyel, attached to the Nyanya Police Station was sent by the Charge Room Officer on duty to arrest the accused on April 20.

Nanpan said that the accused, who allegedly beat up her husband in their matrimonial home, refused to follow Nimmyel to the station but instead hit the policeman with a bucket.

He said that the accused also spat on Nimmyel’s face and resisted arrest.

The prosecutor said that the charges against the accused contravened sections 267 and 172 of the Penal Code.

Section 267 states that

whoever assaults or uses criminal force on any public servant in the execution of his duty with intent to prevent that person from discharging his duty, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or be fined or both.

Section 172 states that whoever intentionally offers any resistance to the lawful arrest of himself for any offence with which he is charged or convicted of shall

Scavenger, popularly known as "Baban bola" , scouting for waste items along Peace Park, Abuja.

be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years or be fined or both.

However, the accused denied the allegations against her.

The Judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N50,000 with a credible surety who must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.

He adjourned the case to June 3,2013 for further hearing. (NAN)

Photo: Adeola Tukuru

Civil servant begs court to dissolve 14-year-old marriage

A

Civil Servant, N i c o d e m u s Oguche, residing at Kuchikau in Mararaba, Nasarawa State on Tuesday appeared in an Upper Area Court in Nasarawa State, begging the court to dissolve his marriage.

The case was brought to the court by the complainant on April 15.

He said that he got married to his wife, Cecilia, on April 29,

1999 but since then their marriage had not witnessed peace.

The complainant told the court that his wife left him immediately after the holy matrimony to her parent’s house and when he confronted her, she said he had no right to ask her.

The union, he said, was blessed with three children but had suffered lots of unbearable challenges, which the complainant said would

not continue to bear. ‘’On one occasion, my wife used wood to break my head, threatening that she will do something to me that will make headlines.

“And as soon as I moved out of the house, my children fell seriously sick and people started calling me to come back home.

“I understand the children cannot stay without me, so I want the court to grant me custody of all my children after

dissolving the marriage.’’

However, the respondent denied the allegation, saying “I do not want a divorce because we have three children.

“My husband is only trying to run away from his responsibilities.’’

The Presiding Judge, Mr Vincent Gwahemba, ordered the complainant to present his witnesses on May 6,2013.

He adjourned the case to that date. (NAN)

Man bags 5 months imprisonment for breach of trust, cheating

A

n Abuja Grade 2 Area Court in Kado yesterday sentenced one Duke Onoja, 35, of Karu Federal Housing Estate, Abuja, to five months imprisonment for breach of trust and cheating.

The Presiding Officer, Mr Ahmed Ado, sentenced Onoja, following a two-count charge against him, which

he pleaded guilty to.

Ado sentenced Onoja to three months imprisonment for the first charge of criminal breach of trust or to pay a fine of three thousand naira.

He also imprisoned Onoja to another two months imprisonment or to pay a fine of two thousand naira for the second charge of cheating.

The officer also ordered the

convict to pay N243,000 to the complainants, being the values of the items they supplied to him.

The Police Prosecutor, Mr Simon Ibrahim, had earlier told the court that one Humphery Ugwoke of Shop STB, Utako Market, Abuja and Ifeanyi Okonkwo of No. 83 Upstairs, Utako, reported the matter to the Utako Police

Station on July 14, 2011.

Ibrahim said the complainants had supplied generator parts, valued at N243,000 in March last year to the convict but that the convict sold the items and converted the money to his personal use.

He said that after police interrogation, the convict confessed to the crime. (NAN)

INSIDE FCT COURTS Storekeeper, 38, arraigned for alleged criminal breach of trust

A

store keeper of Lovender Bature, of Sharp Corner, Mararaba, Nasarawa State,was yesterday arraigned in a Karu Upper Area Court in the F.C.T. for alleged criminal breach of trust and cheating.

The Prosecutor, Mr Shem Simon, told the court that one Emmanuel Okpulonu of K.C. Investment, opposite GSS, Jikwoyi, Abuja, reported the matter to the Jikwoyi police station on Jan. 22.

He said that the accused, who was employed as the Store Keeper and Retail Secretary of K.C. Investment, fraudulently diverted the sum of N779,270 to his personal use.

“When Bature noticed the company’s auditors taking stock, he jumped over the company’s fence and ran away on Jan. 21.’’

Simon said the offence contravened sections 311 and 320 of the Penal Code.

Bature pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him.

The Judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, granted him bail in the sum of N800,000 with a reliable surety who must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.

The case was adjourned to May 24, 2013 for hearing.

(NAN)

Two remanded in prison custody for allegedly fighting in public

A

n Upper Area Court in Gwagwalada, FCT, on Tuesday remanded two persons, Moses Abutu and Isah Danshaibu, in prison for fighting in public.

They were arraigned on a one-count charge of disturbance of public peace.

They, however, pleaded not guilty The prosecutor, Mr Iliya Maji, told the court that Abutu and Danshaibu had at about 6.30 a.m of April 22 engaged each other in a physical combat at Giri Junction, near Gwagwalada.

Maji said Danshaibu had sustained an injury on his face in the fight before the two of them were arrested by the police.

According to him, the offence contravened Section 113 of the Penal Code and attracts a threeyear jail term if found guilty.

The judge, Mr Babangida Hassan, ordered that they be remanded in prison and adjourned the case to June 12, 2013 for hearing.(NAN)

BUSINESS

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

Email: aminuimam@yahoo.co.uk

Nigeria loses N1.6trn on nonexport of crops - Expert

A

lecturer in the University of Port Harcourt, Prof.

Francis Sokoki said on Tuesday that Nigeria was losing N1.6 trillion annually from nonexport of groundnut, cocoa, palm oil and cotton.

Sokoki made this known at a lecture organised by the Rivers chapter of Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON).

He spoke on the topic: “Untapped opportunities of Nigerian fisheries and aquaculture for growth, food security and job creation’’.

“We lost about 10 million dollars worth of annual export which amounts to about N1.6 trillion from the export of groundnut, palm oil, cocoa and cotton alone,” he said.

The don recalled that in 1961, Nigeria’s total annual export was 502,000 metric tonnes and responsible for 42 per cent of the world total export.

Sokoki added that the world export volume was 1,206 million metric tonnes during the period, noting that the country’s annual export in groundnut, palm, cotton and cocoa had crashed.

“If we did not lost those markets, our economy would have been higher by at least N1.6 trillion, therefore, the export will continue to grow at least by 11 per cent annually,’’ he said.

He said Nigeria is the world leading producer of palm oil and responsible for 42 per cent of the world export, but crashed from 167,000 metric tonnes per annum to 25,000 metric tonnes.

According to him, the world annual export of palm oil is 33,361 metric tonnes, while Nigeria has controlled 18 per cent of world cocoa production.

“In cotton, our share is about 1.4 per cent, but today USA, China and Argentina have taken over groundnut production,’’ he said.

He said Malaysia and Indonesia were world leaders in palm oil production, while Ghana and Ivory Coast were leaders in cocoa production.

Sokoki noted that the country’s export declined due to low fertiliser utilisation, saying the use was very low.

He said the world average standard fertiliser utilisation was 100kg per hectare, while Nigerian farmers used 13 kg per hectare.

Sokoki said other factors for the low production, included lack of access to improved seeds by farmers.

He noted that only about 5 per cent of the country’s farmers had access to improved seed, while 95 per cent continued with obsolete seeds that were not productive.

The lecturer said others included low government spending on agriculture and

By Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

A

s the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) policy introduced by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) started operation in Lagos this week, telecom subscribers have expressed their readiness to buy in to the new plan when it fully commences nationwide.

Majority of the GSM subscribers interviewed by our reporter indicated their intention to migrate from their current service providers to

Mob: 08033644990

other ones, with MTN subscribers leading the pack of unsatisfied customers, who complained of poor and constant epileptic service over the years.

MNP is a new plan by the NCC which enables a subscriber to move to another preferred service provider without changing his SIM Card.

However, checks by Peoples

Daily revealed that while most people remained oblivious of the new policy, which kicked-off in Lagos on Monday, yet majority of them who do and who have been subscribing to MTN have welcomed the plan.

A recharge card seller along Airport road in Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory said, “I don’t even know about that

CBN gives importers April 30 to collect RARs or face sanction

E

ffective April 30, 2013, all importers who have not collected their Risk Assessment Reports (RARs) issued by the scanning service providers on or before December 31, 2012 are expected to do so from their bank and pay all necessary duties, tax and penalties, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said.

The apex bank observed that some RARs issued by scanning service providers had remained

uncollected by importers from their processing banks.

The implication of this, the CBN said is that the government is being denied revenue as import duties may not have been paid by such importers.

In a circular signed by the apex bank’s Director, Trade and Exchange department, Batari Musa, the CBN warned that failure to collect outstanding RARs and pay the duty, taxes and other connected charges associated with the underlying

import transactions, will result in the imposition of appropriate sanctions which include suspension from the foreign exchange market by the CBN until all outstanding RARs are accounted for.

However, where duties, taxes and penalties have been paid, owners of the uncollected RAR should provide evidence of utilisation of RAR which should include SGD registration number and date as well as the amount paid, CBN stated.

Management Tip of the Day

I

Give up e-mail altogether

f you spend hours every day trying to keep on top of a huge inbox, try an extreme solution: Give it up. Yes, that’s right, stop checking your email.

Try other tools instead. Use your blog to post updates on your work instead of sending a message to a big distribution list.

Try Basecamp or another project management tool to

INSIDE

- Pg 20

Trade Ministry, main driver of Vision 20:2020 – Kigbu

Mobile Number Portability: Subscribers plan mass exodus from MTN

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Enterprise Bank Limited, Malam Ahmed Kuru, (left) receiving the ‘Leadership Banker of The Year Award 2012’ from Alhaji Shehu Malami, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja recently.

By Aminu Imam

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communicate with project teams. Get on Skype for a quick conversation instead of a 14message exchange. Twitter direct messages, online chat, and texts are good for tight, efficient, and confidential messaging.

Take your email address off your business card and website, and encourage anyone who

needs to reach you to pick up the phone. This may seem radical – because it is! If this experiment doesn’t work, you can always go back to your inbox, but keep these alternative communication practices in mind before you hit “send.”

Source: Harvard Business Review

you are talking about.” After another thorough explanation, the card seller stated “since we are going to have the opportunity of changing network, I would definitely change my own”.

When asked about the network he currently subscribes to, he said it is MTN which he said he has been using since 2007.

Abubakar, who is a businessman in Area 1, also said he was not aware of the new policy, but indicated readiness to buy into the plan, in as much as it will not cost him any kobo. He further remarked that having endured the daily remittance of his account by his Zain network whenever he loads credit, “I will change my network, at least to get rid of daily account remittance by my network,” he lamented.

However, a civil servant, who did not want his name revealed, acknowledged the MNP advertisements in the media, adding that the plan is “a welcome development”, in view of the nature of services rendered by such network providers.

The civil servant however urged NCC to improve upon its awareness campaigns so as to ensure full grasp of the whole plan. He therefore said when fully in operation, he’s ready to swap his current MTN SIM card to a better one.

Despite the seeming endorsement by many Nigerians, a Youth Service Corp. member, Abigail however said she is happy with her current Glo network, although “there are some complains here and there” which are typical with other service providers, too. She nevertheless described the new policy as a “good initiative which gives people freedom choice”.

Dangote Cement 2012 pre-tax profit jumps to N135.64 bn

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angote Cement said its 2012 pre-tax profit rose 19 percent to N 135.64 billion, compared with N113.77 billion a year earlier.

Nigeria’s biggest capitalised company said revenue jumped to N298.45 billion from N 241.41 billion the previous year.

It proposed a N 3 per share dividend, compared with N 1.25 per share dividend in the previous year, plus one bonus share for each 10 held the previous year.

Dangote Cement pre-tax profit was however short of the N143 billion projected for the period by the company. The company had last year forecast improve profitability based on increase sales and improvement in gas supply to its plants. (Reuters)

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

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BUA to build sugar refinery in Kogi

COMPANY NEWS Inlaks Computers

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nlaks Computers Limited, one the foremost ICT and Infrastructure solutions provider in Nigeria and the West African sub-region, is fast confirming its status as a major player in its segment of the ICT market through efficient service delivery and customer focus.

Going by the various activities currently being undertaken by the company under its new management, Inlaks will become a one-stop service hub in the next coming years.

This development clearly manifested itself at a recent Business Review Retreat organised by the company in Lagos, which had in attendance 18 Nigerian banks including First Bank of Nigeria, NIBBS and Heritage Bank, the newest entrant into the banking sector.

These clients make up the top 80 per cent of the company’s customers base in the financial sector.

Gold

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old bounced back Monday after taking a massive beating over the past week or so.

Early Monday, gold prices popped back above $1,400 for the first time in a week. Prices are still a far cry from their record $1,900 level but the modest bounce is encouraging for gold bugs.

It was exactly one week ago that gold prices plunged more than 9% in their biggest oneday sell-off in decades.

De United Foods Industries

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ouched by the level of unemployment and as part of its efforts to alleviate poverty, De United Foods Industries Limited, makers of Indomie noodles brand has empowered some Nigerian women with donation of commercial mobile cooking equipment.

The empowerment project tagged: “Indomie Buka”, designed in partnership with local governments in Lagos will see about 283 economic disadvantaged and needy people benefit in the programme this year. The company said that the same number of people also benefitted last year.

The mobile cooking carts built with undisclosed amount of money are expected to assist the women start up commercial mini-restaurant at various corners, cooking only Indomie noodles and selling drinks. They will also be given training on cooking and how to manage the business.

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L-R: Company Secretary, Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Michael Out, Chairman, Mr. Steve Omojafor and Managing Director, Mr Godwin Emefiele during the 22nd Annual General Meeting of Zenith Bank Plc, yesterday in Lagos.

Photo: NAN

Trade Ministry, main driver of Vision 20:2020 – Kigbu

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he permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Dauda Kigbu has described the ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment as one of the main drivers of the nation’s economy under vision 20:2020 and the transformation agenda of the Federal Government.

Kigbu started this, while addressing participants at the opening ceremony of the technical session of the 6th National Council on Industry, Trade and Investment which opened in Ibadan, Oyo State, today.

According to Kigbu, the Ministry is saddled with the responsibility of attracting Investment into the country particularly in producing sectors such as Agric, Solid Minerals, manufacturing oil and gas, tourism rest squarely on the Industry, Trade and I n v e s t m e n t Ministry. According to him, the ministry will continue to strengthen strong partnership between the Federal Government, States and Organised Private Sectors as this will maximally unlock the needed capital Investment.

Kigbu urged policy for formulators and seasoned

practitioners to critically examine the Industry, Trade and Investment sector with a view to identify how it can effectively impact on vision 20:2020 as it relates to wealth creation, employment generation, sustainable livelihood and enhancement of standard of living of the people.

The Permanent Secretary stressed that deliberations at the meeting will focus on attracting Investment, boosting industrialization increasing trade and developing SMEs among others.

Kigbu called delegates to take advantage of the excellent arrangement and put in place by the Oyo state government and its people, engaging in useful and productive discussion on best strategies to be adopted in moving the nation’s economy forward.

Earlier, the Oyo state commissioner for Trade, Investment and Cooperation, Hon. Adebayo Adegbenro noted that though Nigeria ranks as one of the richest country in the globe ranking 6th largest producer of crude oil but with 70% of its population living below poverty line of $2 per day, as adjudged by World Bank recently, thereby making Nigeria the 3rd largest of the

poor in the world.

In his words: “This unwholesome and highly uninspiring situation has, to a large extent, been brought about by the monolithic structure of Nigerian economy, which on account of over bearing dependence on the oil sector has over the time led to the neglect of the real sector of the economy like manufacturing and agric sectors despite their enormous potentials in the areas of employment generation and their contributions to the GDP and development of local technology”.

He stated that the theme of this year’s meeting: “Industrilition as the Driver of Economic Development, Revenue Diversification and Wealth Creation”, could not have been more thoughtful and urged delegates to make useful contributions in the deliberations and to collectively seize the unique opportunity to do right for Nigeria.

Adegbenro pledged the support of Oyo state government and the people toward the task of a solid ground work in terms of evolution of a pragmatic sectoral policy framework of which sustainable national economic development can be achieved.

s part of its efforts to boost sugar production in Nigeria, BUA Sugar Refinery Company has announced plans to build a sugar refinery in Kogi state.

A statement from BUA said the Kogi State Governor, Mr. Idris Wada, had allocated land to the company for the establishment of the sugar refinery.

BUA Sugar Refinery, Group Executive Director, Mr. Kabiru Rabiu said it had earlier requested a piece of land from the Governor for the establishment of a sugar industry in Bassa Local Government Area in the State.

The governor confirmed the award of the land to the company when officials of the company paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Lokoja.

Wada said the land was allocated for the establishment of the Sugar factory because agriculture is one of the state’s priorities.

He maintained that the state is blessed with abundant resources, calling on investors to take the advantage of the enabling environment provided by his administration to develop the state.

BUA Sugar currently has an ultra modern 2,000 metric tonnes Sugar refinery Plant at Tin Can Port Industrial Estate, Lagos and it also acquired Lafiagi sugar plant in Kwara state a couple of months ago.

The company said that apart from manufacturing and local distribution of sugar, it is set to benefit from the international sugar market.

The company said its existing refinery was conceived as an ultra modern, automated plant with state of the art equipment, adding that the technology deployed is unique and from Brazil, widely known as having the best technology in sugar production and refinery.

It further stated that the refinery is structured to generate its own power during the process of converting molasses to sugar, noting however, that provision has also been made for gas supply from a gas company to fire its turbines.

Nigeria imports N100bn furniture products annually- Furniture makers Association Stories by Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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he Professional Carpenter and Furniture Makers Association of Lagos State (PCFA) has called for the immediate and total ban on importation of finished furniture products and dangerous roofing and ceiling materials into the country.

PCFA, in a protest letter signed by its president.

Comrade Anthony Aluko addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan through Lagos state governor, Babatunde Fashola said Nigeria imports 100bn furniture products annually.

Aluko said that the importation of finished furniture products has led to the closure of many local

furniture manufacturing companies which has rendered over six million carpenters jobless.

He said to bring back the closed manufacturing companies and reduce the level of unemployment rate requires immediate ban on importation of finished furniture products and dangerous roofing and ceiling materials.

He lamented that lack of government patronize of local furniture contributed to the sector major problems. “that as a stakeholders in the building sector with over six million members we deserves regular contract and government patronage, this alone is enough to engage our members and keep us in business.”

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

Sun and Sand Industries deepen market share with M.S Wire rod production From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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un and Sand Industries Africa Limited, a subsidiary of Samsung Overseas, has commenced production of M.S Wire rods with the aim of increasing and

deepening its share of the steel market.

The company’s new product line is also part of its efforts and determination to be a $ 1 billion organization by 2014, and checkmating competitors in the steel sector, Shweta Satija,

Managing director, Sun and Sand Industries, hopes that the product, which will serve as raw material for nails, wire-mesh, binding wire, furniture and utensils producing companies would also provide jobs for the ever growing unemployed population in

stringent rules and requirements to raise longterm, low-cost capital.

The NSE had set a $1 trillion market capitalisation target for itself by 2016, and the ASeM launch is part of the targeted business development initiatives built around achieving this Herculean task.

CEO, Access Bank Plc, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, who is also a member of the NSE council, said: “What the Stock Exchange is doing is to bring access to fund to investors and SMEs. Three things are key to this: Entrepreneurship, growth, and sustainability.”

“It is important that we begin to unlock the opportunities in the SMEs to make them work for both Nigeria and Nigerians,” said Aig-Imoukhuede, who

represented Alike Dangote, president, NSE. In anticipation of more companies listings on the ASeM board, there are currently 11 pioneer members making up the ASeM index – namely Adswitch Plc, Afrik Pharmaceuticals Plc, Anino International Plc, Capital Oil Plc, Juli Plc, McNichols Consolidated Plc, Rak Unity Petroleum Plc, Rokana Industries Plc, Smart Products Nigeria Plc, Union Venture & Petroleum Plc, and West Africa Aluminum Products Plc. Oscar Onyeama, CEO, NSE, noted that the NSE had in 2000s attempted to create board for private placement called Private Exchange and Alternative (PRIMPEX) Market, but the idea was dropped by the new management in 2011.

NSE woos small businesses for listing From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

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s the push continues for big companies to list on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), the Exchange now looks towards small- to medium-sized companies following Tuesday official launch of Alternative Securities Market (ASeM) for emerging companies with high potential for growth in Nigeria.

In Nigeria today, the growth of small- to medium-sized businesses is being hampered largely by high cost of funding as well as multiple taxation and various government related levies.

The ASeM will be a specialised board on the Nigerian bourse where small- to mid-sized companies can access the capital market under less

Oxford Business Group team members and Ed Fast, Canadian Minister of International Trade, displaying the 2012 OBG report.

Nigeria.

Musa Mohammed Sada, Minister for Steel Development, who commissioned the new factory considered the first of its kind in Nigeria, commended the company for taking up the challenge of driving the industrialization of the Steel sector, affirming that it would help reduce unemployment.

According to him, efforts are also being made by the Ministry of Trade and Investment to ensure proper integration of the current products of the company whereby other major automobile manufacturers will be invited into the country to seek opportunities to get spare parts for the automobile industry, with the hope that soon the company will produce spare parts for the complete assembling of automobiles in Nigeria “I think it is safe for me to say that Sun and Steel is more of a partner than a stakeholder as government has decided to sit back and act as a regulator, delegating the development of the steel sector to private investors”,

Sada added.

Having proved its worth as a credible supplier of world class products to its esteemed clientele which includes Toyota Tsusho Corp Japan, Hero Honda in India, Satija noted that efforts were on by the company to venture into new products.

She listed these products as the ferro alloy plant, cable and conductor manufacturing unit, tin mining and gold mining in Rwanda, Uganda, Brazil, Guyana, Ghana and other African countries to boost local economy and at the same time create job opportunities for Africans.

She however, pleaded with the minister for more friendly government policies, infrastructure such as electricity, good roads and the license to commence mining of iron ore which will spur the backward integration of the company, a project Sada acknowledged he was working on with his team and promised to provide very attractive offers and options for the company soon.

Nigerite plans parley on innovative building construction method From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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igerite Limited, Nigeria’s premier roofing m a t e r i a l s manufacturing company, is perfecting plans to organize a one-day forum for professionals in the building industry.

The forum, with the theme: ‘Innovative Building Construction in the 21st Century’ is slated for April 30, 2013 at Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos.

A statement signed by the company’s Executive Director, Marketing, Toyin Gbede says the one-day engagement “is in line with the company’s strategy to contribute its quota to the quest for solving housing deficit in Nigeria estimated to be 16 million units.”

This, Gbede revealed, was necessary so as to enable construction industry players to begin to address their minds towards dry construction technology as a viable alternative building process in

resolving housing provision challenges in Nigeria.

“This is in line with our strategy to turn the attention of Nigerian construction experts to modern methods of construction in other continents where housing issues have been addressed considerably and assure them of our readiness to collaborate as Nigeria matches forward in its transformation agenda”, he said.

Gbede noted that innovation is the bedrock of modern civilization, pointing out that any nation or corporate bodies that do not innovate would die.

The theme of the engagement is: “Innovative Building Construction in the 21st Century”.

The parley is a follow-up to a well attended interactive forum held in January 2013 at the same venue where stakeholders in construction industry discussed the benefits of dry construction methods over the conventional wet construction process.

Oxford Bus Group 2013 report to shine spotlight on Nigeria’s economic reforms From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

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esolving security issues has been describe as key to driving up trade volumes while the rolling out of wide-ranging reforms across Nigeria’s economy is prompting investors to take a “fresh look” at the country.

Canadian Minister of International Trade, Ed Fast had words of praise for the Nigerian government’s privatisation and

anti-corruption reform efforts, telling the global publishing, research and consultancy firm, Oxford Business Group (OBG) that changes introduced in the banking sector, in particular, should enhance the investment climate.

He said, “These on-going changes will create better opportunities for all Nigerians and for investors from around the world,” he said.

“Canadian businesses are

taking a fresh look at Nigeria and the opportunities it presents.

They see that the environment is good for business, including a fair and strong regulatory framework to support and protect them”, Fast told the consultancy firm.

He affirmed that Canada was now working closely with the African state’s government to address issues relating to security which, he said, would help the Nigerian-Canada

Business Association in its bid to double the volume of trade to $6bn by 2015. ”It is important that security threats are addressed, particularly because security and prosperity go hand-in-hand” Fast commented.

The minister added that while Nigeria’s extractive industries remained a focal point of interest for Canadian businesses, other sectors, such as information and

communications technology (ICT), were playing a growing role in bilateral trade and investment.

“While diversified trade and investment are vital to our bilateral relationship, the extractive sector can also be an important driver of sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction in developing countries, provided that an enabling environment is created”, he said.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

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15 things Nigerians need to know about how Mobile Number Portability works

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n a bid to deepen competition and force mobile phone operators to provide better service to their customers, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, on Monday launched the Nigerian Mobile Number Portability service to guarantee freedom for telecoms subscribers. Here are 15 things you need to understand how the service can better work for you: 1. MNP allows subscribers to migrate from one mobile service provider to another without changing their mobile phone number.

It empowers subscribers to terminate their relationship with their current network service provider if they are dissatisfied with the quality of services provided.

2. The service is provided by all GSM mobile operators in Nigeria- MTN, GLOBACOM, ETISALAT, and AIRTEL- free of charge. This, however, does not apply to Fixed Number Portability, FNP, or any other form of number or service

portability.

3. All mobile phone users, no matter the type of your subscription or plan – pre paid/ pay-as-you-go, post paid/ contract, simple/single number or complex/multi number – can take advantage of the service.

Individual numbers are ported separately as separate transactions using the same procedure as for a single number account except that the numbers may share the same porting request form.

4.Subscribers must visit the customer care office, retail shop or outlet of their chosen new service provider to request to port their number. Porting cannot be done via telephone calls, text messages, online or other electronic means.

Deferred or delayed porting is not permitted.

Only real-time porting of numbers is allowed.

5.You must present valid identification documentspassport, driver’s license or an official identity card that has your picture on it- as for proof of identity. A webcam is used to capture your image in the absence of proper identification documents.

6.Your new network needs to check for credit worthiness to ensure that the request to port a number or numbers is not malicious.

7. To port your number, you would be asked to complete a Port

Request Form. You would then be asked to send a text message with the word “PORT” to a short code “3232”.

Porting is completed within 48 hours.

8. A new SIM card is issued every time you port your number to a new service provider. Your old SIM card ceases to be useful once the porting process has been completed.

9. Subscribers to any network can port at any time and as many times as they like in a given year.

However, porting to a third operator or back to your original operator is restricted within 90 days of a previous port. You would need to follow the same procedure

each time you decide to port your number or return to your previous service provider.

10. Information on the progress of your porting request is sent via SMS. You can change your mind at any time before you receive confirmation SMS is sent. Cancellation of porting request or porting process is not acceptable once you receive confirmation.

11. Service from the old service network operator may be lost within an hour of notification by SMS of completion of porting request.

12. Your call charges may change to reflect the tariffs of the new network operator.

13. Voicemail, SMS, MMS and ancillary services would need to be reset with the new service provider. Messages sent to you prior to porting may be lost.

14. Pre paid subscribers cannot take outstanding credits while switching to the new service providers.

15. Post paid subscribers must settle outstanding bills to their previous service provider, including any early termination fees, before the porting process can commence.

A final bill for usage up to the time the number is ported would be sent to the new operator.

Source: PremiumTimes

Africa needs N14.9tr to fill infrastructure gap – Dr. Giami

By Etuka Sunday

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he publisher of African Energy and Infrastructure Magazine, Dr. Ken Giami has said that African continent required annual investment of $93 billion (N14.88trillion over the next 10 years for it to catch up with other developing regions.

Dr Giami stated this at 2013 African Energy and Infrastructure Conference and Awards in Abuja, with the theme: “Bridging Africa Energy and Infrastructure Deficit”.

He disclosed that even though Africa is a continent with tremendous economic growth, investment and rapid rising standards, energy and infrastructure deficit has continued to rob it of realizing its true potentials.

“In the power sector, the entire installed generation capacity of 48 sub-Saharan African countries is 68 gigawatts, and 25% of that capacity is unavailable because of aging plants and poor maintenance. It is dramatic since inadequate access to energy is the single largest impediment to economic growth. No country in the world has developed its economy without abundant energy supplies”, he said.

Giami, who is also the

Publisher of African Leadership magazine, said for Africa to fill the energy and infrastructure gap and make its population more productive it must key-into the global conversation which has moved to renewable energy.

He said: “The change in conversation from fossil fuel energy sources to sustainable, environmentally friendly alternatives delivers another

opportunity for Africa to partake in the benefits of this coming change.”

He called on African governments to invest in human capital, research and development and global market place of ideas through international organizations, world class universities, transnational corporations and other development partners with

expertise to craft bold and visionary energy and infrastructure future for the continent.

In his keynote address, the Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo disclosed that efforts are being made by the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to explore various renewable energy sources for viability in producing electricity.

He said: “The establishment

of Road Map for power sector reforms on August 26, 2010 reflects Mr. President’s commitment to wage a war on darkness on many fronts, from several angles, and yet as a concerted effort. In a sense, this gathering makes us willing “conscripts” in that war. It makes us eager participants in a collective struggle to push back the boundaries of darkness and expand the frontier of light.

Young Journalists Forum lauds SURE-P’s graduate internship scheme Metering policy implementation’ll save

By Stanley Onyekwere

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he Young Journalists Forum (YJF), the youth wing of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), has commended the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P), under the leadership of Dr. Christopher Kolade, and his team for initiating a Graduate Internship Scheme as part its strategic effort to empower teeming unemployed graduates in the country.

According to the group, it is a commendable effort, which will not only reduce unemployment and vices in the society but also make the private sector more robust and

healthier to contribute its quota to the national economy, thereby enhancing the development of the country.

YJF, in a statement signed by its coordinator, Chukwuma Nzeh in Abuja, said it is a commendable effort, which should be sustained and expanded to further reduce the mammoth crowd of graduates waiting to be so engaged.”

“We also urge the SURE P team to ensure that the sensitisation is carried to the grassroots, so that graduates who have been confined to the rural areas can take advantage of this laudable programme of government”, the YJF said.

Nigeria N755bn monthly – Aganga

By Etuka Sunday

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he implementation of accurate metering policy by the Weights and Measures Department of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment will save the country about N755bn monthly.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga stated this on Monday in Abuja during the inauguration of the legal metrology web portal.

He explained that the effective implementation of legal metrology would ensure proper inspection, verification and certification of meters and billing systems for electricity, water, hydrocarbon and telecommunications.

Inaccurate measuring system in the country, he said, was currently making Nigeria to lose N755.72bn monthly.

The minister said it was the need to ensure accurate metering and measurement across all the sectors of the economy that prompted President Goodluck Jonathan to re-invigorate the Weights and Measures Department under his ministry to work with stakeholders to tackle the problem.

He said following Jonathan’s directive, the department had been repositioned to effectively supervise and monitor weighing and measuring devices used in trade transactions in all sectors of the Nigerian economy.

PEOSPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

Report as at Wednesday, April 24, 2013

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

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There is great interest in Turkey about Nigeria – Envoy Turkish new embassy building in Abuja is a massive structure to behold and attests to Turkey’s abiding confidence in the great future of Nigeria. From inside the auspicious edifice, Turkey’s new envoy to Nigeria, His Excellency, Ambassador Mustafa Pulat, said that Nigeria/Turkey relationship is soaring to new heights, driven by mutual co-operation in several fields. He generously shared Turkey’s experience in economic reforms, combating terrorism, and also a promise to foster co-operation between Nigerian and Turkish media. He spoke exclusively to People’s Daily special correspondent, Charles Onunaiju, Excerpts

Y

ou have just arrived to assume duty as T u r k e y ’ s ambassador to Nigeria.

What is your impression of Nigeria?

I have been in Nigeria since the mid February and am still in the learning process. However, I have been to some parts of the country including Lagos, and Abuja.

I find the country very colourful, dynamic, moving fast.

Economically, culturally there are huge possibilities and great potential and lot of people would like to talk of the country’s resource richness, but this country is also very rich in human potential and I find it very interesting.

Turkey and Nigeria have been engaged in bilateral co-operation for some time and there has been evident dividend of the co-operation. How would assess the current stage of Nigeria/Turkey relations?

I am very happy to note that we have excellent bilateral relations and the relations between our two governments are friendly.

There have been exchanges of high level visits. We have been planning the visits of some ministers to Turkey and we are preparing for the D8 meeting that would take place in Abuja. We would

likely to have one of our ministers to come to participate in the meeting.

However, we still have some issues to go through, like finalization of the legal framework of our relations and still, we have some agreements pending either to be fine-tuned or have the respective parliaments ratify it.

With the current excellent relations according to you, what are the possibilities for expansion and growth in the bilateral co-operation?

In the early 2000, our commercial exchange was at around 230-240 million US dollars and now we are talking about one and a half billion US dollars ($1,5 billion) and this does not include indirect trade with other Nigeria’s neighbouring countries in the ECOWAS. Overall when you add it up, you can talk about a trade volume of upwards 2 billion US dollars. Of course, we find this as a moderate figure.

Considering the potentials of Nigeria and Turkey, we should aspire very high so as to make a difference in our relations.

I am very optimistic, that we will be able to reach a very high level of business exchange with Nigeria in the medium run. We co-operate

in different fields, for example Turkey is a reliable buyer of Nigerian petroleum and gas.

I see a long term co-operation in fields like agricultural development, infrastructure in its different kinds, education, and so on.

Turkey is one of the largest construction services providers in the world and we not only do it ourselves, but also with some international partners.

Turkish Construction Companies have great experience in all parts of the world, including very volatile and relatively difficult countries in several regions. There is a huge potential in that area and we can help greatly our Nigerian friends and partners in such fields as electricity, energy and in terms of provision of all kinds of various services fields.

In this respect, some projects are still on the drawing board phase and others are coming up pretty soon. I am talking about two industrial zone projects, one to be built in the south of Nigeria but as I said this is still a bit sketchy and another one in Abuja to provide about 120 factory spaces and as the Embassy, we are keen that there should be vocational training grounds and other possibilities that might be needed for small and medium

His Excellency, Ambassador Mustafa Pulat

size enterprises. To market the products, the entrepreneur who is in charge of this would be willing to add a shopping mall establishment in his plot. So we have a wide range of areas of prospective cooperation; like agriculture, energy, construction services, education, but I can tell you that since I came here the number of Turkish businessmen who visited me is pretty high and I have been here for only less than two months and still lots of requests are pouring in. I can say to you that there is great interest in Turkey about Nigeria, but I want to

emphasize that our interest is not purely business, as illustrated in the diverse areas of cooperation we have today.

We want to work with you in media, TV, in cultural fields and women affairs. We just hosted in a short space of time, a Turkish NGO that is working to stop the tragedy of early marriage of girls. So, in such matters, we are also concerned and willing to cooperate and help in the ways we can. We also have developed sound educational ties as we have thousands of Nigerians studying in Turkey. Education is also a very significant area for us and not only do Nigerians go to Turkey to study, but private Turkish schools are in Nigeria, providing education services including a

“

I believe dealing with terror requires a multi-faceted policy. Being fair and firm, and keeping dialogue channels open, would have to go hand in hand. We see those elements in Nigeria today but for it to bear fruit, I think patience and a long term integrated approach, including economic and social measures will be required

university and also a hospital which is to be completed soon.

Of course, health matters are very sensitive and as our contribution, the university is keen on having a medicine department, working in tandem with the hospital. You can see that from our perspective we are looking at a wide spectrum of relationship that we want develop.

Turkey has had a dramatic rise, overcoming many challenges, what lesson could be offered to others like Nigeria?

First, let me emphasize that in Turkey, we have been doing multi-party elections since 1946.

The constitutional development of Turkey has been from the early 19thcentury, when the Ottomans granted to their Minorities certain rights, but the Republic of Turkey made real advancements in democracy and human rights. We have gone through difficult times like the Second World War, Cold War, economic and financial crises and terror.

Such periods were difficult for our people.

However, this is history but we are now talking about modern Turkey. Turkey opted for a secular constitution; however this did not stop the interruption of our democracy through military coups, but you can relate such matters to the political, security and economic circumstances then in our country, we have always returned to democracy. I think

you have to be patient with it. We have made great advances in the last decades.

We have delivered great individual liberties to our people and we have opened up channels of communication between the state, government and communities and the Turkish people are ever demanding. If you go to the Turkish parliament, you will see several hundreds of people every day trying to see their MPs from their region to discuss with them several issues.

The parliament takes such issues very seriously and there is a certain committee on petitions. And we also empowered local communities to collect taxes on businesses and certain public services which enable these small or big municipalities to deliver good quality services. Our political and economic reforms that we carried out during the 80s, 90s and 2000s opened up Turkish economy to the world. Until the 1980s, we were pretty much scared of foreign competition and investment, but since the second half 80s, we have been much more confident to open our market, we were an early member of the then GATT and became a founding member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). We are also early or founding members of many international organizations like NATO, OECD, OSCE, a candidate country to the EU

and so on.

So, economic and political reforms enabled the individual who have the courage with some knowledge to become good business people. We are the only country which opted for a Customs Union with European Union before becoming a full member. It was hotly debated in Turkey before that process.

Some of our industries were against it, but after sometime our industries and people learned how to be more competitive and adopted to better standards, the E.U and international standards. But we also have a very strong emphasis on our standards, the Turkish Standards, which has a long history dating from the Ottoman times. At the beginning of the 2000s, we have two major financial crises, which affected our economy very negatively, particularly our financial sector which was over burdened with bad credits and we were stuck with the risks and so on. But we let those bad eggs fall apart, which created lots of social problems and unemployment, but it enabled us to structure a solid and strong financial system which somehow helped Turkey to sail through the current global economic and financial crises. Our banks and financial sector were better prepared to cope with it. Even when you look at global banks, their branches in Turkey who have to adopt and play by Turkey’s

regulations, they seem healthier compared with their sister companies.

So with the help of that process and the courageous steps taken by Governments, I think, we are now at a stage of high level growth and economic development and right now, we have decreased the level of inflation, unemployment is going down, but of course, we are not immune to global crises as Turkish economy is very integrated to the world economy. So if the world slows down, inevitably we slow down and if there is a problem within our region like the Arab Spring in the Middle East, of course, our trade and businesses with those countries unfortunately got affected.

We are very much aware of the development within the region and in any way we can, we try to help our neighbours and partners to come up, better.

Turkey has been involved in Africa what is Turkish vision of Nigeria in particular and Africa in general?

We have been involved in Africa for a very long time.

From the times in history to contemporary times, Turkey for example is one of the countries which opened an Embassy in Nigeria, as soon as Nigeria gained her independence. So we have been here for half a century now. And our present government is focusing on a strategic partnership with Africa, that is based on mutual benefit and understanding and that is why you find Turkey actively involved in Somalia, trying to contribute to the resurgence of that country.

Somalia was a forgotten country, but we try to lend a helping hand with assistance

Mustafa Pulat

in education, medical facilities and so on so that they can have a hope for the future in spite of the previous tragedies. Turkish Airlines flies to Mogadishu and the people of Somalia are very happy to note this.

When you look at the geography of the world, in terms of classical economy, there is not much left to be developed and in this sense, Africa is like the last frontier, but we have to be very careful in avoiding environmental damage, social and cultural damage to the populations in Africa.

There are lots of resources in Africa. But the utilization of such resources carries enormous importance. So when you have such rare resources, you have to use them to the benefit of your people in the best way you can.

Our vision is strategic partnership with Africa. Our political leaders have the will to carry this on and under their instruction we are trying to do our best.

Nigerians has right now, security challenges and Turkey at one time has similar challenges, would you like to share your experiences in dealing with the challenge.

Every country’s experience is unique, despite the fact that terrorism is a global phenomenon and a big, serious challenge all over the world. Look at what happened in the Boston Marathon, very unfortunate and sad that such a thing can happen to the people who were simply sporting. In the Nigerian case, I think it is very unfortunate and we feel extremely sorry for the precious lives lost. I believe dealing with terror requires a multi-faceted policy. Being fair and firm, and keeping

dialogue channels open, would have to go hand in hand. We see those elements in Nigeria today but for it to bear fruit, I think patience and a long term integrated approach, including economic and social measures will be required.

We must admit that dealing with terror is not easy and there is no quick solution. We suffered a lot from terror and the discussion is still on-going in Turkey, on how best we could deal with it. So, in my humble view, Nigeria somehow has to find and devise her own ways, but gradually complementing relevant measures with dialogue, patience, development, job creation and education; including vocational education, there could be better possibilities in the future.

Where do you see the Nigeria/Turkey relation in the years ahead especially during your tenure?

Well, am here to do my best and of course endow our relationship with better communications and contacts among our peoples in all fields and areas that are mutually beneficial. I am also interested in co-operation in the area of media, as now both of our medias do not know each other so well, and that includes Televisions and Radios. Media is a powerful tool, so we should try to use it for the benefit of our relations and understand each other better. In Turkey we have a saying that at the end of the day if you leave a good taste in the mouth, that’s worth everything. So I will try to do my best to improve our relations, to finalize the legal framework that is required and to keep up with high level of delegation exchanges between our two friendly countries.

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

Expert urges cooperation, strategic planning amongst MDAs to tackle flooding A

s the 2013 rainy season begins, a group of water and sanitation specialists have called on all line ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to cooperate and come up with strategic plans to avert flooding.

The specialists, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said the call was necessary if the floods that ravaged parts of the country in 2012 were to be averted.

They called for the implementation of recommendations made following the investigation of the last flood, to avert any recurrence.

NAN recalls that the 2013 weather forecast by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) had indicated heavy rainfall in some states of the country.

It warned Nigerians of the imminent downpour which would be above normal in comparison to that of 2012 in the northern states of Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara. Other areas likely to be affected are Niger and Kwara states, which are close to River Niger.

Parts of the Niger Delta have been predicted to have more rainfall this year than previous years.

The agency also forecasts that rainfall in the extreme North may range from 400mm to 1000mm while that of the south was put at between 1500mm to 3000mm.

The Programme Manager, Network for Civil Societies on Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN), Mr Shem Adah, proposed measures to tackle emergencies that may arise.

"Relevant MDAs are to develop water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) emergency preparedness plans for future flood disaster response; we don't need to be caught in the web.

"If there are plans on the table, we need to have a national strategy for emergency response where all other ministries, their inter-ministerial inputs will be gathered.

"When the case of emergency like flooding comes, health has a role to play, environment has a role to play, water resources have a role to play, and the civil society also has a role to play.

"Then the body that is saddled with the task of meeting emergency issues in the country -National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) - also has an overwhelming role to play in the whole process.

"NEMA could take the lead, but all other ministries have to play their roles to develop a national strategy for emergency when it comes to the area of flooding.

"And these are what we are advocating for, that the MDAs should also develop such kind of strategy such that emergencies will not take them unawares."

Similarly, the Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission, responsible for the development, management, regulation and use of water, also stressed the need for synergy to combat whatever water issues that might come up this year.

Mr Razaq Jimoh, the Coordinating Director of the commission, said that adopting a multi-sectoral approach would be an effective way to solving flood problems, if they occurred.

"The commission, that is responsible for management will be involved in coordinating, and

making all necessary input to ensure that this flood management is done properly by reducing the risk to the barest minimum.

"Then there is NIMET, the National Inland Waterways Authority responsible for the dredging of the River Niger, they have a role to play.

"Part of the problem is that the rivers are getting silted up, down reservoirs are silting up so they are reducing their capacity to receive and contain flood water.

"There is also the problem of land use planning; so the

Ministry of Land and Urban Development will be involved.

"So, it's a multi-sectoral approach that will be adopted to solve flooding problem in Nigeria as in any other country; it's not one single department or agency; the important thing to do is to have proper coordination and proper definition of roles and responsibility of each stakeholder so that everyone contributes his own towards this," he explained.

NAN recalls that the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) had earlier allayed the fears of Nigerians over dam flooding, saying that

it was fully prepared with forecasts for any likely floods in the year.

Mr John Shamonda, the agency's Director-General, said that the agency would be proactive toward mitigating the effects of dam releases from nearby countries, which could have devastating effects on Nigeria.

Shamonda noted that with many experts' input on how to forestall a repeat of last year's floods, the agency would stand a better chance of forestalling and managing such situations, should they occur. (NAN)

Jigawa govt. disburses N484m to flood victims

T

he Jigawa State Government said it had earmarked N484 million for disbursement to families whose households were destroyed in the 2012 flood disaster in the state.

Chairman of the state's Flood Disaster Management Committee, Alhaji Abdulkadir Jinjiri, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse.

Jinjiri said that some 71,414 flood victims in the 17 affected local government areas of the state would benefit from the exercise.

He said that more than 97,000 rooms were destroyed in the disaster, adding that the gesture was to enable the victims re-build their houses.

The committee chairman said that families that lost a room in the disaster would receive N5,000 while those

that lost more than a room would get N10,000.

"The total victims is (are) 71,414 and the total rooms destroyed is (are) 97,142. With that figure, we are going to disburse N484, 070 million to all the victims.

"We arranged that we cannot give the victims an amount below N5,000 and we found that the money would not be

enough to go round.

"We'll give a figure to each local government based on the number of victims they have and we have about five local councils that will also contribute from their grant to this exercise,'' he stated.

According to him, the Federal Government has donated N400 million to the

state while the state and local government councils contributed N84 million to the exercise.

Jinjiri said that the state government had also expended more than N40 million on the distribution of food items, consumables and other relief materials to the affected victims. (NAN)

Maku urges Northern leaders to encourage tree planting

M

inister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, has called on Northern leaders to support the Green Wall Desert Encroachment Control Policy of the Federal Government by encouraging planting of trees in their domain.

Maku stated this in Zauro, Kebbi State, after the Good Governance tour team

inspected facilities at Zauro General Hospital.

Maku, who decried the decline in tree planting in the North, said the green wall programme was adopted to check desert encroachment.

The minister, who said that under the programme, trees would be planted in the Northern states for 10 years, expressed his regrets over

"the alarming rate of desert encroachment has resulted in the movement of livestock to other parts of the country for grazing and that had caused problems between farmers and cattle breeders."

He said that youths should be engaged in tree planting, adding that it would boost employment.

(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

E

very year on April 22, more than one billion people across the globe take part in Earth Day celebration, as individuals, communities, organizations, and governments acknowledge the challenges facing our planet Earth, which we call home and take action to protect it. And last Monday, 22 April, Earth Day was 43 years old, founded by Sen. Gaylord Nelson who died in 2006.

Although April 22 is still officially observed as Earth Day, the movement had already expanded to Earth Week over the years, and now is up to Earth Month.

Earth Day was designed to "activate individuals and organizations to strengthen the collective fight against man's exploitive relationship with the planet." It is a day which has been observed in the United States since 1970, and globally since 1990, to mark the start of the first known environmental movement.

Denis Hayes, the national coordinator of its first day, said a few years back that he thought the day had achieved many of its aims. With a recent global poll showing that public concern over environmental problems such as climate change and biodiversity loss is its lowest in 20 years, it's clear that there's still a need for the event.

Earth Day addresses different actions that we can take in our home, in how we take care of our skin, in our communities and how we get around in our daily lives, and even in what we eat and where our food comes from, to make better choices for living a more responsible, and more environmentally-friendly life.

The purpose of this challenge, overall, is to show that making these efforts and these choices is something that we can do all the time, in every aspect of our life, so that our conscientious behavior isn't just confined to one day.

The global movement for Earth Day this year has been using the theme "The Face of Climate Change." They have gathered photographs from around the world, since the beginning of April, to show not only the growing effects of climate change, but also the faces of those people around the world who are taking action to make a difference in what could be called the greatest environmental crisis in human history.

Like in Nigeria, a man in the Lagos is worried about relocating his family as sea levels rise, a farmer in Borno is struggling to make ends meet as prolonged drought ravages the crops, a fisherman on the Niger River whose nets often come up empty, a child in Kogi who lost his home to flooding, a woman in Ibadan who can't get fresh water due to more frequent flooding,

PAGE 27

Celebrating Earth Day ENVIR ONMENT ENVIRONMENT WATCH

By Ambrose Inusa Sule, mnes globenviron@yahoo.com 0703-441-4410 (sms only)

etc.

From desertification in the north to soil erosion in the south, from oil spillage in Niger Delta to solid waste disaster in cities like Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Kaduna, Onitsha, Aba, are all the faces of climate change that keep multiplying.

The Face of Climate Change can be seen throughout the world

including Africa, which has experienced extreme weather events, desertification, lower agricultural yields, and rising sea levels. Fortunately, many people in this part of the world are uniting to confront the problem by planting trees, developing more sustainable cooking methods, and educating young people about the effects of climate

change.

For many, climate change can often seem remote and hazy - a vague and complex problem far off in the distance that our grandchildren may have to solve. But that's only because they're still fortunate enough to be insulated from its mounting consequences.

Climate change has very real effects on people, animals, and the ecosystems and natural

resources on which we all depend. Left unchecked, they'll spread like wildfire.

Skeptics have claimed bouts of cooling or warming before the Industrial Revolution -- including two episodes in Europe called the Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age -- are proof that climate variations are natural, not man-made.

The new study does not

Sagano Bamboo Forest, Japan is located within the Arashiyama district in the western outskirts of Kyoto covering an area of 16 square kilometers

wade into the debate about greenhouse gases, but points to two planetary trends. The first is a clear, prolonged period of cooling. It may have been caused by a combination of factors, including an increase in volcanic activity, with stratospheric ashes reflecting the sunlight, or a decrease in solar activity or tiny changes in Earth's orbit, both of which would diminish sunlight falling on the planet.

According to recent climate records, Earth was cooling until the end of the 19th century and a hundred years later, the planet's surface was on average warmer than at any time in the previous 1,400 years.

In a study spanning two millennia published in Nature Geoscience, scientists said a "long-term cooling trend" around the world swung into reverse in the late 19th century.

According to them, in the 20th century, the average global temperature was 0.4 degrees Celsius (0.7 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than that of the previous 500 years, with only Antarctica bucking the trend. From 1971-2000, the planet was warmer than at any other time in nearly 1,400 years.

This measure is a global average, and some regions did experience warmer periods than that -- but only for a time.

Europe, for instance, was probably warmer in the first century AD than at the end of the 20th century.

The investigation is the first attempt to reconstruct temperatures over the last 2,000 years for individual continents.

As usual, Climate records for Africa, were scanty, the researchers cautioned.

Earth Day promoters have urged "every person who does his or her part to fix the problem is also a Face of Climate Change: the entrepreneurs who see opportunity in creating the new green economy, the activists who organize community action and awareness campaigns, the engineers who design the clean technology of the future, the public servants who fight for climate change laws and for mitigation efforts, the ordinary people who commit to living sustainably.

Together, we'll highlight the solutions and showcase the collective power of individuals taking action across the world. In doing so, we hope to inspire our leaders to act and inspire ourselves to redouble our efforts in the fight against climate change."

As we marked Earth Day, we need personal commitment that breeds c o r r e s p o n d i n g environmental movement that will grow and influence grassroots environmentalism across the country.

PAGE 28

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

EMERGENCY UPDATE NEMA aides Nigeria Air Force to sharpen search and rescue skills

By Sanya Adejokun

S

earch and rescue is one of the most important functions of the military all over the world.

Military personnel engage in search and rescue operations both in war and in emergencies. Images of soldiers rescuing trapped citizens during the 2008 devastating earthquake in Sichuan, China is still a regular clip on international news channels.

Also in Phillipines, Malaysia, India and other disaster prone countries around the world, the military are always in the forefront of search and rescue operations.

In Nigeria however, the culture of involving the military in search and rescue is still an emerging concept. This could be because disasters requiring search and rescue are not a frequent occurrence in the country and also because for many years, the military was in complete control of political administration and are already used to being in charge, never taking instructions from any other body.

It has thus become difficult for the personnel to subordinate themselves to other institutions.

All these appear to be changing.

First, the phenomenon of climate change has combined with increasing ethno-religious tension to increase emergency and disastrous occurrences in the country. Explosions, fire, flooding, plane crash, draught and epidemics are the major forms of disasters common in Nigeria. In the last three years, many parts of the country have annually been flooded with an ever rising casualty figures. In 2010, flooding displaced more than two million people. In 2011, about 102 persons were believed to have died from flooding. In 2012, figures from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) showed that 7,705,000, persons were affected by the flood between July 1, 2012 and October 31, 2012 with death figure of 398. Adamawa and Kogi states recorded top digits of sufferers. Two hundred and fifty six local government councils throughout the federation were adversely affected.

Aside the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) releasing its helicopter for use by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), there was hardly any sign of military involvement in the rescue operations.

In the last two years, NEMA has made concerted efforts to forge a working relationship with critical stakeholders in a way that is removing suspicion and promoting inter agency and inter personal cordial relationship among those involved in emergency management in the country. This the agency has been doing through workshops, seminars and conduct of simulation exercises. And the strategy appears to be bearing fruits.

On April 2, NAF commenced Exercise Ebiye Irin (Good Day, in Ijaw Language) in conjunction with other disaster management agencies as well as humanitarian organisations like NEMA, which provided the relief materials and other logistical support. It was organised in anticipation of massive floods predicted again for 2013 by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency.

It was also meant to sharpen to of officers and avoid mistakes in responding to flood victims and lasted between April 2 and 18.

All eight local government areas of Bayelsa state (Brass, Ekeremor, Kolokuma-Opokuma, Nembe, Ogbia, Sagbama, Southern Ijaw and Yenagoa) were covered in exercise with air force medical officers and other collaborating

D-G NEMA, Mohammed Sani Sidi, in a group photograph with former Bayelsa Gov. DSP Alamieyeseigha, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, Dept. Gov. Bayelsa Admiral Jonah, after a training execise on search and rescue skills for military officer in Bayelsa State recently agencies were airlifted with relief materials to various communities from Yenagoa by Air Force aircrafts including the C-130, Mi-35 helicopters and G-222.

Air Officer Commanding Nigeria Air Force Mobility Command Air Vice Marshal Olufemi Idowu said 14,786 patients among the Niger Delta victims of last year's flood disaster were offered various medical treatments. He called on the federal government to establish Aero-Maritime Logistics Centre in three Niger Delta states to support the air operations in the region, saying the centre is necessitated by the low land nature in Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states to support flight operations during emergencies. The exercise covered 1,035 miles in 252 hours while 30,000kg of medical and relief facilities were distributed.

Also speaking at the at the closing ceremony on Friday, Deputy Governor of the state, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd) challenged other security agencies to take a cue from the Nigerian Air Force to join forces with the National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA) to reduce the impact of natural disasters in the country.

Jonah who stood in for Governor Siriake Dickson said the Air Force has blazed the trail in the state with its invaluable assistance to victims of last year's flood especially in the provision of free medical care and promised that the state emergency management agency and local emergency management committees would soon be established as necessary legal framework to set up such agencies and empower their personnel to perform their functions were being worked upon.

Also speaking, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Alex Badeh, said the exercise was aimed at mitigating the effects of natural disasters as well as build capacity in disaster management.

Badeh expressed appreciation to NEMA over its efforts made during the 2012.

He said the aim of the exercise is to enhance skills in planning, coordination and execution of relief operations in collaboration with NonGovernmental Organisations and donor communities as well as

understanding the requirements and challenges involved.

In a lecture titled "National Preparedness For Disaster Response: Challenges and Prospects", the Director-General of NEMA, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Sidi said in appreciation of the importance of the military in emergency management, the Director, Search and Rescue of the agency has always been a serving military officer. "The NEMA Search and Rescue aircraft are also manned by Nigeria Air Force personnel while the Agency in collaboration with the Military have established fifty-seven (57) Disaster Response Units (DRUs) in various military formations across the country that are responsible for providing necessary response and support that can reduce loss of lives, safeguard properties, ensure the safety of civilians and restore normalcy when disasters hit."

According to him, the challenges of unrestricted resource exploitation and growing culture of consumerism especially in advanced nations have created new hazards associated with atmospheric carbon emission, global warming and climate change. The major consequences of climate change phenomena include rising sea levels, unprecedented desertification, biodiversity loss and the depletion of genetic pool which are threats to food security and the gradual decimation of the life sustaining natural ecosystem. The trend of weather extremes shows that climate change is already taking its toll and more climate related catastrophes should be expected in the near future.

In addition to climate changes, large areas of our country are subjected to overpopulation; the attendant over-exploitation of natural resources; air, water, and soil pollution; loss of vegetation arising from overgrazing and deforestation. The challenges are in multiples. Disasters have caused great loses to lives and properties in Nigeria and have pushed several people into poverty. The economic impact of disasters usually consists of direct damage, loss of revenues, unemployment and market destabilization.

Disasters are becoming a major developmental issue of urgent concern for

governments, development partners, community based organisations and individuals.

Sani Sidi added that NEMA establishment Act 12 of 1999 as amended by Act 50, vested it with the statutory mandate of coordinating emergency preparedness, response and mitigation in Nigeria. "This mandate is executed through the formulation of policies and plans on all activities relating to disaster and emergency management, promoting research activities and the monitoring of the state of preparedness of stakeholders in the country. The Agency is also empowered to coordinate the activities of voluntary organizations and engaged in emergency relief operations among others."

The NEMA boss observed that national disaster preparedness, mitigation and response cannot be ascribed to a single agency or level of government. National preparedness to disaster must include individual preparedness, family preparedness, and community preparedness and resilience. For national disaster preparedness to be meaningful, states and local governments, and all stakeholders among the three tiers of government, NGOs and the private sector must be actively involved.

He lamented that "at present, only 53 out of 744 LGAs of Nigeria have some semblance of emergency management, while 27 states have the legal framework for disaster management.

However, SEMAs where they exit are not well funded and have low capacities in terms of human and material resources." He thus advocated the need to strengthen SEMAs and LEMCs through the provision of necessary assets and training for effective disaster risk reduction and response across Nigeria.

To him, there is also need for effective land use planning regulation and enforcement as people build houses on risk prone areas.

"Physical planning authorities must ensure proper land use management and environmental conservation to minimize overgrazing, deforestation, and enforce compliance to building regulations.

"Inadequate education and awareness at the community level

is another challenge to disaster management in Nigeria. There is the need to enhance public enlightenment, advocacy and sensitization of communities on emergency preparedness and response at the grass root. To this end NEMA has signed an MOU with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) for effective information dissemination.

"Working together with our stakeholders, we need to improve our early warning system to ensure accurate and timely emergency response."

He also noted inadequate equipment for critical stakeholders for effective preparedness and response is major challenge as Fire Service Stations are far below the recommended numbers par communities and many LGA are without Fire Service Stations and where they exit, are not well equipped.

According to him, the former practice of laying emphasis on humanitarian response and relief activities with little attention to disaster reduction strategies that have the potential to save thousands of lives through simple and affordable measures are now being jettisoned in favour of reducing risk and vulnerability, which are crucial to development planning and sustainable growth in Nigeria.

"The paradigm shift towards disaster risk reduction must not remain a mere phrase; we must strive to enhance the disaster resilience of our communities.

Governments at all levels must work towards addressing the underlying causes of communal vulnerability which include widespread poverty, unemployment and marginality that compels a major segment of the social strata to live in unplanned shanties along flood plains where they are exposed to annual inundation by flood waters", Sani Sidi he emphasised.

There is no option to the promotion and adoption of disaster risk reduction at all levels that will ensure we reduce our vulnerabilities, increase the capacities and resilience of our communities.

Sanya Adejokun is National Coordinator, Journalists Against Disaster Initiative

PAGE 29

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

EMERGENCY UPDATE NEMA, UNISDR strategies on disaster risk reduction

By Sani Datti

T

he National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in collaboration with United Nation International strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) have convened a consultative forum of stakeholders to review the implementation of Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) towards achieving objectives of the post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Director -General of NEMA, Muhammad Sani-Sidi, said that the HFA message depict plans and detailed work required from different sectors and actors of member countries in reducing disaster losses, through the implementation of the five priorities areas for action.

He mentioned as part of the plans "ensuring that DRR is a national and local priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation; identifying, assessing, and monitor disaster risks and enhance early warning; use of knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels; reducing the underlying risk factors as well as

strengthening disaster preparedness for effective response at all levels."

Represented by Director of Triaining, Daniel Gambo, Sani-Sidi pointed out that "The importance underscores the need for stakeholders on DRR/practitioners to recognise the cross-cutting nature of the subject and I strongly believe that full and sustained involvement of a wide range of stakeholders at multiple levels is crucial to achieving DRR and building resilient societies. This is the basis for the promised and now established national platforms on DRR." He called on the participants to embrace constructive discussion with a view of framing the post 2015 international framework that is all inclusive to guide actions on DRR, as well as accelerate the building of resilience and shape the way forward in future.

"I endeavour with your support to expand the tent within which our consultation takes place so as to have wider involvement of non DRR focused practitioners from communities of practice for whom resilience has become an area of interest," he said.

Deputy Regional Coordinator,

NEMA in partnership with Gombe State SEMA to distribute relief items to victims of the communal clash recently

UNISDR, Youcef Ait Chellouche, stressed that response to disaster was all about preparedness, even as he noted that while risk is part of human existence, the progress of man leads to more risks.

He however lamented that, disaster reporting is focused more on what government does, even as there are no clear papers on disaster management strategies, and clear relations between disaster and key decision making policy.

"In introducing HFA 2, those that are not part of HFA 1, should become part of it. Local risk is not well promoted and a lot of energy should be taken from women to make it succeed," he stressed.

Deputy Director, NEMA, Aliyu Sambo maintained that exposure to future disasters has the greatest potential to be reduced if risk management approach was incorporated in land use, urban and spatial planning, and in post disaster reconstruction planning.

"There is no option to the promotion and adoption of disaster risk reduction at all levels that will ensure we reduce our vulnerabilities, increase the capacities and resilience of our communities," Sambo said.

The Post 2015 Stakeholders Consultative Forum was launched in Geneva in March 2012 by the Special Representative of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG), Marageta Walhlstrom and Japanese Ambassador to the International Organisation, also in Geneva, Yoichi Otabe, aimed at bringing together relevant stakeholders from federal/ states government ministries, departments and agencies, local communities, civil society, Nongovernmental organisations, and the private sector to exchange views on the implementation of the 2005-2015 HFA and the way forward.

The main focus was the review of HFA 2005- 2015, an instrument for implementing DRR, adopted by the member states of the United Nations (UN), and a look at ways to improving on the post-2015 Framework Action Plan as well as HFA 2.

It was organised by NEMA in collaboration with the UN Regional Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), Nairobi, Kenya. Various papers on the subject matter were presented.

Sani Datti is of the National EmergencyManagementAgency (NEMA)Headquarters,Abuja.

NEMA, Bauchi Gov't. rehabilitate the IDPs

By Mohammed Kandi

F

ollowing the resettlement of the Internal Displaced Persons in Bauchi State, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has delivered more relief items to support the State Government towards early integration of the people that have fled to take refuge in the state.

Director-General of NEMA, Alhaji Muhammad Sani-Sidi, who delivered the items to the Bauchi State Governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, said the gesture was approved as supplement to the previous assistance given after satisfactory consideration of commitment by the State Government as well as willingness expressed by the IDPs remain in

the state.

In statement issued by the Agency's public relations officer, Manzo Ezekiel, in Abuja said, "Bauchi State has set a good record for the others to emulate in helping distressed people in their localities. He assured that NEMA would always collaborate with the stakeholders including the state and local governments for efficient and effective disaster management in the country."

Sani-Sidi also reiterated that states that are yet to establish their own Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) should do so without further delays, pledging that NEMA was ready support them to be fully operational, especially, in addressing situations within their capabilities.

He also urged that states to take early actions concerning the prediction of likely flood as experienced last year by adopting necessary measures prepare ahead.

Receiving the items, Governor Yuguda who was represented by the State Head of Service, Mr Abdon Gin, thanked NEMA for the kind gesture and assured that the materials would be distributed to the beneficiaries accordingly. He said the state government has gone very far in the process of the resettlement and thanked the federal government for the continued supports.

The items delivered include 2, 400 bundles of roofing zinc, 2, 400 bags of cement, 7, 000 pieces of timbers and 150 bags of roofing nails.

YOUTHS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY

By Abubakar Jimoh abujimoh01@yahoo.com

Mitigating the Impact of hazardous waste discharge (2)

G

enerally, there is the need for the people to develop positive attitude by a way of ensuring appropriate waste disposal, putting in consideration the environment and social dynamics.

Individuals must therefore avoid unethical disposal of toxic waste in vantage points such as the drains, onto the ground but disposed of in their regular trash bin. It has been observed that hazardous wastes poured down the drain eventually find their ways to the general water supply which is meant for biodiversity consumptions. Also, wastes poured onto the ground can seep deep into the soil, causing environmental damage. Waste put in home trash can end up at a dump or other disposal centers, where it could damage human environment.

Thus, it becomes paramount for both the federal and state Environmental Protection Agencies to improve on the implementation of their existing toxic wastes disposal policies. They must set up hazardous-waste disposal centres most especially in the cities where both industries and households can accordingly safely dispose harmful substances. To achieve these, a special and telephone number can be created, through which people can phone in for assistance. This system has proven effective in the United States through the effort of its Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Alternatively, special collection days could be designated for every community where residents will be allowed to turn in hazardous items for disposal. Authorities in charge must also specify the types of waste that will be accepted, while also reeling-out implementable and sustainable strategies that are comprehensively tailored to collect, store, and recycle wastes.

However, all hope is not lost yet for Nigeria to emulate the developed societies and institute a sufficient recycling programme for hazardous wastes by borrowing some well-known techniques that have been adopted in these areas, even though, these kinds of structure have been establish by successive governments but fail to achieve the expected goals.

Waste has been converted to useful material as well as transformed to develop economies through treatment to reduce their negative effects on biodiversity. For instance, approved methods of recycling in the United States include burning hazardous waste as a fuel, using it as a fertilizer, or recuperation of usable product.

Following this option, US-EPA reported that recycling had saved the economy from nearly 2 million tons of hazardous waste in 2007.

Similarly, the Youth Against Disaster Initiative (YADI), a nongovernmental organisation that has always advocated environmental sanity, confirmed that recycling methods also have economic benefit by reducing the amount of raw materials needed in the production of new products.

Another way by which our nation's hazardous wastes can

effectively be manage is for the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to set up front store centers and depots in different parts of the cities, where the public and mechanic workers can bring in their waste oil for storage before they are safely transported to the appropriate location for reprocessing and recycling.

However, in such instance, the NESREA must put in place adequate formulae to control sewage disposal generated by domestics and industries across the country. For example, engine and lubricant oil are common elements in the daily lives of Nigerians, as they are essential to enable motor engines and industrial equipment to operate.

Apart from NESREA, other regulatory agencies should be mandated to ensure environmentally safety and sound strategy to combat disposal of the generated consumed oil that are carelessly discharged and abandoned in the gutters and roadsides, where they could pose dangerous consequences to biodiversity.

Educational and enlightenment has been regarded as the greatest empowerment of the citizens and commencement of healthy and sustainable environment sanitation. The general public must be properly educated about the collection, storage and disposed programmes including the consequences of careless disposal of toxic wastes in the country. They should be made to understand that ensuring adequate and proper disposal of sewages constitutes part of their civic responsibilities toward the society.

Similarly, the NEMA in collaboration with relevant stakeholders at states and grassroots levels must strengthen their sensitization workshops and establish face-to-face contact programmes with operators of mechanic workshops who are the greatest culprits in the unsafe discharge of used oil, in order to educate and enlighten them on collection and recycle of waste oil.

For operative safety, personnel of the relevant stakeholders at all levels are advised to fully cover their skin and wear gloves and face mark when handling toxic wastes; as it could be extremely detrimental to their health.

Moreover, the relevant stakeholders must make quick efforts to reduce the generation of hazardous wastes; enhance knowledge and information on the economics of prevention and management of hazardous wastes across the country; reduce the impact and cost of industrial development; integrate cleaner production approaches and hazardous waste minimization in all environmental planning; and establish long-term programmes and policies including targets where appropriate for reducing the amount of hazardous waste produced in the manufacturing sector.

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2012

Climate change mitigation; crucial for human survival

By Edith Nwapi

A

s the world marks the 2013 World Earth Day, countries are increasingly participating in efforts to address the myriad effects of climate change, ranging from flooding, earthquake, excessive rains and air pollution.

The theme of this year's celebration, The Face of Climate Change, aptly underscores the importance of concerted efforts to combat the global phenomenon, which has direct negative impact on the environment.

Climatologists describe climate change as a global problem, which challenges humanity to act fast in efforts to change every negative attitude which could have been a contributory factor to the crisis.

Commenting on the 2013 Earth Day celebration, Mrs Kathleen Rogers, the President of Earth Day Network, said: ``We'll bring our generation's biggest environmental challenge down to size; the size of an individual faced with the consequences. ``Many people think climate change is a remote problem but the fact is that it is already impacting on real people, animals and beloved places all over the world, and these `Faces of Climate Change' are multiplying every day. ``Fortunately, other `Faces of Climate Change' are also multiplying every day -- those stepping up to do something about it,'' she added.

Besides, Mr Franklin Russell, a Director at Earth Day Network, said: ``The day will unite the myriad `Earth Day' events around the world into one call to action at a critical time. ``We'll harness that power to show the world `The Face of Climate Change' and we'll call on our leaders to act boldly together, as we have, on this critical issue. ```The Face of Climate Change' will personalise and make real the massive challenge that climate change presents,'' Russell said.

According to Earth Day Network, the theme of this year's celebration -- The Face of Climate Change -- was chosen because of the compelling need to highlight the mounting impact of climate change on individuals around the world.

Similarly, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) stressed that the choice of the theme of the 43rd anniversary of Earth Day was most appropriate because climate change had been affecting all spheres of human endeavour. ```The Face of Climate Change' aims to raise awareness about the devastating impacts of climate change such as prolonged droughts, frequent flooding, cyclones, sea level rise and others,'' the UN agency said.

However, Mr Samuel Medu, a Consultant on Environmental Matters at ECOWAS, said that the struggle to protect the environment was a collective responsibility for every human being, adding that past failures in that regard led to the current environmental challenges facing the world. ``What we are preaching to our member states is that we should manage our climate. People should not be scared about climate change; they should not attribute the current climate change to the anger of the gods. ``We need to be active and we should participate in climate change mitigation efforts; we, in ECOWAS, are just about developing a policy on the mitigation

flooding victims aspect,'' he said.

Medu also urged all ECOWAS member states to domesticate the climate change policy document, which was signed by all members in Accra, Ghana, in 2010. ``We have validated that document and it is part of our environmental policy,'' he added.

Speaking on the consequences of climate change, Alhaji Salisu Dahiru, the Acting Director, Department of Forestry, Federal Ministry of Environment, stressed that the impact of climate change could never be overlooked or wished away. ``This is because it affects every individual who stands on its way, irrespective of one's personality. When the environment speaks, everyone listens. ``The impact of climate change cannot be over-emphasised and the environment speaks for itself. ``In the past, when you talk of the effect or the impact of climate change, many people perceive it as an abstract phenomenon because they cannot touch climate change. ``However, last year's floods across the country are a clear testimony that the environment is now speaking for itself. ``When the flood came, it did not distinguish or discriminates between the poor man and the elite; it did not distinguish between the electorate and the political class, everybody was involved," Dahiru said.

Consequently, the Minister of

Environment, Hajia Hadiza Mailafia, pledged that her ministry would soon launch a public awareness campaign to educate the public on issues relating to climate change, particularly in the areas of adaptation and mitigation.

Mailafia said that as part of efforts to fast-track the awareness campaign, the ministry would establish a graduate programme in Federal University of Technology (FUT), Akure and Federal University of Technology, Minna.

The venture is under the aegis of German International Climate Initiative and the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adaptive Land Use (WASCAL).

She also announced that the special climate change unit in the ministry had been upgraded to a full-fledged department, as part of efforts to tackle the environmental problem.

Besides, Mailafia said that the Nigerian National REDD+ programme had been approved by the UN REDD programme, adding that a REDD+ event recently took place in Calabar at the University of Calabar.

REDD is a UN collaborative programme on ``Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation'' in developing countries.

All the same, Mr Deji Jimoh, an environmentalist, stressed that climate change was a very critical issue, which necessitated the concerted efforts of everyone to tackle. ``It is not enough to talk of mitigation of climate change or signing of many declarations without taking a serious

“

advise the citizens to adopt lifestyles and attitudes, which are capable of protecting the environment, while participating in efforts to address the rising consequences of climate change.

look at what we have done to cause the climate to change at the speed of light. ``This is a problem which weighs on all of us; people should seriously change their attitude towards the environment; we should dispose of bad habits such as indiscriminate refuse disposal habits. ``The environment is actually our life; if we destroy it, it will fights us back and drastically too. The government should be proactive with its environmental policies, while the people should show some concern about the environment," Jimoh said.

Earth Day is observed every year with events held across the world to demonstrate support for environmental protection.

A UN resolution in 2009 designated April 22 as International Mother Earth Day, which is celebrated in more than 192 countries each year.

However, John McConnell pioneered plans to celebrate the Earth Day in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, U.S. McConnell then proposed March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere, as the day for the celebration. The day was later endorsed in a proclamation signed by former UN Secretary-General U Thant.

A month later, a separate Earth Day was initiated by U.S Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental ``teach-in'' that was first held on April 22, 1970.

While the April 22 Earth Day then focused on the U.S., an organisation launched by Danis Hayes -- the original national coordinator of the 1970 event, transformed the Earth Day into an international celebration in 1990 and organised events in 141 nations.

Many communities also celebrate the Earth Week, an entire week of activities focused on environmental issues.

Analysts urge the Federal Government to consolidate on the achievements so far made in global climate change mitigation efforts.

They, however, advise the citizens to adopt lifestyles and attitudes, which are capable of protecting the environment, while participating in efforts to address the rising consequences of climate change.

Source: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

PAGE 31

TED talks embraced as a learning platform in China ANALYSIS

By Yunqian Wang

I was stunned after seeing the promotion video of TEDxShanghai 2012, with hundreds of people wearing Chinese traditional black suites and gathering in front of the Shanghai Concert Hall. With the theme of "I am a Chinese", the event pulled together 27 speakers to share their stories about their "Chineseness".

It was quite a thrill for me to see TED finally making a splash in my hometown, being embraced by the people who pine for knowledge and inspiration like me. Four years ago, when I began to follow TED Talks and became obsessed with it, nobody around me was talking about it.

The first TED talk I ever watched was Liz Coleman's "Call to Reinvent Liberal Arts Education". The talk, although filmed only in 18 minutes, resonated with me so deeply that I felt an impulse to share. I then volunteered for TEDtoChina project, translating TED talks while also getting inspired from those spectacular ideas.

As Richard Hsu, the organiser of TEDxShanghai 2012, claimed: "It's interesting how TED is very different in China and Asia to what it is in the West. In its place of origin, TED was never looked at as a platform for learning; it was always a platform for ideas, but the rest of the world looks at it as a platform for learning. It teaches, it's inspiring, it's accelerating."

TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conference, launched in 1984, is a worldwide public gathering, where some of very best minds from all walks come and share the cutting-edge knowledge in their fields. What distinguishes TED conference from others is its unique rule - all the speakers should finish their presentations within 18 minutes.

TED started out as an exclusive dinner party of spectacular leaders and ended up with an open gathering of radical thinkers and doers. Chris Anderson, the point person behind TED who champions the idea of "radical openness", has made deliberate attempts in opening up TED to a broad audience. In 2006, he changed TED to not-for-profit and made all TED talk videos free online under the Creative Commons licence.

Coincide with the open educational resource (OER) movement, which advocates for freely accessible, openly licensed material that are useful for teaching, learning and other

"In the near future, the interaction between TED and education will be more dynamic: TED videos will be leveraged by teachers as course materials, just like what is happening in many other countries," writes author [EPA]

educational purpose, Chris Anderson also envisioned TED as a global classroom.

It is widely recognised that MIT spearhead a global wave of OER movement when it initiated its OpenCourseWare project in 2012 and put its entire course catalogue online. Other initiatives such asChina Open Resources for Education and OpenCourseWare in Japan all derived from MIT OpenCourseWare. In the same year, TED unveiled its TED-Ed Initiative, which intended to develop an online archive filled with tools and best practices for teachers to use.

Anya Kamenetz, a wellknown writer in the education field, made some big claims after a comparison between TED and traditional universities. "I would go so far as to argue that TED is creating a new Harvard." She argued that TED actually manifests itself in many ways as a top university, and contended that in the age of information overflow, to curate new and original lectures, to invest in the technological infrastructure and to build up a robust network of free-access resources should be on top of universities' agenda.

Kamenetz's argument, although catchy and strong, might have overlooked an instrumental part of higher education- the critical thinking and the interaction between students and professors. Merely scratching the surface of an 18minute talk is like eating instant noodles, from which you get

satisfaction, but receive little nutrition.

In 2008, TEDtoChina, an independent TED tribute project that aims to distribute TED talks to Chinese audience was rolling out. Boosted by local TED fans, TEDtoChina built up a vibrant China TED community via both its online presence and offline outreach.

When the co-founders kicked off the project at the very beginning, they knew where they were heading for: "It's an education project, not a translation project." Oliver Ding, one of theTEDtoChina cofounders, elaborated onthe current problems with education in China and how TEDtoChina fits into the big picture to tackle the problem: "The inequality in education and the uneven distribution of education resources are remarkable in current China, which is closely related with the

unequal economic development across different regions. A lack of educational attainment has plagued many students in 2nd and 3rd tier universities, preventing them from acquiring the necessary adaptability, creativity and imagination to perform in a world characterised by rapidly developing technology and a global view."

Therefore, the successful dissemination of TED concept in China justifies a shortage of creativity and sharing attitude in current China, as well as a lust for knowledge and inspirations.

Concurring with the launch of TEDtoChina, the fourth Chinese Blogger Conference has drawn attention of a bunch of educators concerning about open education resources.They hammered out a manifesto, also known asEduAnn2018, which discussed in details about how to improve education in China in the next decade. A prominent

“

"Young people are more curious about the outside world, they are looking for meaning, they are looking for purpose in life and TEDx gives them so much rich content. The ideas focus on social problems right now and philosophy questions we don't really mention in our schools�

theme emerged from the discussion was a keen advocate for open knowledge, free sharing and a joint effort by educational institutions and society to increase educational opportunities in China.

TEDx events are spin-off TED conferences that are independently organised at the local level. Local communities are allowed to use TED brand under certain guidelines and aggregate local resources.

The first TEDx in Mainland China was launched on the campus of San Yet-san University. The next day, anther TEDx was put on at a public space in Shanghai. These two TEDx events actually set the tone for later events in China all the TEDx afterwards were being held either on campus or among public places of a city.

To date, hundreds of TEDx events have sprung up across the country, though most of the events are still confined to big cities. Tony Yet, the co-founder of TEDtoChina, described what a typical TEDx looks like: "Those who take their dream seriouslycome here, getting a glimpse of what is happing globally and pondering on what can be drawn upon locally."

Yvette Wang, an organiser of the TEDxTheGardenBridge, a women-focused event held last October in Shanghai, noticed that since the TEDx University took place in 2010, interest among students surged: "Young people are more curious about the outside world, they are looking for meaning, they are looking for purpose in life and TEDx gives them so much rich content. The ideas focus on social problems right now and philosophy questions we don't really mention in our schools, and we think that young people really like it because they can learn something and it's quick."

The burgeoning TEDx events in China are no passing fad, given the huge needs of learning and sharing. Meanwhile, TEDx also began to partner with other projects with similar vision or mission. For example, they joined hands with 1kg.org and brought TEDx1KG event to students in rural schools. "If the children are not able to go out, we will invite the world in," the organisers stated.

Predictably, in the near future, the interaction between TED and education will be more dynamic: TED videos will be leveraged by teachers as course materials, just like what ishappening in many other countries. And hopefully, more and more Chinese will keep up with the global perspective and brush up their knowledge when the rest of the world is keeping a closer eye on them.

Source: Aljazeera

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

Nigeria, UK to scrutinize immigration Darfur war crimes suspect rebel 'killed in Sudan'

A

Sudanese rebel charged with war crimes in Darfur by the International Criminal Court (ICC) has been killed, his defence team has said.

Saleh Mohammed JerboJamus died on Friday afternoon during fighting in North Darfur, the statement said.

He was due to go on trial in May 2014 over a deadly attack on African peacekeepers in Darfur in 2007.

Anna Holligan in The Hague says the court must get proof of his death before the case is dropped.

Mr Jerbo and fellow Darfur rebel leader Abdallah Banda AbakaerNourain face three war crimes charges relating to the killing of 12 African Union peacekeepers in an attack on the AU's Haskanita camp in September 2007.

The two men, who voluntarily surrendered to the ICC in 2010 to face the charges, have been free to leave the Netherlands and appear before the court when summoned.

In 2011, a pre-trial chamber found that there were "substantial grounds" to go ahead with their trial.

Mr Jerbo was chief of staff of SLA-Unity rebel group at the time of the 2007 attack but is currently in the Justice and Equality Movement group, the ICC says.

His defence team said he died in the north of Darfur on the afternoon of 19 April 2013 and was buried on the same day.

Saleh Mohammed JerboJamus

Head of the UK delegation, Susannah Simon (L) with Permanent secretary MFAAmbassador Martin IhoeghianUhomoibhi at the ministry yesterday.

By Abdulkadir Isa

N

igeria and the United Kingdom have demonstrated their willingness to address the loopholes between both countries as it concerns immigration matters. This intent was made know to journalist at the opening of the return meeting of the

Nigeria - UK Dialogue (review meeting) at the ministry of foreign affairs yesterday in Abuja.

In his opening address, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Martin Uhomoibhi stressed the importance of the biannual event and the role it has played in fostering a workable partnership between both countries.

Mr Uhomoibhi describe the MUO raised form previous dialogues as timely and a document that will facilitate investment among both countries, check human trafficking and the ultimate goal of doubling trade between both countries by 2014.

The permanent secretary also applauded the progress made by

both countries in the area of prisoner transfer between and the professionalism displayed by the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) towards Nigerians.

Head of the UK delegation, Sussanah Simon a director at the migration departmentin her address, sent the condolences of the UK to the Borno state government over the Baga massacre and reiterated her countries support against human rights abuses.

Mrs Simon called the partnership inevitable saying, "For us, migration is one of the major issues globally as it involves the globalisation. This issue is keen to both Nigeria and the UK because, over 150,000 Nigerians came to the UK last year and 100,000 UK citizens also visited Nigeria. We have a very large population of Nigerians in the UK and they make a very valuable contribution to our society".

"We appreciate your concern shown to the effort of the UK visa service and we will continue to do more because we firmly believe that it is in the interest of the UK to see Nigerians come to the UK and study legitimately" she added.

It was agreed that both countries will put women trafficking on the front burner as both parties are at the receiving end of the pangs.

Ethiopian Airlines to resume Dreamliner flights

E

thiopian Airlines is set to become the world's first carrier to resume flying Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner passenger jets, with a commercial flight on Saturday to neighbouring Kenya, two airline sources said.

Boeing's Dreamliners have been grounded since regulators ordered all 50 planes out of the skies in mid-January after batteries on two of them overheated. U.S. regulators approved a new battery design on Friday, clearing the way for installation.

An Air India source told Reuters in New Delhi that commercial operations should start within a week or so, immediately after approval from the local regulator DGCA. "Ethiopian Airlines will be the first airline company to resume 787 Dreamliner flights in the world. Saturday's the date," a senior Ethiopian Airlines source told Reuters. "We're flying to Nairobi, Kenya on the normal flight schedule."

Another source, who also declined to be named, confirmed the plan to resume flights on Saturday by the airline, the first African carrier to purchase Dreamliner planes. It ordered 10, has received four, and started flying them in August.

"It should be a matter of days, not weeks. I think one week or so," the source said, without giving further details.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which grounded the planes, is expected to issue an Airworthiness Directive on Thursday. This applies to U.S. airlines, but other nations are expected to follow suit immediately.

The grounding has cost Boeing an estimated $600 million, halted

deliveries and forced some airlines to lease alternative aircraft.

Several airlines have said they will seek compensation from Boeing, potentially adding to the plane maker's losses.

Randy Tinseth, Boeing's vice president for marketing, said in the Ethiopian capital that the planes for all airlines would be

modified and they would then work with their own regulatory authorities to determine when flights would resume.

"Each airline will be a little bit different," he told reporters, adding that Boeing expected to meet its target of delivering more than 60 of its Dreamliner planes in 2013.

France vows to punish Libya embassy attackers

F

rance's foreign minister has condemned what he called a heinous attack on his country's embassy in the Libyan capital and said everything would be done to find the perpetrators.

"This was a terrorist act ... aimed at killing," Laurent Fabius said after he flew in to Tripoli to inspect the damage caused by a car bomb attack that left two French guards injured.

"The terrorists who wanted to attack France and Libya and undermine the friendship between them will pay" for the attack, he said.

President Francois Hollande called on Libya to bring the bombers to justice and Fabius said Paris was dispatching a counterterrorism magistrate to help with an investigation.

Libya's government, struggling to exert its authority,

Tanzania riots over cashew nut

A

bout 20 houses have been burnt down in riots by cashew nut farmers and other protesters in south-western Tanzania, the local MP has told the BBC. Faith Mitambo said two buildings at her home in Liwale town had been set alight and that other houses targeted belonged to members of the ruling CCM party.

The trouble began after payouts being made to farmers for their crop was less than the price agreed late last year.

More police have been deployed to the region to stop further unrest.

Ms Mitambo, who was in the capital, Dodoma, at the time, told the BBC Swahili service she was travelling down to her

said it was a "terrorist act" aimed at destabilising the country.

Prime Minister Ali Zeidan visited the scene with Fabius, viewing the wreckage and the charred and damaged facade of the embassy.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. However, al-Qaeda's north African arm, AQIM, had threatened retaliation for the French intervention in Mali as recently as last week. constituency to assess the situation.

She had been told the protests, involving groups of young men, began in villages on Tuesday morning and reached Liwale town by the evening.

A resident of Liwale told the BBC that on Wednesday there was a sense of fear in the town and police had fired tear gas in the market to stop crowds gathering.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

PAGE 33

Violence erupts in China's restive Xinjiang T

wenty-one people, including police officers and social workers, have been killed in violent clashes in China's ethnically divided western region of Xinjiang in what the government is calling an act of terrorism.

Marga Ortigas said on Wednesday police were investigating an arson attack in the region where the violence began.

"The region has been the focal point for ethnic and racial tensions for quite some time

now," Ortigas said.

A local official confirmed to the AFP news agency on Wednesday that the battle had taken place.

"Twenty-one persons were killed in all... including social workers and policemen," the

official said.

He told the news agency that the violence broke out on Tuesday when three local officials reported a group of suspicious men armed with knives hiding inside a home in Selibuyatownship outside the

Asia & Middle East city of Kashgar.

Tianshan Net, a government-run news website, described the fighting as a "violent terror incident".

It said 15 of those killed were either police or social workers, with 11 of them being members of China's Uyghur ethnic minority, who mainly live in

Bangladesh Dhaka building collapse leaves 80 dead

A

t least 80 people have been killed and many more are feared trapped after an eight-storey building collapsed on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, government officials say.

Frantic efforts are under way to rescue those beneath the debris. Hundreds of people were injured by the collapse.

The army is helping with the rescue operation in the Savar area.

Building collapses are common in Bangladesh where many multi-storey blocks are built in violation of rules.

The eight-storey building contained a clothing factory, a bank and several other shops. It collapsed during the morning rush hour.

Many people have gathered near the scene looking for friends and relatives.

Dhaka resident

TahsinMahmoo described the scene as a looking like a "war zone" to the BBC, adding that appeals had been put out for citizens to donate blood.

Rescue workers are using concrete cutters and cranes to dig through the rubble, the BBC's AnbarasanEthirajan in Dhaka reports.

"Already we've rescued three to four hundred people... Now we are cutting through the concrete walls and trying to get inside with the help of sniffer dogs," fire brigade chief Ali Ahmed Khan told the BBC Bengali service.

Many onlookers also joined the rescue effort using their bare hands.

Police told local media that the rear of the building had suddenly started to collapse on Wednesday morning, and within a short time the whole structure - except the main pillar and parts of the front wall - had caved-in, triggering panic.

Lengths of textile were used to help some survivors out of the building.

Anti-government clashes continue across Iraq

F

resh violence in Iraq has killed at least 15 people, including 12 security force personnel and gunmen who died in attacks apparently launched in revenge for deadly clashes at a protest, officials have said.

Fighting between security forces and protesters near the northern town of Hawija left 27 people dead on Tuesday, and sparked a wave of revenge attacks in which a further 27 people were killed that day.

The revenge attacks continued on Wednesday, leaving nine security forces members and three gunmen dead.

In the deadliest fighting,

gunmen killed five soldiers and wounded five more in the Suleiman Bek, area north of Baghdad, a highranking army officer and an administrative official said.

Gunmen also attacked a Sahwa militia checkpoint in Khales, northeast of Baghdad, killing four of the militiamen and wounding a fifth, a police lieutenant colonel and a doctor said.

Al Jazeera correspondent Jane Arraf, reporting near the disputed city of Kirkuk, said the Iraqi government said earlier on Wednesday that it is setting up a commission to investigate the string of attacks that erupted the day before.

Soldiers released

Protesters have staged months of demonstrations in Sunni-dominated Anbar province [Reuters] Also on Wednesday, agovernment protesters released two Iraqi soldiers they had seized near Ramadi, west of Baghdad, a protest organiser said.

Abdulrazzaq al-Shammari, one of the organisers of the protests near

Ramadi, said on Wednesday the two soldiers were turned over to a hospital in the city on Tuesday.

The soldiers were taken after deadly clashes between security forces and demonstrators in north Iraq left dozens dead and sparked a

China calls Japan-U.S. island drill "provocative"

C

hina said on Wednesday that "provocative actions" would not sway it from defending its territory, after Japan confirmed it would conduct military drills with the United States amid tension between Beijing and Tokyo over disputed islands.

Japan said on Tuesday that the joint drill, scheduled for June off California, involved the recapture of an isolated island but

was not aimed at scenarios involving a specific country, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported.

China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, HuaChunying, said "foreign pressure" could not sway China from protecting its territorial sovereignty in the East China Sea. "For any related provocative actions, the Chinese government will maintain a resolute response," Hua told reporters at a regular

news briefing when asked about the drills.

"We have always upheld the same stance on issues related to the Diaoyu Islands: to appropriately solve, manage and control the relevant issues through bilateral dialogue and negotiations."

Beijing and Tokyo have both protested over an incident on Tuesday in which Chinese patrol vessels played cat-and-mouse with a flotilla of Japanese nationalists

near the uninhabited islands, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.

The Japanese government bought the islands near rich fishing grounds and potentially lucrative maritime gas fields from a private Japanese owner last year, sparking sometimes-violent anti-Japanese protests across China.

The issue has brought ChineseJapanese relations to their lowest point since normalization of

wave of revenge attacks.

He also said the demonstrators were demanding that Iraqi soldiers withdraw from all cities in Anbar province, where Ramadi is located, and remain in their main bases. relations more than 40 years ago.

China also chastised Japan for Tuesday's visits by at least 168 lawmakers to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 14 leaders convicted as war criminals by an Allied tribunal along with Japan's war dead.

The pilgrimage came after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made an offering and Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and two other ministers visited Yasukuni over the weekend.

Homage paid by leading Japanese politicians at the Tokyo

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

PAGE 34

Europe and Americas Bolivia to take Chile sea dispute to international court

B

olivia has said it will file a law suit against Chile at the International Court of Justice on Wednesday to reclaim access to the Pacific Ocean.

Bolivia lost access to the coastline in a 19th Century war with Chile, leaving it landlocked ever since.

Chile says Bolivia's demand has no historical or legal basis.

The two countries have had limited diplomatic relations since 1978 and previous attempts to negotiate the redrawing of the border have failed.

The borders date back to the 1904 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, signed after Bolivia lost 400km (250 miles) of coastline to Chile during the War of the Pacific (18791884).Bolivia has long tried to reclaim the territory and has repeatedly severed relations with Chile when those attempts failed.

It still maintains a small navy and each year celebrates the Day of the Sea. President Evo Morales announced his intention of taking the case to the International Court of Justice at this year's celebrations to mark the day.

According to the court's statutes, Bolivia will now have to outline its arguments and demonstrate previous attempts at solving the dispute.

Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca has been in The Hague since 20 April preparing his country's case.

President Morales expressed his confidence Bolivia would regain its access to the sea, saying: "We're going to win this battle because we're right."

The Chilean government said it was not worried about Bolivia's move, as "no-one in the world will accept that a country unilaterally dismisses a treaty which is in full force".

Enrico Letta set to become Italy's new prime minister T

he 46-year-old also said he had accepted the post knowing that it was an enormous responsibility and that Italy's political class "has lost all credibility".

Mr Letta must now form a cabinet that can win cross-party support and a vote of confidence in parliament, possibly this weekend.

Factions from across the political spectrum, including former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's right-wing People of Freedom Party, have indicated that they are now ready to form a coalition under a figure like Mr Letta.

However, Mr Berlusconi's party and the Democratic Party differ on a number of issues.

Party National Secretary Angelino Alfano warned that his group would not take part in a

Enrico Letta's first job will be to put together a cabinet.

government unconditionally.

Mr Letta's uncle has been Mr Berlusconi's chief-of-staff for 10 years. A broad political alliance would again make Mr Berlusconi a major influence.

This awkward coming together of bitter rivals is seen as the only way to end the parliamentary stalemate and put an administration in place, says the BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome.

But it is a forced political marriage that may not last long, our correspondent adds.

The third strongest political force to come out of February's election, former comedian BeppeGrillo's Five Star movement, could not be persuaded to join a coalition and is expected to be in opposition.

With the Italian economy still struggling, the new government

will be expected to try to implement a limited range of economic and institutional reforms.

Among its priorities will be an effort to re-shape the current election law. The aim would be to ensure that future general elections would deliver more emphatic, clear-cut results.

Mr Letta's appointment follows the swearing-in on Monday of President Napolitano, who berated his country's feuding politicians.

Taking up an unprecedented second term, he told the assembled MPs that they had been guilty of a long series of failings and that their inability to implement key reforms had been "unforgivable".

He has threatened to resign if no administration is formed.

Abu Qatada: UK agrees assistance treaty with Jordan

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he government has signed a mutual assistance treaty with Jordan to ensure that radical cleric Abu Qatada can be deported, Theresa May has told MPs. The home secretary said the treaty had guarantees on fair trials within it.

The government is doing "everything it can" to deport Abu Qatada, she said.

The move comes after she failed to get the case referred to the Supreme Court to reverse a ruling that the radical cleric could face an unfair trial if sent to Jordan to face terror charges.

Mrs May is to apply directly to the Supreme Court for permission to challenge that ruling.

The treaty would come into play should the Supreme Court reject the government's request.

Giving a statement to the Commons, Mrs May said the treaty would have to be ratified by the UK and Jordan.

She said she believed it would satisfy concerns that Abu Qatada would not receive a fair trial there, and there was now "every chance" of deporting the cleric.

However, Mrs May added that even once the agreement was fully ratified, Abu Qatada would still be able to launch a legal appeal. This could mean it

may still be months before he is deported.

"In the meantime, I believe Abu Qatada should remain behind bars," she added.

Mrs May told the Commons: "I have signed a comprehensive mutual legal assistance agreement with Jordan.

"This agreement is fully reciprocal, offers considerable advantages to both countries,

and reflects our joint commitment to tackling international crime. It covers assistance in obtaining evidence for the investigation and prosecution of crimes in either country, and provides a framework for assistance in the restraint and confiscation of the proceeds of crime.

"The agreement also includes a number of fair trial

Home Secretary Theresa May

guarantees. These would apply to anyone being deported from either country. I believe these guarantees will provide the courts with the assurance that Qatada will not face evidence that might have been obtained by torture, in a retrial in Jordan."

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said she was willing to work with the government towards Abu Qatada's deportation, but accused Mrs May in the past of "overstating her legal strategy, which has not worked".

On the possibility of the UK temporarily withdrawing from the European Court on Human Rights, Mrs May said it was her view that the UK needed to "fix that relationship".

She said the prime minister was exploring options, including temporary withdrawal, and it was "sensible" to have "all options on the table".

BBC chief political correspondent Norman Smith says that would be a huge political step because of the tensions it would expose within the coalition - the Liberal Democrats are opposed to any such move.

The government sees it as a fall-back position if the diplomatic route fails, our correspondent says.

Spain unemployment continues to soar

S Bolivian children are taught that regaining access to the sea is a patriotic duty.

pain's jobless rate has continued to rise in the first quarter but at a slower rate than in previous years, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has said.

The job situation for the entire year "will not be good, but it will be less bad than in the preceding years", he added during a debate in parliament on Wednesday.

"Next year we will have growth and jobs will be created in our country," he said.

Spain's unemployment rate hit 26.02 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012, a record high since the re-birth of Spanish democracy after the death of dictator General Francisco Franco in 1975 and the second-

highest level in the eurozone after Greece.

The National Statistics Institute will publish the unemployment rate for the first quarter on Thursday.

Spain is in a double dip recession, having never recovered from the collapse of a decade-long property boom in

2008.

The Spanish economy, the eurozone's fourth-largest, contracted by 1.37 percent last year, the second worst yearly slump since 1970, and the government forecasts it will shrink again by between 1.0 percent and 1.5 percent this year.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

PAGE 35

14-Year-Old McDonald’s burger looks good enough to eat I n 1999 a man from Utah bought a McDonald's hamburger and kept it around for a month just to show his friends how it would look exactly the same because it was full of preservatives. Fast forward 14 years, the burger is almost unchanged .

David Whipple originally intended to hang on to his burger for 30 days, but somehow forgot it in the pocket of one of his coats and only found it two years later. Seeing the fast food looked almost the same as the day it was first flipped, he decided to continue his experiment just to see how long it would take until the burger disintegrated. It's been 14 years now and the burger simply refuses to age. "It wasn't on purpose," Whipple said about his decision to keep the hamburger for so long. "I was showing some people how

enzymes work and I thought a hamburger would be a good idea. And I used it for a month and then I forgot about it. "My wife didn't discover it until at least a year or two after that.

And we pulled it out and said 'oh my gosh. I can't believe it looks the same way.'" His "edible" keepsake has been recently showcased on the popular TV show "The Doctors", and while the pickle had disintegrated, you could clearly see there was no sign of mold on the buns or the meat.It's common knowledge that fast food lasts a lot longer than it should. Just last year we wrote about Melanie Hesketh, a mom from Ontario, Canada, who had kept a McDonald's cheeseburger for a year to discourage her teenage children from consuming 'junk' food, but I never imagined a burger could actually remain

intact for almost a decade and a half. The doctors who inspected the old food item said it presented no sign of mold or fungus and that it didn't even smell different. David Whipple still has the receipt dated July

7, 1999 and the original bag he has used to keep the burger in ever since. At one point he was going to auction it off on eBay and bids reached close to $2,000, but ultimately he and his wife changed their minds

and decided it would be nice to have around for educational purposes. "It's great for my grand-kids to see. To see what happens with fast food," Whipple said.

Chicago woman arrested 396 times since 1978

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Chicago woman has been arrested at least 396 times since 1978, including 92 times for theft and an alleged attack on a City Council member.

Over the years, Shermain Miles, 51, was arrested 65 times for disorderly conduct and 59 times for crimes related to prostitution, among other things, according to the Chicago SunTimes. She has used at least 83 different aliases and is well known among merchants and residents in several neighborhoods on Chicago's North Side. One florist called police about her 25 times last summer.

Miles, who is homeless, is imprisoned at the Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln. She was arrested last year after allegedly chasing down Chicago Alderman James Cappleman, which is a possible parole violation after a 2010 conviction for robbing a 75-year-old at knife point. She's due before the Illinois Prisoner Review Board Tuesday. If it's determined that she violated her parole, she will be behind bars until April 2014.

Her arrests have numbered so many that she is in the top 1 percent for all current Chicago Police Department arrestees.

Within the last year all her cases have been assigned to a one community-based prosecutor.

Miles declined a jailhouse interview with the newspaper after initially agreeing to one. In a handwritten letter to the newspaper before the scheduled interview she described her faith and said she was looking forward to telling her story.

Miles has spent time in area mental hospitals and participated in several community programs.

Court-appointed psychologists said Miles believes people are trying to harm her.

One of her friends, Phelps Holmes, 59, described her as kind and generous. Holmes, who was once also homeless, said she didn't talk much about her past.

"She's always been a sweet young lady to me," he said.

However, Cappleman said Miles can't be released from prison without a "highly structured" plan.

"For the sake of Ms. Miles and the community, it's time to take the next step to ensure the community is no longer terrorized by her behavior," the alderman wrote in a letter to the review board.

MujoCesic, who authorities said Miles held at gunpoint, said he wants to see her stay behind bars.

"She should never be released," he said.

The Cook County state's attorney's office said Miles has at least 73 convictions, but often

failed to appear in court.

Fabio Valentini, head of Cook County's criminal prosecutions bureau, defended his office's

handling of Miles' recent cases.

He said that when she's been charged with a felony - 10 times she has been convicted. He added

that within the last year, her cases were assigned to a one prosecutor available to talk to the public and authorities about her activities.

Filipino restaurant at the foot of a waterfall

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ocated in the Quezon province of the Philippines, Villa Escudero is a nice haciendastyle resort with cozy rooms and an exotic atmosphere. But what brought its international fame is the waterfall restaurant that allows tourists to enjoy a nice meal right at the foot of a small waterfall.

In most cases, getting too

Source: odditycentral.com

close to a waterfall can prove deadly, but not at this particular restaurant, at Villa Escudero.

Here, people are actually encouraged to take off their shoes and get as close to the falls as possible. Set right at the foot of Labasin Falls, this special place invites customers to taste popular Filipino dishes, while fresh spring water from the falls flows under and over their feet,

making this an unforgettable experience. As you can imagine, it's nowhere near as impressive as Niagara, but visitors who don't mind getting their clothes wet can sit right under the rushing waterfall and get their pictures taken.

Words just don't do this fantastic tourist attraction justice, so I'll let the photos and video do the talking.

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

Teen mothers' Revealed: Why we forget people's names higher obesity risk when we meet them Y

What's your name again? Try as you might, information like a person's name takes several hours to be consolidated in the brain

By Sara Smyth ou can be forgiven for forgetting the name of that new acquaintance just minutes after you've been introduced, according to memory experts at University of Sussex.

Scientists revealed that while memories can be recalled several hours after learning them, they are inaccessible to us for a period.

Although it is not fully understood why such lapses happen, it is believed to be because they are a necessary part of the brain's process to avoid overloading with information.

University of Sussex

Y

neuroscientists said that any disturbances during these memory lapses disrupt the process and stop memories being formed.

One of the experts, Dr Ildiko Kemenes, said: 'Scientists have long wondered why the brain shows these memory lapses.

'Memory formation is an energy-consuming process.

'The brain would need to decide if it was worth expending energy for the consolidation of that particular memory.

'The brain has a restricted capacity to learn things and preventing some memory formation would be a way to avoid overload.'

In his research, Dr Kemenes introduced an unknown substance to snails' diets to see if they would learn to recognise it as food.

When they were fed again, scientists found the snails responded to the stimulus, with memory lapses after 30 minutes and two hours, before the memory became consolidated at about four hours.

But if the snail received another different stimulus during the memory-lapse periods, the memory consolidation became disrupted, it was discovered.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

By Nick Mcdermott be the first to identify teen oung mothers are often pregnancy as a predictor of thought to be at an obesity.

Around 15 per cent advantage when it of British women are comes to getting back in now obese when shape after pregnancy. expecting a child - up But in fact women from 7 per cent 20 who have babies in their years ago. teens are significantly more likely than Last year, older mothers to researchers become obese later from Queen in life, research M a r y , shows.

Pregnancy eating: A bad diet University of Those who could leave women stuck London found had their first with extra weight for life mothers with child aged 19 or a calorieyounger were controlled diet a third more were less likely to be likely to v e r y suffer lifeoverweight, threatening it found. p r e Significantly eclampsia fewer women and other who gave complications birth in their such as diabetes, teens were of high blood n o r m a l pressure or weight than premature birth. those who Following a had babies healthy diet reduced weight later.

Lead author Dr Tammy gain during pregnancy by Chang said: 'For the first time, nearly half a stone on average.

The study, published on we've identified our youngest mums as a high risk group for bmj.com, also said bad diet in obesity, one of the most pregnancy could leave women debilitating long-term health stuck with extra pounds for life.

Dr Chang said of her issues we face.

'When taking care of teen research, published in the mums, we often have so many American Journal of Obstetrics immediate concerns - childcare, and Gynecology: 'We need housing, school, social and further studies to better financial support - that we don't understand the link between often think of long-term health teen birth and obesity, so physicians and policy-makers effects.'

After controlling for factors can provide the best care to teen such as race, education and mothers.

'Obesity is a prevalent, background, the scientists found women who gave birth before 19 expensive health problem and had a 32 per cent higher risk of it's difficult to reverse, which is obesity than women who had why it's incredibly important to identify at-risk groups early so given birth at age 20 or later.

The survey by the University that we can intervene.' of Michigan of US women aged between 20 and 59 is believed to Source: Dailymail.co.uk

How do you avoid over-eating at a buffet?

By Emma Innes

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he all-you-can-eat buffet has long been a dieter's worst nightmare, but now researchers believe they have found the key to staying slim.

Dr Brian Wansink, of Cornell University, in New York, believes dieters should take a small plate and then look at everything on offer before choosing what they want.

He noticed that there are plenty of slim people at all-youcan-eat buffets so he decided to observe how they behaved in this situation.

He sent 30 observers to watch 300 people at 22 allyou-can-eat Chinese buffets across America.

According to HealthDay, these observers estimated people's Body Mass Index and then watched how they behaved around the food.

This included noting where they sat in relation to the buffet, whether they used forks or chopsticks, and how many times they went up for more food.

Dr Wansink told the website: 'Skinny people are more likely to scout out the food. They're more likely to look at the different alternatives before they pounce on something.

'Heavy people just tend to pick up a plate and look at each item and say, "Do I want it? Yes or no".'

The observers also found

that slim diners were seven times more likely to take a small plate than larger ones were.

They also noted that larger people sat, on average, 16 feet closer to the buffet than thin people and that they chewed their food for less time.

'The interesting thing was that almost all of these changes were unconscious to the person making them,' said Dr Wansink. 'They essentially become habits over time.'

The news comes after it was revealed that, thanks to huge portion sizes and the prevalence of all-you-can-eat buffets, the average Briton gains 8lb in weight during a two week holiday to America.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

At a buffet dieters should take a small plate and then look at everything on offer before choosing what they want

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

PAGE 37

Nigeria heading for war- Afenifere warns From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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an Yoruba Cultural group, Afenifere yesterday said the country is heading for war.

Afenifere Leader Chief Ruben Fasoranti in a state of the Nation address titled ‘Nigeria Heading for the Cliff’, at a press conference in Lagos said except from the civil war the country has never been more insecure than it is today.

He expressed worry that a large section of the political class pretends not to understand the signs of the time and what should be done. “we have in our hands a country that appears to be preparing for a war but almost

all are pretending that its all build-up to the next election.”

The group said the sabrerattling going on among some major parties and political actors are not healty for the democratic project as most of the noise going on is not even solving any of the major challenges confronting the country but for power mongering.

He said rather than creating an enabling environment for rational discourse and contestation of ideas for the electorates to be able to make informed choices, many of the political actors are making inflammatory remarks to inflame passion and deepen the divisions in the county to make political gains

Afenifere warned political actors to desist from over heating the polity as no one can predict the outcome of the cliff that they are propelling the country forward.

“Life has become short, nasty and brutish like in the hobbesian state of nature, there is little or no value again for human life in our country as casualty figures would have to be scores for any tragedy to make front headlines in our bulletins.”

The regular killing of defenseless and innocent citizens by terrorists have been unfortunately complemented by the nefarious activities of kidnappers, assassins, armed robbers and other petty

criminals who, seeing themselves as deprived and abandoned are always poised to take a pound of flesh. Sadly, there has not been any concrete, serious and effective efforts to nip these crises in the bud and assure our people that they can sleep with their two eyes closed.

The group said what the country needs at the moment are statesmen politicians whose preoccupation should be the next generation and survival of the polity not just only next election.

Speaking on growing corruption in the country, Afenifere said corruption has become official in the country. “there have been worrying signals of late that corruption may have become the fifth estate

in the country given the way it is being promoted almost like a directive objective of state policy. It is not only that state officials are corrupt but corruption has become official.”

He said the major fall out of the mismanagement of the country economy is the denial of opportunities for enterprise to flourish and stunting of economic activities.

He said the time has come for government at all level to critically examine ways of generating gainful employment for the youths in the country as against youth abuse presently going on with all kind of joke schemes paying ridiculous starvation wages to even university graduates.

Reps move to reform NAPEP

By Umar Muhammad Puma

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he House of Representatives has mandated its committees on Poverty Alleviation, Labour, Employment and Productivity, National Planning and Economic Development, to conduct a Public Hearing on the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) in order to capture the views of relevant stakeholders and experts on the best strategies to effectively reform the programme.

A motion read by Jerry (PDP Imo state), said NAPEP was established in 2001 by the Federal Government to address poverty and its related issues in Nigeria, with an effective poverty alleviation strategy that involves combination of macroeconomic, structural and social forces or policies and programmes that are vigorously pursued over several years and the target of the programme was to completely wipe out poverty from Nigeria in 2010.

He revealed that the 2010 target of eradicating poverty was not realized due to ineffective strategies and poor implementation of NAPEP. Hence, “it is worrisome that some of the strategies adopted by the NAPEP in fighting poverty in Nigeria are not transformational enough to stand the test of socio-economic realities, as the tricycle popularly known as “keke NAPEP” are usually released to beneficiaries at a high rate.

The motion to scrutinize NAPEP’s activity was unanimously adopted by the House, however, the date for the public hearing is yet to be disclosed.

Yobe state Governor, Malam Ibrahim Gaidam (left), briefing journalists, during his visit to the State House, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

LG polls: Court remands Edo ACN chairman-elect From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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he newly elected Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Chairman of Etsako Central local government Chairman, Emmanuel Momoh, was yesterday re-arrested, arraigned and remanded in Auchi Prison by the Fugar Magistrate court.

Momoh, alongside three members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the local government were arrested on Tuesday,

arraigned and remanded on Wednesday.

The Chairman had been arrested and detained in Abuja by the Police and was freed on the eve of his election and swearing-in, alongside 13 others on Monday by Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

Peoples Daily reports that the suspects are been linked to the bloody clash in the local government, which reportedly claimed the lives of over two persons.

Reacting to the development, the lawmaker

representing the constituency in the State House of Assembly, Johnson Oghuma, alleged that the plot was perfected by Zone 5 of the Nigeria Police on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

Oghuma said the action of the police was necessitated by the lawsuit instituted against them over the human rights violation which the Chairman suffered in the hands of the police in their detention in Abuja.

He insisted that the lawyer of the accused had instituted

a hundred million naira lawsuit against the police for violating his client’s fundamental human rights.

The lawyer to the Council Chairman, A.A. Itemuagbon, said the case will come up on Friday, the 26th April, 2013, where the motion for his bail application will be taken.

Tension has been heightened in Fugar, the A d m i n i s t r a t i v e Headquarters of Etsako local government, following the detention of the Suspects.

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

Amosun seeks more women in decision-making positions

Kano state Governor, Engineer Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso (middle), Chairman House Committee on Petroleum Industry Bill, Hon. Dakuku Peterside (left), and Hon. Yusuf Shittu (right), during the North-West Zone committee's public hearing on the Petroleum Industry Bill, on Tuesday in Kaduna.

O

Baga Killings: ANPP wants culprits prosecuted

By Umar Muhammad Puma

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ll Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) has commended the federal government for constituting a probe panel that will investigate the Baga killing in Borno state, urging it not to handle the report of the probe like others in the past.

“Culprits, including officers who have despised their training and patriotic duties and killed innocent noncombatants, as well as destroyed private property, must face the full wrath of the law via the appropriate military procedure and judicial process”, ANPP said.

In a press statement issued

by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Emma Eneakwu, ANPP said the Friday killing of about 185 civilians in the Baga Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, prompted the party to pause for a moment, in order to ascertain the veracity of the incident.

According to the party, “Considering that the killing of these innocent civilians, including women and children, negates the very tenets of military rules of engagement, this singular brutal operation signifies a deep cut in the soul of our great nation, and should give all of us cause for concern”.

It added “While we commiserate with the

Government and people of Borno State, and our fellow countrymen who are the victims in this unfortunate occurrence, the friends and families of those that lost their lives and the many that are wounded; we condemn this awfully dangerous development in our national history.”

It emphasised that at all time, Nigerians are made to be aware of the fact that violence breeds violence and can never provide lasting solution to prevailing national challenges.

“Dialogue, tact, and interreligious engagements across the ethno-religious divides remain the best way to go”, ANPP said, adding that time has come for

the government to telegraph the right message to the citizens with the effect that every citizen’s right to security of life and property remains sacrosanct.

It also stressed that in the absence of a tough punitive measure, diabolical elements will use the massacre as a blueprint for evil enterprise and as incentive to turn the nation into a dog-eat-dog field of death, where the overriding law is the survival of the fittest.

“As a party, we remain committed to the unity of Nigeria and supremacy of rule of law. We believe that this great nation shall surmount all its present troubles”, he said.

Benue Assembly confirms 5 commissioner nominees

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he Benue State House of Assembly yesterday confirmed five commissioner nominees submitted to it by Gov. Gabriel Suswam.

The nominees are Akpera Atime, Justin Amase, Egbiri

Idah, Donald Ugbough and Anthony Onuh.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while Atime and Amase were subjected to thorough screening, Idah, Ugbough and Onuh were asked to take a bow and leave.

The assembly said Idah was a two-term member of the state legislature.

It said Ugbough hailed from the same place with the majority leader of the assembly, while Onuh hailed from the same place with the PDP state chairman.

One of the nominees, Amase pledged that that he would ensure that accountability and transparency was brought to bear in governance.

NAN reports that seven other nominees are expected to be screened on Thursday. (NAN)

Rivers Commissioner urges Nigerians to embrace power sector privatisation

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he Rivers State Commissioner for Power, Mr Augustine Nwokocha, yesterday urged Nigerians to embrace the privatisation of the power sector as it aimed at enhancing the nation's development.

Nwokocha told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt

that electricity supply would improve tremendously after the privatisation.

He said that the privatisation of the sector would also boost the nation's economic growth as small, medium and large scale industries would thrive.

Nwokocha, a former lawmaker in the state, said that investments

in the country would also thrive and the living standards of the people would improve.

He said the government's inability to ensure 100 per cent availability of electricity was due to other pressing needs bothering it.

According to him, this is the situation that led to the privatisation.

``What government needs to do for the people is not to subsidise power for the people, but to make it available for the people to subsidise. ``If there is power in the communities, some people will use it for lighting, some will use it for welding, some will do hair-dressing, while some will sell soft drinks and water. (NAN)

gun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has called on leaders at various levels to reflect on the policy of the 30 per cent affirmative action for women in appointments to pave the way for the emergence of women at decision-making levels.

He made the call at recent launch of a book, Empowering Women with Decision Making Appointments, which held in Lagos where Amosun, the National President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mallam Mohammed Garba and the NUJ Chairman in Lagos State, Comrade Deji Elumoye bagged the Gender Friendly Awards.

Amosun who was represented Ms Ronke Raji, his Special Assistant on media, said the appointments of women into key positions in Ogun State reflects the way forward because it is in line with the United Nations (UN) Policy on Affirmative Action for Women.

He noted that five of his 18 current executive appointments in Ogun State, is allotted to women. Among them are the Director-General of lands and the Attorne-General in the state. “So, all these just goes to show that it is not just about filling the quota of 30 per cent or 35 per cent affirmative action, but it is actually putting women in places where they can deliver and places that had been hitherto reserved for men,” said Amosun, adding, “And the women are proving their worth. I think that is what is important, that our leaders at various levels should take a cue from this.”

According to governor, what women are asking for is equal opportunity. His words: “For every opportunity you give to a man, let the woman also vie for the same position. Let there be equal opportunity, financially, socially and culturally. So, when you have that that is when you can actually measure the performance of woman.”

In his remarks, the national president of the NUJ, who was represented by Silva Okereke, the Secretary of the NUJ in Lagos State, said the title of the book is very idea because it comes at time when women are agitating for equal rights and opportunities with men, which culminated in the Bergin Conference.

While also calling for a replication of more women appointments across the country, he noted that the NUJ reflects that in both its elective and appointment positions.

On her part, the National President of the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Asabe Baba commended the author of the book, Mrs Esther Omame for writing the book, “which inspires and challenges women to be up and doing in order to strive in a competitive society.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

PAGE 39

Beef-up your publicity, PDP tells ministers

By Lawrence Olaoye

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he People’s Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday urged serving ministers under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan to step-up the publicity of heir achievements for the people to know the level they have gone in the implementation of government policies.

The party in a statement released by it’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said it discovered that so much have been achieved by the ministers but not much of these achievements are to the knowledge of the people.

The party leadership said though it is aware that the administration has achieved so much in all the critical sectors of the economy, the scorecards so far presented to it by cabinet ministers in the on-going ministerial briefings have shown that the government has “actually achieved far more than have been widely acknowledged.”

Metuh stated “The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is indeed very surprised at the extent of achievements recorded so far by the President Goodluck Jonathan-led PDP administration.

“We are aware that the administration has recorded tremendous successes in executing its mandate in the critical sectors of the economy, but the scorecards presented by ministers in the on-going PDP ministerial briefing have shown that this administration has actually achieved more than have been widely acknowledged”, the statement said.

The party noted that presentations by ministers who have so far appeared before it, including the Ministers of Works, Water Resources, Mines and Steel, Science and Technology and that of National Planning, show that their activities and successes were under-publicized.

It therefore urged ministers to beef up their publicity departments to give adequate publicity to their activities and achievements.

In the Works sector, the party said it is impressed by the massive projects executed by the President Jonathan-led PDP administration under the

Operation Safe Passage initiative and Zero Pothole Programme which led to the dualization, rehabilitation and maintenance of major trunk roads and hundreds of other major roads projects spread across the country, the recent flag-off of the dualization of the Lokoja-Benin-Auchi road, the imminent award of the Second Niger Bridge project and the repair of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos among others.

Also in the water resources sector, the party expressed surprise at the massive infrastructural projects executed by the current administration.

Similarly, the party said in the mines and steel sector, it was also surprised at the extent of research and collaborations in the exploitation of solid minerals following the generation of geoscience data including two databases, 51 geological maps and analysis of 5,900 rock samples, which led to the increase in investment flow in the non-oil sector.

The PDP therefore urged President Jonathan to discountenance “ill-founded” criticisms by the opposition which it said are directly meant to distract the PDP-led government from delivering on its mandate.

The PDP however carpeted

Anambra 2014: ACN aspirant urges electorate to vote best candidate From Ayodele Samuel,Lagos

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L-R: Member, House of Representatives, Hon. Garba Umar Uba, Chairman, Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Senator Muhammad Magoro, and Hon. Garba Gulma, during the opening ceremony of the National Conference on Executive-Legislature Relations, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Kogi LG polls: CPC says PDP isn’t priority From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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ongress for Progressive Change (CPC), at the flag-off campaign in Lokoja for the local government council polls scheduled for May 4th, described the Peoples Democratic Party government as misplaced priority.

Presenting Alhaji Haruna Isah as the candidate for the

chairmanship contest, CPC said bad governance is a threat to the corporate existence of the people, stressing that the people have suffered greatly under the PDP leadership in the area.

Kassim Mabo, the state chairman of CPC, also stressed that time has come for the party to take over the leadership of Lokoja in view of the suffering in the land,

noting that Lokoja, being the capital of Kogi state, looks like a village due to the neglect it has suffered from PDP government.

He pointed out that if urgent steps were not take to wrest power from PDP, there would be total collapse of the society, maintaining that PDP were pack of cheats.

“The candidate we are

presenting to you today represent the collective wish of the electorate, who cannot remain docile anymore in the face of gross injustice”, Mabo said.

“We are out to answer a clarion call on the platform of CPC, which will save the people of Lokoja local government from been blindfolded by the same trend of leadership”.

Kaduna Gov. tasks citizens on lasting peace

G

ov. Muktar Yero of Kaduna State yesterday urged the people of the state to promote mutual trust, tolerance and understanding, to pave way for lasting peace.

The governor made the call while addressing newsmen during a peace tour and meeting with traditional rulers, religious leaders, youths and stakeholders in the Northern Senatorial District, Zaria.

the opposition for what it called their “anti-democratic disposition” according to it “evident in the manipulation of local council elections in opposition controlled states such as Lagos and Edo, where the polls were characterized by outright rigging and electoral malpractices using their overbearing control of their State Independent Electoral Commissions.

“If they were in charge of the Federal Government, it is obvious that they would have since taken over the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and cripple the nation’s democracy”, it said.

According to the governor, peace is critical to the overall societal growth and development, hence the need to promote it at all times.

The governor advised people of the state to re-introduce family values in their daily dealings with a view to ensuring proper upbringing of the children and thereby reform the entire society.

“Initially, family values existed in the society, where a child

belongs every member of the society and everybody has a stake at ensuring proper child upbringing.

“Its re-introduction will therefore give all manner of people a sense of societal belonging,” he said.

Yero said at a meeting with some youths that they had a vital role to play toward prevailing peace.

“Your suggestions,

contributions and observations are very important to the promotion of peace across the state.”

Youth representatives that spoke from the eight local government areas said the people of Southern Kaduna should treat minorities (Hausa/Fulani) living in their areas kindly and justly.

They said this was necessary bearing in mind that their brothers were also living peacefully in other parts of the state. (NAN)

governorship aspirant on he platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) for the 2014 governorship election in Anambra, Dr Godwin Ezeemo, has urged Anambra people to look beyond party lines for capable and best candidate at the poll.

Speaking with newsmen in Lagos, Ezeemo described Anambra as a very complex state that needed a man capable of bringing the desired change to the state Ezeemo who is the Chairman of Orient Group noted that what Anambra needed is the right individual to pilot the affairs of the state. ”We will get it right if voters will look beyond party affiliations to vote for the individual that can deliver, there is need to look thoroughly at the pedigree of all the candidates that will eventually emerge from the various parties for the election” he said.

“Am happy that the Anambra people are wiser now. They know their sons and daughters and the ones that will be trully acountable.

“For me, the political parties are just vehicles for individuals to use to get to office. A good party with a bad individual is a huge waste of time.

“However a good individual and a wrong party with zero ideologies will be awaste of the people’s mandate.

“This is part of what informed my choice of the ACN as the party to be to actuaise my dreams of bringing change to my state” he said.

“Anambra is a special case when it comes to kidnap and other crimes.

With my plans for power generation for the state which would in turn yield employment and. Rub off on security, Anambra will have its pride of place” he said.

Ezeemo said he was entering politics to also use his exposure and the resources of Anambra to generate employment and ensure better standard of living for the people. “I want to come in and touch the lives of the people positively by ensuring that they create wealth for themselves,” Ezeemo said.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

PAGE 41

CAF U-17 Final: Eaglets set up Cote d’Ivoire rematch brace when he scored in the 58th minute to make it 4-2, while the enterprising Bulbwa was picked offside as he

By Patrick Andrew

N

igeria’s Golden Eaglets defeated their Tunisian counterparts 4-2 yesterday to set up a West African derby final and a rematch on Saturday with the Baby Elephants of Cote d’ Ivoire in an African U-17 Championship.

The Ivorians had stopped hosts Morocco 2-1 in their stride in the first semi-final decided on Tuesday and thus booked a rematch with the Eaglets whose unassailable record they dented with a narrow win during the second match of their group B. Before the defeat, the Eaglets had gone 28 games unbeaten and conceded about a half a dozen goals in both competitive and friendly games.

In yesterday’s match the Eaglets sustained their highscoring reputation as Yahaya Umar secured a brace while tournament’s leading scorer Isaac Success and Kelechi Iheanacho found target one apiece in the game the Nigerians scored thrice under 20 minutes.

The Eaglets had shown intent and purpose early on with their trademark crisp passes and delectable dribbling runs that were climaxed just two minutes into the game by Kelechi Iheanacho’s easy touch to found target.

Then, nine minutes later Yahaya Umar made it 2-0 while the competition’s leading scorer Success scored Nigeria’s third goal in the 20 minute to record his seventh goal of the campaign.

However, the Eaglets became somewhat complacent as they frittered away several begging chances thus allowing the Carthage Eaglets the breather they needed to come into the game and they did.

The Tunisians were only dazed momentarily and they took up gauntlet, regained composure and resilience and came back strongly to score two goals within five minutes with Firas Ben Larbi scoring on 25 minutes for his fourth goal of the tournament, before Hajj Hassan made it 3-2 on the half hour mark.

In fact, the Carthage Eaglets took advantage of the Eaglets complacency and began to attack with reckless abandon causing scare through the flank which seems to be Nigeria’s weak point.

Tunisia almost snatched an unlikely equaliser in the 42nd minute but for the bravery of Nigeria skipper Musa Mohammed, who cleared the ball off the goal line. The Golden Eaglets struggled to compose themselves to survive the onslaught of their opponents when the referee blew the end of the first half.

On resumption, the Tunisians met a transformed Eaglets as the Nigerians rekindled their purposeful display and torn them apart with a keen sense of urgency.

Bernard Bulbwa and Idowu Akinjide shone for the Eaglets in midfield, while Success and Iheanacho stepped up their offensive rhythm as they launched several daring and focused attack on the vital area of the North Africans.

In one of such bombardment, Yahaya Umar got his

came face-to-face with the Tunisia goalkeeper.

Success was unlucky twice as he missed narrowly, while Umar failed to complete his hat-trick when his header sailed over the cross bar in the 80th minute.

Bulbwa then had a shot saved in the 82nd minute, before Ifeanyi Matthew’s effort minutes later was saved.

Substitute Ahmed Umar’s 30-yard free kick would then miss target by a whisker while the centre referee inexplicably ruled offside a fine goal some three minutes to the end of proceeding.

Nigeria and Cote d’ Ivoire in the final on Saturday, while Morocco and Tunisia will have chance for the Losers’ final in yet another rematch. Both ended their group stage game 1-1.

Pillars, Heartland match abandoned after police shooting

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he mouth-watering clash between Kano Pillars and Heartland was abandoned yesterday after the allegedly police shot a fan at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano.

The match was still barren according to Heartland media officer Cajetan Nwokpara some alleged home fans had invaded the pitch and took the laws into their hands, a development that forced Heartland to fear for their safety.

“Our match was inconclusive because some home fans invaded the pitch with knives, cutting the net and trying to remove the goal post after they had done so with the corner flags.

“I don’t really know what caused this. We were escorted to our hotel by the security and everybody in our team is okay,” he said.

However, Pillars media officer Malikawa though admitting some crowd trouble which was handled by the police insisted that the visiting team abandoned the match for no justisfiable reason.

“The match was called off after Heartland refused to continue the game after a fan was shot in the foot by police inside the stadium.

“The fan was said to have done something illegal but he has been rushed to hospital. The match was goalless after half an hour before this incident. Pillars fans would have to be commended for the way and manner they comported themselves during the problem,” said Malikawa.

“The situation was normalised but Heartland refused to continue for fear of their safety despite assurances from the match officials.”

It would be recalled that the same fixture last season also ended amid controversies after Heartland claimed they were manhandled by the Kano fans after they managed a 1-1 draw in Kano.

Isaac Success, was on the score sheet yesterday for the Golden Eaglets

NPFL Results Wikki Tourists 1 Sharks 1 Kwara Utd 2 Nembe City 0 El-Kanemi 2 3SC 0 Gombe Utd 1 Enyimba 0 Kano Pillars 0 Heartland 0 * *The game was abandoned.

Gymnastics coach says 10 gold medals in 2016 Olympic possible

By Albert Akota

G

ymnastics Coach, Tony Asuquo has said that the country has the potential to produce Gymnast who can win up to ten gold medals at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, Asuquo, who is the proprietor of Tony International Gymnastics

Club, said that the country is blessed with talents that can do her proud in i n t e r n a t i o n a l competitions but blamed administrators for the dwindling fortunes of the sport in Nigeria.

He maintained that if given the opportunity, he could assemble a gymnastics team that will represent and win at least, 10 gold medals for the

country at the 2016 Olympics.

“Right now I am targeting the Olympics. I don’t know if I’m going to be called or not but I know I’m going somewhere in gymnastics, “he said.

Nigeria was unable to win a medal at the 2012 London Olympics which prompted President Goodluck Jonathan to organise a sport retreat to

find the root of the rots.

He also attributed the failure of Nigeria sports men and women to do well at international sporting tournament to high level of corruption by administrators in the country.

“If you don’t have money to bribe, they take you off and pick someone else. I was an athlete and I saw it happened. If they wanted to

take from your allowances and you refused, they take you off even if you were the best, “he said.

Asuquo blamed the recent policy of the National Sports Commission where they said that they will only focus on six sports, an idea that emanated from the Presidential retreat on sports, declaring that it is a very wrong step by the

government.

He added that the country has the potentials to do well in all sports, but lamented the only problem is that the country is not getting its priorities right.

The ex-international said without government’s funding, those sports ignored will struggle to make impacts in i n t e r n a t i o n a l competitions.

PAGE 42

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

Tetteh calls up 15 foreign-based pros, 41 locals for FIFA U-20 World Cup

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hana’s U20 team at African Junior ChampionshipGhana U20 coach Sellas Tetteh has named 15 foreign-based players in a preliminary 41-man squad for the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup. The Europe-based youngsters are expected to justify their inclusions next month when the leagues are on break.

But a list of 26 home-based players dominated by those who featured at this year’s African Junior Championship will begin training next Monday in Accra.

The foreign legion includes promising prospects like

Sassuolo’s Richmond BoakyeYiadom who was a member of Ghana’s squad at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

Anderlecht’s Frank Acheampong, who has made one appearance for the senior national team, has been named in the squad and Zak Ansah of Arsenal.

Greuther Furth’s Baba Abdul Rahman and Daniel Amartey of Swedish side Djurgarden IF were called up.

Tetteh wants to build a formidable squad before their Group B opener against France in Istanbul on 22 June before playing Spain three days later

and against USA on 27 June.

The former Rwanda national team coach won the FIFA U20 World Cup with the 2009 Black Satellites team. Ghana finished second at the African championship in Algeria last month losing on penalties to Egypt in the final.

THE LIST Goalkeepers: Felix Annan (Kotoko) Eric Ofori Antwi (Amidaus) Michael Sai (Chelsea) Richard Ofori (Wa All Stars) Defenders: Kofi Koomson (Amidaus) Richard Nketia (Medeama) Jeremiah Arkorful and Joseph Attamah (Tema

Youth) Ebenezer Ofori (New Edubiase) Lawrence Lartey (AshantiGold) Princebell Addico (Bechem) Midfielders: Derrick Mensah and Moses Odjer ( Tema Youth) Seidu Salifu and Emmanuel Gyamfi (Wa All Stars) Ollenu Ashittey (Hearts of Oak) Michael Anaba and Prince Baffoe (Kotoko) Clifford Aboagye (Inter Allies) Jacob Apau and Joseph Gordon (Medeama) Strikers: Francis Narh (Tema Youth) Kennedy Ashia, Selorm Geraldo, Ebenezer Assifuah and Kwame Boahene (Liberty) Foreign-based players:

Hamilton, Disu urge club owners to cooperate with LMC P

aul Hamilton, a former Super Falcons Coach, has appealed to club owners in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) to cooperate with the League Management Committee (LMC) for the game’s progress.

Hamilton, who made the appeal against the backdrop of the recent face-off between the club owners and the LMC, said it would be better for peace to reign between them so that the league could run smoothly without hiccups.

“My own concern in the matter is that I will be happier should the LMC and the club owners make peace so that the

league will not be disrupted in any way.

Isaac Danladi, Acting Chairman of Club Owners

“Let them bury their hatchets and allow the league to move on so that the players do not suffer in the long run with a delayed league,” he said.

The former coach said that he expected club owners to cooperate with the LMC since it was set up by the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) to organise a good competition.

“Currently, players in the league, as far as I know, are not complaining about the way the league is being managed, so I see no reason for the club owners to complain.

“I hope both parties will come to a compromise soon, for the good of all,” Hamilton said.

Another former coach, Tunde Disu, also said that the dispute

Nduka Irabor, Chairman LMC

Adeniji-Adele, says kickboxing not a dangerous sport

A

degboyega Adeniji-Adele, the Technical Director, Lagos State Kickboxing Association, on Wednesday said that the sport was not a dangerous activity, contrary to the views of some sports enthusiasts.

Adeniji-Adele insisted that the sport was a noble and interesting one adding that every sports discipline had its own hazards, adding that kickboxing should not be singled out as a dangerous sport.

According to him, “kickboxing is guided by its set rules and we are rigidly adhering to them, to help us to develop the sport in Nigeria”.

Adeniji-Adele added that the call to scrap the sport was, therefore, not necessary.

It would be recalled that the

Kickboxing event at the 18th National Sports Festival in Lagos was abruptly concluded

by Games Services, over the disturbances that erupted over disputed results.

The Kickboxing Federation of Nigeria (KBFN) later slammed a two-year suspension on Lagos, Edo and Benue states for being the brains behind the disturbance.

Reacting to the development, Adeniji-Adele said that the suspension was not justified, and it would not in any way prevent the state from organising its programmes.

“Lagos, Edo and Benue are the states that have been promoting the sport at the grassroots, the suspension by KBFN are not justified; it can not affect our own

programmes.

“They ought to have heard from the affected states before the

suspension order. There was no consultation of any sort, that is why the suspension is not

Isaac Nana Asare and Anthony Manison (Rayo Vallecano, Spain) Zak Ansah (Arsenals, England) Moro Ibrahim (Aik, Sweden) Alfred Duncan (Inter Milan, Italy) John Antwi (Ismaila, Egypt) Frank Acheampong (Anderlect R.C, Belgium) Daniel Amartey (Djurgården, Sweden) Arago Jamal (Atromitos, Greece) Richmond Boakye Yiadom (Sassuolo, Italy) Lord Ofosuhene (Rio Ave, Portugal) Baba Rahman (Greuther Fürth, Germany) Carlos Ohene (Ael, Cyprus) Paul Quaye (Espanyol, Spain) Ebo Andoh (Ael, Cyprus). between club owners and the LMC should not arise at all.

Disu, a former coach of the U20 national team, said that football was about peace and that it was an irony that stakeholders in the league had engaged in such a dispute, to the game’s detriment.

“I am surprised that there is a dispute between club owners and the LMC at this point in time, when the league needs all the support from stakeholders. And why did their protest not commence immediately the committee was set up by the NFF, but had to wait till now,” he said.

Disu urged club owners in the NPFL to cooperate with the LMC since it was an interim body that would be disbanded after it achieved its aims.

“Let them allow the LMC to work since it is an interim body that was set up to achieve certain objectives by the NFF,” he added. binding on us,’’ he added.

The Technical Director, however, said that the state would soon reel out its programmes to ensure that its athletes are able to remain in shape.

Kick-boxing match in action

Ex- ref Audu says no unseen match incidents

S

unday Audu, the i m m e d i a t e - p a s t Secretary of the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA), has said that incidents that escaped the attention of a referee during a match were usually captured by other match officials.

He said in Lagos that match commissioners and assessors

usually took note of such developments; and address the incidents according to their gravity.

It would be recalled that Luis Suarez of Liverpool FC of England, in one of last weekend’s English Premiership League matches, where Suarez was involved in an incident where Branislav

Ivanovic of Chelsea FC was bitten by Suarez.

In spite of the gravity of the incident, the referee did not witness it and Suarez was able to escape the referee’s red card.

“In a match of that magnitude, there is an assessor and a match commissioner has the duty to assess the match and write a report indicating

the incident.

The Suarez incident generated an uproar in football circles across the world and the English FA has charged the Liverpool striker with violent conduct, after studying footages of the match.

“When such issues arise, the assessor and the match commissioner will discuss and

take appropriate action, and where the referee is at fault, appropriate sanctions are meted out.

“There should be a retrospective action to caution players to be able to draw a line between their professional lives and their temperaments, as the two have to be controlled at all times,” Audu added.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

PAGE 43

Bayern confirm Gotze signing

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ayern Munich has confirmed Mario Gotze will join them in July. The Bundesliga champions are prepared to meet theGermany attacking midfielder's release clause in his contract with Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern announced the signing in a statement on their official website after Dortmund earlier revealed the player had told them he wanted to make the move.

Mario Gotze

Tyson backs Suarez for biting Ivanovic

F

ormer boxer Mike Tyson has offered his backing to Luis Suarez after the Liverpool forward bit Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.

Suarez has been fined by his club and is expected to be handed a lengthy suspension following the incident, which took place during the 2-2 draw at Anfield.

Tyson also earned notoriety when he bit Evander Holyfield’s ear during a 1997 bout, and he told the Glenn David radio show in the US that he was confident Suarez would be able to put the controversy behind him.

“I saw this guy on the Twitter thing and thought I would check it out and see what his journey was all about,” Tyson said, having become one of the footballer’s followers on the social networking site.

“You know, he bit somebody, you know.

Happens, you know what I mean? I’m sure he made amends with his guy. I made amends with Evander, and we go on with our lives.

Suarez has already said that Ivanovic has accepted his apology over the incident, although there are suggestions that may not be the case.

Mike Tyson

A

FC and OFC refereeing teams shortlisted for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil began a training seminar organised by FIFA in Dubai will continue until Thursday.

A total of 27 participants from 13 different countries, divided into nine different trios are currently being put through their paces. Seven come from AFC and two from OFC.

The statement read: "Bayern Munich confirm that the club has reached an agreement with national team player Mario Gotze that he will play for Bayern Munich from 1 July 2013.

Bayern are prepared to meet the release clause agreed betweenBorussia Dortmund and Mario Gotze.

The release clause is reportedly set at 37 million euros (£31.5m), meaning he will become

the most expensive German player of all time.

Dortmund had earlier confirmed that Gotze's agent had informed the club the 20-year-old wanted to move to the Allianz Arena, but stressed they had heard nothing official from the Bavarians.

Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said: "We are obviously disappointed beyond measure, but emphasise that both Mario and his advisers have behaved within the terms of the contract."

Referees seminar for 2014 World Cup kicks-off in Dubai Referees such as Ravshan Irmatov, Yuichi Nishimura, Ben Williams and Peter O’Leary are in attendance, while Ali Hamad flies the flag for UAE, the hosts of the workshop.

The opening of the seminar was in the presence of FIFA’s Head of

Refereeing Massimo Busacca who is supervising proceedings with Yoshimi Ogawa, Director of the AFC Referees Department and Ahmed Yacoob, Director of the UAE FA Referees Department.

The seminar started with fitness training at

Dubai Police Club stadium while on Tuesday, fitness tests for the referees and assistant referees will be conducted.

The programme will also include educational lectures and applied training with the participation of football players.

Spanish media criticize Barcelona, referee B

arcelona was a city in mourning yesterday after Barca’s 4-0 meltdown at Bayern Munich in a onesided Champions League semifinal first leg.

It was Barcelona’s heaviest European defeat since 1997, when they lost by the same result to Dynamo Kiev, and means they now need a football miracle in the second leg at the Camp Nou on May 1 if they are to reach their third continental final in five seasons.

Never in the tournament’s history has a 4-0 deficit been reversed in a second leg.

Barca defender Gerard Pique was honest enough to admit: “They are stronger and faster than us, and play football better. They have given us a real thrashing.”

Unlike several of his teammates and large sections of the media, Pique refused to criticise Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai, saying: “The referee did not have influence in the result.

They were superior. That is all.”

However, Mundo Deportivo labelled Kassai’s handling of the game “calamitous” and

claimed that Bayern’s first three goals “should have been disallowed,” either for fouls or offside.

Radio station RAC-1

Gerard Pique

pointed out that Barca have had dubious goals given against them in all three of their knockout away games, at Bayern,

Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan.

Meanwhile, Barcelona assistant coach Jordi Roura said: “Bayern have to be congratulated. They were very strong; they are a very physical team.

We didn’t play all that badly in the first half but then they scored quite early in the second from a strategic move and from there it was difficult.

The Spanish media agreed that Barca’s two problems in Munich were the poor physical condition of World Player Lionel Messi - just back after two weeks out with a strained hamstring and some appalling defending.

Radio Marca claimed that it was “one of Messi’s poorest ever performances,” while AS called him “a shadow of his usual self.”

An online poll taken by Mundo Deportivo showed that only 19 per cent of readers think Barca can now save the tie.

Veteran playmaker Xavi said: “We are sad but we have to recognise that they were superior.

Perhaps the result is a little exaggerated, but they were superior. We have to congratulate them.

Real Madrid UCL success will be special, says Mourinho

W

inning the Champions League with Real Madrid would be Jose Mourinho’s biggest achievement, says former Bernabeu defender Michel Salgado.

Mourinho, who is hoping to become the first manager to win the trophy with three clubs, must first get past Borussia Dortmund in the semifinal.

Despite a disappointing La Liga campaign, with Real currently 13 points behind leaders Barcelona, Mourinho, who is yet to decide on his future in Spain, remains one of the most respected coaches in Europe.

He has won league titles in his native Portugal, England, Italy and Spain, and has enjoyed Champions League triumphs with Porto and Inter Milan.

“Winning the Champions League here for Mourinho would prove a lot. It would be his biggest achievement - the top thing in this world is winning the Champions League with Real Madrid.

Real, who have won a record nine European Cups, travel to the Westfalenstadion for the first leg of their semi-final against Dortmund today, while Bayern Munich played Barcelona in Germany yesterday, with the possibility of a first ever El Clasico final at Wembley in May still a possibility.

But Salgado, who made more than 250 appearances in 10 years at Real before leaving for Blackburn Rovers in 2009, believes Bayern Munich are the team to beat.

Michel Salgado

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

Pacman conquerors, Marquez and Bradley to slug it out September

T

Juan Manuel Marquez

he only fighters to defeated Manny Pacquiao last year, Juan Manuel Marquez and Timothy Bradley are set to confront each other in the ring come September, this year.

The Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday that Marquez, a Mexican, and Bradley, an undefeated American, were eager to meet in the ring.

Promoter Bob Arum told the newspaper the two would fight in Las Vegas on September 14 for the WBW welterweight title that Bradley took from Pacquiao by split decision last June.

“Marquez wants to fight Bradley and Bradley wants to fight Marquez,” Arum said.

The deal pushes back plans for a possible fifth fight between Pacquiao and Marquez, who

knocked out the Filipino star in the sixth round last December after suffering a draw and two narrow defeats in early fights against “PacMan.” Arum said the big stumbling block to a fifth fight between Marquez and Pacquiao was Pacquiao insisting that it take place in Macau or Singapore, where he could avoid a 40 per cent tax on his prize money.

Marquez was not convinced a fight against Pacquiao in Asia would earn as much from payper-view television, Arum said.

Marquez, whose professional record is 55-6, with one draw and 40 knockouts, has not fought since beating Pacquiao. Bradley, who stands at 30-0, with 12 knockouts, comes off a unanimous but narrow points victory in a title defence over

Russia’s Ruslan Provodnikov last month.

Pacquiao (54-5, with two drawn and 38 knockouts) will fight an American in Singapore or Macau later this year either Brandon Rios (31-1-1, with 23 knockouts) or Mike Alvarado (34-1, with 23 knockouts), Arum told the Times.

Rios dealt Alvarado his first defeat with a seventh-round stoppage last October but Alvarado won their rematch on points last month.

Unbeaten Floyd Mayweather has been planning to fight in Las Vegas on September 14, depending on the outcome of his face-off next week with fellow American Robert Guerrero.

Mexican Saul Alvarez is a possible opponent for the September tournament.

Timothy Bradley

Farah tastes grounds for next year’s London Marathon

O

lympic champion Mo Farah has set his sights on adding to his growing collection of British longdistance records when he makes his full London Marathon debut next year.

Already, Farah, who holds national records on the track at 5 000 and 10 000 metres, ran half of the Marathon course during the anniversary Games races last Sunday just to get a

W

orld champion over 100m,Yohan Blake and his counterpart on the cross-country, Japhet Korir, have joined the list of the latest signings for the Belgacom Memorial Van Damme, one of two finals in the IAAF Diamond Leagueseries, in Brussels on September 6.

The has been a happy stomping ground for Blake will return to the King Baudouin Stadium in the Belgian capital where he posted his sensational 19.26 clocking over 200m in 2011. That performance remains the second-fastest in history and ranks him between Usain Bolt and Michael Johnson on the alltime list.

Last year, he in Brussels and again impressed in the 200m, winning in 19.54 the thirdfastest time of his career behind his 19.26 and the 19.44

2013 IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE CALENDAR Doha, QAT – 10 May Shanghai, CHN – 18 May New York, USA – 25 May Eugene, USA – 1 Jun Rome, ITA – 6 Jun Oslo, NOR – 13 Jun Birmingham, GBR – 30 Jun Lausanne, SUI – 4 Jul Paris, FRA – 6 Jul Monaco, MON – 19 Jul London, GBR – 26-27 Jul Stockholm, SWE – 22 Aug Zürich, SUI – 29 Aug Brussels, BEL – 6 Sep

taste for the unique challenges of the event so he can last the distance in 12 months time.

Having kept up with the leading group as they covered the first half in world record pace, Somalia-born Farah, who won gold in the 5 000 and 10 000 metres at the London Olympics last year, will look to shatter Steve Jones’ British record of two hours seven minutes 13 seconds when he competes for real.

“I’m looking forward to it and I hope that I can do it,” Farah said on Monday.

“I would like to get close to it. It would be nice to come out in my first marathon and to smash that rather than having a bad one and running 2:13 or 2:10. I would like to go inside 2:09 and then anything can happen.

“But it will be my first marathon so we don’t know what to expect. Yes, I am good at the

half marathon, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I am going to be great at the marathon.

“You’ve seen someone like Zersenay Tadese, who’s the world record holder at half marathon and it just hasn’t quite worked out for him at the marathon. It’s a challenge.”

While Farah’s first taste of the race has left him thirsty for more, the 30-year-old knows the last British man to win the London

Marathon was Eamonn Martin 20 years ago.

Expectations will be high in his first 26.2 mile outing, but Farah admitted that the pace as the leaders went over Tower Bridge just before halfway was a shock.

“You can’t just think, ‘This is my first marathon, I’m going to smash it. It doesn’t happen like that. It might happen one time and you might get it right, but it’s a challenge’,” he added.

Blake, Korir for IAAF Diamond League in Brussels clocking he ran to win Olympic silver behind Bolt in London last summer.

Six-time Olympic gold medallist Bolt, Blake’s training partner, has already signed up for the Belgacom Memorial Van Damme. It means that for the third year in a row both Jamaican superstars will grace the Brussels track for the Diamond League final.

At the other end of the distance spectrum, newlyminted World cross-country champion Japhet Korir will compete in the longest track race of the evening’s programme, the 5000m.

The Kenyan, who at just 19 years old last month became the youngest ever winner of the senior men’s crown at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, has already got his track season underway, easily winning the 5000m at the Melbourne IAAF World Challenge meeting earlier this month.

Korir, who until now has never competed in a Diamond League event, is eager to get into faster races so that he can improve on his PB of 13:11.44 set indoors last year.

Yohan Blake

Japhet Korir

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

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PICTORIAL 1] Liverpool forward Luis Suarez has been suspended for ten games by the Football Association after being found guilty of violent conduct for his bite on Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic. The Uruguayan has until Friday to appeal the decision, which the club is "shocked and disappointed.

2] Felipe Santana, Borussia Dortmund's goal hero in their dramatic quarter-final win over Malaga, speaks to FIFA about his 'miracle man' reputation and tonight's semi-final against Real Madrid.

3] Tyson Fury's trainer and Uncle Peter Fury say there will be no rematch with Steve Cunningham.

4] Exeter Chiefs hooker Neil Clark will leave the Premiership club after signing a two-year deal with French side Oyonnax.

5] Lionel Messi said Bayern Munich's strength, not his own lack of fitness, was behind Barcelona's 4-0 hammering in their Champions League semi-final first leg.

6] Four-time gold medallist Jason Smyth is disappointed by his omission from London Anniversary Games.

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

Armstrong faces £78m US government lawsuit

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he US government is seeking damages to the tune of £78m from Lance Armstrong and his associates, arguing that the disgraced cyclist had been “unjustly enriched” by doping and had defrauded a federal agency.

Armstrong, who has been stripped of the seven Tour de France titles won between 1999 and 2005, is named alongside former United States Postal Service (USPS) team manager Johan Bruyneel and management company, Tailwind Sports as defendants in the suit.

In conjunction with whistle-blower Floyd Landis, a former team-

mate of Armstrong who was stripped of the Yellow Jersey for doping at the 2006 Tour de France, the United States Justice Department is pursuing damages under the False Claims Act. After being stripped of his titles and banned from WADA-sanctioned competition for life in 2012, Armstrong admitted to doping during all seven of his Tour de France triumphs in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey in January 2013.

The lawsuit is pursuing the sponsorship money paid to Armstrong by USPS, the governmentrun title sponsor of the

American’s team for six of his seven Tour wins, on

The facilities visited are the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere,; the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka; Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH); the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Yaba and the National Stadium, Surulere.

At the Teslim Balogun Stadium, the swimming pool was in good condition and maintenance officers were seen cleaning the pool and adding chemicals to make the water clean.

The main bowl of the stadium, the volleyball courts and the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall were all in good condition, though the squash courts were under lock but the surroundings were neat.

Although, some of the toilets have lost their key

handles, but they still looked neat and cleaners engaged for their cleanliness were at work at the time of the visit.

The Manager, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Okanlawon Lawal, told NAN that the facilities had been given up-to-date maintenance for them not to deteriorate.

“The state government spent so much on these facilities and will not watch them deteriorate; that is why they have been maintaining them frequently,’’ he said.

At the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Yaba, the basketball, volleyball and tennis courts were also in good state and had hosted several competitions since the festival ended.

The weightlifting, wrestling, judo and traditional sports

the grounds that Armstrong and Bruyneel

Lance Armstrong

had defrauded the US government by breaking the terms of their sponsorship contract.

According to court papers filed on Tuesday the court deadline for action on Landis’ 2010 complaint - USPS paid £26.2m to be the title sponsor of Armstrong’s team, paying the 41-yearold a salary of £11.7m before bonuses.

“Defendants were unjustly enriched to the extent of the payments and other benefits they received from the USPS, either directly or indirectly,” the complaint said.

The government is seeking triple losses of the

sponsorship funds and has asked for a jury trial. As joint-plaintiff, Landis could receive up to 25% of any money recovered.

Armstrong’s attorney Elliot Peters labelled the government suit “opportunistic” and “insincere”.

“The US Postal Service benefited tremendously from its sponsorship of the cycling team,” Peters said.

“Its own studies repeatedly and conclusively prove this. The USPS was never the victim of fraud.

“Lance Armstrong rode his heart out for the USPS team, and gave the brand tremendous exposure during the sponsorship years.”

halls of residence used by state contingents still wore good looks, which showed that the school authorities were maintaining what was bequeathed to them by the Games.

The sports facilities used for the “Eko 2012’’ are also in good shape, but the grass of the football pitch at the college was overgrown with weeds.

Sports facilities and hostels at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) were also in good condition.

The venue which hosted Abula, a traditional sport, the volleyball courts and the Indoor Sports Hall used for judo and kickboxing, are well maintained.

However, NAN could not reach the authorities of the institutions for comments on how they felt about the facilities which were renovated for them during the Games by the Lagos State Government.

Facilities used for ‘Eko 2012’ still in good state T

he officials in charge of the facilities used for the 2012 Sports 18 th National Festival in Lagos, tagged “Eko 2012,’’ have promised to continue to maintain them to prevent dilapidation.

The sports fiesta held between Nov. 27 and Dec. 9.

The managers of the facilities made the promise when correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) went round them on Wednesday, five months after the Games.

They said their maintenance was imperative because of the huge funds spent in installing them.

The check by NAN showed that most of the facilities were in good condition, as they were frequently maintained by the state government.

gymnasiums were still in good shape and athletes were seen training with the modern equipment procured for the fiesta.

The spokesman for the State Sports Council, Bashir Agunloye, told NAN that the complex had continued to host various sporting events with athletes besieging the place daily for training.

At the National Stadium, the renovated Knock-up Hall, as well as the open pitch for traditional sports, were being maintained and used for training by athletes.

The weightlifting gymnasium at the stadium was under lock, to prevent miscreants from vandalising the water closet and misusing the place.

At YABATECH, the

Gov. Babatunde Fashola

Players skills have improved, says NSF president

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Teslim Balogun Stadium

he Nigeria Squash Federation (NSF) on W e d n e s d a y commended the level of performance of players at the ongoing Sen. David Mark National Squash Championships.

The NSF President, Femi Ajagbe, said in Lagos that the championships were bound to hone the skills of participating players.

The 2 nd edition of the David Mark Championships served-off in Abuja on April 21, to be concluded on April 25.

“I must say that I am impressed by the skills they have exhibited; they have really improved from what we used to see, and this is highly commendable.

“I think their exposure to various competitions have really changed a lot about their pattern of play; the game is faster and more interesting.

“Whoever wins deserves to win because there is no player there that does not deserve the winning prize, based on what I have seen so far,’’ Ajagbe added.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

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Strange Life Facts

•Did you know that sea horses are the only animal species on this planet where the reproduction takes place among males?

Weird, we know! Male sea horses conceive and give birth to their offspring and can produce as many as two thousand fries at a time. What's more interesting is that, these supposedly unique marine creatures are inept swimmers and often die of exhaustion when trapped in stormy seas.

•Did you know that a polar bear could run up to 25 miles per hour and jump up to 6 feet high? These furry predators have insulated fur that is actually transparent and not white and is usually invisible under infrared photography. In addition to this, just in case you didn't know, all polar bears are left handed!

Say what?

•Were stretched out back-to-back, it could form an outsized string that can go up to 60,000 miles long, which would be twice as long as the circumference of the earth?

•Venus, fondly called as Earth's twin, is the only planet in the solar system that revolves round the Sun in a clockwise direction while rest of the planets move anticlockwise. Also, Venus takes 243 days to complete its rotation round the sun while Earth takes only 24 hours to do the same.

•'Fetus in fetu' is an extremely rare pregnancy anomaly where the fetus gets trapped inside its twin's body, living like a parasite unless surgically removed. A parasitic fetus is anencephalic, which means it lacks brains and other internal organs and leeches on its twin's blood.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

•Did you know that on an average, every person accidentally consumes almost about 430 bugs every year of his life?

Strange, but true!

•You may have often heard of the common expression, "It's raining cats and dogs". But have you ever seen frogs and fish actually falling from the sky. Weird it might be, but there have been real occasions when fish and frogs actually dropped from the sky, making it one of the weirdest of living facts.

•Did you know that the lint in your belly button actually comes from the innerwear you wear?

SUDOKU

Last edition’s solution

Amazing: This spectacular frozen waterfall was created out of a building in Jilin city in Jilin, China, after the owner left the hot tap running.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

www.peoplesdailyng.com

. . . putting the people first

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

SPORTS LA TEST LATEST

Suarez face ten-match ban

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uis Suarez has been banned for ten matches for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic, the Football Association has announced.

The sanction was imposed today by an independent regulatory commission on a charge of violent conduct against the Liverpool striker.

Suarez has until midday on Friday to appeal the additional suspension. In a statement, Liverpool's managing director Ian Ayre said the club was "shocked and disappointed" by the suspension.

The ten-match ban will see Suarez miss Liverpool's remaining four games of this season and the first six domestic matches of the next campaign, potentially ruling the Uruguayan striker out until October.

Suarez had pleaded guilty to the charge of violent conduct but had denied the FA's claim that the standard punishment of three matches was "clearly insufficient" for the offence.

The three-person regulatory commission included a former player and dealt with the case under the FA's fast-track system.

Suarez had apologised on Monday to Ivanovic, who suffered a bruised arm from the bite, and the Chelsea defender acknowledged the apology.

Liverpool moved quickly to deal with the latest crisis surrounding their star striker and imposed a club fine which is being donated to the Hillsborough families' support group.

Luis Suarez ADVERT: BUSINESS: NEWS: LAGOS:

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QUO TABLE Q UO TE UOT QUO UOTE Yes, I have been in Warri for more than a week now and since the beginning of this year, we have been in Warri... I will be making my presence here more visible than before — Dr. Emmanauel Uduaghan, Delta state Governor, on why he has relocated from Asaba, the state capital

Terrorist plots, hatched by the FBI

In light of recent awful events in Boston, Canada, Spain and elsewhere that have triggered a sharp spike in anti-Muslim sentiment, as well as what is happening in Nigeria, I thought these excerpts from an op-ed published in the prestigious New York Times would be interesting.

We shall continue to pray that all who take life extra- judicially for whatever reason, in Baga, North East Nigeria or even in the quiet killing fields of Burma, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan or Somalia - and those who instigate such bloodshed around the world will one day be found out. We pray that they shall face prosecution in a court of law and justice, whatever their colour, shape, size or ...religion. Amen.

This piece was published almost exactly a year ago and can be found at this link: http:// www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/ opinion/sunday/terrorist-plotshelped-along-by-thefbi.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

CAR TEL OPIA CARTEL TELOPIA With Aisha Yolah ayolah06@yahoo.com 08086296783 (text only please)

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he United States has been narrowly saved from lethal terrorist plots in recent years - or so it has seemed.

A would-be suicide bomber was intercepted on his way to the Capitol; a scheme to bomb synagogues and shoot Stinger missiles at military aircraft was developed by men in Newburgh, N.Y.; and a fanciful idea to fly explosive-laden model planes into the Pentagon....

But all these dramas were facilitated by the FBI, whose undercover agents and informers posed as terrorists offering a dummy missile, fake C-4 explosives, a disarmed suicide vest and rudimentary training.

Suspects naïvely played their parts until they were arrested.

When an Oregon college student, Mohamed Osman Mohamud, thought of using a car bomb to attack a festive Christmas-tree lighting ceremony in Portland, the FBI provided a van loaded with six 55-gallon drums of "inert material," harmless blasting caps, a detonator cord and a gallon of diesel fuel to make the van smell flammable. An undercover FBI agent even did the driving, with Mr. Mohamud in the passenger seat. To trigger the bomb the student punched a number into a cellphone and got no boom, only a bust.

This is legal, but is it legitimate? Without the FBI, would the culprits commit

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President Barack Obama violence on their own? Is cultivating potential terrorists the best use of the manpower designed to find the real ones? Judging by their official answers, the FBI and the Justice Department are sure of themselves - too sure, perhaps.... ....To underscore their predisposition, many suspects are "warned about the seriousness of their plots and given opportunities to back out," said Dean Boyd, a Justice Department spokesman. But not always, recorded conversations show.

Sometimes they are coaxed to continue.

Undercover operations, long practiced by the FBI, have become a mainstay of counterterrorism, and they have changed in response to the post-9/11 focus on prevention. "Prior to 9/11 it would be very unusual for the FBI to present a crime opportunity that wasn't in the scope of the activities that a person was already involved in," said Mike German of the American Civil Liberties Union, a lawyer and former FBI agent who infiltrated white supremacist groups. .....

Typically, the stings initially target suspects for pure speech -

comments to an informer outside a mosque, angry postings on Web sites, e-mails with radicals overseas - then woo them into relationships with informers, who are often convicted felons working in exchange for leniency, or with FBI agents posing as members of Al Qaeda or other groups.

Some targets have previous involvement in more than idle talk: for example, Waad Ramadan Alwan, an Iraqi in Kentucky, whose fingerprints were found on an unexploded roadside bomb near Bayji, Iraq, and Raja Khan of Chicago, who had sent funds to an Al Qaeda leader in Pakistan.

But others seem ambivalent, incompetent and adrift, like hapless wannabes looking for a cause that the informer or undercover agent skillfully helps them find. Take the Stinger missile defendant James Cromitie, a low-level drug dealer with a criminal record that included no violence or hate crime, despite his rants against Jews. "He was searching for answers within his Islamic faith," said his lawyer, Clinton W. Calhoun III, who has appealed his conviction. "And this informant, I think, twisted that search in a really pretty awful way, sort of misdirected Cromitie in his search and turned him towards violence."

The informer, Shahed Hussain, had been charged with fraud, but avoided prison and deportation by working undercover in another investigation. He was being paid by the FBI to pose as a wealthy Pakistani with ties to Jaish-eMohammed, a terrorist group that Mr. Cromitie apparently had never heard of before they met by

chance in the parking lot of a mosque.

"Brother, did you ever try to do anything for the cause of Islam?" Mr. Hussain asked at one point.

"O.K., brother," Mr. Cromitie replied warily, "where you going with this, brother?"

Two days later, the informer told him, "Allah has more work for you to do," and added, "Revelation is going to come in your dreams that you have to do this thing, O.K.?" About 15 minutes later, Mr. Hussain proposed the idea of using missiles, saying he could get them in a container from China. Mr. Cromitie laughed.

Reading hundreds of pages of transcripts of the recorded conversations is like looking at the inkblots of a Rorschach test.

Patterns of willingness and hesitation overlap and merge. "I don't want anyone to get hurt," Mr. Cromitie said, and then explained that he meant women and children. "I don't care if it's a whole synagogue of men." It took 11 months of meandering discussion and a promise of $250,000 to lead him, with three co-conspirators he recruited, to plant fake bombs at two Riverdale synagogues.

"Only the government could have made a 'terrorist' out of Mr. Cromitie, whose buffoonery is positively Shakespearean in its scope," said Judge Colleen McMahon, sentencing him to 25 years.

The judge's statement was unusual, but Mr. Cromitie's characteristics were not. His incompetence and ambivalence could be found among other aspiring terrorists whose grandiose plans were nurtured by law enforcement. They included men who wanted to attack fuel lines at Kennedy International Airport; destroy the Sears Tower (now Willis Tower) in Chicago; carry out a suicide bombing near Tampa Bay, Fla., and bomb subways in New York and Washington. Of the 22 most frightening plans for attacks since 9/11 on American soil, 14 were developed in sting operations......

Written by David K. Shipler, the author of "Rights at Risk: The Limits of Liberty in Modern America."A version of this op-ed appeared in print on April 29, 2012, on page SR4 of the New York edition with the headline: Terrorist Plots, Hatched by the FBI

Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako, Abuja. Kano office: Plot 3, Zaria Road, Opposite Kano State House of Assembly. Lagos Office: No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: +234-09-8734478. Cell: +234 803 7007 759. e-mail: contact@peoplesdaily-online.com; pmlnewsdesk@gmail.com ISSN: 2141– 6141