Peoples Daily Newspaper, Wednesday 26, September, 2012

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

Wednesday, September 26, 2012. . . putting the people first

Vol. 9 No. 33

Reps condemn Saudi for detaining Nigerian pilgrims >> PAGE 2

Maku begs Senate over utterances >> PAGE 2

Zhul-Qadah 9, 1433 AH

N150

2012 Hajj: Nigerians boycott looms >> PAGE 5

We’ve no record of national awardees – FG Seeks N80 million for e-library

By Richard Ihediwa

T

he controversy surrounding the award of honours by the Presidency has taken a new twist as the Presidency yesterday told the Senate that government does not

have a full list of those it has honoured since the inception of the scheme.

The Permanent Secretary,

Special Duties at the Presidency, Henry Akpan, stated this at a meeting with the Senate Committee on Special Duties at

the National Assembly yesterday.

Akpan told the Senator Clever Ikisikpo led committee

that government does not have any record of the full list of the awardees.

Contd on Page 2

Staff of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), protesting over poor working condition and calling for the sack of their Director General, Ms. Arunma Oteh, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo PD INDEX

25th Sept., 2012

CBN RATES $ £ EURO CFA RIYAL

BUYING 154.7 250.9 200 0.2867 41

SELLING 155.7 252.5 201 0.3067 41.5

PARALLEL RATES EURO £ RIYAL $

BUYING 202 257 40 158

SELLING 204 259 42 160

Transcorp, Otedola, others to take over power generation

By Abdulwahab Isa

T

ransnational Corporation (Transcorp) and four other companies including one partly owned by business mogul Femi Otodela were yesterday named as preferred bidders for the privatisation of five Power Holding Company (PHCN) successor generation companies as part of

plans to privatise the country's electricity sector.

The opening of financial bids presided over by the Chairman,

Ughelli Geregu Sapele Kainji Shiroro

Technical Committee of the National Council on Privatization (NCP), Mr. Atedo Peterside, was held yesterday in Abuja at the

Transcorp Consortium Forte Oil CMEC/EUAFRIC Consortium Mainstream Energy S. Ltd North-South P. Company Ltd

$300m $132m $201m $50.76m $23.602m

Transcorp Hilton Hotel.

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) named a consortium, Transcorp and WoodRock/Symbion Power Consortium, as the highest bidder for the Ughelli Power Company as it offered $300 million for 100 percent control.

The consortium out-bided Amperion Power Distribution Contd on Page 2

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

CONTENTS

Reps condemn Saudi for detaining Nigerian pilgrims

News

By Lawrence Olaoye

2-11

Editorial

12

Op.Ed

13

Letters

14

Opinion

15

Metro

16-18

Business

18-19

Property

24

Motoring

28

Arts

29

Mint staff arrested for printing fake naira, Page 6

Inter’l Discourse

31-34 36

Politics

37-40

Sports

41-47

Columnist

48

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

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

Phones for News: 070-37756364 09-8734478

T

he House of Representatives yesterday condemned the detention of about 400 Nigerian female pilgrims by the Saudi Arabian authorities in Jeddah for not having their male partners accompanying them.

The new rule, it was gathered affected female pilgrims who are aged 40 and below. The pilgrims were detained on arrival at the Jeddah Airport last

Sunday.

Also in its resolution on a motion moved by the Deputy Minority Leader, Abdurrahman Kawu, the House directed the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to urgently wade into the matter, with a view to ensuring that the female pilgrims are allowed to perform the Hajj.

Kawu in his submission expressed surprise that the affected pilgrims were people who applied for Saudi Arabia visas, and were

approved by its Embassy without such rules being made known to them, adding that the action therefore negates the long standing understanding between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia on Hajj performance.

Offering clarifications on the state of the matter, Chairperson of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Nnena Elendu-Ukeje who said the action was first of its kind, noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was currently on the matter, which she explained

was “under control.”

Her committee has also been specifically directed by Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to follow up the matter, and to brief the House at Thursday’s sitting.

However, Chairman of the House Committee on the Millennium Development Goals, Alhassan Ado Garba who disclosed three of his sisters from Kano state were victims of the incident said he was not comfortable with the “being on top of the situation” assertion of the government.

Maku begs Senate over utterances

By Richard Ihediwa

A

midst threat by the Senate to prevail on President Jonathan to sack him, Minister of Information Labaran Maku, yesterday apologised to the Senate over statements credited to him that the resolution of the Senate were not binding on the executive.

Maku appeared in the Senate few hours after Senate President David Mark at plenary lambasted him for the statement and threatened that the Senate would initiate moves for his sack.

A visibly angry Mark described the minister as a public officer who talks carelessly without thinking first of the implications of his utterances adding that he must be called to order.

Mark said: “I think the Information Minister is a careless talker. He talks very carelessly. He did not think properly. He is not an educator and we need to

educate him. I hope that the President cautions him and call him to order.”

He said the any minister or Presidential aide who talked carelessly must be removed even as he announced that the Senate will adopt tougher clearance processes for ministerial nominees.

He observed that the comments by Maku were indicative of the levity of his screening at the Senate.

His words, “I think this is a hard lesson for the way they talk for senators who ask ministers here to take a bow and go during screening Maku was later summoned to clarify his statements on National Assembly resolutions.

Appearing before the Senate Committee on Information and Public Affairs after plenary, Maku apologized to the Senate and admitted that he made the statements under pressure.

He also informed the committee that his statements

were not intended to disrespect the National Assembly but was misinterpreted.

According to him, “I have no reason to denigrate the authority of the highest legislative body. The Senate being the highest legislative body has played very constructive role in the stabilization of Nigeria’s democracy.

“I have no reason personally or individually to disparage the Senate. If that comment has been misinterpreted to mean that the Federal Government does not respect resolutions of the Senate, I tender my apology.

“I know that there are circumstances that the resolutions of the National Assembly carry force of law. There are resolutions that are meant as guidelines, but in any case, it does not mean that the President would not obey them. It was never intended to disrespect the Senate.”

At the end of the meeting,

Information Minister, Labaran Maku Chairman of the committee, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe urged the minister and other government officials to desist from making inflammatory comments, stressing that the National Assembly is desirous of working with the executive to make Nigeria better.

We’ve no record of national awardees – FG Contd from Page 1 “There is no record of the full list of those who had received the award so far”, Akpan said.

Lawmakers at the meeting expressed shock over the revelation and wondered why such should be the case.

The permanent secretary however made a case for the establishment of an e-library for which the executive has

planned a budget of N80 million.

He told the committee that of the N80 million budgeted, N44.6 million was appropriated but that out of the amount, only N18.10 million has so far been released.

The lack of data base is apparently responsible for the mix up including duplications usually encountered during the

selection of awardees.

It would be recalled that in 2011 former Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Domkat Bali, who was already a holder of the second highest medal of Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON) was listed for a lower Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR).

Public outrage has been trailing the award with many

Nigerians including civil society organisations calling for a review of the exercise after claims that many of the awardees are questionable characters.

President Goodluck Jonathan after presiding over this year’s award last week announced that he would withdraw the award from any past recipient found wanting.

Transcorp, Otedola, others to take over power generation Contd from Page 1 Consortium, which offered $252million to emerge the reserve bidder and Feniks Electricity Consortium, which offered only $54million BPE also named another group of companies which includes Forte Oil, a petrol firm owned by Otedola as preferred bidder for Geregu Power plant with a bid of $132 million.

The ConsortiumAmperion Power Distribution initially offered $128,250 million, an amount the NCP Technical Chairman said was below the reserved price of $132 million, but the firm was able to match the

reserved price of $132 million.

For Sapele Power generation plant, CMEC/EUAFRIC Energy Consortium emerged the highest bidder with an offer price of $201 million.

In the category of Hydro generation firms undertaken as concessioned, Mainstream Energy Solutions Ltd was declared winner as it offered for Kainji $50.760 million an offer above the reserve price of $50.760 million The North-South Power Company Ltd which bided for Shiroro dam offered $23.602 million and a commencement fee of $111,654 million. On Afam Power Plc, the

sixth generation company put up for sale, the privatisation agency said no bidder was technically qualified for the company.

Speaking at the event, Atedo Peterside said the bid opening was a watershed that will re-define Nigeria quest to put an end to persistent power problem.

Earlier in her opening remarks, Director –General of BPE Ms. Bolanle Onagoruwa enthused that NCP will continue to ensure that electricity sector privatization transactions are completed to the best of internationally accepted standards.

The World Bank, U.S Agency for International Development

(USAID), Department for International Development (DFID) and African Development Bank (AfDB) sent observers to the event.

Also representatives of Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) observed the event.

Prices offered by preferred bidders, would be communicated to the National Council on Privatization (NCP), the highest decision making organ of privatization for final approval.

The highest bidders for the electricity distribution companies are due to be announced on Oct. 16.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 3

Floods: Senate asks FG to intervene From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

T

he Senate has called on the Federal Government to immediately assist victims of flood-ravaged communities across the country.

A motion moved by Senator Danladi Sankara (Jigawa) at the plenary yesterday, noted that “a lot of people have lost their lives from mid-July to date to heavy downpour while properties worth billions of naira have been lost and destroyed by the floods.”

He said the floods have ravaged many states especially those on the shores of rivers Niger, Benue, Cross River, the Gongola and others.

In his contribution, Senator Nurudeen Abatemi Usman (Kogi) urged the Federal Government to use all her resources in bringing succour to the affected people.

Usman said: “I think this is a national disaster of immeasurable proportion and this is one that the Federal Government should declare as a national disaster.”

In his remark, Senate President David Mark stressed the need for the country’s response capacity to disaster.

The Senate urged the Federal Government to present a supplementary budget to address the immediate needs of the flood victims.

…as FG urges construction firms to open Lokoja-Abuja highway

T Director-General, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Malam Abubakar Jijiwa (left), with Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku (right), during the launching of a book on Assessment of Nigerian University Environment, yesterday in Abuja. With them is Chairman, Educational Support Services, Mr. Temple Onyeukwu (Middle).

Photo: NAN

he Federal Government has contracted the three major construction companies in the country to salavage the submerged Lokoja-Abuja highway and open it up for vehicular movement within three days.

Minister of Works, Arch Mike Onolememen disclosed this in Government House, Lokoja on a

Again SEC boils as Oteh elevates contract staff to HoD

By Abdulwahab Isa and Nasir Muhammad

T

he face –off between Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) staff and the Director-General, Ms. Arunma Oteh , escalated yesterday with the handing of a fresh two weeks ultimatum directing her to reverse the posting of a contract staff to head the internal control unit.

SEC staff resumed duties in the morning hour of yesterday, prepared for a showdown with the management as they trooped out clutching placards with various inscriptions like “Oteh must go”, “No to tyranny and highhandedness” The staff under aegis of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE)

protested the re-deployment of Mr. Omotayo Adeleke, an unregularized contract staff who served as a Technical Adviser to the DG before his posting to head the Internal Control Department.

Peoples Daily learnt that yesterday’s protest was triggered by a purported query issued by DG to union leaders who had expressed discontent with the posting.

Secretary to the staff Union, Mr. John Briggs confirmed to Peoples Daily in a phone conversation that such a sensitive position was not meant for a contact staff whose appointment was yet to be regularized by the board.

Also speaking yesterday, Chairperson of the Union, Muhammed Salihu, said “It’s against public service for a contract staff whose employment has not been regularized made to head the

audit of the commission, adding that Mr. Omotayo, by virtue of his former position would not constitute a sufficient check to executive or administrative excesses. His redeployment should therefore be reserved”.

Salihu said the union also observed that the Commission had paid amount totaling N48, 524,899.59 and $21,228.00 undue payment of salaries, allowances and estacode to Personal Advisers and Assistants of the Director General whom she brought into the commission on her appointment.

The union leaders were arrested by the State Security Service(SSS) and released yesterday.

Responding to these allegations yesterday in a phone chat with Peoples Daily, Mr. Obi Adindu (Special Assistant) on Media described the protesters as a

handful staff, who had been severed from enjoying the old order.

He said the new head of the control unit is much more eminently qualified as fellow of ICAN to occupy the office as against the former person who read Demography and was posted to internal control unit as a favour.

Adinudu said that the rule of engagement in public service did not forbid Oteh from posting a staff to a unit she felt the officer was capable of handling.

Oteh has been engaged in a running battle with staff and the House of Representatives committee on capital market. The development culminated in her proceeding on compulsory leave as she was accused by the immediate past board of the commission of irregularities in the handling Project 50.

CAN condemns Bauchi church Jonathan to present 2013 budget concern over the security of his ministers against unguarded attack Christians on the day of the blast to NASS Oct 4 utterances while reacting to the

By Muhammad Nasir

T

he Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) yesterday condemned the bomb attack on St. John’s Catholic Cathedral Bauchi that killed ten people and injured several others.

The Bauchi State CAN chairman, Rev.Lawi Pokti expressed surprise at the suicide bomb blast havig thought that the attacks on churches had stopped , adding that the Bauchi State government did not show enough

before and after the church service, a charge denied by the Bauchi State government.

However, Pokti appealed to the federal and Bauchi State governments to provide security for Christian worshippers before and after church services to avoid similar situations in the country.

It would be recalled that the bomber drove an Opel Vectra car into the church situated opposite the Tafawa Balewa Stadium on Sunday at about 9am,detonating the bomb at the parking lot .

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan will present the 2013 budget to the National Assembly on October 4.

The president in a letter addressed to Senate President David Mark yesterday in Abuja, sought to present the document to the joint session of the National Assembly by12.00 noon.

It would be recalled that the 2012 budget was presented to a joint session of the Assembly on Dec. 13, 2011.

Meanwhile, Mark has appealed to President Jonathan to caution

statement credited to the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, that resolutions of the National Assembly were only advisory and not binding on the executive.

The Senate President said, ``I think the minister is a careless talker that is all…it is not in his place to tell us what to do.

“He is not to educate us, we are to educate him …I think that next time he does that, we will take a resolution here that, any minister who talks carelessly be removed”, he warned (NAN)

courtesy call to Governor Idris Wada while on inspection tour of flood devastated sites in the state. as a "national disaster" saying it had deeply touched President Goodluck Jonathan and added that it had impacted on key national structures and touched on the nexus between the northern and southern parts of the country.

Onolememen said the flood " has touched on key national infrastructure because the Abuja - Lokoja highway easily accounts for 70 per cent of traffic between the north and south”.

Witness insists el-Rufai illegally allocated land to wives

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

A

n Abuja High Court was yesterday told how former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Nasir el-Rufai re-allocated a plot of land meant for a power sub-station to his wives.

A prosecution witness and an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Sunday Idomi told the court that the former minister revoked 37 plots of lands between 2007 and 2008 but excluded 10 others belonging to his wives and cronies.

The proceedings lasted for about four hours with the former minister opting to stand in the dock, while the two others standing trial with him were seated.

The lone witness for the day told the court how el-Rufai re-designed the Abuja master plan by converting a land meant for a power plant to personal use.

The witness also claimed that the former minister colluded with the two other accused persons to hijack a land earlier allocated to NIPOST. But while cross-examining the witness, defence counsel, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN) insisted that the plot of land meant for the substation is still undeveloped contrary to claims that it is now housing a three storey building.

The case has now been adjourned till December 8, 2012 for continuation of trial.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

THE PAGE 4 REPORT

Who wants Tambuwal impeached?

T

he news filtered in last week that some lawmakers in the House of Representatives were calling for the head of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

Having got wind of the clandestine moves by some members, Tambuwal immediately convened an executive session where issues raised by his embittered colleagues were immediately raised and thrashed out, at least for now.

Although the masterminds of the plot, consisting mainly of newly elected members, have said they were merely grouping to aggregate their grievances against the leadership, political watchers are quick to conclude that such convergence in the past have resulted into turbulence that eventually swept away the House leadership. The putsch that eventually saw to the end of Speaker Olubunmi Etteh’s tenure in the Sixth Assembly began like a child’s play. The reality of the impeachment only dawned on Etteh when it became too late.

Therefore, it would have amounted to political hara-kiri for the leadership of the House not to have nipped the attempt in the bud by laying the cards on the table to assuage the feelings of the arrowheads of the botched impeachment move.

This is more so when the grapevine had it that over 90 members of the House, consisting of the old and new, had signed for the secret meetings scheduled to hold at a popular Abuja hotel last Wednesday. In what seemed like an overkill, a large detachment of security personnel consisting of policemen and undercover intelligence officers were deployed to the hotel to ensure that the planned meeting never held.

Sources among the members who were in the chamber during the executive session gave a graphic account of how Tambuwal was able to deploy his experience to disarm his opponents who were already baying for blood. It was learnt that the Speaker urged any member who had ant grouse to state it openly for the whole House to hear. It was leant that the arrowhead of the plot told his colleagues that they were not being carried along by the leadership, and demanded that their salaries, allowances and other emoluments to be collapsed and paid periodically.

This request, it would be recalled, was similar to that spearheaded by Rep Dino Melaye in the Sixth Assembly, which led to the payment of jumbo allowances to them under Speaker Dimeji Bankole. The decision of the Sixth Assembly to accede to Melaye’s request was later to create enormous problem for the former Speaker at the twilight of his tenure when his leadership was left with no option

The word “impeachment” would seem to be the middle name of the House of Representatives since the return of the current democratic dispensation in 1999. At the lower chamber of the National Assembly (NASS), no offence by its leadership or the President is too little before members start to mouth impeachment. It has become a ritual whenever the house resumes from a long break, as was the case last week when the leadership announced that it had uncovered a plot by some members to impeach the Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, reports Lawrence Olaoye.

Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal but to resort to borrowing to meet up his colleagues’ financial demands.

Although several reasons have been adduced for the latest move against Tambuwal, a lawmaker who volunteered information on condition of anonymity said “Members are broke immediately they resumed from the long vacation.

They are equally not contented with the meagre allowances being paid to them, although the Speaker had severally appealed that they should not openly demand for increase in their allowances so as not to incur the wrath of the masses”.

According to him “But the reality is that most of the members contested elections with the expectation that they would make money and become super-rich like their predecessors. During the long vacation, they were able to ask questions from their predecessors and of course the rest is history. They are grumbling that it was sacrilegious for some of their colleagues to be living like kings by virtue of their closeness to the

leadership while some others are being treated like paupers.”

The lawmaker however warned that although Tambuwal was able to douse the fire this time, he may not be that lucky should he refuse to look into the grievances raised by his colleagues, as some of them are currently groaning under the heavy burden of debt with loans obtained from the bank to contest elections consuming the chunk of their current allowances.

Again, another source hinted that some external forces may be at the root of the plot to remove the Speaker. This, according to political analysts, may not be unconnected to his resolve to always be on the side of the people. On several occasions, Tambuwal’s leadership has been brave enough to confront the executive and made it to eat the humble pie by forcing it to reverse some objectionable policies considered as antipeople. Recently, the President and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) were forced to drop their plans to introduce the N5000

note and coin some denominations to the chagrin of the populace.

It was learnt that some powerful external forces are not comfortable with the pro-masses stance of the parliament as it remains a stumbling block against the plans of their principals. They are said to be piqued with the effrontery of the House to challenge the executive on full budget implementation.

The height of Tambuwal’s crime, according to the source, was the impeachment threat served on President Goodluck Jonathan before the House proceeded on recess in July. The source maintained that a powerful figure in the presidency had vowed to effect a change in the House leadership by sponsoring a virile opposition against Tambuwal.

Another source from the parliament equally hinted that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have been galled by Tambuwal’s leadership style. Certain figures in the ruling party were said to be uncomfortable with the Speaker’s romance with the

opposition in the House. It was alleged that Tambuwal, by virtue of his emergence as the Speaker with bulk support from the opposition lawmakers, is openly friendly to the opposition. This, they alleged, was responsible for the prominence of certain figures from the opposition in the parliament which they argued should never be allowed to continue unchallenged.

The House’s opposition to the January increase in petroleum products prices and the parliament’s probe into the nation’s oil subsidy regime is perceived as another sin by the Speaker. The probe by the House ad-hoc committee led by Rep Farouk Lawan, though later stained by allegation of graft, exposed the corruption in the system and those eventually indicted by the investigations are the high and mighty who would do anything within their powers to get back at Tambuwal’s leadership that refused to shield them when it mattered most. Some of the indicted oil marketers are being suspected to be sponsors of the moves to remove the Speaker.

Aside from the indicted oil marketers, recent moves by the House to clean up certain agencies by insisting that their Chief Executive Officers be removed either on grounds of corruption or ineptitude have also incurred the wrath of some powerful individuals in the corridors of power. These powerful individuals are pulling strings from several quarters, insisting that the party and the Presidency must do something to stop Tambuwal from further exposing them to ridicule.

Considering all the centrifugal and centripetal forces pulling at the direction of the House leadership, analysts are of the opinion that the Speaker must be steadfast in his resolve to always be the advocate of the masses for him to sustain his leadership till the end of his tenure.

Observers have postulated that Tambuwal’s leadership, which is anchored on the strength of the opposition in the House, would continue to be diametrically opposed to the executive, especially when policies initiated by the executive are deemed unpopular. But, they posited that the Speaker should equally be vigilant and expect more moves against his leadership from those whose toes he must have stepped on while carrying out his legislative duties.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 5

2012 Hajj: Nigerians’ boycott looms

By Maryam Garba Hassan

F

ollowing the detention of no less than 700 Nigerian female pilgrims to this year’s Hajj by Saudi authorities, the leadership of Muslim groups in Nigeria are contemplating a boycott of the annual pilgrimage.

A statement signed by Alhaji

Balarabe Nuhu of No 69, Cairo Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja, indicated that an unnamed emir described the alleged mistreatment as "unacceptable and absolutely humiliating.

"Treating these innocent Muslim women as common criminals under degrading conditions at detention centres is

an act of hostility least expected of a host country like Saudi Arabia.

The emir said "We have no knowledge of any law by the Saudi authorities which says that female pilgrims must be accompanied by their husband or male relatives. Our women have never been subjected to this legal requirement before. In fact, if such

law ever existed, the Saudi Arabian authorities have never drawn the attention of Nigerian pilgrims’ authorities to this regulation.

“Introducing such tough regulation when the female pilgrims are already in Saudi Arabia is unjust and unfriendly. It is also disturbing that this

NDLEA sacks 8

Senate clears Nta as ICPC chair

T

he National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has terminated the appointment of eight officers in the agency for various offences.

The Head of Public Affairs of the agency, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, made the disclosure yesterday in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

“The reasons for the termination of their appointment include corruption, dereliction of duty, falsehood and gross misconduct”, he said. (NAN)

By Richard Ihediwa

T

he Senate yesterday confirmed the appointment of Ekpo Una Owo Nta as substantive chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

This followed the adoption of the report of the Committee on Drugs, Narcotic and Financial Crimes which recommended his confirmation after his screening.

President Goodluck Jonathan had forwarded the name of Nta who was serving as acting Chairman of the Commission to the Senate for clearance as substantive chairman.

Resist corruption or being accomplices — EFCC tells civil servants

By Lambert Tyem

C

ivil servants across the country have been asked to resist the temptation of being corrupt or becoming accomplices to the looting of the nation’s treasury by corrupt politically exposed persons.

Mrs. Rose Ekawo, head of the Public Enlightenment Unit of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), gave the advice at a one day sensitisation programme on the ills of corruption for officers and management staff of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

While noting that politicians usually point accusing fingers at civil servants as collaborators in the stealing of public funds, Mrs. Ekawo called on officers who belong in this category to have a change of heart.

She emphasised the role of the EFCC in the anti-graft campaign and recalled that the Commission was instrumental to having Nigeria delisted from the infamous list of non cooperative nations in the fight against corruption and money laundering by the Financial Action Task Force, FATF (the organisation responsible for combating money laundering and financing of terrorism).

The one day event which is in furtherance of the public education mandate of the commission under its enabling law, was attended by commissioners and staff of the NERC.

requirement is only being imposed on Nigerians at the 11th hour. Is this discriminatory treatment fair or just?

"Is humiliating pilgrims of any country who have come to perform one of the five pillars of Islam a reflection of friendship and Muslim universal brotherhood, which the holy pilgrimage entails?

441 drivers test positive to hard drugs in Lagos From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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Traffic hold-up on Emir's Drive, yesterday in Gombe, following a stop-and-search operation by security operatives.

Photo: NAN

Northern CAN alleges marginalisation in reconciliation committee From Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

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he Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states and Abuja says it does not have adequate representation on the Northern States Committee on Reconciliation, Healing and Security.

Reacting in a communiqué after a meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Kaduna yesterday, CAN regretted that there are only 11 Christians in the 44member committee; a

development which it fears may make it inevitable for all stakeholders to accept recommendations of the committee.

The communiqué signed by the Public Relations Officer, Sunday Oibe, noted that only 11 Christians were appointed into the 41-member committee.

“We therefore demand that if the committee is meant for the purpose of which we are being made to believe, then there should be an equitable representation so that its findings and recommendations will be

acceptable to all concerned,” the group said.

The communiqué also said that the meeting reviewed the security situation in the country especially in the north even as it condemned the recent killing of the Borno state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and the barbaric killing of other citizens in Borno and Yobe states.

According to the communiqué, “we especially condemn the recent killing of innocent Christians in Bauchi by the enemies of the Nigerian nation…”

he Lagos state government says about 441 drivers tested positive to marijuana and cocaine in the screening recently conducted by the state government.

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris at a news briefing yesterday threatened that the state government will prosecute and jail motorists found to be driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“So far we have screened 2002 drivers with the following results obtained. 781 were found to be driving under the influence of alcohol. 601 were found to be hypertensive. 441 were positive to psychotropic drugs, especially cocaine and marijuana. 940 were screened for visual impairment and 13 percent had to be given special glasses”.

Under the new state traffic law, section 21 subsection 1 prescribes a conviction fine of N100,000 or two years imprisonment or both for offenders, the state government said it had no option than to invoke the law.

N10.9bn theft: FinBank paid for shares transferred to some directors, says witness From Francis Iwuchukwu, Lagos

T

he Managing Director of Springboard Trust and Investment Limited, Mr. Joe Abba, yesterday, told Justice Lateefa Okunnu of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, that FinBank Plc paid for the shares transferred to some of the bank directors in 2007.

Abba, who was testifying at the on-going trial of the former

Managing Director of FinBank Plc, Mr. Okey Nwosu and three others, explained that the over 20 billion units of shares were initially bought for some clients of the bank before he was instructed to transfer them to some directors of the bank.

The sacked bank chief is standing trial alongside three other directors, Dayo Famoroti Danjuma Ocholi and Agnes Ebubedike for allegedly stealing N10.9 billion from the bank between September

2006 and November 2007.

The witness who was led in evidence by counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Jacobs, argued that his company's relationship with FinBank started in 2003 with the opening of a current account.

According to the witness, "By 2006 the relationship had grown and the bank instructed us through letters to buy some of the

bank shares for about seven of their clients.

"The shares were bought as instructed and contract notes were raised by us to that effect and the bank paid for the transactions accordingly by transferring money to our account", he explained.

Abba explained that on October 9, 2007 he got another letter of instructions from the bank asking that share of over 20 billion units be transferred to some directors of the bank and the transfer was done accordingly.

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

Gunmen kill driver, abduct 2 school children in Benin From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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unmen suspected to be kidnappers stormed the residence of a Benin-based businessman and industrialist, Juande Iyamu, killing his driver and seizing two of his children.

The incident occurred

FMC honours 90 health workers

between 7.30 and 8 .00 am. at the Iguose residence of the businessman located behind 7Up Bottling Plant. The driver simply identified as Dave was said to be driving the abducted children to an undisclosed school when the gunmen struck.

Residents of the area who

rushed out of their houses to see what was happening had to rush back upon sighting the kidnappers who fired sporadic gun shots, forcing them to flee.

Mr. Iyamu, Managing Director of Yaweh Water who was visibly shocked by the incident and vented his anger on

government for the porous security system in the country.

He however was not willing to speak to the press.

Police spokesman in the state, Anthony Airhuoyo, said he was yet to be briefed by the Ekiadolor police station DPO over the incident.

could lead to a lawful and professional handling of his claims. Rather, it seems like he is also accusing federal security agencies of connivance in a phenomenon which he himself has not proved", it said.

Yola further called on the Federal Government to pursue the real culprits instigating the crises in Plateau, claiming that previous probes conducted to ascertain the actual sources of the conflicts pointed at the governor as a major instigator of the conflicts.

operator of a Bureau De Change where he had gone to exchange about N900, 000.00 US dollars.

It was gathered that when Abdullahi discovered that the money the suspect gave him had no serial and security numbers, he asked him to wait while he went to get the dollar.

While the suspect was waiting, Abdullhai went into his office and alerted the police who came immediately and arrested him.

The incident occurred around 4pm on September 19 at Benson Plaza, Lagos Road, Ikorodu.

The incident was reported at Shagamu Road Police Station from where police operatives went to the scene and arrested the suspects.

It was learnt that during interrogation, the suspect who is a security man at NSPM, confessed that he stole the counterfeit money from his office.

The suspect also confessed that he has been stealing the money from his office since 2010 and has used same to acquire a Nissan Pathfinder Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), marked KRD480AE.

Investigation also revealed that the suspect, who used to live in a one-room apartment somewhere in Ketu, now lives in his own newly built house in Ikorodu.

Police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, who paraded the suspect, said N320, 000 of the genuine notes were recovered from the suspect.

The SUV which he acquired with the proceeds of his illegal dealing was also impounded.

She said the matter is currently being investigated, noting that the suspect will be prosecuted thereafter.

L-R: Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Chairman of the occasion and former SGF, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, former Head of Service, Mr Steve Oronsaye, and Minister of Housing, Ms. Ama Pepple, during day two of the Presidential retreat for Secretary to the Government of the Federation, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Group challenges Jang’s violence plot accusation against Fulani

T

he Coalition for Justice, an amalgamation of civil society organisations operating under the auspices of the Network for Justice, have condemned insinuations by Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau state that the Fulani's are planning to attack more villages in the state.

The Kano based coalition in a statement issued and signed by its chairman, Dalhatu Sani Yola, described the allegation as

T

the usual stage-managing technique of the Jang administration to set off ethnic conflict in the state.

It said that the governor was not calling on security agencies to forestall the situation, but using rumour to foment yet another round of crises.

"It is obvious the governor has not approached the Federal Government with any tangible evidence of this wild claim. It is only with such evidence, that government could be called upon to initiate measures which

T

By Sunday Etuka

By A'ishaBiola Raji

he National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA), in has launched its national HIV vaccine plan.

The vaccine plan which was developed within seven months through collaborative consensus and consultations by experts, was presented yesterday in Abuja by the Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim who was represented by Dr. Henry Akpan, the Permanent Secretary Special Duties in the SGF's office.

In his address, Anyim said HIV/AIDS has continued to pose a threat to the development of the nation's economy and other sub-SaharanAfrican states.

Even when the prevalence has reduced from 5.8% to 4.1%, he said Nigeria is still the second most burdened country in the world due to its population density hence the need to implement the vaccine plan.

He said, "Government is proud that the national vaccine plan has been developed and ready for implementation which will support the research and development HIV vaccine.

In his remarks, the Minister for Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu who was also represented by Dr. Evelyn Ngige, said the advent of HIV was from research and therefore, its control should emanate from research. He said the challenge of motherto-child transmission called for the initiative of the vaccine plan.

US Ambassador, Terrence McCulley in his remarks, pledged his country's support for the plan in order to achieve an AIDS free generation.

In his opening address, the Director General NACA, Prof.

John Idoko, said the major challenge the agency is facing is in the area of drugs. "Out of the 1.5 million people urgently in need of drugs, only 500 thousand are receiving drugs",he said.

From Ojebola Matthew, Lagos he Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta, yesterday, honoured 90 of its workers for meritorious public service.

The 90 awardees are officials of the health institution who have served for 15 and 25 years respectively.

Speaking during the Long Service Award ceremony, the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Munirah Jinadu, said the award was in line with the federal public service mandate to recognise workers at 15 and 25 years in service.

According to her, the duty of the hospital is to offer health care services to the general public cannot be achieved solely by the management team but collectively by all the health workers.

She noted, "The importance of human resources in any organisation cannot be overemphasised because therein lies the mechanism for the growth and development of the organisation, this hospital is not an exception.

"We appreciate the commitment and dedication of our staff to their duty within the limited resource of the hospital, we promise to encourage and celebrate productivity, loyalty and dedication to duty".

She therefore urged all employees to continue their service to the hospital, the nation and mankind in general.

In his response, one of the awardees, Mr. Ebenezer Akande, appreciated the management of the health institute for the award, adding that it's a positive response to their agitations.

"When we started, we went through trial, we were owed salaries for months on several occasions but still we overcame all challenges.

"We promise to always put in our best to make FMC EbuteMetta remain one of the best hospitals and restore its glory," he added.

Fight against HIV/AIDS: NACA unveils vaccine plan

Mint staff arrested for printing fake naira

By Matthew Aramunde, Lagos

A

n employee of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPM), Plc has been arrested by the police for printing and spending fake naira notes.

The 39-year-old suspect, Osakpolor Igbinosa prints naira notes which do not have serial numbers and has allegedly been circulating same.

Osakopolor, a father of three, was arrested by the police following a report by one Abdulrahman Abdullahi, an

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

L-R: Saudi Ambassador to Nigeria, Khalid Omar Yousef Abdullah, Osun state Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and Niger state governor, Dr Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, in a chat, during a reception to mark the 84th national day of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on Monday in Abuja.

L-R: Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri, presenting flags to Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Malam Mahammad Musa Bello, during NOA advocacy visit to NAHCON, on Monday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Former staff of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), protesting over the illegal sack of over 4,029 by NIMC's management, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

L-R: Commanding Officer, Nigeria Naval Ship, Pathfinder, Commodore Oyetunji Fadeyi, Commander 2 Brigade, Brigadier-General Tukur Buratai, and Commander, 97 Operation Group, Air Vice Marshal Abba Zannah, during a security meeting on illegal bunkering, yesterday in Port Harcourt.

Photo: NAN

L-R: National President, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Hon. Nwabueze Okafor, Minister of State for Education, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, and Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Alhaji Musa Hassan, during ALGON executives' visit to the minister, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo; Justin Imo-owo

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

NHIS beckons states, others From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

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he National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS has stressed the collective responsibility of States and other stakeholders in the scheme, to meet the increasing demand for quality healthcare especially in the face of diminishing resources.

NHIS North-Central Coordinator, Alh. Attahiru Ibrahim who said this at an interactive session organized for labour leaders in the zone yesterday in Makurdi, maintained that this has become necessary as a result of increasing population, majority of whom are in dire need of affordable healthcare.

Alh. Ibrahim noted that states could enjoy a subsidy of about N28 million from NHIS which could be ploughed into their healthcare systems.

He also said that the scheme has registered about 90% of Federal Public servants and accredited 62 Health Management Organizations, HMO,including all banks, 17 insurance companies and insurance brokers.

Nyako expends N638m on expressway From Blessing Tunoh, Yola damawa state government is expending a whooping sum of N638 million on the on going rehabilitation of the 1.24km Yola-Jimeta dual carriageway.

Commissioner of Works in the state, Umaru Atiku says the intervention is aimed at easing traffic congestion to and from the two towns.

Atiku explained that the rehabilitation work, expected to be completed within the first quarter of 2013, would include the provision of drainage channels from the Army barracks junction to Karewa axis as well as sand filling of dangerous potholes on the road.

The Commissioner also said “the Yola-Jimeta dual carriage way was until now a Federal Government road but with the adoption of the FG’s new policy on dualised township roads which transferred township roads to state, the Adamawa state government had no option than to rehabilitate the road considering its strategic importance and long period of neglect over the years”, Atiku stated.

He added that the gesture was part of efforts of the state government to provide good roads so as to save lives of its citizens from traffic accidents.

Other township roads presently undergoing rehabilitation include Dougirei, Rock Haven Avenue, Grandview Terrace, and Ganye street linking Ibadan and NEPA roads.

He therefore urged motorists and other road users plying these routes particularly the YolaJimeta dual carriage way to be patient and absorb the temporary inconvenience occasioned by the fixing of the bad roads.

A

PAGE 9

Teachers on indefinite strike in Lagos From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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ctivities were paralysed in all public schools in Lagos State, when teachers shutdown schools to begin an indefinite strike, demanding for the implementation of the 27.5 percent salary increase.

The schools were to resume yesterday after the annual long

vacation, but to the surprise of the students, gates of the schools were under lock and key.

Thousands of students who thronged the schools this morning for resumption were disappointed as they were turned back home.

The teachers had warned that they would not resume until the government begins paying

the 27.5 percent increase Teachers’ Salary Scale, TSS. In Alimosho, the strike was effective in over 125 primary and secondary schools in the area as teachers shunned work in compliance with the directive of the Lagos State Branch of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT. At Model College and Community High School,

students were sent home. They were seen loitering around the gates of the schools.

Same goes for Government College, Iyana Ipaja, Oke-Odo Junior and Senior High School, Temidire Primary School, Aanu Oluwapo Primary School, among others.

In Agege, students were sent back home from Dairy Primary, Junior and Senior Secondary schools. Other schools in Agege were also shut.

In other parts of the Lagos metropolis, the situation was the same as teachers shunned work and students were sent home from schools.

L-R: Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ms. Bolanle Onagoruwa, Chairman, Technical Committee (TC), National Council on Privatisation, Mr. Atedo Peterside, Minister of State, Power, Architect Darius Ishaku, and Chairman, Senate Committee on Privatisation, Senator Olugbenga Obada, during the financial bid opening for successor generation companies, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Traders attribute rising food prices to insecurity, bad weather

S

ellers of food items at the Mile 12 Market in Lagos on Tuesday attributed the rising cost of food stuffs to unfavourable weather and security challenges in parts of the north.

Secretary, Beans Sellers Association, Mile 12 Chapter, Mr Haruna Magaji said the current weather was not favourable for survival of some agricultural products, especially beans and

onions.

“Weather conditions have been harsh. We had an early seizure of rain this year, so the soil was not well-watered with moisture and nutrients,” Magaji said.

According to him, the harsh weather has led to reduction in supply of many food items that are in high demand.

“We struggle to get the commodities and supply has not

been able to meet the high demand,” he said.

An onion seller at Mushin Market, Mrs. Serifat Adewale, said that the security situation in parts of the north contributed to the price hike.

She said that a bag of onion, which previously was sold for N7, 500, was now being sold for between N16, 000 and N19, 500 because of inadequate supply from the north.

An housewife, Mrs. Adeola Oyekunle lamented that it was becoming difficult to shop with a little amount of money as many families with meager incomes were struggling to feed because of the high cost of food items.

“I bought a measure (De rica) of beans at N250 last week, but the same quantity is N320 today.

“So, how do we survive with this kind of increase?” she asked.

(NAN)

to build on those precepts to ameliorate some of the negative impacts of globalization”. Wogu said.

The Minister noted that the emerging employment relationships in the world of work which have become precarious in nature have heralded various forms of unfair labour practices witnessed by increasing number of industrial disputes in the country.

He reaffirmed government commitment at checkmating the challenges.

According to the Minister “Government has endeavored to provide palliative and boosters for relevant stakeholders at any given time as well as provide legal framework to regulate the new forms of employment relations such as contract Labour and

outsourcing”.

The Minister further listed some of the programmes and projects instituted by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to address some of the challenges.

These include the subsidy Reinvestment programme (SUREP) targeted at improving the standard of living of the Nigerian Masses; Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YOUWIN) targeted at young women entrepreneurs, infrastructural development amongst others.

Chief Wogu noted that even though conflict at work was inevitable, some mechanisms have been put in place to ensure that the differences between employees and employers are well managed to minimize the disruptive effects of conflict at work.

Earlier in his speech, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Isaac Adewole represented by the Deputy-Vice Chancellor (Administration) Prof.

Arinola Sanya noted that industrial peace is crucial for the advancement of the economy and institutions of governance both of which are critical for political stability and national development.

Speaking in the same Vein, the Director of the centre for peace and conflict studies, Professor Ifeanyi Onyeonoru, said that the choice of the theme of the lecture was premised on the fact that the root causes of many conflicts in African are directly related to or fuelled by the presence and production of valuable natural resources, such as diamond, gold and oil.

Labour minister harps on industrial peace

By Muhammad Nasir

T

he Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu has emphasized that the prospects of attaining Industrial peace in the global economy is dependent on proper utilisation of both national and international resources.

According to a statement issued yesterday by Samuel Olowookere, Assistant Director press of the Ministry, Chief Wogu stated this at the International Peace Day Lecture organized by the Centre for peace and conflict studies, University of Ibadan to commemorate the World Peace Day. “Nigeria is a pilot Country for Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) and intends

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

Independence anniversary: NSCIA, JNI call for special prayers From Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

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he Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) have directed Imams to dedicate Friday, September 28, 2012 to special prayers, as the nation commemorates its 52 independence anniversary on October 1.

They are also urged Imams to, in addition to their sermons, pray for Nigeria as well as our leaders and the generality of the citizens, at a press conference in Kaduna Monday.

The JNI Secretary-General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, who addressed the conference on behalf

of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar, also urged the nation’s leaders at all levels to be fair, just and selfless in discharging their responsibilities.

According to Aliyu “the NSCIA and JNI wish to state that religion, Islam especially, is a harbinger of peace and harmony.

“It is therefore unfortunate that some elements use the name of Islam to commit evil which every religion abhors.

“In essence, for those who do not know what Islam means; Islam is meant to propagate virtues, peace and universal brotherhood.

“All Nigerians have to appreciate that Nigeria is ours and it is only we that can salvage her.

“We have to desist from all

utterances and acts that are capable of undermining our corporate existence as a nation as God does not make mistakes, our togetherness, despite our diversity, as a single nation, the largest country of the blacks in the world, could not have been an accident.

“We need to think more together, work more together and address our problems together.

“Muslims especially are supposed to be role models based on the pristine teachings of Prophet Muhammad and it is to these teachings the NSCIA and JNI wish to direct our attention: “On the forthcoming occasion of our 52nd independence anniversary thus, the entire Nigerian Muslim community is

expected to dedicate itself to Allah, take recourse to Him and be more committed to the progress of our nation.

“Muslims are expected to pray fervently for the nation that peace and harmony prevail in the country and that Nigerians enjoy tranquility and prosperity.

“We should always live according to the message of Islam and exhibit the virtues of honesty, kindness, generosity, sincerity, discipline, self-restraint and Godliness that it teaches.

“We should avoid wrong-doing and actions capable of misrepresenting us and our noble religion that has contributed so much to world civilization”, the statement added.

FG to generate 110,000 jobs for women

By Maryam Garba Hassan

T

he Federal Government is to generate about 110,000 jobs for unemployed Nigerian women between the ages of 14 to 45, under the women edition of the Youth Enterprise Initiatives (You Win) in Nigeria.

A statement issued by the ministry said, the Minster of Women Affairs, Hajiya Zainab Maina, disclosed this yesterday at the launching of the North East Zone chapter of the programme in Yola, Adamawa State.

The Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. George Ossi, said the programme would generate jobs by supporting aspiring young women entrepreneurs to develop and execute business ideas.

According to Hajiya Zainab, the programme has been carefully designed to "promote and strengthen micro-enterprises, new small businesses, and cooperative enterprises, expand markets and other employment opportunities and facilitate women’s transition from the informal to the formal sector."

She however regretted that legal and customary barriers to ownership of or access to land, natural resources, capital, credit, technology and other means of production, as well as discrimination, have contributed to impeding the economic life of women.

She expressed optimism that the opportunity for women to expand or start their own business would have “a multiplier effects in not only our economic lives but in the family unit".

She commended the President for giving young Nigerian women the opportunity to enhance their economic status and called on young Nigerian women between the ages of 10-45years with business ideas to maximize the opportunity by bringing up innovative business proposals that will qualify them for the grant of between N1m-N10m each.

FRSC warns motorists against speeding

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

F

urther to its sustained advocacy towards road crash reduction especially during the Ember season, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has reiterated its warning to Nigerian motorists to adhere strictly to recommended speed limits while plying the highways.

A statement issued by the Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Jonas Agwu, indicated that the warning was coming on the heels of a week-long nationwide safety awareness campaign embarked by the FRSC. It further advised vehicle owners to install safety devices that would enhance speed reduction, saying that speed governors and other road speed limiter system devices.

"Different vehicles are required by law to keep within specified speed limits. For avoidance of doubt, the law in this country imposes maximum speed limit of 100km/ hr for cars on any highway in Nigeria while Taxis and Buses are expected to maintain 50km/hr within built up areas like streets in towns, villages and cities.

Articulated vehicles like Tankers and trailers are expected to maintain a maximum speed limit of 50km/hr on the highways and 60km/hr on express ways respectively”, the CPEO said.

NOA boss urges Muslim pilgrims to fly Nigeria’s flag

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

L-R: US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Terrence McCulley, representative of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr. Henry Akpan, and Director General, National Agency for Control of AIDS (NACA), Professor John Idoko, during the public presentation of national HIV vaccine plan, yesterday in Abuja.

PHOTO: MAHMUD ISA

Cassava: Coy wants farmers to form cooperatives

By Abubakar Ibrahim, with Agency Report

T

he Thai Farm International Limited, Ososa in Ogun, has urged cassava farmers to pool their resources in order to benefit from the opportunities offered by the Federal Government's Agricultural Transformation Agenda.

The company is one of Nigeria’s leading producers of high quality cassava flour.

The Managing Director of the company, Mr Louw Burger, gave the advice yesterday in Abeokuta while presenting a paper at the ongoing international symposium on root crops.

In his paper entitled: 'Building

a Strong Partnership for Cassava Development', Burger noted that an average Nigerian farmer faced daunting challenges in cassava production.

He expressed strong conviction that opportunities in the cassava value chain to turn the economy around were not in short supply, adding that such opportunities had been identified, in a bid to take the business to a new level.

"But to do this, requires a proper technology set up and the necessary financial muscle in the Nigerian environment.''

The managing director explained that the difference between processing cassava for high quality flour in Thailand and Nigeria was that while Thailand

had 100 per cent of the tuber to process, Nigeria consumed about 95 per cent of the produce.

Burger said that in order to address other challenges such as poor transportation and road network, paucity of finance, getting fresh and good quality cassava tubers from farmers, the company had to explore partnership between the company and Flour Mills, Nigeria Plc, which took the controlling share of the business in the third quarter of 2012 .

He assured farmers that there was market for their produce and urged them to form cooperatives in order to attract banks and other financial institutions loans.

(NAN)

T

he National Orientation Agency (NOA) has sought for collaboration with the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in propagating the national flag of the country during Hajj exercise.

Speaking during a courtesy call on the NAHCON Chairman, Mallam Mohammed Bello, the Director-General of NOA, Mr. Mike Omeri said that the purpose of the visit was to consolidate and enhance the existing collaboration between the two organizations.

A statement issued yesterday in Abuja, by the Chief Press Secretary of the Agency, Paul Odenyi, added that the NOA charge “Do the Right Thing: Transform Nigeria", would always remind Muslim pilgrims to be disciplined and have respect for constituted authority wherever they are.

He urged the pilgrims to pray for the country, fly the flag and play by the rules of the host country in the Holy Land.

He further urged NAHCON to take advantage of the Agency’s Radio Station and Theatre for Development platforms to properly orientate pilgrims.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 11

How to save our jobs and get the best out of them I

t goes without saying that the amount we're paid is an important aspect of the package we get from employers but it's not the only one.

With many people suffering pay freezes and pay cuts, it's a good time to look at what value you can get from other workplace benefits you may be surprised at what's on offer. Experts concerned with the welfare of workers before and after retirement, offer top tips on getting the most from your employee benefits package.

Do your homework Make time to read the contract of employment and staff handbook to understand what benefits your employer offers and how to qualify.

Many employers produce a total reward statement to advise employees as to the value of the "whole" remuneration package.

Many employers offer their staff health cash plans, but few employees actually read and understand what can be claimed for and reimbursed under the

scheme.

What's on offer?

The most popular benefits fluctuate according to the stage in an employee's career and what they value at that time. However, the most commonly provided benefits from an employer include additional leave; enhanced sick pay and maternity pay; pension; childcare vouchers; flexi time; health benefits (such as private health insurance and gym membership); and company cars/ company car allowances.

Added values Employers are bound by legal requirements to pay statutory sick pay and statutory maternity pay as long as employees meet the eligibility criteria. However, many employers offer an enhanced benefit package, eg enhanced sick pay and enhanced maternity pay, which can result in significant benefits over and above the statutory minimum.

Pick and mix Some employers offer flexible

benefit packages - if your organisation doesn't, why not suggest it as an option? These schemes enable employees to choose the benefits that suit their lifestyle, giving the opportunity to select benefits up to a pre-set value or by paying on a contributory basis. These include childcare or shopping vouchers and benefits such as flexible working for all staff, health screening, buy a bike schemes, fruit or water at work etc.

Time it right Often benefits policies are set on an annual basis, so where there is a choice, make sure employees consider carefully before choosing the desired benefits as they won't be able to change them until the scheme comes up for renewal next year.

The sting in the tail Be aware that certain benefits, for example a company car, bonus payment or interest-free loans, will

attract tax and will need to be declared individually on the P11D form.

Company discounts Many employers have bulk buying power which enables them to purchase benefits such as critical health insurance, private medical insurance, and supermarket vouchers and so on. Significant savings can be made by employees by buying these benefits through the employer, rather than the employee buying them directly from the companies themselves.

Savings boost As employees, ensure that you are 100 percent engaged in a pension scheme. All employees should consider if they want to be auto-enrolled into a pension scheme or are indeed eligible.

Independent financial advice is available and recommended for further advice around pensions.

How much is it worth?

If you're looking for a new job, don't be taken in by the headline salary alone. When making a career move, make sure the grass

really is greener on the other side.

Generally, people will move job for a 10 per cent pay increase, but if your current employer offers a final salary pension and your new one doesn't, then the benefit of the salary hike is quickly outweighed by the loss you'd make from losing the monthly contributions into your pension.

Many employees only focus on their take-home pay or any bonus and don't appreciate that their enhanced maternity pay, pension scheme, training and development and annual leave beyond the statutory minimum are not "a given", and therefore they don't fully appreciate their value until it's too late.

Get involved Finally, use opportunities within your work to feedback and suggest options for your employee benefits package.

Formal appraisal systems offer employees the opportunity to suggest ways in which their employers can do more to support the employee.

Questions great job candidates ask

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ost candidates oftentimes don't actually care about the interviewer's answers when they ask questions, but just hope to make themselves look good by asking questions. To them, what they ask is more important than how you answer.

This is not the case with great candidates who ask questions they want answered because they're evaluating you, your company-and whether they really want to work for you.

Here are questions great job candidates ask, according to inc.com.

What do you expect me to accomplish in the first 60 to 90 days?

Great candidates want to hit the ground running. They don't want to spend weeks or months "getting to know the organisation."

They want to make a difference, right away.

What are the common attributes of your top performers?

Great candidates also want to be great long-term employees.

Every organisation is different, and so are the key qualities of top

Quote Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful... that’s what matters.

- Steve Jobs: Co-Founder, Apple Computer

performers in those organisations.

Maybe, your top performers work longer hours. Maybe, creativity is more important than methodology. Maybe, constantly landing new customers in new markets is more important than building long-term customer relationships. Maybe, it's a willingness to spend the same amount of time educating an entry-level customer.

Great candidates want to know, because they want to know if they fit, and if they do fit, they want to be top performers.

What are a few things that really drive results for the company?

Employees are investments, and every employee should generate a positive return on his or her salary; otherwise, why are they on the payroll?

In every job, some activities make bigger difference than others. You need your human resource (HR) team to fill job openings, but what you really want is for HR team to find the right candidates because that results in higher retention rates, lower training costs, and better overall productivity.

You need your service techs to perform effective repairs, but what you really want is for those techs to identify ways to solve problems and provide other benefits, including generate additional sales. Great candidates want to know what truly makes a difference. They know helping the company succeed means they succeed as well.

You can save to buy property

I

t is quite shocking how a lot of people live as tenants, spending huge amount of money on rent, whereas they have what it takes to become landlords.

These people have not realised the power and importance of saving money in order for them to acquire their own property to avoid the pressure of rent fees from landlords.

If people do not inculcate the habit of saving, they will definitely end up as a tenant throughout their life.

Tips to save for property: *Set up a special interestbearing savings account to buy a home. Money only goes in; no withdrawals are allowed. *Take a fixed amount - 5, 10 or 20 percent, depending on what

you can consistently afford - from your paycheck and put it directly into your savings account. Ask your employer to have that amount automatically deducted from your paycheck every pay period so you aren't tempted. *Pretend any windfalls that come along never happened. If you get a lump sum of money from a tax return or a gift, put it directly into your special account. *Go shopping for food, clothes or other items only when you absolutely need something. When you do shop, write a list and stick to it. Avoiding impulse purchases can save hundreds of naira over several months. *Cut down on outside entertainment and eating out.

Instead, stay home, rent a video

and invite some friends over for a meal. *Let your friends and family know you are saving to buy a property. Most will be very understanding about the fact that gifts and extras from you will be put on hold while you're saving.

Don't forget to stash away the money you would have spent. *Remember that every penny counts. Drop all spare change into a bottle, and every month, put that cash into your account. *Get rid of the things you don't need by selling them. Get a few families in your area to join in to increase your sale. The benefits are twofold: You get cash for your unneeded stuff, and there will be less to move when you're ready to buy your home.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 12

EDIT ORIAL EDITORIAL

F

Stop these cowardly assaults on journalists

or Nigerian journalists, 2012 must be one of the most horrible years in recent times in terms of adversity.

Hardly a month passes in this country without one form of assault or another on journalists. The deadliest to date have been the coordinated suicide attacks by Boko Haram on ThisDay offices in Abuja and Kaduna, as well as the Kaduna offices of the Sun and Moment newspapers on April 26 which left eight people dead and many more injured. Earlier in January, an attack by Boko Haram in Kano had claimed the life of a Channels Television photographer.

However, the serial offenders against journalists are security operatives who seem to take delight in venting their fury on newsmen. Over the ages, journalists have been the traditional target for the men in uniform, any kind, to vent their impotent rage for no reason other than the fact that the journalist does his job well to the chagrin of his attacker who often fails to do his own satisfactorily.

Were these cowards in uniform doing their job well, they would see the journalist as a partner in progress, not an object of harassment, intimidation and, not infrequently, physical assault, often with serious injury on body and psyche.

Above all, were our security personnel executing their constitutional mandate well, Nigeria would not have been the hostage to the serious security challenges it is today. Instead, they channel their energy toward attacking defenceless journalists while the criminals in our midst go about their activities with ease. Even in times of armed conflicts, the journalist is protected under the International Humanitarian Law, which outlaws hostile actions against him (journalist). But in Nigeria, the journalist is an endangered species, it would seem.

With President Goodluck Jonathan publicly expressing his discomfort with the media on a couple of occasions, it is perhaps little wonder that public officers are, in most cases, the culprits in these barbaric assaults on journalists. Military, police and State Security Service (SSS) personnel are the culprits mostly, with those of other paramilitary departments

“

Assaults against journalists are a matter for the courts, even though judges are also in the habit of frivolously throwing their weight against journalists covering their courts occasionally involved.

On September 5, a team of police officers and operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) attached to the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Olajumoke Akinjide, attacked The Guardian correspondent, Terhembe Daka, because he photographed the minister’s vehicle that was stuck in the mud.

About the same day in far away Awka in Anambra state, soldiers arrested Leadership reporter David-Chyddy Eleke, beat him and confiscated his camera for taking pictures of the demolition of buildings. On August 9, a photojournalist

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

with Leadership, Mr. Benedict Nwalaka, was brutalised by some relatives of victims of the June 3, 2012 Dana Air crash, mortuary attendants and security men at the Lagos state University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos. The journalist had gone to witness the handing over of bodies of the crash victims to their relatives. The culprits also stole Uwalaka's mobile phones, camera, and N100,000. And on June 12, Joshua Uma, a Leadership reporter, who was covering a protest by retirees over nonpayment of pensions in Abuja, was assaulted by an immigration officer, one Akinmodiro, attached to the office of the Pension Reform Task Team. The list is exhaustive.

Elsewhere, the importance of the media has long been acknowledged, such that as far back as the 16th century it was christened as the Fourth Estate of the Realm by famous British statesman and philosopher, Edmund Burke. In recognition of the importance of the media, the third US President, Thomas Jefferson once said, “I would rather have a free press and no government than a government and no free press.” And in Spanish language, the media is called el cuarto poder (the 4th power) because it is considered to have as much power as the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.

It is for the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to take up this challenge seriously, beyond the usual rhetoric of demanding for an apology whenever its members are assaulted. Assaults against journalists are a matter for the courts, even though judges are also in the habit of frivolously throwing their weight against journalists covering their courts. The NUJ must always liaise with the international NGO, Journalists for Democratic Rights, to address this matter.

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 13

The limits of freedom of expression (I)

By Na-Allah Mohammed Zagga

U

“

nder tyranny, people seek liberty; under liberty, people seek tyranny."

These famous words of a great thinker encapsulate the dangers inherent in the abuse of the socalled freedom of expression by those who feel they have the liberty to insult God and other religious symbols. In fact, there should be a fine line between decency and recklessness.

Followers of all faith must be united to tackle this challenge posed to our security, safety and peace by atheistic minded writers and like-minded film producers.

Just like Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and other faith also have their own share of extremists. Driven by prejudice, these fringe groups don't give a damn about the consequences of their hatred and intolerance on their societies. What did

Nakoula Nakoula (a.k.a. Sam Bacile), the man believed to be behind the latest provocative film that insulted the prophet Muhammad, intend to achieve through deliberate incitement?

Although the assassination of former U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Mr. Chris Stevens was carried out by elements who took advantage of the protests against the blasphemous film on prophet Muhammad to execute their agenda, the recklessness of Bacile provided the pretext for the tragic death of the American envoy, who was described as an articulate speaker of Arabic and well-steeped in Arab societies and cultures. The Ambassador's death opened fresh debates about the limited of the freedom of expression, which democracy guarantees.

In Western democracies, people can take liberties to attack God and religion and get away with it.

They, however, forget the

emotive influence of religion in the minds of other believers.

Deliberately provoking the fury of any believers, be they Muslims or Christians - is indefensible. If you don't like any religion, don't embrace it; you can keep your hatred and prejudice to yourself. However, where religious passion runs deep and in the light of previous nasty experiences, the latest attack on Muhammad was totally unjustified. Freedom of speech should not entail the right to deliberately endanger peace and social harmony.

Extremists have become like a scourge to humanity. How do you justify the current commitment of the Boko Haram to Islamize Nigeria by violence?

Is that realistic or rational? Even sadder is the fact that fringe authors, journalists and other iconoclastic individuals are stretching the definition of freedom too far. What we are

witnessing in effect is the freedom to abuse freedom. In 2006, a Danish cartoonist, Kurt Westergaad, caused outrage among Islamic countries when he deliberately lampooned the prophet of Islam. This protests spread to countries like Nigeria, where innocent Igbo traders who had no connection with the incident were attacked and their shops looted. In fact, there was no reason whatsoever why any responsible Muslim protester should loot in the cause of defending the dignity or honour of Muhammad.

Unfortunately, the spontaneous nature of mob actions are almost always beyond the power of anyone to stop.

Westergaad should bear the ultimate responsibility for setting off the trouble in 2006.

What did he gain by the death and destruction that followed?

When Ambassadors of Muslim countries met the Danish

government to lodge a formal protest over the derogatory cartoon, the Prime Minister of the Nordic country told them that his government had no power to tamper with the freedom of the press or freedom of expression.

His explanation was valid, but that was as far as Western societies are concerned. However, their journalists, film producers and writers have the power to exercise the discretion of selfcensorship. If the consequences of what you intend to publish would cause more harm than good to society, why throw caution to the winds? Perhaps obsessed with the desire for fame and fortune, the Indian born author, Mr. Salman Rushdie, caused an outrage of his own in 1989, when he published his controversial "Satanic Verses" - an insulting satirical portrayal of Prophet Muhammad.

Na-Allah Mohammed Zagga is reachable on muhazagga@yahoo.com

The powerful, their children and oil subsidy theft

By Adeolu Ademoyo

U

nknown to Dr. Reuben Abati, one of President Goodluck Jonathan’s media spokespersons, when he referred to Nigerian youth who are genuinely passionate about the wrong direction in which the only country they have is going as “collective children of anger”, he took a moral stand on the moral and social question in our country. That moral point indicates a social and ethical divide down the line among Nigerians.

Also, a while ago when it was revealed that the children of Nigeria’s political and economic class, the children of the “very high” economically and politically, who by that virtue cannot belong to Mr. Reuben Abati’s group of “children of anger” are part of the oil subsidy thieves, the parents of the “children of oil subsidy theft” and their advocates balked and attempted to distance themselves from their allegedly thieving children. Given our primary concern on this platform, the moral question in this regard is: to what extent in a broad sense are parents of thieving children culpable when their children are caught in the immoral act? And in a specific sense of the “children of oil subsidy theft”: to what extent are parents of oil subsidy thieving children culpable? In other words, to what extent are Mr. Bamangar Tukur and Mr. ArícekÍìlá Àlàó culpable of the alleged oil subsidy theft of their children? If they are culpable, is their culpability legal or moral?

If so, what is the basis? If neither, why are they said not to be either morally culpable or legally culpable?

Of interest is the position of Senator Babáf¹ìmi Ojudu of the ACN who currently represents Ekiti Central in the Senate. He said: “I disagree with my party a

little on the call for Bamangar Tukur to step down. This is because the moment somebody is above 18 years of age such a person is an adult and could be held responsible for his misdeed. For now, Tukur is innocent until he is proved guilty. The sin of the son should not be visited on the father.’’

Senator Ojudu seemed to have confused too many things.

First and foremost is ETHICS, a moral estate, its inheritance from our forbearers, and its transfer to children and grandchildren.

Second is LAW. Third is SANCTION-legal and moral.

Let me say categorically that Messrs Bamangar Tukur and ArícekÍìlá Àlàó and the parents of “children of oil subsidy theft” cannot be legally held responsible for the alleged crime of their children. The parents cannot even be tried in court, so the question of legal culpability and punishment do not arise for them.

The question, however, is: can they be morally held responsible?

Can they be asked simple moral questions? Based on the history of democracy, families, inheritances, and bequests, I think that even when parents are not legally culpable for the actions of their grown up children, they have moral questions to answer when their children commit serious injury against the public, the moral and public good. While they may not be morally obliged to answer such questions, the public is morally obliged to ask them such simple moral questions. As part of the building of our democracy, asking such simple moral questions may just be sufficient.

They put a moral caution and check on so-called political families whose political and economic estate, the moral source of such estate, and the use to which they are put is part of our moral problems. It will then be left to parents of thieving children, and “children of oil

subsidy theft” to morally caution their children.

The assumption that parents of thieving children cannot be asked simple moral questions is unhelpful for many reasons. In many instances, these thieving children set forth into the public, the economy, and politics with the wind and momentum of their parents behind them. In many cases these parents groom these children to take over their economic, political and social estate. And we must add-moral or immoral estate depending on the source of their political and economic wealth.

And worldwide, children of business and political families and moguls have taken advantage of their parents’ estates. Just as we have the Kennedys, Clintons, Bushs in American politics, we have the Awólówòs, the Abiolas, the Ahmadu Bellos, the Babangidas, the Abachas, the Azikwes, the Yar’aduas (I am sure President Jonathan will be getting ready to build his own political family fortunes for his children as all politicians do) the ÌbásánjÍìs, in Nigeria, the Ghandis in India.

Now take this. It is such inheritance and estate of the Ghandis in India that made Mrs. Sonia Ghandi (wife of one of the Ghandis) who is not even of Indian blood an accepted candidate in Indian politics.

So if all these are true, and if the “sin of the son should not be visited on the father” as our dear

friend Senator Babáf¹ìmi Ojudu asserted, why should sons, daughters, in-laws take advantage of the political, economic and social fortunes and inheritances of parents and use them only for parents to balk when their children are caught in the immoral act? Why do parents subtly, covertly, build these children up to take over from them but want to balk when these children injure the public and moral good by literally stealing what does not belong to them? Sometimes this immoral act is even called “business”!

I know we often shy away from doing this. But let us look at one another straight in the face and speak the moral truth. What will make the sons of Messrs Sani Abacha and Ibrahim Babangida claim to want to lead us besides hoping to tap into their father’s fortunes and name tags? Also, beside the fortunes of the late M.K.O AbíÍìlá, Mr. Bamanga Tukur, and those of Mr. Olúc¹ìgun ÌbásanjÍì what will qualify their children as leaders in situation where we do not see their service to the public before their forays into politics? In other words, besides their fathers’ nametags, what public credentials do they have that would have made them acceptable to the public? Except a few decent ones like Mrs. Hafsat AbíÍìlá-Costello, and a few others, what service have the children of Nigerian political class

“

Let me say categorically that Messrs Bamangar Tukur and ArícekÍìlá Àlàó and the parents of “children of oil subsidy theft” cannot be legally held responsible for the alleged crime of their children. The parents cannot even be tried in court, so the question of legal culpability and punishment do not arise for them

rendered to the public as civil preparation for public service like children of political families in other countries and political cultures do before going into politics?

My point is that if children and spouses of our political class take advantage of their political, social and economic inheritances and they mess up, the source of such inheritances should be morally held responsible even when they are not legally culpable. To free the source of inheritance of moral culpability when the source has overtly and covertly propelled the children who are beneficiaries of such inheritance and estate is to want to eat our cake and have it. It is called moral opportunism on the part of our political, and economic class and it is morally unacceptable.

Senator Ojudu ought to know this and he ought to have properly distinguished criminal guilt from the moral questions that are being legitimately asked. Sadly he did not.

Finally, that it is fair to ask parents of “children of oil subsidy theft” basic moral questions is underscored by the African fragment which says: Bí ará ilé ¹ni bá ñ j¹ kòkòrò, bí a kò bá sÍfun, hùrùhàrà ¹Ì ko ní j¹ìkí à sùn lóru.

Substantively, this fragment rests on the correct moral balance between the individual and collective in human affairs. It means that “if a member of our household is engaged in a morally unacceptable act, and we fail to caution him/her, the moral consequences of the act will put us in a morally difficult situation.” This is a moral statement about the correct balance between individual and collective moral responsibility.

Adéolú AdémoyÍÌ (aaa54@cornell.edu) is of Africana Studies and Research Centre, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

PAGE 14

By Ose Oyamendan

T

he old folks in the good, old days used to say when you live long enough, you will see everything. By that, they meant you may see wars, several rites of passage and sometimes, a pretty significant thing like a comet or what was once a mere fantasy like cloning.

I bet they never thought of today. These days, you see more by age twenty than the old sages used to see in three lifetimes combined. I felt I’ve seen about everything until something happened literally in my Californian backyard a few weeks ago that had my jaw on the floor.

I have this friend that I’ll call Allie just to protect her a little even though it’s more likely I win the lottery than her reading his.

Well, Allie is one of those great girls with a great laugh, a sob when you have a sad tale and a hug when you really need one.

She’s a graduate student at one of the top schools in America, has a really bright future and doesn’t do anything crazy.

I doubt if she even drinks alcohol. She’s one of those girls you take home to your parents. The problem is it always seems the river of romance washes up deadbeats to her doorstep.

Then, she stopped trying.

Instead, she hung out a lot with her childhood friend who is now

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

A wacky wedding married to a lady that overtime offered the standard apology before wondering what “commitment” meant. The wife was sure she’d became her best friend. They were she started the accusations. so close they moved into the same Turns out, we had no plans. turned gay because that’s the house.

Better, she told me I was a good word gay community uses in I thought all was okay in Allie’s friend, which made me feel good states where gay marriage is world until I was having tea in my because I thought I was a lousy illegal. But, I personally know my favourite café in Korea town one friend.

She said I was friend is nowhere close to being day and I saw her making out with understandable which made me gay. So, I thought maybe she her childhood friend. I thought feel better because all I hear these found a guy and they didn’t believe in the concept something of traditional was wrong marriage so they just with my do a legally noneyes so I b i n d i n g strolled Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text c o m m i t m e n t over to say messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written ceremony which is hello. Allie contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 like a small rave these was a little words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and days in some circles. bit shy a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed On the day of the about it all to: ceremony, I put on but not my one and only suit h e r The Editor, which is getting so old childhood Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, and tight I look like friend.

I Incredible Hulk in it. d i d n ’ t 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja.

I had to go alone since know how Email: let ters@peoplesdaily-online.com the wife thinks my to react to SMS: 07037756364 friends like Allie are all that so I wacky. When I got gave him a fist bump which I think they took days is the opposite. Then, she said there, I felt honoured to be one of as an encouragement since they I was dependable which made me about two dozen guests. Then, carried on. uncomfortable because I thought my friend and her best friend Fast forward to a few weeks ago she wanted some sort of assistance. walked out in wedding gowns. when I received a call from Allie. I But, she didn’t want anything Wow, I thought to myself, Allie had been travelling a lot so I except my presence at her crossed to the other side and took thought I’d cancelled lunch or “commitment ceremony”. I said her childhood friend’s wife with drinks with her because everyone yes because that is what I say to her! But, I got more confused says I do that these days. So, I most things. Then, I started when the childhood friend

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appeared beaming and looking like a million dollars in his suit.

Then, some funny middle-aged lady got up and welcomed us to the ceremony.

Within seconds, I was informed this is a polyamory ceremony. I had no clue what that was and I wasn’t about to admit that. I texted my assistant to Google the word and let me know what it is.

Turns out this is the marriage of the 21st century – more than two people involved in a consenting, committed sexual relationship.

Sometimes, it’s three people.

Sometimes, it’s way more.

My jaw fell on the floor. Then, I picked it up and pretended I attend these events every weekend. Once the ceremony was over, my friend came and thanked me for coming and for being understanding. I smiled and hugged her. What was I supposed to do? Slap her awake?

I texted the wife to let her know I felt like Mungo Park who had just discovered something the natives knew existed. But, the wife is not that versed in Nigerian history.

So, I told her to substitute Mungo Park with Christopher Columbus and put sex and marriage instead of land. When she heard the details, her jaw hung loose and she reminded me that most of my friends are wacky. Then she told me to go to confession.

Ose Oyamendan wrote in from Los Angeles, California, USA

Mr. President could walk away with gold dust covered feet

By Samuel A. Caulcrick

I

t was Gordon Brown, the former Prime Minister of Britain, in his last official address to the nation on his last day in office that said, ‘Only those who have occupied the office of the prime minister will realize that there is a huge capacity in the office for common good.’ Mr. President, you may not have realized this, but your office has an enormous capacity to do well for common good, and this could be an opportunity to transform a shoeless feet, that you said once had, to a feet covered with gold dust. Mr. President, you have advisers most of whom have their agenda, not because they are selfish; but because that is what experts do.

Take for instance your economic team, what are they bringing to the table? Apart from Dangote, none of them is creating enough wealth, only commissions; these are hardly enough for the amount of mouths, i.e. Nigerians, Mr. President has to feed. They, including Dangote, only prey on the oil receipts for themselves and are do not pay their fair share for common good.

This country will remain in the doldrums unless the crazy level of inequality is addressed. Without self delusion, my El President, no foreign investor will risk his money in Nigeria unless there is a tax structure that mitigates social equality, which impacts on the security of the investor’s funds.

What makes Nigeria unique is its geographical location, which has brought diverse people together to this box called Nigeria; the oil and numerous resources

are only a bonus. I cannot agree more with the former military president Babangida that providence must have brought these diverse people together to form Nigeria. The challenges many Nigerians face, however, except those who are already benefiting from the skewed opportunities in Nigeria, make them want a breakup of the country. If you ask them, what they believe is a breakup either on religion, sectional or tribal line. Some powerful people are behind this mad thinking, which is not ingenious; what is fuelling it is the ready recruitment for ground soldiers, which is made possible by the crazy level of social inequality in Nigeria.

Who will blame them? It is not much of the country resources being mismanaged, which is a small thing; but a bigger issue of lack of opportunities that consigned many people to a life of hopelessness. Since the Industrial Revolution, the world has had two extreme systems of wealth distribution – socialism and capitalism. Both have been tried in recent history, with some inbetween; the world, however, will continue to evolve. So far, capitalism, or some variants of it, has proved to be a better management of a country’s resources. That being said, the wealth of the nation still has to be shared. And what better way for social equilibrium in capitalism to share national wealth for common good, than a sound tax structure that compels the rich to pay a fair share.

Society’s instrument for the common good is government, but it has to be funded for the good of all.

Funding of government programs can only be effected through tax, which everybody pays. That, I

think, is where Nigeria’s multifarious problems lie. In the past till now, we still focus on government spending, which in all honesty, has been very embarrassing, to say the least. No Nigerian, including disappointingly the so called economists, is thinking about government the funding of the public treasury in the real sense.

Oil has given the government, not the generality of people, a false sense of security, which is why many people are dying to get into politics where the oil wealth is squandered.

Since Mesopotamia, the cradle of modern government and civilization, tax has been the mechanism for growth and equity; this was some 50,000 years ago.

Tax brings a sense of belonging – patriotism. Why then do we forget something so basic, and continue to forge ahead trying to reinvent the wheel? Greed, ignorance and the fear of the future are what come to a logical mind. Logically, those who appropriate the resources of the country for self believe that Nigeria, as a unit, will not survive – reason why they steal without thinking. This group is antisocial and does not contribute to the survival of Nigeria; unfortunately, they dominate the politics of this great country for now.

That they steal, what belongs to all, is opportunism; but denying the government tax on what is now illegally theirs contributes to the destruction of the survival of society – double jeopardy. That is a big problem. Mr. President, we need to get back to brass tags. For not having a sound tax structure that determines the survival of Nigeria, we are walking in a mined field. It should not matter whether the

wealth is stolen or rightly earned.

In capitalism, the resources of the country are handed over to a few for effective management – privatization, commercialization, and now to the politicians.

However, unless there is a tax structure that plows the profit therein for common good, we will continue to generate a crazy level of inequality that threatens the security of even the rich and the country.

In Nigeria today, for lack of proper tax structure, the money to fill the potholes on our roads is in our pockets, which also includes the rich. What everybody forgets, particularly the rich, is that the government will continue to spend – come-what-may; and who is likely to get his money easily back if not the rich. The process would at least better the state of society.

If you look at countries in Europe that have economic problems presently, they are those with weak tax structures. Tax is what will solve Nigeria’s multifarious problems – corruption, security, unity, economy, value of the naira, power, roads, rail, education, hospitals, water, etc.

Tax is apolitical, nonreligious, neither tribal nor sectional, but an instrument for government effectiveness and the survival of the country.

Mr. President, we also know that your advisers are paid; these are experts, but like I said earlier they have their own agenda. I am extremely disappointed with the kind of economists we have in this country; they should all be jailed and that includes those who are not saying anything different.

They tell us that the government has no business in business. No sir,

government is the business, only it has no business running it. Only government has the financial muscle to fund giant infrastructure for common good, maybe not a smart idea to manage them. For example, the Chinese government creates rival companies and charges the managers to compete against each other even globally. When private companies went burst, it was government that bailed them out, even in the U.S. So Mr. President, if you want to defuse the Boko Haram bombs; silence the guns in the Niger Delta; clear the dungeons of kidnappers; create an enabling environment for growth; attract foreign investors; strengthen the naira; fill the potholes on our roads; roll out the trains; fortify education, health delivery and constant power supply, you will need to come to the gold mine. That gold mine is our pockets, but it has to be a robust structure that will guarantee that the rich also pay their fair share. It has to be seen as an instrument that threatens the survival of the nation as well as its societies. Your transformation agenda will come to naught without a tax reform that addresses social inequality. Trust me on this, Mr. President, if you announce tomorrow that you intend to send a genuine Tax Bill to the National Assembly, I bet that the mere pronouncement would shrink the recruitment grounds for sedition.

Besides, you have nothing to lose, Mr. President, maybe more to gain: you could walk away with gold dust covered feet for all time.

Samuel Akinyele Caulcrick resides in Lagos.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

I

t’s my honour to address this august gathering of the United Nations. I am equally delighted to attend the first-ever High-Level Plenary Session of the United Nations on the Rule of Law, the spirit of which was bequeathed to me by my late boss, who passed away on the 5th of May 2010. May his gentle soul Rest in Peace, Amen.

Honourable Sec. Gen., first I must commend you for coordinating the affairs of the United Nations with more than 190 members. Managing affairs of this secretariat is not an easy task. But compared to my country – which is just a like a forest – United Nations is like a test tube. That is why it is difficult to easily measure achievement in a forest.

Nonetheless, I will highlight some of the achievements of my administration.

Despite my commitment to rule of law and equity, it may interest the assembly to know that I am the most criticised president Nigeria ever had. We have evolved a number of policies with long-term benefits, which people will benefit in the future. But despite this barrage of criticism, I remain steadfast, doing what I know is good for the country.

We are very close to reaching a milestone, a point where petroleum subsidy will be completely withdrawn. Petroleum subsidy removal is good for the economy of our country, just as cassava bread is good for our health. That is the reason these two issues become the thrust of my agenda.

Our country is currently submerging under flood waters.

While ordering Julius Burger to

By Dele Akinola

O

n Sunday, June 03, 2012, in the residential Lagos suburb of Iju-Ishaga, death announced, in a broadcast of raging inferno, the unfortunate annulment of numerous lofty achievements and nourished ambitions. Corporate managers, accomplished academics, business pundits, young executives, fresh graduates, ambitious youths and promising kids were cruelly cut down in one of the goriest fashions imaginable. A number of such tragedies had occurred in recent years with ADC, Bellview, Sosoliso and other domestic air carriers in the country. But DANA Airlines, which bore the misfortune of being the courier of death this time around, somehow set an implied metaphor for DANA – Death Annuls Nourished Ambitions!

Tears, anguish, grief and sorrow would always compete for right of way where tragedy crash-lands, in a head-on collision, into calamity.

The mood of the nation, betraying irrepressible outbursts of emotion, even several months after the reality horror movie, vividly captures the magnitude of the readings on the Ritcher scale of catastrophe. Whole families, affectionate siblings, young and old couples, within touching distance of destination, suddenly disappeared somewhere inside the short distance between air and land. What a cruel way to proffer a destabilizing explanation of Armageddon!

Take the tragic case of the Anyenes. A man, his wife and all four children of theirs, a nuclear family in its entirety, within some

PAGE 15

A President’s UN address

clear the flood waters from the roads, I also told my ministers that the best way to address the issue is for people to learn swimming and diving. We will make this compulsory for all Nigerians in order to reduce the perennial flood deaths. I have already directed the Federal Road Accident Corps to immediately start issuing diver’s license to Nigerians who are certified fit to swim and dive.

Those outside the creek, now have opportunity to learn diving and get license.

As I once said in one of my great speeches, “The dream that any Nigerian child from Kaura-Nomoda to Duke village; from Potiscum to Nsuka; from Isale-Iko to Gbocko town will be able to realize his God-given potentials, unhindered by tribe or religion and unrestricted by improvised political inhibitions.”

Honourable Sec. Gen., I still hold on to this belief.

The challenge of Boco Haram crisis is coming to an end. I’ve already decided to award Shekarau and Abu Qaka a multi-million dollar contract for the security of churches, telecom masts and schools in the North Delta region. The same thing I did to my Naija Delta militants.

Currently, there’s no oil bunkering or pipeline vandalism in the region.

This is a good example of rule of law.

Alhaji Asara and Mr Tampico have all benefitted. Militant is not ahead of terrorist or insurgent. We are treating them the same in the spirit of Rule of Law.

Mr. Sec. Gen., this august assembly should note that I am the most impartial president my country ever had. When I decorated a business mogul Alhaji Alinco with GGCON honor, Nigerians hailed me because of his contribution to the provision of employment opportunities. That boy Alinco, who Fordes magazines declared the richest black African, is one of the pillars that hold the collapsing real sector of our economy. It’s surprising that some people criticise me for being biased in order rubbish our effort. This year again, in the spirit of equity, I also conferred another business man, Mr Mic Adenooga.

The National honours award was established by National Dishonour Act No 5 of 1964. The act empowers

the president to honour deserving citizens. Since 1963, a total of 4,426 merit awards have been conferred on Nigerians. I contributed 979 to this number. This really is no mean achievement even on the international scale.

My dear colleagues, the world may notice that I recently showered N5 million to each of our gold medalist paralympians, just as I directed my defence chief to give N200,000 to the families of soldiers killed by Boco Haram sect. I do this in the spirit of equity.

Mr. Sec. Gen., my fellow heads of government, assembly men and women, our country has four major tribes today. We had three major tribes before, but my government increased the number to four. We now have, in alphabetical order, Ausa, Ejaw, Ibo and Yoroba. This has never been achieved by any government before my administration. No one can hardly tell which tribe between Ejaw and Ausa is the majority, or between Ibo and Yoroba and vice versa.

On the planned introduction of N5,000 note by the Central Bank, many people were not even aware that I even proposed a denomination much higher than 5,000. My plan

Why DANA must go! cruel minutes of fatality of fate, disappeared into thin air without trace, never to be seen again, either by themselves or anyone else!

Looking back again at the pictures of those poor innocent little kids, exuding charm, liveliness, promise and perhaps ambition, under the nourishing arms of their hopeful parents, it rankles in ones mind the evil that death did in leveling the radiant peak of expectations into a flood plain of despair.

They were not alone, though. In December, 2005, a Sosoliso aircraft suffered a similar fate within the vicinity of the Port Harcourt airport.

Scores of young students of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja were trapped inside a flying coffin performing a masquerade dance in thick smoky balls of fire. Weeping, wailing, mourning and gnashing of teeth were enveloped in anguish as hapless waiting parents watched, with agonizing helplessness, as their children roasted alive. So tragic was the case of an ageing couple who lost all their three children that even the Cable News Network (CNN) did a documentary on it. What a chilling way to announce and receive the horror news of how death annulled nourished ambitions!

The strike force of DANA operates, like the American Navy SEAL, on sea, air and land. The mayhem that trailed the announcement of the April, 2011 presidential election result glaringly exposed the socio-political nudity of a nation. A satanic group of “animals

in human skin,” whom the legendary Fela Anikulapo-Kuti labeled “beasts of no nation,” reaching for the peak of bestiality, unleashed a reign of terror in Bauchi and some other states in the North.

By the time they faced belated state resistance, at least ten youth corps members, who dutifully and patriotically answered the call to national service, had been mowed down in somewhat gruesome manner. Chilling spectacle of sliced skulls and butchered limbs of youngsters expected to bring some succour to the socio-economic anguish of their toiling parents again announced how death annulled nourished ambitions.

The organizers, sponsors and perpetrators of those satanic acts have yet to be publicly identified and brought to book. The rate at which people do evil things and get away

with them in this country is becoming unbearably discomforting. The battered and bruised corpers who survived the mayhem were, in May 2011, promised automatic employment on completion of their NYSC programme by the federal government. In June, this year, a national newspaper did a feature on how these unfortunate ones were still waiting endlessly for the fulfillment of the presidential promise.

Situations such as these informed the national outrage that greeted the lifting of the suspension of DANA Airlines operating licence by the federal government.

Aviation expert, Captain Dele Ore, while welcoming the lifting of the suspension, insisted steps must be taken to make the Nigerian airspace safe. He was probably only

“

Death Annuls Nourished Ambitions (DANA)! Nigeria has lost too many precious innocent souls including promising young ones in avoidable circumstances. Suicide bombings, highway robbery attacks, boat mishaps, highway accidents facilitated by unmotorable roads and questionable air crashes make an endless list

was to introduce different notes for different individuals. For example, I proposed 620,000 notes for Members of the House of Refs, while the 5,000 can be used by the general public. The logic behind my proposition, which idle social media critics vehemently rejected, is to check corruption.

Our electoral commission under Professor Dahiru Jaga-Jaga has conducted the freest and fairest election ever in the history of our nation. Having won the election with a landslide, the commission deservedly declared me winner. We gave them more than N80 billion for the election and we are willing to give them more money to provide permanent voter’s card. It will interest this august assembly to know that currently, Sierra Leone is trained by Jaga-Jaga on how to conduct election.

The securities and exchange department under unassuming amazon in person of Ms. Rigima Oteh is doing great job. The market is appreciating by the day as she rids the department of corruption. She is embodiment of transparency and rule of law.

As one of the future economies of the world, I am glad to inform you that our country is on the path of economic growth. My coordinating minister of the Economy Dr. Ojoro Wahala is also doing great job.

While reiterating my government’s commitment to Rule of Law, I will however end my address with a pertinent request from this august assembly to consider our country for a permanent seat at the Security Council of United Corrupt Nations. submitting the problem was not necessarily about DANA Airlines but general insecurity in the land. We agonize, on a daily basis, under the yoke of no security in the air, on water and on land. We co-exist, while suffering and smiling, with fear of the unknown in our public places, on the streets and even in our homes.

Families of the victims of the DANA air crash at a meeting with Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, echoed Ore’s position by stressing the need to use the traumatic experience of the crash as an opportunity to clean up the aviation sector. They also demanded that the details of what culminated in the crash be made public. In this regard, it is important to also make public the reports of similar crashes in recent years which hitherto appeared to be on the way to their safe haven under the carpet.

Death Annuls Nourished Ambitions (DANA)! Nigeria has lost too many precious innocent souls including promising young ones in avoidable circumstances. Suicide bombings, highway robbery attacks, boat mishaps, highway accidents facilitated by unmotorable roads and questionable air crashes make an endless list. All these man-made disasters which, through acts of commission or omission, create, promote and nurture the climate of DANA in the country must be checkmated. No opportunity of a wake-up call could be more germane than this.

DANA Air could stay and resume operations in this country.

But for goodness sake, DANA must go!

Dele Akinola is reachable on Facebook

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

SOS Children’s Village wants FCTA to rehabilitate Dukpa road

By Usman Shuaibu

T

Committee on Clean and Green Greater Abuja Initiative, evacuating heap of refuse along Karu General Hospital, recently in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Man, 27, defiles nineyear-old girl in Mararaba A

27-year-old business man, Ogbona Mba, of Aso Pada, Mararaba in Nasarawa state yesterday appeared before the state’s Upper Area Court charged with having sexual intercourse with a minor.

The Police Prosecutor, Abdul Abu, told the court that the mother of the victim reported

the incident to the police in Mararaba on September 18, 2012.

Abu said that on that day, the accused allegedly lured the nine-year-old girl to his room and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her.

He added that during police investigation, it was, however,

discovered that, the accused previously had sexual intercourse with the victim on five occasions.

Abu said the offence contravenes the provisions of Section 275 of the Penal Code.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Judge, Mr Abdullahi

Ibrahim, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Ibrahim said the sureties should be responsible persons with reputable character, residing within the court’s jurisdiction, and adjourned the case to October 22, 2012 for further hearing. (NAN)

Cleric advocates for modern Islamic schools

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he National Chairman of Jama’atul - Izalatul-Bid’a Waikamatul Sunnah (JIBWIS) Ustaz Abdullahi Balalau has called on the Federal Government and also stakeholders in the country to build modern Islamic schools where combine knowledge of western and Islamic education can be acquired.

Balalu made the call during a courtesy visit to Islamic Leadership Academy in Kuje Area Council, where he expressed satisfaction

with the level of training and learning facilities of the academy in which priority is given to the moral training and Allah’s consciousness.

He described the school as one of the best and standard boarding Islamic school in Abuja, adding that (JIBWIS) would collaborate with the Academy in area of national and international seminars and workshop to develop capacity building of Muslims in the country.

According to him, part of the activities of the JIBWIS was the establishment of an NG O called

Family in difficult circumstances (FC) to assist government in alleviating poverty and problems of orphans in society. ”We have acquisition centres, media houses where people can gainful be employed for good services as part of our association’s effort to assist government. ”It is with schools of this nature that problems in the country can fully be addressed. When actual knowledge of Islam is being impacted to the student at an early age, who are also our leaders of tomorrow, they will be good

ambassadors of this country and God fearing leaders”, he aded.

Also the education secretary of the school, Alhaji Musa Edzu, added that the commencement of boarding school was a deliberate attempt to groom the student towards good leadership in the country.

He said that the school has concluded arrangement for international affiliation with Azhar University, Cairo, adding that apart from normal lessons, student receive spiritual diet, Friday sermon, Tahfiz lessons and extra-curricular activities.

Police arraign man for alleged theft of $ 5,200

A

20-year-old man, Sanda Umar, 20, of Banex Junction, Wuse 2, Abuja, has been arraigned before an Abuja Senior Magistrates Court for allegedly stealing 5,200 dollars.

Police Prosecutor, Mohammed Ahmed told the court that the case was reported at the Maitama Police Station on September 19, 2012 by Hassan Lawal of Plot

1306, Ogidi Street, Garki 2, Abuja.

He said that same day at about 2.45 a.m., the accused and two others now at large, removed the sum from the dash board of the complainant’s car and ran away.

Ahmed added that the accused and others removed the money when the complainant stopped at the Banex Junction to buy petrol

from “black market” dealers.

He said the offence contravenes the provisions of Sections 79 and 288 of the Penal Code, but the accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Ahmed prayed the court for a date to present witnesses.

The Senior Magistrate, Mr Emmanuel Iyanna, granted bail to the accused in the sum of

N100,000 with a surety in like sum and ordered that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.

He said that the surety must have a reasonable means of livelihood and a fixed and traceable address.

Iyanna adjourned the case to October 22 for further hearing.

(NAN)

he Village Director of SOS (Save Our Soul) Children’s Village, Dukpa in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Kehinde Sule, has appealed to the FCT Administration (FCTA) and the council to as a matter of urgency, rehabilitate Dukpa road which has been neglected for so long.

He also called on the FCTA to address the water problem faced by the children during dry season in the village.

Sule, who made the appeal in an interview with Peoples Daily in his office, explained that the SOS children’s village was established in Nigeria to accommodate children who have lost their parents and needed a permanent home to live He called on highly placed individuals in the country to assist the less privileged children in the village all the times.

The village boss said that his administration would continue to cater for the welfare of the children and called for the financial aid from the government organizations.

Employee gets four strokes of cane for stealing

A

n employee of a block industry, Kafas Thomas was yesterday given four strokes of cane for stealing some block moulding machine parts.

An Abuja Senior Magistrates Court ordered that the 37-yearold man be given the lashes after he was convicted of theft, joint act and criminal breach of trust .

The Senior Magistrate, Mrs Idayat Akambi, sentenced the convict following his plea.

Police Prosecutor, Simon Emmanuel had told the court that the convict, of Anguwan Cement, Kado, Abuja, and one Olu, now at large, conspired and stole some block moulding machine parts on September 21, 2012.

“The items included over 100 pieces of six-inch moulding plates, a gear box and an engine warmer, which were entrusted to Thomas,’’ he told the court.

Emmanuel said they were intercepted and arrested by the police while on their way to sell the items.

The prosecutor told the court that Mike Azubike of Anguwan Cement, Kado, Abuja, lodged the complaint against the convict at the Life Camp Police Station on September 21.

Emmanuel added that the convict was an employee of the complainant. (NAN)

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

Man in prison for allegedly raping 10year-old girl

A

20-year-old man, Idris Abubakar, was ordered by a Gwagwalada Upper Area Court yesterday, to be remanded in prison custody for allegedly raping a 10-year-old girl.

Abubakar, a neighbour of the victim, was alleged to have deceived the girl into entering his room on the pretext of giving her money.

Police Prosecutor Martha Paul, told the court that the accused was arrested on September 18, 2012 following a complaint lodged at the Gwagwalada Police Station by the father of the victim (name withheld).

Paul said the incident occurred on September 18 and that the accused was arraigned on a onecount charge of procuring an underage girl.

Abubakar, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge, and the presiding Judge, Alhaji Babangida Hassan, ordered that he be remanded in prison custody.

He adjourned the case to November 14, 2012 for hearing.

(NAN)

Pilgrims from the Federal Capital Territory, on their way to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport after being screened at the permanent Hajj camp, yesterday, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Phone repairer convicted for receiving stolen cell phone

Policeman dies as A car skids off bridge

A

black Honda saloon car with registration number CY 691 LND yesterday skidded off a bridge near Wuse Market, Abuja, killing the driver, a police corporal on the spot.

A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who visited the scene, reports that the car knocked off the concrete embankment on the bridge

before crashing into the ravine below.

The impact tore the car into pieces with the engine separated from the body.

The Divisional Traffic Officer at Wuse Police Station, Mr Kassim Yusuf confirmed the death of the driver who, he said, was a police corporal at the FCT command.

“His name is Isah Obadiah,

a corporal with the Special Anti Robbery Squad of the FCT Command. He closed from duty and was heading home when the accident occurred,’’ he said.

The body, he said, had been deposited at the Wuse General Hospital mortuary.

Yusuf, who said the cause of the accident had yet to be ascertained, noted that the

body of the driver was flung out of the car.

On his part, the Deputy Director of Operations, Road Traffic Services in the FCT, Mr Yusuf Clark, said that over speeding might have caused the accident.

“He must have skidded as a result of over speeding; I believe he was moving at more 100 km per hour,’’ he added. (NAN)

Over 530 Muslim pilgrims screened for airlifting yesterday

By Josephine Ella

O

ver Five hundred and thirty Muslim pilgrims in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), were screened yesterday for airlifting by Kabo and Max Airlines to Saudi Arabia to perform this year’s Hajj.

Out of the 3,000 pilgrims from the FCT, the 530 that were screened at the Permanent Camp, were seen boarding mass transit buses by the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

Addressing journalists at the permanent camp, the Director of FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Surajo Ado Faskari, said the airlifting

of FCT pilgrims would be concluded on October 4, 2012.

“We have commenced the airlifting of pilgrims from the FCT who are over 3,000. Over 530 pilgrims have commenced boarding and are to be airlifted to Mecca by two airlines which have been shortlisted for the exercise. The airlines are Kabo and Max Air. “All the FCT pilgrims will be accommodated in a 5-Star Hotel which has been secured for them. We have put in place adequate security and medical measures at the permanent Hajj Camp for the pilgrims to guarantee their comfort,” Faskari said.

The director assured that this year’s Hajj Operations, would be hitch free, noting that

the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board had complied with all the regulations for the operation.

On his part, the Special Assistant to the Honourable Minister of State for the FCT and a member of the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Ibraheem Ibraheem, advised the pilgrims to be law-abiding in the Holyland and not to violate the laws of their host country.

Ibraheem, who reiterated the FCT Administration’s commitment to serve the FCT residents and Nigerians in general by developing the territory, urged the pilgrims to pray for the leaders and peace in the country.

It would be recalled that the

Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, had on September 13, 2012 inaugurated the FCT 2012 Amirul Hajj Team led by Gen. Abdullahi Bagudu Mamman (Rtd).

Members of the Team also include: Alhaji Atiku Kurawa, Alhaji Mustapha Isma’il Khalifa and Alhaja Habeebat BabataSulaiman, who serves as secretary of the team.

“We have retained the Team because of the stupendous work done in 2011. It is hoped that your reappointment will afford you the opportunity to evaluate the operation and bring-up areas of improvements as I can count on your forthrightness, dedication and dynamism,” Akinjide had said.

Gwagwalada Upper Area Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) yesterday sentenced a handset repairer, Haruna Ibrahim, 25, to five months imprisonment for receiving a stolen cell phone.

Alhaji Babangida Hassan, the presiding Judge, however, gave the convict an option to pay N20,000 fine and ordered that the recovered cell phone be released to the complainant immediately.

Police Prosecutor, Martha Paul had told the court that one Ifeanyi, whose surname was not given and who is now at large, stole the cell phone from the complainant, Mike Ibrahim, and sold it to the convict.

She said the cell phone, valued at N15,000, was sold to the convict for N3,300 by Ifeanyi, adding that the incident happened on September 21, 2012.

Paul said the convict was arrested on the above date following complaint lodged at the Gwagwalada Police Station by Ibrahim.

The prosecutor said the cell phone was recovered from the convict during police investigation.

“He confessed in a statement to the police that he bought it from Ifeanyi’’, he told the court.

Paul added that Ibrahim was arraigned on a one-count charge of receiving stolen property.

The convict pleaded guilty to the charge and begged the court for leniency.

Hassan sentenced him to five months imprisonment with an option to pay N20, 000 fine.

(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 17

Tiv traditional dancers displaying their rich culture in a public function, recently in Garki, Abuja.

You can't cheat nature; a man a nap in an open place, in Nyanya.

A man eking living with his wheel barrow, yesterday in Area 1, Garki, Abuja.

A middle-aged woman sweeping the street, in Area 8, Garki, Abuja.

A taxi driver doing minor repairs on his cab, in Wuse 2, Abuja. Photos: Justin Imo-owo

BUSINESS

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

Email: amunuimam@yahoo.co.uk

PAGE 19

INSIDE

Aviation safety in Nigeria has made a turn for the better, says Dr. Demuren

Mob: 08033644990

FG to triple N1.4tr FDI infree trade zones

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

T

he Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) said it has attracted over $9 billion (N1.4 trillion) to the economy through operation of free trade zones across the country.

The Acting Managing Director of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), David Nongo disclosed this in an interview with newsmen.

"Presently Nigeria has attracted over $ 9 billion FDI through free zones operation across the country and that will triple very soon with aggressive

government efforts in developing the sector."

The NEPZA boss commended the Ministry of Trade and Investment for organizing the Oil and Gas Trade and investment forum held in Onne, Port Harcourt.

He said the forum has opened up the Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone, which he described as the largest in the world, to both foreign and local investors.

Nongo said NEPZA has been working with other stakeholders especially the ministry of petroleum resources to attract more FDIs through oil and gas.

He said the ministry in conjunction with the

stakeholders put up the forum to open up the zone to investments.

"We are out to promote the free trade zone to enhance inflow of FDI and boost the economy.

"Government plan was to attract investment to oil and gas sector generally because trade has to live. We will work in conjunction with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to promote investment in the oil and gas sector.

"And this what the ministry has just done and I can tell you that we are going to triple the investment we have been having in the past few years as a result of this forum".

He said government was

putting in place measures to ensure that the number of free zone in the country grow astronomically.

"The United State started with about 300 free trade zones but today look at the level they are now. We are now working towards having at least 500 free zones in Nigeria."

He expressed regret that lack of power and other infrastructural facilities were the challenges facing the development of the free zones in the country.

Nongo nevertheless commended Federal Government for measures put in place to address the challenges.

Naira rises on foreign demand for bonds

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L-R: Colonel Sani Bello (rtd), Alhaji Abubakar Ismaila, Chairman, Bulet International, Alhaji Samaila Isa, and Colonel Peter Ayegbemi, during the financial bid opening for successor generation companies, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Transcorp's entrance to end power outage- says MD

By Abdulwahab Isa

T

he Managing Director of Transnational Corporation (Transcorp) Nigeria Plc, Mr. Obinna Ufoddo said the entrance of the consortium in energy and power supply will end Nigeria's history of incessant power outages.

Speaking in an interview with Peoples Daily yesterday in Abuja at the opening of financial bids for the privatization of Power Holding Company (PHCN) successor generation companies, Uffodo described the process as fantastic opportunity.

Transcorp firm was declared preferred bidder by the technical committee of the national Council on Privatization (NCP) for offering $300 million for Ugelli power plant "It is a fantastic opportunity for Transcorp to contribute again to the development of Nigeria economy. its fantastic opportunity and a new day for Nigeria electricity power supply situation.

Bringing private inputs and resources to this sector will definitely ensure that within a

short while Nigerians begin to enjoy the benefit of having a stable power supply".

He said Transcorp as multinational firm will play in three key major sectors of the economy. He listed the areas as agriculture, hospitality business and energy, adding that "this is just an extension of our strategic intention to be active in this sector.

Uffodo said Transcorp is committed and determined to prove to Nigerians of its intent to proved stable, successful power supply to the country.

The quest to privatise the

power sector started yesterday as a consortium promoted by Transnational Corporation (Transcorp) Nigeria plc Transcorp and WoodRock/ Symbion Power Consortium emerged the preferred bidder for Ugelli power generation plant ending the age-long era of power supply a responsibility of government. It offered $300 million for 100 percent control. It was closely followed by Amperion consortium which offered bid price of $252 million followed by Feniks Electricity offering $54 million for the same plant.

he Naira firmed against the U.S. dollar on the interbank yesterday, supported by inflows from foreign investors ahead of a bond auction this week and a $57.5 million sale by ExxonMobil to some lenders, dealers said.

The unit closed at N157.65 to the greenback, firmer than Monday's close of N157.75.

The naira has gained 1.62 percent so far this year on the back of rising oil prices and foreign reserves in Africa's second biggest economy. It has traded within a range of 157158 naira over the past month on high dollar liquidity, dealers say.

"Sentiment is high and we see the naira gaining further this week or at least remaining stable," said a dealer at Standard Chartered Bank, adding that dollar inflows have risen in recent months to helped sustain demand.

Dealers say the inclusion of Nigeria's debt into the JP Morgan emerging market government bond index from October saw foreign investors pump in dollars to buy treasury bills.

The CBN will sell N104.70 billion ($663.50 mln) worth of treasury bills with maturities ranging from threemonths to one-year this week, with foreign investors already buying naira to participate in the auction, dealers say.

(Reuters)

Management Tip of the Day

T

Get Feedback, Even If You’re the Boss

he higher up in the organization you get, the less likely you are to receive constructive feedback on your ideas, performance, or strategy. But you need input from others to get better. Here's how to get it:

" Ask constantly. Don't just ask at review time, or assume your team members will be upfront. " Remove liability. If you think people won't open up, start by gathering feedback anonymously - through a 360

- Pg 20

process for example - to show them you're receptive. " Act on it. If someone is brave enough to give you input, recognize it. Show everyone that you receive criticism well and can change your behavior as a result.

We have not taken over Aero airlineAMCON boss From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

T

he Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, on Monday, denied taking over the management of Aero Contractors.

It could be recalled that last week, the Nigerian aviation sector was plunged into another uncertainty, with the reported take-over of Aero Contractors by AMCON, a development that threw the corporate clients of the airline, especially the multinational oil companies to confusion.

The Ibru family-owned airline was reportedly taken over due to massive debt amounting to $203 million.

Besides the reported take-over by AMCON, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) also dealt another blow to the airline, by announcing on Friday that all credits to it should be halted because of the debt.

However, the Managing Director of AMCON, Mustafa Chike-Obi, denied the takeover in an interview with an on-line journal, Premium Times, saying "reports that AMCON has taken over Aero Contractors is not true".

"We took over the debts, not the company. We have had the debts for almost a year now. Therefore, what AMCON has done does not have any impact on Aero Contractors' normal business," Mr. Chike-Obi said.

AMCON had taken over the debts of Aero Contractors, reportedly in excess of $200million. This spurred up speculations that the company had taken over the operations of Aero Contractors, and heightened fears of a failed aviation sector.

The AMCON boss did not volunteer further details and information on the terms and conditions of the takeover of the debts.

AMCON, which was established through the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria Act, 2010 (AMCON Act), is mandated to efficiently resolve all problems associated with non-performing loans in Nigerian banks, financial institutions and corporations.

Section 1 of the Act charges the company with the responsibility of acquiring the non-performing loans from banks and other financial institutions by receiving the underlying collaterals and filling the remaining capital inadequacy challenges necessary to make the country's economy stronger and viable.

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, on Friday listed Aero Contractors among about 419 corporate entities and organisations whose huge debt stocks disqualify them for further loan facilities from any bank or financial institution within the country.

Aero Contractor's Chief Financial Officer, Omoke Enyi, confirmed that debt take over by AMCON. He said Aero is currently going through a restructuring exercise and the process is pending final approval by AMCON board soon.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 20

COMPANY NEWS Tiger Brands

S

outh African consumer goods firm, Tiger Brands, yesterday announced it paid $181.98 million to acquire 63 percent majority stake in Nigeria's Dangote Flour Mills.

Tiger Brands will acquire over 63 percent of Dangote Flour, a flour and pasta maker owned by billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote. The deal considered the biggest in the Nigerian flour market was the company's third.

Dangote Flour is the second largest flour milling company in Nigeria with a market share of about 30 percent. It also boasts of about 40 percent of the country's pasta market.

Indian ICT firms

W

ith investments in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in excess of N3 trillion within the last eight years, Nigeria is clearly investors' preferred destination.

In line with this, about 20 leading Indian ICT firms came into the country last week with a view to seeking new business opportunities in Nigeria's burgeoning ICT industry.

The Indian firms, under the auspices of the National Association of Computer and Software Companies of Indian (NASSCOM), engaged in a daylong deliberation with Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN), which represents IT firms in the country, aimed at forging business partnerships.

Citibank, World Bank

V

ice-president, Global Mobile Solutions, Citibank, USA, Kevin Brown, and head, Payment Systems Development Group, the World Bank, Massimo Cirasino are set to speak at a conference on the current cash-less policy of the Federal Government.

The two-day conference being organised by De Novo (a strategy brand and media firm) and Legal Reach, a UK law firm, and sponsored mainly by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) would focus on the country's transition to a cashless society, with particular attention paid to the possibilities and challenges.

First Bank

F

irst Bank of Nigeria plc is considering sharing proceeds with its existing shareholders after the planned divestment from First Registrars Nigeria Limited, one of its most profitable subsidiaries.

This disclosure made at the court-ordered meeting held on Monday in Lagos comes on the heels of First Bank of Nigeria plc shareholders giving approval to the proposed scheme of arrangement for restructuring of First Bank to FBN Holdings.

Aviation safety in Nigeria has made a turn for the better, says Dr. Demuren The Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren was at the 18th Aviation& Allied Business Leadership Conference held in Windhoek, Namibia earlier this month, where he chaired one of the sessions during which a lot of issues were raised concerning the development of air transportation in the continent of Africa and ways out of the quagmire. Thereafter, Dr Demuren met with Aviation journalists including Suleiman Idris, during which he gave insights into several issues hampering the growth of the industry. Excerpts: State of airports in Nigeria ne of our problems has been ageing infrastructure. If we can improve the infrastructure, it's good for safety, good for the air transport system and our consumers who have been complaining about the conditions of the airports, delays and power outage-talking about the air condition system and conveyor belts, all those ones will be out and then we can now have proper infrastructure on ground. As I said, most of the airports were built in the 1970s and those infrastructures can no longer sustain the system. So, what the Minister is doing in that regard is good and we should encourage her to get to the highest standard.

O

On intra-African connections I think we need to open up Nigeria.

We should not deceive ourselves, we need to open up. We've been talking about this all the time. I am particularly saddened. I came to Namibia via Accra, Ghana.

Every effort we have made to open up Nigeria, Ghana takes the benefit because we are slow in finalising issues on Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASA).

See the case with the United States.

We were the ones that started it all.

Nigeria did everything because we do not act fast, we could not sign the agreement, we were postponing, Ghana seized the opportunity.

Today, they are at advantage.

The gains of Nigeria's Category 1 Status; Ghana gain more from it because all the foreign airlines crew go back to Accra to go and stay after dropping their passengers in Lagos.

Nigeria is where the population is, that is where the market is, that is

why they are all rushing here.

On alleged high charges in Nigeria?

Let me say this, the charges in Nigeria are not higher than those in Ghana. Don't be deceived. That is not so. It's just that the people in Ghana tend to respond to issues quicker than our own. We don't respond quickly. We tend to delay a lot. Somebody had got an aircraft on the ground and wanted to deploy and start operations; everything is set but we keep on carrying papers up and down.

What do they do in the circumstance? They go to another place. You know why Nigeria is still sustaining? We are solid with 160 million people and large proportions are travelling. Even if they go to those places, they still come back here because we can double the flights for them. Look at the aeroplane with which we came to Windhoek, they cannot fill it, but we can fill it for them from Lagos.

Manpower challenges There are no two ways of doing things right. You cannot clone pilots overnight. You can't clone engineers overnight. It takes time to train. I think what we should do is to continue training and re-training of workforce.

We should take a bold step now.

Part of our invincible infrastructure is our manpower. safety, security and manpower. Those are our invincible infrastructure. You don't see them physically to measure.

You can see a new terminal building, but those ones you can't see.

I think between 5-10 per-cent of BASA Fund should be dedicated to training

Dr. Demuren and nothing less. We need to train. We should be committed. We must take bold step. What we need to do, we should do it on time. Unless we take bold step and encourage the airlines on training of their workforce and not just poaching. When you go and poach from this airline and everybody keep on poaching, I told the airlines that when they become big and in need of more technical manpower they should not come crying to NCAA. That is why I said that all of us must intensify training. If you don't train and start poaching, it's a vicious circle; it could happen to you one day.

We also need to re-vitalize our training centre-that is- Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria.

We are also encouraging the setting up of other training institutions. We have already approved that of Ilorin in Kwara state and others are in the pipelines. Our regulation is very clear- If you meet the standard, we will allow you to establish training institution.

Airport re-modelling in Nigeria Let me tell you one thing, look at Kano. Kano has changed. Look at Lagos; something is going on at the old terminal building and the other end.

This is the first time we are seeing real movements to make things happen. We must do these things. The conveyor belts for those terminals have already arrived.

Shortly, all the terminals will be transformed and you can see them feasibly. It might be slow, but we are finally moving toward the right direction and I think we should try to sustain it.

On aviation safety Aviation safety in Nigeria has made a turn for the better; we can't go down any longer. The Dana crash is nothing but a bump on the road. We will overcome the trauma. We have learnt a lot of lessons and there are more things to be done.

Aviation stakeholders demand financial audit of Arik Air

By Muhammad Sada

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group, Aviation S t a k e h o l d e r s Squaretable, have called on the Ministry of Aviation to conduct a financial audit of Arik Air Limited.

They have also called on the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to investigate the alleged non-remittance of about N5 billion VAT by the airline.

These statements were made by the President of the group, Capt.

Balarabe Usman, who further called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to probe the whereabouts of N35 billion Aviation intervention fund disbursed to Arik Air by the Bank of Industry (BOI).

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, Capt. Balarabe Usman, who was the pioneer Director of Safety and Security, FAAN, further said the audit will fast-track current efforts by the Minister of Aviation, to build confidence and develop partnerships with foreign airlines, which she pursued during her recent investment road show.

Speaking further, he said, "We are also concerned by findings from the Central Bank of Nigeria which blacklisted Arik air limited and its chairman for not being able to service its debts of more than 85 billion naira.

We are also aware that the airline received about 35 million naira from the Bank of Industry as intervention fund. Where is all the money going to?

For an industry that relies on adequate and prudent management of funds, these indications of financial insolvency cannot be swept under the carpet."

He said that"As aviation veterans, we have a responsibility to avail our experiences so that history will not repeat itself. For example, the case of the now defunct Bellview Airline, founded in 1992, should serve as a lesson. Bellview Airline grew so well that at a point, the airline flew 11 international destinations -amongst them Amsterdam, London, India and others. It was the first domestic airline to be certified by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

"By June 1997, Bellview was worth $15 million, winning both

continental and domestic laurels.

However, where is Bellview today?

With all the resources going to Arik airline, we are worried? How did they find themselves in this situation? The Ministry of Aviation must probe Arik air and give us answers before they runs into turbulent waters" the statement continued", he stated.

They condemned Arik Air for attempting to distract Nigerians from the main issues by falsely accusing the Minister of interest in acquiring 5 percent equity in their company.

They commended the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah for taking the aviation sector to heights never imagined, praying that God will continue to guide and protect her good intentions and deeds.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 21

NDIC’s bridge banking: Here we go again!

By Bashir Ibrahim Hassan

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igerians may quickly recall the global panic created by Wikileaks website's revelations of monumental fraud by exposing bureaucracy of government official secrets and the hunting of its founder, Julian Assange as the biggest whistle blower of our time.

When it comes to defending fact against fiction and refusing to be taken in by premeditated official "secrets", you may be tempted to say that Nigerians are beginners to rubble roasters.

Remember the so-called renaissance group of professionals two years ago, who sponsored series of media campaigns of calumny against the banking reforms agenda of the Sanusi Lamido Sanusi-led Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Despite their media blitz, however, we saw how some prominent Nigerians stepped forward in defence of rational thinking, equity and fairness to counter the so called ''professional''opportunists' sophistry.

Just recently, newspaper columnists and public affairs commentators have been on the jaws of the House of Representative's Ad-hoc Committee's report on the Near Collapse of the Capital Market, restating the need to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Writing a two part series: Barking Up the Wrong Tree (1 & 2) on July 23 and 30, 2012 in her column: Behind the Figures, Ijeoma Nwogwugwu, Editor of Thisday daily Newspaper examined the ElSudi's conclusion as to what actually caused the near collapse of the Nigeria's capital market, particularly the area where the Committee blamed the regulatory institutions for what it called: "injection of unearned cash into the economy by the CBN"; AMCON's bonds based on "dubious valuations of NPLs"and the roles of NDIC, CBN, AMCON, CAC".

Nwogwugwu tried to educate the entire Nigerians on the real causes of the near collapse of the capital market by tracing its genesis to 2008 when the Nigerian financial market was reeling in crisis: "Regulatory rupture, resulting in lax regulation; the unprecedented creation of risk assets on banks' balance sheets; manipulation of stock prices by stockbrokers and subsidiaries of banks, which at the time accounted for 65 percent of market capitalisation; mismanagement of some of the banks and insider lending, all combined to create an asset bubble in stock market. These, and to a lesser extent, the global financial meltdown, was what led to the stock market's collapse."

She also drew the attention of the National Assembly members to why the CBN had to quickly intervene to save the banking system from imminent collapse: "By the first half of 2009, demarketing by banks and growing mistrust resulted in interest rates in the inter-banks market shooting through the roofs. As a result, the lender of last resort, the Central Bank of Nigeria, having

NDIC’s Head Office in Abuja undertaken its special examination of the banks by second half of 2009, was left with two options: the first was to hand over the sick banks to the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation for liquidation; the second was to provide financial accommodation to the banks as provided by Central Bank Act." "Of the two options, the first would have been much easier route for the banking system regulator.

The Central Bank could have withdrawn the licences of banks whose capital and liquidity had been impaired and direct the NDIC to commence the process of liquidation.

However the consequences of this option would have been dire for the financial system for two reasons. The first being millions of depositors would have lost their money; the second was that three of the eight banks (i.e. Union Bank, Intercontinental Bank and Oceanic Bank) in which the CBN had to intervene were "too big to fail". She then reminded the ad-hoc committee that the US Treasury, Federal Reserve and the Congress had to take a similar route to save big banks "too big to fail" in the wake of the sub-prime loan crisis in 2008 to save the US and indeed the world's financial system from imminent collapse.

Following up closely in an article titled: Power is nothing without control in his weekly column: View Point of Tuesday July 31, 2012, a renowned Vanguard newspaper columnist, Mr. Pini Jason faulted the El-Sudi Committee's report on many grounds. He stated that the way it was hastily packaged was apparent from its "inelegant language, grammar and syntax".

Mr. Jason also queried the sincerity of the report, citing examples such as how the report described the nationalisation of the defunct Afribank, Bank PHB and Spring bank as "contrived in misrepresentations of monumental proportions"and "built on forgeries, with appearances of fraud and corruption" Such bitterness, according to Jason, is however uncalled for coming from honourable lawmakers for it is capable of putting a question mark on the sincerity of the committee members in the discharge of their national assignment. Perhaps, this could possibly explain why Mr. Jason compared the committee's action with a previous encounter: "If we remember previous encounters between the National Assembly and the Governor of Central Bank, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, it would not surprise anyone that those who had previously stepped on the toes of the National Assembly were made to taste the bitter pills of powers of the House" The sad story of the banking crisis in Nigeria did not end with the rescue of the eight banks in 2009. The CBN repeatedly called the affected banks to recapitalise after the initial rescue, but the three of the eight banks (Afribank, Bank PHB and Spring Bank) could neither recapitalise nor found a merger partner. This time around however, the CBN/NDIC opted for a new failure resolution mechanism referred to as bridge banking model which incurred the wrath of the El-Sudi Committee.

On the contrary, many

“

Nigerians applauded its choice.

Two financial analysts, Adeola Adekunle and Maryam Dasuki commended the bridge banking model. Writing in Daily Trust on August 8, 2012 under the headline: Understanding bridge banking as innovation in failure resolution, Maryam Dasuki described a bridge bank as a temporary bank established to acquire the assets and assume the liabilities of a failed bank until a final resolution is accomplished, pointing out that the concept originated from the United States of America (USA) through the establishment of the first bridge bank in 1987 by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

It subsequently became popular amongst deposit insurance systems, according to her, because of the numerous advantages associated with its implementation in resolving failure of distressed banks. She drew instances from countries such as Japan, Korea and Colombia, among others which had at one time or the other adopted the bridge bank mechanism in resolving the failure of banks and their experiences had been very rewarding.

Dasuki brought to the fore five advantages of bridge banking, which possibly guided NDIC's choice of this option: i) It affords timely intervention in the preservation of the functions of a failing bank; ii) It gives depositors and creditors of financial institutions more confidence by ensuring continuity of banking business; iii) Its establishment can provide

It goes without saying, therefore, that whoever cares to see the reasons averred by the above mentioned commentators will not be left in any atom of doubt about the sincerity of the CBN/NDIC in their decisions to establish the three nationalized banks.

the insurer with more time to find the right investors for the failing bank; and iv) It preserves jobs in the affected banks.

On his part, Adeola Adekunle, writing in Leadershipnewspaper of August 6, 2012 paid attention to addressing some of the concerns raised by the Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN) and why CBN/NDIC had to intervene in nationalising the three banks in August 2011 before the deadline expired. Addressing the ISAN's concern, which was expressed by its national coordinator, Sunny Nwosu in an article by Obinna Chima in Thisday edition of August 10, 2011, Adekunle rhetorically asked: "Whose interest is the Shareholders Association serving?"

"We are all aware that their stake in those failed banks was limited to the value of their shareholding, but the interest of depositors as the largest providers of the funds far outweighs whatever value that may be ascribed to the value of the shares of the owners. Even at that, the shareholders funds in those banks had been completely eroded.

Therefore, the responsibility of the regulatory authorities is to protect the depositors and to ensure safe and sound banking system. It was as a result of their concerns for the safety of the depositors' funds that they embarked upon the regulatory intervention, culminating in the acquisition of the assets and assumption of the liabilities of the failed banks by the three bridge banks established by the regulatory authorities."

Adekunle also pointed out that the reason for the NDIC's intervention before the expiration of the deadline was timely and necessary: "The truth is that the NDIC/CBN could not afford to wait for the September 30, 2011 deadline because there was a continuous deterioration in the financial condition of the banks. The shareholders funds were negative and they were living on the life support system of the CBN. Most importantly, they were not able to attract new credible investors that would enable them meet the September 30, 2011 deadline set by the CBN. The regulatory authorities would not fold their arms and watch helplessly while depositors' funds were being dissipated."

It goes without saying, therefore, that whoever cares to see the reasons averred by the above mentioned commentators will not be left in any atom of doubt about the sincerity of the CBN/ NDIC in their decisions to establish the three nationalized banks.

Anybody who cares about the safety of depositors' funds will also appreciate the decisions by the CBN/ NDIC were actually in their efforts to create and maintain public confidence and encourage accountability and market discipline in order to enhance stability in the nation's banking system.

Bashir Ibrahim Hassan, a Business Development Executive writes from Abuja and can be reached on bash7474@gmail.com

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 22

We are not indebted to CBN, says Kwara govt From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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he Kwara state government has said that it was indebted to Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) with the total sum of N6.8 billion as alleged by the state chapter of Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN), stressing that the apex bank made an error which was being correct.

The Senior Media Assistant to Governor, Dr. Femi Akorede in statement issued in Ilorin stated that there was a communicable gap between the government and CBN and they were working on that.

The state Chairman of ACN, Mr. Kayode Olawepo had said ACN's findings show that the state is indebted to the tune of N6.8b and was shortlisted for the penalty following its "failure to pay back its backlogs of loan which led to the purchase of the debts at an agreed price by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON)."

But the state government in its reply said "we assert that the CBN's action was informed by a communication gap which

government is trying to bridge. To set the records straight, the said loan was obtained by Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), the erstwhile investment body, which is a separate legal entity, to buy shares in an effort to shore-up IGR. Expectedly, the loan was subsequently secured against the shares. Also, the outstanding figure includes

the principal and interest accrued.

"Unfortunately, due to the stock market crash, MOFI's ability to repay was heavily impaired. Furthermore, the said loan and shares so purchased have since been taken over by Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) which has the option of selling the shares to recover the said loan.

"In addition, Harmony Holdings Ltd, the state's new investment arm which took over the assets and liabilities of MOFI, is in discussions with AMCON to resolve the issue amicably.

"Although the stock market crash unfortunately affected government's wellintentioned efforts to shore up IGR, the CBN's action does not indicate insolvency", it stated.

Shell faults new Petroleum Industry Bill

By Muhammad Nasir

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L-R: Director, Corporate and Indirect Channel Sales, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Ken Ogujiofor, Chief Commercial Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Wael Ammar, His Royal Highness, Deji of Akure, Oba Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida Afunbiowo II, and Director, Product and Services, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Lucas Dada, during the Etisalat team's visit to the Deji of Akure’s palace, as part of activities to mark the Etisalat 3G launch, recently in Akure, Ondo state.

ell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has faulted the new draft Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) despite the widely-held view that the new draft Bill addressed all the contentious areas that stalled the passage of the previous bill.

Speaking recently in Lagos on"Investors Perspectives on the PIB," during stakeholder's engagement on the bill, organized by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the Managing Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, has said the new bill is not fair to investors, adding that the current PIB had highlighted the differences of views between industry and government, stressing that there were still gaps to close.

He stated that it was important for the bill to take local business challenges in Nigeria into consideration and the impact on existing investments made in good

From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos ollowing the failure of the Communication Network Support System Limited (CNSSL) and subsequently shutting down of the Jos Call Centre, the Plateau Youth Council in collaboration with Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday called on MTN to contract another communication firm and terminate the contract between its with CNSSL. Addressing a press conference in Jos, the state Chairmen of PYC and NLC pledged to work with any communication firm MTN contracted "That we the Plateau Youths are calling on MTN to reopen the call centre so that these workers can go back to work, we are willing and ready to work with MTN and any responsible consultant that can manage the call centre".

The Chairmen, Comrades George Michael Maqqual and Jibrin Bancir with a theme "Lingering Impasse, Unlawful Termination of Workers and the Economic

Blackmail of Plateau state by CNSSL regretted the closure of the centre saying CNSSL has failed woefully and that MTN should not be blame entirely for the failure of its agent.

According to them, "CNSSL the operators of the Jos call centre have informed MTN that their decision to close down the Jos call centre was as a result of the escalating violence on the Plateau, and the risk posed to the lives and property of CNSSL and employees.

It's unfortunate that Plateau state and it's people are passing through all these blackmail from CNSSL despite the high level of patronage the Plateau people have shown to MTN. Suffice it to say that, misleading statements were made at the time foreign investors had indicated interest in investing on the Plateau".

They appealed to MTN to contract another firm to operate the centre and reinstate the sacked workers saying as loyal customers of MTN they deserve benefits from MTN services by way of engagement or any other means.

It would be recalled that CNSSL shut down the centre alleging that

faith at current legal and fiscal terms.

According to him, the PIB should create a level-playing field - "one that is fair to all investors - big, small, new or old".

"What we have seen of the draft PIB to date does not indicate a bill that fits these criteria. And this is the opinion not only of the major players in Nigeria's oil and gas industry, but, as I mentioned earlier, industry analysts as well," he said.

Sunmonu stated that what the oil industry requires is a balanced bill that will provide optimal revenue to the government and sufficient incentives for new investment to fuel growth.

He identified lower exploration activity and very few final investment decisions - meaning fewer reserves and reduced investments, as the consequences of the current fiscal and legal uncertainty in the country.

He noted that oil and gas production was not being replenished and that there was a serious threat of a significant reduction in production in the medium term with all of the consequences for revenue generation for the country.

Jos MTN call centre: Youths Council, NLC want MTN to contract another firm

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there was a threat to the centre and staff lives but PYC and NLC said "That we are ready as we have always been, to safeguard MTN properties at the call centre and assure their cooperate existence, Plateau Youths are peaceful and will continue to be peaceful.

MTN should disregard any contrary information from any quarter as Plateau youths have taken their destiny into their hands".

According to them "Out of the 1700 call centre workers only a little above 300 are Plateau state indigence, the rest of the workers are from different parts of the country. How can the Plateau indigenes, who are few in number and mostly women, be a source of threat to MTN at the call centre? What the entire workers are asking for is their legitimate right and should be granted by MTN".

They alleged that the computers at the call centre have been evacuated and that confirm the intention of the centre to throw out the 1700 workers and decommissioning of the call centre.

PAGE 24

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

udennaorji@yahoo.com 07055652553

Mortgage loans below 10% will Pg 26 reduce housing deficit

US home sales jump to Foreign highest since May 2010 bankers Pg 26

Pg 27

Aluminum extrusion plants will boost industrial development - Popoola

endorse Nigeria’s real estate Furniture Maker, Regalo Range, begins sales on market installmental payments Pg 26

Pg 26

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 25

SPL excites operators with Metal USA Roofs Stories by Udenna Orji

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onstruction industry operators are having a field day discussing the arrival into the Nigerian market of the globally coveted roofing product, the Allmet Metal USA stone-coated steel roofs.

The average life of a non-steel roof is approximately 17 years. For example, asphalt, or “composition” shingles can require re-roofing every 10 to 20 years or sooner! But an Allmet Stone Coated Steel Roof has a transferable warranty for the lifetime of the owner or a minimum of 50 years.

The initial cost of installing an

Allmet roof may be more than that of other roofing materials.

However, the money a homeowner can save is significant, because it is generally believed an Allmet roof will be the last roof you ever buy. An Allmet Stone Coated Steel Roof adds to your home’s beauty and to its resale value. In some countries, insurance companies will lower your homeowner’s insurance premiums by as much as 35% due to the proven protection of an Allmet Stone Coated Steel Roof.

Whatever the style, color or finish you require, there is most likely an Allmet Stone Coated Steel Roof that will match the

Buildings completed with Allmet Metal USA Roofs appearance of your home.

Allmet Stone Coated Steel Roofs can and do stand up to extreme wind conditions without any

MARBLE

structural or cosmetic damage. Its warranties include a 120 miles per hour (m.p.h) wind warranty and 2.5 inch hailstone Warranty.

If you’ve heard anyone say that a metal roof shouldn’t be walked on, they’re obviously not talking about an Allmet Stone Coated Steel Roof. The unique

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interlocking panel design, rugged Galvalume steel construction and proven installation methods provide a strong roof system that can be walked on under normal conditions. Allmet Metal U.S.A. Roofs are marketed and installed in Nigeria by sole distributor, SteelTech Projects Limited (SPL).

Stone Cladding

tone Cladding is back in building designs and is steadily gaining more popularity in Nigeria due to its aesthetic imitation of nature.

Globally, there is a challenge to develop eco-friendly buildings and spaces without compromising on visual appeal.

Creative individuals now

manufacture stones to imitate nature and use these to aesthetically design interior and exterior walls, walkways, bars and gazebos, stairways, fences, sign posts, swimming pools, etc.

In the picture below is stone cladding work by Nigerian manufactured stone veneer company, Waterock.

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arble has been used for thousands of years. In many cases, the statues and buildings made of marble far outlasted the ancient cultures that built them. Marble has distinctive veining that makes every piece unique. Since marble is more porous (and therefore softer) than granite, it is more prone to staining, etching and scratching. Marble is an excellent choice for bathrooms and powder rooms—giving a luxurious quality to vanities, floors, tubs and showers.

Applications: Interior floors, Walls, Vanities, Fireplace surrounds, Furniture surfaces Finishes: Polished, Honed, Brushed, or Tumbled Pattern

Stone Cladding by Waterock

Seven Terraces, Wuye, Abuja Ongoing Developments

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pscale developers, Eru Riz Nigeria Limited is once again raising the ante in high luxury property development with its stylish and elegant Seven Terraces estate bristling along the expressway at Wuye, Abuja.

This mind-boggling estate comes with an amazing architectural design that unequivocally reveals that the houses are for those who value luxury and sophistication. The estate is truly a class act as it has virtually all the trappings of luxury. Subscribers to the estate will enjoy swimming pool and kiddies play zone, signature finger landscaping/ gardens, IP based fire alarms

and smoke detectors, 24 hours security/ CCTV cameras/ intercom, fibre optics backbone cabling/WIFI connection/ internet, fully fitted kitchens, standby sound proof generators,

Seven Terraces, Wuye, Abuja

24 hours power supply, interlocked road/driveways, state-of-the-art fitness facilities, borehole and water reservoir, water treatment plant with buster pump, resident club

house/shop/drive’s rest room.

Seven Terraces’ elegant Town Houses come in 3 bedrooms or 4 bedrooms Penthouse options.

Each house blends traditional craftsmanship with the latest

design aesthetics incorporating generous living accommodation, designer gourmet kitchen, indulgent en-suite master bedrooms, private parking and en-suite service quarter.

PAGE 26

Mortgage loans below 10% will reduce housing deficit – Ozoani

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he Federal Government has been called upon to develop mortgage policies that will encourage Nigerian banks to grant mortgage loans to Nigerians at a maximum of 9% per annum.

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

Speaking with Peoples Daily on how to boost homeownership in Nigeria and reduce the nation’s estimated 17 million units housing deficit, the Group General Manager of mass housing developer, El-Salem Nigeria Limited, Mr. Geoffrey Ozoani appealed to government to “come up with very definite policies on mortgage. Definite implementable policies on mortgage that make it attractive for commercial banks to offer mortgage loans to Nigerians because most commercial banks are not providing mortgage facilities”.

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

He noted that “there is also the burning need to create awareness to Nigerians about mortgages and Nigerian mortgage institutions. Even contributors to the National Housing Fund (NHF) do not know what they are contributing for. States and local governments should make land available to developers and encourage their workers to get loans from mortgage institutions to buy their own houses”.

Commenting on the problems hindering the development of the housing sub-sector, he regretted that “prices of cement and other building materials keep rising even after you have agreed on a house price with a client. By the time the client pays 10% of say N5 million, the cost of building the house has risen to N7 million. Besides all these is the difficulty in getting land. A plot of land jumps in prices virtually monthly. These are some of the challenges”.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

Foreign bankers endorse Nigeria’s real estate market Stories by Udenna Orji

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new World Bank report says Nigeria has the potential to become Africa’s foremost economic power, with an average GDP of six per cent per annum, buoyed by a young and growing population of 160 million. Morgan Stanley, an investment banking institution, has also predicted that Nigeria’s economy would outperform South Africa’s by 2025 to become the biggest in

Africa.

Both institutions say Nigeria’s macroeconomic outlook is favourable. With an expected stable inflation rate, five per cent rural to urban immigration, and three per cent population growth, the financial institutions say Nigeria is a huge real estate market by all standards.

Concurring with the statistics, Mohammed Jibrin , Managing Director of mortgage banker, Sun Trust Savings and Loans Limited

Aluminum profiles

noted that “in the highly developed economies, the average contribution of the real estate and housing sectors to the GDP is 40 per cent. In every economy, there is an engine room for that economy. The Nigerian housing sector can serve as that engine room as we seek to diversify our economic base. The sector has the potential to generate and create huge economic activities. The housing sector needs to consume other building materials and

products such as electrical equipment, furniture, paints, roofing, cement, etc. The sector can help in developing small and large scale production of these key inputs thereby generating employment and increasing the level of national income.

Addressing the housing sector problem is the same as addressing the unemployment problem and one avenue to diversify the economy away from dependence on the oil sector”.

Aluminum doors and windows

Aluminum extrusion plants will boost industrial development - Popoola

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

Pastor Popoola, an aluminum expert said, “the aluminium industry is a vast industry because people make massive use of aluminium worldwide. Much of what we see in automobiles and aircraft is aluminium. This is because the components are durable. Although it is used in large quantities abroad, in Nigeria, it is scantily used. Even in the building industry, we are yet to use up to 10% of the potential of aluminium. We have about 4 notable aluminium extrusion plants in Nigeria and this is grossly inadequate.

Billets are the primary products you work upon to get aluminium products. They are extruded to get aluminium.

Nothing less than 65% of the aluminium used in Nigeria is imported from Europe. Nigeria can accommodate 60 – 70 aluminium extrusion plants.

They say aluminium plants are capital intensive but Nigerians are

wasting foreign exchange importing aluminium. This nation should invest in extrusion plants. However, the erratic electric power supply in Nigeria will be a problem because aluminium is power-based. If you run the extrusion plant with a generator, you may go under.

Government should fix the power sector.

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

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

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

There are always good policies but poor implementation. When we talk about the Asian tigers, it is because these people discovered the needs of their nations. In the 80’s in Nigeria, people worked in shifts in factories but those

industries are moribund today.

We should focus on manufacturing to jump-start the economy and aluminium development will help industrialize Nigeria because diverse manufactured products are made with aluminium. A fraction of the money we realize from oil if judiciously spent can industrialize Nigeria. Nigerians are industrious people. If an enabling environment is created, this country will be greater than the big European countries”

Why Land Use Act wont be repealed – FG

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s housing development stakeholders continue to lobby for the repeal of the Land Use Act to make land more available for housing development, the chairman, Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reform, Prof. Peter Adeniyi has said the Federal Government has no plan to repeal the Act. In several presentations to the Presidency and the National Assembly, housing stakeholders, including property developers, estate surveyors and valuers had called for the repeal of the Land Use Act saying the power it gave state governors to control land allocation in their states had politicized land administration

and made it cumbersome, expensive and time-consuming to obtain land and title rights for housing development. They had argued that a repeal of the Act would enhance affordable housing development and drastically reduce Nigeria’s estimated deficit of 16 million housing units.

But while speaking with newsmen at the weekend, Prof.

Adeniyi revealed that the Federal Government would not repeal the Land Use Act. According to him, “It is important at this point to state categorically that the land reform programme of the Federal Government is not intended to repeal the Land Use Act or usurp the powers of the state governors

and local government chairmen in land administration or deny individuals or communities the right to their lands”.

While noting that land reform is critical in achieving President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda, he said the federal government’s land reform was focused on identifying and removing bottlenecks hindering land titling and registration process within the current land administration system in Nigeria.

He said his committee was working on pilot schemes in Kano and Ondo states involving identification and registration of title rights that may usher in a new land administration system in Nigeria.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 27

Tata makes hay with India's Cheapest Housing Units

T

ata, the Indian company that made worldwide headlines with its $2,000 (about N300,000) Nano car plans to build 1,000 tiny apartments outside Mumbai that will sell for $7,800 to $13,400 each. The company plans to roll out low-cost projects outside other major cities. Tata's housing

division is targeting a segment of the market that was largely overlooked during the housing boom. India's builders were concentrating on building shiny new high rises after profits, but they were also trying to justify their fast-accelerating land costs, especially in and around Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) and

other major cities.

But some business consultants (most prominently renowned management expert, C. K. Prahalad) were arguing that companies would profit handsomely if they target the "bottom of the pyramid" where the bulk of consumers are. It looks like Tata is taking that advice.

US home sales jump to highest since May 2010

Associated Press photo shows an exterior view of a home sold in Palo Alto, Calif. U.S. sales of previously occupied homes jumped in August to the highest level since May 2010.

A

jump in sales of previously occupied homes and further gains in home construction suggest the U.S. housing recovery is gaining momentum.

Sales of previously occupied homes rose 7.8 percent in August from July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.82 million, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. That’s the highest level since May 2010, when sales were aided by a federal homebuying tax credit.

At the same time, builders broke ground on 2.3 percent more homes and apartments in August than July. The Commerce Department said the annual rate of construction rose to a seasonally adjusted 750,000. The increase was driven the best rate of singlefamily home construction since April 2010.

The pair of reports comes amid other signs of steady progress in the housing market after years of stagnation. New-home sales are up, builder confidence is at its highest level in more than six years and increases in home prices appear to be sustainable.

“The U.S. housing recovery is for real,” said Sal Guatieri, an economist at BMO Capital Markets, in a note to clients. “Great affordability, pent-up demand and strong investor interest in rental units are driving the market.”

The broader economy is also likely to benefit. When home prices rise, Americans typically feel wealthier and spend more.

Consumer spending drives 70

percent of the economic growth.

And the Federal Reserve’s plan to spend $40 billion a month on mortgage-backed securities to keep mortgage rates low “can only help,” Guatieri added.

Still, home sales and housing starts are rising from depressed levels. Sales of previously occupied homes remain below the more than 5.5 million that economists consider consistent with a healthy market.

The number of first-time homebuyers, who are critical to a housing rebound, slipped to 31 percent from 34 percent. In a typical market, that figure is usually closer to 40 percent. Strict credit standards are making it harder for many first-time buyers to qualify for mortgages.

More Americans appear to be taking advantage of near-record low mortgage rates and prices that are, on average, much lower than they were six years ago.

Sales might be higher if more homes were available, the Realtors’ group said. The limited supply is helping to lift prices.

There were 2.47 million homes available for sale in August. It would take just over six months to exhaust that supply at the current sales pace. That’s the typical pace in a healthy market.

Homes are selling more quickly than a year ago. The median amount of time that a home spent on the market was 70 days in August, the Realtors’ group said. A year ago, the median timeframe was 92 days

a year ago.

The median home price dipped in August to $187,400, but that is 9.5 percent higher than August 2011. That’s the largest yearover-year price increase since January 2006.

One reason for the price gain is that sales of foreclosed homes and so-called short sales have declined. A short sale is when the seller owes more on the mortgage than the home is worth. Both foreclosure and short sales occur at steep discounts and can drag down overall home prices.

The lower supply of homes has boosted demand for new homes, which has made builders more confident in future sales.

Applications for building permits, a good sign of future construction, dipped in August to an annual rate of 803,000. Still, permits reached a four-year high of 811,000 in July, which was revised higher.

“Since builders are not taking out permits because it is fun to visit their local government office and pay fees, we can conclude that there should be a solid rise in construction in the months to come,” said Joel Naroff, chief economist for Naroff Economics Advisors.

Jim O’Sullivan, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, said home construction should add about 0.3 percentage point to overall economic growth this year.

“Housing is clearly in recovery mode,” Sullivan said.

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

A

merica does things bigger.

Bigger houses, bigger monuments, bigger stores.

You name it, we’ll super-size it. The big question, though, is “Is bigger better?” In the case of body mass and cars like the 2013 Cadillac CTS sedan, the answer is: “not so much.”

True, the current CTS was a revelation when it was introduced five years ago, as it represented several leaps forward for the Cadillac brand. For the first time in a long time, a car with that iconic crest could stand toe-to-toe with the world’s finest luxury sedans while still offering uniquely American style and size. In more recent years, though, the CTS has been left relying on those red, white and blue virtues while its many competitors have been updated and overhauled, essentially moving the luxury standard upward.

On its own merits, the CTS sedan still has plenty of appeal, including a stylish cabin replete with plenty of modern technological conveniences and pleasant materials. The CTS also drives quite well, with respectable power from the larger 3.6-liter V6 engine and confident handling. However, when you drive it back to back with its import competitors, even these admirable qualities tend to fall short of the now-current standard.

The cabins of rival sedans present better interior workmanship and even more features, while the CTS suspension allows more of the road’s many imperfections to intrude into an otherwise serene cabin. Opting for one of the optional sport suspensions only adds additional harshness. This Cadillac’s size, while beneficial for passengers, also makes it feel less agile and maneuverable than other so-called sport sedans.

While the 2013 Cadillac CTS remains an enjoyable luxury sedan, overall we think there are better choices this year. It should be worth checking out the benchmark 2013 BMW 3 Series or the similarly sized 2013 Lexus GS 350. And if flying the red, white and blue is important, Chrysler’s surprisingly luxurious 300 and Cadillac’s new, sporty ATS are likely better choices as well.

Unless you truly need that extra room, the 2013 Cadillac CTS proves that bigger isn’t always better.

The 2013 Cadillac CTS is a fivepassenger midsize luxury sedan that is available in three trim levels: 3.0 Luxury, 3.6 Performance and 3.6 Premium. The highperformance CTS-V is reviewed separately, as are the CTS Coupe and Sport Wagon.

Standard features for the 3.0 Luxury include 17-inch alloy wheels,

PAGE 28

Cadillac CTS stands toe-totoe with world’s finest luxury

automatic headlights, heated mirrors, keyless entry, remote ignition, cruise control, automatic wipers, dual-zone automatic climate control, a rearview camera, heated eight-way power front seats (with two-way lumbar adjustment), driver memory functions, leather upholstery, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, interior accent lighting, OnStar emergency communications, Bluetooth phone connectivity and an eight-speaker Bose sound system with a six-CD changer, an auxiliary audio jack and satellite radio.

The optional CTS Touring package adds 18-inch wheels, dual exhaust, a power increase, a sporttuned suspension (dubbed FE2),

adaptive xenon headlights, foglights, a different grille, a faux suede-wrapped steering wheel and special interior trim.

The 3.6 Performance trim adds a more powerful engine, the Performance package and a 10speaker Bose surround-sound audio system with a single-CD player, digital music storage and an iPod/USB audio interface.

The 3.6 Premium includes all the above equipment, but adds a panoramic sunroof (optional on all other trims), rear parking sensors, keyless ignition/entry, a cabin deodorizer, a heated and poweradjustable wood-trimmed steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, a split-folding rear seat, a navigation system (optional on other trims) with a pop-up touchscreen interface, and realtime traffic and weather.

The Performance and Premium

packages can be equipped with a different Performance package that adds 19-inch wheels, summer tires, an even sportier suspension (FE3), a limited-slip differential, upgraded brakes and shift paddles. A CTS Touring package for the Premium Every 2013 Cadillac CTS comes standard with rear-wheel drive, but all-wheel drive is optional. The 3.0 Luxury comes standard with a 3.0-

liter V6 that produces 265 horsepower and 220 pound-feet of torque. When equipped with the Touring package, the included dual exhaust bumps output up to 270 hp and 223 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed automatic is the only transmission offered.

EPA-estimated fuel economy for the rear-drive, automaticequipped CTS 3.0 is 18 mpg city/ 27 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined. All-wheel drive drops it slightly to 18/26/21 mpg.

CTS 3.6 models get a 3.6-liter V6 that produces 318 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque. The six-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive are standard and all-wheel drive is optional.

EPA-estimated fuel economy is 18/ 27/21 mpg regardless of whether you get rear- or all-wheel drive.

Standard safety features for the 2013 Cadillac CTS include antilock disc brakes, traction control, stability control, active front head restraints, front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags.

Also standard is OnStar, which includes automatic crash notification, on-demand roadside assistance, an emergency button, stolen vehicle locator and active intervention, and remote door unlock.

Source: Edmunds.com

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 29

Reinventing FESTAC ’77: A tall order?

“I love to remember FESTAC ’77 and the remembrance often comes with nostalgic feelings. I always feel proud that I belong to one of the best cultures in Africa and the world at large.

“I always want to remember the festival in many ways; we had a lot of achievements to celebrate and talk about,’’ he says.

Adeju, however, insists that planning for the proposed fiesta should start now for it to be successful.

He says that going by the high standard of FESTAC ’77, preparations for the proposed event should start now so as to enable it to be similarly successful.

“One thing that is always on my mind is how to improve Nigeria’s external image; we can use the cultural festival to sell Nigeria and let other cultures know that we are citizens of a great country; that Nigeria is not a den of criminals.

“For long, we have been a nation that has been misunderstood, so a gathering and celebration of cultures in Nigeria will be quite useful in efforts to reposition and refurbish our external image,’’ he says.

From all indications, the Federal Government is apparently aware of the

Asks Julius Enehikhuere

T

he tourism industry received a boost with the pronouncement of the Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, regarding the Federal Government’s plans of replicating the FESTAC ’77 experience in the next two years.

To many observers, the decision is a welcome development, coming 35 years after FESTAC ’77 brought world spotlight to diverse African and Black cultures which were then showcased in Lagos.

It is on record that the epochmaking festival brought together the finest stock of African cultures in a degree that has never been experienced before, while the event has since remained a unique reference point whenever issues relating to African cultures are being discussed.

FESTAC ‘77 is the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture that was organised in Lagos in 1977 to reflect and share the experiences which Africa and its peoples had gone through.

FESTAC ’77 particularly aimed at ensuring the revival, resurgence, promotion of the Black and African cultural values and civilisation Analysts recall that the event somewhat repositioned Nigeria’s status as a leading country, not only in Africa but also in the world at large.

One of the enduring benefits of FESTAC ’77 is the FESTAC town, a sprawling housing estate in Lagos, now home to close to 100,000 residents. The estate was primarily constructed for the cultural fiesta but the houses were sold to people at the end of the festival.

Tourism experts believe that the organisation of another cultural festival of FESTAC ‘77’s magnitude will undoubtedly spur the growth of the tourism and cultural sectors of Nigeria’s economy, while strengthening the country’s unity.

They, however, underscore the need for the Federal Government to start planning for the proposed cultural fiesta now because plans for events of such magnitude ought to be detailed, purposeful and painstaking.

Mr Akinwumi Ololade, the General Manager of Pathfinder Travels and Tours Ltd., recalls that FESTAC ’77 was a huge success, while its memories are evergreen because of the depth of the preparations for the event.

“To date, there has never been a cultural event, involving Africans and people of African ancestry, that can match FESTAC ’77,’’ he says.

“The festival, no doubt, showcased our very best in terms of culture; the totality of our being. Don’t forget the fact that culture remains the bond that binds us together; it is the

totality of a people.’’

Sharing similar sentiments, Mr John Abuah, an Abuja-based Arts instructor, says that the benefits of events such as FESTAC ’77 can never be overemphasised.

“A multi-ethnic country such as Nigeria, which has over 250 identified ethnic groups, has every cause to celebrate and showcase the people’s culture.

“The government decision to replicate FESTAC ’77 is by all means a welcome development; it will strengthen our resolve as a country to live together and promote issues that bind us together.

“The black race has always promoted the African philosophy, which many past leaders like Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Nnamdi Azikiwe of Nigeria, Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya and a host of other African leaders were known for,’’ he says.

Abuah reiterates that these African leaders saw culture as a way of life and as a definition of quality in a person or society.

He, therefore, urges the Federal Government to properly plan for the proposed cultural fiesta, adding that the private sector should be involved in the planning and organisation of the festival.

Mr Sola Adeju, a sociologist, who recalls that he was quite young when FESTAC ’77 was organised, stresses that the thrills and memories of the event have always been with him.

“

One thing that is always on my mind is how to improve Nigeria’s external image; we can use the cultural festival to sell Nigeria and let other cultures know that we are citizens of a great country; that Nigeria is not a den of criminals. For long, we have been a nation that has been misunderstood, so a gathering and celebration of cultures in Nigeria will be quite useful in efforts to reposition and refurbish our external image

Minister of Tourism, Chief Edem Duke

benefits that could be derived from the event and is willing to ensure its success.

Duke says: “I see the festival as a possibility; the only limitation is the will and desire of the stakeholders in the private sector and the culture community to ensure that the proposed event becomes a reality.’’

Going from the general to the specifics, Dr Tunde Ojo, a tourism expert, insists that preparations for the festival should start now with the formation of various planning committees.

“It is also necessary to set up a study group with members drawn from various sectors to scrutinise the FESTAC ’77 planning processes to ascertain how to model the coming event on the perceptible patterns.

“The private sector ought to play a major role in the planning process by putting in place a solid marketing strategy,’’ he says.

Ojo, nonetheless, insists that the Federal Government should demonstrate appreciable willpower and commitment if it wants the fiesta to have an excellent standard, comparable to that of FESTAC ’77.

Apparently aware of the government’s expectations in the venture, the culture and tourism minister says: “I want to plead with the Heads of Missions; let us put it in our plans the possibility of replicating FESTAC ’77.

“It will not only be helpful in our African renaissance agenda but it will also strengthen our unity in diversity as a nation,’’ he says.

Duke believes that the proposed event will further promote cultural fusion among Africans in the Diaspora.

“It will be such a wonderful opportunity to gather and celebrate humanity and our love for one another,’’ he adds.

Sharing similar sentiments, Mrs Funmi Adeyemi, an art collector, says that staging a cultural event of FESTAC ‘77’s magnitude in Nigeria would be quite fantastic, saying that it will bring peoples of diverse cultural background together.

She, nonetheless, insists that the Federal Government should initiate plans for the fiesta with a stakeholders’ conference to discuss the salient issues involved in the event.

“Government should start the process by inaugurating various committees to kickstart the preparations; we need to show the world that we are a united nation in spite of our current security challenges.

“I witnessed FESTAC ’77 as a young girl but I now wish to take part in a reloaded cultural festival that will bring out the best of African,’’ Adeyemi adds.

All the same, the consensus of opinion on the proposed cultural festival is: The planning ought to start now.

Source: NAN

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

Entertainment Fund: NEXIM bank disburses N700m

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he Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), says it has disbursed N700 million out of the 200 million dollars set aside by the Federal Government to support the entertainment industry.

Mr Roberts Orya, Managing Director of the bank, made this known while briefing newsmen in Abuja.

He attributed the delay in the disbursement of the fund to the inability of practitioners to comply with the guidelines of accessing the fund.

“You will remember that the president made a policy announcement sometime in November 2010 to make available 200 million dollars for the industry.

“NEXIM bank was in the fore

front of developing the operating guidelines, and we have started lending to the entertainment industry.

“We have lent to distribution and exhibition infrastructure, to digital studios and equipment as well as film production.’’

According to him, the first movie financed by the bank titled “Dr Bello’’ will premier in Washington DC next week and subsequently in Nigeria and South Africa.

He said it was unfortunate that the bank had only disbursed the fund to six beneficiaries, saying compliance to the guidelines had remained a challenge to the entertainers.

“The entertainment fund disbursement is not fast because, with due apologies, most of the

practitioners believe that it is a grant that was given by the president, but it is not a grant. “ We appreciate that these people have the talent but they don’t have the collateral; that collateral is important because the banking laws in Nigeria prohibits the lending of money to anyone without security.’’

He said the bank would not relax its requirements because all the stakeholders were involved in the process of developing the guidelines.

“Its not fast because, at the level of the practitioners, they are not complying with our requirement.”

He said that the bank would continue to disburse the fund and urged the practitioners to

ensure full compliance to the guidelines.

On the production of sickle cell drugs being funded by the bank, Orya said the project had not taken off due to various interests working against it.

“Within the first week of singing the MOU with the Federal Ministry of Health, we have been bombarded with law suits and there are lots of legal issues outstanding.

“That is why we are very anxious because people come here with their children suffering from sickle cell and when they talk to us it is very emotional but some people have their financial motives.”

He said the sickle cell project would continue after all legal issues were disposed off. (NAN)

September Guest Writer Session features Fasua and Abdulaziz T

wo columnists and public commentators, Tope Fasua and Abdulaziz Ahmad Abdulaziz, will be the featured writers at the September 29 edition of the Guest Writer Session, an initiative of the Abuja Writers’ Forum(AWF), which holds at Hamdala Plaza, Plot 23, Jimmy Carter Street, off Protea Hotel, Asokoro, Abuja.

Tope Fasua is an economist, Chartered Accountant and Finance expert, based in Nigeria.

He prides himself as one of Africa’s young modern historians and sociologists , by choice. Tope keeps a column with the Abuja-based Sunday Trust newspapers and writes occasionally for other media houses in Africa. In writing this book, he hopes to contribute his quota to the debate about Africa, using his home country, Nigeria, as case study. He hopes to break ranks with the thinking that young people should merely focus on their own material selfbetterment. Fasua believes the tragic realities of Africa today is because of the inability of Africans to recognise the need to spend more of their energy and effort, resolving socio-economic paradoxes.

Fasua has published a book, CRUSHED, which is an acronym for the strategies that Africa (the sub-Saharan region in particular), must adopt if it is not to face extinction in the medium to long term. The book presents pungent, and urgent, analysis of the precarious situation that that region of Africa has found itself; a situation foisted not only by the historical facts of slaver trade and colonialism (as most texts on the subject are wont to aver), but most importantly the failure of the African states themselves to properly interpret their cultures and how those clash with the ones they are trying to adopt and adapt to.

Fasua

Abdulaziz

CRUSH-ED navigates the tortuous terrain, delivering enough kicks in the belly to all stakeholders; chiefly the Africans themselves, the colonisers, the dominant cultures, the superpowers, the politicians, and not least, the author himself! This book should refresh every reader, especially those that are ready to be objective and face some ‘inconvenient truths’, about the world and about themselves.

Abdulaziz Abdulaziz is a writer, civil society activist and journalist. Born and brought up in Kano, Abdulaziz has practised as a journalist and development worker. He is currently on the editorial staff of Blueprint newspaper based in Abuja. He had worked with LEADERSHIP newspapers as Kano State correspondent, rising to become its Regional Editor (Kano) before he resigned early this year.

He has participated in many writing workshops, the recent being the 2012 NBC/Farafina Trust Creative Writing

Workshop taught by seasoned writers such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Binyavanga Wainaina and Jeffery Allen.

Other similar workshops attended by the writer are the British Council’s ‘Radiophonics: Writing for Radio’ training, Children Literature workshop organised by the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) and one day writing workshop with English writer, Bernadine Evaristo).

Abdulaziz has served as a volunteer with a number of nongovernmental organisations and worked as Programme Officer (Information) for Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).

His poems have appeared in Pyramids: Anthology of poems from Northern Nigeria (2008), Mazan Fara; ANA Zamfara Anthology of Poems and Short Stories (2008), Cavalcade Fireflies (2009), (2009), Savanna Poets (2010), Crumbled Spell (2010) JeNDA (2010), among others. He has also

published his poems, short stories and literary essays in Weekend Triumph, Weekly Trust, LEADERSHIP, Sunday Trust, New Nigerian, National Life etc.

He is among those published in the pioneer edition of Sentinel Nigeria, online literary magazine, and has published poems on some websites i n c l u d i n g www.poemhunter.com, www.nigerians.biz, among others.

His book, Rage and Solace: Musings of a Reporter, a collection of journalistic pieces was published last year and has been given a thumbs up by the likes of Mohammed Haruna, Abubakar Gimba, Garba Deee Muhammad and Paul Mamza.

Abdulaziz has co-edited Voices from the Savanna, an anthology of the English and French Department, Bayero University Kano (BUK).

The Guest Writer Session which started in June 2008 is generally regarded as the most consistent literary event in the country and has become the template for similar interventions. So far this year it has featured an interesting mix of writers namely Uche Ezechukwu, Steve Okecha, Oyibo Ameh, K K Iloduba, Betty Abah, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, Chido Onumah, Richard Ali, Maero Ozako, Bob MajiriOghene, Onyinyechi Nwadinma and Ibrahim Kabura.

The September 29, 2012 edition of the Guest Writer Session starts at 4pm and will include the usual side attractions of poetry performance, mini art exhibition, and a raffle-draw as well as live music. The Abuja Writer’s Forum meets three Sundays each month and hosts a reading on every last Saturday at the International Institute of Journalism, Hamdala Plaza, Jimmy Carter Street, Asokoro, Abuja.

PEOPLES POEM OF THE WEEK Title: The Lonely Voice

By Clarius Ugwuoha

A lonely voice, Long-drawn-out, Emanates as from nowhere, Impregnates the morning air Birth is given To war-set warriors clanging Matchets and chanting War songs Dusk and the world is laid to waste Staring back nostalgic stares At the ruin of its own hands.

Lonely voice say what you are That makes widows of the newly wed Orphans of the newly born Gloomy of a sunny day…

These pressurizes chants of your praise Do betray Pent up fury At your heraldic calls!

QUO TE UOTE “Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.”

–– Vaclav Havel

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 31

08036006274 joy4ril2000@yahoo.co.nz

Our mission in Africa is to fight corruption and spur economic growth- Carson Stories by Joy Baba

T

he Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Johnnie Carson has said United States mission in Africa was to fight corruption and spur economic growth based on their desire to strengthen trade and commercial relations with Africa.

Carson stated this over the weekend in an online media chat with African journalists.

According to him, "The United States has had a longstanding interest in Africa, one that is based on our economic desires to strengthen our trade and commercial relations with Africa.

Our desires to help Africa grow its economy and to meet the development needs of its people is

paramount. Also, we would work with Africa on transnational problems that were of concern not only to Africans and Americans but people around the world, Carson said.

He further said that another aspect of US relations with Africa was also to spur economic growth and development in Africa through market-driven and free-trade economic principles. 'We want to see more U.S. trade and investment in Africa, because we believe it is important for us to help grow Africa's economy and provide opportunities for African people' Carson also said.

Carson averred that the US was also committed to solving security problems in Africa, which he said would create stability on the continent.

He noted that the whole world was

worried over cases of conflicts in Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, as well as the conflicts in the Great Lakes, particularly the Eastern Congo, saying such conflicts if not tackled would further impoverish those countries.

We are very much interested in working with Africa to address some of its critical developmental needs. We will continue to work with the continent to address its multiple health challenges through our Global Health Initiative. We are continuing to build on the work of the previous administration in our fight against HIV and AIDS. We will also continue to have programs aimed at fight malaria, tuberculosis, cholera, and other waterborne diseases.

We're also focused on helping to grow Africa's agriculture and to end famine and food shortages at the

demonstration centers, to help African countries increase production capacity, adding that there are also plans to train 30,000 personnel in various sectors, offer government scholarship to African students, send 1,500 medical personnel to Africa, drill boreholes and other water projects to provide safe drinking water for African people.

Boquing further proposed to set up a 'China - Africa Press Exchange Center' in China to encourage exchange and visits between Chinese and African media and also sponsor 100 programs for research exchange and cooperation by academic institutions and scholars of both sides.

President Goodluck Jonathan, who was represented by the Minister of state II of Foreign Affairs Mr Nurudeen Mohammed, said Nigeria has drawn a lot of inspiration from China's success story from being a liability to global assets urging other countries to copy Chinese model of partnership without imperialism.

The Ambassador of Peoples Republic of China to Nigeria, H.E Deng Boqing giving an addres at the celebration of China’s 63rd independence anniversary in Abuja.

household and village level while also looking to help African countries, African entrepreneurs, build strong agro-industries that will help power their economies, expand job opportunities, and bring in more foreign exchange.

On the issue of Boko Haram in Nigeria, Carson said that the issue was unfortunate and a serious issue of concern not only to Nigeria but also to Nigeria's neighbors like; Niger, Cameroon and Benin.

We have, indeed, recently identified three individuals in Boko Haram as individuals who are involved in terrorism, and we have done so because we believe those three individuals have established contacts with foreign terrorist organizations, have gone out and sought to get financing from foreign terrorist

organizations, and have tried to establish broader networks and relationships with them.

But we believe that the bulk of the Boko Haram movement is focused on trying to discredit the Nigerian Government, trying to do everything in its power to show that the government is ineffective in the defense of its people and in the protection of government institutions, so we have not designated the entire organization.

We constantly keep that under review, but we have, in fact, designated the three top leaders in Boko Haram whom we believe to be out establishing broader terrorist networks and who have a broader jihadist agenda that goes beyond simply discrediting the Nigerian Government.

China to provide $20b credit for Africa

T

he Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E Deng Boqing has said China, concluded plans to provide 20billion dollars of credit line to African countries to assist them in developing infrastructure, agriculture and small and medium enterprises to support peace initiative and development that will boost a new type of China-Africa strategic partnership.

The ambassador stated this recently during a reception organised at its Embassy in Nigeria to mark China's 63rd independence anniversary. He said China and Africa have deepened their practical economic cooperation with a two way trade that has reached 166.3 billion US dollars, noting that Chinese direct cumulative investment to Africa has exceeded 15billion US dollars with investment projects covering 50 countries.

He said that the Chinese Government intends to build more agricultural technology

Turkey blazes trail in open and competitive scholarship scheme

By Charles Onunaiju

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right and Brilliant Nigerian students who are handicapped to further their education for reasons of sponsorship can now have access to quality higher education, courtesy of the Republic of Turkey. Through a generous scholarship grant that covers tuition, accommodation, medical insurance, monthly living allowance and specified travel expenses, the Turkish government has opened the way through its Turkey-Africa undergraduate scholarship for students in Nigeria and other Africa countries to benefit from quality education, student who have graduated or are likely to graduate from secondary schools and were born on or after 1st of January 1991 are eligible to apply and benefit from the undergraduate scholarship.

While other countries have bilateral agreement with

Nigeria to provide scholarships to deserving Nigerian students, what set the Turkish scholarship scheme apart from others is that application and eligibility are determined through an open, fair and competitive process free from government intervention.

For instance for this academic session, out of more than two hundred application received, twenty three persons were selected in a competitive interview process organized by the embassy of Turkey in Nigeria.

According to the deputy head of mission in the Abuja office of the embassy, Mr. Mehmet Zahit Uzun, the competitive process of the scholarship scheme is to provide level playing field for all applicants so that the best could emerge, irrespective of background or social status. Mr. Uzun further said that the scholarship was conceived to boast skilled manpower and the

critical human resources that is a critical component for integrated national development.

Among the twenty three scholarship that was offered to Nigeria this year, fourteen persons are to study for post graduate degrees, with nine for masters degree and five doctorates. Eight persons are to study in the undergraduate courses. The academic courses for study include Economics, Medicine, Architecture, Engineering, Applied Science, Business Administration, Political Science and Theology.

According to the document of the scholarship obtained by Peoples Daily the successful applicants covered all the cultural range of the country.

However, successful applicants are expected to sign a scholarship contract that spells the terms under which the beneficiary might loose the scholarship such conditions includes, providing misleading

information during application or acts of grots misconduct while on study. The condition also specified that beneficiaries who fail to return to the country, after six months of the completion of the study would have to refund 60% of the cost of study to the Turkish government.

Prospective applicants for Turkish scholarship should apply t h r o u g h www.turkeyburslari.gov.tr, from the where they can easily complete their applications through uploading the required documents to the electronic system. Applicants are thereby invited to a competitive interview process where final selection of successful are made.

The unique nature of the Turkish scholarship scheme is in freeing it from the bureaucratic control. Most foreign scholarship provided to Nigerians are provided through the Nigerian scholarship board, under the ministry of education. There

have been avalanche of public complaints that the board do not provide a level playing field for all eligible applicants. Most times according to this view, the scholarship through the bureaucratic intervention and control go to underserving persons especially children of the highly placed, who after studies, if they complete the studies at all, proceed to over seas for green pastures, defeating the original aim of the scholarship, which is to increase the skilled manpower available to the country for development.

Many analysts believe that the Turkish scholarship scheme, which is free from the bureaucratic control is likely to fulfill the purpose of creating the skilled manpower that is necessary for development.

It is therefore suggested that other countries offering scholarship to Nigerian students should take cue from the free, fair and competitive process instituted by Turkey.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 32

Sudan, S.Sudan leaders make another push for border deal S Mali asks UN for 'immediate' action on force to recapture north

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ali has asked the United Nations to approve an "immediate" mandate for an international force to help it recover northern parts of the country controlled

by Islamist militants and drug traffickers, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Monday.

The West African country descended into chaos in March when soldiers toppled the president, leaving a power vacuum that enabled Tuareg rebels to seize nearly two-thirds of the country. But Islamist groups, some allied with al Qaeda, then hijacked the rebellion in the north to impose strict Islamic law.

Citing a letter sent by Mali's interim leaders to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on September 18, Fabius said Mali had requested a U.N. Security Council resolution under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter to mandate an international force "to help the Malian army to reconquer the occupied areas of northern Mali."

Chapter 7 allows the council to authorize actions ranging from diplomatic and economic sanctions to military intervention.

"For several months Mali has been confronted by an unprecedented security crisis in northern areas (and has been) occupied by armed groups including terrorists, drug traffickers and all types of criminals," Fabius, reading from the letter, told reporters.

"The Malian government wants the immediate military presence of this force to support Mali's security forces to carry out this mission."

A spokesman for Ban confirmed the letter had been received and said it was being studied.

Fabius said Mali's request would be discussed at a high-level meeting on the situation in the Sahel on Wednesday during the U.N. General Assembly and that Paris had begun talks with other Security Council members on how to proceed.

The Security Council on July 5 endorsed political efforts by the 15nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to end unrest in Mali, but stopped short of backing military intervention there.

French foreign minister Laurent Fabius

udan and South Sudan leaders will try again on Tuesday to seal a border security deal after failing to achieve a breakthrough in the previous two days, officials said on Monday as both sides disagreed over whether progress had been made.

Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and southern counterpart Salva Kiir have been meeting in Ethiopia since Sunday in hopes of wrapping up peace talks after coming close to all-out war in April.

The African Union has been striving to broker a demilitarised buffer zone at the unmarked and disputed border to allow South Sudan to restart oil exports through the north, which would give a big lift to both battered economies.

Both nations are under pressure after a U.N. Security Council deadline expired on Saturday, although it was extended unofficially until Thursday when AU mediator Thabo Mbeki will report on whether a deal has been done, diplomats said.

Bashir and Kiir originally planned a one-day summit but have so far failed to agree during three long meetings on the details of a buffer zone map proposed by the AU. Sudan has reservations about a 14-mile-(23-km)-long strip of land mapped out, while Juba has accepted the formula.

Sudan said it was hopeful that Bashir and Kiir would successfully conclude the talks on Tuesday.

"Both leaders will discuss the issues tomorrow at 10 o'clock ... We expect all issues to be solved positively," ElObeid Morawah, spokesman for Khartoum's foreign ministry, told reporters after Bashir and Kiir met for two hours.

"There (was) progress today regarding the issue of 14 miles and the controversial issues were

minor today compared to other days," he said.

"We have been facing some obstacles during the presidents' discussions. We haven't been able to solve this yet but tomorrow a final session will be held," Atif Keir, spokesman for Juba's delegation, told reporters.

He said the talks would only

succeed if Sudan complied with a road map for peace proposed by the African Union, which has been trying to broker a comprehensive peace deal.

The armies of both nations fought for weeks in April along the unmarked and disputed border after a dispute escalated over how much South Sudan should pay to use oil pipelines that traverse the north to Red Sea ports.

Omar Hassan al-Bashir and southern counterpart Salva Kiir

Christian Copt to face trial in Egypt for blasphemy

A

n Egyptian Copt arrested on suspicion of posting an anti-Islam video online that ignited Muslim protests around the world will stand trial next Wednesday

on charges of insulting religions, the state news agency MENA said on Monday.

Computer science graduate Alber Saber, 27, was arrested at his Cairo

Alber Saber

home on September 13 after neighbours accused him of uploading sections of the film "Innocence of Muslims" and making another movie mocking all religions.

His case has raised concerns over freedom of expression under Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, who came to power in free elections earlier this year after the 2011 popular uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Many Christian Copts have been concerned about the political rise of Islamists since Mubarak's fall and fret about any action that could stoke tensions with their Muslim compatriots.

The crude film made in California portrayed the Prophet Mohammad as a womaniser, thug and child molester. Angry Muslim

crowds stormed U.S. embassies around the Arab world. In Libya, the U.S. ambassador was killed by Islamist militants.

Human rights lawyers say Saber was arrested without a prosecutor's warrant and that he was beaten during interrogation. Security officials have refused to talk publicly about the case, but a judicial source said the police had acted on the instructions of prosecutors.

Prosecutors have accused him Alber of running Facebook pages calling for atheism, insulting Islam and Christianity and questioning religious beliefs, and have referred him to a Cairo misdemeanor court.

Saber's lawyer wasn't immediately available for comment.

His mother, Kariman Ghali, said her son had done nothing wrong.

S.Africa's Malema to face corruption hearing

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NC rebel Julius Malema, South African President Jacob Zuma's most prominent critic and an advocate of mining nationalisation, appears in court on Wednesday on corruption charges that his supporters say are politically motivated.

Police said they would close roads around the courthouse in Polokwane, the provincial capital of Malema's native Limpopo, 350 km (220 miles) north of Johannesburg, for one of the biggest trials since the end of apartheid in 1994.

"No lawlessness will be tolerated and those who break the law will be arrested immediately," a police

statement said, ahead of a planned demonstration by thousands Malema's supporters.

An arrest warrant was issued last week for the former ANC Youth League leader, with local media saying he was facing charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering in the awarding of government contracts in Limpopo.

Malema was expelled by the ruling African National Congress in April for causing rifts in the party, but has kept up his anti-Zuma tirades, saying the polygamist president should be removed since he pays more attention to his personal life than to running Africa's biggest economy.

Malema

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

Asia and Middle East

C

hina sent its first aircraft carrier into formal service on Tuesday amid a tense maritime dispute with Japan, a show of naval force that could worry its neighbors.

China's Ministry of Defense said the newly named Liaoning aircraft carrier would "raise the overall

PAGE 33

China carrier in show of force as Japan tension festers operational strength of the Chinese navy" and help Beijing to "effectively protect national sovereignty, security and development interests".

In fact, the aircraft carrier,

refitted from a ship bought from Ukraine, will have a limited role, mostly for training and testing ahead of the possible launch of China's first domestically built carriers after 2015, analysts say.

But China cast the formal handing over of the carrier to its navy as a triumphant show of national strength -- at a time of bitter tensions with neighboring Japan over islands claimed by both sides.

Sino-Japanese relations deteriorated sharply this month after Japan bought the East China Sea islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, from their private owner, sparking anti-Japan protests across China.

Japan fires water cannon to turn away Taiwan boats

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China's first carrier

apanese Coast Guard vessels fired water cannon to turn away about 40 Taiwan fishing boats and eight Taiwan Coast Guard vessels from waters Japan considers its own on Tuesday in the latest twist to a row between Tokyo and Beijing.

Japan protested to Taiwan, a day after it lodged a complaint with China over what it said was a similar intrusion by Chinese boats.

Sino-Japanese relations deteriorated sharply this month after Japan bought disputed East China Sea islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, from their private owner, sparking antiJapan protests across China.

Taiwan has friendly ties with Japan, but the two sides have long squabbled over fishing rights in the area. China and Taiwan both argue they have inherited China's historic sovereignty over the islands.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said the coast guard used water cannon and

other measures to get the Taiwan ships to change course.

All the Taiwan fishing boats and coast guard ships had since left territorial waters, the Japanese Coast Guard said.

While few experts expect a military confrontation, an unintended clash at sea would increase tension, although all sides are expected to try to manage the row before it spirals out of control.

Japan's top diplomat, Vice Foreign Minister Chikao Kawai, was in Beijing for a meeting with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun in a bid to ease tensions between Asia's two biggest economies.

An official at the Japan-China Economic Association said that Toyota Motor Corp Chairman Fujio Cho and Hiromasa Yonekura, chairman of Japanese business lobby Keidanren, and other representatives of Japan-China friendship groups would attend an event on Thursday in Beijing.

Drones in Pakistan traumatise civilians

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Japan boats fires at Taiwan boats

ivilians are being "terrorised" 24 hours a day by CIA drone attacks that target mainly low-level militants in north-west Pakistan, a US report says.

Rescuers treating the casualties are also being killed and wounded by followup strikes, says the report by Stanford and New York Universities.

Drone attacks are thought to have killed hundreds of militants in Yemen and Afghanistan as well as Pakistan.

US President Obama has said the targets are "on a list of active terrorists".

Senior al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders have been killed in drone strikes in Pakistan.

But the scale of civilian casualties has been difficult to assess because independent media and researchers are

denied access by the authorities to the tribal areas near the Afghan border.

Hours before the report was released, another drone strike hit the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, killing eight fighters, most of them Uzbeks and Tajiks, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban told the BBC. Pakistani intelligence officials earlier said five had been killed.

In one of the most notorious attacks of recent years, tribal elders and local traders were among more than 40 people killed when two drones attacked a car carrying at least four militants at Datta Khel in North Waziristan in March 2011.

In June this year, a senior al-Qaeda leader, Abu Yahya al-Libi, was killed in a drone strike.

Two killed in Kashmir gun battle

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Protesters with placards

suspected militant and a soldier have been killed in a gunfight in Indianadministered Kashmir, the army says.

The incident took place in Handwara town after a night patrol was ambushed by some armed men. a senior official said.

In recent months, there has been a lull in violence in Kashmir, which is claimed by both India and Pakistan.

Thousands of people have been killed in the state since an armed revolt against Indian rule erupted in 1989.

The Indian army claims that

some armed groups have infiltrated into the Kashmir Valley recently.

But this has been challenged by the local police, who insist the security situation in the state has improved over the past few years.

Meanwhile the authorities are tackling a fresh security crisis due to attacks on elected village council heads known as sarpanchs.

Ten village heads have been killed by alleged militants in the last two years, officials say.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has said 3,000 village heads would be provided with security cover.

PAGE 34

Europe and Americas Obama warns Iran on nuclear bid, urges unity on embassy attacks

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resident Barack Obama will warn Iran on Tuesday that the United States will "do what we must" to prevent it acquiring a nuclear weapon, and appeal to world leaders for a united front against attacks on U.S. diplomatic missions in Muslim countries.

In his address to the annual gathering of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly, Obama will tell Iran there is still time for a diplomatic solution to the row over its nuclear program, but "that time is not unlimited."

He will reiterate that Washington will never accept the idea that a nuclear-armed Iran could simply be "contained."

Obama, speaking exactly six weeks before the U.S. presidential election, will also urge unity in the face of a wave of Muslim outrage directed against the United States over a crude online video that denigrates the Prophet Mohammad.

"The attacks of the last two weeks are not simply an assault on America. They are also an assault on the very ideals upon which the United Nations was founded," Obama will say, according to advance excerpts from his speech released by the White House.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

Spanish congress braces for protest

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iot police have ringed the Spanish parliament in Madrid ahead of a planned mass protest against austerity tagged "Occupy Congress".

Metal barriers have been placed around the building to block access from every possible direction, correspondents say.

Indignants, as the protesters are known, say they are protesting at the "kidnapping" of democracy.

Spain's new conservative government has been cutting pay and raising sales tax in an effort to reduce debt.

There is real concern in Europe that Spain may need an international bailout going beyond the 100bn euros (ÂŁ80bn; $125bn) pledged by eurozone finance ministers in June to rescue its banks.

Tu e s d a y ' s r a l l y , d u e t o begin at 17:30 (15:30 GMT), is expected to draw thousands of people, with buses reportedly laid on to ferry demonstrators into the capital from the provinces.

One of the main protest groups, Coordinadora #25S, said the Indignants did not plan to storm parliament, only to march around it.

"It will be a non-violent action," she told AFP news agency, asking not to be identified.

"We are not going to prevent members of parliament from entering."

Under Spanish law, people who lead demonstrations outside parliament that disrupt its business while it is in session may be jailed for up to one year, AFP notes.

The Coordinadora #25S manifesto reads: "Democracy has been kidnapped. On 25 September we are going to save it."

Clashes have broken out at previous rallies and marches against the cuts and at least 1,300 police are said to be on duty at the Congress building.

The Spanish government is having to borrow heavily to cope with the effects of a property values collapse, a recession and the worst unemployment rate in the eurozone.

After nine months in government, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is still resisting pressure to request a bailout.

His government insists the 100bn-euro pledge does not constitute an international financial rescue.

If Mr Rajoy does request a bailout, it may not happen before late October because of a regional election in his home province, Galicia.

Protesters on the street

David Cameron reaffirms UK aid pledge at United Nations

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avid Cameron will reaffirm his commitment to increase Britain's aid spending later, despite opposition from within his own party.

The prime minister will underline the pledge in New York,

while attending the United Nations General Assembly.

He is expected to challenge world leaders to honour their promises on aid for developing countries.

He is also due to appear on one of the USA's most watched television

Obama

shows, the Late Show with David Letterman.

The coalition has promised to hit the UN's target of spending 0.7% of the national income on overseas aid by 2013 - around ÂŁ12bn a year.

But other rich nations including Italy, Japan, the US and Germany - are falling short of the target.

Meanwhile, Mr Cameron has faced growing criticism over the issue from some fellow Conservatives, who say much of this money ends up wasted or stolen.

During the keynote speech on Tuesday, Mr Cameron - who is cochairing the UN meeting to plan for an international aid framework after 2015 - is expected to argue that aid should be more transparent and accountable.

He will say it would be wrong to use the economic downturn as an excuse to go back on pledges to achieve the UN's eight Millennium Development Goals (MDG) to help the poorest in the world - including cutting child mortality and improving maternal health.

"The first thing we must do is send a clear message to everyone who signed up to Millennium Development Goals that now is the time to step up and honour those promises.

"And I know there are some who say we can't afford to do that right now.

"They believe we have to focus on ourselves. And if that means breaking promises, then they're sorry but it just has to be done. Well I'm sorry but it doesn't," Mr Cameron is expected to say.

on arrangements to transfer the men to America to face terrorism charges.

It is believed extraditions could happen within three weeks.

Abu Hamza is wanted over

allegations he plotted to set up a terrorist training camp in the US and was involved in kidnapping Western hostages in Yemen. If convicted, he faces life imprisonment.

Colombia’s FARC ready for Abu Hamza concerns raised by Queen ceasefire T David Cameron

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he Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, says it is open to a ceasefire with the government, as long as both sides lay down their weapons.

But Colombia's president has already rejected a ceasefire proposal from the rebel movement even though the government and FARC are due to begin direct negotiations next month aimed at ending their decades-long conflict.

FARC commander Andres Paris gave the assurance yesterday in Havana, Cuba.

he Queen voiced concerns to the previous government about the inability of UK authorities to arrest Abu Hamza alMasri, it has emerged.

On Monday, a European Court of Human Rights ruling paved the way for the radical cleric to be extradited to the US after an eight-year battle.

The Home Office said the extradition would happen "as quickly as possible".

Queen had been upset that there was no way to arrest the radical cleric and spoke to the then home secretary to ask why somebody who appeared to be inciting violence and hatred was still at large.

"Like anybody, she was upset that her country and its subjects

were being denigrated by this man," said our correspondent, who stressed that the monarch was not lobbying but "merely voicing the views that many have".

It is rare for the Queen to express opinions on such matters.

On Monday, a panel of the European court's highest judges declined to refer the case of Abu Hamza and four other terrorism suspects to the European Court's Grand Chamber - the last avenue of appeal open to them in their fight against extradition to the US. The men have argued that they will face inhumane treatment in the US if they are sent there.

But the US authorities, supported

by British officials, are now working

Abu Hamza al-Masri

PAGE 35

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2012

The PAC Pack: The men behind the money behind the candidates (I)

Joe Ricketts

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oney has always been one of the more significant parts of elections, although the 2012 cycle has kept campaign finance lawyers, experts and critics busy because of the introduction of socalled super PACs. These political groups can raise as much money as they want, and then spend unlimited amounts on ads to sway the election toward the candidates they support.

Super PACs can be lifeboats for some candidates who have trouble raising money the oldfashioned way (soliciting donations while being bound by legal limits). In some cases, the aid of a single rich benefactor can help an underdog candidate win a state's primary.

This is a guide to some of the most generous donors to super PACs. Ricketts is a lot of things: founder of TD Ameritrade, crusader against earmarks, bison meat tycoon, owner of the Chicago Cubs, hyper-local news dabbler and conservative political player, among other things.

Recently, Ricketts was thrust into the national spotlight after a plan for an expensive ad buy that tied President Obama to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright was leaked to the New York Times. Through his own super PAC, Ricketts disapproved of the tactic and

John Paulson and Edward Conard

disowned responsibility for the plan.

Ricketts is a libertarian, according to his brother, Jim Ricketts, who runs a group that teaches poor students in troubled areas around the world. Much of the money for the group, Opportunity Education, comes from Joe Ricketts, who gives $5 million every year, his brother said.

Politics runs in the Ricketts family, though not in the same direction. His son Peter ran for Senate and works for the Republican National Committee.

His daughter supports the Obama campaign. Ricketts's grandfather was the mayor of a small town in Nebraska. His brother ran for office in Colorado, and his brother's son is on a school board.

Many Democrats are probably already familiar with Ricketts' fingerprint on campaigns.

The Ending Spending Fund super PAC spent more than $250,000 in the recent Senate primary in Nebraska, supporting the eventual surprise winner, Deb Fischer.

Before that, he donated more than $1 million to the fund in the 2010 midterm elections.

In his charge against congressional spending, Ricketts said in a video that lawmakers who get earmarks for their

districts are "hooligans."

It's no surprise that the two biggest donors supporting Mitt Romney have a background similar to the candidate's. The self-made, hedge-fund master John Paulson, pictured here, and

which Romney founded, from 1993 to 2007. (Romney left Bain in 1998.)

Conard identified himself in August as the previously unknown person who gave $1 million to Restore Our Future through a newly created company, W Spann LLC. Two campaign finance groups that advocate for disclosure, Democracy 21 and the Campaign Legal Center, had asked the FEC and the Justice Department to investigate the matter while Conard's donation was anonymous, underscoring the secretive nature of super PACs. In the 2004 cycle, a group called "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" claimed that John Kerry was exaggerating his military service in Vietnam, becoming infamous for negative advertising and bringing about the term "swiftboating." The biggest donor to that group was Texas homebuilder Bob Perry, whose company, Perry Homes, contributed $4.45 million.

Now, Perry is giving to the

Bob Perry the investment banking director Edward Conard have so far donated $1 million each to Restore Our Future, the super PAC supporting Romney.

Forbes lists Paulson, 55, as the 18th-richest person in the country. He bet big against the housing market in 2007 and walked away with $3.5 billion. He broke a record in the hedge-fund industry in 2010 by earning $4.9 billion, although the next year he lost a lot of money by making bad bets on Bank of America and Hewlett-Packard. So far this year, he has done better, possibly because he has put his money on the chance that the economy will recover.

Although his $1 million to the Romney-backing PAC puts him at the top of the biggest givers, it's but a particle of a fraction of his net worth, which is $15.5 billion.

"We contribute to candidates and organizations that support U.S. economic growth and leadership," Paulson said in a statement to ABC News.

Conard, 54, has a direct link to Romney through their past: He was a managing director at the private-equity firm Bain Capital,

pro-Romney PAC Restore Our Future (he has given $500,000 so far), although he has also sent $2.5 million this cycle to American Crossroads, the political "527" group that was the brainchild of Republican strategist-mastermind Karl Rove and former Republican Party chief Ed Gillespie. Perry gave American Crossroads $7 million in 2010.

American Crossroads, which acts like a super PAC, technically supports no candidate but rather spends money on ads savaging President Obama.

Perry has also given part of his

Sheldon Adelson

fortune to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Republican Governors Association and individual candidates, including Romney, Tim Pawlenty and members of Congress.

Unlike some donors who seek center stage, Perry appears to enjoy shaping the political landscape from behind the curtain. "He never comes to anything," GOP operative Fred Malek told the New York Times in 2010. "I've never met him or seen him at any of our events that feature our governors, so he certainly is not seeking access."

Unfathomably rich casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson has been in the news lately because of his wife's $5 million donation to a super PAC supporting Newt Gingrich. She contributed the money after Adelson gave the PAC, Winning Our Future, another $5 million just before the South Carolina primary, which Gingrich incidentally dominated.

Adelson and Gingrich are said to have bonded years ago over their passion for supporting Israel, as Congress debated a bill that encouraged the move of the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. "He admires and likes Newt for his intellect and his creativity, and those are two traits that are very strong with Sheldon himself," Robert List, a former governor of Nevada who was Adelson's legal counsel when he acquired the historic Sands Hotel, told ABC News.

The Adelsons' boost to Gingrich's candidacy can't be underestimated. With $10 million from them alone, Winning Our Future has had a bountiful stream of cash to run ads against Romney, particularly spots that depict him as soft on abortion, hurting the front-runner among religious voters in South Carolina. So far, the pro-Gingrich PAC has spent almost $9 million total.

ABC News reported this week that for a year, the Justice Department and the SEC have been investigating whether Adelson's casino company bribed foreign officials and has been involved with organized crime groups in China.

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

Ten-minute workouts lure time-challenged exercisers T

he procrastinators, the super-busy, and the easily bored in pursuit of a manageable fitness routine may find what they seek in the 10minute workout.

Experts say what these short bursts of activity, sometimes called exercise snacking, lack in duration they can make up for in intensity.

“You can get a good enough workout that can make real metabolic changes to your body,” said Liz Neporent, co-author of “The Thin in 10 Weight-Loss Plan” along with fitness instructor Jessica Smith.

“It can help you lose weight, reduce stress and basically give you all the benefits that we know come from exercise.”

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that most adults to engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week.

But multiple shorter sessions of at least 10 minutes are acceptable and even people unable to meet the minimums still benefit from some activity, according to ACSM. Neporent, who writes on health and fitness, said mainstream science is finding that if you increase intensity you can decrease time.

That approach can work for a lot of people, she said, because poll after poll has shown that the Number One objection to not getting a workout in is time.

“The typical recommendation is to do 30 minutes, so if we told

you that you could do 10 minutes at a time, you might actually have a better shot at getting it done,” she said.

To make the most of 10 minutes, Neporent and Smith favor a hybrid of cardio and strength exercises.

“You want to get in something that’s heart-healthy, and something that’s good for your muscles and bones,” Neporent said. “A lot of our workouts (in the book) tend to be circuitweighted to maximize time.”

They also promote the 10minute walk; the meal plan section extends the theme with recipes that take 10 minutes or less to prepare.

MIDDLE-AGED PERILS Amy Dixon, creator of the “Give Me 10” DVD series of 10minute workouts, said studies show shorter, but more consistent, workouts can yield dramatic results.

“If I had 10 minutes I would do fairly intense strength training, total body workouts with dumbbells or kettle bells interspersed with cardio intervals like jumping jacks,” said Dixon, who is Group Fitness Manager at an Equinox fitness center in Santa Monica, California.

She’s seen too many people spend 60 minutes just going through the motions of a cardiovascular workout.

“If you’re reading a magazine,” she said, “you’re not working out.”

Dr. Carl Foster, a professor in the exercise and sports science department at the University of

Wisconsin-La Crosse, said there are unique advantages to highintensity training for the young and the fit.

“There are things you gain that you can’t get from lowintensity workouts because you’re using muscle fibers that are sedentary in a walk,” he said.

For the middle-aged or older, high-intensity exercise has its perils.

“Somewhere around age 45 for men and 55 for women, you worry about the dark side of exercise,” he said.

“Studies are clear that when people have catastrophes, such as

heart attacks, they are almost always related to inappropriately high-intensity exercise.”

Sometimes high-intensity routines are just too uncomfortable to be habitforming, he said.

“Yes it can be done. You can do the work in 10 minutes but then it takes you 40 minutes to recover.”

Foster predicts the focus on high-intensity interval training will wane.

“It will be like seasoning in food: you want to feel like an athlete, so let’s do some of it in the middle of the workout,” he said.

Before you leap into high-

intensity training, he urges, be sure to have at least six months of normal training behind you.

Then gradually add five or 10 seconds that are a little harder.

The biggest risk is that people who’ve been sedentary will suddenly decide to get in shape with high-intensity training.

“For middle-aged and older people, high-intensity training can be a trap that leads to health problems,” Foster said.

“The people who are moderately active on a routine basis are the people who don’t get heart attacks.”

Source: Reuters.com

Emotionally neglected children ‘more likely to suffer strokes in old age’

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How children are treated when they are young can affect their future health

eople who were emotionally neglected as children are more likely to suffer a stroke as adults, according to a new study.

Researchers found people who felt ignored and unsupported when young had a higher risk of the brain-damaging condition in later life.

Study author Dr Robert Wilson, of Rush University Medical Centre in Chicago, said: ‘Studies have shown that children who were neglected emotionally in childhood are at an increased risk of a slew of psychiatric disorders, however, our study is one of few that look at an association between emotional neglect and stroke.’

For the study, 1,040 people 55 years of age or older took a survey measuring physical and emotional abuse before the age of 18. The questions focused on whether they felt loved by their caregiver, were made to feel afraid or intimidated and whether they were punished with a belt or other object. Questions

about divorce and financial need were also included.

Over a period of three-and-ahalf years, 257 people in the study died, of whom 192 had a brain autopsy to look for signs of stroke.

Forty of the participants had evidence of a stroke based on their medical history or an examination. A total of 89 people had signs of a stroke based on the autopsy results.

“

Researchers found people who felt ignored and unsupported when young had a higher risk of the braindamaging condition in later life

The study found that the risk of stroke was nearly three times higher in those who reported a moderately high level of childhood emotional neglect than those who reported a moderately low level.

Dr Wilson said the results stayed the same after considering factors such as diabetes, physical activity, smoking, anxiety and heart problems.

However, he noted a limitation of the study was that neglect was reported from memory many years after it happened, so participants may not have remembered events accurately.

Dr Kevin Barrett, a member of the American Academy of Neurology who wrote an editorial on the research, said: “The results add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that traumatic childhood experiences and physical illness in adulthood may be linked.”

The study was published in the online issue of the medical journal Neurology.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 37

Reps reject constitutional backing to six geo-political zones

By Lawrence Olaoye The House of Representatives yesterday rejected an attempt to give constitutional backing to the nation's six geo-political zone as a political administrative arrangement.

While the lawmakers also kicked against the creation of another layer of Court Appeal, tagged State Court of Appeal', they also resisted attempt to redefine and rearrange legislative powers shared by the three tiers if government.

The lawmakers at the plenary yesterday unanimously rejected the bill for an Act to alter the 1999 constitution by creation of State Court of Appeal, introduction of State Legislative list and adjustment/modification of Legislative powers of government between the Federal and State government.

The bill sponsored by Emmanuel Jimeh (PDP, Benue), if passed, according to the lawmakers, would amount to the subversion of the Nigerian constitution as well as well as destabilize the existing federal system of government that has been built over the years.

Jimeh, who in his presentation said the bill was authored by the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olisa Agbakoba, said it seeks to introduce federalism into the country's judicial system through he creation of State Court of Appeal in the geopolitical zones.

He said the establishment of the State Appeal Court would not only

ensure court decongestion but also ease and hasten delivery of judgment as state governors in a geo-political zone are expected to jointly constitute the judges.

Arguing that the current arrangement has bogged down justice delivery system, Jimeh added, "If passed, it will ensure a quicker and more efficient justice delivery system".

On the need for constitutional backing for geo- political zones, Jimeh said it would assist the effectiveness of the proposed state Court of Appeal.

In his contribution, Herman Hembe (PDP, Benue) said the introduction of State Court Appeal would create an opportunity for state governors to interfere in the justice system.

Betty Apiafi (PDP, Cross Rivers) opined that giving constitutional backing to geo-political zone would endanger federalism that the government and people of Nigeria have spent so much to build over the years. She said the cost of funding the geo-political zones would be too burdensome on the federal government.

R-L: Edo state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, and Chief Judge of the state, Justice Cromwell Idahosa, during the unveiling of the state High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2012, yesterday in Benin City.

Edo Rights Abusers Public Defender Commission underway From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

E

do state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday disclosed that his government would soon establish Edo Rights Abusers Public Defender Commission that would provide free legal aid to victims of human rights abuses.

He dropped the hint yesterday at the unveiling of Edo State High Court (Civil Procedure) just as he observed that too many people are being victimised and intimidated but are unable to fight for their rights.

According to the governor "just recently, the police in the state

arrested an innocent man and charged him for murder without any convincing evidence. I have now decided to set up a public defender unit that will provide free legal aid to all those who are victims of police abuse or by any functionary of the state.

"Government may not be able to deliver food to all the citizens but government must not tamper with the citizens' right. I have directed the Ministry of Justice not to assist the police to detain innocent citizens. My task in Edo State is not only to build roads, hospitals and other physical

infrastructure but also have the responsibility to ensure that the freedom and rights of citizens are not trampled upon."

He added "Everybody is equal before eyes of God and everybody is special in the eyes of God. That one is richer than the other cannot be a yardstick to think that one is more special than the other. The attitude of the court should be that before the law all men are equal.

In the past, many Nigerians used to believe that those who are powerful are above the law."

He lamented that a man was convicted and sent to prison for

years for stealing a rabbit while those who embezzle public funds running into billions of naira are left off the hook and urged the Bar to take special interest in gross abuse of judicial powers.

Meanwhile, the State Judiciary in the State has replaced its twentyfour year old court (civil procedure) rules with a new one designed to strengthen and deepen what the Chief Judge, Justice Cromwell Idahosa, calls access to justice which is the hallmark of the rule of law.

The rules of court which are binding on Judges and lawyers and represents the tool with which courts work and states how proceedings are to be conducted.

NCP wants INEC to carry out periodic review of voters’ register

T

he National Chairman of National Conscience Party (NCP), Dr Yinusa Tanko, on Monday in Akure called for periodic review of voters’ register to avoid disenfranchising Nigerians.

Tanko told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that there was no way

the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could make the voters register permanent.

“What we are saying is that the voters’ register cannot be permanent, there are times when God will call some people home while some young ones will come of age,” he said.

Tanko advised INEC to carry out

the exercise at least three months to any election, to accommodate those who had attained voting age.

The chairman said the commission should also display voters’ register prior to elections as part of confidence building measures.

He said the party would contest in the forthcoming Ondo

State governorship election and expressed optimism that its candidate, Mr Oladipo Lawrence, would win.

Tanko, who commended Gov. Olusegun Mimiko for “doing a good job in Ondo State”, however, said that an NCP government would perform better. (NAN)

Jonathan, a President in training -ACN From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

T

he Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has described President Goodluck Jonathan as a trainee President.

In a statement issued in Ilorin yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party wondered how else one can describe the administration's lack of capacity to be proactive or respond in a timely and robust manner to the recent catalogue of woes and national calamities.

In the opinion of the party, the continued bungling of the Boko Haram insurgency which is harvesting more deaths almost on a daily basis , the unstoppable carnage on the nation's roads, the executive somersaults of the administration on policy issues, and in general the slow, unfocused and uncertain responses of government to issues, depict a government on internship.

According to the ACN, "The closure of the Lokoja-Abuja highway which had cut off Abuja, Nigeria's capital city, due to flooding of roads and bridges along the Abuja-Lokoja highway signposts the extent of the nation's decayed national infrastructure and exposes the incapable hands entrusted to salvage them.

However, even worse is the fact that the President has not deemed it fit to comment on this disaster, neither has there been any visit by a federal minister or any co-ordinated response to the disaster from the central government.

"On a week-end of multiple disasters such as the Lokoja flooding , the bomb blast in Bauchi, and the two weeks of non stop flooding all around the country, the President's handlers showed more concern in informing Nigerians about President Jonathan's trip to the United Nations General Assembly summit than explaining or proposing a co-ordinated response to these calamities, the party said.

"The disposition of President Jonathan's administration to the welfare of Nigerians confirms the widely held belief that the welfare or well being of Nigerians is definitely not a priority to his government otherwise why could the President not find time to visit even by helicopter the disaster zones to at least give hope to the victims or their relations," the party queried.

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

Reps pledge to back SON in fighting sub standard goods

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

T

he House of Representatives has promised to give the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) the necessary legislative support in its crusade against substandard products in the country.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Industries, Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo, gave the assurance yesterday when he led members of the committee on a visit to the agency.

Onawo also commended SON for its efforts in curbing the influx and effects of counterfeit and low-

quality goods in the country.

He urged the organisation to embark on awareness campaigns that will educate the populace on the likely implications of purchasing substandard products.

He said this would enable consumers identify and avoid substandard products.

The Director-General of SON, Joseph Odumodu, had earlier solicited for a legal framework to enable the organisation carry out more effective enforcement. Mr. Odumodu said that lack of a strong legal structure had not allowed the agency to prosecute the manufacturers, importers or

distributors of fake and substandard products in the country.

The DG acknowledged government's interest in improving the economy through the check of substandard products.

More funding, he said, would however help improve the organisation's activities, adding that it required N10 billion for the first phase of modern laboratory facilities to fast-track its operations.

He said that 80 percent of the fake products that come into Nigeria are from Asia with China being the major culprits. He explained that because of the level

of influx of fake products from China, they had a meeting with the Chinese Standards Organization that supervises imports and exports but were not supportive.

"Infact, they were very hostile to us because at the end of the day what we were asking for was not what they were saying. At a time they pretended that they no longer understood English language just to make sure that discussion was terminated. But we made our point clear that we have the right to fight for the safety and performance of products that are brought to Nigeria.

L-R: Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Industries, Hon. Peace Nnaji, Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Mohammed Onawo, and Director, Testing Service, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mr. John Achukwu, during an inspection tour of SON facilities, yesterday in Enugu.

Photo: NAN

Aliyu, Fayemi for Awolowo Institute Lecture on security From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

T

he Obafemi Awolowo Institute of Government and Public Policy will on Thursday beam its searchlight on national security, with a lecture in Lagos to be delivered by Governor Mu'azu Babangida

Aliyu of Niger state.

The third in the lecture series, in the build-up to Nigeria's 52nd independence anniversary, is titled: "The search for national security in Nigeria: retrospect, precepts and prospects."

To chair the event is Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state.

Also on a two-man panel of discussants are Professor Isaac Olawale Albert, Director of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ibadan and Dr. Charles Ukeje, a Reader (Associate Professor) at the Department of International Relations, Obafemi Awolowo

University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.

A statement from the Institute said the lecture, billed for the Agip Recital Hall, MUSON Centre Onikan, Lagos would start at 12 noon, and would attract the cream of business, government and the intelligentsia.

‘No viable opposition party to wrest power from PDP’ – Shelle

T

he Lagos State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Olatunji Shelle, yesterday said there was no viable opposition that could wrest power from the party in the 2015 general elections.

Shelle told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the party’s formidable structure would be difficult to penetrate.

He was optimistic that the PDP would floor the opposition parties completely, even when they formed an alliance.

He made the remark sequel to a comment by Prof. Pat Utomi, at the Leadership Award Lecture in Abuja, that the opposition, as presently constituted, was too weak to wrest power from the PDP.

“Irrespective of the differences we have in PDP, there is an internal mechanism that has helped us to solve our problems.

“Election can never be won without a formidable platform which PDP is known for,’’ he said.

Shelle said that Utomi was not wrong to make such a statement.

He described Utomi as “a tactical politician who has tried his hands on being the president, and knows how difficult it was.

“The PDP is a formidable platform. In about three elections, we have won at least 26 out of the 36 states. It is obvious that we are really on ground.

“There is no viable opposition to wrest power from the PDP.

“All the other parties, including the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), are regional parties that are hiding under the auspices of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

“They do not have the structures to win. If they come on board to form an alliance, the PDP will again floor them completely,’’ Shelle said.

Meanwhile, some leaders of the opposition parties are planning to harmonise their ideologies and form a formidable opposition against the PDP in 2015.

Mr Godfrey Lemchi, the Lagos State Chairman, African Democratic Congress (ADC) advised the opposition parties to work in harmony, to reverse the PDP’s

domination in 2015.

“The solution lies in forming harmony among the opposition parties.

“There is need to educate the voting masses on their enormous power to install the leaders that will add value to their lives,’’ he said.

Bishop Gabriel Omoruyi, the Spokesman of the Lagos State branch of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), said Utomi was overrating the PDP by his statement.

Omoruyi was optimistic that the opposition parties would defeat the PDP in the 2015 general elections.

According to the ANPP official, the opposition parties will beat the PDP in a free and fair election. (NAN)

Excess Crude Account: S/Court gives more time for out of court settlement

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

he Supreme Court yesterday gave both the Federal Government and the 36 state governments more time to resolve the legal tussle which arose from the decision of the government at the centre to transfer $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account to the recently created Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWF).

The apex court consequently fixed November 22, 2012 to bring before it reports of settlement between the parties in the matter.

The 36 states of the federation had through their counsel, Chief Adenoids Awomolo (SAN), filed a suit challenging the legality of the action of the Federal Government.

The decision of the apex court was as a result of the passionate appeal by the Federal Government through its counsel, Austin Alegeh (SAN) that it is genuinely committed to settling the matter out of court.

Alegeh had earlier informed with the 7-member panel of the court headed by Justice Chukwuma Eneh that attempts by the Federal Government to resolve the dispute out of court had started yielding fruits.

According to him, "we are happy to report that the settlement moves have started yielding results. We received only last week, a new proposed terms of settlement by the plaintiffs and the Attorney General is currently studying the new proposed terms of settlement and we believe now, more than ever before, that the settlement move is yielding very useful results".

He pleaded with the court to further extend time for parties to reach an amicable resolution of the disputes and to adjourn the matter to enable them actualize the settlement process.

Responding, Awomolo reminded the court that the plaintiffs had approached the court since 2008 over the issue and that there had been discussions, offers, counter offers and moves to resolve the matter.

He however expressed gladness over the presumed genuine commitment by the Federal Government to resolve the matter and promised that his clients will embrace such moves.

However, Awomolo drew the attention of the court to the fact that it was report of settlement or definite hearing of the matter on its merit that was scheduled for the day. He told the court that he was prepared to go ahead with the hearing in the matter.

The court however declined to commence hearing in the matter noting that such a move will undermine the current attempt towards settling the matter amicably. It also noted that delving into the substance of the case will cast doubts on the genuineness of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke's commitment to settle the matter.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 39

Kwara denies owing CBN From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

T

he Kwara state government has said that it was indebted to Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) to the tune of N6.8 billion as alleged by the state chapter of Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN) stressing that the apex bank made an error that was being correct.

The Senior Media Assistant to the governor, Dr. Femi Akorede, in statement issued in Ilorin stated that there was a communication gap between the government and CBN and they were working on that.

The state Chairman of ACN, Mr. Kayode Olawepo had said ACN’s findings show that the state is indebted to the tune of N6.8b and was shortlisted for the penalty following its “failure to pay back its backlogs of loan which led to the purchase of the debts at an agreed price by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).”

But state government in its reply said “We assert that the CBN’s action was informed by a communication gap which government is trying to bridge.

To set the records straight, the said loan was obtained by Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), the erstwhile investment body, which is a separate legal entity, to buy shares in an effort to shore-up IGR. Expectedly, the loan was subsequently secured against the shares. Also, the outstanding figure includes the principal and interest accrued.

“Unfortunately, due to the stock market crash, MOFI’s ability to repay was heavily impaired. Furthermore, the said loan and shares so purchased have since been taken over by Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) which has the option of selling the shares to recover the said loan.

“In addition, Harmony Holdings Ltd, the state’s new investment arm which took over the assets and liabilities of MOFI, is in discussions with AMCON to resolve the issue amicably.

“Although the stock market crash unfortunately affected government’s well-intentioned efforts to shore up IGR, the CBN’s action does not indicate insolvency.

“The people of Kwara can see our laudable ongoing projects including the rehabilitation of five general hospitals, massive urban and rural roads, rehabilitation of Federal Government Roads, phase 2 of Ilorin Water Reticulation project, Rehabilitation of Pepele Waterworks, rural and urban electrification, rehabilitation of 200 blocks of secondary school classrooms etc. These projects indicate that Kwara State is financially-healthy.

“The ACN is obviously alarmed by the Ahmed administration’s giant strides and is engaged in a futile bid to diminish those life-transforming projects.”

L-R: Chairman, Conference Of Speakers of West Africa, Mr Matura Nago, Senate President David Mark, Speaker, ECOWAS Parliament, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, and Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, during a dinner in honour of ECOWAS parliamentarians, on Monday in Abuja.

Photo: NAN

2015: Middle Belt deserves the Presidency – Group Augustine Aminu The Middle Belt Youth Leaders’ Forum (MYLF) has called on political actors and parties in the country to focus attention on the Middle Belt geopolitical region in the search for who becomes the President of the country in 2015.

In a communiqué issued after a Consultative Assembly of the

MYLF held in Abuja yesterday, the group said the choice of a president from the region in 2015 would help to end the north-south controversy that is tearing the country into pieces.

The communiqué which was signed by Mallam Hamid Usman, Comrade Philip Agbese and Mr. Jonah Nabut stated that it is time for Nigerians to reward the political maturity,

generosity and sportsmanship of the middle belt region since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.

The group maintained that all the political parties in the country have enjoyed a fair share of patronage and goodwill across the middle belt region and such should strongly consider fielding a candidate from the region in the next presidential

election.

The communiqué further noted that its call should not in any way be equated with routing for mediocrity as all the tested and qualified persons from the middle belt would submit to a rigorous national scrutiny before standing for election.

It said, in addition to finding a middle ground in the nation’s

S/Leone seeks Nigeria’s help on elections

By Richard Ihediwa

N

igeria is now training some members of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) of Sierra Leone ahead of that country’s general elections.

Already the 10-member team of the Sierra Leone electoral body has arrived the country for

training by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mr. Kayode Idowu, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega said the Sierra Leone NEC team of ICT and Operations personnel are in Nigeria for one week of training, study tour and experience sharing with INEC officials, under the sponsorship of the

Nigerian government in preparation for the Sierra Leonean elections fixed for November 17, 2012.

He said the training will involve presentations by INEC’s ICT and Voter Registry personnel on such themes as ‘Using technology to solve electoral challenges,’ ‘Philosophy and architecture of electoral systems,’ ‘Infrastructure

design,’ and ‘Open Source – software and hardware,’ among others.

By the end of the training, INEC’s personnel will have helped the Sierra Leoneans to build software solutions that they can take away with them.

The Sierra Leonean team is billed to tour ICT facilities at the National Data Centre, Abuja, as well as INEC’s Federal Capital Territory office.

Poor governance threat to national security - NIPPS Fellow

A

research fellow with the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Prof. Habu Galadima, has blamed the current insecurity on the poor quality of governance in the country.

Galadima, said this yesterday in Jos at the 2nd National Conference of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUPP) holding at the Plateau State Polytechnic.

“Nigeria is a country where

corruption index is extremely high; where poverty has continued to ravage the entire populace and where people are being impoverished every day.

These are good breeding factors for insecurity.

He noted that most of the youths carrying arms were pushed into it by poverty and poor leadership, and urged leaders to be more responsible to the nation rather than to themselves.

In his remark, Mr Dauda

Gyemang, the Rector of the polytechnic, said the theme of the conference, ‘’National Security Challenges in Nigeria: Issues and Options’’, was very apt particularly as it had directed bearing on the situation in the state.

He challenged the participants to focus on bringing about meaningful change that would lead to mutual co-existence and pave way for positive educational, sociocultural and political development.

Earlier, Mr. Victor Dawurung,

Chairman of the ASUP local chapter, in a welcome address, noted that the conference was being hosted by the polytechnic because of its experiences with regards to the security challenges in the state.

“The essence of this conference is for participant to brainstorm on the main issues at stake and by so doing, provide ways of resolving the conflict that is threatening to swallow us as a nation,“ Dawurung said. (NAN)

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PDP raises alarm over plot to rig Ondo election

By Lawrence Olaoye

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday raised the alarm over alleged plans by the Labour Party (LP) in Ondo state to rig the forthcoming October 20th governorship election in the state.

Fielding questions from newsmen in Abuja after the inauguration of the PDP campaign committee, the PDP governorship candidate, Chief Olusola Oke said the party has uncovered subterranean moves by the ruling Labour Party in the state to not only manipulate the conduct of the election but also instigate the arrest of PDP chieftains on trumped-up charges.

According to him, one of the grand plans to tilt the outcome of the election in favour of the Labour Party is to detain PDP members and supporters in areas where the party is very popular so as to give the Labour Party free reign to rig the election and release them after the election.

“As at today there is a conspiracy between the judiciary and the Labour government in Ondo state such that without provocation PDP members are attacked and before you know it, they use the judiciary to detain them indefinitely. I am aware today there is a grand plan by the Labour party to arrest prominent members of PDP, detain them and not to be released until after election.

“What may be of concern is the attitude of the public to orchestration of the incumbent Labour Party to manipulate the

electoral processes in Ondo state.

As I speak with you the Labour party posses greater threat to free and fair election in Ondo State more than the ACN even though both of them are involved, but the level of orchestration of antic and strategies for manipulating electoral processes by Labour is unprecedented; it’s alarming and worrisome.”

Oke said the Labour party had tried everything to interfere with INEC processes in terms of compilation of voters register,

adding that PDP is not satisfy that the processes would not be jeopardize despite assurances by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“There are gangs of hoodlums developed by Labour party preparing for the day of election in different locations. As I am talking to you now, they are training thugs and while they do that, they give impression to the security that it is actually the ACN and the PDP that are preparing thugs.

“Beyond this, I am also aware that the grand plan of the Labour Party in the areas of their weakness is to ensure that there will be no election in these places.

They will ensure that wherever they are weak there will be no election, wherever they think they are strong that is where election will be and they will chase away PDP supporters and maximize their returns. Labour Party is more of a threat to free and fair election in Ondo state than the ACN,” he stressed.

R-L: Speaker, House Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Ryuichi shoji, during the envoy's visit to the Speaker, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

LP wants FG to tackle corruption

T

he National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, has called on the Federal Government to tackle corruption in the country.

Nwanyanwu made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

He suggested that government should treat cases of corruption as “crimes against humanity” while advocating for separate courts to try the offenders.

“Until we have strong laws that will put people to check and question them on what they did while in office, we will not develop the Nigerian society,’’ he said.

He also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to tackle election fraud to ensure that the peoples’ votes count.

“There should be a very good electoral law because if a candidate is elected by the people, he will work for their welfare because he will

need their mandate to return.’’

He stressed the need for politicians to eschew ‘godfatherism’ in Nigerian politics, saying that politics should never be seen as ‘a do or die affair’.

Nwanyanwu urged the government and political stakeholders to find ways to eradicate poverty and unemployment in order to improve on the nation’s workforce.

He identified years of waste and missed opportunities as responsible

for the high degree of poverty, unemployment and other socioeconomic problems in the country.

According to him, the rights of Nigerians to education, shelter and healthcare must be constitutionally guaranteed not as a theoretical provision but one which governments should respect.

He, however, said that every Nigerian child should be entitled to education whether the parents could afford the fees or not. (NAN)

Enugu Assembly directs LG chairmen to commence parks’ rehabilitation The Enugu State House of Assembly yesterday directed local government chairmen in the state to commence the rehabilitation of all public parks and open spaces in the state.

Adopting the four-prayer motion through a unanimous voice vote, the assembly also directed the Commissioner for Lands and the Enugu State Capital development Authority to liaise with the chairmen of Enugu South and East Local Government councils to create new parks and open spaces.

Putting the motion into question for adoption, the speaker, Mr Eugene Odo, said: “That this House of Assembly urges the chairmen of the 17 local government areas of Enugu State other than those in Enugu capital territory to revitalise, where it exists, or create new parks and open spaces in their areas in conjunction with the town planning authority.

“That the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism should ensure that the existing parks in Enugu State be revitalised forth with, those in favour say I, those against say

nay, the I’s have it.’’

While presenting the motion on the floor of the assembly, its sponsor, Mr Nelson Uduji, (PDP-Awgu South), said the comprehensive turn-around of infrastructures could not be complete without adequate parks and open spaces.

Uduji noted that the existing parks had been over grown by weeds, while the streets were turned to relaxation spots thereby causing congestion in the city.

He said that revitalising the parks would boost the internally generated revenue in the affected

local governments.

“The citizens benefit a lot as they use these parks for town hall meetings, amusement centres and other functions at just a token.

“It is indeed a well established fact that both the citizens and government benefit from the establishment of a well maintained park.’’

Opening debate on the motion, the Leader of the Assembly, Mr Sunday Ude-Okoye, said the benefits of the motion were enormous if effectively implemented. (NAN)

Adamawa ACN rejects Nyako’s hand of fellowship, heads to S’ Court From Blessing Tunoh, Yola

F

ollowing the outcome of the September 22, 2012 Appeal Court ruling, which dismissed the Action Congress of Nigeria’s petition against Governor Murtala Nyako’s victory, the appellant has rejected Nyako’s olive branch with a vow to pursue the case to the Supreme Court.

Abdulrazak Namdas, running mate to the ACN’s gubernatorial flag-bearer in the February 4 poll declared yesterday that his party is heading to the highest court in the country to obtain the mandate given to them by people of Adamawa state.

Namdas said the decision of ACN to head to the apex court was predicated on the fact that they want to know who should be a witness in an allegation of electoral fraud. “Our decision to pursue our case to a logical conclusion is informed by the fact that we want to know the interpretation and position of the Supreme Court on the issue of only agents can be witnesses in election petition,” he maintained.

Namdas affirmed that the ruling of the Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa led Appeal court panel leaves much to be desired, stressing that the party has an issue out of the judgment. “Concerning the judgment of the appellate court, no doubt we have an issue out of it. We want to let the people of Adamawa state know we have confidence in the judiciary; that is why we are appealing this case up to the Supreme Court.”

He therefore insisted that it would not be out of place for people of the state to commend the ACN for choosing the option of seeking redress through judicial means than resort to making inciting comments and violence.

He therefore asserted that if the decision of the Appeal Court, which revalidated Governor Nyako’s election is not reversed, the country would continue to witness cases of election petitions.

ACN’s secretary in the state Vincent Musa on his part categorically said the party will never work with the PDP in any capacity. “As it is now, we would not allow the PDP to mislead us with this their olive branch of a thing; we are not going to be part of any government of national unity. We are heading to the Supreme Court to reclaim our stolen mandate.”

Musa insisted.

Reacting, Adamawa state PDP Chairman, Umaru Mijinyawa Kugama said the ACN has right to do whatever pleases them within the ambit of the law. “First, the people of Adamawa state gave Governor Murtala Nyako and the PDP the mandate through the ballot, the tribunal validated the outcome of the February 4, 2012 poll, now the Court of Appeal has upheld the ruling of the lower tribunal; so, what else are we talking about?” Kugama queried.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 41

FIFA U-17: One goal denies Flamingoes FIFA World Cup history Hammer Azerbaijan 11-0

By Patrick Andrew

I

f the Flamingoes had scored one more goal against Azerbaijan, they would have enlisted in FIFA’s history books as the team with the highest number of goals ever in FIFA World Cup finals.

Instead, the Flamingoes equalled same margin with which Korea DPR routed West African prodigy, Gambia 11-0, but succeeded in knocking out hosts Azerbaijan from the race for podium honours. The impressive drubbing also meant they are the first Nigerian team ever to score the most goal in FIFA World Cup finals whether cadet or senior national side.

Though Nigeria had

overwhelmed teams on the continent with as much on aggregate, yesterday’s routing of Azerbaijan will go down in history as the best ever from a precocious side from the West African soccer powerhouse.

Incidentally, the Koreans had beaten Gambia only last weekend and it seems after pumping in 7 goals in the first 45 minutes and then blasting in two more under the hour mark, it was thought the Flamingoes’ goal rain would continue.

But it was not to be. The Flamingoes only added two more goals but frittered away several chances with 12 minutes left to play.

Nonetheless, Chinwendu Ihezuo secured her first World Cup hat-trick plus two other

Onazi gets first Eagles call up as Joel, Mikel, 35 others for Liberia

F

ormer Golden Eaglets and Lazio attacking midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi made Super Eagles list of invitees for the decisive return leg of the 2013 Nations Cup finals qualifying game against the Lone Stars of Liberia.

Onazi, who has impressed since being promoted from the youth side of Lazio to the senior level of the Serie A side, made the list of 38 players including returnee, John Mikel Obi of Chelsea and Joel Obi another Serie A-based player.

Also recalled to the team is Austin Ejide, who was between the sticks when Guinea forced a 2-2 draw at the National Stadium Abuja to deny Nigeria the ticket to the 2012 Nations Cup jointly hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, who defended the list of 15 foreignbased and 23 domestic-based players, said he needed the seemingly unwieldy number of players because he intends to build a team for the CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN), which is exclusively for domestic league-based players.

According to Paul Bassey, a member of the NFF technical subcommittee, Keshi defended the list of players by insisting on he wants to use one stone to kill two birds by preparing the team for the 2013 Nations Cup qualifying game against Liberia on October 13, while also fine-tuning those that would play the CAHN tournament.

Keshi thus called up his regular domestic league players but included Tony Okpotu of Lobi Stars, who netted eight goals for Lobi to finish third in the Nigeria Premier League and was outstanding in the final of the Federation Cup between Lobi Stars and Heartland FC. Others fresh call up are Ezekiel Bassey, Kingsley Udo, Brendan Ogbu, Manir Ubale from Kano Pillars and Gomo Onduku of Sharks.

THE LIST Home-based players Goalkeepers: Chigozie Agbim (Warri Wolves), Daniel Akpeyi (Heartland) Defenders: Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves), Papa Idris, Umar Zango (Kano Pillars), Solomon Kwambe, Godfrey Oboabona, (Sunshine Stars), Ezekiel Bassey (Lobi Stars), Kingsley Udoh (Heartland) Midfielders: Gabriel Reuben (Kano Pillars), Henry Uche (Enyimba), Christian Ofili (ABS), Solomon Jabason (Akwa United), Philip Asuquo (3SC) Forwards: Ejike Uzoenyi (Enugu Rangers), Sunday Mba (Warri Wolves), Sanusi Sani (Gombe United), Izu Azuka (Sunshine Stars), Brendan Ogbu (Heartland), Tony Okpotu (Lobi Stars),Manir Ubale (Kano Pillars),Gomo Ondoku (Sharks), Fidelis Saviour (FC Taraba) Foreign-based players Goalkeepers: Austin Ejide, Vincent Enyeama Defenders: Joseph Yobo, Elderson Echiejile, Efe Ambrose Midfielders: Joel Obi, Nosa Igiebor, Obiora Nwankwo, Mikel Obi, Ogenyi Onazi Forwards: Victor Moses, Ahmed Musa, Ike Uche, Emmanuel Emenike, Brown Ideye.

goals (five in all), both Halimatu Ayinde and Tessy Biawho each had a brace while Aminat Yakubu and Joy Bokiri scored one each.

The score line puts Nigeria one step into the quarter-finals along with Canada who surprisingly defeated Colombia.

Summer Clarke struck the only goal in a 1-0 win over Colombia to see Canada’s Azerbaijan 2012 begin in earnest during a game where the North Americans dominated proceedings.

It means that Flamingoes would need only a draw against Colombia who must beat Nigeria to harbour any hope of remaining in Azerbaijan for

the championship.

With Azerbaijan effectively eliminated, Canada would only work harder to surpass Nigeria’s 11-0 whacking of the hosts to top the group.

Azerbaijan Canada France USA

RESULTS 0 Nigeria 1 Colombia 1 Korea DPR 6 Gambia

11 0 1 0

Two members of the Flamingoes Chinwendu Ihezuo and Joy Bokori celebrating their well deserved victory over Azerbaijan

‘Eko 2012’: Sambo kick starts Torch of Unity movement

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

V

ice President Namadi Sambo, yesterday received the ‘Torch of Unity’, signalling the official countdown to the forthcoming 18th National Sports Festival tagged ‘Eko 2012.’

The Sports Festival to be hosted

by Lagos state government holds between November 27 and December 9.

The Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi presented the festival torch, which symbolises the unity and friendship engendered by the spirit of the sports festival, to the Vice President who passed it on to the host Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola.

In his remarks, Vice President Sambo congratulated the Rivers state Governor, Rotimi Amaechi whose state hosted the last edition of the biennial games, for a successful hosting.

Sambo noted that the success of the 17th National Sports Festival had left a very big shoe for Lagos state to fill, hoping that “we will have a successful festival in Lagos.”

Governor Fashola in his remarks also commended the people and government of Rivers state “for a wonderful show”, saying the successful hosting of the 17th edition posed a challenge to Lagos to put up a better show at Eko 2012.

“We will host a championship befitting of the very proud heritage and history of the National Sports Festival and, it will serve the purpose for which it was inaugurated in the very first place to unify and bring closer our people through sports.

“We are prepared to meet the timeline set by the organising

committee and all hands are on deck. We intend to host a championship that will meet all of the objectives of the National Sports Festival not only in terms of bringing Nigerians closer, unifying Nigerians but also in terms of

achieving talent development in sports and bringing harmony into sports”, Governor Fashola assured.

Port Harcourt hosted the last edition of the festival last year while Rivers State won in the overall medal table.

TOURCH OF UNITY AT VILLA

Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo with the Tourch of Unity during the flag off of the forthcoming National Sports Festival after the presentation ceremony held at the State Photo: Joe Oroye.

House Abuja yesterday.

PAGE 42

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

Fuludu leaves Warri Wolves

F

ew days after Technical Director, Maurice Cooreman resigned from his post at Warri Wolves, Edema Fuludu, the former Head Coach of the team has equally confirmed his disengagement from the club.

This following a massive clear out of the club’s senior personnel by the owners at the end of the season and largely because of the club’s poor performance in the Nigeria Premier League.

Wolves emerged in the 15th position with 48 points from 36 matches, a performance that did not please the Delta State Government, owners of the club.

Also affected by the sudden disengagement are; the General Manager, Tony Rafua, ViceChairman of the management board, Alex Amudo and the Media Manager, Timi Ebikagboro.

The former Super Eagles attacking midfielder was of the view that some

other undermining factors were also responsible for their sudden lay off.

“Once a team does not perform up to expectation, people look at the coaching crew, and advocate a total change of coaching crew, but people don’t seem to understand the intricacies involved.

“There are certain things that should be considered, when such actions are taken, the performance of a team is solely the responsibility of the coach. “Practically but there

Onigbinde expresses concern over proliferation of soccer academies in Nigeria

A

degboye Onigbinde, a former Chief Coach of the Super Eagles and CAF instructor has railed at the sudden proliferation of football academies in the country.

Onigbinde, who expressed the concern in an interview, urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to rise to the challenge by curbing the spiraling number of ill-equipped soccer academies.

“This is a battle I have been fighting for decades not years; I have always insisted that the proliferation of football academies in this country should be controlled.

2012 Golden Eaglets

Akwa United chase 3SC youngster Akanbi

A

kwa United are leading the growing list of admirers for 3SC youngster Morenikeji Akanbi ahead of the 2012/2013 season.

Akanbi confirmed that he has been contacted by some Nigeria Premier League teams including Akwa United ahead of the new

season.

“I had a good season last term with 3SC though not as I wanted, but I have done enough to have caught the eyes of top teams in NPL who are asking for my signature for next season,” the player disclosed.

“I was contacted by Akwa

United, even before I joined 3SC they came for me, but my trip outside Nigeria scuttled the move.

They want me for next season, there is also interest from Kwara United. I will weigh my options.”

Akanbi, who has also featured for Crown FC, scored two goals for 3SC last term.

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

CHRISTIANA OLALONPE FOUNDATION

INTER FAITH ACTIVITY AND PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MRS CHRISTIANA OLUFADEJIN AWODELE -PATRON 1 2. MR EMMANUEL OLUFADEJIN AWODELE -PATRON 2 3. MR HENRY OLUFADEJIN DAMILARE AWODELE -CHAIRMAN 4. MR WILLIAM FEMI AWODELE -VICE CHAIRMAN 5. DILLY OLUWASEUN DOKUBO -SECRETARY 6. MRS BUKOLA AJOKU 7. MRS YEMISI OLAITAN 8. MRS DEBORAH FUNMI AKINFE 9. MR MUYIWA AWODELE THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. TO SOPPORT FAMILIES WHO NEED A BREAK/RESPITE FROM LOOKING AFTER OTHERS. 2. TO REDUCE CARERS ISOLATION OF CARING ALONE FOR SICK OR DISABLED FAMILY MEMBERS. 3. TO PROVIDE EQUITABLE AND FAIR SERVICES TO FAMILIES OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, RELIGIOUS CREED OR ETHNICITY. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B. 198, GARKI, ABUJA WITHIN TWENTY-EIGHT (28) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION.

are issues that makes it not as practical as it seems,’’ he said.

Fuludu urged fans not to be too hasty in jumping to the conclusion, that the coaches did not do their best for the club.

The former Julius Berger FC of Lagos player stressed that the coaching crew was able to qualify the club for a continental competition last season which he described as an

CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AISHA INDO MUSA, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS. AISHA INDO MUSA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. NYSC AND GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE. “But it has been difficult because some of the people who should be in a position to control it are also owners of these academies; so they don’t want to make a law against themselves.

“And I have always given the analogy that we can have one million football academies in this country, but they must be operated on specific guidelines set by the national football body.

“As an illiterate, the constitution of this country allows me to establish a university; but before I do it, I must go to the university council, who will give me the guidelines: the type of staffs I must have, the type of facilities, and the content of my courses; but we don’t have that happening here.”

Onigbinde also said that lack of guidelines regulating the activities of such academies had made it possible for imposters to take undue advantage of players who want to play football abroad.

“In fact some of the people who are taking these children out are not even running any academy. Many parents, who have sold their properties and spent millions on these people

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ORGANIZATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MALLAM MUHAMMAD NURUDDEEN LEMU 4. BISHOP JOSIAH IDOWU FEARON 2. REV. FR. GEORGE EHUSANI 5. ABDUL-HAKEEM AJIJOLA 3. DR. JUMMAI ZAINAB UMAR 6. DR. JOANNA NWOSU AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO PROMOTE PEACE. 2. TO PROVIDE A CREDIBLE AND TRUSTED PLATFORM FOR DIALOGUE BETWEEN PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT FAITHS. 3. TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR INFORMATION SHARING BETWEEN RELIGIOUS LEADERS ON MAJOR GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES CONFRONTING NIGERIA AND HOW TO BETTER RESPOND TO THESE COLLECTIVELY. 4. TO IDENTIFY STRATEGIES AND MEANS OF STRENGTH ENDING INTERRELIGIOUS RELATIONS AT THE COMMUNITY, STATE, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS 5. TO WORK OUT MODALITIES FOR STEMMING THE RISING TENSION BETWEEN CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

SIGNED: M. O. AKPA (MISS) 08068259834

YSFON advises states on 7th Abidoye U-16 Boys, U-18 a former YSFON president.

He said the boys should have a body Girls tournaments Abidoye, “State teams are strongly advised to weight of 56kg and maximum height of

T

he Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON), organisers of the 7th Prince Dokun Abidoye U-16 Boys Soccer Tournament, has advised states intending to participate to seek sponsorship from their governments.

Patrick Okpavuerhe, secretary of the federation, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos that they needed sponsorship because YSFON would only provide accommodation for participants.

He said the competition would hold between Oct. 4 and Oct. 10 in Ire, Osun, the home town of the late Prince

make provision for feeding and transportation of their players and officials. “YSFON has made no provision for feeding and transportation, except for accommodation in schools’ hostels,” Okpavuerhe said.

He added that the competition would for the first time feature the maiden U-18 Girls Soccer tournament, which would hold simultaneously with the U-16 Boys tournament. The secretary said that each team should consist of three officials and 20 players under the age of 16 for boys and 18 for girls as at Oct. 31, 2012.

achievement.

In spite of the setback, Fuludu said that being sacked from the job is an everyday development in football.

“Our fans should not be quick to judge based on what they read on the pages of the newspapers, no coach wants to fail for any reason whatsoever. It does not boost your profile as a coach in any way, it’s so unfortunate,’’ he said.

1.75m, while the girls should weigh 65kg with a maximum height of 1.80 metres.

“Facial appearance shall be used to determine age when in doubt and it supersedes all other criteria,” he said The secretary, while urging the teams not to travel at night for their safety, added that they should arrive on Oct. 4, so that screening of players could hold on Oct. 5.

He urged states wishing to participate to confirm with YSFON’s national secretariat before departing from their bases.

have come to me.

“In some cases the socalled agents will take them to the airport and abandon the boys there. With those who are not fortunate enough, they manage to get them on the plane and as soon as they get to their destinations, they are engaged.

“And some of them are roaming the streets of Europe and other countries all over the world; it’s unfortunate and this is because these things are not being controlled; it’s unfortunate.’’

He, then, urged the authorities to do something urgent to arrest the already bad situation.

NFF schedules 2012 FIFA MA referees’ course for October

T

he 2012 edition of the FIFA Member Association (MA) Referee’s Course will hold from Oct. 1 to Oct.7 at the FIFA Goal Project, National Stadium, Abuja.

The Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) referees’ Committee, Barnabas Joro disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, in Abuja, in a telephone interview.

He said that the course would be broken into three parts.

“There will be a course for the Elite Referees, another one for the Referee Assessors and the Referee Fitness Instructors will also have theirs.

“We are expecting 30 participants for the elite referees’ course, 30 for the referees assessors course and 25 for the fitness instructors’ course,’’ Joro said.

The secretary said that the referee assessors’ course and that of the fitness instructors would hold between Oct. 1 and Oct. 2 while Oct. 3 to Oct. 7 would be for the Elite referees’ course.

It would be recalled that the 2011 edition of the course, which took place from Sept. 26 to Oct. 4, was broken into two parts, the Elite Referees and Referees Assessors.

There were 28 participants.

Aminu Maigari

LOSS OF DOCUMENT THIS IS TO NOTIFY THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF THE LOSS OF THE ORIGINAL RIGHT OF OCCUPANCY CERTIFICATE IN RESPECT OF PLOT NO. 1197 IN CADASTRAL ZONE C14, PYAKASA DISTRICT, BELONGING TO ALIYU SULEIMAN. ALL EFFORTS MADE TO TRACE THE MISSING DOCUMENT PROVED ABORTIVE. IF FOUND PLEASE CONTACT THE NEAREST POLICE STATION OR CALL THE FOLLOWING NUMBERS: 08056225875 OR 08066243314. GENERAL PUBLIC TO NOTE. SIGNED: RAZAK OMOKIDE

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

Esperance surge, Douala rule Cameroon

A

record-equaling run of 11 successive wins has c l i n c h e d the Cameroon league title for Union Douala, while Esperance are now positioned one point from the title in Tunisia, which

Esperance of Tunisia

clears the way for them to concentrate on defending their CAF Champions League title.

Union Douala have been crowned champions, reviving memories of a golden era of some three

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Eko 2012: Technical Director sure of improved performance by physically challenged

S

amuel Ekeoma, Technical Director of the Nigerian Paralympics Federation, says the 2012 National Sports Festival (NSF) will witness improved performance by physically challenged athletes.

Ekeoma told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, in Umuahia, that the exploits of the physically challenged athletes at the justconcluded London Paralympic Games was an eye-opener.

“The performance of the Paralympians at the London event and subsequent earthshaking reception by President Goodluck Jonathan has given the Paralympians greater focus,” he said.

Ekeoma, a power lifting Assistant Coach with the Abia State Sports Council, said that the state was preparing earnestly for the festival.

“Abia is the base of powerlifing, although we have not been finding it easy in recent times due to poor funding,” he said.

According to the technical director, the power lifting facilities in the state are obsolete.

“But in spite of this, we have been turning in good results.

“Three of the six gold medalists at the London Paralympic Games are from Abia and this underscores our place in

the games,” he added.

Ekeoma said that Abia

Yakubu Adesokan, a paralympic gold medalist at the 2012 London paralympi Games

would be the team to beat in power lifting at the festival, “because we have prepared well for the games’’.

NAN reports that preparations for the festival, slated to hold between Nov. 27 and Dec. 9, had been in top gear in the state, which over the weekend hosted the SouthEast zone 11 elimination of four ball games for the festival.

Abia and Imo, which make up the zone, competed in football, basketball, volleyball and handball in the male and

female categories.

Abia qualified in female basketball, male handball and male football, while their Imo counterparts

decades ago when the club were one of the strongest in Africa. A 4-1 win over New Stars put the club ten points clear with just two rounds left to play and marks their first title in since 1990 and their fifth overall. They also matched a record of 11 successive league wins set five years ago by Coton Sport, who are deposed as champions but look likely to finish second.

It took 40 minutes for Union to get into their stride but once Charles Edoa Nga qualified in female handball, male basketball, male and female volleyball and female football.

CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MORKA MARTHA, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MARTHA AFAMEFUNA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. ZAMFARA STATE POLICE COMMAND AND GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

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TOURCH OF UNITY AT VILLA

R

Association pledges provision of facilities for all sports in Kwara

T

L-R: Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo presenting the Tourch of Unity to Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola to flag off the forthcoming National Sports Festival during the ceremony held at the Photo: Joe Oroye.

State House Abuja yesterday.

Repton avenge Lagos Club at 3rd International Boxing tourney epton Boxing Club of London on Saturday in Lagos avenged its first leg defeat by beating its Lagos Club counterparts 4-1 in the return leg of the third International Bout.

Repton had earlier lost the first leg at 2-4 to Lagos Club in the bout held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, but won the return leg held at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos.

In the 81kg bout, Nigerian Umar Sadiq of Repton knocked-out Wasiu Balogun of Lagos in a fight that sealed the 4-1 return leg victory for Repton.

Balogun could not withstand Sadiq’s heavy jabs forcing the referee to stop the fight in the second round, the

scored, more goals followed soon thereafter.

Joel Babanda doubled the score in the 55th minute and got another in the 71st. An owngoal barely threatened to spoil the party before Angoh Mintya made up for his mistake with a goal at the other end eight minutes from time.

With a second Champions League berth available next year for a Cameroon side, focus now switches to the race for second-place. Coton Sport’s 1-0 win over Panthere du Nde puts them in the driving seat four points ahead with a game in hand.

African champions Esperance are poised to extend their record number of league titles to 24 after winning at the weekend while nearest rivals CA Bizertin lost. The two clubs were neck-and-neck for most of the season, but in the last week Esperance have gone five points clear with two rounds to play. They will likely take the trophy for a fourth successive year, and the 12th time in the last 15 years, when they meet Club Africain in their derby today.

last bout for the night.

Sadiq’s sterling performance moved the massive boxing fans at the Indoor Sports Hall and gave him a standing ovation.

In the 69kg bout, Ben Falaja also of Repton, outpunched his Lagos Club rival, Ganiu Hammed with his powerful punches coupled with constant jabbing and good foot walk.

Repton’s Karol Ozimkowski also in the 69kg defeated

Lagos Club’s Saheed Lawal, while O’Hara Davis of Repton in the 62kg also outpointed Lagos Club’s Sikiru Fatai to complete the four bouts victory.

Lagos Club, however, got a consolatory victory through Rilwan Oladosu, a gold medalist at the 2011 National Sports Festival in Port Harcourt who outclassed Repton’s Tommy Tear in the 64kg.

The sixth bout of the night failed to hold because Repton’s

Ryan Pickard, in the 73kg had sustained injuries from his fight with Shina John in the first leg of the bout.

Coach Gary McCarthy of Repton said after the bout that he was impressed with the 41 victory, noting that his boxers had proved their worth by avenging the first leg loss.

Coach Wasiu Bisiriyu of Lagos Club said that his boxers who lost to Repton were new and that he let them fight in

order to determine their strength and capability.

“Those boxers are new, we are trying to expose them to see what they can perform, so I am not so discouraged about the result,’’ Bisiriyu said.

Olawale Edun, the Chairman, Lagos State Boxing Hall of Fame (LSBHF), the facilitator of the international bout said that he was impressed with the success of the bout.

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he Kwara Sports for all Associations has pledged to ensure that requisite facilities are provided for all sporting events in the state.

The association’s Chairman, Afolabi Salami, made the pledge in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Ilorin.

He said that the twoweek-old association was determined to address the peculiar problems associated with each sport in the state in order to make them viable.

Salami said that the association had taken it upon itself to ensure that the required recreational facilities were provided, to encourage more Nigerians to engage in sports.

“Now, it is our own vision; our own dream to see most of these sports developing well with the actual facilities that are associated with them.

“It is our duty to draw more people into sports, not just for professionals, but to make people live longer; enjoy your life and enjoy your job within the sports,” he said.

Salami also said that the association would move round to seek sponsors to develop sports facilities in schools across the state.

He urged the public to look beyond sports as mere entertainment.

“Sports is for wealth; sports is for health; sports is for good living and now, sports is business,” Salami said.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 45

1

5

P I C T O R I A L

2

3

4

6

7

1/ Sergio Ramos is looking to move on from recent differences of opinion with Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho after returning to action on Monday night.

2/ Australian boxer Michael Katsidis admits he would be interested in fighting Ricky Hatton in Manchester in November.

3/ Unheralded Nigerian striker Peter Utaka has been in prolific form for Dalian Aerbin where he has established a new goalscoring record and, in the process, upstaged some of the Chinese Super League's headline-grabbing signings.

4/ Pakistan beat Bangladesh by eight wickets to qualify for the World Twenty20 Super Eights.

5/ European captain Jose Maria Olazabal offers his first pairings clues in Tuesday's opening practice rounds at Medinah.

6/ Manchester United have announced that captain Nemanja Vidic is set to spend the next two months on the sidelines after undergoing a meniscus operation on his right knee.

7/ Captain Ramius wins the Ayr Gold Cup as trainer Kevin Ryan triumphs for the second successive year.

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

. . . putting the people first

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

SPORTS LA TEST LATEST

Cole rejects one-year Chelsea contract

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The Ondo state governorship election (October 20) will be transparent. It shall be free and fair. The election shall be on the basis of one man one vote, one woman one vote, one youth one vote — VP Namadi Sambo on ffor or thcoming orthcoming Ondo g over nor ship election go ernor norship

The West and Islam: Paradoxes galore I

shley Cole has rejected a new one-year contract from Chelsea, ESPN can reveal, and could sign a precontract agreement with another club in January if no deal is reached.

Cole, 31, earns around £130,000-a-week at Stamford Bridge and his old Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, now at Real Madrid, is keeping a close eye on developments, while another old boss, Carlo Ancelotti, would willingly take him to PSG next summer, when the England left-back would be a free agent.

Blues manager Roberto Di Matteo stated on Sunday that he was "optimistic" that Cole's contract would be sorted out and that he will stay; however, the offer of a one-year deal has been firmly rejected, and it is the length of any new contract that is presently the sticking point.

"The club have a policy that anyone who is over 30 years of age is offered a short-term new contract," a source told ESPN. "Ashley is 31, but he is fit and still at the peak of his form, but so far all that has been offered is a one-year deal. Whether that included a pay rise is irrelevant as Ashley was hoping for more than one extra year.

"As it stands that leaves Ashley free to talk to clubs and to actually sign for a new club from January onwards, and that clearly is an option unless something changes from Chelsea's end. There are no further negotiations planned as far as can be seen, but that now depends on Chelsea.

"Clearly this policy resulted in Didier Drogba leaving the club in the summer and it could mean Ashley leaving."

Cole has made it clear publicly that he wants to see out his entire career with the Blues, and Di Matteo clearly believes that the player's desire to stay at the Bridge will swing the decision towards Chelsea.

But the ESPN source added: "These type of issues are not dealt with by the manager but by the club, and therefore it is not about whether the manger is optimistic or not. Everyone knows Ashley wants to stay, but as yet the club have offered a one-year deal and that was immediately turned down."

QUO TABLE Q UO TE UOT QUO UOTE

start with a caveat, which is that I detest the violence by the furious Muslim rioters in many parts of the world with an equal passion that I feel against the unacceptable film made to denigrate the religion of Islam by the combination of Islamophobic, hate-mongering Jews and Coptic Christians. The film is a product of a sick mind, created with the incendiary purpose of provoking Muslim into anger and violence.

The makers of the film know how strongly Muslims feel about these issues as well as the fact that some of them are likely to react violently. These riots and killings have proved them right!

The violence, especially in Egypt and Libya was not only self-defeating but also injurious to Islamic religion. As a consequence, the protesters have their legitimate views buried in gunshots and teargas, largely unheard by the reasonable opinion-forming publics around the globe.

The Americans and the Europeans push out the view that this garbage is protected by freedom of speech, a cherished virtue throughout the democratic world. But the word hypocrisy is too light to describe their double standard on this issue. In fairness, I would leave out the U.S which has entered a damage control mode, denouncing the clips and distancing itself from the video’s mischievous makers. They just spent about USD 70,000 advertising their country’s innocence on Pakistani English and Urdu TV. The British government which sees nothing wrong with these anti-Islam defamation of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W.) has in another breath surreptitiously been trying to impose a ban on the display of the topless pictures of the future Queen of England, Princess Kate Middleton, Prince Williams’ wife.

Since the pictures debuted online and a in few European magazines, the Royal family has been using every possible means in the court of law and the court of public opinion to block the pictures. The palace said they expected France to investigate and pursue criminal case against the photographer for breach of privacy and trespassing.

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MUSINGS By

Garba Shehu garshehu@yahoo.co.in

Christopher Stevens, late American Ambassador to Libya

In France itself where a satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo put naked Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W.) on the newsstands, the authorities meanwhile say they see nothing wrong with those cartoons, that they are in line with the freedom of expression.

In an apparent contradiction, Muslims who feel angered and wish to protest peacefully have been told that there is no such right. The country’s Interior Minister Manuel Valls said prefects throughout the country have been given orders to

prohibit any protest over the issue and to crackdown if the ban was challenged. “There will be strictly no exception,” he said, warning that “demonstrations will be banned and broken up.”

The Indian state which arrested a cartoonist in connection with a copy he drew that was critical of the ruling coalition government has told Muslims angry over these two incidents that demonstrations were unacceptable. Muslims are angry everywhere because they feel that people are riding roughshod over their sensibilities and not giving a damn about it.

Europeans in particular go on deriding this faith as if they have one peg above the rest of the world.

A secret agent of Belgian origin said a few years on the BBC that he killed the Congolese nationalist leader Patrice Lumumba “because he ridiculed my King.” There is a point of view that the real reason for America’s hurried war against Iraq was that Saddam Hussein made a doormat of George H. Bush’s (Bush senior) effigy.

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The death of the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, wouldn’t have occurred but for the latest inflammatory film against the dignity of Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W.). The film created the chain of events that gave radical Muslims the opportunity to hide behind the peaceful protests in Benghazi to kill the diplomat who was described as a friend of the Arabs

Visitors to the fallen dictator’s office marched their feet on the former President’s face.

In England, agents of the State carry on their business being on “Her Majesty’s Service.”

The British anthem’s "God Save the Queen” line is on the lips of children and adults alike. In Israel and all of Europe, the denial of the holocaust is a jailable offence just as is the tossing of the crucifix or denial of the holiness of the Pope a blasphemy in many Catholic nations. What is wrong with them that they can’t accord Islam and its symbols the same respect?

While no responsible Muslim would support the excesses of demonstrators against the derogatory film, the indifference of Western governments to Muslim legitimate complaints over this issue is incomprehensible. It is not enough to guarantee the Muslims in Western democracies the right to practice their religion while at the same time turning a blind eye when their faith and its symbols are deliberately attacked by deranged iconoclasts under the cover of the so-called freedom of expression. Race, religion, nationality and ethnicity are sensitive issues that every government should handle with caution. Muslims feel a sense of discrimination because of the curious indifference of Western government to their faith. This indifference carries the risk of radicalization of Islamic societies, which might weaken the efforts to contain terrorism. When the West looks the other way in the face of blasphemy against Prophet Mohammed, (S.A.W.) they run the risk of complicating their relations with Muslims, thereby, providing radical Islamists the opportunity to attack Western interests. When you ignore legitimate grudges in the name of democracy, there is the risk of creating complications which might not serve the best interest of the West.

The death of the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, wouldn’t have occurred but for the latest inflammatory film against the dignity of Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W.). The film created the chain of events that gave radical Muslims the opportunity to hide behind the peaceful protests in Benghazi to kill the diplomat who was described as a friend of the Arabs. Stevens was not the culprit in this provocation but became a victim of another mad man’s mischievous creation to deliberately disturb the peace.

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