Peoples Daily Newspaper, Thursday 27, June, 2013

www.peoplesdailyng.com

Vol. 11 No. 29

Thursday, June 27, 2013

. . . putting the people first

Gunmen attack police e station, kill Inspectorr in Gombe >>5

Sha’aban 19, 1434 AH

N150

Insecurity: Senate urges FG to recruit more soldiers >>3

Boko Haram detainees confess . . .

We were brainwashed

Members embrace amnesty Insurgents under hard drugs — Shettima From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

W

hat seems like a respite in the protracted Boko Haram insurgency came yesterday when some detained members of the dreaded sect confessed that they were conscripted after they were brainwashed.

The confession came during a visit of the presidential committee on dialogue and peaceful resolution of security challenges in the North to a detention camp in Maiduguri.

“Most of us were brainwashed and recruited into the sect and given dastardly acts to do without our full understanding of what we were doing,” a Bokko Haram

commander told the committee.

In a separate development, the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima yesterday said recent discovery has shown that the Boko Haram members act under the influence of hard drugs and called for concerted efforts to cut off the supply.

Governor Shettima said this while inaugurating members of the state Anti Drugs Control Committee set up to compliment the efforts of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in wiping out drug abuse across the state.

During the visit by the presidential committee members, Contd. on Page 2

Borno state Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, inspecting a locally made seeds preserver machine manufactured by Borno state Agricultural Development in collaboration with Ramat Polytechnic, yesterday in Maiduguri.

Amaechi adjourns NGF meeting to honour Jonathan

Says Jang’s supporters undemocratic We all elected Amaechi — Aliyu

By Lawrence Olaoye & By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

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hairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Rivers state Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday adjourned the meeting of the body to honour a dinner organized by President Goodluck Jonathan which coincided with the scheduled meeting.

The NGF resolved to suspend the meeting after 15 governors had arrived, to show respect for Jonathan after it had been variously speculated that the governors had cancelled the maiden meeting.

Contd. on Page 2

R-L: Nasarawa state Governor, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, presenting terms of reference to Chairman, Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Killing of Security Personnel in Alakyo, Justice Joseph Fola Gbadeyan, yesterday at the Government House, Lafia.

Alakio: Al-Makura inaugurates judicial commission of inquiry >>5

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

News CONTENTS News

2-10

Editorial

12

Op.Ed

13

Letters

14

Opinion

15

Metro

16-18

Business

19-22

Stockwatch

23

S/Report

24-25

Earth

26-27

News Analysis 28 Update

29

Boko Haram detainees confess: We were brainwashed Contd. from Front Page over 50 detained Boko Haram members expressed their position saying they will assist authorities to end the crisis if they are given a second chance.

One of the detainees, Adam Konto who introduced himself as the Amir (commander) to the chairman of the presidential committee, Kabir Taminu Turaki, said he was speaking on behalf of the other detained members, adding that they have made up their mind not to pick up arms against the nation or anybody anymore.

Konto said: “We pledge to assist the authorities if given a second chance while admitting to our crimes.”

Another detainee who identified himself as Babagana Saje also expressed his readiness to denounce the sect. He said the police should be praised for keeping them alive.

He said: “The police have been treating us fine. We have been allowed to take our bath and have been well fed.”

Turaki promised the detainees that their cases would be looked into, insisting that “if you are sincere with this information we have gathered, we will bring you into the proposed amnesty agenda.

On the part of Shettima, he said recent findings have shown that the insurgents stockpile hard drugs in their camps and take large dose of it whenever they are going to war.

He said the state, aside being exposed to arms is equally grappling with drug trafficking as a result of porous borders with three neighbouring countries.

He added that drug abuse is worse than cancer and HIV/AIDS, as such it needed to be controlled.

The governor noted that people under the influence of drugs could commit heinous crimes such as rape, murder, robbery and sometimes even commit suicide, because the drugs controls them, adding that drugs are like forbidden fruits once tested is difficult to quit.

He stated that Nigeria has become a transit for drug traffickers and Borno bordering three countries of Chad , Niger Republic and Cameroon is considered as gateway for drug trafficking to other African countries and Europe .

Responding, the chairman of the committee who is also the state commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan thanked the governor for finding them worthy

of the appointment and assured him that they will justify the confidence reposed on them.

Speaking earlier at the occasion which coincided with this year’s International Day Against Illicit Drug Trafficking, the Borno state Commander of NDLEA, Barrister Ona Ogilegwu said from January to June 2013 the agency has arrested 45 dealers, peddlers and seized 561,291 Kg of hard drugs. 11 people were convicted and sentenced to various jail terms while others are still awaiting trial at the Federal High Court Maiduguri, he said.

Shettima urges fleeing Borno elders to return Meanwhile, Shettima yesterday called on Borno elders who fled to the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Abuja with their families for fear of Boko Haram insurgents to return to Borno and help government in resolving the security challenges that put the state on world map as one of the violent areas on earth.

Governor Shettima made the call while receiving relief materials donated by the Borno Elders for the victims of Boko Haram insurgency.

He said as statesmen, elders have the obligation to return home and join hands with government in

order to find lasting solutions to the security crisis.

Insurgent admits killing 23 persons in two days In a separate development, a suspected member of the Boko Haram sect, arrested on Tuesday at the Ngomari Ward made a shocking revelation when he confessed killing 23 people in two days ,including slaughtering a village head and police officers in the area.

The suspect whose identity could not be ascertained at press time was said to have relocated about a year ago and rented a room apartment in one of the multitenanted houses where he lived as one of the innocent Borno citizens who had fled from troubled areas.

A resident of the area who declined identification told newsmen that,the sect member was arrested wearing a jeans trouser and vest at the borehole when he went to fetch water.

According to him, the sect member who was arrested by ‘Civilian JTF’ was a resident of Gwange and his arrest was made possible when the vigilante youths went looking for him and arrested his junior brother who took them to Ngomari where his brother the sect member was living.

Amaechi suspends NGF meeting to honour Jonathan Electricity: One, too many problems, Page 4

Feature Int’l

30 31-34

Strange World 35 Digest Politics Newsxtra Sports Columnist

36 37-38 40 41-46 48

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Contd. from Front Page Yesterday’s meeting was the first to be convened by Amaechi since his re-election as Chairman of the forum of 36 states governors.

Checks however showed that some of the governors in the Amaechi camp insisted that the meeting must hold in order not to give the impression to the Jonah Jang-led faction that the Amaechi group has no followers.

Five other PDP governors also honoured his invitation for the meeting.

These included the Chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) and Niger state Governor, Babangida Aliyu, his Jigawa and Kano states counterparts, Sule Lamido and Rabiu Kwankwaso and governors Murtala Nyako and Dr. Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of Adamawa and Sokoto states.

The others in attendance were governors of Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Zamfara, Edo, Nasarawa and Imo states.

The governors of Osun and Borno were represented by their deputies.

The meeting lasted for about 45 minutes before the governors rose to proceed to the Presidential Villa for the dinner the appointment with Jonathan.

Amaechi told journalists that the meeting was cut short in order to meet up with dinner appointment.

“There was no meeting, we decided to deffer to the President.

We agreed that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and as compatriots and as governors of different states, we must honour and respect the president and having invited us to a dinner, we decided to go for the dinner.”

On when the meeting would be re-convened, Amaechi said, “the next meeting will be at the next National Economic Council, NEC

meeting.”

Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi however gave indication that they might still reconvene yesterday night.

According to him, “we are going to the Villa to honour Mr. President invitation to a dinner.

“If the dinner ends in good time, we will be back for our meeting but if it stretches much longer than we anticipate, we will sit with the President.”

Aliyu confirms Amaechi authentic NGF Chairman But speaking earlier in the day in Minna, Aliyu, affirmed the authenticity of Amaechi’s chairmanship of the Nigerian NGF insisting that, “we all elected Amaechi.”

Breaking his silence since the controversy over the NGF imbroglio, Aliyu said that the governors should put sentiments aside and recognize Amaechi as the duly elected Chairman of the forum arguing that they were united in their resolve to put him in that position.

Aliyu spoke at the turbaning ceremony of the Niger state Deputy Governor, Ahmed Ibeto, as Wali Raya Kasar Nupe and the state’s PDP Chairman, Abduraman Enagi, as Sardauna Ayuka Nupe, by the Estu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, as part of activities to mark the Nupe Day celebrations.

Recalling activities before the NGF election, Aliyu noted that, “Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau state emerged as a candidate from the north after the (NSGF) discovered that there was an issue between Bauchi state, Governor Isa Yuguda, and the Kastina state Governor, Ibrahim Shema.

“The NSGF waded in and we agreed that Jonah Jang should contest and let the two people drop their ambition.

“Even at that, I told them that we must go and insist on consensus but when election takes place, the conscious of the people should prevail.

“Thirty-five governors voted, 19 for the other and sixteen for a particular candidate.

“Those who go around destroying reputation should just bury the hatchet because we cannot go to 2015 with faction and disunited.

“There will be no progress, we must unit and come as a group and we must articulate our position as a state, region and as a people.

“Whoever offers us the best, we will go with him, which is politics of democracy, recognizing the equality of other people.

“In democracy, superior argument and people wish must prevail while a room must be given for negotiation and dialogue.”

“Jang’s supporters undemocratic” Speaking at a different forum yesterday, Amaechi also gave an account of what transpired at the NGF election.

According to him, “all the governors, including the Plateau state Governor, Jonah Jang, participated in the election that gave me victory as the Chairman of the governors’ forum.

Amaechi spoke in Abuja at a symposium on the review of the 1999 Constitution and its impact on judicial reforms, organized by the Rule of Law Foundation.

He described as undemocratic, the governors supporting Jang’s claim to being the NGF Chairman.

Amaechi said all the governors who attended the meeting where he was elected as Chairman of NGF agreed to participate in the election.

According to him, “I want to say it and I want to be put on record

that, anyone who supports the Jang’s faction is undemocratic.

“We chose who should be the returning officer and we appointed our Director General to be the returning officer for the election and we voted. Everybody voted including Jang.

“In fact, Jang was among the first persons to vote and when I won, they were there.

“We were to commence voting for the chairmanship when my brother and colleague from Akwa Ibom got up and said there was a document, I had where 19 governors had signed for us. “And, Jang said northern governors’ forum supported him but the same northern governors voted and they should have therefore voted for him.

“He said PDP governors supported him at a meeting before the election and that they should have voted for him.

“What Jang is leading is another faction of PDP governors forum and not the NGF because there are no two governors forum.

“Therefore, anyone, NBA or government that supports Jang’s faction is undemocratic.

“My Lords be prepared because we shall soon be coming to your court.

“We must defend democracy, we must defend Nigeria because we do not have any other country.

“We have started again with tyranny and oppression. We must be prepared as a people to defend our rights.

“We must be prepared as a people to hold government accountable.

“We must be prepared to demand for accountability and resist a situation where public officers, without statutory authority, would call the Inspector-General of Police to change Commissioner of Police, we must resist it.”

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 3

News Senate confirms Kekere-Ekun Supreme Court Judge, Akinkuotu D-G, NCAA

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

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L-R: Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of Sokoto, and Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, during the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) led by Governor Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: NAN

Boko Haram: Senate wants more soldiers recruited Says Borno spends N300m monthly on JTF

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

S

enate has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to direct the Nigerian security agencies to urgently recruit more soldiers and officers to increase the size of the forces, saying the insurgents have overstretched the security services, especially the Army.

It arrived at this resolution after considering the report of the senate joint committee on Defence and Army, Police Affairs and National Security and Intelligence which probed the masaccar of lives and property in Baga town recently.

However, the Senate commended the efforts of the security agencies in the fight against Boko Haram, urging them to abide by the provisions of the Geneva Convention, Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement so as to minimise the level of casualties.

In addition, it directed Borno state and federal governments to immediately re-establish all Federal Government institutions, including schools, health centres, the police stations, immigrations office and other government institutions in the state which were shutdown since the insurgency started in 2009.

Meanwhile, the committee disclosed to the lawmakers that Borno state government spends N300 million monthly to finance the Joint Task Force (JTF), Speaking on the issue, Senate President, David Mark, called on the federal government to move in massively with relief materials in those areas where normalcy has returned, adding that this is the only way to gain the sympathy and corporation of the residents.

He however regretted that the casualty figure was exaggerated, saying it has negative impacts on the image of the country. He also

said the immediate solution to the problem is to ensure strict border control and creation of jobs.

He also observed that whenever there is crisis involving deaths, there is bound to be government side and community side, especially when there is expectation of compensation, suggesting that the community might have increased the figure deliberately.

Meanwhile, during deliberation, senators Kabiru Gaya, said the funds which the Federal Government spends to finance the JTF could have been used to implement development projects in the state.

he Senate on yesterday confirmed the nominations of Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as a Supreme Court Judge and Capt.

Fola Akinkuotu as Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

The nominations were confirmed based on recommendations of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and the Committee on Aviation which screened the nominees separately.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Umaru Dahiri, said the committee examined Kekere-Ekun’s curriculum vitae and found her capable and qualified to be appointed.

He said, ``she is an erudite judge whose contributions to the law are immeasurable. We find her competent for the appointment.”

Contributing, Senator Ita Enang said she was nominated based on merit and not on gender.

Enang, however, stressed the need to increase the number of Supreme Court judges to ensure equitable representation of justices in the Supreme Court across the geo-political zones of the country.

The Chairman, Committee on Aviation Senator Hope Uzodinma, also told the Senate that his committee found Akinkuotu competent to be appointed as the NCAA Director-General.

Senate President David Mark congratulated both appointees and urged them to bring their wealth of experience to bear on their new positions.

The Senate also held a valedictory session in honour of late Senator Albert Legogie, a former Deputy Senate President who died on June 19.

Report claims Suntai spoke with President, VP G overnor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba state on Tuesday reportedly spoke with President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo just as he received his colleague, Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue state, in New York.

The North America correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports Suntai was beaming with smiles and excitement in New York, as he spoke with the top Nigerian leaders and interacted with Suswam.

Suntai is at the Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Centre and Home, where he is recuperating from the injury he suffered after his aircraft crash in Adamawa state while attempting to land in October in 2012.

NAN also reports that Suntai who was described by his colleague as gaining more weight, on sighting his guest and wife Yemisi Suswam, immediately stood up for a quick hand shake and exchange of pleasantries.

Within the period he was with his visitors, the Governor also had telephone conversations with President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo who called in. ``When he saw me, he greeted me, he smiled, you know, we have a name we call ourselves, I call him, Malam Suntai, he calls me Alhaji Suswam, when I called him Malam Suntan he burst into laughter. ``He was quite excited seeing me because the last time I saw him,

was when he was in Germany at that point he was still in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) that was some few months back and here now. ``We shook hands, he stood up, we cracked jokes, we discussed generally, like I said, I made a phone call to the vice president who spoke with him. ``I was quite excited that I met him in very good condition.

We held discussions about the country, about his health and my interactions with him shows he has recovered substantially and we are just waiting for him to actually get back to Nigeria and resume work. ``For someone whose condition was quite critical from a plane crash, it is a miracle, because people hardly survive plane crashes.

``That he survived and that he had recovered thus far is the mercy of God. I think he is taking it easy too and thanking God for what God has done to him. ``But generally he was eager to know how the country is and I just briefed him on politics and development in the country generally. ``I called the vice president and he spoke with him as well and I strongly believed that once the doctors give a go ahead he will come back home, because he is strong and doing somethings by himself,’’ the Benue state governor told NAN after their conversations.

He added that Suntai had actually been communicating with people of Taraba state, particularly with the acting governor.

``I learnt that the acting governor had also visited him, so he is to some large extent in touch with happenings back home. So in seeing me he wanted to know about other colleagues and how they are doing and I explained things to him,’’ ``To me as a lay-man I will say he is fully recovered because somebody who can discuss and walk around, do things by himself, for me given the situation that I saw him initially I will say he has fully recovered but you know doctors wants to be more careful. He is ready to go,’’ Suswam stressed..

He stated that the Taraba governor was anxious to return to the country after staying this long, but that his doctors are being very careful. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

The Page 4 Report Electricity: One, too many problems

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he Ministry of Power has recently been the focus of both the Federal Government and the generality of Nigerians. Perhaps it is so because of its critical position to the economic growth and the overall development of the country.

The task of ensuring a reliable, efficient and uninterrupted power supply to Nigerians is one that has been on for a very long time now. The claim is that despite the numerous challenges in the sector, power generation has doubled under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, and will double again within one year, while transmission is expected to increase by at least 50 percent within the same period.

Obviously, for those who had experienced the dark period of this country in terms of poor electricity supply and the ingloriousness that went with it, nothing could be more joyfulor celebrated like the present dispensation where electricity (light) is seen or used for four to five hours uninterrupted.

However, now that things are beginning to take proper shape, another problem has reared its head, and that is the issue of vandalism that is posing a threat that if not checked could hinder the effort so far made by government in the areas of generation, distribution and transmission of power in the country.

On Monday, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) raised an alarm that the massive load shedding being experienced currently nationwide, was caused by vandalism of two major gas pipelines supplying gas to eight power generation stations in the country, resulting in drastic reduction of power supply by 1,598 megawatts.

The stations were Egbin/AES Thermal Stations, Olorunsogo, Omotoso, Geregu NIPP, Afam IV and VI Thermal Power Stations as well as River State Independent Power Station.

TCN in statement said that one of the vandalised gas pipelines takes supply from the Okoloma gas plant while the other takes from Escravos. With the disruption of gas supply through the lines, the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) is unable to move gas to Afam IV, Afam VI as well as the Independent Power Plant (IPPs) in Rivers State, resulting in generation loss of 593MW. Also, the second vandalised gas pipeline from Escravos to Warri , caused a cutback of 1,005MW in power generation from Egbin / AES power generating station, Olorunsogo, Omotosho and Geregu NIPP power generating plants.

According to the statement, with the total generation loss of 1,598MW, the total power generation as at that day was

With the chest-thumping by the Federal Government on its positive achievements in the delivery of power to Nigerians, Etuka Sunday, in this report, assesses the reality on ground.

Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo 2,290MW. With this low level generation the company said, the operation and control of the system is a major challenge.

TCN said due to the critical importance of these pipelines to power generation, Nigeria Gas Company was said to be seriously working to isolate the vandalised portions of the pipelines, in order to effect

repairs, with the hope that gas supply can be restored to the affected power generating stations soonest. The company expressed its deep regret for the inconveniences the load shedding is causing Nigerians nationwide.

In a swift reaction and as expected too, the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo

“

assured that power supply would be restored to the places affected by the drop in generation arising from the vandalism, adding that all necessary expertise has been mobilized to restore supply to affected parts of the country.

According to him, the Nigerian Gas Company has begun the process of restoring gas pressure to the two gas pipelines; they are the Eastern pipeline affecting Okoloma Gas Plant, and the 56 kilometre Escravos-to-Warri pipeline.

Nebo condemned the unpatriotic acts of the vandals and assured Nigerians that the Ministry of Power was already collaborating with security agents to provide more protection for power infrastructure across the country.

He further appealed for the understanding of the people whose homes and businesses are affected by the current shortage in supply, adding that everything possible is being done to rectify the situation speedily.

It will be recalled that, as part of the measures to curb the insistent system collapses in the country, the Power Minister inaugurated a technical committee to look into it, with the view to diagnosing and suggesting a solution.

The panel, which was given two weeks to complete its assignments was also given the mandate to determine the immediate and remote causes of the system collapse, review all the system collapses that had occurred from January to date, review the performance and effectiveness of the grid’s protection system in the period under review and recommend measures to further strengthen the protection mechanism.

Speaking while inaugurating the Panel in Abuja, the Minister said “the high rate of system collapses in recent time, which

However, now that things are beginning to take proper shape, another problem has reared its head, and that is the issue of vandalism that is posing as a threat that if not checked could hinder the effort so far made by government in the areas of generation, distribution and transmission of power in the country.

has occured more than 15 times in the last five months called for a critical look. The technical investigative panel was therefore constituted to investigate the causes of these collapses and proffer solutions aimed at forestalling future occurrences.”

Nebo appreciated the chairman of the Panel, who was called out from retirement and other members who were chosen based on their competences and experiences, saying, “I urge you to carry out your assignment without fear or favour so as to get to the root of the system collapses and ensure both qualitative and quantitative supply of electricity to Nigerians.”

According to him, “this Panel is not going to be like most others, but must work round the clock and provide answers and solutions within two weeks. No excuses will be tolerated please,” he cautioned.

Responding on behalf of other members, the Chairman of the Panel, Engr. Fatai Olapade disclosed that the problem was both human and natural especially rain storms, and therefore pledged the Panel’s commitment towards ensuring that permanent solutions are proffered.

As a follow up, the committee submitted its report on Monday as mandated by the Minister. Receiving the report from the Chairman of the Committee, the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo praised the level of professionalism exhibited by the committee to have submitted the report by the stipulated time frame of two weeks, saying that its recommendations would be fully implemented.

The Minister however expressed dissatisfaction over the destructive activities of vandals which led to the massive drop of power by 1,598MW, causing loadshedding across the country, and therefore appealed for its stop saying it is inimical to the development of the nation.

Engr. Fatai Olapade has said all the recommendations would be made public in a later date, adding that some of the problems are not government related. He gave the example of “Transmission Company of Nigeria”, that for the past seventeen years it has not been employing people, most of the operators are old, some of them are inexperienced and therefore should be trained, as part of capacity building”.

Vandalism of power infrastructure is inimical to the anticipated development in the power sector. Therefore the members of the public are encouraged to always monitor and protect these facilities, to avoid going back to the dark days.

PEOPLES DAILY,THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 5

News

Oronsaye Report: FG considers commercializing river basins

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he Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday concluded deliberations on the review of the report of the Presidential Committee on the Restructuring and Rationalisation of Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies.

Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, made the statement while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the FEC meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Maku said that details of the FEC decisions of a draft white paper on

the Oronsaye report would be made public after the Council Secretariat had” cleaned it up’’.

The minister, however, hinted that river basin Authorities across the country might be commercialised while research institutes under the ministry of Science and Technology would be re-aligned.

“From what the council had done, it is very clear that major decisions will be taken in many of the key sectors to reduce the numbers of agencies, particularly those that are performing duplicating duties and whose functions overlap.

Maku also said that river basins spread across the country would be commercialised to drive mechanised agriculture that was private sector driven.

“We are of the opinion that river basins across the country have been there, some, since 1970s.

“If we look at the collective results of their work, we find out that there is a need, if we are to use those river basins to produce food for this country, to align our water policies.

“This means that there will be room in the future for greater

participation of the private sector in the utilisation of the various river basins to drive mechanised agriculture.

“So, we took a decision that we need to take a look again at how the river basins are being run to ensure there is private sector participation,’’ he said.

Maku said the council set up a committee to look at the details of the report particularly those that had to do with research agencies and river basins.

He said the committee, chaired by the Minister of National Planning,

Dr Samshudeen Usman, would also consider the position of National Theatre in Lagos which had been slated for privatisation.

The minister said that the Usman committee would review the growing criticism against the proposed privatisation of the national theatre. (NAN)

Alakio killings: Al-makura inaugurates judicial commission From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

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L-R: Company Secretary, Unity Bank Plc, Aisha Azumi Abraham, Chairman, Nu’uman Barau Danbatta, Managing Director, Ado Yakubu Wanka, and Executive Director, Ahmed Yusuf, during the 7th Annual General Meeting of the bank, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Kano arms cache: FG arraigns Lebanese suspects on terrorism charges

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

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hree Nigerian-Lebanese men arrested for their alleged involvement in the importation of firearms and ammunition for terrorist activities in the country were yesterday arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Mustapha Fawaz, Abdallah Tahini and Talal Ahmad Roda, owners of Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland Amusement Park in Abuja, were arraigned on six-count, bordering on terrorism related acts.

The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them by the federal government.

The trio were earlier arraigned before a magistrates’ court sitting in Karu, Abuja, but the State Security Service (SSS) withdrew the charges on the ground that the magistrates’ court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

The federal government, in the fresh charges them of belonging to the military wing of the Hezbollah and are alleged to have received training in preparation for engaging in terrorist acts in the country.

They are equally alleged to have facilitated the acquisition of terrorist funds and withheld the information from security agencies, which would have aided

the apprehension of another person involved in terrorist activities.

Each count attracts a maximum of 10 years imprisonment.

Their counsel, Ahmed Raji (SAN), asked that his clients be remanded in the custody of the SSS on the basis that the prison has inadequate facility to accommodate them, a position the prosecution supported.

A letter earlier written by the Comptroller of Prisons in respect of another case of terrorism, said that the Prison has no facility to keep such high profile terrorist suspects.

Meanwhile, the accused persons have filed an application

challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter.

They are also asking that they be granted bail and their businesses be reopened.

Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Simon Egede, asked for time to enable prosecution respond to the application.

The trial Judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola adjourned till July 8, 2013 to hear the application for the bail of the accused persons and ordered both counsel to file and exchange processes before then.

The court also ordered that the accused persons be remanded in the custody of SSS until the next adjourned date.

Gunmen kill Inspector in Gombe police station attack From David Hassan, Gombe

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nknown gunmen reportedly killed a police Inspector at Kumo police station in Akko local government area of Gombe state.

The incident happened on Tuesday night when the gunmen attacked the police station near

local government secretariat.

An eye witness told our correspondent that the gunmen stormed the area at about 11pm and started shooting sporadically and throwing suspected improvised devises.

He said that the gunmen also attacked three other locations in

the town including the JTF camp.

According to him, the hoodlums reportedly shot dead a police Inspector before fleeing the area.

Our correspondent who visited the scene of the attack reports that cans of juice were seen at the premises of the police station used

as bomb device by the attackers.

Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officers at the Gombe state Police Command, DSP Fwaje Atajiri, however said that there was no loss of lives.

He said that the police had launched a manhunt for the attackers.

overnor Umaru Tanko Almakura of Nasarawa state has inaugurated a judicial commission of inquiry into the killings of security operatives at Alakio.

He explained that had become necessary to constitute the judicial commission following recommendations by various stakeholders and the need to investigate the issues at stake and to make appropriate recommendations for implementation.

Inaugurating the committee yesterday at the Government House, Al-makura pointed out that his administration has implemented the administrative aspect of the white paper on the Assakio crisis but however said it remain for the legal and security processes to be handled by relevant agencies.

He stressed that government is not aloof in the implementation of such reports but only adhering to due diligence in consonance with the constitutional requirements.

While observing that as a responsible government, the CPC administration will not fold its arms and watch the state degenerate into anarchy.

He noted that series of skirmishes in parts of the state culminated in the killing of over 100 security operatives in Alakio.

According to him, “it is for this reason that eminent jurists and time-tested security and public administrators, among others”, were selected to serve on the commission.”

The panel which has six weeks within which to submit its report is to be guided by a terms of reference which include, to inquire into the immediate causes of the killings of over 100 security personnel in Alakio and the extent of the involvement of the outlawed Ombatse militia group.

It is also to inquire into how and why, despite its proscription last year, the Ombatse militia continues with its activities unabated and continues to cause a breach of the peace in the state; as well as to inquire into how and where the militia group was formed, its founders, promoters, sponsors, financiers, members, and examine their roles in the killings of the said security operatives.

Chairman of the commission, Justice Joseph Fola Gbadeyan, said that members would be guided by its terms of reference and would be fair and just to all parties concerned.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 6

News

Ramadan fast: JNI warns scholars against unguarded preaching From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

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s Muslims prepare for forthcoming Ramadan Fast, Jama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI) under the leadership of Sultan of Sokoto, Mohammad Sa’ad Abubakar III has tasked islamic scholars to be wary of unguarded utterances while conducting this year’s annual tafsir lectures.

According to him, in view of the dire need for Nigerian Muslim scholars to unite and foster peace, unity and security in the Nigerian federation, the Sultanate Council, Sokoto and Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) have concluded plans to host a National Conference on the Roles of Muslim Scholars in Fostering Unity, Peace, and Security in Nigeria.

In a statement signed

by JNI Secretary General, Shaikh Khalid Abubakar Aliyu said JNI Annual PreRamadan meeting with a book presentation on Ramadan fast by Dr. Aminu Ladan Sharehu, the Mutawallan Zazzau, will be launched at the JNI Conference Hall, Kawo, Kaduna on Sunday June 30, 2013.

He said the Conference is aimed at eliciting intellectual discourse on the need for peaceful co-existence and harmonious working relationship between Muslim scholars irrespective of sectarian inclination, in line with what is enshrined in the Glorious Qur’an and the prophetic declarations of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

According to the statement, “JNI Annual Pre-Ramadan meeting is to remind scholars, particularly those engaged in the annual Ramadan Tafsir (Qur’an Exegesis) of the JNI Tafsir guidelines and to make the scholars bear in mind that Tafsir is a trust, of which all concerned will be held accountable before Allah (SWT). “ Ramadan is fast approaching. It is imperative to all Mufassirun (those engaged in Qur’an Exegesis) to be wary of unguarded utterances at this critical period. The program shall be chaired by His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji (Dr.) Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, The Governors of Kaduna and Zamfara States are expected to be the Special Guests.

New Chief of Staff to Kebbi State Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Lamba (left), taking his oath of office before Commissioner for Justice, Alhaji Boyi Dikko(right), yesterday in Birnin Kebbi. With them is Kebbi State Governor, Alhaji Saidu Dakingari (middle). Photo: NAN

FG expresses delight over work progress at Ajaokuta steel

By Halima Mohammed

T

he Federal Government, through the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc. Musa Mohammed Sada, yesterday expressed happiness at the progress made on plans to activate the thermal power plant and the light section mill of Ajaokuta steel company limited.

Visiting the minister yesterday, the Managing Director of Reprom Company Limited, Mr. Attah

Achimugu said the essence of their visit was to brief the honorable minister “on the progress of the billet conversion program for operationalizing the thermal power plant and the light section mill of Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited”.

The minister stated that it was a thing of joy to hear from the investor that work had reached advanced stage, and he thanked the investors for their interest in the project and reiterated that

they should keep the spirit of the agreement alive to produce steel at the steel company very soon.

He advised the company to fast track the implementation and completion of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the steel plant in good time and the need to keep Nigerians abreast of the company’s progress from time to time.

Reprom had signed an MOU with Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited in March 2013 for billet conversion

project to operationalize the thermal power plant and the light section mill of the steel company.

ThemanagingdirectorofReprom, Mr.Attah Achimugu, disclosed that 55 technical experts will arrive Nigeria from Belarus, UkraineandtheRussian Federation next week to commence repair works on some of the plants and explained that they sought for the technical support of the people who initiallydesignedtheconstituentplants and assembled them.

Female teachers protest non-payment of salaries From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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emale Primary and Junior Secondary School teachers yesterdayinBauchidefiedallodds to stage a demonstration over the nonpayment of six months salaries owed them by the Bauchi State Government.

The protesting teachers said that so far 17 of them had died in the course of the crisis, mostly through high blood pressure (BP) as a result of the sack while many others suffering from

similarailmentsarenowattheirhomes seeking treatment without money to do so.

The School teachers in the state were early this year thrown into the problem of non-payment of their salaries when the Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) under which they operate claimed that over 5,000 of them lack the basic requisite qualification to teach.

The board in what was termed as a cleansing exercise to determine

the qualification or otherwise of each and every teacher in conformity with the required teaching standard of National Certificate of Education (NCE) embarked on test screening of the teachers across the state.

The teachers under the auspices of their union, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) decided not to partake in the exercise as, according to the union, the board’s action was geared not only to discredit but also victimize its members, a sort of witch-hunt, it

Rights group condemns ban on civil servants from holding traditional titles

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civil rights group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has urged the Federal Government to withdraw the ban it placed on civil servants from holding or accepting traditional chieftaincy titles.

This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by Mr Emmanuel Onwubiko, the National Coordinator, HURIWA. Onwubiko said that the ban curtailed the constitutionally guaranteed rights of civil servants to freedom of association and also breached the country’s desire to

advance its cultural practices.

He added that the ban also breached the salient provision of the constitution that urged the government to make policies to protect, preserve and promote Nigerian cultures.

The coordinator said that the ban violated the law against discrimination since the same government runs and sponsors religious activities. ``Such activities include embarking on pilgrimages to foreign jurisdictions that are alien to our indigenous culture and tradition. ``Why is the Head of service

himself attaching a religious title of ‘Alhaji’ to his name and several other top bureaucrats in government holding religious titles of knighthood? he queried.

The rights group also faulted the second aspect of the directive which urged civil servants to seek the permission of government before accepting hereditary traditional titles. ``That amounts to unmitigated executive interference of the constitutionally protected fundamental religious and cultural rights of Nigerians,’’ Onwubiko said.

(NAN)

argued.

This led to the union embarking on strike when the Board, in collaboration with the national officers of the union succeeded in dividing the union members at state level.

Subsequently, the state chairman of the union was removed and soon after, over 5,000 teachers were laid off from service.

Last week, the female teachers staged a protest to the State House of Assembly and the legislators later gave the state government a two-week ultimatum to pay the teachers the backlog of salary arrears owed them.

The state government refused to heed till the ultimatum expired.

However, the State Governor, Alhaji Isa Yuguda, yesterday at the 2013 Civil Service Day celebration in the state said about 2,400 of the 5,300 teachers purportedly laid off have been screened and re-ngaged into the service while the second batch of the exercise is about to start.

He said that most of the affected teachers who were believed to have spent between 20 – 30 years in the service have either fake certificates or did not even attended schools at all, hence the screening and re-screening to determine their qualification or otherwise.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

Rainstorm: Reps urge NEMA to provide relief materials to Kano victims

By Umar Muhammad Puma

C

oncerned by the level of damage and the number of families affected by the rainstorm that rendered many people homeless in Dala Local Government of Kano State on June 5, the House of Representatives has called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to deploy relief materials to the area.

In a motion under matters of urgent national importance, Aliyu Sani Madaki said over 40 houses were completely destroyed by the rainstorm and 100 roofs were blown off.

According to him, “the devastating rainstorm had in the early hours hit some parts of his constituency of Dala, destroying houses and other property,” Although no lives were lost, the lawmaker however noted that the rainstorm left the victims in great trauma.

PAGE 7

News

Obama Africa visit: Groups want US to tackle human rights violations

By Agaju Madugba

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s President Barack Obama of the United States of America (USA) commences his visit to parts of Africa, a coalition of various civil society organizations has urged him to use the opportunity to demand urgent action to tackle the widespread, and systemic, violations of human rights that take place across the continent due to harmful practices connected to the belief in ‘witchcraft.’

According to the groups, such beliefs are strongly held by many in the countries that Obama will visit - Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania, noting that such beliefs often lead to some of the most

horrific human rights abuses imaginable.

Some member-groups of the coalition include, All Party Parliamentary Group on Street Children American, Humanist Association Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales, Basic Rights Counsel, Bethany Children’s Trust, Centre for Human Rights and Development, Churches Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS), Consortium for Street Children, Greenwich Inclusion Project, Humane Africa International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), The Pagan Federation and Stepping Stones Nigeria, among others.

According to the groups, “vulnerable individuals and groups in

society are most at risk, including older women, street children and people with disabilities.

“Of many examples that have been catalogued, in April 2013 the body of the 14 year old boy, Nkhumeleni Mukhado, was discovered in a village in South Africa.

“His skull and genitals had been removed. His is just one of many similar tragic stories where people are killed so that their body parts can be incorporated into concoctions used in what is labelled as witchcraft.

“In Tanzania, according to the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC)[2], an average of 500 people were murdered each year on suspicion of ‘witchcraft’ between 2005 and 2011, whilst nu-

merous people with albinism have been murdered in cold blood for their body parts.

“Such beliefs and practices self-evidently constitute a significant obstacle to the reputation, peace and prosperity of the region. “They inhibit economic growth, investment and trade, weaken democratic institutions and prevent hundreds of thousands of Africans from reaching their true potential”, the coalition noted.

“President Obama should demand that Africa’s political and faith leaders, and the wider international community, do more to put a stop to the horrific human rights abuses that continue to scar this great Continent.”

Commission establishes torture documentation centres

By Udenna Orji

T

he National Human Rights Commission has established Torture Documentation Centers across the country and classified “Torture, Extra-Judicial Killings and Terrorism” as special areas for it to focus on.

The Commission is also collaborating with the National Committee against Torture as well as the Network of Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN) to carry out public hearings on torture.

Executive Secretary of the Commission, Prof. Bem Angwe, who made this known in a statement on the United Nation’s International Day In Support of Victims of Torture, held yesterday June 26, 2013, said the commission took the decisions because its complaint treatment mechanism had observed a steady increase in the inflow of complaints bordering on torture and comes face to face with victims of torture and the damage inflicted on them.

The Commission condemned torture “in the strongest terms” and called “on all state duty bearers to take necessary steps to rehabilitate and support victims of torture.

“Torture has been described as the infliction of severe physical or psychological pain upon an individual to extract information or a confession, or as an illicit extra-judicial punishment.

“It is a grave human rights violation most often perpetrated by operators of the state security apparatus.

It also exists in the private sphere at a minimal level.

“The United Nations Convention Against Torture came into force on June 26th 1987.

L-R: Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Amma Pepple, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed, during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

NUJ trains journalists on conflict reporting, honours lawmaker

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he Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the North-East Zone has completed arrangements to train over 24 reporters on conflict and political reporting.

The union has also introduced the “Give Back to Society” charity initiative to be funded with professional dues from members.

The NUJ Zonal Vice-President, Hajiya Aisha Ibrahim made the disclosure in Jalingo at the presentation of the Best Lawmaker Award in the North-East to a member of the House of Representatives, Hajiya Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed.

The honouree, represented by the Special Adviser to Adamawa State Governor on Judiciary, Hajiya Hadiza Aminu, said the award was meant to encourage the people of the zone to strive for excellence in their callings.

She said: “In spite of the precari-

ous situation we have found ourselves in the zone, we are ever determined to forge ahead. With God on our side, we will succeed. We intend to train at least four members from each of the six states in the zone on conflict and political reporting.

Those selected will be trained outside the country in Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone and Ghana.”

The Vice-President also announced the establishment of a “Give Back to Society” charity initiative by the zonal NUJ. She said,“we want to fund the charity project with 80 per cent of professional fees/ dues of members.

By doing so, we would have impacted values on the society and assist the less privileged. Ours is not a partisan group but we are determined to use this platform to contribute our quota to the development of the society.”

Group alleges campaign of calumny against Tukur

By Umar Mohammed Puma

T

he PDP Youth Network for Transformation said yesterday that it had uncovered a plan to derail Nigeria’s emerging democracy by certain anti-democratic elements who do not wish Nigeria well.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Friday Maduka, and National Secretary, Ibrahim Lawal, the group said, “the authors of this satanic plan are made up of those who feel short-changed in the scheme of things with respect to distribution of patronage in both the PDP party formation as well as in the PDP led Federal Government under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan”.

According to the group, the various components of these elements are made up of those who are trying albeit belatedly to get some fair

share of political oxygen in their quest for relevance, while the third group is made up of those who are scheming with an eye to the 2015 general elections.

“The plan by these elements, according to the group, involves denying the unprecedented achievement of President Jonathan and blackmailing and intimidating him, in order to make him lose focus as well as launching a campaign of slur against the formidable personality of Alh. (Dr.) Bamanga Tukur, who is considered a die-hard supporter of President Jonathan, and a disciplinarian who has also given vision to the PDP”.

“Towards the attainment of this wicked plan, a number of clandestine meetings is said to have been held in all the geopolitical regions including the FCT in order to give the nonsensical plan fraction”, it stated.

PAGE 8

Photos Splash

L-R: Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, former president, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Joseph Daudu, and Rivers state Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, during a stakeholders symposium on the review of the 1999 constitution and its impact on the much needed judicial reforms, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

L-R: Wife of Taraba state governor, Mrs Hauwa Danbaba Suntai, wife of Benue state governor, Mrs Yemisi Suswam, and Benue state governor, Mr. Gabriel Suswam, being welcomed by Taraba state governor Danbaba Suntai, at the Sea View hospital rehabilitation centre and home, on Tuesday in New York.

Photo: NAN

Managing Director and Chief Executive, Nestle Nigeria Plc., Dharnesh Gordhon (2nd right), presenting a trophy to Vice-President, Nigeria School Sports Federation, Abagi Samuel (2nd left), during a press conference on the fourth coming 15th Nestle Milo Secondary School Basketball Championship, recently in Lagos. With them are Corporate Communication and public Affairs Manager, Dr. Samuel Adenekan (left), and Milo Category Business Manager, Doja Ekeruche (right).

Photo: Olawale Rotimi

L-R: National Chairman, Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa’iqamatis Sunnah, Sheikh Abdullahi Lau, and former Nigeria ambassador to Saudi Arabia, ambassador Abdullahi Aminci, discussing during the national seminar, on role of imams in maintaining peace in Nigeria, yesterday in Kaduna.

Photo: NAN

L-R: National Chairman, All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, exchanging greetings with Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Atahiru Jega, during the public presentation of INEC strategic programme of action, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 9

News

Weak federal strategy stalls science education - Minister

By Abbas Aminu Bamalli

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he Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’I has said that weakness in the federal strategy for post-basic education institutions, Research and development at post-basic education level and indigenous capacity in science and technology are the major challenges towards improving Nigeria’s global competitiveness in the areas of Science and Technology and Post-Basic Education.

The minister who made this known in her speech during the closing ceremony of the Science and Technology Education PostBasic (STEP B PROJECT) held Tuesday in Abuja said the Project was aimed at laying an effective foundation and providing leadership in improving the quality of Science and Technology Education in all federal institutions.

She said while the Project experienced initial delays, it picked up to provide support to about 200 federal post-basic institutions which includes, 104 Federal Unity Colleges, 21 Colleges of Education, 24 Polytechnics and Monotechnics, 26 Universities, 18 Research Institutes and5 Regulatory Agencies.

Prof. Ruqayyatu also said ‘’We have closed the allocation of funds to institutions to support their institutions. Now, we are in the process of exploiting the benefits of the Project for the future’’ She said, the STEP-B Project has been one of the key complementary government’s interventions in their quest to enhance quality of education, adding that across the federal institutions, the Project has laid a foundation that must be built on.

The minister added that, at the Federal Unity Colleges, most of the Science Laboratories, Technical Workshops and Information & Communication Technology facilities have been rehabilitated, leading to improvement in enrolment and performance in Science and Technology subjects.

She said that through the Project, trainings were provided to upgrade teachers in subjects such as Science, Mathematics and English.

Kano state Governor, Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso (right), inspecting road demarcation concrete to be erected on Gwarzo Road, on Tuesday, in Kano. With him is the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Rabi’uSulaiman Bichi (left).

Death penalty: SERAP wants African Commission to stop Jonathan’s directive

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

A

NGO, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked Commissioner Zainabo Sylvie Kayitesi and Chairperson of the Working Group on Death Penalty to order the Nigerian government to withdraw the directive to state governors to execute prisoners on death row across the country.

The group also wants the federal government to pay adequate compensation to the families of the four prisoners

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

T

he Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) yesterday said its anti-vandalism squads arrested 473 vandals across the country.

The corps added that 427 of those arrested are under prosecution while 32 were convicted, saying 259 illegal refineries were destroyed in collaboration with the Joint Task Force (JTF).

NSCDC Commander-General, Dr. Ade Abolurin, who gave this rev-

unlawfully executed in Benin prison.

In a request for provisional measures dated June 25, 2013, and signed by Solicitor to SERAP Femi Falana (SAN), the organisation asked the African Commission to exercise its authority by requesting President Goodluck Jonathan to withdraw his directive and to fully accord the prisoners fair trial and other human rights, pending the Commission’s decision on the issue, “including granting them their right to appeal”.

According to the organisa-

tion, “Unless the African Commission urgently intervenes in this case, there is a risk of irreversible denial of several death row prisoners in Nigeria, which in turn will render nugatory the resolutions on moratorium on executions by the African Commission and the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly.”

The African Commission was also asked to request Nigeria to “give assurances that the directive by President Jonathan will not be implemented by any of the 36 states of the Federa-

tion of Nigeria.

“The Nigerian government should also give assurances that they willfully implement the resolutions on moratorium on executions by the African Commission and the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly.

It would be recalled that President Jonathan called on the 36 state governors to sign death warrants to facilitate the immediate execution of death row prisoners who are awaiting the hangman in the country’s prisons.

NSCDC arrests 473 oil thieves elation while reflecting on the first quarter report of this year with Corps Commandants from the 36 states of the federation, said the corps has re-strategised to clamp down on oil thieves.

“We are here to restrategise and organise ourselves to the fight against vandalism. We must ensure our core duties of protecting critical government facilities across the country. I have directed all the commandants to

give in their best in protecting government installations and properties of other law abiding citizens”.

“Also, the illegal oil refineries which has become a brisk business for miscreants in the country must be discouraged. Such activities have affected all sectors of the economy and we must do our best and collaborate with other security agencies to win the war”.

Abolurin, also said that the corps

has concluded plans, through the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), to meet with major stakeholders, community leaders and traditional rulers to brainstorm on how to better address the problem at the grassroots.

“Every body is important to the security of this country. We will meet as a family in August, after the fasting season to address certain issues of security concern.

N25.7bn fraud: Atuche, others ask court to dismiss charges

From Matthew Irinoye, Lagos

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former Managing Director of Bank PHB, Francis Atuche, his wife and the former Chief Financial Officer of the bank, Ugo Anyanwu, yesterday urged a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos to discharge the 27-count charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Atuche and Anyanwu were arraigned before Justice Lateefat Okunnu for allegedly stealing N25.7 billion belonging to the bank.

In a no case submission filed through their counsel, Anthony

Idigbe (SAN) brought pursuant to sections 35(3), 36(5) of the constitution and Section 239 of the administration of criminal Administration Laws of Lagos state, the senior lawyer urged the court to dismiss or acquit them of the charges.

Idigbe in the motion supported by a 5-paragraph affidavit and a written address called on the court to dismiss the charges against the first and second defendants for being duplicitous.

“Counts one to 10 as listed and counts 11 - 27 are similar charges that are duplicated which means that one cannot commit the two

sets of count the same time”, he said Idigbe further argued that all the evidence provided by the prosecution were circumstantial and contradictory which therefore could not warrant putting the defendants in the witness box.

He also told the court that the evidences by the witnesses were unreliable because of the noticeable contradictions of facts as it concerns issues of the actual money allegedly stolen and acceptable banking procedures.

Idigbe who cited several authorities said the over-generalisation of the facts by the prosecution

which is sacred and the absence of vital witnesses like Peter Ololo, was a serious lacuna in the prosecution’s case.

Similarly, counsel to the third defendant (Ugo Anyanwu), Sylva Ogwuemor, in his submission urged the court to be bold in doing justice by discharging the charges against his client as there was no evidence sufficient enough to warrant his standing trial.

Ogwuemor told the court that, evidences provided by the prosecuting witnesses were speculative and did not show that his client was a beneficiary of the alleged theft.

He further said that the only link to his client was signing a letter and sending an e-mails , which was a legitimate duty associated with his position as the Chief Financial Officer of the Bank.

EFCC’s counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) objected to the application and urged the court to abort the submissions of the defence. Adding that he has provided enough potent, cogent and forensic evidence of the action of the defendants on the charges of which they are accomplices.

Ruling on the no case applications has been adjourned till July 1.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 10

News Emergency rule: NEMA begins distribution of relief materials in Yobe

From Uche Uche, Damaturu

T

he National Emergency M a n a g e m e n t Agency (NEMA) has commenced the distribution of relief materials to victims of the emergency rule situation in Yobe state.

Speaking during the distribution which took place at Bulaburin ward in Damaturu, NEMA northeast Zonal Coordinator, Mohammed Kanar, said NEMA was concentrating on food materials because it is the basic need of people in such a situation.

He said the distribution which would take place in phases would at the end reach most of the people affected by the emergency rule imposed on the state as a result of the security situation.

He said the first phase would cover Damaturu the state capital, Buni Yadi in Gujba and Potiskum local government areas while the second phase would cover Geidam and Yunusari local government areas.

He commended the support and collaboration accorded to NEMA by the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and called for continuation of the collaboration in other to achieve the objectives for which the agencies were created.

Also speaking at the ceremony, the District Head of Bulaburin, Alhaji Kalli Abba Murfama, expressed appreciation for the kind gesture of the Federal Government noting that it would complement efforts of the Yobe state government.

According to him, the people have gone through unforgettable trauma not only because of the emergency rule but the unexpected attacks by insurgents which had crippled most economic activities in the state.

Katsina Emirate Council gets new Secretary

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he Katsina Emirate Council on Wednesday appointed Alhaji Bello Ifo as the new Secretary of the council.

This is contained in a statement signed by Alhaji Sani Makana, the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

The statement said the appointment was with immediate effect.

According to it, the state Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Shema, wishes Ifo a successful tenure.

The statement said Ifo, before his appointment, held the traditional title of ``Sallaman Katsina’’ with many years of experience. (NAN)

L-R: Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Hon. Auwalu Dahiru Saleh, Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Nnenna Elendu Ukeje, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Martin Uhomoibhi and member of the Committee, Hon. Yakubu Abiodun Balogun, during the committee meeting with officials Foreign Affairs Ministry, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

‘Umeh still APGA’s National Chairman’ From Mohammed Ibrahim, Kaduna

K

aduna State Chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Simon Onyema, has called on his members to disregard reports suggesting that the party does not have a national chairman.

“Chief Victor Umeh remains the National Chairman of APGA,” Onyema said in a press statement in Kaduna yesterday

noting that Umeh and the National Secretary, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi, were declared by an Appeal court as the authentic national leaders of APGA. Onyema urged members to remain calm even as he denied the existence of factions at both the national and state levels of the party.

According to him, “the entire executive and members of APGA, Kaduna state chapter therefore pledge their total

loyalty and support to the national leadership of the party under the leadership of Chief Victor Umeh and Alhaji Sani Shinkafi “A High Court in Enugu had declared that Chief Victor Umeh should not parade himself as the National Chairman of APGA and he complied but headed to the Appeal Court.

“On April 8, 2013, the Appeal Court sitting in Enugu

reinstated Chief Victor Umeh as the National Chairman of APGA. “But some disgruntled members or enemies of APGA are still trying to parade themselves as officers of APGA when they are not.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the body that regulates the activities of political parties in Nigeria, reaffirmed that Chief Victor Umeh is the authentic national Chairman of APGA.”

Indian Hemp: Bauchi NDLEA nabs 100 suspects From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

T

he Bauchi state Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 100 suspects of drugs related cases and impounded 617.832 kg of Indian Hemp this year.

The state Commander of the NDLEA, Mr. Parah Julius, gave the figures during the

celebration of the United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

According to him, apart from the exhibits seized from the suspects, the command rehabilitated 43 drug clients during the year under review while 49 of them were discharged and reintegrated into the society even as 35 drug offenders are currently undergoing different

stages of counseling and rehabilitation.

“By this time last year during the UN programme, the agency also seized 341.2kg of deadly drugs,” Julius said.

He disclosed that some of the new psychoactive substances that drug users have already invented in order to achieve the same effect of conventional drugs are tramaol, cough syrup with

codeine, rubber solution, gasoline, suck and die, tippex, lizard feces, monkey tail and sniffing of pit toilet.

While calling for a legislation to regulate the use of new psychoactive substances by the youth, the NDLEA boss urged regulatory bodies to review socially acceptable drugs in order reduce addiction and violent behavioral patterns among the youth.

Amnesty International demands probe of Shell operations

A

mnesty International has called for a wider investigation into operations of Shell Nigeria after the recent arrest of some of its contractors.

A major fire that forced Shell to close its Trans Niger Pipeline in southern Nigeria raises serious questions about the way the oil giant is operating, Amnesty International and the Nigerian National Coalition on Gas Flaring and Oil Spills (NACGOND) said yesterday in a joint statement.

The organizations called for an independent inquiry into the events that led to the fire at Bodo in Rivers state, an area already devastated by years of oil pollution.

According to the statement, eight Shell contractors were arrested

by Nigerian security services in connection with the fire that broke out on June 19, following an oil spill at a section of the pipeline near Bodo.

The statement said that, “Shell claims the fire was a consequence of oil theft.

“However, community membeArs told NACGOND that in the days leading up to the fire, Nigerian security forces prevented anyone other than Shell’s contractors going near the area of the spill.

“From the shore, people saw barges being loaded with oil and taken away from the site.

“Shell appears more concerned with conducting a public relations operation than a clean-up operation.

“It should focus less on its reputation and start addressing the damage caused to the lives of the people of Bodo.

“What is needed is a fully transparent and independent inquiry into what happened at Bodo in the days before the fire and the role – and competence - of Shell’s contractors.

“There are serious unanswered questions as to who Shell entrusted with the high-risk repair of the pipeline and about its own level of oversight.”

The fire broke out following an oil spill in an area where Shell

contractors were working on maintenance and repairs.

“The facts make it difficult to believe that anyone other than Shell’s contractors were in the vicinity in the days leading up to the fire.

“Shell was quick to blame oil theft as the cause of the latest pollution and fire at Bodo but the company is yet to fully answer for the role of its own contractors,” the statement said adding that the alleged theft and sabotage cases have not been verified by any independent bodies.

The statement recalled that in 2008, two massive oil spills occurred at Bodo in the Niger Delta and both were the result of operational failures by Shell.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 11

Money Sense

Old age has challenges… start to confront them now

I

t is always exciting when you hear retirees giving good testimonies of their planning efforts and how it has enabled them cope with the challenges of old age. It is also always the opposite when you also listen to some others who did not plan or invest for that same critical period in their life and how difficult it has been for them coping with the same challenges.

While there is no clear cut way to preparing for that old age, the basic target is to have something to fall back on at that period when you would no longer have the strength to work. This old age income would enable you confront some of the challenges as health (medical bills), cost of leisure, family, societal responsibilities and household bills.

There are numerous investment options to play with to enable easy life in retirement.

These investment ranges from stocks; bonds; properties and insurance among other options.

Whatever choice you make, the basic fact is that it should serve the expected benefit, taking into cognisance inflationary trend and tax issues.

According to ChristaLife Assurance Plc, a life specialist insurance company, the above

Money Tip:

might sound alarming but indeed it is true. Many people work actively during their earlier years without having much to fall back on at old age when they are no longer active because they did not prepare for this period of their lives.

Moreover, a lot of people are living longer into retirement while fewer people are available to support them during this period. Little wonder many people resort into old people’s home!

In the staple of CrystaLife

is “Retire rich Plan”. This is a financial planning vehicle which enables funding towards a lump sum at an age specified by the policyholder This also provides a life assurance cover during the period of contract or plan.

Retire Rich Plan plays a crucial role in providing a source of income in later years when you are no longer in regular employment and too old for the business rat race in our economy.

The CrystaLife Retire Rich Plan under the Company’s Secured Investment Policy will ensure

o the millions of college and high school seniors who recently graduated (and to their parents, who weathered the ups and downs of reaching that summit): congratulations on a job well done. After the celebration dies down, you’ll no doubt be eager to embark on life’s next chapter, whether it’s finding a job, preparing for college or enrolling in military

or community service.

Before you jump in feet first, however, let me share a few financial lessons I learned the hard way when I was just starting out. They might save you a lot of money in the long run and help you get closer to your life goals, whether it’s buying a house, starting a family or even retiring early – as far off as that may sound.

First, pretend you’re still a

financial independence in old age.

Specifically, Retire Rich targets to pay a guaranteed regular monthly pension for life after age 60 or any age you may specify; it is also designed to produce a lump sum that will assist you fund a business of your own after retirement; if death occurs within the retirement period the remaining balance of the Annuity guaranteed for five years will be paid to beneficiaries/ estate; the minimum annual premium for the plan is N60,000

(N5,000 monthly); medical expenses cover is provided up to a limit of N50,000 per annum in event of accident resulting in hospitalisation.

Like CrystaLife other insurance companies offering life policies have own products with unique characteristics to take care of old age challenges. Ask your insurer for that policy that meets individual characteristics.

Challenges of old age Mind Old age introduces people to a lot of changes to their lives, beginning with retirement, loss of a social network, and changes in familial roles. With nuclear families, quite often, elderly couples of individuals end up living alone. The other factor that plays on the elderly person’s mind is the closeness to death. As they get older, they have to face the death of friends, siblings and at times, the death of a spouse.

This leads to loneliness.

These conditions make them vulnerable to developing mental illnesses, of which depression is the most common. There is a high risk of suicide associated with depression in the elderly and anxiety disorders, sleep disorders and addictions are also seen.

Body Problems like joint pain can severely inhibit movement and that can take a toll on the over all fitness of an elderly person.

This in turn triggers a cycle, where the drop in fitness makes movement more difficult.

Ways to save Your financial life after graduation money T

Build up cash by saving it Yes, the rich save their cash.

Rather than eating out all the time, they tuck those dollars into stock mutual funds that pay out.

According to Jean Chatzky in ‘The Difference’, 55% of the self-made rich got there by saving. Get serious about finding cheaper alternatives.

When you’ve built it up a bit, invest it in a stock mutual fund and watch it grow.

Don’t pay for what you don’t need In other words, stop trying to outdo the Jones’ and stay within your budget for things like your house and car. If you pay N50,000 a month for an SUV that’s drinking thousands of Naira each week, pare down. Do you really need an SUV? Would a minivan be a more costeffective alternative? Be honest in your assessment, or you’re wasting your time.

Quote “Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next.” - Gilda Radner: Actress

starving student. After landing your first full-time job, the urge to go on a spending spree for new clothes, a better apartment and a car from this decade will be irresistible after surviving on ramen noodles for four years.

But unless you had generous scholarships or a rich aunt, you’re probably already saddled with thousands of dollars in student loan debt.

After you’ve factored in rent,

car payments, renter’s and car insurance, credit card charges, student loan balances and other monthly bills (not to mention payroll taxes such as Social Security tax, which went up 2 percent this year), your new salary probably won’t go as far as you’d like, especially if you’re trying to save for one of those life events.

That’s where a budget can help. Find a way to calculate your income and expences.

Next, know the score, creditwise. Many people don’t realize until it’s too late that a poor credit score can trash your financial future. After you’ve missed a few loan payments, bounced some checks or exceeded your credit limits, you’ll probably be charged higher loan and credit card interest rates and offered lower credit limits (if not denied credit altogether), unless and until you can raise your credit score. You may even have to pay higher insurance rates and harm your ability to rent an apartment or get a cell phone.

To know where you stand, review your credit reports to find out whether any negative actions have been reported and to look for errors or possible fraudulent activity on your accounts.

PAGE 12

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

EDITORIAL

Death warrants: State governors’ dilemma the condemned prisoners whose appeals are pending in either the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court.

Furthermore, the call made by the President does not take cognizance of the moratorium placed on the death penalty since

“

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan recently called on the 36 state governors to sign death warrants to facilitate the immediate execution of the over 900 convicts who are awaiting the hangman in the country’s prisons. The President’s appeal, we understand, is aimed at solving the problem of prison congestion and also reducing the spiraling crime rate in the country. We share the President’s concern on both prison congestion and crime rate in Nigeria. But we doubt whether a speedy execution of death row prisoners is the solution to both challenges.

State governors who the President wants to sign death warrants are severely handicapped. Unlike the military governors before them, who operated with the authority of Special Military Tribunals – whose rulings on capital punishment had no room for appeal - democratically elected governors are under oath to uphold the rule by law. Anyone sentenced to death today under today’s law is entitled to the constitutional right of appeal. For the state governors, it will be a crime to carry out the President’s directive in respect of most of

the call made by the President does not take cognizance of the moratorium placed on the death penalty since 2006 by the United Nations 2006 by the United Nations. As a responsible member of the international community, Nigeria has so far honoured the terms of the moratorium. Indeed, it is on the basis of the moratorium and the recommendations of the prerogative of mercy committees of the states that a number of condemned prisoners have had their death sentences commuted to

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”

life imprisonment by some state governors.

Unfortunately, the governor of Edo state, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, in implementing the President’s ‘kill quick’ order, has kicked off a storm by ordering the execution of four men: Chima Ejiofor, Daniel Nsofor, Osarenmwinda Aiguokhan and Richard Igagu. They were hanged at Benin City prison on Monday after a court had ordered their executions. Although an appeal court upheld the sentences shortly before the executions took place, human rights groups are saying that all appeals for the prisoners had not been exhausted - a violation of both Nigerian and international laws.

Additionally, we are informed that 80% of those in prison are awaiting trials. They are the ones responsible for prison congestion and not condemned men.

Executing four men does not in any way decongest the prison in Benin. It is simply bizarre.

Finally, crime cannot be controlled by executing convicts.

There is need to radically transform the economy to provide jobs for our teeming youth, some of whom have taken to crime for want of anything legitimate to do.

OUR PEOPLE

OUR VISION

CHAIRMAN MALAM WADA MAIDA, OON, FNGE DIRECTOR/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RUFA’I IBRAHIM MANAGING EDITOR ABDUL-AZEEZ ABDULLAHI

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 13

Opinion The President’s death penalty goof

By Femi Falana

L

ast week, President Goodluck Jonathan called on the 36 state governors to sign death warrants to facilitate the immediate execution of the over 900 convicts who are awaiting the hangman in the country’s prisons. In a bid to tackle the problem of prison congestion the President reportedly said that “in the case of capital punishment, the state governors will sign. Even governors find it difficult to sign.

I have been telling the governors that they must sign because that is the law.” Pursuant to the illegal directive four condemned prisoners were executed in Benin prison on Monday.

Having not signed a single death warrant while he was the Bayelsa state governor, the President knows there are many factors which militate against the signing of death warrants by governors under a democratic dispensation. Unlike military governors who are trained to kill, civilian governors are usually reluctant to sign death warrants of condemned prisoners. When Nigeria was under military rule there was no right of appeal from special military tribunals set up by military dictators to try people charged with treason, armed robbery and other capital offences.

In fact, I had to obtain a court order to restrain a military governor from approving the execution of the so called 12 “kid robbers” who were wrongly sentenced to death by an armed robbery tribunal in Lagos state in 1989. But the situation is

totally different under a democratic dispensation where anyone sentenced to death is entitled to the constitutional right of appeal. To that extent, the President’s directive cannot be carried out in respect of most of the condemned prisoners whose appeals are pending in either the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court.

In the case of Nosiru Bello v AG of Oyo State (198) 2 N.S.C.C. 1257 the supreme court condemned the government of Oyo State for executing a convicted armed robber whose appeal was pending at an appellate court. Speaking for the apex court, the Late Justice Anthony Aniagolu said that: “This is the first case in this country, of which I am aware, in which a legitimate government of this country – past or present; colonial or indigenous – hastily and illegally snuffed off the life of an appellant whose appeal had vested and was in being, with no order of court upon the appeal, and with

“

a reckless disregard for the life and liberty of the subject and the principles of the rule of law. The brutal incident has bespattered the face of the Oyo State Government with the paintbrush of shame.”

It is pertinent to draw the attention of the President to the recent decision of James Ajulu & Ors v. Attorney-General of Lagos State (Unreported Suit No. ID/76M/2008) where the Lagos High Court (Per Olokoba J.) held that while the death penalty is not unconstitutional the execution of the applicant (condemned prisoners) by firing squad or hanging is unconstitutional as it violates the fundamental right of the applicants to dignity guaranteed by Section 34 of the Constitution. Based on the historic verdict the LEPAD has filed a suit on behalf of the 912 condemned prisoners wherein the right of the State to execute them is being challenged. One of the legal issues being canvassed is that the State

has lost the power to execute them having subjected them to mental agony and psychological trauma of waiting for the hangman for periods ranging from 10 and 20 years. Until the case is conclusively determined it is a mockery of the rule of law on the part of governors to sign the death warrant of any death row convict.

Furthermore, the call made by the President did not take cognizance of the moratorium placed on the death penalty in 2006 by the United Nations.

As a responsible member of the international community Nigeria has so far honoured the terms of the moratorium. Indeed, it is on the basis of the moratorium and the recommendations of the Prerogative of Mercy Committees of the states that a number of condemned prisoners have had their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment by some state governors. I would therefore like to call on President Jonathan

Having not signed a single death warrant while he was the Bayelsa state governor, the President knows there are many factors which militate against the signing of death warrants by governors under a democratic dispensation. Unlike military governors who are trained to kill, civilian governors are usually reluctant to sign death warrants of condemned prisoners. When Nigeria was under military rule there was no right of appeal from special military tribunals set up by military dictators to try people charged with treason, armed robbery and other capital offences.

The Abati we don’t know

By Bayo Oluwasanmi

D

r. Rueben Abati, President Goodluck Jonathan’s spokesman is a metaphor for bad choice. His bad choice of serving a president of anti people government, speaks eminently for the Abati we don’t know. The Abati we know was the Rutam House Abati who was always angry the ways things were with the country in general and in particular the PDP led federal government. The Abati that relentlessly called for the ways things should be. The Abati we know believed that journalists must report what the government does in the dark. He believed the government is accountable to the people, and any government serves at the pleasure of the people.

The Abati we know was a man many thought would be outlived by his ideas. A man many thought would be his generation’s Peter Enahoro (Peter Pan), Alade Odunewu (Allah De), Lateef Kayode Jakande (John West), Bisi Onabanjo (Aiyekoto), Abiodun Aloba (Ebenezer Williams), and other heavy weights of Nigerian journalism. Abati’s diminishing returns caused by his Aso Rock

propaganda warfare have completely erased the legacy he so labored to build at Rutam House.

He’ll long be remembered as an apostate of Nigerian journalism and a propaganda scoundrel!

Samples of Abati then and Abati now. Abati of Rutam House on Nuhu Ribadu in 2009: … Nuhu Ribadu, the erstwhile Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission who lost his job under rather controversial controversial circumstances, and who is regarded as having been unfairly treated by the Yar’Adua government. I hugged him. He had lost nothing of his humility, his sense of humour and his humanity… a man who had just been rough-tackled by the unpredictable Nigerian state whose moral compass is subject to the whims and caprices of whoever is in charge, and not necessarily principles and values. Then they demoted him in what looked like a routine administrative exercise, but the political undertones were writ large. When he tried to resist the system, they shoved him out of the graduation hall at Kuru, and his employers, the Police sent him

to Siberia what Nigerians would call the Ogbugbuaja treatment.

Abati on Dame Patience Jonathan August 27, 2010: The wife of the President of Nigeria, or a state Governor, or a local council chairman is not a state official. The same applies to husbands if the gender is reversed. He or she is unknown to the constitution or the governance structure … under Jonathan presidency, Dame Patience Jonathan even got a special allocation in the original budget for the 2010 Golden jubilee anniversary whereas she has no official, financial reporting responsibilities. The Jonathans must be told that Nigeria does not have a co-Presidency. We have only one president and his name is Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. And by the way, what does Dame Patience Jonathan do for a living? The new First Lady likes to travel, party, and talk outside script. People are beginning to read her lips in order to understand her husband.

Dame Patience must not push her Goodluck.

Abati on Democracy: Anyone in the corridors of power, either by chance or right, or

appointment, is expected to behave decorously. Democracy is readily associated with freedom: the freedom to be free in many respects and increasingly in Nigeria, many of our compatriots, particularly persons in positions of privilege and authority confuse this with the right to be disagreeable… The sober truth is that democracy is about rights and responsibilities…

Here is Abati of Aso Rock we don’t know: On Leadership journalists (April, 2013): The circulation of a fictitious ‘presidential directive’ that seeks in the main to cause civil strife, engender a breakdown of law and order, and negate the values of our democracy is a very grievous act indeed that should not be ignored.

At its core, such a disruptive act erodes the ethos of governance and professionalism and naturally stirs up those entrusted with the protection of law and order; as it should also, every responsible citizen, interest group and the entire media. In that regard, President Jonathan did not have to issue any orders before those who have as much constitutional responsibility as the media; that is,

to withdraw the directive for the immediate execution of condemned prisoners. However, if the directive is carried out in utter violation of the constitutional right of appeal of the over 900 convicts and they are killed before the determination of their appeals it will tantamount to crime against humanity for which the President may be charged and tried before the International Criminal Court. State governors are particularly cautioned to refrain from implementing the President’s directive to avoid being dragged with him before the International Criminal Court.

Instead of asking for the blood of the victims of socio-economic injustice in the land President Jonathan should declare a state of emergency on official corruption which has become a component part of the Transformation Agenda . It has become immoral to continue to execute victims of official corruption while the perpetrators of the heinous crime are allowed to enjoy their loot under dubious plea bargain deals arranged for them by the Federal Government. It is also curious to note that President Jonathan is expressing concern over prison congestion when he has just signed the so-called Prison Exchange Bill which has legalized the dumping of Nigerians convicted abroad on our prisons. Ironically, while the President is desirous to liquidate 900 death row prisoners the Federal Government has directed the local ill-congested prisons to receive about 1000 prisoners of Nigerian nationality serving jail terms in British prisons. the police, see the need to act in the public interest.

On “The Jonathan You Don’t Know” (Sep., 20120): …all the cynics, the pestlewielding critics, the unrelenting, self-appointed activists, the idle and idling, the twittering, collective children of anger, the distracted crowd of Facebook addicts, the BBM – pinging soap opera gossips of Nigeria, who seem to be in competition among themselves to pull down President Goodluck Jonathan. This army of sponsored and self-appointed anarchists is so diverse; many of them don’t even know why or how they should attack the President.

The Abati we don’t know is Aso Rock Abati: an ill-tempered and self conceited man who practices a wicked hybrid of journalism and propaganda. The Abati we don’t know is a fiction writer with no respect for the truth and facts.

The Abati we don’t know is the alchemist of Nigerian politics who wants to turn garbage into gold.

Morality is concerned with three things: fair play, and harmony between individuals, and tidying up. Abati has successfully abandoned all three. Leaving Rutam House is a blessing rejected that has become a curse for him at Aso Rock.

Bayo Oluwasanmi is reachable on byolu@aol.com

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

Letters & Opinion What is Mark up to?

By Gabriel Terwase

N

o doubt, the conflict of interests that is masquerading in our country today as a contest of principles clearly portrays our politicians as a huge joke. Or how else could one explain the malevolent manipulation of the constitution review (or is it amendment?) process by Senate President David Mark, for purely private advantage? When, after a few days of rumours, the report of the Ike Ekweremadu-led Senate Committee on Constitution Review was published, and its recommendation about a sixyear single tenure for president and governors, along with all its trappings were confirmed, many Nigerians were tempted to wonder aloud what it is exactly Senate President David Mark wants. Many could not resist that temptation because, over the years, Mark has advanced various private causes he often masquerades as public ones.

Mark was obsessed about the idea of creating additional states to the present 36 states. The impression given was that he was genuinely interested in enhancing development at the grassroots.

However, this obsession was purely driven by the desire of the Senate President to realise his dream of getting Apa state carved out of present Benue state. The proposed

Apa is meant affirmed their to encompass independence mainly the area by sticking to the that is today popular wish of Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, known as Idoma Nigerians on that land. subject; that is, text messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written Prior to the two terms of four contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters commencement years each. The - 150 words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your of the tenure elongation name and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be Constitution proposal was addressed to: Review process, therefore, dead President on arrival.

Jonathan Curiously, The Editor, had come however, the Ike Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, under strident Ekweremadu 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. criticism, when Committee on Email: opinion@peoplesdailyng.com in July, 2011, Constitution he muted the Review sneaked SMS: 08134607052 idea of a 7-year the single single term for elongated term Apparently sensing that that president and governors. Many idea into its report, with a caveat proposal could be shot down Nigerians then described the that President Jonathan and swiftly if he had tabled it before President’s proposal as premature all governors serving their first the National Assembly, President and ill-advised. In view of the terms in office are excluded from Jonathan decided to sell the idea criticism that had trailed his public benefitting from the proposal. discreetly across Nigeria through pronouncement on the issue, What would have prompted a shadowy forum under former President Jonathan made spirited the Committee to make such a Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mr. efforts to justify his proposal, and recommendation when it had Salihu Modibbo Alfa Belgore. to also explain that it was not his been thrown out through the Jonathan thought he could use personal wish but an idea he and overwhelming views of senators the 21-member Presidential other key stakeholders in the polity when it was debated on the floor Committee on the Review of “collectively” conceived. Albeit of the Senate? Similarly, Nigerians Outstanding Constitutional his efforts to save his face, many had unanimously voted against the Issues under Belgore to sneak in more citizens criticised Jonathan, idea when the Senate Committee a proposal on tenure elongation most especially after Presidential on Constitution Review went round into the draft bill on Constitution spokesperson, Reuben Abati had the six geopolitical zones to collate amendment he had planned to contradicted his boss’ claim that public opinion on areas to be the idea emanated from “collective” submit to the parliament. But that amended in the 1999 Constitution. failed flatly, as majority of the thought, and not the President’s The pertinent question, therefore, committee’s handpicked members alone. is: whose interest is the Ike

WRITE TO US

Who is Rawlings afraid of?

By Chiechefulam Ikebuiro

I

kind of adored Jerry Rawlings while growing up – the man who ruled Ghana for years and reportedly changed her fortunes. At a young age I heard how he had to do everything within his power to firstly wrest power from the then government as well as curb corruption. Life in Ghana according to him had become very hard and unbearable that he had to overthrow a military dictator and in a bid to stop corruption performed what was referred to as the “housecleansing exercise”.

Jerry Rawlings in his bid to make Ghana corruption free killed 3 former heads of state, some serious military officers, Supreme Court justices and whoever had to ‘go’, so Ghana can be free of corruption. This act endeared me to the man even at that tender age. Corruption has built a castle in Nigeria long ago that I knew its impact back then. Corruption is a monster.

Corruption can bring a nation to her knees and whoever was willing to do whatever it takes to free his environment of corruption I believed should be thanked. I have held Jerry Rawlings in high esteem ever

since.

You can now imagine my excitement and disappointment at his act recently (on Nigerian soil). It was at the conference of emerging democracies in Africa at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja sometime last week where Mr. Rawlings gave an address condemning roundly corruption in Africa and how it has almost grounded African countries. He went on to talk about a former attorney general of Ghana Martin Amindu, who had campaigned against payment of questionable judgement debts to individuals and firms albeit alone. He faced ridicule from his own people until he won the case for his people.

“

According to Rawlings, ”Today ironically he (Martin Amindu) is being touted a hero. But did he have to fight a lonely fight in defence of his countries meagre resources?”

Does Nigeria, he continued, have its lonely heroes too?’’ Yes, indeed, you do! You do. Some of them are even persecuted by …hmmm…the ogas at the top.

I don’t know about this one (obviously referring to GEJ) but I know about some in the past… yo yo…Yes, but I am saying you do…But they need to fly with boldness, they need your support.

If you have to change the cycle, people must learn to profit from right, from virtue and not from

vice…”

I thought he did a great job (with the address) only to hear recently that he denied referring to Nigeria. What has come over Jerry Rawlings was what I asked rhetorically. The fact is one cannot isolate corruption in Africa from Nigeria. Even the international community knows that corruption has thrived, is thriving and, God forbid (if we do not fight it), will continue to thrive in Nigeria. It is plain to see.

Just look at Nigerians and you will see the impact of corruption on them. What and who is Jerry Rawlings afraid of? Where did his balls leave him to? Is this not the same people that made people

I thought he did a great job (with the address) only to hear recently that he denied referring to Nigeria. What has come over Jerry Rawlings was what I asked rhetorically. The fact is one cannot isolate corruption in Africa from Nigeria.

Even the international community knows that corruption has thrived, is thriving and, God forbid (if we do not fight it), will continue to thrive in Nigeria. It is plain to see. Just look at Nigerians and you will see the impact of corruption on them.

What and who is Jerry Rawlings afraid of?

Ekweremadu Committee seeking to promote by surreptitiously sneaking the six-year single term proposal, with all its booby traps, in its Report to the Senate? Of course, even a child can point to a particular direction: David Mark, Ekweremadu’s principal, whom, from all intents and purposes, is determined to take a shot at the Presidency. Mark’s body language in the past two years has betrayed a steep interest in occupying the highest office in the LandAso Rock. This much has been observed by the present occupants of Aso Rock, who were jolted by this aspect of the Report of the Senate Committee.

A top Presidency official who pleaded anonymity declared that “we could clearly see the hands of Esau in the voice of Jacob”. He enthused that they were not so much perturbed by the caveat in the six-year single term proposal of the Ekweremadu Committee because, they also have “a joker” with which to checkmate David Mark. That “joker”, according to the official, is their exclusive findings on the disbursement of National Assembly’s budgeted funds, especially the Senate’s budget since 2012. Therefore, the question of who laughs last between Jonathan and Mark, as far as the race for Aso Rock is concerned, is a matter that time will tell.

Terwase, a public affairs analyst, lives behind Julius Berger Quarters, Karmo, Abuja. pay the ultimate price to make sure corruption was a thing of the past in Ghana? I thought he was a man who cared less whose ox was gored, as long as truth is told. Haba Mr. Rawlings really disappointed me.

Is it not true that people have been hounded in this country for daring to fight corruption? Fast forward to the real shamelessness-a rebuttal from the government boys, that Nigeria is not part of the corrupt African countries. Imagine where Nigeria will be without corruption. If not for corruption many of our roads would have been motor able. Many will not be going on empty stomachs if there was no corruption. Our hospitals will be well equipped if not for corruption. Our refineries would have been working if not for corruption. This is not only ridiculous and cheap, it is totally laughable. Jerry Rawlings has said it and he cannot take it back. It is not like he is telling us something new and surprising.

It something we already know and trying not to get used to in the coming years. It’s just so disappointing that he had to try to retract. I have not stopped asking myself who will ever talk about corruption in Africa and not think about Nigeria. Only our ogas at the top, perhaps!

Chiechefulam Ikebuiro via thalynxis@yahoo.ca

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 15

Comment

How CBN policy unites religious leaders

By Kayode Ogundamisi

O

n the most unexpected issues unlikely allies can emerge. The united outcry of some Nigerian religious bodies over obeying the Central Bank of Nigeria’s directive to update bank account information to comply with anti money laundering policies, which was interpreted, as being investigated for financing dreaded Nigerian terrorists group Boko Haram is a curious case in point.

Within what seemed like hours we were inundated with screaming headlines about frozen Church accounts, alleged investigations of churches accused of sponsoring Boko Haram, some cried of CBN victimizing churches “close to the Presidency”, and it is no secret CAN is sure the 5th arm of government under the Jonathan presidency.

Thanks to the CBN the saying ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’ came handy as the Christian Association of Nigeria and its traditional rival Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs went into an unholy alliance, not against Boko Haram but against a CBN policy meant to monitor money laundry activities. It is not surprising corruption perpetuated by our ‘god of men’ and selfacclaimed representatives of Allah are part of what is wrong with our country Nigeria. Money is stolen from the public purse and deposited in accounts of ‘Gods representatives’ and government too scared to ask questions. Well, at least, we can be happy that our two major religions were united at last in agreement to shun attempts at financial transparency. Irony doesn’t even begin to qualify this.

According to a newspaper

report, the Christian Association of Nigeria had directed churches not to fill any form in any bank. It has also asked affected members to forward evidences of the freezing of their accounts to their respective state secretariats for onward transmission to the national secretariat. CAN’s Public Relations Officer for the 19 Northern states and Abuja, Mr. Sunny Oibe, reportedly confirmed the development.

And our Muslim brethren, though far less strident, are not left out. “The Secretary-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, said the organization was worried about whether bank officials and security agents involved in the matter would be transparent, sincere and avoid sentiments.” So who has been asked to scale this anti money laundering test? Some say only churches and others say only

“

churches and mosques. Well what is the truth?

According to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), all DNFBPs are affected. “DNFBPs refers to dealers in jewelry, precious metals and stones, cars and luxury goods, audit firms, tax consultants, clearing and settlement companies, lawyers, notaries, other independent legal practitioners and chartered accountants, trust and company service providers (who provide services to third parties), hotels, casinos (including internet and ship-based casinos), supermarkets, real estate agents, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), religious and charitable organizations, or such other businesses or professions as the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investments, or appropriate regulatory authorities may, from time to time, designate.” Now that is a really long list. Now we understand practically all-Nigerian

It is clear that Nigeria and Nigerians are unprepared for the reality of dealing with financial tracking to address crime, corruption and, yes, terror. If we are to tackle money laundry, high profile rape of our economy disguised under NGO’s bringing foreign stars and high profile entertainers, only to use same to siphon stolen money abroad, one can only wonder if those requesting due process and a tight control, strong anti corruption regime are prepared to deal with the level of new rules regarding information and financial transactions this will bring

businesses and organizations that open bank accounts are affected and have been quietly complying for over 9 whole months now. So what was the whole religious and terror tinged hue and cry about over an old and pretty broadly targeted directive? Note that until now no religious body had come forward to confirm its accounts have been frozen.

In Nigeria today, every issue can and will be dissected and re-constituted to conform to the prevailing religious and ethnic conspiracy theories of the moment.

Irresponsible drummers of discord have primed Nigerians to the point that logic and common sense flies out the window in preference for mob responses to simple matters even average kindergarten children can reason out. It is shameful that out of all the categories of businesses and organizations listed as DNFBPs only religious bodies and especially churches have issues with disclosing information to aid anti-corruption, money laundering and anti terrorism. That Nigerians jumped in to defend such idiocy even after many of them have personally complied with the directive for their own businesses, NGOs etc. without question is a new low we have sunk to in this country.

This story would not be complete without determining exactly what complying with this directive entails so I made calls to friends in various banks UBA, GTB and Zenith, asked how long it takes to fulfill CBN form and update Nigeria’s anti money laundering information. Between twenty and fifteen minutes. That is approximately how much time it takes to fill the now infamous form

What APC owes Nigerians

By Anthony A. Kila

G

iven that politics in Nigeria is practised with no reference to ideology, very strange things can easily happen in Nigerian politics. Its actors are prone to improvising and changing their plots and paths when a rational thinker least expects it.

It has happened time and time again; for a recent episode, ask Aliko Mohammed, chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) who found out with surprise and dismay that some of his members had gone with some politicians from the Niger Delta to declare their support for Jonathan, inviting him to contest in 2015, after they all had just decided the contrary in Maiduguri.

The effects of power misapplied cannot be overstated. It helps those that wield it make their friends and foes see reason where there is little or none. Those in the PDP have tasted power and they know what access to power and maintaining the status quo can mean for individuals. Or as Alhaji Bamanga Tukur puts it, “the party has given fame and fortune to many of its members”. It takes a lot of courage, discipline and generosity to walk

out of and go against power just on principles. A mini mental test will be appropriate here: Mentally parade all those fighting amongst themselves in the PDP today and ask yourself how many of them will just for policy, ideology or for the sake of their people or country leave the party and political position without being forced to do so.

Nothing is new. We have seen the PDP in all its shapes and forms, and anything that comes from it henceforth is a recreation or at best a variation of what it has offered us in the past. Those of us voting and supporting the party or planning to do so, will do so based on what we

“

have seen and already know about the party. Acting surprised later is mere noise and an underserved privilege. More interesting is the opposition in the form of the newly formed association called All Peoples Congress (APC). As citizens and students, this thing called APC is more interesting to us because it is still an unknown entity in embryo; we shall have to call it “association” and “thing” because technically APC is still not a registered political party and, at that, some of us are shaking our heads for reasons we are reading around.

One of the reasons many of us greeted the amalgamation of

opposition parties into one big national force is because we feel it is good for Nigeria as a whole to have an alternative party capable of truly competing with the ruling party, and by so doing forcing both sides to give their best. This desire for a truly national opposition party is not new; many of us consider it an asset for our democracy hence the support for the project from many quarters even before they have achieved or promised anything.

To whom much is given, much is expected. As a new formation a lot of people are looking to as an alternative to the ruling party, the APC owes the citizens of this country a lot more than they seem

One of the reasons many of us greeted the amalgamation of opposition parties into one big national force is because we feel it is good for Nigeria as a whole to have an alternative party capable of truly competing with the ruling party, and by so doing forcing both sides to give their best. This desire for a truly national opposition party is not new; many of us consider it an asset for our democracy hence the support for the project from many quarters even before they have achieved or promised anything.

and to make matters even more ludicrous the information asked for is what should be on your account file anyway, unless you had no CAC registration when registering or used fake information or lied about who your shareholders, trustees or directors are. In that case you have an entirely different problem and if you happen to preach to a congregation then shame on you.

It is clear that Nigeria and Nigerians are unprepared for the reality of dealing with financial tracking to address crime, corruption and, yes, terror. If we are to tackle money laundry, high profile rape of our economy disguised under NGO’S bringing foreign stars and high profile entertainers, only to use same to siphon stolen money abroad, one can only wonder if those requesting due process and a tight control, strong anti corruption regime are prepared to deal with the level of new rules regarding information and financial transactions this will bring, if a small CBN 2012 directive is causing a near meltdown.

It also seems some churches had been complying with the directive before the twist in the tale.

“The General Overseer, Evangelical Ministries, Lagos, Bishop Steven Ogedengbe said his church’s account was not affected but called on affected religious organizations to resist the move.”Translation: As a law-abiding citizen I have updated my church account information but encourage you to fight the Government by not updating yours. Well, it is written in the two great holy books: Do unto others have now morphed into do as I say not as I do.

Follow Kayode Ogundamisi @ogundamisi to realise. It is not enough for them to play politics as usual. Judging by the way they have gone about their business so far, those managing the affairs of the APC do not seem to realize that they owe Nigerians not just politicking for power, but a real and proper display of how things can be done differently from how it has been done so far.

To those planning to contest for offices through the platform of the APC when it becomes a party, we wish all the best in their quest.

Their ambitions are legitimate, but they need to know that the citizens of this country are not expecting a replica of the PDP from them; we already have a thriving original PDP thank you very much and we can’t use two at a time, moreover replicas tend to be worse than originals.

To live up to expectations and to prove it is worthy of existing, the APC should rather than limit itself to courting this or that future ex-PDP member tell us first what it stands for and why anyone, politician or voter, should join and support it rather than stay with their present party. Whilst they get on with their registrations and nominations, we the citizens must start posing some questions to which the APC owes us some clear and credible answers. We shall start examining them next week.

Anthony A. Kila is on Twitter @anthonykila

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 16

Tackling Abuja’s unregulated transportation system FEATURE

By Stanley Onyekwere

T

here is no gainsaying that the renewed efforts by the FCT Administration to phase out the unregulated operation of unregistered and ill-maintained mini buses known as ‘Araba’ from Abuja through the introduction of an efficient and regulated transport system would help sanitize the system.

This is not unconnected to the gradual dousing of the uneasy calm atmosphere which hitherto greeted the reintroduction of the FCTA new transport policy, as it seemed to be gathering very strong momentum among key stakeholders in the sector.

The new policy, restraining minibuses operations to specified feeder routes outside city limits and in the satellite towns, was delayed from August 1, 2012 following increasing criticism from the operators in Abuja.

Areas the mini buses are not allowed to operate in the city include Wuse market to Eagle Square to Asokoro to AYA to Nyanya, Area 3 junction to Tafawa Balewa to Herbert Marcaulay Way to Berger junction to Jabi, Gudu market to Apo quarters to Ahmadu Bello way to Federal Secretariat to Gwarinpa and AYA to Shehu Shagari to Federal Secretariat to Transcorp Nicon junction.

According to the new policy, only licensed high capacity buses would be allowed to provide mass transit services whereas the Araba buses would operate at the satellite towns and other area councils of the territory.

Also, their operations would terminate at the various interchanges on the Kubwa axis, Yar’ Adua expressway and Nyanya interchange where they are to feed the highway with passengers for the high capacity buses to commute into the city centres.

However, for some, the coming into effect of the new policy is dangerous to freedom of movement of the downtrodden masses in the nation’s capital, because the number of alternative high capacity buses provided by the authority appears insufficient, to meet the increasing demand of the commuting population.

Prior to the reintroduction of the policy, after its aborted introduction early this year, commuters had heightened palpable fears regarding the policy; which the government also promised and assured relevant stakeholders in the sector to provide palliatives to cushion the effects, to would be displaced operators.

To this end, among other things emphasis was placed on issuance of taxi and high capacity bus licenses

Stranded passengers, at Nyanya Bus stop in Abuja. to this category of operators and any other organisation capable of providing requisite services in the sector.

Also, to allay fears by concerned residents, assurances were given on adequate, efficient and affordable high capacity buses and taxies to carter for their transport need and initial backlashes from the new system.

Though the transportation Master plan of the FCT explicitly provided for robust mass transit corridors, but attempts by the current FCT administration and other successive regimes to activate it had remained a contentious issue in the public domain.

But looking at the city’s increasing population, chaotic traffic situation and coupled with general raging insecurity problems in country, then the activation of the transportation blueprint for the territory like never before demanded urgent action.

Other problems ranging from flagrant abuse of pedestrian walkways, crossing bridges, bus stops motor parks and even green areas especially in the city centre, also tend to deface the beauty of the city.

As a result, the city became notoriously indentified with endemic traffic congestion, commuter mobility crises due to inadequate transportation infrastructure and inefficiency of the unregulated system.

With time, there were reported incidences of crimes in buses and taxis, where many valuables were lost and some involved lives.

Perhaps, understanding of this, the Senator Bala Mohammed ledFCT administration, in addition

to the introduction of a new transport policy explains why it is bent on putting further measures necessary in tackling the issue of non -adherence to traffic rules and regulations associated with unregulated system.

These include the Pilot Bus Rapid Transit; Computerized Road Worthiness testing services and Repairs; Biometric data capturing of all commercial drivers in the FCT; Electronic ticketing fare payment for Mass Transit Services/Parking as well as construction of pedestrian bridges.

And the FCTA having successfully began the enforcement of the new policy, took it a step further by launching the new Abuja taxi system, which is obviously, in a bid to rid the city of the operation of unregistered and unpainted taxis.

Precisely, on June 17, at the Old parade ground, the Vice President, Namadi Sambo launched the Abuja Taxi Scheme, “FCT SURE-P/AICL Abuja taxi”, with initial fleet of 160 out of a total of 1,000 new taxis, as integral part of the news policy.

The new taxi scheme launched under the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) is said to be managed by the Abuja Investments Company (AICL) under a revolving finance scheme.

Also reports revealed that all the taxis are comprehensively insured and fitted with tracking system, GPRS and billing meters.

According to the Vice President, the initiative would go a long way in the quest to ensure an efficient and affordable transport system and employment creation in the territory.

Photo Mahmud Isa He said the President Goodluck led-government was developing both the intra and inter-transport networks to connect Abuja City centre to the every section of the country, using all the means of transportation available.

“We have commenced the construction of the Abuja-Kaduna segment of the central corridor (Kaduna-Warri) standard gauge rail lines, which will link the capital city to other cities, satellite towns and villages therefore easing the problems of accommodation and transportation.

“On completion, people can leave outside Abuja and comfortably come to work daily; because we have identified that one of the major factors inhibiting our growth is the neglect of the transport sector; and therefore have developed a roadmap that will address the issue with all the seriousness and the urgency it deserves”, he explained.

In the same vein, the Minister of the FCT, Bala Mohammed, expressed confidence that the taxi scheme would evolve into a self-sustaining semi commercial transport venture that will provide residents of the FCT with a modern, secure and reliable taxi service.

According to him, each of the vehicles was procured at the cost of N2.6 million, while the FCTA would offer a discount of N200, 000 to the would-be beneficiaries.

However, chairman, Abuja Painted Taxi Association, Alh. Shehu Shigaba, who also expressed readiness to support the scheme, however appealed to the FCT administration to help them flush out operators of unpainted and

unregistered taxis in the territory.

Also expressing support for the reform initiative leadership of some operators under the aegis of Self Employed Drivers Association (SEDA) and National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in their remarks at the event assured of the commitment of stakeholders in the sector towards success of the scheme.

From available information, that FCTA through its transport secretariat has commenced collation of biometric information of all commercial drivers in the territory to be stored in its control room systems.

This will indeed help enhance security and efficiency of the system.

Notwithstanding the several noticeable fallouts of the new policy, many keen observers, especially those who had described the initiative as a welcome development and right steps, to not only ease the perennial transport challenges, but position the city on path of other modern capital cities in the world.

There is no doubt that the engagement of critical stakeholders in the formulation, fine-tuning and implementation of the new transport policy, would go a long way in the quest to reposition the sector into a much regulated and efficient system.

And most importantly, the novel style of inclusiveness posture of the process of activating a new and improved means of transportation for residents in and around the nation’s capital city would the image of the city its expected echelon in the schemes of things as well as deepen modern transportation culture among commuters.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 18

Metro INSIDE FCT COURTS

Careless driving lands man in court

Man arraigned over NSCDC recruitment scam

T

P

olice have arraigned one David Omokode, 47, of Mopol Quarters, Mararaba, in a Grade 1, Area Court, for alleged employment scam in the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The Prosecutor, Mr Inuwa Maigida, told the court that, one Abel Abimije reported the matter to the Aso Pada police station on June 19.

Maigida said that, on Nov. 12, 2012, Omokode collected N150, 000 from Abimije and promised to secure him a job with the NSCDC. The prosecutor said the accused diverted the money to his personal use and failed to get Abimije the job, an offence which contravened the provisions of Section 322 of the Penal Code.

Section 322 stipulates that if convicted, the accused shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine or with both.

However, the accused pleaded not guilty.

The Presiding Judge, Mr Alfred Maga, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N150, 000 and two sureties in like sum.

Maga said one of the sureties must be a traditional title holder with a landed property and resided within the jurisdiction of the court.

He adjourned the case to July 4 for further hearing. (NAN)

Labourer docked for hurting trader

A

20-year-old labourer, Tartsar Gbegbe of Gudaba village was on Tuesday arraigned by the police before a Kuje Area Court, for allegedly hurting a trader.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused person is facing one count charge of causing grievous hurt, an offence punishable under Section 247 of the Penal Code.

Section 247 stipulates three months imprisonment if an accused is found guilty of the offence.

The police prosecutor, Cpl. Ocheche Samuel, told the court that one Benjamin Akange, a trader at the Kuje International Market, lodged the complaint against Gbegbe at the Kuje Police Station on June 21.

“Gbegbe hit Akange on the head with a shovel on June 21 at about 10 a.m. He sustained a deep cut as a result of this.

“He was then taken to Kuje general hospital and later transferred to the Gwagwalada specialist hospital due to complications,’’ he said.

The accused pleaded guilty to the charge leveled against him.

The presiding judge, Mr Nuhu Ibrahim, ordered that the accused be remanded in Kuje Prison and adjourned the case to July 1 for further hearing. (NAN)

A lady hawking soft drinks, yesterday at Asokoro, in Abuja.

Photo Mahmud Isa

he police on Tuesday arraigned Mohammed Yahaya, 30, of Kubwa Village, Abuja, for careless driving.

The police prosecutor, Cpl. Monday Akor, told the court that the accused drove his Toyota Car carelessly along Shehu Shagari Way, Maitama.

He said the accused drove his Toyota Hiace vehicle with reg. No. XL 542 ABJ without due consideration for other road users and hit another vehicle, resulting in multiple accidents.

Akor said the offence contravenes the provision of Section 29 CAP 548 of the Road Traffic Act. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Senior Magistrate Grace Adebayo granted the accused bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like some, one of whom must be a civil servant.

She said the other surety must come from a recognised organisation, and adjourned the matter to July 24 for hearing.

(NAN)

Manslaughter: Truck driver docked over colleague’s death O ne Sale Danjuma, truck driver with Dubricks Quarry located at Pyakassa village of the FCT, has appeared before Magistrate, Mr Tony Ogboi of the Wuse Zone 2 Senior Magistrates’ Court, for alleged manslaughter.

Danjuma allegdly drove a truck with registration

number ABC 794 XA in a dangerous manner within the quarry premises in Pyakassa, in the process; he knocked down one of his colleagues, Obiahu Ajah, who sustained serious injuries.

The Prosecutor, Mr. Jeremiah Elijah, who told the court that, Danjuma was brought to the Lugbe police

station on Feb. 18, said Ajah died while he was being rushed to the hospital for medical attention.

He said that the offence contravened Section 27 CAP 548 of the Road Traffic Act. However, Danjuma pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Presiding Magistrate, however granted him bail in

the sum of N1 million with a reasonable surety in like sum.

Ogboi said the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction, and ordered that he deposit his passport-size photograph alongside that of the accused with the court.

He adjourned the case to July 12 for further hearing.

(NAN)

Two remanded in prison for public nuisance

A

Kuje Area Court has ordered two men, Umar Garba, 32, and Abdulrasheed Surajo, 20, to be remanded in prison custody for constituting themselves into public nuisance.

The suspects are facing a two-count charge of constituting themselves into public nuisance and making the atmosphere unhealthy.

The Prosecutor, Cpl. Ocheche Samuel, told the court that the accused were arrested by a team of police men on patrol led by one Insp.

Sunday Appolos, attached to the Kuje Police Division on June 21.

Samuel said the suspects were arrested when the police raided a black spot behind Oando Filling Station in Kuje

and were caught smoking dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.

He said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 183 and 192 of the Penal Code.

The section stipulates a total of four months in prison if the accused are found guilty of all the offences.

Samuel said that during

investigation the accused could not give satisfactory account of themselves.

The accused pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against them.

The Presiding Judge, Mr. Nuhu Ibrahim, ordered that the suspects be remanded in the Kuje Prison, and adjourned the case to July 7, for further mention. (NAN)

Trader jailed three months for escaping from custody

A

n Upper Area Court sitting in Gwagwalada has sentenced a 22-year-old businessman, Mustapha Bala, to three months in prison for escaping from lawful custody.

Bala, of Zuba Fruits Market in the FCT, was arraigned on a one-count charge of escaping from

lawful custody, an offence which contravened Section 173 of the Penal Code.

Bala pleaded guilty to the charge and begged for mercy.

Earlier, the Prosecuting Counsel, Mr Uche Idoko, had said the convict, who was under the detention of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in

Gwagwalada, had escaped from custody.

Idoko said Bala was earlier arrested on May 14 at the Zuba Fruits Market by the Civil Defence Corps personnel, but was later rearrested after his escape from custody.

Meanwhile the court had ordered Bala to be remanded

in prison for allegedly being in possession of stolen motorcycle following a no guilty plea by the convict to the allegation against him.

The Presiding Judge, Mr Babangida Hassan, however gave the convict an option of paying a N20, 000 fine or facing three months in prison. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 23

Stock Watch

Report as at Wednesday, June 26, 2013

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

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PAGE 25

Special Report

Cremation Act in Lagos: Matters arising

By Oluwatoyin Onigbanjo

E

ver since Goveror Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State assented to the Cremation Bill on June 10, opinions are divided on the suitability and desirability of the law.

Some cynics scream that cremation of bodies negates traditional African beliefs and the fundamental principles of all the major religions in the country.

Nevertheless, the state’s Attorney-General, Mr Adeola Ipaye, argued that cremation, as stated in the new law, was voluntary.

He stressed that a person might signify interest to be cremated after his or her death, adding that a member of the deceased’s family, who was 18 years and above, could also decide to have the body cremated

The law, however, empowers the state government to cremate unclaimed bodies in its mortuaries after a period of time.

Nonetheless, the law stipulates that cremation can only be done in the crematorium provided by the state or by licensed funeral homes.

At the ceremony which marked the signing of the bill into law, the bill’s sponsor, Mr Suuru Avoseh, the Chairman, House Committee on Health Services, had many questions, arising from the controversies surrounding the law, to answer.

However, Dr Anthony Omolola, the National President of the General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, said that the Cremation Act was in order, adding that cremation was a

globally acceptable practice.

Also speaking, Dr Francis Faduyile, the Chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), lauded the governor for signing the bill, saying that the action signified that the state was willing to adopt beneficial global practices.

On the other hand, several religious leaders and lawmakers, who witnessed the signing ceremony, kicked against the law on the grounds that it was anti-religious and anti-cultural.

Alhaji Moyashau Abolaji, an Islamic scholar, vehemently rejected the approval of cremation of bodies, saying that the innovation was not supported by Islam.

Days after the emergence of the cremation law, mixed reactions have continued to trail the law permitting the cremation of corpses.

A cleric, Pastor Femi Adejuyigbe, said: ``I cannot imagine being burnt in an oven after my demise; we were meant to go six feet below, period.’’

Sharing similar sentiments, Mr Segun Ibironke, an accountant, said that the cremation of bodies was against the culture of most Nigerians.

Ibironke suggested that more lands should be allocated for the construction of more cemeteries in low density areas across the state, while the families of non-indigenes should be instructed to take the bodies of their kin to their hometowns for burial.

Mrs Joy Ihimodu, a school teacher, was, however, indifferent to the notion of cremation, insisting that since cremation was not compulsory under the law, the residents could choose what to do with

the bodies of their loved ones.

All the same, Mr Yinusa Wusu, a vault attendant, believed that governor could have been compelled to sign the cremation bill into law because of the rising cases of theft of bodies from cemeteries.

Wusu noted that most of the cemeteries in the urban areas of the state did not have enough space, adding that most of the bodies buried therein were also not interred deep enough. ``During the rainy season, some skeletal parts of buried corpses come to the surface and float; posing health hazards to the people living in the neighbouhood,’’ he added.

Mr Ifakayode Ahmed, an Ifa (a Yoruba deity) worshipper, said that even though cremation had been legalised in Lagos State, the people still had an option of

choice.

He particularly advised religious leaders not to be unduly sentimental about the new law. ``I have studied the Holy Book of Christians and my mother is a Muslim; I don’t think it is written anywhere that the dead must be buried this way or that way. ``What we know is that we will return to dust and your soul will go to back to God; it does not matter how your body decays,’’ Ahmed said.

All the same, Mr Tunji Okusanya, a funeral undertaker, stressed that cremation had been the preferred option of burial for some Nigerians and foreigners living in the country even before now.

He said that the cremation law would not reduce the demand for caskets and other burial accessories in any way.

Governor Babatunde Fashola

Cremation house

Okusanya, however, conceded that due to some cultural and religious factors, it could take about a century or more for cremation to be widely accepted in the country. ``Cremation is accepted by some families, though not many, because of its benefits.

It does not prevent the family from performing the usual funeral rites on the body, as the corpse could still be taken to church and viewed before cremation. ``Cremation, as many people think, is not done haphazardly; it is done in a crematorium, where a special oven-like machine powered with gas is pre-heated and the dead body is placed in it to burn in the presence of family members. ``For about two hours, the body burns neatly and the ashes are presented to a representative of the family immediately; it does not cause any pollution to the environment,’’ he said.

Okusanya said that some Nigerian families, having adopted the lifestyles of Indians and some foreigners,

Speaker, Lagos state House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji

preferred cremating their dead family members because the ashes could be kept inside jewellery boxes, photo frames, and bronze containers for as long as they wished.

He, however, frowned at the section of the law which empowered the state government to cremate unclaimed bodies after a period of time.

According to him, no dead should be termed unclaimed because of the state of insecurity in the country where murder, kidnapping and loss of persons are rife. ``Cremating so called `unclaimed’ bodies would only complicate issues surrounding many murder and kidnap cases, as it would not give ample room for further investigations and legal action,’’ he added.

Mr Dare Peters, the Sales Manager of Omega Funeral Homes, Lagos, said that legalising cremation would go a long way in reducing environmental hazards, as existing burial vaults would be decongested.

He said that people might

begin to freely consider the cremation option in order to save the cost of securing a vault space and other expenses needed for elaborate burial.

He, however, underscored the need to review the aspect of the law which authorised the cremation of unclaimed bodies by the state government, adding that the review should be done in concert with law

enforcement agencies, as it had the potential of complicating security issues.

Mr Murtala Busari, a Fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Town Planners, nonetheless, said that it was not a wise decision to use the available land in city suburbs across the state to build cemeteries. ``While we are trying to develop the small towns for

“

`The law has not enforced cremation on anyone; instead, it will promote liberty and freedom of choice, as Lagos is a land of many cultures, including foreigners who cremate their dead

agricultural, housing and industrial projects, some people are now suggesting that the government should use them for cemeteries. ``The law has not enforced cremation on anyone; instead, it will promote liberty and freedom of choice, as Lagos is a land of many cultures, including foreigners who cremate their dead,’’ he said.

Mrs Bisi Bright, the Country Representative of Live Well Initiative, said that in addition to legalising cremation, the state government should also strive to advise residents against burying their dead in their homes.

She said that the burial of bodies in residential areas would be inimical to the people’s health, as it could provoke outbreak of epidemics and diseases.

Bright said with the law now in place, many residents would embrace cremation, while the tendency for people to bury their dead within the precincts of their homes would considerably reduce.

Source: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 27

Mother Earth

The impunity of our leaders over environmental matters

L

ast year, there was an unprecedented case of the trial and sentencing of six scientists to jail over the L’Aquila earthquake of 20009 in Italy, with the world scientists’ community watching in disbelieves. They were jailed simply for not been able to predict the 2009 deadly earthquake that killed 309 people before it occurred.

But world leading scientists said it was unheard of, claiming that till date, there is no instrument to predict major earthquakes before they happened. So, why were the seismologists and geological experts convicted, if that were true?

I must say that the onus of this case was not lost on the government and people of Italy.

The reason would have been to ensure that in the nearest future, people entrusted with public responsibilities should be thorough in their assignments, especially when it concerns the people.

If it were in Nigeria, the trial and sentencing of these imminent scientists would have been given different interpretations. Some people would have called it political persecution, either for not supporting the government in power, or for other superfluous reasons. Believe you me; people would have been on the streets demonstrating in support of the scientists, though for what many considered as unprecedented.

But this happened in Italy, a very prominent and a democratic country in Europe.

But that’s not the reason for this column today; it is about the issue of Cactus Opuntia plantation being established in some northern states to fight desertification that has become an all time fraud.

If it were in China, by now many heads would have been chopped off over this monumental fraud. But this is Nigeria; those involved are still prowling the streets with exotic cars; building houses in choice areas of the country.

If it were in other countries considered to be civilized, governments would have by now set up panel of enquiries to investigate this matter not caring whose ox is gored. But this is Nigeria; anything goes.

It is quite obvious that officials of the Ministry of Environment and the Ecological Fund Office are aware of this, but choose to look the other way, while millions of Nigerians who live in that harsh environment have continued to be suffering from the monumental impacts of desertification.

Some notable foresters have been palpably angry that the proponents of the establishment of Cactus Opuntia plantation program did not have the benefit of taking a basic course in forestry sciences. If they did, they simply choose to ignore the advice of experts and foresters, and went

ahead with the program, obviously for pecuniary reasons.

From the beginning, all the Directors of Forestry and Environment in the affected Northern states overtly opposed to this program, having known that it was a total fraud. Yet, those powerful politicians and the power that be allowed it to sail through.

Their grouse was that when an exotic species is being introduced into a non-indigenous environment, there are ecological procedure that the plant must go through before a plantation

the then Minister of Environment, the Federal Executive Council and the Presidency.

The above assertion is substantiated by official comments, professional and expert advice in a memo to the Permanent Secretary by the then Director of Forestry.

Their postulation is that the weakness in the use of cacti for desertification control is that they do not produce thick canopies that can effectively withstand and break windstorms.

Their argument also is that

ENVIRONMENT WATCH

By Ambrose Inusa Sule, mnes globenviron@yahoo.com 0703-441-4410 (sms only) part of the National Afforestation Programme of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, designed to roll back the expanding Sahara Desert and generally put in place mitigation measures to combat the imminent effect of climate change.

Agreed that the Sahel and the Sudan savannah regions of Nigeria

not meet this natural silvicultural requirement.

The second requirement is that the species should possess the natural attributes of allowing undergrowth vegetation imperative for checking both water and wind erosion. Scientific research on Cactus opuntia reveals that the species is negatively

A sophisticated research device under construction at the National Space Research and Development Agency premises in Abuja of such is established, amongst which are the provenance and species trials.

They argued that Gmelina arborea, Tectona grandis, obeche and Azadiratchta indica (dongoyaro) went through these processes before large scale plantations of these species were established. And the Cactus program has not gone through the scientific due process and exposed us to grave risk of importing invasive species like the water hyacinth into our environment.

This shows that the present Cactus program is a blunder and a monumental fraud concocted to swindle government of large sums of tax payers’ money with a visible connivance with some MDAs. It has also been revealed that the cactus program did not receive the expert blessing from one of the principal relevant Departments in the Ministry of Environment.

Despite the clear objection to the program, a sister department with incompetent disciplinary backgrounds went ahead deceiving

the success in the use of cacti in Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, which was being touted by the proponents of the program, should know that the semi-arid condition which prevails in Nigeria is not the same with those countries.

It was on this note that the Federal Government was seriously advised that the proponents of a cactus program should provide some propagates of cacti species for field trials by Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria to establish the economic advantages, adaptability and environmental friendliness of the plant to the arid zones of Nigeria.

It is unfortunate that this professional advice was never taken, simply because some people were using this unviable program to steal billions from the government, money that would have been enough for other viable projects in the economy.

It could be recalled that the establishment of the Cactus Opuntia plantations in the eighteen northern states was

are characterized by a hostile environment of erratic rainfall, high temperatures, low humidity, abnormally low precipitation, all culminating into a poor and degraded environment devoid of productive forests.

Some prominent foresters have called for the investigation of the case of the Cactus opuntia as a species to check desert encroachment. They claim that for a species to be qualified or considered for checking desert encroachment, the said species must have three basic attributes.

First, the species must have dense foliage to act as wind break thereby protecting the arable lands. The foliage does not only protect the top soil from the North-east hostile wind, but also ensures that the heavily force of rain drops are physically broken prior to hitting the soil. This cushioning effect of rain drops protects the soil against water erosion to which arid lands are very vulnerable. The plant species in question, Cactus opuntia does

allelopathic, secreting poisonous exudates that discourage the growth of lower vegetations around the plant. This unwanted attribute definitely disqualifies Cactus Opuntia as a choice species for checking desert encroachment.

The third attribute to be scientifically and silviculturally considered here is the root structure of a species for obstructing desertification. The tap root must be deeply rooted at least one-half the height of the tree to resist high wind velocity and also to tap water from lower aquifers. The horizontal spread of the root must also be considered, this attractive necessary to hold the soil texture firmly for the protection of the soil against erosion of all types.This cactus opuntia is totally devoid of this natural and important attribute for checking desert environment.

Then why has the federal government failed to investigate this matter, knowing full well it’s proclaimed zero tolerance for corruption?

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 26

Mother Earth World’s poorest will feel brunt of climate change, warns World Bank

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roughts, floods, sea-level rises and fiercer storms are likely to undermine progress in developing world and hit food supply.

Millions of people around the world are likely to be pushed back into poverty because climate change is undermining economic development in poor countries, the World Bank has warned.

Droughts, floods, heatwaves, sea-level rises and fiercer storms are likely to accompany increasing global warming and will cause severe hardship in areas that are already poor or were emerging from poverty, the bank said in a report.

Food shortages will be among the first consequences within just two decades, along with damage to cities from fiercer storms and migration as people try to escape the effects.

In sub-Saharan Africa, increasing droughts and excessive heat are likely to mean that within about 20 years the staple crop maize will no longer thrive in about 40% of current farmland.

In other parts of the region rising temperatures will kill or degrade swaths of the savanna used to graze livestock, according to the report, Turn down the heat: climate extremes, regional impacts and the case for resilience.

In south-east Asia, events such as the devastating floods in Pakistan in 2010, which affected 20 million people, could become commonplace, while changes to the monsoon could bring severe hardship to Indian farmers.

Warming of at least 2C (36F) – regarded by scientists as the limit of safety beyond which changes to the climate are likely to become catastrophic and irreversible – is all but inevitable on current levels, and the efforts of governments are limited to trying to prevent temperature rises passing over this threshold. But many parts of the world are already experiencing severe challenges as a result of climate change, according to the World Bank, and this will intensify as temperatures rise.

Jim Yong Kim, the bank’s

The Niger-Delta region has continued to suffer worst trouble from the Oil Spill caused by Shell president, warned that climate change should not be seen as a future problem that could be put off: “The scientists tell us that if the world warms by 2C – warming which may be reached in 20 to 30 years – that will cause widespread food shortages, unprecedented heatwaves, and more intense cyclones.

“In the near-term, climate change – which is already unfolding – could batter the slums even more and greatly harm the lives and hopes of individuals and families who have had little hand in raising the Earth’s temperature.”

The development bank is stepping up its funding for countries to adapt to the effects of climate change, and is calling for rich countries to make greater efforts at cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Rachel Kyte, vice president of the World Bank, said it had

doubled its aid for adaptation from $2.3bn (£1.47bn) in 2011 to $4.6bn last year, and called for a further doubling. She said the bank was working to tie its disaster aid and climate change adaptation funding closer together.

Aid from the bank to help poor countries cut their greenhouse gas emissions and pursue environmentally sustainable economic development stands at about $7bn a year, and is backed by about $20bn from regional development banks and other partners.

The report’s authors used the latest climate science to examine the likely effects of global warming of 2C to 4C on agriculture, water resources, coastal ecosystems and fisheries, and cities, across subSaharan Africa, south and southeast Asia.

Kyte said the effects would be to magnify the problems that

developing regions experience.

More people would be pushed into slums, with an increased risk of disease. “We are looking at major new initiatives [in] cities; cities need billions of investment in infrastructure, but many developing cities are not really creditworthy,” she said.

She pointed to Jakarta, where rising sea levels and decades of pumping freshwater from underground sources beneath and around the city were increasing its vulnerability to flooding. Choices would need to be made soon in many cities on how to stem the likely effects, but Kyte warned that the plans must be futureproof, citing Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, which has been forced to rethink its flood preparations despite spending $2bn on them.

Green campaigners emphasised the need to try to avoid 2C of warming, which scientists stay is

possible if countries bolster their ambitions to cut greenhouse gas ambitions in the near future.

Stephanie Tunmore, climate campaigner at Greenpeace International, said: “Fossil fuels are being extracted in burned in the name of development and prosperity, but what they are delivering is the opposite.

“Some major impacts from climate change are already unavoidable and rich countries must urgently support the poor and vulnerable to adapt. But massive increases in the future cost of adaptation and damage can only be avoided by investing in a clean energy future now.”

The World Bank has come under fire in the past for funding coal-fired power plants in some developing countries. However, it said the move was the result of old policies and was being phased out.

Source: News Trust

Nigerians need enlightenment to manage waste water -- Official

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igerians need proper enlightenment and monitoring on the management of waste water in relation to the environment, an environmentalist said.

Deputy Director, Environmental Health Services, Pollution and Waste Management Department, Ministry of Environment, Mrs Funmilayo Oyeyipo, made the statement in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja recently.

Oyeyipo said waste water was usually the by-product of the activities of artisans, such as mechanics,

hairdressers and restaurant operators.

“The dirty or waste water that food sellers, cooks and hairdressers used goes straight to the drainage, honestly, these people see it as they are doing the right thing,’’ she said.

Oyeyipo said such water, which contained chemicals, if not properly disposed of, mixed with the underground water and contaminated the environment.

“Until public awareness is introduced, both at state and local levels, these chemicals will continue to affect us. “ People have to be educated,

sensitised and enlightened on the hazard; give them proper orientation so as not to allow the monetary aspect to overtake their safety and that of their environment,’’ she said.

Oyeyipo pointed out that most sicknesses resulted from the consumption of chemicals through underground water and food.

“One of the greatest concerns of these chemicals is in the area of water pollution and man in this case should be considered most important since man is the consumer of food and water.

“When these chemicals enter the

ground, they cause a lot of harm to the biological organisms, such as plants and animals.

“In water, they cause a lot of problems because some of them are known to cause cancer, irritation and other skin related ailments,’’ she said.

Oyeyipo said that the major concern was that most of the chemicals were not treatable during waste water recycling.

She said although the supply of good water was expensive, it should not cause people to drink polluted water.

“It is very common in cities like

Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, among others to see people fetching water from anywhere, be it broken pipe inside gutter,’’ Oyeyipo said.

She said that the situation in the villages was worse as villagers never bothered to clean their rivers, adding that “manufacturers should minimise the exposure of chemicals to people and in addition educate the public on the danger chemicals posed to the environment.”

She appealed to local government authorities to enlighten the people on the management of waste water and the environment. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2013

PAGE 28

News Analysis

Child prodigy, 2, becomes youngest member of British Mensa

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he toddler’s parents Dean, 33, and KerryAnn, 31, say they realised their son was different when he’d potty-trained himself after reading a book on the subject aged just one.

His father, Mr Kirby, an IT consultant from Mitcham, London, said: ‘Adam’s abilities are outstanding and we’ve been actively developing his intelligence since he was 10 weeks old - but we’re certainly delighted for him.

‘While most children are just learning to stand up or crawl Adam was reading books, his development was just mindblowingly quick.

‘We used to show him cards with the words hippopotamus and rhinoceros on them and he could identify the right animals most of the time.’

The Stanford-Binet exam, originally developed by French psychologist Alfred Binet and revised by Stanford University’s Lewis Terman in 1916, has become renowned for being able to accurately determine a child’s intelligence levels and predict future grades.

Adam’s score of 141 - just four shy of the ‘Genius’ category - puts him head and shoulders above

Youngest Mensa member: Adam Kirby, aged two, has an IQ of 141, just four points short of Genius level

The gifted toddler can identify countries on a map and knows the planets of the solar system the average Brit’s IQ of 100.

Mr Kirby said: ‘Neither my wife nor I are Mensa members.

We are both bright, but Adam is significantly more advanced at his age than we were.

‘I think the main reason for

his rapid development is that we have found effective ways to make learning enjoyable.

‘Adam is able to progress at his own pace whenever he chooses to and in areas of his

Adam started reading aged just one, right, and is now reading Oxford Reading Tree books for seven-year-old

Bright family: Mr and Mrs Kirby have high hopes for their younger son Ethan, who is not yet two months old

Adam has already mastered most of his times tables and is reading books designed for seven-year-olds

Adam’s IQ score of 141 puts him above US President Barack Obama and British PM David Cameron, right

choosing.

‘He knows the planets of the solar system, dozens of pairs of words with opposite meanings he has a great sense of humour and most importantly he is selfmotivated, athletic, very happy

and playful.’

Adam, who is reading the Oxford Reading Tree series designed for seven-year-olds, is already in the top 1.3 per cent of the population.

And his parents expect him to score even higher once his communication skills develop fully.

John Stevenage, British Mensa’s CEO, said: ‘The members of Mensa always welcome new additions as we aim to stimulate people in an intellectual and social environment.

‘We are look to help gifted children and encourage them to develop at an extraordinary.

‘We look forward to Adam joining Mensa and expect him to have a very bright future.’

Adam’s younger brother Ethan is not yet two months old, but his parents are expecting great things.

Mr Kirby said: ‘I expect that he will develop at a faster pace than Adam as my wife and I are now more experienced, and he has his older brother Adam to learn from.

‘In addition, I’ve read that second children tend to be in a hurry to catch up with their older siblings, so I think this will keep him on an upwards curve.’

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

His remarkable level means he becomes only the 19th UK child ever to join Mensa before even going to school.

Little Adam started to read when he was just one, and can type words and numbers on a keyboard

PAGE 28

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

Emergency Update

2013: Building a disaster resilient community

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e hope! We hope that there will be a better mobilization of interventions to prevent rather than having to respond. In too many places we find ourselves involved in humanitarian response that could have been prevented. So there has to be more focus on development and helping people to cope, survive and build their lives and their livelihoods, rather than allowing them to become so fragile that any shock causes them to become dependent on aid”, said the Operations Director of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), John Ging in a recent interview.

Over the years, disaster management in Nigeria has been perceived by many as mainly humanitarian relief supplies with huge funds expended annually on perennial emergencies making the some state governments to pay little or no attention to the key phases of

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Muhammad Sani-Sidi once reminded us that inadequate preparedness and lack of sustainability in our development options result to a major disaster.

Similarly, there is no doubt that the State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and Local Emergency Management Committees if skillfully installed, mobilised and deployed by the state and local governments respectively, their involvements and participations will constitute immense forces of social change that could bring about effectiveness and sustainability in the states and grassroots’ response to manageable hazards and grossly, national development.

Since the occurrence of hazards takes place in a community and the people must suffer the impacts of the hazards, equally the degree of resultant damage by such hazards would depend on the vulnerability and community level of preparedness. In this case,

from elsewhere.

At various levels of government, we cannot deny the fact that to set a well formalized and institutionalized administrative capacity experienced staff, personnel training and retraining programmes are seriously required.

The possibility of this is doubtful without the establishment of effective and well-funded SEMAs and LEMAs throughout the 36 states in the country.

Surprisingly, it was reported in NEMA’s 2010 Annual Report that only 23 out the 36 states have SEMAs backed by law; while most of them have no financial provisions or administrative structures to enable them function effectively. The major arms of government are mandated to facilitate the full implementation and integration of emergency management programmes at the state and community levels.

While lamenting on ill-funded and unequipped disaster management

YOUTH FOR PUBLIC SAFETY

By Abubakar Jimoh abujimoh01@yahoo.com apart from giving the high level of independency to SEMAs in disaster management, it was expected that the World Bank, NEMA, SEMAs and other national and state agencies will strengthen their partnership in disaster response and risk reduction to reduce the vulnerability of Nigerians to natural hazards.

Apart from the World Bank’s assistance, there exists Ecological Fund monthly allocated to each state from the Federation Account by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

However, the Youths Against Disaster Initiative (YADI) recently gathered that the long era of mismanagement and corruption, which could be largely attributed to state governments have discouraged the establishment and effective operation of SEMAs and LEMAs in some states.

NEMA official, ready to test-run the newly procured Mobile Intensive Care Unit Ambullance disaster management—preparedness and preventions.

With the accelerating cases of global warming from which Nigeria is presently taking her own share, there is need for a conventional orientation to disaster management, which in the words of Olusegun Ojo & Adedayo Ogundimu (2008) involves the conceptualization of ideas and mapping out of strategies to influence the development planning process.

More importantly, community empowerment through the enhancement of local capacity of the people concerned using the available materials and strategic methods in their domains and inculcate in them useful skills and knowledge to help the community respond adequately to hazards when they occur is an informed choice for positive action to avert disaster-related problems.

Just as disaster management stakeholders must remember that an empowered community is a veritable tool for sustainable development actions. The Director General of the

one could ask, why must we wait for disasters to strike before we provide avertable humanitarian reliefs?

To achieve effectiveness in the conventional orientation to disaster management, there must be a formalized sensitization of the state and local governments to recognize that disaster management is not limited to humanitarian aids, but also helping the victims to plan and militate against the effects of disasters. By so doing, the local leaders in their socio-economic and political realms would be made to accept primary responsibility to protect their communities from disasters.

It was in a bid to attain the above position that Youths Against Disaster Initiative (YADI) advises the state and local governments to realize the fact that they cannot count on help coming from other jurisdictions in the first 24 hours of a catastrophe. For a sound and effective disaster management, it is recommended that local authorities are prepared to take charge of the initial management of the emergency for at least 72 hours when help may come

administrations by state and local governments, Clementinal l. Aisueni in 2010 reported: “It is difficult for the NEMA’s training department to fully coordinate and monitor the training of the staff of the Agency and other stakeholders at the six Centres for Disasters Management and Development Studies. In the year 2010, the department did not enjoy the solicited support of State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and the Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs) towards sensitization on Disaster issues. The usual reason from them is lack of fund for collaboration with NEMA”.

Indeed, in 2010, NEMA appealed to the World Bank for support in the recovery process. The collaboration led to the agreement that the Bank would strengthen the capacities of NEMA and SEMAs in Disaster Damage and Loss Assessment, and help the country to get a better overview of the economic impacts and disaster resilience.

While on long term basis,

Strengthening the operative capacity of the states’ emergency response, SEMAs must seek effective collaboration of the existing disaster management stakeholders in the states as required in section 8(1) of the Act establishing NEMA in 2001, which stated: “There is hereby established for each State of the Federation, a State Emergency Management Committee”.

Sub section 2 of the Act elaborates that the State Committee shall consist of the Deputy Governor of the state who shall be the chairman; the Secretary to the State Government; one representative each from the State Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, the State Ministry of Health, the State Ministry of Works, the State Fire Service, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, the State Environmental Protection Agency, the Nigerian Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Commission, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Nigerian Red Cross Society, and National Maritime Authority in coastal States.

Also, to establish workable

and meaningful volunteers at the grassroots level, the states must equip and mobilise LEMCs with disaster management training and skills to enable them provide assistance at all phases of disaster management including prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

LEMCs on their own parts must ensure constant running of the emergency training and engagement, registration and development of the volunteers’ databank.

The training for LEMC in each community should focus on the objective of the Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis (VCA), which is to conduct a detailed and comprehensive hazards, population and infrastructure vulnerabilities and capacities as well as risk analysis to support mitigation, preparedness and response, taking advantage of their local methods and resources.

In his opinions on the Capacity Analysis towards Disaster Risk Reduction, Charles A. Agbo (2010) provided a strategic approach that, it is becoming increasingly clear that livelihood strategies are intricately linked to coping capacities. In his analysis, livelihood and coping capacities are inter-related; as modern day mitigation and preparedness options are tied to the household production, consumption and exchange capacities.

Furthermore, it was in support of the above Kayode Fagbemi (2010), encouraged the master trainers at grassroots levels to access and address major risks affecting the communities; determine the people vulnerability to those risks, and their capacity to cope and recover from disaster; help the communities to understand the hazards they face; assist them in taking the necessary measures to improve the situation, based on their own skills, knowledge and initiatives; and prepare the people against hazards and prevent them from turning into disasters.

The trainers must as well understand that to achieve the community’s acceptance of the training and skills brought to them by the government, they must be ready to identify the unique cultural background, the environmental attributes as well as other internal resources through which problems have been solved in each community and be ready to accommodate these community-specify features to the Disaster Risk Reduction Interventions; as advised by Alhassan Nuhu in his 2012 Media Retreat Lecture on Disaster Management.

The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ ISDR) introduced Participatory Community Appraisal (PCA) (i.e. involvement of community members) as a useful method of disaster risk assessment when the community actively engaged in debate about the formal evaluation of risks. PCA would help to facilitate the documentation of local knowledge and interpretation of risk synthesized with outside approaches and captions. It would allow for positive response and active participation by the community, since the interaction is done at the community level.

Finally, giving cognizance recognition to the roles of community leaders in awareness and sensitisation on the community vulnerable hazards is a preventive opportunity against proactive disasters. Community leaders would help to notify their people, their neighbouring communities and if necessary local government of the possible consequences of the identified risk.

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

Feature

FG efforts in meeting MDGs, improving education

By Ifeanyi Nwoko

A

s the 2015 deadline for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approaches, opinions are divided as to whether Nigeria will be able to meet the deadline.

At a recent stakeholders’ meeting held in Ibadan, participants expressed concern that Nigeria might not be able to meet the targets of the MDGs. The theme of the stakeholders’ discourse is ``ICT and Youth Development: Are Youths Schooling or Educating?’’

Prof. Isaac Adewole, the ViceChancellor, University of Ibadan, who spoke at the meeting, said that Nigeria might not be able to attain the targets, unless the policy makers showed increased commitment. ``The current reality of our country has shown that it would be difficult to meet the MDGs as conceived by 2015. ``Nigeria is faced with huge challenges and the developmental indices are very poor. It may be difficult for the targets to be met in record time,’’ he said However, Dr Precious Gbeneol, the Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, who spoke at the ongoing Ministerial Platform in Abuja, stressed that Nigeria had indeed attained some of the goals. ``Nigeria has been able to achieve Goals One, Three and Six and we are on track with regard to Goals Two, Four, Five and Eight. ``We are working hard on Goal Seven with less than 1,000 days to the deadline of the MDGs tenure. ``Efforts are being made to sustain this progress,’’ she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that MDG One is about the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger; MDG Two is achieving universal primary education, while the third goal is promoting gender equity and empowering women.

Goal Four is reducing child mortality; MDG five is improving maternal health; while the sixth goal is combating HIV/ AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

Goal Seven is ensuring environmental sustainability, while Goal Eight is promoting global partnership for development.

On poverty, Gbeneol said that the country’s poverty eradication programmes were being scaled up, adding that they were now coordinated in a better way.

Besides, the MDGs chief said that recent statistics indicated a reduced proportion of underweight children from 35.7 per cent in 1990 to 27.4 per cent in 2012. ``Government is working tirelessly to develop agriculture as well as create jobs and enabling environment for agrobusiness. ``We are making sufficient progress in promoting gender equality and empowering women. ``The proportion of children, 12 months of age, immunised against measles increased from 31.4 per cent in 2003 to 55.5 per cent in 2012,’’ she said.

Moreover, Gbeneol said that a sharp decrease had been recorded in malaria and HIV/AIDS prevalence rates.

She said that data from the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA)

Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, Dr Precious Gbeneol, indicated a continuation in the fall of the HIV prevalence from 5.8 per to 4.1 per cent in 2012.

The presidential aide also noted that an increased proportion of children now slept under long lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs). ``With sustained attention, tuberculosis is expected to be a limited public health burden by 2015,’’ Gbeneol added.

The chief executive officers of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Tertiary Education

Trust Fund (TETFund), who appeared at platform alongside Gbeneol, also recounted the achievements of their agencies in the last two years.

Prof, Charles Onocha, the Acting Executive Secretary of UBEC, said that the commission received more than N73 billion as intervention funds in the last two years.

He said that N61 billion had been disbursed to the 36 states and the FCT for the provision of education infrastructure. ``From May to December 2011, the Federal Government, through its UBE

“

Between May 2011 and May 2013, N67 billion non-conditional grants were released for selfhelp projects, almajiri, girl-child and boychild education projects, special education fund, instructional materials and teachers’ development fund,’’ he said

matching grants, released and disbursed N25 billion to states for the construction and renovation of classrooms for primary schools. ``From January to December 2012, the Federal Government also disbursed over N19 billion as matching grants to states, while N15 billion was also disbursed to states from January to May 2013. ``Between May 2011 and May 2013, N67 billion non-conditional grants were released for self-help projects, almajiri, girl-child and boy-child education projects, special education fund, instructional materials and teachers’ development fund,’’ he said.

Onocha said that vocational skills acquisition centres were established in the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones for the boy-child.

He said the Federal Government, through the commission, designed the BoyChild Education Programme to address the issue of out-of-school children in the zones.

He also said that a need assessment survey had commenced in the SouthSouth and South-East zones, with a view to sensitising the people and soliciting stakeholders’ commitment to the programme.

On Almajiri Education Programme, Onocha said that 50 out of the 89 almajiri schools had been completed and furnished, adding that the schools would soon be handed over to state governments.

In his presentation, Malam Aliyu Na’iya, the Acting Executive Secretary of TETFund, said that N574 billion was spent from 2003 to date to support 201 tertiary educational institutions.

He said that the funds were disbursed to 78 federal and state universities, 60 federal and state polytechnics and 63 federal and state colleges of education. ``TETFund is the key agency for actualising a four-year strategic plan of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in focal areas of funding, partnerships, resource mobilisation and utilisation,” he said.

Na’iya said that the agency had constructed micro-teaching laboratories in 58 institutions, including all federal colleges of education, one state college of education and one FCT college of education.

He said that TETFund had released an initial tranche of N4.7 billion for the provision of infrastructure in each of the nine new federal universities.

Besides, Na’iya said that 58 federal and state colleges of education were provided multi-media micro-teaching laboratories. ``TETFund will continue to prioritise support for the actualisation of the Transformation Agenda through the fouryear strategic plan of improving access and quality of education at tertiary levels,’’ he said.

Analysts note that the funding of education has appreciably improved under the Jonathan-administration but they urge the government to boost the funding in the coming years.

They also believe the Nigeria will be able to achieve all the targets of the MDGs before 2015 if the government increases its commitment toward the funding of MDGs programmes and projects.

Source: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

ANALYSIS

By Larbi Sadiki

E

ighteen years after executing a bloodless coup that kindled a passion for modernising and rebranding Qatar, Emir Hamad bin Khalifah Al Thani now upgrades statecraft to a new level: a voluntary transfer of power to the younger generation.

Through this masterful “gamechanger”, Emir Hamad effectively exorcises the ghost of his own father whom he deposed in 1995. More importantly, he sets Qatar on a transitional trajectory for his soon-tobe successor Crown Prince Tamim bin Hamad to follow and measure up to.

Paraphrasing Niccolo Machiavelli, Emir Hamad proves himself not to be the kind of prince motivated by preserving the status quo, but rather by overthrowing it. As Qatar, the Middle East and North Africa, and the world await the transfer, which is expected to be formalised in August, one question remains: How will the 31-year-old Sandhurst-trained Crown Prince Tamim, will borrow this leaf from his father’s book?

Will this move benefit Qatar? At face value, this is both a transfer (handover of power from father to son) and a transition (a long-term process of transformation).

No outsiders will be privy to the full facts of the planned transfer of power in Qatar. Once an impoverished pearl-fishing country, it is now a bustling centre of diplomacy, finance and culture firmly plugged into the global economy and a partner with the West. Nonetheless, this bold move occurs at a pivotal moment in a region experiencing continual upheavals and challenges.

The missing pieces in the jigsaw puzzle for this transfer will be left for future historians to identify. The question as to what drives an Emir in the apogee of his power to abdicate, boasting an impressive track record of achievements in wealth-making, welfare distribution, stability, security, niche diplomacy and continuous institution-building, is not easily answerable.

Retirement due to illness does not seem to be on the agenda of AbdulazizBouteflika in Algeria or King Abdullah in neighbouring Saudi Arabia – both are older and in poorer health than the Emir. However, if one goes by the facts, popularly known and others not so, we can begin to sketch out the outlines and some details of this unprecedented act of far-sightedness.

Thus, it is a testimony to the acumen and experience acquired through the years by Sheikh Hamad both as a crown prince and now as Emir.

“Power” is central to the study of political science, and based on personal experience, Emir Hamad (the father) has strengthened and stabilised Qatar’s power by transferring the reigns to his son. He, himself, does not want to be overthrown by his son. In the words of Machiavelli, one would have to be contented with the view that ‘sufficient sand has escaped form the hourglass’ of Emir Hamad’s political ‘life’ to see more clearly than other mortals in his political posse.

Power succession looms large not just in Qatar, but in the Gulf as well. In a region where heads of state are selected, this position of absolute power is transferred between the elders of the anointed cliques within royal houses. Gerontocracy appears to be an

PAGE 31

International

Qatar: The making of Machiavelli’s ‘The Prince’

Tamim bin Hamad anachronistic system in Doha.

The planned abdication in favour of someone who falls into the ‘youth bulge’ of the Arab world, especially in the context of the Arab Spring is a rude awakening to Qatar’s immediate neighbours. This decision will reverberate across the capitals of the Gulf monarchies. A new way of ‘doing’ succession has arrived onto the scene and new norms are subtly being introduced.

Qataris are being spared the pitfalls and uncertainties of the modus operandi surrounding the historically opaque and fractious transfer of power.

In a palpable sense, Emir Hamad has broken with tradition. Rather than staying put and becoming enamoured with the trappings of power, he has envisioned the bigger picture. Such an act of moral courage has created a firewall of sorts against the typical cloak and dagger machinations of would-be heirs so common in the region.

Without a doubt, the Emir’s wide horizon has enabled him to cast his sight beyond the immediate shortterm. Thus smooth transition in his life and at his behest might have looked preferable to power transfer in his absence and outside his control. For,

even with abundance of money, tribal kinship, Qatar’s politics may not be spacious enough for SheikhahMozah bint Nasser Al-Missnad and Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al-Thani , who both are arguably stakeholders who have benefited immensely from the Emir’s trust.

The latter is larger than life in every sense, one of the world’s richest men and the Emir’s right-hand man since the 1995 coup. The former has since 2003, when he ascended to crown-prince-ship, benefited from the most rigorous coaching in politics, mentored by the Emir and his Prime Minister, two giant political animals by any standards, and SheikhahMozah whose own imprint on Qatari politics is conspicuously indelible in areas ranging from education to philanthropy.

Should the incumbent prime minister step down, as many expect, the emir-in-waiting would assume the powers of a “first amongst equals” to govern un-encumbered by an established political figure.

With the imminent departure of these figures from Qatar’s political landscape, one wonders whether the apple will fall not too far from the tree - with his father’s current policies

“

serving as a guide. Crucially, in this regard, the soon-to-be Emir will inherit a transcript to follow the beaten track.

Three marks stand out: Firstly, the institutional legacy of the laboratory that the outgoing Emir has constructed such as Al Jazeera’s soft power, the periodic municipal elections beginning in 1999, the 2005 constitution, planned elections for the consultative council, the projected creation of a constitutional court, the Qatar National Vision 2030, and the fight against corruption.

Secondly, the modernisation of the infrastructure in the domains of finance, education and research that has culminated in the creation of the Qatar Foundation.

Thirdly, a peacemaker with a maverick attitude not shying away from engaging with ‘pariah’ sates and marginal actors (Hamas, the Taliban and various Islamists).

In the final analysis, Sheikh Tamim has big shoes to fill. His father is the perfect archetype Machivelli ruler – his political innovation allowed him to transform obstacles and opportunity into advantage.

The obstacles facing Sheikh Tamim present him with the very opportunity

Sheikh Tamim may be on the cusp of aiding a new dawn in Qatar and the region.

Several months ago, he spoke of the power of the people in the context of the Arab Spring of which he is an avid champion.

from which to build political capital to consolidate his father’s legacy while leaving his own individual stamp as ruler in his own right. This opportunity lies in deepening good governance, streamlining the civil service, more legal oversight on executive power, expansion of participation and government response, diversifying the economy to include knowledgebased industries, and engendering a more vocal and equal citizenship within Qatari-Islamic-tribal specificity.

Sheikh Tamim may be on the cusp of aiding a new dawn in Qatar and the region. Several months ago, he spoke of the power of the people in the context of the Arab Spring of which he is an avid champion.

If the young emir is to continue the legacy of his father, then he must adopt three principles from Machiavelli’s The Prince: “Before all else, be armed.” As of right now, Sheikh Tamim’s best weapon is the people’s support.

With public backing, he will be able to fend off vagaries of power and outside threats.

“The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.”

Sheikh Tamim cannot rely on the counsel of “yes men” and must have advisors who hold a diverse array of opinions.

Lastly, “it is much more secure to be feared than to be loved.” The destiny of the republics and monarchies of fear, whose skeletons litter political history, past and present, serves as a reminder that, on this particular count, Machiavelli is to be ignored.

Source: Aljazeera

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 32

International

Mandela’s family holds “urgent” meeting

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ormer South African President Nelson Mandela’s eldest daughter Makaziwe has called an urgent family meeting to discuss sensitive matters as Mandela remains in a critical condition in hospital.

The meeting was convened in Qunu village in the Eastern Cape Province, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)

said. Qunu is the place where Mandela spent his happiest childhood days.

Makaziwe arrived in Qunu, accompanied by her sister Zenani and Mandela’s grandson Ndaba, as well as Public Service and Administration Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, the report said.

The United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader Bantu

Holomisa arrived earlier on a separate flight. It is understood that such a meeting takes place in the Xhosa culture when a family member is critically ill. Mandela belongs to the Xhosa tribe.

The meeting came after President Jacob Zuma said on Sunday that Mandela’s health had deteriorated to “critical” condition.

Mandela was rushed to hospital

on June 8 with a recurring lung infection. Despite intensive treatment at Pretoria’s Mediclinic Heart Hospital, the health of the 94-year-old anti-apartheid hero appears to have suddenly and dramatically deteriorated in recent days.

This is the fourth admission and one of Mandela’s longest hospital stays since December last year.

U.S trying to “play catchup” with China’s strong presence in Africa

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Tributes outside the Pretoria hospital where Mandela is currently admitted.

South Sudan moves closer to build oil pipeline

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outh Sudan has moved closer to its target of gaining access to a pipeline to export its oil to the south.

The presidents of Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda have agreed to build two pipelines across East Africa.

One would run from South Sudan to the Kenyan port city of Lamu and the other would stretch from Rwanda to Mombasa.

Currently, South Sudan exports its oil through Sudan

and supplies are often disrupted as the two countries disagree over pricing and security issues.

The three-way agreement between the presidents was confirmed by Uganda’s foreign minister, Sam Kutesa.

Last week, Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir threatened again to stop oil flows across its border with South Sudan, unless South Sudan stops supporting rebels operating across the shared frontier.

South Sudan denies supporting rebels and, in turn, accuses Khartoum of backing insurgents on its soil.

When South Sudan became independent nearly two years ago, it took 75% of the oil reserves of Sudan.

However, Sudan retained the pipeline infrastructure, as well as the refineries and export terminal at Port Sudan on the Red Sea. East Africa is experiencing

an energy boom at the moment, after oil and gas discoveries in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Mr Kutesa said the three countries had also agreed to build a railway line from Kenya through Uganda to Rwanda.

“It was agreed to revamp the existing railway network and also construct a standard gauge railway line in Kenya and Uganda and also extend it to Rwanda,” he said.

African states to tackle piracy in Gulf of Guinea

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est and central African nations have agreed to create a regional centre for coordinating the fight against a sharp rise in piracy in the Gulf of Guinea that is jeopardising the shipping of commodities in the region.

The Gulf of Guinea, which includes Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast, is a major source of oil and cocoa and increasingly metals for world markets.

Pirate attacks in the region, mainly carried out by armed Nigerian gangs, have almost doubled from last year, jacking up insurance costs.

The main purpose of the new centre, to be based in Cameroon, will be intelligence gathering and research, according to an agreement signed at a summit of regional leaders in the Cameroonian capital Yaounde.

“No country can withstand the growing challenges individually.

That is why we agreed to put our efforts together to end the illicit activities in the Gulf of Guinea,” Chad’s President IdrissDeby, who chairs the Economic Community of Central African States, told a news conference.

West and Central African governments agreed to fund the centre but they also appealed to international donors and Western governments for financial assistance, a statement issued after the meeting said.

Intelligence from the centre would be shared among regional governments, whose leaders also signed a non-binding code of ethics on the prevention of maritime crime, the statement said.

Data from watchdog the International Maritime Bureau

Chad’s President Idriss Deby

showed there had been 67 attacks in the Gulf of Guinea from

January until mid-June, versus 34 in the same period last year.

.S. President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to Africa is part of Washington’s efforts to try to “play catch-up” with China’s strong presence in Africa, analysts observed.

Trade and investment is most likely to be high on the agenda of Obama’s discussions with African leaders, including South African President Jacob Zuma, said Ross Anthony, research fellow of the Center for Chinese Studies of (CCS) at Stellenbosch University near Cape Town.

“The U.S. will continue to push Africa on democracy and human rights reforms – it will also try to further cooperation in terms of terrorism,” Anthony said.

“While those were the main agenda’s in past visits, the issue of trade and investment will also most likely now be higher on the agenda.

This will make a shift in America’s engagement, and Africa will have China to thank for that,” he added.

Obama is set to be in South Africa on Friday. His African trip, which will run from June 26 to July 3, will be his second African visit since 2009. Last year, then U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was also in Africa to advance Washington’s Africa interests.

Anthony said Obama will be traveling with an entourage of several hundred businessmen and the key target for the trip in Africa is to further investment “particularly in light of the fact that the Chinese are quite some way ahead in this regard.”

“They might take less kindly to lectures on human rights abuses (this time) as the American record in this regard is increasingly tarnished with their adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

“There will also be resistance to Obama’s visit. For instance, there is a ‘No-Obama’ campaign underway, behind which the powerful the COSATU (the Congress of South African Trade Unions) is putting its weight,” Anthony said.

Anthony said China’s increased presence in Africa has given “Africans the luxury of being slightly more choosy as to what Americans bring to the table.”

What is interesting about Obama’s visit is that virtually no major news stories speak about the visit without mentioning China too, Anthony said.

“If 10 years ago an American president visited Africa, I doubt whether China would have been mentioned in the same breath,” he said.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 33

International

Australian PM loses party leadership vote

general election due in September, which polls suggest Labor is set to lose.

After the vote, Miss Gillard confirmed she would stand by a pledge to resign from politics following a loss in the leadership challenge.

“I will not re-contest the federal

electorate... at the forthcoming election,” she said.

Miss Gillard added: “What I am absolutely confident of is it will be easier for the next woman and the woman after that and the woman after that, and I’m proud of that.”

Mr Rudd is more popular with voters than Miss Gillard, and many

believe Labor will perform better in the poll under him.

Wednesday’s leadership test was the third faced by Ms Gillard since she took office in 2010. She herself ousted Mr Rudd as prime minister in 2010.

Nick Bryant in Sydney says Mr Rudd has exacted his revenge, after three years of him and his supporters mounting a destabilisation campaign targeted very much at her.

The ballot followed months of speculation over the party’s leadership and came after a day of drama that saw Mr Rudd’s supporters push for a vote.

Shortly before the vote, a key power-broker, Bill Shorten, switched his support to Mr Rudd, saying Labor stood a better chance in the polls with him.

Many people do not think Mr Rudd will win the election but he may mitigate the losses and shorten the time Labor could spend in opposition if the party loses, our correspondent says.

A poll published earlier this month suggested that three cabinet ministers would lose their seats at the poll under Ms Gillard’s leadership, but would retain their seats if Mr Rudd was leading the party.

The latest incident comes after 21 people died in violence in April, considered the deadliest in the region since July 2009, when nearly 200 people were killed in riots in the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi.

Many Uighurs, a Turkic-

speaking Muslim people who call Xinjiang home, accuse China of placing restrictions on their culture, language and religion. China says it grants them wide-ranging freedoms.

China accuses armed Uighur groups of having links

to Central Asian and Pakistani armed groups and of carrying out attacks to establish an independent state called East Turkistan.

Many rights groups say China overplays the threat posed to justify its tough controls in Xinjiang.

New Labor leader Kevin Rudd (L), with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (R)

K

evin Rudd has ousted Prime Minister Julia Gillard as leader of Australia’s Labor

Party.

He won 57 votes in a leadership ballot of Labor MPs and senators called by Miss Gillard, who received 45 votes.

The change comes ahead of a

Dozens killed in Western China riots

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iots in China’s western region of Xinjiang have killed at least 27 people, state media has said.

“Seventeen people had been killed... before police opened fire and shot dead 10 rioters”, the Xinhua news agency said on Wednesday.

Obama, Karzai discuss Taliban impasse

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oubts persist over the fate of planned peace talks with the Taliban, despite the US President Barack Obama and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai discussing ways to move forward the stalled negotiations.

The two leaders held a video conference on Tuesday, hours after the armed Afghan group carried out an attack on the presidential compound and a United States CIA office in Kabul, resulting in at least three deaths.

Though Washington claimed that both leaders reiterated their support for the Taliban’s new political office, set up in the Gulf state of Qatar with a view to facilitate the talks, Karzai is understood to have held himself back from committing to the negotiations.

Obama and Karzai “reaffirmed that an Afghan-led and Afghanowned peace and reconciliation process is the surest way to end violence and ensure lasting stability in Afghanistan and the region”, the White House said.

“And they reiterated their support for an office in Doha for the purpose of negotiations between the High Peace Council and authorised representatives of the Taliban,” it said.

The Afghan government, however, only confirmed that the two leaders had conversed about various security and other matters, and would not commit to whether the Afghan government was satisfied with the peace talks process.

“The Afghan president was more circumspect in his announcement, saying that he and President Obama discussed a wide range of issues, including the [2014 presidential election], the bilateral security agreement with the United States and the security transition. He said that each side made their position known to each other,” Jennifer Glasse reported from Kabul on Wednesday morning.

Afghanistan had earlier objected to the setting up of the Taliban political office in Doha under the

Asia & Middle East

Saudi Arabia accuses Syria of ‘genocide’

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audi Arabia has accused the Syrian government of waging “genocide” against rebels and criticised Iran and Hezbollah for backing and arming the regime.

Speaking at a news conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Jeddah, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal Saud has said Syria is facing a “double-edged attack”. “(It) is facing a massive flow of weapons to aid and abet that invasion and that genocide.

This must end.” he said.

Prince Saud also attacked Iranian involvement in the war-torn country and described Tehran’s backing foreign militias as “the most dangerous development”.

He also repeated Saudi Arabia’s call for the rebels to be armed.

Saudi Arabia, a Sunni state which views Shia Iran as its arch-rival, has increased aid to Syrian rebels in recent months, supplying anti-aircraft missiles among other weapons.

At a meeting in the Qataris capital, Doha, on Saturday, ministers from 11 nations in the “Friends of Syria” group agreed “to provide urgently all the necessary material and equipment to the opposition on the ground”.

Syrian regime called its neighbours to stop arming rebels battling to overthrow Bashar al-Assad and said a decision by Western and Arab countries on Saturday to arm those rebels would prolong the crisis and deepen the bloodshed.

More than 93,000 people have been killed in Syria since peaceful protests erupted in March 2011. Assad’s violent response helped provoke what is now a civil war that has driven nearly 1.7 million refugees into neighbouring countries.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai (L) alongside President Barack Obama (R).

name and flag of “the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”, which was the name of the Taliban’s government from 1996-2001.

The flag and the name triggered a diplomatic crisis that derailed the early stage of efforts to start the peace talks as the US-led NATO combat

mission prepares to withdraw 12 years after the Taliban were ousted.

Afghanistan also suspended talks on a bilateral security agreement that would govern how many US troops remain behind in Afghanistan after the 2014 pullout, and what role they would play.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal Saud

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 34

International Snowden’s Ecuador asylum bid ‘may take weeks’

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It added that the US would have to submit its position in writing regarding Mr Snowden.

Venezuela has also said it will consider an asylum application from Mr Snowden.

Mr Snowden’s case has caused a diplomatic spat, with the US accusing Russia and China of assisting the fugitive. Both nations have rejected the charges.

‘Groundless’ accusations Russia earlier confirmed that Mr Snowden was still in a transit zone at the Moscow airport.

Although the country has no extradition treaty with the

US, Washington said it wanted Moscow to extradite Mr Snowden without delay.

But Russia said that the American was technically not yet under its jurisdiction because he had not passed through immigration.

Meanwhile China described accusations that it allowed Mr Snowden to leave Hong Kong despite an arrest warrant as “groundless and unacceptable”.

The Chinese government has expressed deep concern about the leaker’s allegations that the US had hacked into networks in China.

cuador could take weeks to rule on an asylum bid by fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, officials say.

Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said it had taken Ecuador two months to grant asylum to Julian Assange, the founder of whistleblowing website Wikileaks.

The website has been lending legal support to Mr Snowden, who is in a transit zone at a Moscow airport.

A Wikileaks Tweet said the American was “well” and being accompanied by one of its legal advisers “at all times”.

The website has not further elaborated on Mr Snowden’s whereabouts.

Mr Snowden first fled to Hong Kong before flying to Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport on Sunday.

He was expected to board a flight to the Venezuelan capital Caracas on Monday but his seat remained vacant.

The 30-year-old IT expert has had his US passport revoked and applied for Ecuadorean asylum.

‘Rights obligations’ On Wednesday, MrPatino compared the case to that of MrAssange, who has been living inside the Ecuadorean embassy in London for more than a year.

MrAssange walked into the embassy when his appeal against extradition to Sweden for questioning on accusations of sex crimes was turned down last June.

“It took us more than two

months to make a decision in the case of Assange, so do not expect us to make a decision sooner this time,” MrPatino told reporters.

He said Ecuador had not yet decided whether to offer protection to Mr Snowden in the meantime.

Mystery surrounds Edward Snowden’s exact whereabouts at Moscow airport “If he goes to an embassy, then we will make a decision,” the foreign minister said.

Ecuador said it would consider the American’s application “responsibly” and would weigh “human rights obligations”.

razil’s Congress has rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that was a key grievance of protesters who took to streets across the country.

Demonstrators had argued “PEC 37”, which would have limited the power of federal prosecutors to investigate crimes, might open the way for more corruption.

On Tuesday, the measure was defeated by 430 votes to 9.

Congress also voted to use all the

royalties from newly discovered oil fields for education and health.

Some of the largest oil finds in recent years have been discovered off the Brazilian coast and the country is expected to be able to produce tens of billions of barrels of crude oil over the coming decades.

However, many of the finds are “pre-sal” (“beneath the salt”) reserves, located deep in the ocean floor.

The process of extracting oil

from such depths carries huge risks, requires new technologies, and will take time.

Congress voted to allocate 75% of the royalties of those newly-found pre-sal sites to education and 25% to health, but it is not clear when those royalties would start coming in.

The PEC 37 constitutional amendment rejected on Tuesday had been a thorn in the side of many protesters and its defeat has been described by one national newspaper

as a direct result of “pressure from the streets”.

The amendment would have assigned the power to conduct criminal investigations exclusively to the police, thus removing the role of federal prosecutionservicefromtheevaluation of criminal charges.

Its critics said it would have affected the ability of prosecutors to conduct effective, fair and impartial criminal investigations, including those into organised crime and corruption.

Socialist leader Edi Rama is expected to be the next prime minister

lbania’s opposition Socialist Party-led coalition appears to have won a landslide victory in the country’s general election, with only the very last ballots due to be counted.

With about 97 percent of the vote counted, the country’s election commission said the Socialists’ coalition had won around 53 percent, while the Democratic Party-led coalition of

Prime Minister SaliBerisha had 36 percent, 12 percentage points less than they had managed four years ago.

Preliminary calculations on Wednesday from local analysts give the Socialists’ coalition 84 seats in the 140-seat parliament.

Socialist leader Edi Rama, expected to be the next prime minister, urged his supporters to “work towards the place we

deserve - the family of united Europe”.

Incumbent PM Berisha has yet to concede defeat.

Sunday’s election was seen as a key test in the country’s ambition to join the European Union, which has yet to accept Tirana’s application to join due to misgivings over its democratic maturity and deep-rooted corruption.

Wikileaks said Edward Snowden was “well” and being accompanied by one of its legal advisers.

Brazil protesters win concessions B Albania opposition on the brink of poll win A

Europe and Americas Susan Rice: Syria a ‘disgrace’ on Security Council

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usan Rice has called the UN Security Council’s inaction on the Syrian war “a stain” on the body, in final remarks as US ambassador to the organisation.

She criticised Russia and China for vetoing three resolutions that would have increased pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

But the US envoy said the post had been “the best job I’ve ever had”.

Miss Rice is leaving the ambassadorship to become President Barack Obama’s national security adviser.

Mr Obama has nominated Samantha Power, a Pulitzer Prizewinning author and former White House adviser, to replace her. Miss Power must now be confirmed by the US Senate.

The departing US ambassador described her time at the UN as “a remarkable period”, but said she regretted more was not done to stem the bloodshed in Syria.

“I particularly regret that the Security Council has failed to act decisively as more than 90,000 Syrians have been killed and millions more displaced,” she said.

“The council’s inaction on Syria is a moral and strategic disgrace that history will judge harshly.”

On Wednesday the UK-based activist group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll was even higher than the UN figure used by Ms Rice, putting it at 100,191.

Miss Rice said the council’s failure to act could not be laid at the feet of the United States.

Russia and China used their Security Council veto powers once in 2011 and twice in 2012 to prevent the body from adopting resolutions that condemned the violence in Syria, demanded an end to human rights violations by Syrian government forces, and threatened non-military sanctions.

The Russians criticised the resolutions as tantamount to taking sides in a civil war.

Despite Miss Rice’s criticism of Russia on Syria, she said it was not inevitable that “complex and multifaceted” relations between the two countries should sour.

“On issues as important as Iran and North Korea, and many others, we have been able to find common ground,” she said.

Departing US envoy to the UN Susan Rice

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 35

Strange World

The World’s largest dish – A stuffed whole camel

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ome people believe it to be just a myth, but the Guinness Book of Records has the stuffed whole camel listed as the largest single food item on any menu, and there are even a few photos of Bedouins feasting on it doing the rounds on the internet The official name of this traditional Bedouin dish is unknown, but most people refer to it as a “camel Turducken”. According to most sources it’s sometimes prepared at wedding feasts and special parties in Arab countries like Saudi Arabia.

Basically, they get a fullgrown camel, take out the insides and stuff it with a few sheep or lambs which are in turn stuffed with about 20 chickens full of fish. This calorie atomic bomb has to be boiled then cooked over a pit of burning charcoal until the camel meat is brown and crispy. I can’t imagine what the pot that can hold a whole camel looks like, but apparently the entire cooking process takes about 24 hours. The camel is then

Source: Food Beast via Neatorama

Man jams traffic to defecate

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California man allegedly got out of a car in the Holland Tunnel outside New York and defecated in a toll booth, authorities say.

Kevin Nam’s Friday night call of nature tied up traffic briefly and garnered him a trespassing charge, Port Authority spokesman Steven Coleman told The Jersey Journal.

Port Authority police say they saw the 21-year-old exit a car traveling in the north tunnel and walk inside a tunnel booth. Police allegedly found him defecating inside, Coleman said.

served on a silver platter and the wedding guests attack it with knives or their bare hands, leaving only the clean bones.

According to mythbusting website, Snopes, a recipe for stuffed camel actually appears in a cook book calledInternational Cuisine, where it’s listed as a Saudi-Arabian dish. It has all the necessary ingredients and cooking instructions, if you’re looking for a dish that serves between 80 and 100 people. The site also references the introduction of Richard Sterling’s book, The Fearless Diner, where he tells of his meeting with Sven Krause, executive chef at a high-class Bangkok restaurant, who actually cooked a camel Turducken for a sheik’s wedding banquet, while working in Saudi Arabia. He described the process in detail, down to how the wedding guests descended upon the meaty treat and ate the whole thing.

You probably thought your mom’s Thanks Giving turkey was pretty huge, didn’t you?

Coleman said Nam had been in the car with three other passengers about 10 p.m. when he felt sick and told the driver to let him out as they headed through the tunnel, the newspaper said.

The incident forced the closure of the north tunnel for 5 to 10 minutes as police conducted a “standardized security sweep,” Coleman said.

The Holland Tunnel runs under the Hudson River connecting the island of Manhattan in New York City with Jersey City, N.J.

Motorists pause for Kevin to answer the call on nature

The $150,000 Car Wash

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ome people prefer to wash their cars with a hose in order to save a few bucks, but for car owners with money to burn The Ultimate Shine, a car cleaning company based in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, is offering the ultimate car cleaning experience for the unbelievable price of £100,000 ($150,000).

You’reprobablythinking“thiscan’t betrue”,right?That’smorethanabrand new luxury vehicle! But apparently, for many of the world’s rich and famous, $150,000 is a fair price to pay to have their exclusive rides looking squeakyclean.PaulWilkins,whoownsandruns TheUltimateShinesayshisserviceisn’t aimed at the average driver who keeps his Ford Fiesta parked on the side of the road, but at rich car collectors who keep their rare and expensive vehicles in temperature-controlled showrooms andwantthemtolookperfect.Although he doesn’t want to reveal the identities of his high-profile clientele, 34-year-old Wilkins says he cleans about three cars at the price of £100,000 per year. He alsoassuresinterestedclientsthatthey’ll be getting their money’s worth.

But how does one justify the £100,000 price tag for a one-time car cleaningoperation?“Well,forthatprice Iwillflyouttoanylocationintheworld,” 34-year-old Wilkins says. “I’m usually dealing with serious car collectors who have temperature-controlled showrooms,soItraveltowhereverthey

Photos: The Ultimate Shine/Facebook

are kept.” After he puts on his overalls, Paul begins the cleaning process by decontaminatingthebodyofthecarand the wheels. Next, he machine polishes every bit of bodywork taking out any defects, a laborious process that can take up to a month. The dedicated car cleaner says he might have to go over it hundreds of time to make sure to make sure it’s completely clear of any marks.

Once that’s done with, he will go over the bodywork with a special alcoholic cleaning agent to ensure there are no oily stains left on the paint. Finally, it’s time for the waxing. The Ultimate Shine owner uses a special Carnauba wax which has been gathered from one

of the tallest trees in a secret location in Brazil, priced at £65,000 ($100,000).

His company offers different types of this luxury wax for every season, each designed to protect the car against any element.

“Each job is so different but what I say is that, for the £100,000 price, I will work on the car for as long as it takes. I’m a perfectionist so sometimes it’s taken me a few months before I’m happy to hand the keys back,” Wilkins toldThe Scotsman. He’s even happy to offer a £300 ($460) valet for his clients, but says his true joy is turning amazing cars into “absolute perfection”.

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

Digest Talking about worries releases ‘happiness’ chemical in the brain

By Rachel Reilly

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problem shared may really be a problem halved, according to the latest research.

Reaching out to others in times of stress can be an effective method of improving your mood because a new study suggests it produces the ‘feel-good’ hormone oxytocin.

Researchers at Concordia University in Canada are taking a closer look at oxytocin, a hormone traditionally studied for its role in childbirth and breastfeeding, and more recently for its effect on social behaviour.

Their latest study shows that the hormone can increase a person’s trust in others following social rejection.

Doctor Ellenbogen said: ‘That means that instead of the traditional “fight or flight” response to social conflict where people get revved up to respond to a challenge or run away from it, oxytocin may promote the “tend and befriend” response where people reach out to others for support after a stressful event.

‘That can, in turn, strengthen social bonds and may be a healthier way to cope.’

In an experiment, 100 students were administered either oxytocin or a placebo via a nasal spray, then subjected to social rejection.

In a conversation that was staged to simulate real life, researchers posing as students disagreed with, interrupted and ignored the unsuspecting participants.

Using mood and personality questionnaires, the data showed

that participants who were particularly distressed after being snubbed by the researchers reported greater trust in other people if they sniffed oxytocin prior to the event, but not if they sniffed the placebo.

In contrast, oxytocin had no effect on trust in those who were not emotionally affected by social rejection.

Cardoso, who is a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology, says that studying oxytocin may provide future options for those who suffer from mental health conditions characterized by high levels of

stress and low levels of social support, such as depression.

He said: ‘If someone is feeling very distressed, oxytocin could promote social support seeking, and that may be especially helpful to those individuals.”

He added that people with depression tend to naturally withdraw even though reaching out to social support systems can alleviate depression and facilitate recovery.

Doctor Ellenbogen said the contribution of stress to the development of mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder, has long been a focus of

research.

He said: ‘I’m concerned with the biological underpinnings of stress, particularly interpersonal stress, which is thought to be a strong predictor of these mental disorders. So, oxytocin is a natural fit with my interests.

‘The next phase of research will begin to study oxytocin’s effects in those who are at high risk for developing clinical depression.’

Cardoso says reactions to oxytocin seem to be more variable depending on individual differences and contextual factors than most pharmaceuticals, so learning more about how the

hormone operates can help scientists to figure out how it might be used in future treatments.

He added: ‘Previous studies have shown that natural oxytocin is higher in distressed people, but before this study nobody could say with certainty why that was the case.

‘In distressed people, oxytocin may improve one’s motivation to reach out to others for support.

That idea is cause for a certain degree of excitement, both in the research community and for those who suffer from mood disorders.’

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Experts say they hope the findings will help them better understand stress and the causes of depression. The next phase of research will begin to study oxytocin’s effects in those who are at high risk for developing clinical depression

Scientists have discovered that sharing worries stimulated the production of oxytocin, a hormone associated with feelings of happiness and trust

Women who take iron during pregnancy have ‘bigger and healthier babies’

By Emma Innes

Pregnant women who take a daily iron supplement give birth to bigger and healthier babies

Pregnant women who take a daily iron supplement give birth to bigger and healthier babies, according to a new study.

Researchers found taking iron during pregnancy is associated with a significant increase in birth weight, and a reduction in risk of low birth weight.

The effects were seen for iron doses up to 66mg per day.

The World Health Organisation currently recommends a dose of 60mg per day for pregnant women.

Iron deficiency is the most widespread nutritional deficiency in the world.

It is the most common cause of anaemia during pregnancy, especially in low and middle income countries, affecting an estimated 32 million pregnant women globally.

Studies suggest an association between prenatal anaemia and risk of premature birth, but evidence on other birth outcomes is inconsistent.

Researchers in Britain and the U.S. analysed the results of more than 90 studies of prenatal iron use and prenatal anaemia, involving

nearly two million women.

They found that iron use increased a mother’s average haemoglobin levels and significantly reduced the risk of anaemia.

There was no reduction in risk of premature birth as a result of iron use.

However, further analysis showed a significantly higher risk of low birth weight and premature birth with anaemia in the first or second trimester of pregnancy.

Further analysis indicated that for every 10mg increase in iron dose per day risk of maternal anaemia was 12 per cent lower, birth weight increased by 15g, and risk of low birth weight decreased by three per cent.

The researchers said: ‘Our findings suggest that use of iron in women during pregnancy may be used as a preventive strategy to improve maternal haematological status and birth weight.’

They called for ‘rigorous evaluation of the effectiveness of existing antenatal care programmes in high burden countries to identify gaps in policy and programme

implementation’.

And they said future studies should explore ‘feasible strategies of iron delivery’, as well as ‘evaluation of the

Researchers found taking iron during pregnancy is associated with a significant increase in birth weight, and a reduction in risk of low birth weight

effectiveness of other strategies, such as fortification and dietary diversification’.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 37

Great expectations as APC sets to berth Feature

I

ndisputably, one of the major successes recorded by the Joint Merger Committee (JMC) of the All Progressive Congress (APC), remains the striking manifesto it bequeathed to the new party before its dissolution.

The Joint Merger Committee of APC that drafted the manifesto is comprised of some members of CPC, ANPP, ACN, factions of APGA, and DPP, who have become integral parts of the mega party to contend with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 general election.

Before the merger calculations gathered momentum, the polity was rife with the notion that PDP’s cluelessness and corrupt tendencies are the genesis of the economic and social challenges bedevilling the country.

Based on these conjectures, the agitation became more pronounced for an alternative government that will reverse these perceived anomalies through a determined and deliberate policy to stem the tide of corruption and engender development in the country.

In the new APC manifesto, which was recently unveiled by the chairman of the Joint Merger Committee, Tom Ikimi, the party regretted that Nigeria, which was considered a role model for Africa at independence, has lost her glory in the global stage.

The party therefore outlined eight agenda with which it intends to redeem the country. These agenda include declaring war on corruption, devolution of power, among others.

There are various government agencies currently fighting corruption in the country, even though corrupt activities are tremendously going on in the various levels of government business daily. Most people have therefore, wondered why corruption seems to increase alongside proliferation of agencies against corruption.

In the APC’s manifesto, the party argues that the lack of political will by the PDP government to address this challenge even among its members, accounts for the dismal economy currently plaguing the country.

It is obvious that what drives the economy of any nation is how the anti scam agencies in the country can independently investigate and prosecute corruption cases, without interference by its President or leader. Corruption can come in the form of leakages in the revenue generated for government. Inability of the PDP government to recover looted funds and even where such funds are recovered, it is further diverted by the politicians.

Peoples expectations are high and tensive as the merger, All Progressives Congress (APC), is set to be operational immediately after its registration. This is perhaps more so with the seeming prolonged tough time Nigerians are enduring under the PDP government.

As Nigerians anxiously await the much touted change promised by the opposition, Ikechukwu Okaforadi examines some of their cardinal policy thrusts.

Chief Bisi Akande, APC Interim National Chairman It is in view of this that APC manifesto plans to survey every unremitted funds to the Federation Account with a view to working together with the existing anti graft agencies to recover funds in questionable accounts. Government ministries, departments and agencies, often refuse to remit to the federation account, the revenue they generated. This is currently having negative impact on the nation’s economy.

In appreciating this challenge, APC said its government would review public service rules and financial regulations with a view to forestalling the current impropriety in public finances.

The party also intends to set up a special court for corruption cases.

In addition, the deficient economy operating in the country today is linkable to unregulated importation and undeveloped agricultural sector.

Since independence, Nigeria has remained a consuming economy which only exports crude materials.

Analysts have principally blamed this on the inability of the Federal Government to initiate policies that will encourage not only local production, but consumption alike. Nigeria virtually import everything she consumes.

Some of the agricultural products which the country cannot

presently do without importing are wheat, rice, sugar and milk.

There is therefore the expectation that government should create an encouraging environment for local production of these products.

APC, in its manifestos, has clearly defined plans to address this problem. In the manifesto, the party plans to revolutionise the agricultural sector. It said the objective behind this is to sustain agriculture as the strategic engine and prime-mover of national economic development. According to the plan, massive production of agricultural produce would be encouraged through guided investment in irrigation facilities for all season agro business.

Others include, strenghtening the Agricultural and Rural

Alhaji Tijjani Musa Tumsah, APC Interim National Secretary Development Bank, establishing farm settlements and procuring mechinaries for farming activities.

APC also said its government will endevour to make agriculture appealing to young people through funding incentives and mechanisation. This has remained the major bane to economic development. This is mostly because even young people, who are supposed to drive economic growth, have opted for idleness owing to the tedious and crude system of agriculture in Nigeria.

Before now, there had been demands for devolution of powers. Political and legal experts have argued that the essence of federal system of government is to monitor and coordinate the states and local government. This

“

With just these few, it appears the good tidings from APC is unlimited. It is obvious that the much awaited change may come from the new party if it eventually comes on board in 2015

argument, which comes against the background of enormous powers concentrated in the centre, has revealed that the acrimony which is characteristic to the quest for Presidency, could be reduced if the centre is made to be less attractive.

It is also believed that the huge funds wasted annually in servicing the federal cabinet would be reduced if the centre has few responsibilities and personnels. Again, the All Progressive Congress has indicated interest to change the statusquo.

The party’s manifesto reveals that states and local governments would be given more powers and responsibilities.

It also intends to strengthen the electoral commission and the credibility of electoral process to ensure that those to whom powers are devolved at both state and local government levels are credible leaders.

With just these few, it appears the good tidings from APC is unlimited.

It is obvious that the much awaited change may come from the new party if it eventually comes on board in 2015. However, the fear is whether the party will be able to fulfil the contents of its manifesto to the letter especially as Nigerian political class are notorious for failing on promises that are aimed at catching the votes of the electorates, even when their agenda is clandestinely different.

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

Politics

Fashola, Shonekan blame insecurity on dwindling sociocultural values From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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agos state governor, Babatnde Fashola and the former head of interim government, Chief Earnest Shonekan have harped on the need for Nigerians to urgently revive their socio-cultural values that have helped to define the country in the past, saying “ it is the cause of insecurity in the country.”

They added that these socio-cultural values are the bases for the development in any country and it will catapult the country to an enviable height if quickly revived.

They spoke at the annual lecture of the Lagos state University, LASU Alumni, themed ‘Good Governance: A tool for revitalisation of the socio-cultural values for social development,’ held at the LASU Campus, Ojo. Shonekan who chaired the 21st annual lecture of the Alumni, blamed kidnapping and other various crisis and challenges confronting the country on the dwindling socio-cultural values in the country.

“All these are the manifestation of the debasement of values in the country.”

Fashola who delivered the lecture titled ‘Re-ordering our socio-cultural values as a tool for good governance and development,’ said “It is only the restoration of values that can enable good governance to thrive.”

He said “As a nation, we must reclaim these values because they are strongly eroding away quickly. These values are some of the things that have made us essentially African. And we need to go back to some of them quickly.”

The governor while explaining the values, Fashola said ““decency and diligence, hard work, humility, integrity and honesty. These are some of the critical values that we must adhere to in the country.”

On the solution to restoring the values, the governor said “For me the place to start is the family. That is the smallest unit of government and it is scattered everywhere and it is run daily.”

According to him, “our family is a true picture of government institution. This is the first government in any country. In the family, there is allocation of budget and time.”

“If we succeed in many families, I am certain that we will accrue that in to the critical mass into governance at all levels in the country.”

L-R: Member, House Committee on Diaspora, Hon. Ameke Chriscato, Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and member of the Committee, Hon. Charles Odedo, during the Committee meeting with Sweet Home Africa Foundation on late Udechukwu Godwill, who was murdered in Dublin prison, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Retrace your steps on FCT Minister, Group cautions publisher

By Lawrence Olaoye

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oalition of Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria (COCISO) has cautioned the publisher of Desert Herald Newspapers, Mal. Tukur Mamu, to retrace his footsteps as it concerns the allegations raised against the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Sen. Bala Mohammed

and the Director of Treasury, Alh. Ibrahim Bomoi.

The publisher and editor-inchief of Desert Herald newspaper and magazine, has recently alleged that Mohammed, Bomoi and some officials of the ministry named in his yet-to-be-published book are all corrupt just as he challenged the minister to seek legal redress in a court of law if he felt defamed.

Public Relations Officer of COCISON, Comrade Abdullahi Yusuf, at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, said its investigations revealed that the allegation may not be unconnected with political underlinings, saying if such was the case , it was better that the publisher shelved the idea as reputations of individuals were at stake, especially those of civil

servants that have for long served the nation in different capacities.

He said “The Herald publisher’s story is false and also political in its entirety. For record purposes, the Director f Treasury is a man of great repute with 30years of unblemished records of non corruption and a certified accountant both at home and abroad.

NGF crisis poses big threat to 2015 elections – Embassy

T

he Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria says that the crisis rocking Nigeria’s Governors’ Forum can pose a big threat to the democratic level of 2015 elections if not checked.

The First Secretary of the Embassy, Ms Anique Claessen, made the statement in Abuja at a one-day participatory meeting on ``Road map to a Sustainable Electoral System in Nigeria’’.

The meeting was organised by the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) with support from the embassy. “ If a small group of 36 cannot agree on and respect the outcome of a democratic election, what are

the prospects for elections involving millions ?, ” she asked.

Claessen said it was only when the electoral process was open, transparent and legitimate as well as void of corruption and rigging that the prospects for accepting the results could increase.

The secretary noted that the nomination of candidates had often been characterised by process of selection rather than election.

She also expressed concern that the present security situation posed threat to peaceful, free and fair elections in 2015.

“The 2015 Presidential elections are likely to be contested and the stakes will be high at local level.

Even though competition can be healthy and considered to be a sign of deepening democracy. `` She advised INEC to consolidate on its role and mandate institutionally and politically to ensure the sustainability of its success toward the general elections in 2015.

In a speech, the Chairman of TMG, Alhaji Ibrahim Zikirullah, stressed the need for political parties to be democratic, representative and inclusive in their operations.

Zikirullah regretted that most parties in Nigeria were either representing oligarchies or former power holders, adding that many of them were yet to adjust to the norms

and practice of partisan politics.

“Therefore, there is need for internal party reforms and the creation of new well-nuanced parties in Nigeria,” he said.

Contributing, the Chairman, Partners for Electoral Reforms (PER), Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu, advocated for continued voters’ registration and education for them to be acquainted with the idea of switching over to polling units closest to them.

Nwagwu also called for the removal of restriction of movement of people on election day and improved security during election rather than shutting down social and economic activities. (NAN)

Metuh picks form to re-contest as PDP spokesman

By Lawrence Olaoye

F

ormer National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, yesterday picked nomination form to re-contest his position in the July 20, 2013 Special National Convention of the party Director General of Olisa Metuh Campaign Organization, Okey Ezenwa, picked the form on behalf of Metuh in Abuja yesterday.

Ezenwa said the the picking of the

nomination form was after series of consultation with critical stakeholders and based on the conviction that Chief Olisa Metuh performed creditably as the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the last 14 months and as such should be returned.

“It is public knowledge just as it is incontrovertible that in the last 14 months, Chief Olisa Metuh succeeded in repositioning the publicity arm of the PDP by bringing in virtuosity as well as introducing several innovations which were effectively

deployed to enhance the public rating of the PDP, win more followership for the party and put the opposition at check”, he said.

Ezenwa however, said his organization is aware that the post of the National Publicity Secretary is a sensitive one and as such expects that other members of the party will also be interested in contesting the position.

“We welcome a healthy contest as it will engender wider participation and afford party

members, represented by delegates to the convention the opportunity to make their choice. We therefore urge all delegates to the convention to objectively rate the aspirants and make a wise choice in the interest of the party.

“We are going to run an all inclusive campaign devoid of rancour and we urge others interested in the position to eschew all forms of bitterness and desperation but present their credentials and allow the delegates to decide on behalf of the party”, he said.

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

News Extra

Flood: Plateau warns residents of flood-prone areas

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L-R: Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Alhaji Ahmadu Giade, and representative of Minister of Justice, Mr. Ndubueze Okolie, during the 2013 International Day Against Drug Abuse, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

MDG, Albinos Foundation launch M-Empower project

By Maryam Garba Hassan & Abbas Aminu Bamalli

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illennium Development Goals [MDGs] in collaboration with the Albinos Foundation (TAF) on Tuesday launched the M-Empower project aimed at empowering the Albinos and

Fertilizer distribution: Kebbi sets up committee From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

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overnor Usman Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi state has set up a fertilizer committee for the distribution of fertilizers across the 21 local government areas.

The Governor disclosed yesterday at Jega at the flag-off of the 2013 fertilizer distribution to the farmers.

He noted that government subsidized the rate of the fertilizer from N6,200 to N1,700 in order to enable farmers purchase the commodity with ease.

The Governor who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ibrhaim k. Aliyu, said that government also directed all local government chairmen to ensure equitable distribution of the commodity.

He reiterated the determination of government to revolutionize the agricultural sector by providing agro and allied chemicals and other incentives to the farmers to boost production.

other vulnerable groups.

Speaking at the programme, President Goodluck Jonathan, represented by the Minister of Education Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’I said the project was designed to eradicate poverty and create wealth through vocational skills training.

He described human capital development as a priority of the administration and commended the Foundation for its efforts

at enlightening society about Albinism.

In his welcome address, Grand Patron of the Foundation and former President Shehu Shagari, represented by former Senate President, Dr. Joseph Wayas, implored the leadership of the Foundation to increase the number of beneficiaries of the project from the current 370 to at least 1000 next year.

Special Assistant to the President on the MDGs, Dr.

Precious Kalamba Gbeneol, noted that at the end of the training, funding would have been provided for equipment and start-up capital for all beneficiaries of the project.

In his address, Minister of State for Education, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, said the project which was sponsored by the MDGs to increase entrepreneurial capacity required to manage small business ventures amongst the target group.

he Plateau State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has said that the agency might be compelled to force out people who were reluctant to move out of floodprone areas.

Mr. Alhassan Barde, the SEMA Executive Secretary, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Jos that the might be adopted as the last option to, avoid the repeat of the devastating effect of 2012 floods that destroyed properties and claimed lives.

The executive secretary said that people in flood-prone areas had been advised to relocate through series of sensitization campaigns. ``With the vigorous sensitization which had been carried out, it is expected that the people will heed to this call. ``But where we find out that the people have refused to move out of these areas, the government will apply some kind of enforcement to ensure that the right thing is done. ``And those who are still adamant, there is a building court which forbids the erection of structures by the river bank or waterway.’’

The SEMA board said that government had taken the necessary steps to make the relocation easier by providing relief materials, including building materials to would-be victims. ``In some areas, safer grounds have been identified for some kind of prototype housing unit.

“But this will take some little effort by the various levels of government.”

According to him, the SEMA Governing Council has constituted a monitoring and evaluation committee to assess the level of compliance, which, he noted was appreciable. (NAN)

Court dismisses suit against Ilorin varsity vice chancellor From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

A

Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin and presided by Justice Olayinka Faaji has dismissed the suit filed by a former law Prof. Rasheed Ijaodola, against the appointment of Prof.

Abdulganiyu Ambali as the Vice Chancellor of the institution.

Delivering judgment on the matter, Faaji said the appointment of incumbent Vice Chancellor was in accordance with the university’s regulations and that the institution properly delegated its function to a committee saddled with the responsibility of short listing candidates for the vacant position of the Vice Chancellor.

Ijaodola who was one of the contestants to the position of Vice Chancellor was dissatisfied with the decision of the institution’s selection team and Governing Council, instituted a case challenging the selection of Ambali.

Ijaodola had sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining Ambali from

parading himself as the new Vice Chancellor of the university.

Reacting to the verdict, Ambali described the judgment as a landmark, saying the university will always follow the due process.

“You will realize that all those joined as co-defendants did what was right as pronounced by the court,” he said.

Akpabio orders Ibom Airport accounts audit From Mike Etim, Uyo

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pparently based on reports that huge amount of money generated at the Ibom International Airport has not been paid into government coffers, Governor Godswill Akpabio has ordered an auditing of accounts of the airport.

Spokesman for the Joint Action

Union of Ibom Airport comprising the National Union of Air Transport Employees and Air Transport Services and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Comrade Edidiong Brendan, disclosed this on Monday in Uyo. He spoke at a meeting summoned

by Akpabio at the Banquet to address the complaints of the workers.

The union accused some members of the management of the airport of

diverting funds for personal use.

According to him, “N70 million the authorities claim to spend on training of workers every month is false.

The union also called for the immediate removal of the Managing Director of the airport, Capt. Jari. O. Williams, for what they described as gross incompetence.

Adressing the demands of the

workers, Akpabio assured them that conditions of service prepared by government under the office of the Head of Service will be ready next month.

He noted that since the Airport was not operating at full capacity some of workers, instead of being laid off, would be sent to other government agencies and parastatals.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 41

2014 World Cup: Emenike sure Eagles will excel in Brazil A

FCON Golden Boot winner, Emmanuel Emenike, is confident the Super Eagles will return to Brazil next year not only to participate at the 2014 World Cup finals to excel.

He said this in reaction to Nigeria's exit in the first round of the Confederations Cup where the Eagles lost two matches against Uruguay and Spain after beating Tahiti in her opening game.

Emenike as well as Victor Moses, Kalu Uche were the key players whose absence in the Eagles lineup were sorely missed as the team fluffed several goal scoring chances in all the matches.

Spartak Moscow striker, who is back and fully fit from a knee injury, said he hopes to return with a good performance for his club and also lead Nigeria back to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup.

“We will return to Brazil next year for the World Cup. My heart was with the team in Brazil, but I could not help them because I was out injured.

“This is not the time to blame anybody or the team for the ouster. Our elimination from the Confederations Cup will only make the team come back stronger for the World Cup,” Emenike told a wire service yesterday.

The striker who shields the ball from his markers with efficiency and takes his chances with some precision added: “We don’t need to blame the team or crucify any player, I believe this will be a blessing in disguise for us when we return to take the world by storm.

“By now, everybody must have seen their lapses and that is why there must be continuity for the

team to make the necessary corrections in subsequent games. My target now is to return to my best when the league resumes in July.

“I know what my club expects of me and I will not hesitate to give them everything I have to compete for major honours both in Russia and the UEFA Europa League.”

He again pledged his loyalty to Spartak.

“When you are injured for a long time and your club show you love, that means you are needed when you return, and not only just needed for you to complete the 11 players on the pitch but to give them what they know you can do,” he said.

“I am happy to be back and I am looking forward to bigger things with both Spartak and my country.”

FIFA U-20: Flying Eagles in a mustwin clash versus Korea Rep today

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he Flying Eagles must win today's clash against Korea Republic opponents to harbour hope of berthing at the knockout stage of the FIFA U-20 Championship in Turkey. The kick-off is 3pm Nigerian time.

The John Obuh tutored lads are third on the log with three points from two matches while the Koreans have a point advantage and would thus be content to play for a draw.

Group leaders, Portugal are also on four points but should

have little hindrance crushing bottom of the log Cuba to secure its top place. It means then that the real battle in the Nigeria, Korea Republic match to determine who joins Portugal to the last 16 finals.

Second place in Group B will also ensure the Flying Eagles stay put in Istanbul to take on the runners-up of Group F, which has Uzbekistan, Croatia, Uruguay and New Zealand.

Neither are strangers to each other. The junior Eagles watched them at the recent Toulon Tournament as well as at their first two games here in Turkey. The Koreans must equally have a fair knowledge Nigeria from the same tournament and at the ongoing fiesta.

Unlike the Eagles, the Koreans are highly technical, very organised team, strong on the ball with enough stamina and mental strength.

The Asia's most consistent team at the U20 World Cup showed their gut against Portugal forcing them to 2-2 draw and

seems determined to ensure that their 13th appearance in the competition does not end at the preliminary stage.

They have been consistent in the last six editions and come to this tournament with the class of 2012 that won the Asian U19 championship. So, experience is no problem.

The Eagles though struggled in offensive approach but everywhere else are combat and daring. Obuh must have reshape his forward line mentally as it is hoped that Shehu Umar, Kayode Olarenwaju,with supplies from skipper Abdul Ajagun, Michael Olaitan and Egbedi Edafe will take their chances.

Nigeria defence will therefore face a major test as they will come face-to-face with a well-oiled attack led by Ikechukwu Okorie, Abduulahi Shehu and Chizoba Amaefule must be defensively brilliant if they must contain the prolific duo of Hyun Kim and Seungwoo Ryu, who symbolise Korea's well-oiled strike force.

Group B log Team Portugal Korea Rep. Nigeria Cuba

Results

Abdul Ajagun, Flying Eagles skipper

MP 2 2 2 2

Chile N/Zealand Today's matches Nigeria Portugal

W 1 1 1 0

D 1 1 0 0

L 0 0 1 2

1 0

England Uruguay

vs vs

Korea Rep. Cuba

GF 5 4 5 1

GA 4 3 3 5 1 2

Pts 4 4 3 0

Emmanuel Emenike

FIFA Confeds Cup: Italy, Spain in hectic semifinal

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eakened by injury and chastened by the memory of a crushing loss to the same opponents 12 months ago, Italy have vowed to use their imagination when they meet Spain in today's Confederations Cup semifinal.

The match at Fortaleza's Estadio Castelao is a repeat of last year's Euro 2012 final, when Spain cruised to a 4-0 win to claim an unprecedented third consecutive major international title.

Having swept through the group phase at the Confederations Cup with three consecutive wins, the world and European champions were the favourites to advance to the final even before Italy's injury problems struck.

Right-back Ignazio Abate and key striker Mario Balotelli have both been ruled out of the tournament, although midfielders Riccardo Montolivo and Andrea Pirlo are both expected to feature against Spain as would experienced Bologna striker Alberto Gilardino is in line to deputise for Balotelli.

Former Fiorentina manager Cesare Prandelli will deploy a compact 3-5-2 formation, with an all-Juventus back three of Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli.

The system helped Italy stymie Spain in their opening match at Euro 2012, which ended in a 1-1 draw, and when Pran-

delli reverted to a four-man defence in the final, his team were swept aside.

Coach Vincente Del Bosque's team have not lost a competitive game since a shock defeat by Switzerland at the 2010 World Cup, and will work harder to ensure the record remains intact.

Mario Balotelli, will miss the epic clash

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 42

Sports Again, Heartland players boycott training over unpaid allowances

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wo months after the initial effort to force the hands of Heartland management to meet their financial obligations through boycott of training failed, the players have again stayed away from training to press home their demands.

The players’, whose earlier protest shortly before a continental engagement was abrupt and may have affected their CAF Cup performance, opted to walk away from training on Tuesday and continued the protest yesterdy. But the Fan Ndubuoke-led management is said to be running from pillar to post to secure releases from government to meet the players’ demand.

Speaking on the matter, Cajetan Nkwopara, the Media Officer

of the team, said efforts were being made to raise funds to meet the basic emoluments of the players and insisted that there was no cause for alarm over the boycott of training.

Though he confirmed that the management had been warned of the impending boycott, he said there was little the members could do but to persuade them to be patient until the state government makes funds available.

“Basically, I don’t think it’s a problem that can’t be resolved and it is already being resolved.

The Imo government is presently on it and they are in the process of releasing money for the players. ``They are definitely going to train today and I assure you that we will put this behind us.

The issue of outstanding wages and allowances is not restricted to Heartland alone; other clubs in the league also have their financial problems,’’ he said.

Peoples Daily Sports recalls that at recent public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Sports, the Nduka Irabor, the chairman of the League Management Company (LMC) had propsed that clubs pay players at least N150,000 monthly salary.

Also, Heartland chairman Ndubuoke had advocated the cancellation of sign-on fees so that clubs fix what they can pay as salary to players.

Apart from Heartland, Akwa United, Enyimba, and some others have had sign-on fees issues with their players.

Espanol, two other foreign clubs tackle Pillars in int’nal tourney

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Gambo Mohammed, Pillars’ defender and marksman

ano Pillars FC and three other foreign clubs, would trade tackles in the maiden Lagos International Football Tournament being organised by ex-international, Mutiu Adepoju.

Adepoju confirmed yesterday on telephone that the tournament would be held from July 25 to July 28 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

The former Green Eagles player listed the three foreign clubs that will participate to include Espanol from Spain, Ismaily SC from Egypt and Asante Kotoko from Ghana. ``The tournament will be geared towards promoting international competitions in the country. The competition will also delight football lovers in Lagos,’’ Adepoju, a former manager with Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan (3SC) said.

He added that the aim of the tournament was to strengthen the ambition of local football clubs and encourage them to get to stardom. ``The competition is to prove that it is possible to attain the pinnacle in the game of football. It would also go a long way in restoring and boosting the profile of our local football clubs internationally. ``It would be a very interesting event because these invited foreign clubs are all very good and champions in their national leagues. And remember, Kano Pillars are the defending champions of the Federation Cup. ``So, the spectators should get ready for a thrill of their lives in showcasing the best of international football,” he said.

Adepoju expressed optimism that the tournament would be made an annual competition-- based on the success of its maiden edition.

Daniel Akpeyi, Heartland’s goalkeeper

‘Too many mistakes’ cost Nigeria volleyball victory-Coach

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oach Sergey Ovechkin of Nigeria’s under-20 women volleyball team has blamed the team’s 0-3 loss to Italy at the ongoing FIVB Women’s U-20 World Championship on ``too many mistakes’’.

The coach made the assertion in an interview at the game’s postmatch conference at the Vodova Sports Hall in Brno, the Czech Republic on Tuesday.

According to a report on the website of the Federation of International Volleyball (FIVB) on Wednesday, the Russian coach said unforced errors were the team’s bane.

The team’s loss to Italy meant it was its fourth loss in four games at the championship which started on June 21 at Brno.

Nigerian side had lost 0-3 to Turkey in its first match on June 21 and also lost 0-3 to Egypt on June 22, while it lost 2-3 to Algeria on June 23, after leading 2-0.

With four losses, the team finished fifth in Pool D, with one point from four matches, after winning only two and losing 12 sets.

However, it has the chance of playing in the classification matches, which is a round-robin affair for positions 17th to 20th in the 20-team competition.

The classification matches will begin on Friday, when the Nigerian side will at the Kajot Arena to take on Puerto Rico, who came fifth in Pool A. In its second classification match on Saturday, the team will at the Vodova Sports Hall face the U.S., who also placed fifth in Pool C. It will then go back to the Kajot Arena for its match on Sunday against Thailand, who placed fifth in Pool B. Results from the three matches will then determine the team’s final position among the four countries in the classification round.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 43

Sports

International Transfer

Barcelona to join Rooney race Chelsea agree as Jose, Carlo set for £25m star deal for Cavani

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arcelona could be ready to rival Real Madrid and Chelsea for Wayne Rooney's signature.

The Catalan giants are poised to join the bidding for the wantaway Manchester United striker, according to The Sun. Rooney is set for showdown talks with new Old Trafford boss David Moyes after demanding to leave the Premier League champions while Sir Alex Ferguson was counting down to his retirement.

Fergie told Rooney that he would be going nowhere, but Jose Mourinho is determined to sign the England star for Chelsea, while new Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti will consider a move this summer if the unhappy striker fails to patch up his differences with United.

But Barca are on the lookout for attacking reinforcements and have already splashed out £50million on Brazil phenomenon Neymar this summer.

All three clubs are more than capable of paying a fee of about £30m and matching Rooney’s £250,000-a-week wages.

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Wayne Rooney

You are not going anywhere Albion tells Odemwingie

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Peter Odemwingie

est Bromwich Albion is prepared to hold on to Peter Odemwingie for the remainder of his contract, unless they receive a substantial transfer fee for his services.

After falling out of favour with head coach Steve Clarke last season, following his failure to push through a transfer to Queens Park Rangers, the Nigeria international looked set for a summer exit from The Hawthorns, with the likes of Crystal Palace, Swansea and Hull all linked with the forward.

However, despite that interest not being reflected in firm bids for the player, Baggies chairman Jeremy Peace says he will not be forced into selling Odemwingie on the cheap.

Albion have been linked with Wigan pair Franco Di Santo and ArounaKone, among others, as they seek to replace the fire power lost with the return of RomeluLukaku to Chelsea.

Elsewhere, Marc-Antoine For-

tune is free to seek a move to another club and Markus Rosenberg has struggled to make an impact since arriving last summer, meaning last season’s surprise eighthplace finishers are in need of reinforcements.

However, if the club decides to keep Odemwingie, they must balance the threat he brings to opposition defences with his risk to dressing-room harmony, and bear in mind that he has become deeply unpopular with supporters.

He has been booed by fans at The Hawthorns since his aborted move to QPR last January a development that came amid a series of controversial Twitter rants from a player who turns 32 next month.

The lingering bitterness is more likely to trigger any sale rather than Albion’s need for funds. They are under no financial pressure to sell, despite the former Lokomotiv Moscow player’s reported £2 million salary.

Ronaldo set to meet United officials

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ristiano Ronaldo could be on his way back to Manchester United as it has emerged he is due to meet Old Trafford officials in the next three days.

The Real Madrid star had been linked with a move back to England after an unhappy campaign at the Bernabeu but it was hoped the arrival of new boss Carlo Ancelotti would persuade him to stay in Spain.

And Spanish paper El Pais are reporting that the Portugal captain could meet with United officials before heading back to preseason training in Madrid.

As FIFA prohibit clubs maintaining official contact with players who have contracts in place, both sides have agreed to deny any kind of meeting, which could lead to a huge boost for David Moyes ahead of the new season.

apoli has reportedly accepted a €58 million offer for striker Edinson Cavani to join Chelsea, Radio Marte revealed.

Napoli’s official radio station, made a statement citing a “very reliable source” who confirmed a deal has been struck to send Cavani to Stamford Bridge for €8.5 million a season.

The statement read: “We have received news in the office from a very reliable source that Napoli has sealed a deal with Chelsea for Cavani’s sale.

Reports on Saturday suggested Real Madrid were the frontrunners for Cavani’s signature after Manchester City refused to pay the release clause demanded

by Napoli.

But Chelsea could finalise the deal in the coming weeks, provided Benitez can find a suitable replacement for Cavani.

Edinson Cavani

Fellaini keen on Arsenal move

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arouane Fellaini wants to join Arsenal’s £100,000-per-week club as the Gunners contemplate another big-money summer swoop.

With Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain on the verge of joining in a £22million move, the Gunners will now focus on strengthening their midfield.

Fellaini has emerged as a strong candidate in Arsene Wenger’s search for a midfielder but the huge cost of the move has placed question marks over the deal.

The 25-year-old, who currently earns in the region of £75,000-per-week at Everton, wants a hefty increase on his current weekly wage.

From Arsenal’s current squad, only Theo Walcott and Lukas Podolski are in the proximity of earning £100,000-per-week.

Marouane Fellaini

Tevez in Italy for Juve medical

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Cristiano Ronaldo

Carlos Tevez

arlos Tevez travelled to Italy yesterday for a medical with Juventus as he prepares for a transfer that means Edin Dzeko is set to stay at Manchester City.

The FA Cup finalists have agreed a €9 million fee with the Serie A winners for Tevez, who arrived at the Etihad Stadium in 2009 from Manchester United.

City could receive a further €6 million, depending upon addons, for their former captain and are very confident they will get at least €3 million of that.

Tevez’s move to Turin could be completed by today or Friday, assuming he passes his medical and agrees personal terms with Juventus.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

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Sports

HFN blames IHF for World Challenge Trophy camping delay

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Regina George (left), Josephine Omaka (right), two of the younger Nigerian athletes that will compete at the World Championships

he Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) said yesterday that the delay in camping players ahead of the upcoming World Challenge Trophy in August was because the venue had not been decided.

The HFN’s Technical Director, Musa Hamza, said yesterday in Lagos that the body was also yet to know the dates for the competition. ``We are yet to get confirmation from the international body, on the dates and venue, that is why we have not entered into closed camping for the competition,’’ he said.

Hamza added that in spite of the delay in announcing the venue, the players were now putting finishing touches to their training.

The boys are training well, under the supervision of competent

coaches, ‘’he said.

He added that it was only when the federation received the dates and venue that the players would be invited for closed camping.

The HFN official noted that it was the first time that the junior national team would be participating in a World Challenge Trophy, describing it as an opportunity to excel. ``It will be a platform for the junior team to showcase their talent and get the much-needed exposure that will enhance their performance and rating,’’ he said.

It would be recalled that the junior national male team qualified for the world competition after defeating Senegal at the zonal challenge trophy in Djibouti in April.

Don’t be intimidated by Bolt, others, Falilat urges younger athletes

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alilat Ogunkoya-Omotayo, the athletes’ representative on board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), has advised athletes for the 14th International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Championships to stay focused.

The IAAF World Championships, tagged ``Moscow 2013’’, is scheduled for Aug. 10 to Aug. 18 at the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow.

Ogunkoya-Omotayo confirmed yesterday that the 18 athletes are on the provisional list for the Moscow championships should not be intimidated by world and Olympic champions.

She urged the team to train hard, saying that they should not be cowed by Olympic Champion Usain Bolt of Jamaica, IAAF World Champion Yohan Blake and the female IAAF 100 metres Champion U.S Carmelita Jeter. ``My advice to them is for them to focus, that they are putting a lot of hard work for them to qualify at A standard going into the world championships.

"Just to keep focus and not worry about anything that is going on around them, for them to make themselves and Nigeria proud as a whole.

"Yes, we always have a chance when we work very hard, no athlete want to go to a championships without winning a medal. It is a goal that you set for yourself and I believe that `Never say Never’, they have two legs and if you work very hard, you will surely achieve your goals,"

she advised.

Athletes on the provisional list are Ogho-Oghene Egwero (100m), Noah Akwu (400m), Leoman Momoh (800m).

Noah Akwu, Abiola Onakoya, Isah Saliu, Tobi Ogunmola and Gerald Odeka will feature in the

4x400m relay but are still listed in the B standard.

Gloria Asumnu and Blessing Okagbare will feature in the 100m, Ajoke Odumosu in 400m hurdles and Regina George in 400m in the A standard category. Blessing Okagbare will also feature in the

200m and long jump.

Oluwakemi Adekoya will feature in the 400m hurdle, while Omolara Omotosho, Josephine Ehigie and Patience Okon will run in the 400m. Stephanie Kalu will participate in the 100m and Ugoma Ndu will take part in the 400m

hurdle in the female B standard.

For the women 4x100m relay are Blessing Okagbare, Gloria Asumnu, Peace Uko and Stephanie Kalu, while Regina George, Omolara Omotosho, Patience Okon, Josephie Ehige and Bukola Agbokunloko will feature in the 4x400m relay.

Anyim, Akpabio support Emenogu's WBO title defence

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he Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim and Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom have given support to Davidson Emenogu’s World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Light Middleweight title defence.

Emenogu, in an e-mail to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos, said the two personalities gave assurances of their support for the title defence against Egypt’s Said Abdumonem.

The bout is scheduled to hold on July 26 in Abuja.

Before now, the Chairman of Capital Oil and Gas, Ifeanyi Ubah, had earlier pledged his support to the world title bout as did the President Goodluck Jonathan when he received the boxer in audience at the Presidential Villa. ``It is a bundle of joy for me to see more prominent Nigerians

giving their support to my title defence; it is truly an inspiration for me, I will not let them down. ``This development gives me an assurance that the fight will hold on July 26 in Abuja,’’ Emenogu said.

According to the boxer, Akpabio sees his achievement as a great honour to the country and concluded that this should not be an individual responsibility but a collective effort.

He added that the governor’s promise to involve major stakeholders in the process was another motivation for him. ``As a matter of fact, this fight must hold in Nigeria, no matter what it would take. It is a privilege that Nigeria has a current world champion. ``I’m going to make sure everybody in government, private sector and stakeholders are all

involved to make the fight a reality,” Emenogu quoted Akpabio as saying.

He said that Anyim, who was a former Senate President, reassured him of the government’s support in the quest to stage the fight in Nigeria. ``I am happy he has been able to achieve this for himself. It is high time Nigerians supported the young man. I can assure you that government will do everything to support the fight,’’ he quoted Anyim as saying.

The bout was originally scheduled for May 3 but was shifted to June 26 and now rescheduled for July 26, due to lack of sponsors.

Emenogu is also the current Pan-Asia Boxing Association (PABA) Light Middleweight champion and the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Light Middleweight champion.

King David, WBO light middleweight champion

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

PAGE 45

Sports

P-i-c-t-o-r-i-a-l 1. Britain women’s head coach Damian Jennings has pleaded with UK Sport not to remove their funding after failing to make the final eight at EuroBasket.

2. European amateur champion Andrew Selby will not be allowed to box for Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 3. World junior 200 metres champion Delano Williams will represent Great Britain after switching allegiance from his native Turks and Caicos Islands.

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2

4. On the tenth anniversary of his tragic death, it is truly poignant that a FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final will be taking place and MarcVivien Foe’s life and legacy will be celebrated. Football will never forget him.

5. Queensland won a typically fiery Australian State of Origin game 26-6 to level the series with New South Wales at 1-1 amid blood and brawls.

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3

5

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

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Sports

Floyd, Canelo begin 11-city tour to promote Sept 14 WBA “Super” fight F

loyd Mayweather and Saul Alvarez Tuesday began an 11-city tour to officially announce and promote their title fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on September 14.

The tour includes stops in cities such as Washington, Chicago, Miami and Mexico City, and is

jumpstarting the hype ahead of one of the most anticipated bouts in recent memory.

Mayweather, 36, is unbeaten in 44 fights. In his most recent bout, in May, he beat Robert Guerrero on points to retain his welterweight title.

"The earth is my turf. You can put me in any ring and I will

always come out victorious," Mayweather boasted as he was cheered on fans in New York.

His opponent Alvarez, a 22-year-old from Mexico, is 420-1 and unified the light-middleweight titles in April with a unanimous victory over Austin Trout.

"In the sport of boxing, it's everybody's time, and this is my time,"

Alvarez said through a translator as fans chanted "Mex-i-co!"

The 12-round bout will be fought at 69 kg with both men's super-welterweight titles on the line. Mayweather holds the WBA "super" championship and Alvarez the WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine belts.

The bout, expected to be a monstrous draw on pay-per-view, may also satisfy many fans who have been wishing for several years for Mayweather to take on

Manny Pacquiao.

There remains some dispute over who set the 69kg catch weight. Mayweather's camp say Alvarez's people brought it up first.

Alvarez, however, insisted it was Mayweather who decided on 69 instead of 70 kg.

The event marked perhaps the sport's most ambitious promotional tour since Mayweather and Oscar de la Hoya also stopped in 11 cities before their 2007 bout, which Mayweather won.

Ugboaja tasks NBBF on exposure of home-based players

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Floyd Mayweather (left) vs Alvarez Canelo, (right) will exchange punches in a unified WBA light middle weight title fight

Fashanu advocates multi sponsorships for league

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ormer England striker, John Fashanu believes the League Management Company (LMC) is making a mistake by settling for a single title sponsor for the Nigeria Premier League (NPL).

The LMC Limited entered into a three-year title partnership with Globacom Nigeria Limited in May that will run till 2015, in a deal worth N1,896,730,000 (around $12 million).

The title sponsor will pay the N1.8 billion by three instalments in three years start-

jike Ugboaja an ex-D’Tigers player that represented Nigeria at the London 2012 Olympics, has charged the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) to look inwards in selecting players for international tournaments.

Ugboaja, a former player with Union Bank of Lagos and a 2006 NBA draft with Cleveland Cavaliers in the U.S., who disclosed this yesterday, said such exposure was necessary to have a rich pool of players to draw from.

He said that the NBBF should focus more attention on players in the national league, rather than giving preference to professional players. ``The NBBF is not allowing home-based players to develop as there is too much reliance on foreign professionals. There is so much reliance on foreign players for international competitions and this is killing the game at home. ``The worst part of it is that most of these Nigerian foreign players were not even familiar with the Nigeria terrain. They know they have Nigerian parents but they have never seen or come home to their fatherland because they were born and raised overseas,’’ he said.

According to Ugboaja, once the NBBF sees a Nigerian doing well overseas, the federation goes over to meet him and try to persuade him to come and play for the coun-

ing with the current season but Fashanu who played for Wimbledon and Aston Villa in England’s Premier League says the LMC must do more in this regard.

“All over the world, sponsorship of the league is spread out. Sponsorship is not just for one international organisation or multinational company. You must give the options (to various organisations),” Fashanu told supersport.com.

The 50-year-old, who earned two caps at senior level for England, in 1989 also be-

lieves brands in direct competition can be integrated in the sponsorship package for the NPFL. “Even if you have conflicting sponsors like MTN and Globacom, it is allowed because it is good for competition. That is how you make the league bigger and unified.

“I’d like to see a league with as many sponsors as possible.

“In my last year at Aston Villa, I had as many as five different sponsors on my shirt.

It did not devalue my shirt or make me play lesser.

try.

``It is so appalling when the league board goes searching for foreign professionals when they can develop home-based players by engaging them in friendly and serious competitions at home,’’ he said.

Ugboaja suggested that players in the DStv/League should be respected and allowed to feature at the continental level, because they understand the physical nature of continental competitions. ``DStv players will play with their whole heart and through that means, they would gather the necessary experience needed. Any national league player is capable of achieving same feat, only if they are trusted enough. ``I was drafted by Cleveland Cavaliers and as a Union Bank top player because I had the opportunity to represent my country in international competitions. ``The NBBF’s present leadership unfortunately trusts mostly foreign players. This attitude just has to stop because we also want our league to be developed and have a high rating internationally,’’ he said.

Ugboaja said that he has since 2010 been running a foundation in Abuja for kids who want to pursue a career in basketball or American Football in the U.S. The proprietor said that 400 participants registered with the foundation, this year.

“What it did instead was ensure I had bigger salaries and improve the state of (Villa Park, home ground of Aston Villa) for the supporters and fans to enjoy,” he concluded.

During his time at Wimbledon, Fashanu scored 126 goals.

His best season was 1990/91, when he was the First Division’s second highest scorer with 20 goals as his side finished seventh.

Despite being of Nigerian (paternal) descent, Fashanu never represented Nigeria in a competitive game.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

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Some Interesting Facts

he red planet “Mars” takes 687 Earth-days to go around the Sun, compared to 365 days for Earth.

Water-meal or Wolffia globosa is the smallest flower in the world, its contains some 38 species of the smallest and simplest flowering plants.

Scientists estimate that more than three-quarters of Earth’s surface is of volcanic origin, that is, rocks either erupted by volcanoes or molten rock.

The coldest seas are found near the poles such as the Greenland, Barents, Beaufort, Kara, Laptev & East Siberian Seas found near the north pole & Weddell & Ross Seas found in the south poles. The Baltic Sea is also considered one of the coldest seas.

The total water supply of the world is 326 million cubic miles (1 cubic mile of water equals more than 1 trillion gallons).

The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean, covers 64 million square miles (165 million square kilometers). It is more than two times the size of the Atlantic.

The fastest ‘regular’ wind that’s widely agreed upon was 231 mph (372 kph), recorded at Mount Washington, New Hampshire, on April 12, 1934.

In January and February, the average temperature in the high Arctic is -29 F. The Antarctic Ice Sheet holds nearly 90 percent of the

PAGE 47

Leisure world’s ice and 70 percent of its fresh water. If the entire ice sheet were to melt, sea level would rise by nearly 220 feet.

Lloro, Colombia is the wettest place on Earth, averages 523.6 inches of rainfall a year, or more than 40 feet (13 meters). That’s about 10 times more than fairly wet major cities in Europe or the United States.

Lake Mead is the largest man-made lake and reservoir in the United States. Formed by water impounded by Hoover Dam, it extends 110 mi (180 km) behind the dam, holding approximately 28.5 million acre feet (35 km³) of water.

If you are right handed, you will tend to chew your

food on your right side. If you are left handed, you will tend to chew your food on your left side If you stop getting thirsty, you need to drink more water. For when a human body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off.

Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.

Your tongue is germ free only if it is pink. If it is white there is a thin film of bacteria on it.

The Mercedes-Benz motto is ‘Das Beste oder Nichts’ meaning ‘the best or nothing’.

The Titanic was the first ship to use the SOS signal.

The pupil of the eye expands as much as 45

percent when a person looks at something pleasing.

The average person who stops smoking requires one hour less sleep a night.

Laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immune system. Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day.

Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day.

Frank Perdue’s chicken slogan, “It takes a strong man to make a tender chicken” was translated into Spanish as “it takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate.”

Dalmatians are born without spots.

Bats always turn left when exiting a cave.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

SUDODKU

Mind-blowing magician Dynamo left onlookers stunned yesterday – as he seemingly levitated next to a red double-decker, in London.

Source: TheSun.co.uk

www.peoplesdailyng.com

. . . putting the people first

THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

SPORTS LATEST

Confederations Cup: Paulinho goal land Brazil in final

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aulinho scored with a header four minutes from time to give Brazil a 2-1 win over Uruguay and take the host nation to the final of the Confederations Cup. Diego Forlan missed a penalty in the 13th minute after Chelsea defender David Luiz wrestled Diego Lugano to the ground.

Brazil took the lead in the 40th minute when Neymar latched onto to a long ball from Paulinho and his deflected shot fell to Fred, who bundled the ball home.

The Brazilian defence repeatedly failed to clear the ball and when Thiago Silva’s weak pass fell to Edinson Cavani he made no mistake with an angled drive.

The second half threw up few good chances but Paulinho rose to head home a Neymar corner in the 86th minute and give Brazil victory, with Spain and Italy playing in today’s second semi while the final is at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana on Sunday.

Paulinho nodded home a Neymar corner with just four minutes of normal time remaining to send the Belo Horizonte crowd into ecstasy, and leave Uruguay heartbroken.

Brazil looked weighed down by the almost tangible sense of expectancy among a partisan crowd packed into the Estadio Mineirao.

Luiz’s folly really should have resulted in Uruguay taking the lead, but Forlan squandered the opportunity to score against the country in which he plies his trade, the Internacional attacker seeing his low spot kick turned around the post by Julio Cesar.

Hulk worked himself into a fantastic position just before the half-hour mark, after a neat one-two with Neymar, but the Zenit forward inevitably ballooned the ball over the bar in attempting the kind of finesse of which he is simply not capable.

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QUOTABLE QUOTE There is a difference between a candidate in electoral contest on the platform of a political party and an elected official who has assumed a non-partisan responsibility.

— House Speaker Aminu Tambuwal

Who is Edward Snowden?

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dward Snowden. At first hearing, this name may have sounded to you as it did to me, like that of some upperclass British peer. Very proper.

Very establishment. Then as the full story of what this 29 year-old, young man had done burst forth, it only added another layer of irony to the whole debacle or ‘badakala’ as I would say in Hausa. He has upset a humongous ‘establishment’ apple cart.

Leviathan Basically the information he provides has proven what many journalists and so-called conspiracy theorists have suspected for years: that there is Big Brother watching us. Lesser well known but previous whistleblowers such as another exspy called Thomas Drake described it on a United States (US) morning talk show as the outlines of ‘a Leviathan surveillance state’.

US spy agencies have been listening to nearly all public communications in America, Europe and indeed from the rest of us. Snowden’s revelations show a dragnet trawling of all communications that has come as a surprise to even the United States Congress and the parliaments of allies in Europe.

In short the United States has been secretly monitoring the world’s internet and telephone records.

But who is this man?

CNN spared no quarter in describing Edward Snowden as ‘high-school dropout’ who had everything going for him with a swanky spy lifestyle complete with a girlfriend and a villa in idyllic Hawaii. That repeated reference to ‘high –school’ dropout made it clear to me that this leak was going to result in some serious fallout. It jarred with what we know about spy- agencies. The morality

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CARTELOPIA With Aisha Yolah ayolah06@yahoo.com 08086296783 (text only please)

Edward Snowden of their actions may be at issue but they never employ dunces. Edward Snowden was, in fact, so brilliant that he got employment in 2006 at the age of 23, as a computer analyst with the C.I.A. together with ‘ topsecret clearance and a coveted posting under State Department cover in Geneva….despite ‘his lack of formal credentials’ as the New York Times tells us. He has since worked for the National Security Agency as an employee of intelligence technology contractors such as his last employers, Dell and Booz Allen Hamilton.

High-school dropout indeed His being a high-school dropout was at the very least a reflection of his disdain for and a keen

intelligence that outstripped the strictures of formal learning. Joe Mullin, a writer on the intersections between law and technology, writing in the online Ars Technica where Snowden apparently posted under a pseudonym, discusses some of Snowden’s postings once he had settled down in Geneva: ‘An average visitor to Switzerland talks about how great the chocolate is; Snowden saw a country of overpaid racists…He admired those who managed to survive on the margins of society. In Switzerland, it was the hardscrabble intelligence of the Nigerian refugees that impressed him. “It’s that whole necessity thing,” he asserted. “[Nigerians that] have been there like eight months and speak all three languages….”

- French, German and English?

The Mullin article and other online postings reveal Snowden to be quite unlike the usual socialist, freedom fighter type that a Republican or Security-obsessed Democrat might gladly demonise.

Snowden is so libertarian in outlook he advocates the abolition of social security, the return to the gold standard , the right to bear arms and is a Ron Paul/John Mcain, fan rather than an Obama geek!

From libertarian to whistleblower Even his views on the US use of technology to spy on people

CNN spared no quarter in describing Edward Snowden as ‘high-school dropout’ who had everything going for him with a swanky spy lifestyle complete with a girlfriend and a villa in idyllic Hawaii. That repeated reference to ‘high–school’ dropout made it clear to me that this leak was going to result in some serious fall-out. It jarred with what we know about spy-agencies. The morality of their actions may be at issue but they never employ dunces. Edward Snowden was, in fact, so brilliant that he got employment in 2006 at the age of 23, as a computer analyst with the C.I.A. together with ‘ top-secret clearance and a coveted posting under State Department cover in Geneva….despite ‘his lack of formal credentials’ as the New York Times tells us.

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were that it was alright as recently as early 2009. So what happened in the four years since? Snowden told The Guardian (UK) that it was in Geneva that he became ‘disillusioned’ with the activities of the US government. He even began to hope and expected that President Barack Obama would do something about it… instead the opposite happened.

In fact, it is the relentless mendacity of US public officials that seems to have infuriated him.

The shameful dishonesty of public officials is an issue which we on this page know to be fundamental to our own country’s pain.

“It was seeing a continuing litany of lies from senior officials to Congress—and therefore the American people…. Seeing someone in the position of James Clapper baldly lying to the public without repercussion is the evidence of a subverted democracy.

The consent of the governed is not consent if it is not informed,’ Snowden said online.

The Clappers among us James Clapper is the director of US National Intelligence who admitted to making a “least untruthful” answer ‘to a direct question in March about the extent of surveillance on US citizens,’ according to a Guardian ( UK) report of June 12th . Clapper basically kept lying even after evidence from Snowden’s leaks on the government use of the services of telecoms operators such as Verizon had come to light.

Snowden has not yet revealed all and has apparently stored encrypted files handed to trusted friends. He is currently hiding out somewhere in Moscow, Russia.

He flew there early this week from Hong Kong where he had first revealed himself. He is clearly very informed and aware of how to play this high stakes game he has embarked upon.

The extent of Snowden’s popularity must be another bummer for some. It was hilarious watching the pilot who flew a Havanna-bound plane out of Moscow earlier this week on which Snowden was rumoured to have booked ‘ seat 17’. The pilot assured there was no Snowden on his plane but there were lots of journalists!

More whistleblowers likely The Voice of Russia website quotes Igor Morozov, a former Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) officer as saying Snowden will not be the last of such American whistleblowers. Morozov describes Snowden as ‘a model of a U.S. citizen raised in respect for right of the inviolability of privacy, and from this viewpoint, he is a hero to many Americans..’

Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako, Abuja. Kano office: Plot 3, Zaria Road, Opposite Kano State House of Assembly. Lagos Office: No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: +234 814 292 9046. Cell: +234 802 443 2099; 803 7007 759. e-mail: contact@peoplesdailyng.com; pmlnewsdesk@gmail.com ISSN: 2141– 6141