Peoples Daily Newspaper, Saturdayday 27, October, 2012

www.peoplesdaily-online.com www.peoplesdaily-online.com

VOL. 2 NO. 13

SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

TOURISM

Alhaji Ibrahim Shumu, Village head of Bamle, Katsina state

. . . putting the people first

NEWS

Bamle: Oil discovery amidst poverty

Tension in Benue as inmate dies in police cell

>>Page 16

>>Page 3

Late Terzungwe Shaakaa

ZHUL-HAJJ 11 - 12, 1433 AH

N150

PEOPLES PAGE

I lost my job because I refused to sleep with my boss, says ex- police officer

>>Page 8

Suntai: Herdsmen, villagers loot wreckage

Osatohanmwen Okoh

COVER: Eid-el-Kabir amidst insecurity >>Pages 9,10,11 & 12

>>Page 7

...Taraba governor flown to Germany

Gov Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State (middle), his deputy Engr. Abubakar D. Ali (left) and Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly, Muhammad Auwal Isa Bello at the Eid prayer ground, Yobe Mosque, and Islamic Center Damaturu, yestterday

WWW.PEOPLESDAILY-ONLINE.COM

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27— SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

Special Report The enthralling story of Kano Durbar take their seats, all the district heads (Hakimai) come and pay homage to the Emir, sitting beside the governor while palace officials respond by chanting "gaisheku" (greetings to you) to the title holders. The Emir then addresses the people on the matter that affects the society.

During Nasarawa durbar, the Emir acknowledges greetings from his subjects like all other processions. The contingents then proceed through Sabon Gari, Fagge ,Kofar Mata and terminate usually at the Emir's palace before Zuhr (noon) prayer.

By Mustapha Adamu

T

he two most important Muslim festivals are the Eid -el-Fitr and the Eid- elKabir. The former is celebrated on the first month of Shawwal after 29 or 30 days of the month of Ramadan while the latter is celebrated on the 10th of the month of Zulhijjah.

Both Eids begin with the prayer at the main Eid ground outside the city at Kofar Mata area. With the emergence of other Jum'at mosques, the Eids prayer is performed at different locations in the city.

The Emir dresses in white and leaves his palace before 8:00 in the morning and treks without any praise singing. The prayer led by the chief Imam of Kano commences immediately the Emir arrives.

The traditional Sallah Durbar (horse riding) in Kano was introduced by the 36th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Rumfa (1463-1499) with the exception of Hawan Nasarawa (Nassarwa Durbar), which was introduced by the Emir Muhammadu Abbas (1903-1919).

All the durbar procession from the reign of the Emir Rumfa to date remain the same, but there are slight changes as the world is always becoming modern.

Hajiya Zainab Abubakar, a hundred year woman residing at Fagge quarters, told our reporter that she used to watch the sallah durbar during the reign of the Emir Abdullahi Bayero (19261963) but has noticed slight changes " during my teenage, I used to watch the durbar during Sarki Abdullahi but it was similar to the present durbars but with slight changes.

"The changes could be related to the change in location, population growth and modern attire. The drums and the slave attires are all the same," she said.

Rumfa scheduled the HAWAN IDI (EId Durbar), Hawan Daushe (Daushe Durbar) and the Hawan Fanisau (Fanisau Durbar) to take place on the day one, day two and day five respectively.

Hawan Idi (day one) The Hawan Idi begins after the Eid prayer. It is led by the Makaman Kano followed by other title holders. The contingents move through Kofar Mata gate, Kofar Wambai gate, Zage, Sharifai, Yola, Shatatima and Kurawa areas before alighting in front of the Gidan Rumfa (Rumfa palace) near the Central Mosque.

The Emir receives greetings from his subjects as he passes through these areas. He stops at some locations where some dignitaries come out and pray for him.

One of such locations is at the Sharifai quarters to pay homage and pray for the Emir and the society. This was instituted during the reign of the Emir

Hawan Dorayi (day five)

Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero Rumfa by an Islamic political theorist, Shaykh Muhammad bn Abd-al Kareem Al-maghlil.

Al-maghlil was responsible for the institution of Durbar. The Emir finally moves to Gidan Shatima (Shatima's house) and exchange pleasantries. The Emir then moves to Kofar Kwaru (Kawru gate) to address the people. He then enters his house through the Kwaru gate alight and settles in his palace to receive the district heads and other dignitaries.

Hawan Daushe durbar, day two)

(Daushe

Daushe Durbar was introduced by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Rumfa. It was first introduced on the request of a favourite slave of the Emir called Daushe who was ill during the sallah celebration and the Emir accepted the request to please him. It later became associated with a visit to ''babban daki'' (the

palace of the queen mother), Hauwa, the greatest of all the queen mothers in the colonial Kano. Hauwa, the mother of the Emir Rumfa made several innovations and is more or less the founder of the Kano Sarauta (kingship). She was powerful and popularly known as Mai daki Hauwa.

All subsequent Kings and Emirs celebrated this homage on the second day of sallah in the afternoon. The Emir comes out of Kofar Kwaru, passes through Kabara quaters (named after the famous nineteen century scholar who was closely associated with Sarkin Kano Alwali and he was one of the latter's emissaries to the jihad leaders to seek for reconciliation when it was too late.) The scholarly tradition established by Mallam Kabara was maintained in the twentieth century by his descendant, Sheikh Nasiru Kabara.

The contingents pass through Tudun Wuzirci quarters to the Babban Daki palace at

“

All the durbar procession from the reign of the Emir Rumfa to date remain the same, but there are slight changes as the world is always becoming modern.

Gwangwazo quarters, the residence of Mai Babban Daki.

Since the death of Mai Babban Daki Hasiya, the mother of the incumbent Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, Daushe Durbar is still maintained in the Kano emirate.

The Emir then goes round parts of the city through Daneji quarters named after Danejawa clan who were led by Mallam Danbazau during the jihad and they held the titles of Dan Iya and Dan Makwayo in the nineteenth century. The emir passes through Hausawa Quarters, Galadanchi Diso, Chiranchi and terminates with "jahi"(salutation by horsemen) at Kofar Kudu durbar ground amidst traditional gun shots.

Nasarawa three)

Durbar

(day

The Nasarawa durbar was introduced by the Emir of Kano Abbas, the first emir appointed by the British after their conquest of Kano in 1903. This procession takes place on the second day of sallah. he Emir leaves his palace early in the morning, passing through Wudilawa, Kankarofi and Nassarawa quaters. The incumbent Emir, Alhaji Ado Bayero, stops briefly at the Nassarawa palace to pray on the tombs of his uncle, Emir Muhammadu Inuwa and his elder brother, Alhaji Sir Muhammadu Sunusi.

The Emir leaves his Nasarawa palace and heads to the Government House. The purpose of Nasarawa Durbar is to pay homage to the state authorities.

After the Emir and the governor

Mallam Ahmad Tata narrated to our reporter that the Hawan Dorayi now takes place only on the Eid-el-Kabir day on the request of the inhabitants of the Fanisau town who protested the destruction of their farms by spectators during the Durbar.

He said," people of the Fanisau complained over their farms as they are destroyed during the Durbar because the Durbar sometimes back was held during the rainy season. The Durbar then took place interchangeably between the Fanisau and Dorayi towns according to the wish of the Emir."

Tata added that it was later rescheduled that the Durbar will be taking place in the Dorayi town during the Eid-el-Kabir.

Dorayi is one of the places constructed by the Emir Alhaji Abdullahi Bayero.

Dorayi Durbar is the last procession of the sallah festivities. The Emir leaves from Kofar Kwaru (Kwaru Gate) early in the morning. He passes through Daneji, Mandawari, Dandago, Sani menage and Kofar Famfo areaa.

From Kofar Famfo,the Emir stays in Dorayi palace until after asr (afternoon)prayer.

The contingent then start to return from the Dorayi through Kofar Famfo and change the route to pass through Goron Dutse, Bakin Ruwa, Jakara, Tudun Nufawa, Makwarari, Sheshe and terminates at Soron Dinki where he stops at Gidan Shatima for the Hakimai (district heads) to pass before proceeding to Kofar Kwaru.

He acknowledges the greetings from the horse riders at the termination of the Durbar.

The traditional Sallah Durbar in Kano remained unchangeable since it was introduced by the Emir Muhammadu Rumfa (14631499). In 2011 there was a shocking moment in Kano when it was rumoured that the Durbar would not be held.

The 2012 Eid-el-Fitr was greeted with shock as it was announced by the Emirates Council that the year's sallah durbar was canceled due to the Emir's illness and the security situation in the state. This is the first time in more than five hundred years that the traditional sallah durbar has been canceled in Kano.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27— SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

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News

Benue: Tension as inmate dies in cell

Terzungwe Shaaka's family members claimed that he was man-handled by policemen and killed as a result of severe beating he received from them. The police however alleged that the deceased was an armed robber who was killed by fellow inmates in cell. Uche Nnorom reports

T

he family of Shaakaa in Makurdi, Benue state capital is in deep grief over the recent demise of their son Terzungwe Shaaka who allegedly died in a police cell.

Terzungwe, aged 30 and a father of three (3), 2 boys and a girl lived on No. 15 Balewa Street and before his death was said to have engaged in menial jobs like carpentry and house building to sustain his family.

Narrating the incident that led to her brother's death, sister of the deceased, Christiana Shaakaa who spoke to Peoples Daily Weekend, said two weeks ago Terzungwe sat at a beer parlor behind WEMA bank in Makurdi drinking with some of his friends.

Christy said a certain police officer identified as George who is said to be a constable and computer operator attached to the Assistant Commissioner of Police office engaged in a altercation with her brother and in a flash, invited men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) who allegedly beat Terzungwe to a point of unconsciousness and later locked him up in that condition.

She maintained that the police kept her late brother in that condition in the cell for more than five (5) days without administering any medical treatment on him.

"I made several efforts to get bail for my brother so that we could give him proper treatment but all my efforts were frustrated by top police officers at the Benue Police headquarters. They would tell me to come back the next day claiming that the IPO, one Mr. Awem handling the case was not around," she said.

Christy, who bursted into tears in the narration, dismissed as 'untrue' claims by the police that her brother was arrested for armed robbery and even fought seven inmates as well as bruised his head by hitting it against the wall inside the cell which eventually resulted in his death.

"There is no truth in what the police alleged. My brother was never an armed robbery.

He was a man who struggled hard to fend for himself and his family.

They killed my brother",she said sobbing.

The young lady who informed that she had reported the case to a human rights group in the state, also raised eyebrow over the manner the police deposited Terzugwe's corpse in the mortuary using someone who impersonated as their father, intimating that her dad died since 29th May, 1988.

Late Terzungwe Shaakaa

Inspector General of Police, M. D. Abubakar

Gov. Suswam Charity, sister of Late Terzungwe Shaakaa Meanwhile, the State Public Relations Officer of the Benue Command DSP Daniel Ezeala who spoke with Peoples Daily Weekend insisted that

late Terzungwe fought with inmates in the cell who beat him to death.

Ezeala said the inmates have been re-arrested and

would be charged to court soon even as he discountenanced claims by Terzungwe's family members that police lodged the body at the mortuary without their consent and used a man who disguised as father of the

deceased.

"There was nothing like that. Reports have it that he fought with fellow inmates and that led to his death. The inmates have been re-arrested and would soon be charged to court," the PPRO said.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

Sallah Splash

L-R Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, his Son, Mannir Sambo, Minister of Transport Idris Umar,Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ola Sa;ad Ibrahim, Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar, offering prayers with others and being led by the Deputy Chief Imam of Abuja, Sheikh Mohammed Kabir during the Eid-el-Kabir Prayer held at the Praying Ground Airport road Abuja, yesterday.

Photo: Joe Oroye.

The Deputy governor of Niger state Hon. Ahmed Musa Ibeto, Governor Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, former President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida and former Head of State, Gen. Abdullsalami Abubakar, on their way to the Eid praying ground.

L-R Amina, Zuwaira and Samira offering their prayers during the Eid-el-Kabir Prayer held at the Praying Ground Airport road, Abuja yesterday.

The Emir of Kano, Alhaji (Dr.) Ado Bayero returning home after the Eid el Kabir prayers yesterday.

Dr. Ado Muhammad; Executive Director National Primary Health Care Dev. Agency alongside Mallam Tanko Al-Makura ,Executive Governor of Nasarawa Sate at the sensitization meeting for private providers on routine immunization (North- Central Zone) recently in Lafia.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

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Sallah Splash L-R: SSG Sokoto state, Sahabi Isa Gada, Minister of Youth Development, Barr. Inuwa Abdulkadir, Sokoto Governor state, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda wamakko, Sokoto state Commissioner of Police, Shuaibu Lawless Gambo, and Representative of Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Rilwan Bello Magajin Rafi ‌.

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L-R Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo presenting the Sallah Greeting Card to President Goodluck Jonathan during the Sallah Homage to the State House Abuja yesterday.

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Duputy Chief Imam of Abuja Sheikh Mohammed Kabir Slaughtering a ram after the Eid-el-Kabir Prayer held at the Praying Ground Airport road, Abuja yesterday.

Young children using the Sallah holiday for their leisure, yesterday in Millennium Park, Abuja.

Photos: By Joe Oroye & Justin Imo-Owo

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Young Muslims, performing their religious obligation, at AlHabibiyyah islamic praying ground, during Eid el Kabir celebration, yesterday in Asokoro, Abuja.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27— SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

News Sallah: NSCDC deploys 30,000 officers for security

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

T

he CommandantGeneral, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ade Abolurin, yesterday, disclosed that 30,000 officers and men of the corps were deployed nationwide to beef up security during the Eid-el-Kabir festival.

Abolurin said that the NSCDC

was on the alert and ready to deal with any individual or group who might constitute a threat or nuisance to others during the celebration.

“We are always prepared to work for the stability and peaceful co-existence of Nigerians; our men have been deployed to even villages to ensure that people are safe”, he added.

Oni congratulates Onaiyekan From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

T

L-R Minister of State FCT Jumoke Akinjide and Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo during the Sallah Homage to the State House Abuja yesterday.

Photo: Joe Oroye.

Eid-el-Kabir: Cleric, Emir preach peace, goodness From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

T

he Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Mohammed Basiru Saliu and the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim SuluGambari, have charged Nigeria leaders to always remember the welfare and wellbeing of their subjects.

Speaking after the two rakat prayer at the Ilorin Eid

ground, the Chief Imam said Muslims should always embrace peace and give thanks to Almighty Allah for their very existence.

He noted that Eid-el-Kabir festival was full of lessons; praises, goodness and appreciation stressing that being alive on Sallah day was Allah’s grace.

Also, the Emir of Ilorin in his

Sallah message, appealed to the nation’s leaders to always take care of the people. He prayed that Nigeria would continue to witness peace and progress.

Dignitaries at the Eid ground included Kwara state governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, Senator Bukola Saraki, members of state executive and other political leaders.

Sallah : FCT Senator task Muslims to pray for peace

By Augustine Aminu

S

enator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Philip Aduda, yesterday distributed about 600 bags of rice to Muslim faithful in the six area council and 62 wards for the celebration of eid-el-Kabir.

Speaking at the event, the senator’s Special Assistant, Mr.

Samuel Danjuma, said the gesture is aimed at reaching out to Muslim brothers who can’t afford to buy food items for the celebration. “I urge you all to reflect on the lesson of this period and pray for peace in our country, support government policies and on our own part we promise continual effective representation at all levels of government”.

He urged Muslims to always imbibe the lessons learnt from the Holy Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) and urged them to continue to pray for the country’s unity, especially at this trying period.

Some beneficiaries of the items donated expressed gratitude to the senator for the gesture and prayed for God’s guidance upon him.

Eid prayers hold amid tight security in Suleja

M

uslims in Suleja and its environs on Friday held the Eid-el-Kabir congregational prayers amid tight security.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that security operatives enforced a restriction of movement order from 6 am to 12 noon as announced on Thursday.

NAN survey shows that armed security personnel were at the various praying grounds in the area while all the routes linking the area from the neighbouring towns were blocked by security men.

Commuters who were to report for essential duties were also stranded, while various commercial vehicles were forced to park at different checkpoints.

A commuter, Mrs. Alice Ojo who is a trader, said the restriction of movement order was not announced to the public, adding that this informed her decision to go out.

Another commuter, Mr. John Adio, said he only heard the announcement once on a local radio station, adding that he thought it had been cancelled.

The Area Commander of Police in Suleja, Mr. Lawan Jimeta, said the restriction of movement order was enforced after a meeting.

He said the meeting also involved other security agencies, religious and community leaders and the local government officials.

“We are acting on previous experience. There was a meeting

with security agents, the local government officials, community and religious leaders where it was resolved that there should be a restriction on movement from 6 am to 12 noon.

“The restriction has made the atmosphere to be orderly, peaceful and calm where everybody moves freely to various praying grounds”, Jimeta said.

Commenting on the general security situation in Suleja, Jimeta said peace had been sustained in the area since emergency rule was suspended.

He said security agencies were able to sustain peace through series of meetings with religious and community leaders.(NAN)

he national vicechairman (South-west), of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Segun Oni, has congratulated Bishop John Onaiyekan on his elevation to the rank of Cardinal of the Catholic Church by Pope Benedict XVI. Oni, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Lere Olayinka, described the elevation of Onaiyekan as a reward for his exemplary diligence and service, dedication and commitment to the Lord’s vineyard since he

was ordained on August 3, 1969.

“On behalf of PDP members and supporters in the Southwest, I felicitate with you on your well-deserved elevation to the position of Cardinal of the Catholic Church by Pope Benedict XVI...

“Your contributions to the Christendom as a teacher, president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria and Bishop, are no doubt exemplary and I rejoice with you on this elevation…” Oni said.

Jang tasks Muslims on virtues of sacrifice, obedience

G

ov. Jonah Jang of Plateau has called on Muslims to exhibit the virtues of sacrifice and obedience as they celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir.

The governor made the call on Thursday in Jos in a message issued by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Mr. James Mannok.

“This is as exemplified by Prophet Ibrahim, who offered his son, Ismail in obedience to the will of Allah”, he said.

“Muslims should continue to exhibit faith and they should also appreciate The Almighty’s goodness, which has always

been with mankind”.

However, Jang urged all Nigerians to continue to pray for their leaders, adding that they should also pray for the nation to witness a rapid transformation in every sphere.

“Our respect for Nigeria’s diversity will definitely give room for peace and harmony to prevail.

“We need peace and harmony for the country to experience meaningful development and progress”.

The governor wished the Muslims a peaceful and rewarding celebration. (NAN)

Sultan urges Muslims to assist govt in ensuring peace From Lawal Sadiq, Sokoto

T

he Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has called on Nigerian Muslims to assist government at all levels for the security of the country. He equally appealed to various levels of government to strive and ensure that peace prevails among the people of the country.

The Sultan, who made the appeal during the Sallah celebration in Sokoto, also commended the Federal Government for its efforts and various programmes meant for the development of Nigeria.

Represented by Magajin Rafin Sokoto, Alhaji Rilwanu Bello, the Sultan prayed The Almighty to

continue to bless the country with bounties, peaceful coexistence and unity among Muslims in different parts of the world, as well as, prevent known and unknown disasters.

He also advised the people to make good use of the produce they get from this year’s farming season, and encouraged farmers to engage in dry season farming so as to make food available in the country.

He expressed happiness over the involvement of traditional rulers in combatting the polio virus in the country; and commended the Sokoto state government for commissioning of 23 general hospitals to facilitate health care across the state.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27— SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

PAGE 7

News Suntai: Herdsmen, villagers loot wreckage

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, Blessing Tunoh & Stanley Onyekwere with agency report

• Taraba gov flown to Germany for treatment

P

eoples Daily Weekend investigations yesterday, revealed that Fulani herdsmen and villagers at Sangere town where a plane belonging to Traraba state governor, Danbaba Danfulani Suntai had crashed on Thursday night, took advantage of the incident to cart away valuables of the passengers on board from the crash site.

Meanwhile, Suntai is to be flown to Germany for treatment, following serious injuries he received in a plane crash on Thursday night.

The governor and four of his aides and a co-pilot sustained serious injuries after a plane Suntai was flying crashed near the Yola airport in neighbouring Adamawa state.

After initial reports that the governor had died in the crash, he was found alive with his companions at the crash site in Sangere, a suburb near Yola, by rescuers. The governor’s co travelers were said to have included his chief security officer, aide-de-camp and co-pilot.

Taraba state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism Emmanuel Bello, described as unfortunate the rumours making rounds that the governor had died in the crash.

In a chat with journalists in Yola, Bello described the incident as nothing short of a miracle and maintained that no life was lost in the crash.

News Agency of Nigeria

(NAN), quotes Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim, Public Relations Officer of Adamawa police command, and Mr. Luka Ikpi, Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps to have said the victims were all found alive at the site of the crash and were rushed to hospital.

Suntai who was hitherto attended to at the German Diagnostic Centre of the Yola Specialist Hospital was moved out along with his aides also involved in the crash.

Peoples Daily Weekend learnt that Suntai who piloted the illfated plane left Jalingo Thursday evening for Yola but lost contact with the Radar at the Yola

Gunmen attack YTV staff, seize vehicle, camera, phone

By Adamu Saleh

T

he security crises in Yobe state continued yesterday morning as unidentified gunmen attacked a staff of Yobe State Television (YTV), the accompanying camera man and their driver at Ganjarma town, a few kilometers away from the state capital, Damaturu.

Reports indicate that the attackers went away with the

Toyota Hilux van belonging to the TV station with the YTV logo on it, a video camera, tripod and a GSM handset.

Our correspondent reports that the attack occurred around 8:45am at A.U Nganzarma Petrol Station, Nganzarma town.

Yobe state commissioner of Police, Patrict Egbuniwe could not be reached to confirm the incident as at the time of filing this report.

international airport which led to a crash until he was later found in the wreckage in the bush after hours of search.

The governor was accompanied to the airport amidst tight security by officials of Taraba state and Governor

Murtala Nyako of Adamawa state who had rushed from the Eid grounds to ensure the victims were safely airlifted.

The cause of the crash is still unknown as security agents and airport authorities have since taken over the scene.

President Goodluck Jonathan had earlier yesterday, ordered that Governor Suntai be moved to Abuja for proper medical attention. This was before an update filtered into the newsroom that Suntai had been flown to Germany for proper treatment.

The President gave the order while speaking during the Sallah homage by residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) led by Vice President Namadi Sambo to the State House.

The President disclosed that the governor’s health was stable and ordered that he be moved from the Yola Specialist Hospital to Abuja for proper medical attention. President Jonathan later visited Suntai at the National Hospital before his (Suntai) departure to Germany.

…. Sallah celebration canceled in Jalingo From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos and Yusha’u Alhassan Jalingo.

I

ndication emerged last night that Governor Danbaba Suntai has lost his spinal cord to Friday plane crashed which he piloted.

However a close source to the governor said medical experts attending to the governor said has lost his spinal cord to the crash but efforts are being put in place to control the damage done to his back bone.

When contacted on phone, Chief Press officer to Governor

Suntai , Hassan Majiyawan said his principal his responding to treatment at the Federal Medical Center FMC, Yola.

He denied report that Governor Suntai his in coma and could not recognizes people, Hassan said his boss took his breakfast yesterday morning.

Suntai, who graduated as a pilot from the Aviation College in Zaria last year, was piloting the crashed plane. This would be the second time he is surviving a plane crash The pharmacist who became Governor is an aviation

enthusiast who owns two aircraft and a helicopter.

Aviation sources say he also owns an airstrip which he built in his village despite criticism from people of the state .

Meanwhile, the Eid-el-Kabir in Jalingo was celebrated in low Key, following the plane crash that involved Governor Danbaba Suntai and his aides.

In his remark, the Emir of Muri, Abbas Jiddah Tafida asked the people of Jalingo to pray for quick recovery of the Governor. The Emir urged the people to pray for peace in the State and the Country at large.

Jonathan visits Akwa Ibom today From Mike Etim, Uyo

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan will today pay a one day working visit to Akwa Ibom state.

A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Communications in the state, Mr. Aniekan Umanah stated that the President will perform the

groundbreaking ceremony of the new international stadium in Uyo and also inspect and commission the new governor’s office built by the state government.

According to the statement, the new Governor’s Office consists of a conference room, lounge, multi-media studio, a press room and an executive council chambers with video

conferencing facilities, among others.

The stadium, among other features, comprise classic multipurpose layout with running tracks; 2-tiered seating arrangement excellent viewing conditions; arena with football pitch and 8-lane 400m standard track, including complete athletic facilities in the segment of the field.

Insecurity: Shehu of Borno shelves Sallah Durbar From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

F

ollowing what appears to be the worsening insecurity in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, the annual Sallah durbar being conducted by the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Garbai El-Kanemi as part of the Eid-el-Kabir festival did not take place yesterday.

Our correspondent reports that spectacular horse-riding processions called ‘Hawa’ and several other traditional displays are among the durbar events held during the two

annual Sallah ceremonies at the palace of the traditional ruler, drawing thousands of spectators from within the country and abroad.

The palace of the Shehu, who is the chairman of Borno state Council of Chiefs, deputy president general of both the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, (SCIA) and Jama’atu Nasril Islam, the Muslim apex decision-making bodies, did not issue official statement over the cancellation of the durbar activity.

It was however gathered that the Emirate Council’s decision to

put on hold the durbar was linked with three major issues, bordering on insecurity.

The first reason, it was learnt, derived from the failed suicide attack on the monarch in June this year in company of the deputy governor, Zanna Umar Mustapha.

The attack left at least 10 persons dead, several others wounded, when a suicide bomber, targeted the two dignitaries and blew himself off after Friday prayers in Maiduguri Central Mosque, behind the Shehu’s palace.

Also, the suspension of the

durbar was informed by the warning giving by the Joint Military Task Force (JTF), which said it had uncovered plots by terrorists to launch deadly attacks on military formations and civilian areas in Maiduguri, during the Sallah festivity.

A source hinted that the emirate council was advised against staging the event to avoid suicide bombers, who may take advantage of the large crowd to maneuover and attack personalities and other citizens.

The recent killing of Alhaji Shettima Ka’ami, a kingmaker of the emirate council was seen

as another factor that compelled the traditional council to suspend the historic event.

Although the Eid prayers were conducted peacefully, amidst the presence of heavily armed soldiers, thousands of Muslim faithful in some areas still abstained from the obligation due to the fear of the unknown.

Others, who attempted to go to the grounds, but returned home without participating in the congregational prayer, said they were discouraged by the blockage of some of the roads leading to the grounds.

PAGE 8

Peoples Page

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

I lost my job because I refused to sleep with my boss, says ex-police officer

By A’isha BiolaRaji

O

satohanmwen Okoh was once a vibrant, beautiful police officer cum business woman. Life was rosy and sweet for her as she had her husband and children, a home to call her own and her job.

All these necessities of life disappeared overnight and she was left with nothing except two out of three children to take care of despite her zero financial level. It wasn’t a fire disasterbut more devastating stages of frustration and calamities.

Peoples Daily Weekend encountered Osato as she is fondly called, at the 10th year anniversary of Kapital FM, where an anonymous philanthropist had used the platform to donate another N2million to widows gathered within Abuja.

This intervention wouldn’t have reached Osato who roams the street of Abuja with her children without a roof over their heads, and takes solace in parks and Christian convention venues to lay her head at night. She was however able to know about the good gesture, thanks to her old worn transistor radio which is her only link to social life.

On hearing about the donation that was going to be made to widows, she rushed to the venue. Not knowing that this writer is a journalist, she approached her and asked where the list of beneficiaries was. It was immediately suspected that her case was different from the rest of the widows, who definitely had the grace to wear their best outfit and had been despite all odds able to feed their selves and the children they left at home.

However, Osato was not disconcerted; she was breathing heavily which gave the hint that she was not medically fit.

Though she was shown how she could get enlisted but she was already late for the full package, she had to make do with half. She told Peoples Daily Weekend that in her condition, a quarter or any amount will be appreciated by her as she was not even expecting any good to come her way again.

This statement prompted our reporter to further urge her to tell her story which she relayed in fluent English, but with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Her story I was living at Jikwoyi phase 4, Dagbana near Catholic Church in Jikwoyi. All of a sudden, I lost my husband. Then there was the demolition exercise in the area. I was not at home when they did it, my neighbours phoned me and when I came they said a woman claimed she owned the place. In fact the case is in court between people that own the place and the woman.

When I came, I saw that most of my properties were vandalized by Babbanboola(waste disposers) though my neighbours helped me packed some.

Since then I have had no place to sleep; I started moving around with my baby which I had after my husband’s death.

My husband had died before the demolition incidence. Iwas moving around with my three children in tow

Osatohanmwen Okoh

I.G. of police, MD Abubakar but the baby died; she could not survive the malaria and cold she was exposed to. I was taking her from one hospital to another but she didn’t make it. I took the other two to the village after her death.

By that time, I had spent all the money I had on her illness. I was selling foodstuff (gari, palm oil etc). I used to go to the village to buy those things to sell. I was selling both wholesale and retail.

The death of the baby, loss of job and capital, loss of roof over my head and the absence of my husband who was supposed to stand by me, all these led to high blood pressure for me. My B.P. rose even to almost 300. I even had partial stroke but I was able to survive it. Since then I’ve not had a place to sleep; I just hang around at places; wherever there is night vigil, I go there to stay; I stay at motor parks and places like that.

I cannot really stay in the village because I was not like this before, I was better off, I was a police officer before I was dismissed from duty on the basis that I was absent from work.

My boss personally defaulted me, tried me which is actually against the ethics of the job even if I was guilty, I pleaded with him but he wouldn’t listen. The reason I was absent from duty was due to an accident I had, and I went and showed him my injury, he said I

should go and treat myself only for him to accuse me of being absent from duty afterwards.

He picked on me because he had previous problem with me; he insisted that I should be tried. I requested for a neutral body to try me as the ethics demand.

Despite having all the proof of not being guilty, he went ahead and recommended me for dismissal. I wrote an appeal through him because he was my direct boss. He withheld the appeal, instead of giving it to the C.P. It was after everything had happened that people started telling me I should have sent an advance copy to the C.P. I didn’t know because I have never been involved in such crisis before.

It was after this that I knew the whole procedure so I wrote an appeal to force headquarters three times; unknown to me that, he had a squad mate there that was hijacking the appeal. There was a time one of my former bosses came to police headquarters, he saw me roaming around and asked me what the matter was. I told him everything and he took me before the O.C provost who sent for the officer.

The squad mate sent a message that he was not on duty which was a lie because I saw him few days before that day. He was even making jest of me calling me a civilian. I went to his squad mate and asked why he said the man was not on duty. He said, why would he want his friend dismissed? That didn’t I know they are squad mates? He said I should go and do my worst; he would not present his friend for trial.

I continued to go but eventually, my file was declared missing and it became a matter of ‘who do you know?’ since I didn’t know anybody there, there was nothing I could do. He even suggested I slept with him or give him money but I declined both options and that was the end of my career as a police officer which was when I was about getting promoted to a corporal.

I sold my land in the village which I used to start the raw food business which later collapsed due to the demolition and the illness of my baby and her eventual death.

To make ends meet. I pick empty water containers, empty malt cans which I break and sell at N40 per kilo.

Some will collect 28/30 of 75cl water bottle container from me for N100.

This is how I have been surviving and managing to look after my children.

If they give me this money, supposing it will be enough to rent a house, I will love to sleep in a house again and if it will be enough for me to do the business I was doing before, I will like to continue with the business since I don’t know how much, whatever it is enough for me to do, I will do it.

My B.P is always rising, the doctor at the last hospital I went to in Nyanyan where I was even admitted always tell me to take my medicines but I can’t afford to buy it. He said I should be staying at places where I will not be thinking because of the partial stroke I had so I try to look for how to make myself happy but it’s not that.

Life has been so difficult for me. I will like to start business again, sleep in a room again because am tired of being on the street, carrying all these rubbers on the head. Said Osato.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, AUGUST, 2012

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Eid-el-Kabir amidst insecurity

By Abubakar Jimoh, Ahmed Abubakar and Olanrewaju Lawal, Lawal Sadik Sanusi, Mustapher Adamu, Ali Abubakar Abare, Iliya Garba & Ali Abubakar Abare

A

s Muslims celebrate the Eid-elKabir worldwide, most Nigerians reminisced on how they have had to persevere amidst uncertainties ranging from various natural and human induced challenges that have been their lot in recent years.

The country has continued to suffer increasing cases of insecurity, economic depression, flood disasters, socio-political tension as well as fuel scarcity that have crippled economic activities in major cities across the country, with increased transport fares. Prices of food items especially rams, foodstuffs and livestock remain on the high side.

Eid-el-Kabir is a period when the Muslim faithful takes out time to offer mandatory but special prayers to Allah, the Almighty. During this time, they are also mandated to carry out sacrifice by slaughtering rams, while the old and young persons among them are expected to turn out en masse to observe the festival.

Like recent years, however, this year's festival is not without fears of the lingering nationwide challenge and the recurring decimal-where terrorist

attacks have been carried out, killing hundreds of citizens during these periods.

The situation is the same when their Christian counterparts observe their festivals too, as what seems like reprisal attacks are experienced.

However, it is no more news that, in Nigeria prices of food items naturally go up in these periods and this may not be unconnected with calculated attempts by the traders to unnecessarily make more profits. A market survey reportedly shows that there is increase in prices of ram by 100 per cent in Lagos and some other southern states. Also, there are indications that few days before this year's Sallah, there is a dramatic increase in prices of rams and other animals that are approved for the sacrifice in Abuja, Kaduna, Borno, Kano and other states northern states in the country.

For instance, a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said many ram sellers in the FCT attributed the inflated prices to the increase in transport fares and insecurity in the northern parts of the country. Consequently, they have found it difficult to travel to neighbouring countries where rams are affordable.

Alhaji Danladi Usman, a ram seller in the metropolis said the prices of ram were higher than last year noting that high cost of transportation was responsible.

He pointed out that the price of ram was between N20, 000 and N100, 000, depending on the size, adding that the size of a ram sold for N20, 000 last year, now sold for N30, 000 this year, while average-size ram was sold for N60,000 as against N35,000 it sold last year's Sallah.

The current insurgency in parts of the North has equally been blamed for hike in prices of ram, while the long queues seen at filling stations is said to be responsible for high transportation fare.

These factors have led to a low-key celebration.

Again, a survey conducted by Peoples Daily Weekend in Abuja shows an upsurge in price of the general goods and services and other necessary items needed for the celebration. In an interview with Abdulfatah Muhammad, a food stuff and fish seller at Babangida Market, Niger state, he lamented that the recent flood has brought about inflation in virtually everything. For instance, some days to Sallah, a bottle of groundnut oil and palm oil were sold for N250 and N200 as against the former price N220 and N170

respectively.

Another marketer, Mrs. Ladidi Abba revealed that, "the cost of yam is now expensive, before we could get many pieces from N5, 000 and below depending on the quantity you want, but it has now risen to N15, 000. Every food item is so expensive now. Plantain is scarce these days. When we go to buy it, the story we hear is that there is no road due to flood which makes it difficult for them to transport it. But the price of sweet potato is constant, it has not changed."

Also, a business man who deals in food items at Utako market in Abuja, Malam Musa Jibrin has similar version of the story when he complained that flood disaster which affected many states has contributed largely to the hike in the prices of food items and livestock in the Federal Capital Territory.

Meanwhile, critics said the recent release of water from the Lagdo dam in Cameroon, which resulted in flooding thereby covering some major highways and grounding transactions in various states in Nigeria, was indeed another bottleneck. Most hit areas include the Abuja-Lokoja highway, a major road

Contd on Pg 10

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27— SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

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Eid-el-Kabir amidst insecurity Contd from page 9

linking the North with the Southern parts of the country. This has raised a fresh concern on the journey stress the faithful would undergo when travelling for Sallah if they attempt to take alternative ways which are in bad shapes.

In the last couple of months, attention has also shifted to Yobe state in the attacks of the Boko Haram sect, as the once serene state has become a battle ground. In fact, residents who had earlier thronged the state for safety now flee in droves. The first incident which probably proved right the fears of security agencies was that of November last year, barely two days to the Eid-el Kabir celebrations when some suspected members of the sect laid ambush on Damaturu and Potiskum towns, killing more than 100 people mostly policemen, while several churches were bombed.

Few days to Sallah panic gripped the people of Maiduguri as the JTF announced it had received fresh information indicating that insurgents were planning to launch massive attacks in the state during the Sallah festivities with the support of foreign mercenaries. It equally advised the public to purchase sufficient food stuff and other routine household needs as curfew might be imposed in the event of the breakdown of law and order.

"Information available before the JTF indicated that the Boko Haram was planning to launch massive attacks on

Muslims queue to enter a Mosque

military and civilian targets in Borno state before, during and after the Sallah celebrations.

Subsequently, the terrorists have sought the support of foreign mercenaries to partake in the attacks," it warned.

In the last Eid-el Fitr celebrated two

months ago, Kano Emirate Council had cancelled all traditional public Sallah celebrations including the famous 700 years old Durbar. The news of the cancellations of the celebrations broadcast in the middle of tension which had taken over the state following

the earlier attacks by insurgents on the heel of the banning of the I'tikaf prayers.

However, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Abubakar in a recent courtesy visit to Gov. Rabi'u Kwankwaso of Kano state issued a statement that security challenges in some parts of the country would soon be over.

"The issue of security challenges will soon be a forgotten issue as the force will continue to do everything possible to ensure sustainable peace and stability in the country,'' he said.

In August 2011, Jos the Plateau state capital was engulfed in bloody violence, leaving over 20 people dead and over 50 others injured. In the violence, members of the 'Izala' sect who celebrated the end of the Ramadan were attacked by youths along Rukuba Road, a Christian dominated area while going for prayers at a Mosque located in the area. Over 100 motorcycles were burnt during the attack.

The same phenomenon would have been recorded in the 2012 Eid-el Fitr, but the quick intervention of security personnel had averted the bloody Sallah celebration in the state. It was reported that some Muslims youths, while returning from the prayer ground in Farin-Gada area of the town, threw stones at houses in the area and smashed cars parked at the premises of some churches and attacked motorists.

The action angered some youths in the area, which is predominantly occupied by Christians. They came out to the major roads ready for a show-down but for the timely intervention of security personnel, who shot into the air to disperse them. It was however reported recently that gunmen had

PAGE 11

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27— SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

Cover

...amidst insecurity Contd from page 10

Armoured tanker stationed at Eid ground

killed two policemen and injured two others at the Yakubu Gown Airport Police Outpost in Heipang, near Jos. Surprisingly, Kogi state is becoming another horrific zone in the North as it presently struggles with both natural and man-made disasters.

Recall that in August, 2012 some unidentified gunmen opened fire in a crowded Deeper Life Church near the Federal College of Education in Okene, leaving 15 worshippers dead.

Following the attack, the Kogi state Police Command recovered a vehicle found to contain six AK-47 rifles and 11 live magazines a day to Muslims Eid-el Fitr celebration.

As Nigerians continue to groan under the agonies of fuel scarcity, another set of obstacles had gripped the

faithful, who wished to travel to various parts of the country and celebrate Sallah with their families and friends, as rise in prices of public transport became unaffordable to many.

Commercial drivers blamed this on the increase in fuel price and unethical attitude of petrol stations in some cities. For instance, recently, it was reported that Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) had shut down about 20 petrol stations at the Ikorodu axis of Lagos state for selling petrol above recommended price of N97 per litre.

According to the NAN, motorists in Abuja have continued to lament the dangerous situations and called on the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to the fuel crises. The scarcity has also

paved way for the black market operators, who now sell at exorbitant rates. The Agency reported that petroleum now sells for between N110 and N150 per litre in some filling stations, while the black marketers sell a 4 litre Jerry can for N3, 000.

But, a survey carried out in the FCT a day to Sallah showed that long queues have been resolved in most petrol stations in the city.

Peoples Daily Weekend has learnt from a group of fashion designers in Abuja that the fuel scarcity and the national economic meltdown have affected the level of patronage they get.

Mr. Onikola Abdulganiyyu, a fashion designer said: "This Sallah, the major problem I faced is fuel scarcity because I need

electricity to do my work effectively. Since the supply of light is not regular, I resort to using generating set which must be fuelled. Each time I go to petrol station with a gallon to get petrol, they would not attend to me, so I had to pull out the tank of the generator."

"This is a major setback.

People bring their clothes for design but there is no petrol to fuel the set needed to do the work. Despite the fact that I just started operating here, people have really patronized me this Sallah but most of the clothes I sew this season is that of children. This is because most adults are complaining about lack of finance to purchase attires for the celebration.

However, despite the economic challenges, the cost of purchasing the thread I use in

designing remains the same", he said.

Another fashion designer, Mrs. Jatau has also laid emphasis on the national economic hardship when she said: "We thank God for witnessing yet another Eid-elKabir celebration.

Nevertheless, things are so hard this year to the extent that people cannot afford to get sallah attires unlike last year.

So we are experiencing hard times this sallah period. The government should do something to curtail further occurrence in the subsequent festive periods so that people will have the purchasing power to acquire attires for themselves."

Regrettably, Nigeria has suffered an era of socioeconomic challenges, particularly from the series of attacks from insurgents. For example, the analysis of the World Investment Report (2011) of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) showed that the Nigeria has lost some N1.3trillion as a result of attacks by the Boko Haram sect. In addition, the report revealed that Foreign Direct Investment to Nigeria fell to N933billion in 2010 from N1.3trillion in 2009 representing a decline of 29%.

The situation is not only dimming the local economy but also scaring away foreign investments and increasing the cost of doing business in Nigeria.

An investigation carried out

by Kano State Centre for Research and Documentation showed that the January 20, 2012 multiple bombs explosions in Kano metropolis had marked the beginning of a more precarious condition of doing business in the city.

Following this, all sectors of the state's economy are being affected. The hospitality industry is currently experiencing very low patronage, traders are complaining of low sales and manufacturers are cutting down on their expenses to adjust to the situation.

In most states in the North, the devastating socio-economic effects of the sect's serial killings and bombings, especially in Borno, Yobe, Niger, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau (which is more of ethno-religious conflict), Kogi, Bauchi and recently ,Sokoto, has destroyed Contd on page 12

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27— SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

...amidst insecurity Contd from page 11

economic and commercial activities with many people relocating to other places.

Jigawa Sallah periods are associated with merriment and other religious rites but this particular Eid-el-Adha celebration was adversely affected by the economic hardship.

Dutse residents who spoke to Peoples Daily Weekend explained that financial challenges being encountered across the country made the annual ritual to lose its glamour.

Alhaji Munkaila Abdullah who is a resident of Takur and a staff in the state Ministry of Information declared that the state government did its best by paying salaries before the 20th of the month. He however observed that the cost of ram which is on the high side reduced the value of the salary, so he had to settle for very small ram this year.

Alhaji Munkaila said he bought the small ram at the rate N28, 000 out of a salary of N36, 000. The remaining amount he said may not be able to sustain his family of seven after the Sallah period.

According to him, he told his wife and her children not to expect any new clothes but to wash the ones they used during the last Sallah.

A housewife living in Gida Dubu quarters, Hadiza said she was able to save some money with which she bought some materials for herself and two kids.

Hadiza said her husband is a police constable and she engages in petty business of selling materials to government officials on credit and later collect the payment when salaries are paid.

She said her husband bought them a small ram even though he had been posted out of the area for special duty.

Another middle aged woman at the new Dutse central market disclosed to our reporter that she was going to celebrate the Sallah in low key way because both she and her husband work with an NGO and had not been paid their salaries.

Although Jigawa has no much security challenges like other states, security was also beefed-up around the recognized Eid grounds and some parts of the state capital.

A ram market in Abuja

Malam Isa, a civil servant who said the congestion at his bank prevented him from collecting his salary, condemned the Federal Government's pronouncement of Thursday as among the public holiday.

He said there is no wisdom in making Thursday a public holiday, a situation that made the banks refuse to open on Thursday and also close before their official closing time of 4 pm on Wednesday.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Malam Abdul Jinjiri said police and other para military outfits were working

round the clock to ensure the security of lives and properties during and beyond the Sallah.

Kwara In Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, the Emirate Council put necessary measures on ground in the area of traffic arrangement and security to ensure a hitch-free exercise.

Peoples Daily Weekend observed that the Eid praying ground along Irewolede\Asa Dam area was harrowed by tractors while security agencies were seen parading the area.

The Secretary to the Emirate Council, Alhaji S.

Adedeji Lawal in an interview with our correspondent at the Emir's palace disclosed that all necessary measures to ensure a free and peaceful Sallah was put in place by the Emirate Council.

While speaking on the significance of Eid-el- Kabir to mankind, an Islamic Cleric, Mallam Ali-Kamal Abubakar said Nigerians should emulate Prophet Ibrahim's sincerity, fear of God and obedience to Almighty Allah.

Abubakar recalled that Eidel-Kabir originated from the time of Prophet Ibrahim when he asked Almighty Allah to give him a child at the age of

105 while his wife Hajarat was 85 years, stressing that the trial was a test of faith.

He noted that lessons from Prophet Ibrahim were fulfillment of promises, obedience to Almighty Allah and to one's parents.

He added that slaughtering of rams and other sacrificial animals without fear, obedience and goodness to neigbours would not be accepted by Almighty Allah.

Abubakar however appealed to all Muslims in Nigerians including nation's leaders to observe justice and equity in the course of governing the country.

Zaria In line with the identified challenges, the Zazzau Emirate cancelled the annual Eid-elAdha Durbars usually staged during Sallah festivities.

The emir's protocol officer, Alhaji Abubakar Ladan made this known to our correspondent saying Sallah Durbar would not take place because of same reasons that stopped the Durbar during the Eid-el-Fitr.

During the Eid-el-Fitr, the emirate said it cancelled the Durbar to allow time for residents of the Zazzau emirate to pray for the return of peace to the country.

There were however reports in certain quarters that the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, has been out of the country for about 20 days.

Sources closed to the palace said the emir was out of the country on "a medical trip."

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27— SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

PAGE 13

Vox Pop

Tailors lament financial challenges During the Sallah festival, in an interview with Ummukulthum Aliyu, some tailors shared their experiences aboutthe festive season. Excerpts: Mrs Jatau

W

e thank God for witnessing yet another Eid el- Kabir celebration. Nevertheless, things are so hard this year to the extent that people could not afford to get Sallah attires

unlike last year. So we are experiencing hard times this Sallah period. The government should do something to curtail further occurrence in the subsequent festive periods so that people will have the purchasing power to acquire attires for themselves.

Pastor Enuebe Mrs Jatau Ramat Abdulrasheed

P

ersonally, during Sallah, I don't usually meet up demands of customers. This is because people don't bring their clothes early. They bring it few days to Sallah and then they get clustered up. This then make me rush the work, and make meeting up hard for me. What I do is that, when I have too much work, I will attend to the

children's clothes first because Sallah is mostly enjoyed and celebrated by children. For this reason, I don't like disappointing children. Irrespective of the festival, whether it is Sallah or Christmas, I attend to children's clothes first. In the case of adults, I try to sew the ones I can and if I can't, I inform the owners to avoid disappointment.

Pastor Enuebe

T

his sallah, I experienced high turnout from customers and I really thank God for that. Due to the fact that I have a lot of apprentices, am able to deliver peoples' clothes on time.

Personally I don't like disappointing my customers to enable them patronize me again. Though price of some sewing materials did increase price but it did not affect us much.

Khadijat Ibrahim In this Sallah, there was no work for me.I'm just managing as everyone complains that there is no money, and as such I did not get clothes to sew. I only sewed one cloth this Sallah. Things are hard and not everyone can afford to buy clothes for the celebration.

Mr I.D

Khadijat Ibrahim OnikolaAbdulganiyyuFashion designer

T

his Sallah, the major problem I faced was fuel scarcity because I needed electricity to do my work effectively. Since the supply of light is not regular, I resorted to using generating set which must be fuelled. Each time I go to petrol stations with a gallon to get petrol, they would not attend to me, so I had to pull out the tank of the generator. This is a major setback. People bring their clothes for design but there is no

petrol to fuel the set needed to do the work. Despite the fact that I just started operating here, people have really patronized me this Sallah.

This is because most adults are complaining about lack of finance to purchase attires for the celebration.

However,despite the economic challenges, the cost of purchasing the thread I use in designing remains the same.

A

t this Sallah, I got clothes to sew but no money. Notwithstanding, I thank the almighty for sparing our lives to witness the festival. Under normal circumstance, tailors don't lack money during festive periods but this particular one is an exception. In fact, I had to borrow money to celebrate Sallah as most of the people I sewed for didn't have money to pay and collect their clothes. Some of them promised to pay after the celebration. At a point, I stopped collecting clothes from people because the ones I had sewn were without payment. I concentrate only on those that I had already collected. In this case, I did not disappoint those who paid for their clothes but I disappointed those who didn't pay me.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

Analysis Rising anarchism and socio-economic implications

By Abubakar Jimoh

T

he ongoing accelerating cases of deadly attacks, kidnaping, raping, bombing across the country have posed series of unbearable challenges not only to common Nigerians, but also the security personnel, governments and other stakeholders backpedalling the nation’s political and socio-economic efforts toward the achievement of the proposed vision 20:20:20.

The matter becomes worse almost every day. The public outcry on the spate of terrorist attacks leading to the death of about 20 worshippers at the Deeper Life Bible Church in Kogi State, has been consolidated by another series of attacks a week after that took place in our public higher institutions that resulted to massive massacre of about 46 students of the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi and Adamawa State College of Health Technology, including 4 others University of Port Harcourt students, who were killed after nakedly demonstrated a week later in Aluu Community, Rivers state.

Of course, the incident of 4-Aluus has not only thrown the parents of the victims in sorrowful moment, but also called for the massive protests by the students of the University of Port Harcourt against the murder of four of their colleagues by youths in Aluu community. The protest has led to a subsequent reprisal attack resulting in a serious socio-economic loss as no fewer than 12 houses were set ablaze in the community, even as the university has been shut down by the school authorities.

In most states in the North, the devastating socio-economic effects of the sect’s serial killings and bombings, especially in Borno, Yobe, Niger, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau (which is more of ethno-religious conflict), Kogi, Bauchi and recently ,Sokoto, has destroyed economic and commercial activities with many people relocating to other places.

In late January, 2012 more than 200 bodies were deposited in the various morgues in a bomb explosion that rocked Kano city, unarguably the attack was traced to the insurgents known as Boko Haram. This was followed by several explosions and a gun attack in Bayero University, Kano leading to the deaths of no fewer than 15 people in April, 2012.

In Maiduguri, Borno State, where the sect originated, the frequent bombings and clashes between Boko Haram and security agents have weighed down seriously on commercial and businesses activities in the city as many business have reportedly crumbled while many people have fled the state.

Recently, Peoples Daily investigation revealed that cases of extra-judicial killings, torture, arson and arbitrary arrests, allegedly perpetrated by operatives of the Joint Military Task Force, (JTF) in some parts of Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, have become rampant in the past three weeks.

Similarly, some JTF personnel have been accused of forceful entry into houses, extortion and other human rights abuses allegedly perpetrated under the guise of searching for arms or hunting suspected members of the Boko Haram sect.

Kano which is often regarded as the nation’s ‘Centre for Commerce’ in the entire 19 Northern states happened to be the worst even as about 80 per cent of the industries are reported have been shut down as a result of power failure and the scary security

challenges.

Counting the economic depression the attacks have caused the economy so far, the World Investment Report (2011) of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) shows that the Nigerian economy has lost some N1.3trillion as a result of attacks by Boko Haram. In addition, the report reveals that Foreign Direct Investment to Nigeria fell to N933billion in 2010 from N1.3trillion in 2009 representing a decline of 29%. The situation is not only dimming the local economy but also scaring away foreign investments and increasing the cost of doing business in Nigeria An Associate Professor of Mathematics with the American University of Nigeria, Leonard Karshima Shilgba has laid blame that the problem insecurity in Nigeria at the door step of the political leadership was epitomized by President Goodluck Jonathan, who has huge resources at its disposal, which may be deployed to achieve great good or to inflict egregious injury on society.

“Unfortunately for Nigerians, the latter is our recent experience. What should be the natural response of people who have been offended by the state, broken by the state, and oppressed by the state, with no group of human rights lawyers in that state standing up in their defence?”, he lamented.

Professor Shilgba sees the crisis of bombings in Nigeria as not caused by Christo-Islamic tensions in Nigeria; it is caused by injustice and failure of government. “From available reports, there are some government officials who are benefitting from the crisis, not least through the almost one trillion naira security vote in the 2012 budget, which vote was because of the Boko Haram threat”, he said.

It was reported in the observation of a famous socio-political writer, Clifford Ndujihe that the practical significance of a democratic constitution in the context of Nigeria, as in the context of the rest of Africa, lies partly in the nature and structure of our society. It is in this respect that Nigeria and Africa differ fundamentally from the U.S. and Europe.

Whilst each of the original 13 colonies and, even more so, each of 50 States that make up the United States today, comprises peoples of different languages, races, religions and cultural backgrounds, each of those different peoples does not, by and large, inhabit a separate territorial area as to constitute a separate territorial entity, as is the case in Africa.

On the rising ethno-political tensions across the country, he further lamented that the diverse ethnic groups comprised in the state in Africa, the Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba, the Igbo, the Ijaws, the Urhorobos, the Itsekiris, the Ibibios and other ethnic groups in Nigeria for example, inhabit each a separate territorial area, which constitutes them a separate territorial entity. Creating a nation out of a diversity of peoples each inhabiting a separate territorial area and constituting a separate territorial entity confronts a problem fundamentally different in nature and character from that faced by the Americans since 1787.

Apart from the above, Nigeria has been faced with amplifying level of unemployment which has contributed to the rising ethno-political upheavals and other social vices such as armed robbery, pick pocketing, prostitution, juvenile delinquencies, cultism, indecent partying, post-electoral violence, and grossly uncontrollable level of insecurity in the country.

The 2010 Labour Force Survey of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the World Bank study on Gross Domestic Production (GDP) have showed unpleasant movement in the Nigeria’s unemployment and GDP rates to have risen to 11.9% and 5.4% in 2005, 12.3% and 6.2% in 2006%, 12.7% and 6.4% in 2007, 14.9% and 6.0% in 2008, 19.7% and 5.6% in 2009, 21.1% and 8.6% in 2010, 23.9% and 6.8% in 2011; while the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) confirmed unemployment rate to have risen to 40% in 2012.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Central Bank

of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has disclosed that while the Nigerian economy grew at the rate of seven per cent for the past five years, unemployment has actually doubled at same period. He pointed out that the current security upheaval and internal insurrection all over the country were as a result of severe poverty and rising unemployment, especially in the north; where increase in unemployment at a time of economic growth is an aberration.

One can imagine as how the intensifying rates of unemployment in the last five years has heightened the crime rates and national general security threat. The collective frustration among young job-seekers no doubt, is one of the single largest contributing factors to the ethnic and religious insecurity in the country as it is increasingly becoming difficult for them to secure anything other than part-time or temporary work such as hire assassins, kidnappings, and sociopolitical thugs.

It has become a normal phenomenon for jobless Nigerians to be engaged in the complex technical bunkering and pipeline vandalism. These threats are largely manifested in the oil and gas, energy and power sectors.

Besides, Nigeria has experienced loss of thousand lives and billions of naira property arising from pipeline vandalism which has been fundamentally caused by rise in unemployment rate. For instance, in 2001, pipelines were vandalised over 460 times with the country losing N3.867bn, and N7.971bn in 2002 with a total 516 cases; 779 cases with N12.986bn loss in revenue in 2003 were reported, while about 125 lives were lost to the explosion of pipelines near Umuahia, Abia sate in the same year; and 895 cases were recorded resulting in N19.66bn revenue loss in 2004.

To end these challenges, Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) under the Chairmanship of Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi had called for a multidimensional approach to security issues which include enhanced coordination and collaboration among security forces, effective use of technology and intelligence, value re-orientation, employment generation and sincerity of purpose. The forum however identified that in order to combat the rising insecurity in the country there is urgent need for state police.

However, the proposed establishment of state police has been faced with several criticisms such as the likelihood of conflict of jurisdiction between states, especially where the conflicting states are run by different political parties; lack of uniformity in financing; and diversion of criminals and criminality from one state to another.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

PAGE 15

Interview

Polio eradication is continuous battle —Umar C

an you share with us the efforts your agency is putting in place to tackle polio virus in the state?

Bauchi state observed the 7th round of immunization this month and it was a four day activity which was conducted in 323 wards across the 20 local government areas of the state.

We conducted some pre implementation activities before the exercise and we trained our personnel at the state level, we also trained our monitors at the state level and the local government level. All the resources and finance needed were disbursed and we also procured and distributed 2 million and 22 units of detergents to all nooks and corners of the state which means that every child that was targeted to be immunized was given a nut of detergent as an encouragement for his or her participation in the exercise.

On the last IPD exercise which was conducted in July, we didn’t have August IPD because it was in the middle of the rainy season, and there were places that we felt were inaccessible because of the rain falls and alteration in our micro plans because of flooding and displaced communities.

Some of the local movements in the state did very well in the last IPDs but unfortunately there were some that performed below our expectation. Let me also use this opportunity to highlight the local governments in the state that are of highest risk of the virus, they are Gamawa , Bauchi, Ningi, Katagum, Itas Gadau, Shura, Misau.

They are the highest risk LGs based on CDC scores and CDC scores which looked into the presence of polio cases in the local governments.

The local government with moderate level of risk are Tafawa Balewa, Alkaleri, Warji, Giade, Danbam, Ganjuwa, Toro and Darazo while the local ones with relatively less risk are Kirfi, Bogoro, Jamare, Zakinthos, and Dass.

The fight for the eradication of polio anywhere in the world does not lie in campaign, it lies in routine immunization.

Campaigns are supplementary activities used to reach people that are not utilizing the routine immunization.

We have also provided some incentives which we disbursed in about 567 primary health care centers across the state each month, each facility is going to be given N3600 and what is going to be used is N200 as refreshment to conduct outreach

Dr Nisser Umar is the Executive Chairman of Bauchi state Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA). In this interview with a group of journalists, he ex-rays the progress his agency is making in the eradication of polio. Ahmed Kaigama was there.

Dr Nisser Umar activities from their facility to the traditional institution, I mean the ward head and create a fixed post in the community to be delivering the routine immunization twice in a month.

So what we are now given is N200 to each personnel and three personnel in each facility twice a month and we are giving them one thousand to hire a bike to take them to their facility to the house of the ward head and we are also given them five hundred for town crier.

What challenges do you face in discharging your responsibilities?

Sure, we face a lot of challenges in IPDs and most of the challenges have to do with the rejection we get from some communities for various reasons.

There were sporadic cases of rejections that we recorded because some mothers claimed their husbands left home without giving them the instruction to immunise the children.

Though each time we come across this situation, the ward head of the particular community always step in.

Following the recent flood disaster in the state, how have you been able to get those at the rural areas immunized particularly the displaced victims?

Yes, I agree that there is problem of flooding and displacement of some communities but these are things that we can't really change, they are natural disasters, but then we have to adjust to ensure that we mitigate the negative effects of that reality and in that line we went back to drawing board, brought out the micro plans for those communities and made some adjustments. These adjustments we made then with the communities because the communities know the places better than anybody, so we sought advice from the communities and made some temporary adjustment to the micro plans, the community know exactly where people moved to, that was why we shifted the plans from the original communities to the temporary settlements.

What criteria do you use in selecting the vaccinators?

We don't select the vaccinators, we have the vaccination select committee at the ward head level and the ward head is supposed to be the chairman of that committee and the condition is the vaccinators ought to be from that same community so it's like people vaccinating their neighborhood.

How much did you spend in the last IPD? Lots of resources have been invested at the state level, we have spent over N66m for procurement of pluses, we spent over N29m for procurement and distribution of pluses, that is 2.2 million units, even though we know the doses, we are targeting is 2.2 million. We

have created 10 percent margin in case if we are going to lose some along the way, so we procured that and we have also supported supervisors, we have over 36 supervisors that we trained to go round the state, we have paid them their logistics allowances and we've also supported some pre implementation training.

We have also supported the instruction mobilization activities in all the local movement task force with 500 million naira cash to all the local government for the distribution of additional logistics after 9 million which we have given for the local immunization officers.

We have also added almost one million for the local immunization officers to ensure that there is no problem of logistics, so if you add all that, we have spent over 66 million at the state level to see the success of this exercise and as I said our budget is very clear, our retirement process is very clear each and every person that collects, we ensure that he gives receipt and we have the receipt, so where there is a problem , we are in a position to get where that problem is coming from, the pluses were distributed, we gave money for the logistics of the distribution. We gave money for the social mobilization, we observed the conduct of the training and we also refresh the vaccinators because the vaccination exercise was extended by a week.

How do you supervise the exercise?

We use the chairmen of the local movement for social mobilization for pluses, logistics and we used the local immunization officers so that they are all aware that we have given this amount and if we have problem of supervision, then we know is the local government chairmen that we will ask that.

And if we have problem of supervision, or if we have problem with the traditional institution, we will know exactly who to ask and if it is a problem of logistics and pluses, we know who exactly to hold accountable because we have given it directly to the local immunization officer of that local government.

“

There were sporadic cases of rejections that we recorded because some mothers claimed their husbands left home without giving them the instruction to immunise the children.

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

Tourism Bamle: Oil discovery amidst poverty The villagers suffer untold hardship, penury and lack of government support. They are disconnected from the civilised world due to lack of water, light, healthcare facilities and so on. They however received the news of oil discovery in their locality with mixed feelings. Lawal Sa’idu Funtua reports

K

atsina state would soon join the league of oil producing states with the discovery of a potential area believed to be harbouring large quantity of oil and uranium deposits. A member of Katsina state House of Assembly representing Mashi constituency, Alhaji Nazif M.B Yusuf recently called the attention of the House and the government over the discovery of oil deposit in Bamle area of Mashi local government. The member therefore called on the government to take pro-active measures in making sure adequate research was conducted to look at possible ways of exploring the resources.

The House therefore mandated its committee on special duties to take up the issue and the committee had already visited the area to assess the situation and report back.

The village head of Birnin Kuka, Alhaji Ibrahim Shumu, on whose domain the oil deposits were uncovered told our Correspondent who visited the area that, “we actually learnt that a committee of the state assembly has visited the site where oil was discovered’.

The village head disclosed that for the past 50 years, white people have been visiting the Bamle hills where the oil deposits were discovered.

He said ‘they use to come to these hills in Bamle to conduct researches but they never let us understand their mission and they never made their findings public.”

Similarly, a resident of one of the settlement of Bamle, Malam Abubakar Abdullahi corroborated the village head’s story on the several visits made to the area by white people.

Malam Abubakar similarly noted that apart from the potential oil discovery, already Kaolin mining is going on in the area while they heard that the area equally houses a large quantity of uranium deposit.

He similarly disclosed that the hills were divided into two; the first one was called Dutsin Bamle and the second is called Dutsin Suduwa.

Geographical position of the area Bamle village is about 40 kilometres away from Mashi town, the headquarters of Mashi local government.

The area where the village is located is about eleven kilometres away from a village in Niger Republic. The area is particularly close to the state of Maradi and Damagaran in Niger Republic. The state of Damagaran is where oil was discovered in Niger Republic. The area is about 75 kilometres away from the state capital.

The area largely houses about 500 scattered Fulani settlement. The bush paths to the Bamle area are so terrible that they are almost impassable. The major occupation of people of the area is farming and cattle rearing. The popular farm produce found in the area include, Millet, Guinea Corn, Beans, Groundnut and leaves for making Zobo drink. Their farming techniques are still at the subsistent level.

The condition of Bamle people The situation of the people of Bamle Area and its environs is pathetic. During a visit to the area, Peoples Daily Weekend discovered that none of Wale-Wale-KilagoTashar Usman-Marke, Kaki-Marke-Tashar Zana-Randa-Gana Jigawa-Kisanki-KatogeBirninKuka villages had enjoyed electricity in the last two years. The most populous village of

Alhaji Ibrahim Shumu, the village head of Birnin Kuka

Malam Abdullahi Abubakar of Bamle Village

The interior of the dilapidated Bamle class room where the villagers now dry their farm produce

The dilapidated primary school building in Bamle

The Bamle hill where oil was discovered

One of the trees under which pupils of Bamle primary school receive lessons.

the area where the village head is based had not enjoyed electricity for the past two and a half years.

At the Birnin Kuka primary school despite the large population of the area, it has only twelve classes with other pupils learning under the tree.

In Bamle village the over 500 Fulani settlements have one primary school with two classrooms. A resident of the area whose settlement is close to the primary school, Malam Abdullahi Abubakar noted , “we have one primary school with two classrooms that are no longer habitable.

The primary school that was built over three decades ago has its two classrooms dilapidated and the classes were all operating under the trees.”

He added: “We no longer send our children to this school because it means exposing them to the dangers of heat and predators.”

Malam Abubakar lamented that of the thousands of children of Bamle settlements, none is attending school. A six year old girl, Ramatu Abubakar told our Correspondent: “I’ve started learning how to read and write but sadly the school has collapsed and I’ve since stop going to school.”

The two classes of Bamle primary school are now used to dry farm produce while reptiles have turned the place to their abode.

Pathetically, the most disturbing story of the Bamle settlement is that the area has no health clinic.

Malam Abubakar said, ‘we have no clinic in the area, if we are sick especially pregnant women and children, we carry them to hospitals in either Majigiri or Birnin Kuka on bull carts’. He noted that they are losing a lot of their women and children to some preventable sicknesses due to none proximity to health care facilities. Malam Abubakar added that the situation has forced them into patronising traditional medicine.

The water situation in the Bamle settlement is disturbing as the residents of the area have to trek two kilometres everyday to look for water. Some children met by our Correspondent on their way to the stream said “we spend most of our productive times searching for water. We trek over 10 kilometres daily to look for water’.

Their hope With the reported discovery of oil in the Bamle area, the residents have expressed hope that it would be a blessing to them.

The village head of Birnin Kuka, Alhaji Ibrahim Shumu noted “we hope the oil exploration would materialize in our life time. We also hope it would benefit our people.”

A resident of Bamle village, Malam Gambo Wapa said “our only prayer is that it would be of benefit to us not like what is happening in the Niger Delta.”

Malam Abdullahi Abubakar of the Bamle village said ‘we are happy for this discovery but our concern is that when the exploration commences, what would be the future of our settlement especially our houses and farms. Though we are ready to relocate to other safe areas to give them chance to exploire oil.”

A councillor representing the area, Malam Abdullahi Idris stated that the people of his constituency were enthusiastic about the discovery.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

PAGE 17

Weekend

Cocktail CUISINE

>> Page 28

Delicacies to make your Sallah great >> Page 24

Nollywood abandons ailing Ngozi Nwosu? >> Page 25

KANNYWOOD

My wife didn’t leave me because of female fans - Manci >> Page 24

RELA TIONSHIP RELATIONSHIP 10 marriage rules you should follow

>> Page 18

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

PAGE 18

Relationship If you have any relationship story you want to share with our esteem readers, please send to the above address. Let's share your love story.

10 marriage rules you must follow

E

v e r y married person knows what it means to be faithful, stay truthful and be there for his/her partner through good times and bad but most seasoned couples would admit that some unspoken rules are vital for getting past rough patches and growing stronger as a couple. Here, experts share 10 of the less apparent (but just as important) marriage rules to live by.

Don't criticize your partner's parents or friends: You know how your family can tick you off but no one else had dared speak ill of them. That's why you should tread carefully with your in-laws and your husband's dearest friends. Even when he's venting to you, your contributions can put him on the defensive. When you take position A, you prompt your partner to take position B. Instead, put yourself in his position so that you can empathize with him.

Tell your spouse about any ex encounters: Whether you get a Facebook friend request or run into an old flame, keeping the news to yourself could backfire, despite having zero feelings for the ex. If there's nothing to hide, why hide it? That leads to an air of secrecy and dishonesty. Just clue in your hubby matter-of-factly: Try, "I knew it was only a matter of time before old boyfriends came out of the woodwork on Facebook. I got a friend request from one and ignored it." Or, "I saw my ex in the mall today. His kids are cute. Glad to see his life turned out nicely."

Keep unsolicited advice to yourself: Offer your support, lend your ear, but avoid speaking in an "I know what's best" tone. We give advice because we're trying to be helpful, but it's seen as

criticism when we offer too many corrections. This goes for everything from your husband's outfit choices to how he deals with a work issue. Give your spouse space to make decisions and gain confidence through trial and error-and ask that he do the same for you. What matters in a relationship is not that things get done 'right,' but that two people are dedicated to contributing to each other's happiness.

Don't take charge all the time: Whether you fold all the laundry because you don't like how your husband does it or you manage the finances because you don't think he's as careful, you may feel more at ease doing all the work. But stop!

The spouse who does the rescuing can become tired of that role and resentful that everything is on her shoulders, even if she volunteered for that burden. Get in the habit of asking your partner, "What do you think works best here?" or telling him, "I could use a hand cleaning out the pantry." These requests will foster the idea that you're teammates.

Don't bring up past arguments: Or at least put a statute of limitations on them.

People repeat ancient disagreements because they haven't resolved the problem.

Letting things fester often causes marriages to break down. It's important to address issues as they happen and come to some sort of resolution agreeing to disagree counts. Leave it there, and respect each other's opinion.

Choose your battles, but don't stifle your feelings: There's going to be toothpaste globs here and Post-it notes there; that's human nature. You have to be able to say, 'this isn't important.'" Or if it is, speak up. Tell your partner

why it bothers you and that you'd like to work on a solution.

You'd be surprised what you could learn about each other. For instance, your husband may not leave dirty dishes in the sink anymore if you explain that your childhood home was piled high with plates and you were stuck washing them.

It's also important to understand that he's not plotting to upset you every time he's sloppy or forgetful. A simple request like: "Honey, it'd be great if you could pick up the dry cleaning while you're out" beats getting mad that he didn't offer to help with errands.

Don't post private thoughts or photos publicly: You may not want to be tagged in a politically charged rant he starts or he may not want you to share photos of the kids. And you each deserve the other person's respect for those wishes. Discuss the ground rules regarding posting about you, as a couple and about the other person," says Dr. Castaldo.

And no matter what, don't take your grievances with your husband to the masses for support. It's destructive to air conflicts on Facebook.

Log off: When your attention is focused elsewhere, your spouse is bound to feel unimportant. So make quality time a top priority and restrict tech gadget use if necessary. Pay attention to the concept of ratio: How much time am I spending doing this compared to how much time I'm spending with my family? Create a rule that works for your household and stick to it, whether it's no devices at the dinner table, shutting down phones at 8 p.m. or going gadget-free on weekend afternoons.

Don't use the "D" word (divorce): Even in the heat of an argument, avoid threatening to pack your bags or head to the lawyer's office. Besides the "D" word being downright hurtful, repeated warnings may result in a spouse calling the other's bluff.

We act as if the intensity of our anger gives us license to say or do anything.

But threatening divorce is never useful, and it only makes the probability of separation more likely.

Be each other's number one: In other words, be wary of outsider influence, like a friend putting relationship-threatening ideas in your head or work or hobbies competing for your attention. Happy couples have just as much conflict as those who divorce, but they know ways to get through it. A couple has to have a strong boundary around them and they can't allow anybody to get in between.

Life and Style

Heart Matterz With A'isha Biola Raji E-mail: rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com Phone: 08082071393

I had my doubts and they turned out to be true

I

'm a civil servant working in one of the ministries in Abuja, I fell in love with a woman who had been married before and even has a daughter from that marriage.

My intention was to marry her but I had my doubt that, she might be seeing another man since my relationship with her was pure without sexual attachment.

Based on this I felt she was seeing another man but we were still planning to get married despite my doubts. I was able to surpass my doubt after talking to an expert on relationship. I was advised to go ahead with the

marriage only, if I truly loved her and would accept her for who she is. Since I truly love her, I erased all doubts from my mind and set my energy on getting everything in place for the upcoming marriage ceremony since we had fixed a date.

However, three weeks to the wedding, she married someone else. I have been devastated since then because I have nurtured that relationship for three years.

The problem is, I can't get over her because I love her so much.

How do I get over her? Please advise me.

—Ahmed

I'm in love with my cousin but my culture forbids it I'm a Yoruba, an undergraduate in one of the Northern Universities.

Immediately after my secondary school, I was sent to my uncle who lives in the north to continue my education.

On reaching there, I met Siju.

I had never seen her until then but we were always talking on phone. Siju is my first cousin but that did not hinder the attraction that I felt. Immediately I set my feet in the house, I knew she is the only woman I can ever love.

Our tradition will not permit

that we date, talk more of having an affair that will blossom into marriage. She is supposed to be my sister and I'm expected to treat her like one but anytime we are together, I feel the urge to tell her my mind.

I've been living with this for two years now and I think I can't control my feelings anymore.

Should I go ahead and tell her?

Would she agree? If she agrees, will our parents shun tradition and get us married? I am confused, please encourage me.

—Tunde

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

PAGE 19

Beauty Tips Get rid of stretch marks, the natural way A

c c o r d i n g to Dr. Eric Bernstein, stretch marks aren't necessarily caused by the skin stretching. The real cause of stretch marks is hormones. Hormones that are generated during times of rapid weight gain or weight loss are the real culprit.

Stretch marks, or striae, are lesions that tend to form in the dermis during periods of hormonal flux, with weight gain or loss, pregnancy, and other periods of hormone change. When our body's elastic fibers deep beneath the epidermis become damaged these scars can appear. Women often tend to get them on their breasts, thighs, hips, abdomen, arms, around the belly button, buttocks, and back. This is especially true during puberty and pregnancy when a rapid onset of marks can appear.

Initially they may be red, but as the redness fades, they may turn white. However, contrary to conventional wisdom, and their unfortunate name, stretch marks are not caused solely by skin stretching.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, and their unfortunate name, stretch marks are not caused solely by skin stretching. Instead, stretch marks tend to form in the skin during periods of hormonal flux, with weight gain or loss, pregnancy, and other periods of hormone change.

Over the years most women develop stretch marks due to various reasons ranging from early stages of adolescence to pregnancy. If you have a medical or family history of stretch marks then you are most likely to develop it. In most cases, the intensity of 'stria'

(band of contractile tissue) is dependent on individual body types. There have also been several cases where pregnant women have never witnessed stretch marks during or after pregnancy. Lucky them! But this is possibly because they have a good amount of collagen that protects their skin during the process of expansion.

Remember that these ugly stretch lines are not only hereditary or due to pregnancy.

Thus it is important to identify the reason for its occurrence before you begin treating them.

Owing to the increasing frequency of stretch marks, in today's generation, there has been an assortment of cosmetic and beauty procedures to help in coping with this situation.

But such treatments are not easily affordable and possess a few side effects. This is where home remedies come into the picture! The section below suggests some simple and easy home remedies for curing stretch marks.

Home remedies fostretch mark removal -Stretch marks are not difficult to treat but it is finding an effective treatment that is hard. Incidentally, the remedy maybe right in front of you!

Take a mixture containing half a cup of olive oil and 2tbsp of lime juice. Rub this regularly on your stretch marks and you will see it lighten and soon become invisible.

-A popular home remedy suggested for recovery from stretch marks is aloe Vera gel.

This might be a messy affair but it certainly helps removing your ugly stretch marks.

-Half a cup of olive oil, lavender oil and aloe vera gel, 5

Vitamin E capsules and 3 Vitamin A capsules can be mixed in blender and stored it in a refrigerator. This can be used when you see the first signs of stretch marks.

-If you love body massages then this should interest you! In a bowl, add equal quantities of lavender oil and chamomile oil along with avocado, almond and jojoba oils. Stir them well and heat it to a tepid temperature.

Apply this all over your body and leave it for at least an hour before you wash it off. Use a pleasant smelling and moisturizing body wash to give you a great feel after.

-A good scrub such as apricot or oatmeal will not only remove dead skin but it is highly moisturizing and can help in the treatment of scars too. Use the body polishes at least twice

a week to see positive results.

-Unhealthy lifestyles and poor eating habits can reflect on

your skin. For good and radiant skin, you need to include food rich in Vitamin A, C and E. Throw in some nuts and green leafy vegetables and you're good to go! This are the much needed ingredients for clear skin free from ugly scars. A regular intake of water is also required to maintain hydrated and supple skin.

-Exercises are extremely essential for a healthy glowing skin. This not only tones muscles but it also improves the elasticity of the skin and reduces the formation of stretch marks.

-Stay away from foods that are saturated and contain high levels of fat and carbohydrates.

This makes you gain weight and it accelerates the appearance of stretch marks.

Sometimes the solution to your problems may lie right in front of you. Remember that opting for the natural way can prove to be far more beneficial than you expected!

Cocoa and Shea butter creams are also said to be helpful in treating stretch marks

PAGE 20

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

Learning The amazing new treatment using COW'S Slaughtered by Religion: A Review of E.E. Sule's 'Sterile Sky' MILK that could prevent HIV Book Review

With Augustine Aminu 07038749120 julius2001_a@yahoo.com

Title: Sterile Sky Author: E.E. Sule Publisher: Pearson Education Ltd, Essex.

Pages: 286 Year: 2012

C

E

.E. Sule has been in the news lately for condemning the "culture heroism" (apologies Ato Quayson) that overexposed authors such as Chinua Achebe have enjoyed.

Sule's condemnation quite obviously has to be a challenge to himself. If he intends to topple entrenched literary heroes then he must be fully prepared to take their place. And in order to do so, he must simply write worthy books.

Sterile Sky, Sule's first novel is an ambitious work that tells the definitive story of an important moment in Nigeria's sociopolitical history.

For more than three decades, northern Nigerian cities have been plagued with the scourge of religious fundamentalism and strife in which human beings are repeatedly slaughtered by the dozen and sometimes in hundreds or more. Cities such as Sokoto, Maiduguri, Yola, Bauchi, Kaduna, Zaria, Jos, Katsina and of course Kano, the setting of the novel have all been ablaze periodically due to the chancre of religious violence.

Sterile Sky is about precocious Murtala and his family which unravels as the pressures of living in a highly volatile metropolis takes its toll. Murtala's father works as a policeman and his mum is a petty trader. The novel begins on an ominous note.

Refugees have sought protection in a police station as killers rampage through the city. A siege mentality is what the refugees are forced to endure. During this spate of violence, Ukpo, Murtala's brother is butchered. So is Helen, his school mate. Their ghosts continually visit him in dreams and nightmares as the narrative progresses.

After the deaths of Ukpo and Helen, Murtala realises they were the closest individuals to him in the world and he never quite gets over the loss. His mother is even more devastated and subsequently embarks on a journey back to her village leaving only her husband and Murtala behind. Her words: "I should keep my

children here and allow hawks to snatch them from me? All of them? My children shall not die. Go and look for a lorry to pack our belongs now!" (p.31). In the intervening period, Murtala's intellectual curiosity blossoms. He learns about IMF structural adjustment policies that pulverised entire African communities including his own.

Meanwhile back in the village where his mother and other siblings re-locate things are not going too well. First of all, they have to contend with the hostility of the villagers who are suspicious of their arrival especially as they appear to have limited financial means. And then Murtala's siblings start to fall ill. Their mother attributes the causes of their illness to witchcraft.

As suddenly as she had departed the dangerous city of Kano she returns licking her wounds. At this point, the real unraveling of the family commences. Her husband is fast becoming an alcoholic.

Imatum, her fist daughter who had in fact returned to Kano earlier takes to the fast life, exploring the delights of the city and hanging out with men. Eventually, she falls pregnant and leaves the family. During child birth, she suffers a vesticovaginal fistula, a common occurrence among young girls in

northern Nigeria.

Incidentally, the man who impregnates her is a much older muslim while she is a Christian. This merely throws up the contributions about life and religion. It appears that religion rather than foster peace and stability only serves to fuel the embers of hate and intolerance.

Ironically, Murtala's mother is a staunch Christian and partakes consistently in religious fellowships as all around her the city is engulfed by violence instigated in the name of religion.

Murtala's father's alcoholism worsens and puts him and his family through all kinds of indignities. His performance at work also suffers. In the end, he loses his job but fails to reveal this to his wife who eventually finds out from external sources.

The family never completely recovers from this latest onslaught.

Murtala's mother had always perceived the city as a site of iniquity. But the village is also demonstrated to be filled with witchcraft and superstition. This reinforces the feelings of siege the characters of the novel have to contend with at many levels. In other words, there is no escape from the ever-encroaching sense of violence, squalor and degradation.

Source: africanwriters.com

o w s cannot contract HIV but their immune systems develop antibodies against the foreign protein Love it or hate it, cow's milk is an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D. Now scientists think they can harness it to protect people from HIV. Researchers found that cows could be used to produce antibodies that defend against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The animals can't contract the disease themselves.

The next step will be to develop it into a cream which women can apply to protect themselves from contracting HIV from sexual partners.

A team from Melbourne University worked with Australian biotechnology company Immuron Ltd to develop the milk.

The scientists, led by Dr Marti Kramski, vaccinated pregnant cows with an HIV protein and studied the first milk that cows produced after giving birth.

The first milk, called the colostrum, is naturally packed with antibodies to protect the newborn calf from infections.

The vaccinated cows produced HIV antibodies in their milk.

'We were able to harvest antibodies specific to the HIV surface protein from the milk,' said Dr Kramski.

'We have tested these antibodies and found in our laboratory experiments that they bind to HIV and that this inhibits the virus from infecting and entering human cells.'

The HIV-inhibiting antibodies from cows' milk will be developed into a cream called a microbicide that is applied

Cows cannot contract HIV but their immune systems develop antibodies against the foreign protein into the vagina before and/or after sex to protect women from contracting sexually transmitted infections.

Other microbicides are being developed around the world but the antibodies in this research are easier and cheaper to produce, providing a new HIV-prevention strategy.

'We hope that our anti-HIV milk antibodies will provide a user-friendly, femalecontrolled, safe and effective tool for the prevention of sexually acquired HIV infection,' Dr Kramski said.

'If proven effective in humans, it will empower women to protect themselves against HIV.' Marti Kramski, left, at the University of Melbourne with frozen milk containing HIV

antibodies. Pictured with colleagues Behnaz Heydarchi, middle, and Rob Center About 30 million people are living with HIV globally and there is presently no effective vaccine for humans.The research was supported by the Australian Centre for HIV and Hepatitis Virology Research and the NHMRC. Dr Kramski and her colleagues are now developing plans for animal and human studies.

The work was being sponsored by Fresh Science, a national program sponsored by the Australian Government. It is published in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

Source: Dailymail.com

Marti Kramski, left, at the University of Melbourne with frozen milk containing HIV antibodies. Pictured with colleagues Behnaz Heydarchi, middle, and Rob Center

PAGE 21

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

Healthy Living

Monster energy drink linked to 5 deaths Energy drink facts

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Monster energy drink

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he heavily-caffeinated Monster Energy Drink is being investigated by US officials for its reported link to five deaths and one non-fatal heart attack.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is looking into claims that people had adverse reactions after they consumed the 24 oz (680ml) can, which contains 240 milligrams of caffeine.

It has three times more caffeine than an 8.4 oz (240ml) can of its nearest rival, Red Bull, and seven times the amount in a regular 12 oz (340ml) cola.

Although the FDA is investigating the allegations, which date back to 2004, the agency said the reports do not necessarily prove that the drinks caused the deaths or injuries.

“As with any reports of a death or injury the agency receives, we take them very seriously and investigate diligently,” spokesperson Shelly Burgess said in a statement.

News of the FDA’s investigation follows the launch of a wrongful death lawsuit in California, by the parents of a 14-year-old

Maryland girl who died after drinking two Monster Energy Drinks in just 24 hours.

A post mortem examination found that Anais Fournier died of cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity that impeded her heart’s ability to pump blood.

She also suffered from an inherited disorder that can weaken blood vessels. Her parents claim Monster failed to warn about the risks of drinking its products.

“I was shocked to learn the FDA can regulate caffeine in a can of soda, but not these huge energy drinks,” her mother Wendy Crossland told The Record Herald.

“With their bright colors and names like Monster, Rockstar, and Full Throttle, these drinks are targeting teenagers with no oversight or accountability.”

However labels on the cans do state that the drinks are not recommended for children and people who are sensitive to caffeine.

Monster said last week that it was “unaware of any fatality anywhere that has been caused by its drinks”.

The company is the market leader in the US for energy

drinks with a 35% share, while Red Bull has 30% and Rockstar has 19%.

But the company’s shares plunged \$7.59, or 14.2%, to close at \$45.73 in trading on Monday after news of the FDA investigation.

nergy drink facts need to be separated from all the energy drink fiction that is being spread around both by marketers and other sources.

So much hype and misinformation is being thrown around about energy drinks that it is easily possible to lose track of what they really are. With so much interest in the topic, it should be clear that energy drinks fill a need in today’s world — a need that has a tradition thousands of years long.

Energy drinks are merely the latest incarnation in humanity’s use of herbal stimulants to sharpen and control their awareness, mood, and activity level.

Few today question the energy drink facts concerning tea and coffee, which have been found to have significant healthful properties. Modern energy drinks are new enough to still be under the harsh light of inquisition and suspicion. Exactly what are they?

On a general level, what most have in common is one or more stimulant compounds, fairly familiar ones such as caffeine, green tea extract, guaranine, yerba mate, kola nut, and Lphenylalanine. Added to this are flavorings, sweeteners, vitamins associated with the production of energy, amino acids (especially taurine), minerals, and modulators such as ginseng and milk thistle which smooth out the “rough edges” of the stimulants and help rid the body of toxins caused by the increased rate of metabolism.

On the surface, these energy drink ingredients are not all that alarming when we consider the

huge quantity of scientific research that has been done on their safety.

Looked at it in more depth, from a health perspective, there are wide differences in the advisability of choosing one brand over the others, based on the energy drink facts.

High levels of refined sugar especially high fructose corn syrup are known to lead to weight gain and diabetes(type 2). Most of the more popular brands contain 1839 grams of sugars, which not only will contribute to developing diabetes and weight gain, but do not contribute to long-term energy. So we can divide energy drinks on that basis into healthy/ effective and unhealthy/ ineffective categories.

A lot of concern has been raised about the extreme levels of caffeine in some brands, which are largely marketed to teens.

Compounding the problem is the fact that teens and youth, in general, tend to use these drinks to excess.

Competitions to see who can drink the most can lead to caffeine overdose and has apparently caused a few fatalities, especially when connected with sports participation.

Again, the high sugar content may have some influence on the decision to drink another energy beverage when the sugar rush from the last one has turned into a downer.

The problem is the buildup of caffeine which stays active in the bloodstream far longer than the sugar high. Another reason why sugar in quantity has no good purpose to be in energy drinks.

Coffee during pregnancy raises miscarriage risk

T

he effects of coffee during pregnancy is extensively researched and the results of the various studies into the effect of caffeine and coffee on pregnant women, fertility and the development of the growing baby are contradictory.

Drinking a couple of cups of coffee a day has been considered safe during pregnancy, but a new study finds that even this modest amount of caffeine could double a woman’s risk of miscarriage.

A team led by Dr. De-Kun Li, a researcher at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, Calif., conducted one of the first studies to take into account morning sickness. They concluded that a daily habit of drinking 200 milligrams of caffeine- the amount typically found in just two cups of coffee- significantly increases the risk of

miscarriage.

While research results have been mixed, the American College of Obstetricians and gynaecologists recommends that

pregnant women consume no more than 1 to 2 cups of coffee per day.

Source: www.baristaguide.com

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

With Aunty A'isha

Sights and sounds The importance of Eid-ul-Adha

Now

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id-Ul-Adha (a.k.a. the Feast of Sacrifice or Day of Sac rifice) is observed after the Hajj, the annual pilgrim age to Makkah (Mecca) in Saudi Arabia.

A duty of each Muslim, as described in the Five Pillars of Islam, is to go on Hajj at least once during their lifetime, unless they are prevented by finances or ill health. "The Hajj consists of several ceremonies, meant to symbolize the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of Prophet Abraham and his family.The pilgrimage also enables Muslims from all around the world, of different colors, languages, races, and ethnicities, to come together in a spirit of universal brotherhood and sisterhood to worship the One God together."

It is the second of the two major Muslim holy days. The other is Eid-ul-Fitr which follows Ramadan a lunar month of fasting.

When is Eid-ul-Adha celebrated?

Eid-Ul-Adha is observed after the conclusion of the Hajj.

The first day of this celebration is held on the 10th day of Duhl-Hijja, which is the last month of the Muslim year.

Its significance "The celebration of Eid-Ul-Adha is in commemoration of the command given by Allah to Prophet Abraham (may Allah be pleased with him) to sacrifice his first born son Ishmael to Him. The fulfillment of this noble command of Allah by Abraham signifies his faith in Allah.

Muslims also remember the deceased by praying for their souls to rest in peace. The needy and vulnerable in society are also remembered by showing them sympathy and consolation.

They wear their nicest clothing and attend Salatul-Eid (Eid Prayer) in the morning. This is followed by a short sermon, after which everyone socializes. Next, people visit each other's homes and partake in festive meals with special dishes, beverages, and desserts. Children receive gifts and sweets on this happy occasion. In addition, like the pilgrims in Makkah (Mecca), the Muslims, who can afford to do so, offer domestic animals, usually ram, as a symbol of Ibrahim's sacrifice.

Some of the meat is given to the poor (often one third.)

The rest is shared among the family, relatives and friends.

In addition, Eid-Ul-Adha is a time when Muslims pray for forgiveness from God and strength of faith. They, in turn, forgive others, releasing any feelings of enmity or ill feeling towards others. Many Muslims exchange greeting cards at this time.

PAGE 23

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

SHOR T ST OR Y SHORT STOR ORY

O

Thoughts and feelings

nce a king was chatting with his prime minister about the thoughts and feelings. He told the prime minister that since the thoughts cannot be seen or read, it is very easy to fool people. The prime minister did not agree on this and asked the king for an instant experiment.

One man was walking towards them. The prime mister asked the king to mentally abuse the approaching man and think negative about him.

The king did so. As the man came closer to the rulers, he had to bow to them and he did so.

As he was leaving, the prime minister asked him about how he was feeling about the king at that moment. On the question, the man became scared. The prime minister assured him that he will not punished or harmed regardless of his answer whether positive or negative.

The man said that he could not understand, but to the king whom he considered highly, at that moment there was a strange feeling arising in him, to curse and abuse the king, that he was annoyed towards

S

the king. The prime minister and the king thanked him for his true answer and sent him away.

After a while, another man was seen approaching them.

This time the king was asked to think well about the man and shower his love towards him

from within. The man came near and paid his respect towards the king and prime minister. His beaming and happy face did not require the king and the prime minister to ask him how he felt. The face and the happy gesture said it all.

HEAL THY TIP HEALTHY

allah season is in full swing and it can seem like weeks on end of non-stop eating out on junk food.

Food is such an important part of any celebration while enjoying the seasonal festivities. If you wish to find a real solution to healthy eating during the holiday season, it is a good idea to make a plan to help you change your usual behaviours. Think about the event you are going to, who will be there and who you’d love to see, what kinds of food will

KIDDIES WEARS

be available, the types of food you can’t live without and those foods you can do without.

Now that you’ve thought about these things, make a plan of action for healthy eating before you go to your celebration. Ask yourself what you can control and how you will react in different situations. It is so much easier to stick with healthy eating when you are faced with a difficult social eating situation if you’ve already planned ahead for it.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

PAGE 22

With Aunty A'isha

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

AFRICAN TALES

The lost heir

MODEL OF THE WEEK

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any years passed and the king died, still without a male heir.

The villagers needed to appoint another king but there was no obvious candidate, so the Ifa priest was called. The oracle revealed that their king lived deep in the forest and would be found in the home of a powerful medicine man. A delegate was dispatched to go and fetch the would-be king.

The would-be king’s return to the village was welcomed by all but his origin was a mystery to everybody. The oracle had said that the boy’s mother resides in the village but who could it be? Every woman in the village hoped that she was the mother no matter how unlikely it seemed. The mystery of kings mother needed to be solved before the coronation took place.

The oracle advised that every woman should cook a pot of stew and bring it to the village square. The boy would taste from every pot, and from the taste he would identify his mother. Grand preparations began in every home. Every woman would cook the best pot of stew she had ever cooked in her whole life. A thousand and one ingredients and all manner of spices went into every pot, except for one pot, the one belonging to the village outcast.

She lived in a little shack at the edge of the village and she had no money to buy ingredients for a pot of stew. She herself lived on fruits and vegetables that she picked from her daily forages into the forest. When it was time for every woman to assemble in the market square, she placed what vegetables she could get

Ahmad Badamasi Tahir

ACTIVITIES Paint the image below with colours of your choice using crayons. Tell your friends beautiful story from the image. Cheers! into a pot with some water.

The aroma around the market square was overwhelming. There were miles of sizzling, delicious pots of stew. When the king-to-be arrived, everyone fell silent as he made his way from one pot to the other, tasting his way down the line. This went on for the whole day. Exhausted, he reached the last pot behind

which sat an unkept woman with ragged clothing. He tasted the content of her pot and burst into song, singing and proclaiming that this was his mother.

Thus, the wicked deed of many years past was uncovered and the two wicked wives were banished from the village.

The End

CREA TIVITY CREATIVITY

Make your own hijab this Sallah

M

aking your own hijabs is an easy and fun way to have a hijab to match every outfit or special occasions like Sallah. Here is how: What you need: •Blank silk scarves or fabric •Fabric paint •Sewing kits (needle, thread, scissors, etc.)

•Trimmings (optional) What to do: Measure and cut the fabric to the appropriate size. 7 by 21 inches rectangle or 17 by 17 inches square will provide sufficient coverage. You can

add to this depending on your age.

Cut a piece of stretchy, knit fabric, 7 by 3 inches and sew the short ends together,

making an open ended tube to make an under scarf (this is optional). Hem the edges in the same manner as the main scarf.

Iron the scarf. Pin any trims or edgings before sewing them on. The trim or edging should have sufficient drape to allow the fabric to be wrapped and pinned. Sew on any edgings, and hem the raw edges to finish your scarf.

Tip: •If you don't have a sewing machine, you can use blank silk scarves or finish raw edges by hand. - By eHow Contributor

PAGE 24

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

Kannywood

Labaran A. Aujara also known as Manci is a proficient actor with lots of experience. He has featured in movies like “Zagon Kasa” and “Baushe”, in this interview with Nasiru Mu’azu Isa he explains the challenges facing the Kannywood industry, his view about the challenges and leadership problems in the industry, where he pitched his tent six years ago.

Labaran A. Aujara (Manci) played or the movies you took part in, which was the most difficult?

The movie which gave me the most difficulty was “Ayuba” and the reason being that it was my second movie in the industry.

When you are on set with all the people watching you, one tends to get nervous and mistakes are made. In most cases you will have multiple takes before you get it right.

One of the biggest complaints from actors is that producers don’t pay well is this true?

It is not true. The reason why I’m saying it is not true is because anyone in the industry knows how things work. Some producers are rich, while some of them are not that well off, as an artist he has invited you to work for him, you consider his financial status and charge accordingly. For the rich producers, they tell you up front what they are going to pay you before you even come on set.

How has this kind of arrangement enhanced the artists than their

counterparts in Nollywood?

We have one major problem in the industry, people who have no idea about film making but have money come into the industry and invite one or two friends who are in the industry to help them make a film. It does not necessarily mean that these people know anything about movie making, and in such instances they just gather people to shoot the movie. And because some of the actors and actresses are more interested in being seen in a movie, they are willing to collect anything for their efforts.

Isn’t there an organization that supervises productions in the industry so as to ensure only those that are professionals only are allowed to make movies?

It is not that we have no organization, we do, but the leaders of the organization are not bothered about what will move the industry forward, rather, they are concerned about their own selfish interests. If you have not become a star, they are not concerned about you or what you do. They only pay attention to the big stars

Nollywood

Entertainment

My wife didn’t leave me because of female fans - Manci How many films have you done so far?

I have done a lot of movies, some are out and some are yet to be released. The ones that have been released include “Ayuba”, “Baushe”, “Zuciya da So” and “Kwan Zakara” to mention a few.

The most popular ones are “Baushe” and “Zagon Kasa”.

What sort of roles do you play?

I am usually cast in the role of big men or a medical doctor.

So have you actually made money in the profession?

Yes, I have made enough Alhamdulillah, you don’t expect to make millions of money at once but I make enough to take care of my needs and family.

Are you married?

I was once married, I have 5 kids.

You have a lot of fans, and some show more than just the love for the movie, some want more than just to admire you, so how do you cope with such fans and did it contribute to scuttling your marriage?

I had serious problems with my family with regards female fans calling me. Every time my phone rings, my wife expect it to be a girl, even if she is busy in the kitchen her mind is on the phone call I had received. I had to sit with her and explain that most of the calls were from colleagues who either want to offer me a job or just giving me an update on what they were doing. The fans that call usually call to express their admiration and nothing more, but you know everybody has his or her own way of understanding issues and as an actor you can’t avoid women liking you. It also helps when sometimes you take her on location to see what is going on, to ease her mind. And I can proudly say I don’t get romantically involved with girls on set, I respect myself and I don’t give room for any girl to come up with any kind of relationship apart from the professional one, that is why most girls in the industry that know me call me “daddy” because that is the kind of relationship I maintain with them. I have to say it had nothing to do with my wife leaving me.

Among the roles you have

PAGE 25

and are not interested in the new actors and actresses.

How do you think the problem of piracy can be solved?

Solving the issue of piracy is going to take a lot of work because if you have noticed, the origin of the problem is in the south; they are the ones who are largely involved in piracy. Our leaders in Kannywood are not doing as much as they should to tackle this problem by engaging with our southern counterparts. There are times when you release a movie and before you know it it’s out on DVD, and in most cases the producers can’t do anything about it because they don’t have the means to fight it and unfortunately the leaders who are supposed to take up the fight on behalf of these producers are not doing so. It is annoying to say the least.

What are your challenges as actors in the industry?

We have so many challenges, one of them being the issue of payment, if you are not paid well, you will not give your best. The

view the public has of actors and actresses is that of rich men and women, basically people as extremely rich and unfortunately that is not the case. Another big challenge is the over dependence on established stars in Hausa movies, no one wants to introduce new faces and this does not augur well for the industry because without new faces we will never move forward and the established stars went through the same process before they became big stars. An example is, there is a new crop of actors and actresses in Nollywood but you’ll never hear of new actors and actresses being introduced in Kannywood. We need to start looking at new faces, don’t forget that acting is about talent not beauty or connections, it is also the reason why the established stars are full of themselves because everybody is running after them.

Another challenge is in the way in which old and new hands are treated the same way, as a new actor or actress, there is need to rehearse with the new faces rather than expect them to be just like the old hands.

Why do you think Kannywood is not making much impact like Nollywood?

Basically it boils down to the support or lack of it that we are getting. In Nollywood you find a lot of rich people willing to invest their money in movies, while over here most will look at it as a waste of investment. A good example is, you see the kind of houses being used in Nollywood? If you ask anyone for the same favour here, to give us his or house to shoot a movie, their first reaction would be to deny us saying we are not serious forgetting the fact that this is a profession like any other. If we had such support we will be better off.

What is your advice to people out there?

First I want to plead with the rich people in the region to support us by providing us with some of these technical equipments such as duplicating machines and so on.

For those in the industry, let’s not get stuck on established or known faces, let’s introduce new faces so that our industry will grow and no one can hold us to ransom because they are the only ones featuring in all the movies.

Headies winner review Headies Winner Review 1. Album of the Year Everybody Loves Ice Prince (E.L.I) – Ice Prince >>The Invasion – P-Square – *WINNER* Superstar – Wizkid Super C Season – Naeto C 2. Artiste of the Year P-Square Wizkid – *WINNER* Ice Prince Naeto C D’banj 3. Song of the Year Chop My Money – P-Square Featuring Akon & May D Dami Duro – Davido Oliver Twist – D’banj – *WINNER* Gaga Crazy – Chuddy K Kukere – Iyanya 4. Recording of the Year Stupid Song - Bez Featuring Praiz Private Trips - Wande Coal Ara – Brymo – *WINNER* Praiz – I Love You 5. Producer of the Year Cobhams – Stupid Song by Bez Featuring Praiz Tee-Y Mix – Super C Season

by Naeto C – *WINNER* Shizzy – Dami Duro by Davido Jay Sleek – Private Trips by Wande Coal Jesse Jags- E.L.I 6. Best Music Video (Video Director) 5 & 6 (Naeto C) – Clarence Peters Chop My Money Remix (PSquare) – Jude “Engees” Okoye – *WINNER* Ara (Brymo) – Ajeh Kosorombe (Dipp Featuring Da Grin) – Mex 7. Best R&B Single Private Trips – Wande Coal Stupid Song – Bez Nawti – Olu Maintain Soundtrack – May D – *WINNER* Love Me (3X) – Tiwa Savage 8. Best Pop Single Dami Duro – Davido Oliver Twist – D’Banj Gaga Crazy – Chuddy K Chop My Money – P-Square Kukere – Iyanya – *WINNER* 9. Best R&B/Pop Album Superstar – Wizkid Super Sun – Bez Versus – 9ice

The Invasion – P-Square – *WINNER* 10. Best Rap Single Too Much Money – Iceberg Slim Shutdown – Phyno Angeli – Vector ft. 9ice – *WINNER* Oh My Gosh – Yung6ix Young Erikina – Olamide 11. Best Rap Album Everybody Loves Ice Prince (E.L.I) – Ice Prince – *WINNER* The Dreamer Project – Show Dem Camp Rapsodi – Olamide

A Super C Season – Naeto C 12. Lyricist on the Roll Vector – Angeli – *WINNER* Yung6ix – Oh My Gosh Iceberg Slim – Too Much Money Phyno – Shutdown Erigga – Mo Street Gan 13. Best Collabo Chop My Money Remix – PSquare Featuring Akon & May-D Angeli – Vector Featuring 9ice Carolina – Sauce Kid Featuring Davido Stupid Song – Bez Featuring Praiz Orobo – Sound Sultan Featuring Excel & Flavour – *WINNER* 14. Best Vocal Performance (Male) Wande Coal – Private Trips – *WINNER* Banky W – Low Key Praiz – I Love You Brymo – Ara Bez – Stupid Song 15. Best Vocal Performance (Female) Tiwa Savage – Love Me, Love, Love Me – *WINNER* Chidinma – Kedike Ijeoma – Oloomi Waje – Na The Way 16. African Artist of the Year (Non- Nigerian Category) Sarkodie (Ghana) – Azonto Fiesta – *WINNER* Camp Mulla (Kenya) – Feel No Pain D-Black (Ghana) – Get On The Dance Floor Zahara (South Africa)- Loliwe 17. Best Street Hop Kako Bi Chicken – Reminisce Gaga Crazy – Chuddy K – *WINNER* Akpako – Terry G Roll – Rayce Mo Street Gan – Erigga 18. Next Rated Davido - *WINNER* Eva Alordiah Praiz 19 Hip Hop World Revelation of the Year Wizkid – *WINNER* Ice Prince Bez Timi Dakolo Olamide 20. Headies Hall of Fame Special recognition for excellence and outstanding impact to the entertainment industry - Femi Kuti Who else would have been honored with this…Err any suggestions??? Well maybe Next year. Lol

Nollywood abandons ailing Ngozi Nwosu?

ccording to what Pearl Weekly Magazine reported, it is no longer news that veteran Nollywood actress, Ngozi Nwosu, who entertained many Nigerians with her comic character in the popular sitcom ‘Fuji House Commotion’, is presently battling with a kidney related disease but that she has been abandoned by her colleague will surely surprise many.

According to what Pearl Entertainment reliably gathered from a close source to the ailing screen goddess, the Imo State-born script interpreter has been abandoned by her colleague in the motion pictures industry in Nigeria.

The source confidently confided in us that Ngozi is now at the mercy of her non-industry friends who have been responsible for her treatment in Badagry end of Cotonou, Benin Republic.

The source further revealed to Pearl Entertainment that Ngozi is now being treated in the herbal way but stressed that she is not being treated in a spiritual or fetish means which some may believe it to be.

We further gathered that her friends in Nollywood claim they don’t have money to help with her proper medical treatment required in an Indian hospital. As a result, she resorted to getting treatment in Cotonou in the herbal way.

While some Nollywood actors, especially the female actors have splashed thousands and millions to throw a lavish party or on expensive cars, some of their colleagues are on the sick bed or in abject poverty and neglected.

Omotola Honoured BEFFTA Film Icon

I

t has been confirmed that talented Nollywood actress, Omotola Ekeinde Jalade has been recognised with a special honorary award ‘BEFFTA Film Icon’ for her contribution to film industry in Africa, Europe and globally.

The Black Entertainment Film Fashion Television and Arts (BEFFTA) awards is Europe’s biggest award ceremony celebrating achievements of black and ethnic personalities in showbiz globally.

Omotola, who is a multiple awardwinning actress, is one of Africa’s movie mega stars that is known globally. She has starred in many blockbusting films.

She is ambassadors to Amnesty International and World Food Programme. Her Omotola Youth Empowerment Programme(OYEP) foundation has helped widows in Nigeria for a better living.

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

Hollywood/Bollywood

First 'Iron Man 3' Trailer Top 5 romantic movies Reveals Darker Take on of Yash Chopra the Marvel Hero Y

H

ow do you follow up a $1.5 billion blockbuster like The Avengers? If you're Marvel Studios, you make it personal.

It's apparent that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is still reeling from the events of The Avengers in the first trailer for Iron Man 3.

"Nothing's been the same

since New York," he says. "I can't sleep. And when I do, I have nightmares."

It appears his creations turn on him, as we get a shot of an Iron Man suit sneaking up on Stark in his sleep. We also get a terrifying taste of what Ben Kingsley's performance as Iron Man arch-nemesis Mandarin will be like, with the character giving a creepy

voice over.

"Some people call me a terrorist. I consider myself a teacher," he says. "Lesson number one: Heroes: there is no such thing."

The project reunites Downey with Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Pots) and Don Cheadle (James Rhodes/War Machine).

Iron Man 3 hits theaters May 3.

New Bond film 'Skyfall' gets royal world premiere

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he latest James Bond movie is getting its world premiere in London, with Prince Charles on hand to give it a royal seal of approval.

Charles and his wife Camilla are due to attend the screening at the Royal Albert Hall, along with stars Daniel Craig, Judi

Dench and Javier Bardem.

Proceeds from Tuesday's royal gala are going to charities that help members of Britain's intelligence services.

"Skyfall" is the 23rd official Bond film and Craig's third outing as the suave superspy. Dench plays spy

chief M, battling a crisis with roots in her past, and Bardem is a villain bent on revenge.

Some critics are hailing the Sam Mendes-directed film as the best Bond in years.

"Skyfall" opens in Britain on Friday and in the U.S. Nov. 9.

a s h Chopra was a legend.

His contribution to the Hindi film industry cannot be described in words. His movies speak billion words about his splendid and extravagant work. Bollywood is a big term and without Yash Chopra's contribution, Hindi film industry won't have reached the level that it is today and the world might not have placed the industry to this prestigious level.

His departure has created a big vacuum in Bollywood which cannot be replaced by any second personality. He is not only a brilliant filmmaker but a very charming and kindhearted personality.

Yash Chopra is tagged as the king of romance. His films speak immense love and he is the man who made love stories work in big screen. In his long filmy career, Yash Chopra made innumerable movies but we bring to you the top 5 romantic movies of Yash Chopra which will never lost its charm.

Kabhie Kabhie- Yash Chopra's 1976 directed film 'Kabhie Kabhie' is one of the

most cherished Yash Raj movie.

Starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rakhi in the lead, the film touched many hearts and went to become a blockbuster.

Silsila- Yash Chopra's 'Silsila' is one of the most memorable and evergreen Bollywood movies. He has immortalized Amitabh and Rekha's untold love stories in the movie which the audience can't stop raving.

The songs of the movie went to become a chartbuster.

Veer-Zaara- 'Veer Zaara' starring Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta speaks about the love of an Indian army officer and a Pakistani girl. It was one

of the blockbusters of 2004. The film moved many to tears. Yash Chopra always strikes the right chord of the audience with his sensuality.

Dhool Ka Phool- 'Dhool Ka Phool' starring Rajendra Kumar Mala Sinha and Nanda in the lead. This is Yash Chopra's first film as a director and he received many accolades.

'Jab Tak Hain Jaan'-'Jab Tak Hain Jaan' is the last directional venture of Yash Chopra. The film is yet to be released but it already got rave reviews and movie buffs are waiting with bated breath to watch the film this Diwali.

Prakash Jha on why Chakravyuh delivers a meaningful message

T

he filmmaker Prakash Jha's latest release Chakravyuh will tackle the subject of the Naxalite insurgency, through the eyes of two best friends with opposing interests: a Maoist rebel and a police officer.

One goes to a Prakash Jha film prepared for a socio-political piece of work. From Damul in 1984 to 2010's Rajneeti, politics has been the backdrop for Jha's films, and his latest -

Chakravyuh (Labyrinth) - is no different.

This latest Bollywood political thriller stars Arjun Rampal (who also starred in Jha's Rajneeti) as the police officer Adil Khan and Abhay Deol as his best friend, the Maoist rebel Kabir. The film also stars Esha Gupta, Manoj Bajpai, Kabir Bedi, Om Puri and Anjali Patil.

Rampal declares the film to be a rare combination of

entertainment and education.

"You rarely get the chance to work on an entertaining film that also carries a meaningful message," says Rampal. "That is why this film is very close to my heart. It effectively highlights the dual reality of India today: the developed cities and the underdeveloped villages.

The Maoist movement is growing stronger in the latter and the film highlights this."

King of romance, Yash Chopra dies at 80 Bollywood movie mogul Yash Chopra, whose classic love tales made him the Indian film industry's "King of Romance," has died after contracting dengue fever. He was 80.

Chopra's earliest major hits included the 1975 action film "Deewar" ("Wall") and the romance "Kabhi Kabhie Love is Life" in 1976, both of which helped establish Amitabh Bachchan as Bollywood's biggest star. The popular 1989 film "Chandni" ("Moonlight") had Chopra's signature touches: romance, music and a European setting.

He also directed "Dil To Pagal Hai" (The Heart Is Mad), "Lamhe" ("Moments") and "Veer-Zaara," which won the popular award at the International Indian Film Academy and the Golden Lotus award at India's National Film Awards. His

final film, "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" ("As Long As I Am Alive"), is scheduled for release across India next month.

Chopra died last Sunday in Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital. In addition to dengue, he suffered kidney ailments, according to Dr. Prakash Jiyavani.

"He passed away due to dengue and multiple organ failure," the Press Trust of India quoted a hospital spokesman, Sudhir, as saying. The spokesman uses only one name.

Chopra started his film career in the 1950s under the tutelage of his elder brother, late filmmaker B.R. Chopra.

He founded his own studio, Yash Raj Films and launched it with "Daag: A Poem of Love" in 1973, which won him one of his four Filmfare Awards for best director.

He is survived by his wife and two sons. Elder son

Aditya Chopra is a successful film director, and Uday Chopra runs the international branch of the family's production house.

Yash Chopra, chairman of Yash Raj Films, here, attends a press conference in Mumbai, India. In this picture taken Oct. 21, 2012 in Mumbai, more than a week after he contracted dengue fever, a doctor said. He was 80.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

PAGE 27

Homes

Nature and balcony

O

u t d o o r living space like a balcony gives you your own place to enjoy being outside in the home.

Balconies are common on apartments and condos where space is often limited indoors.

Furnishing your balcony efficiently allows you to maximize the outdoor space you have to extend your overall living area. The size of your balcony affects to a very large extent, the type of furniture and decorations that will work for you. A balance of seating and decorative elements makes your balcony functional and attractive.

Here are a few tricks that will work if you are striving for a new look to your balcony without having to spend much: Measure the balcony to figure out exactly how much space is available for furniture and decorations. Sketch the balcony and determine what type of furniture you want to put in each area. For example, if you want to add a small table, sketch it in a place that won't interfere with the door.

Place a small bistro table at one end of the balcony if you have room. Placing it at the end makes it easier for you to move around the rest of the balcony.

Place a narrow bench with storage inside along the balcony railing. This gives you seating and provides storage for any outdoor items you want to store. Keep folding chairs available on the balcony if you need additional seating.

Decorate the railing of the balcony by attaching a decorative bamboo fencing panel along it. The bamboo fencing also gives you more privacy on your balcony.

Add flowers or plants to the balcony to add some life and color. Attach lower boxes along

Plants add a natural touch to your balcony. the railings or place pots on the floor of the balcony. Another option is to attach a trellis for vine plants that you plant in a pot.

Hang up decorative outdoor artwork on the side of the building over your balcony.

Ask for permission from your landlord or condo association before attaching anything to the wall.

Rearrange - Move all your pots to a different corner.

Bamboo chairs make for good relaxation

Change the order in which they are lined.

Try various combinations until you hit a satisfying one. Take some inside the house.

Paint - If you have smaller terracotta pots, don the paint hat. Take out your brushes, get into the mood of the season, and splash your pots in an array of colors. Nothing more eyecatching than a colorful cluster.

Get some new ones - Have a

few seasonal plants. Most of my plants are the same. But, I always have two to three empty pots filled with potting sand for experimentation.

Every season change is a good time to discard what didn't turn out well and replace it with new ones.

Add curios - Get out some curios from your corner table to the balcony. I moved a threelegged chinese frog from my side table to the balcony

The balcony can be a mini dining room

recently.

Decorate your walls- The walls need not be bare. Draw a little something like art work or small colourful butterflies on the walls. Or fix candle stands at varying heights; light them in the evening. Look in your collections for unused old decor pieces like wall hanging gifts of a tourist site somewhere in the country.

Get them out. www.ehow.com

PAGE 28

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

C uisine Delicacies to make Pots & Pans

With Hajiya Ramatu Usman Dorayi

your Sallah great

Roasted meat with cabbage and onion Ingredients: eat, cabbage and onions, fresh pepper, cooking cubes, salt, curry, thyme and vegetable oil.

Method of preparation Wash and cut meat like you are making barbecue then add the blended fresh pepper with seasoning to the meat. Put some oil onto baking pan and arrange the meat on it, then put in oven and roast until nearly done, then wash cabbage and cut slices of onions and arrange them on top of roasted meat and cover the whole meat and cook for 10 minutes. It could also be grilled on open fire. Remove from oven and serve hot.

M

Minced meat stew

Ingredients: ince meat, vegetables, tomatoes, fresh pepper, tattasai, onion, 4 slices of fresh garlic, cabbage, carrot, vegetable oil, salt, seasoning, curry and thyme.

Method of preparation Blend the vegetables together but slice the onions.

Mix the blended vegetables with minced meat together and put in pot and cook until water is properly absorbed. Add vegetable oil, salt and seasoning then fry the stew.

Add sliced onions until nearly done, then wash cabbage and carrots. Cut into small size and add to the cooking stew. Add some little water and cover the pot for 10 minutes, then serve the stew with rice or spaghetti.

M

Minced meat sauce with potatoes and plantain Ingredients: inced meat, potatoes, plantain, tomatoes, fresh pepper, three medium sized onions, salt, curry and thyme, cubes for seasoning and vegetable oil.

Method of preparation Blend tomatoes, fresh pepper onion together. Mix with minced meat and cook for 15 minutes then slice the remaining ingredients and add to cooking pot add oil seasoning curry, thyme, salt and fry lightly. Then put potatoes and plantain and fry in deep hot oil, and then serve the sauce on top of fried plantain and potatoes.

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PAGE 29

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

Womanhood

Guarding children against negative influences

Watch the company they keep

Y

o u r child will have many influences on his road to adulthood; some good, some bad. The burden of seeing children grow into responsible adults basically lies on the parents particularly the mothers who by nature, are expected to nurse the young ones to maturity. It is hoped that as you raise your children you are teaching them to be decent, responsible people, but what happens when your child comes in contact with someone whose influence counters yours?

From infancy to their toddler years, a child's influences are primarily their care givers. You teach them the difference between right and wrong. You guide them away from dangerous places. You do everything you can to keep them safe and happy and for the first few years of their life, they never question that you're rules are law.

Then come the play dates, or school or the next door neighbour's kid. Suddenly they're being told things counter to what you taught them. It's okay to stay out later than you said. It's okay to steal that chocolate bar. It's okay to cheat on that test.

What happens if these friends they have made are leading them

down the wrong path? What happens if they are teaching our children the exact opposite of the values we try and instil in them?

You can hope that the lessons you've taught them thus far will stick with them and they will be strong enough to resist the temptation to deviate from what they know is the right thing. But the truth is, this really depends on the age of the child when the bad influence comes into play.

A teenager who's grown up consistently on the straight and narrow will be less likely to succumb to a friend's bad influence than a younger child. Chances are the danger of a bad influence taking hold of your child will be most prevalent between the ages of five and fifteen.

These ten years are the most turbulent for any child and when social interactions shape their character the most.

This isn't to say that there's no peer pressure in a child's later teen years, from sixteen to nineteen.

Certainly being invited to parties, out to clubs brings with it its own set of temptations but studies show that if a child is raised with a strong sense of self and a strong moral center from infancy into his early teen years without being tempted to 'the dark side' he will be less likely to sway when faced with the more serious

pressures from his friends.

It's a fact that some people are leaders and others are followers. If your child is a follower, you want to make sure that they are following the right people. While you're not able to control who they hang out with at school, you can have a say in who they spend their time with outside of school. If you notice that there are certain children who seem to have a negative influence on your child, teaching them to swear, talk back disrespectfully or engage in other disruptive behaviours, you are completely within your rights to refuse to allow your child to spend time with these 'friends'.

The problem comes when your child decides that the more you forbid something, the more he wants to do it. He sees these kids having fun, hears about their exciting adventures at school and he wants to join in. These other kids are his friends. He wants to keep them because it's certainly no fun being the kid at school with no friends.

Starting with your child's first play date, you can lay the ground work for your child learning the difference between 'good' friends and 'bad' friends. When you accompany your child on these outings, watch your child interact with the other child. Is the other child aggressive

and loud? Does he hit or talk back to the adults when they try and scold him? You may want to limit these play dates or find another group to have play dates with. If you see your child picking up on these behaviours, tell them firmly but without anger that the way the other child was behaving was not good. Make sure to positively reinforce your own child's behaviour by letting them know that you're very happy and proud that they don't act that way. Your child will see that the other child's behaviour is not something he wants to emulate if he wants to retain your approval.

When they get older you'll hear this phrase at least once a day, guaranteed: 'But so and so's mom lets them do it.' You should make it clear that 'so and so's' mom probably has no clue what their little angel is up to. Besides, you're not there to parent 'so and so' you're there to parent your child. Make sure you define exactly what it is about their friend's behaviour that you think is wrong.

If they choose to follow this friend's influence then let them know that there will be consequences. Make it clear that if they're going to follow this friend's destructive behaviour then that is a choice and if they choose to break your rules and be disrespectful then as their parents

you must employ consequences they are not going to like. Also let them know that ''so and so' made me do it' is not an acceptable defence.

If they want to be given freedom to make their own choices, it's up to you to show them as early as possible that with freedom comes responsibility and one of the most important choices they can make as they grow into adults is the company they keep. www.justmommies.com

“

This isn't to say that there's no peer pressure in a child's later teen years, from sixteen to nineteen.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

Archives

Do you have old pictures for memories?

Send them to julius2001_a@yahoo.com

1

CAPTIONS:

Green Eagles in the 60s.

2

2

1

Dan Anyiam, Nigeria’s first indigenous coach

Stationery Stores players filing out before a crucial match in the 1960s at the Onikan Stadium, in Lagos.

4

3

4

Teslim Balogun, Nigeria’s first professional footballer

Sam Okwaraji

Best Ogedengbe

Muda Lawal

3

Late Nigerian football icons

5

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

PAGE 33

Business Taraba govt. seeks Cuba’s partnership in agric, medicine

G

ov. Danbaba Suntai of Taraba on Thursday solicited Cuba’s collaboration in efforts to develop of the agricultural sector of the state’s economy.

He made the request in Jalingo when Amb. Hugu Ramos, the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, visited him.

Suntai particularly expressed his desire to replicate Cuba’s Labio Farms in Taraba, as part of efforts to boost the state’s economy.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Suntai recently visited Cuba to explore potential areas of bilateral relationship between Taraba and the country.

“What I saw in Labio Farms overwhelmed me; I will like it to be replicated here in Taraba.

“Labio Farms produce fertiliser, human and animal medicines, among other amazing products,” he said.

The governor also called for an agreement that would enable Englishspeaking Cuban medical doctors to come and work in Taraba, as part his government’s efforts to improve health care delivery.

Ramos told Suntai that he was in the state to discuss potential areas of collaboration that would be of mutual benefit to his country and Taraba.

He noted that more than 50 per cent of Cuba’s population were of African descent, adding that they shared similar culture with Nigerians.

(NAN)

Traders and shoppers in Nigeria’s market, Lagos.

Flooding: Jonathan allays Delta Airlines profit soar on fuel hedging fear over food shortage

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan has allayed fears that there could be food shortage in the country as a result of the devastating flooding which washed off many farmlands.

The President spoke at the State House when the Nigerian Muslim community, led by Vice President Namadi Sambo, paid him Sallah homage.

“Let me use this unique opportunity to tell all Nigerians that people should not be afraid that there will be hunger in the land. ‘“I have been getting some reports that some people who are so selfish are already trying to

W

hoard grains. We have enough grains in our strategic reserve that will serve this country.

“Also, the percentage of flooded farmlands is not enough to threaten food security. We will publish the figures later from satellite imagery.

“Nigerians should not be afraid that the flooding that happened in some parts of the country will cause hunger. We have enough grains that will reduce the stress in the market.

“Those already hoarding will be doing so to their own disadvantage because by the time they bring out their grains, the price will collapse.

“Let me use this opportunity to plead with those people not to do things that are not in the best

interest of our people,’’ he said.

The President called on all religious leaders, and Nigerians in general, to pray for the peace and unity of the nation.

He said his administration was working hard to confront the challenges and adversity facing the country with a view to converting them to advantages.

Jonathan re-assured that the ugly incidence at Mecca where some Nigerian female pilgrims were deported because they were not accompanied by men would not recur.

“From investigation, there were some administrative lapses on our part and I have directed that such things must not be allowed to happen so that we will not be embarrassed,” he said.

orld’s second largest carrier, Delta Airlines, has reported over $1 billion profit in the third quarter (Q3) of 2012 with gains from what it called “open fuel hedging”.

Fuel hedging is a way large fuel consuming companies, such as airlines, use to reduce their exposure to rising fuel costs. It allows a large fuel consuming company to establish a fixed or capped cost, via a commodity swap or option. “Delta’s strong September quarter results combined with industryleading operations and customer service reflect an improved industry structure and our consistent investment in the business; we will continue on this path as we progress into 2013.

“With a more stable financial foundation, we have moved our focus beyond short-term profit gains to positioning ourselves for long-term margin expansion, sustained

told Reuters.

The flooding, combined with damage caused by oil theft, prompted Royal Dutch Shell declared force majeure on two of the country’s major crude streams Bonny Light and Forcados last Friday. A force majeure allows a company to suspend contractual obligations in the face of unexpected events. On Thursday, traders reported longer delays of around 10 days on the Forcados grade compared with 5 days earlier this week. Shell has not given a date for lifting its force majeure.

Nigeria’s high quality light,

sweet oil is exported to Asia, Europe and the United States and the recent disruptions could amount to about 0.5 percent of global supplies.

The latest export figure of 2.12 million bpd includes a Forcados grade shipping list which was delayed due to uncertainty about exports. Provisional loading schedules are subject to minor changes but this programme indicates that a provision 76 cargoes will load in December.

While shipments of Forcados in December are still lower versus previous months at 150,000 barrels per day, this is offset by higher

volumes of Qua Iboe and Okono, the shipping list shows.

Qua Iboe will load 13 cargoes in December compared to 12 in November and Okono will load three compared to one the previous month. Oil producer Maurel & Prom said on Thursday that it planned to restart its OVHAR site

by Friday after a fire resulted in a 19-day shutdown but planned to restart the facility by Friday.

The fire caused one death and 10 injuries among workers hired by an unnamed third-party contractor to perform planned maintenance, according to the company.

Nigerian oil exports to rebound after floods

N

igerian oil exports in December are expected reach the highest level since May, pointing to a swift recovery of production after floods knocked out a fifth of the output in the top African producer.

Nigeria is expected to ship 2.12 million barrels per day of crude oil onto the market in December, unchanged from volumes in November which hit a six-month high.

The west African country lost around 500,000 barrels per day of output due to severe flooding in recent weeks, an industry regulator

profitability and shareholder returns. I want to thank Delta employees worldwide for their dedication and determination as we continue the hard work of building a better airline”, said Richard Anderson, Delta Airlines’ chief executive officer, in the airline’s current financial results made available to journalists.

Delta’s unit revenues were up three percent for the quarter and the company has produced a unit revenue premium to the industry for eighteen consecutive months. “Results included $174 million in profit sharing expense, for a total of $309 million year-to-date, in recognition of Delta employees’ efforts toward the company’s financial targets.

In addition, Delta Airlines’ people have received $67 million in shared rewards in 2012 for hitting the company’s operational and customer service targets”, he added.

He explained that load factor for the quarter increased 0.3 points year over year to 86.4 percent, adding that passenger revenue increased 1 percent or by $124 million compared to the prior year in the same period.

On cargo operations, revenue decreased five percent or by $14 million, with lower cargo yields partially offset by higher volumes.

According to the airline’ president, Ed Bastian, “Other revenue decreased $3 million as lower third-party maintenance revenues were partially offset by higher code-share, our solid revenue performance reflects the benefits of capacity discipline, strong operational performance and the investments we have made in our products and service.

PAGE 34

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

The Entrepreneur

The unending water scarcity in Jalingo

By Ayodele Samuel

"

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a t e r , they say is life", and according to science, the human body constitute of 70% of this liquid substance, as such water tops the priority list of the demand of mankind. The World Health Organization (WHO) said 80% of diseases plaguing humanity are due to use or consumption of unsafe water.

"Over 1 billion people globally lack access to safe drinking-water supplies, while 2.6 billion lack adequate sanitation; diseases related to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene result in an estimated 1.7 million deaths every year," WHO report says.

It is generally believed that the accessibility of sufficient quantities of portable water and safe sanitation facilities to a household determines the quality of life of the people and potential for poverty alleviation. This leads to the welfare improvement and is generally linked to a decrease in infant and maternal mortality, increase nutritional values and environmental hygiene.

In Jalingo, accessing portable water by residents remains a major battle forcing residents of the city to rely on local vendor popularly called Mai ruwa and few streams for water, while public water supply remained exclusive for the rich in the state.

Wurom Musa, is one of the slum communities in Jalingo, and is inhabited mainly by farmers and traders. Here the only source of water for domestic consumption is a local stream about 7 killometers away. What would have served as a safer source of water supply- a two handpump boreholes donated to the community 5 years ago, had collapsed In another slum community, Barade ward, there are tales of woes and anguish whenever the Lamorde River, the only source of water in the area, dries up, typically during dry season. When this occurs, residents of the community are left with no other option than to buy from 'Mai Ruwa' water vendors, whose source of water is unknown.

In another community, Agangagwasa, a resident, Julian Bala narrated that getting water for domestic use is a major challenge. "because here is a new area with plenty people, water is our problem, when the wells in the area are dried up, it's difficult to get water because, we trek long distance searching for water as if you are looking for petrol, it's sad because the water board is not here" Another resident, Mrs. Franca Osita said that she starts her day by searching for water, "I have to wake up early and walk to the stream to get water, or else buy from the water vendors and then prepare the children for school before resuming business, this is usually difficult for me" She called on the government to show more concern on the untold suffering water scarcity has brought upon the people, by making provision for more boreholes and making sure that the taps are running again.

The Ward head of Mayo-Gwoi Village, in Peri urban Jalingo, Mr. Aliyu Jassa, said the lack of access to portable water in the city is harming their health.

"Due to lack of water from the taps, some of us depend largely on Mai ruwa, and those who cannot afford to buy, have to depend on the river. Unfortunately we've had cases of cholera that have resulted to the loss of lives, especially pregnant women and children, I almost lost my children too, but thank God for quick intervention" Hamman Yakubu a retired bank

official, on his part lamented the hike in price of water by local vendors. "Me and my family consume not less than three trucks a day at N200 per a truck of ten jerry-cans each, but we are at the mercy of the water vendors, who sometimes hike the price of the water at will," adding that it's too expensive for an average citizen in the state who earns less than N18, 000 per month, considering other family expenses like sending the children to school.

Mr. Yakubu also noted that though there are pipes laid down for distribution to homes, but too expensive to embark upon, as it will cost N60,000 for the installation per home; adding that the pipes have rusted due to non-usage resulting to health hazard for the few consumers.

Other residents across the city bemoan the recurrent shortage of water and overdependence for water supply on Mai ruwa whom sources of water is not known to the consumer.

Chairman of Taraba state water vendors, Mr. Muhamadu Ahmed said "there are over 20,000 members of the association scattered in various location of Jalingo" Danlami Musa a water vendor said, he sells as much as fifteen trucks a day and due to the high demand of the product he often have to go in search of water from the stream, stating that sometimes the water from the borehole is not sufficient to go round.

Secretary of the Association of Water Vendors in Jalingo, Mr. Iliya Jacob who had been in the business for more than 14 years said his service is an alternative to government. " I have been providing water for this entire area for 13 years, people troop in from distances to come here for water, sometimes we have to give them for free, as a humanitarian service, we see the untold hardship on our people, we regard our services as an alternative to the government, because most people cannot afford to buy trucks of water per day, there is no other option for getting portable water" he added.

He identify causes of water scarcity in the city as "dryness of well and stream majorly during dry season and well water changing colour during raining seasons, and sometimes due to the activity of the pumping machine, it drains water from

Children in search of water, Pix By Ayodele Samuel the ground which often cause some temporal water shortage from the ground, leading to dry wells."

The Area Manager of Taraba Water Supply Board, Jalingo district, Mr. Bitrus Rimanshon admitted to ravaging water shortage in the city: "the product don't seems to be available, however the government is doing its best to meet up with the challenges." The Government is doing its best, the Taraba water supply board is operational on a daily basis, but coverage is not much, due to the growing population of the city, the coverage area is presently at 32%," Some of the challenges facing the State Water Board according to investigation includes obsolete machines that needs renovation and replacements, inadequate funding , deficiency in human resource development, and manpower that has reduced from 600 to 324 since the creation of the state.

Other challenges according to Mr.

Children at a borehole in a ward in Jalingo Pix By Ayodele Samuel

Rimanshon , is the need to upgrade the facilities for water distribution, stating that only six out of the fourteen boreholes in the Board are functional. Calling on the the government to subsidize water supply, in the state rather than putting more money in providing drugs, Mr Rimanshon said the proper funding of the Board and efficient supply of safe water will help prevent diseases.

A government official who does not want his name in print confirmed that that the State Government recently accessed a loan from the African Development Bank, to enable it upgrade the water supply coverage in the state from 32% to 75% .

The story is contributed by Ayodele Samuel, and also published under the pro poor WASH stories project implemented by the Water and Sanitation Media Network Nigeria, with the support of West Africa WASH Media Network, WaterAid, and Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

PAGE 35

Features North: Saving malnourished children This report was inspired by a recent visit to a Community Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) site at Malikawar Garu in Kano state, which provided a firsthand experience of the enormity of the plight of the rising number of children in the north suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition(SAM).

From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

U

NICEF made it possible for selected journalists from the 10 states of its D Field Office, during a one-day advocacy and sensitisation meeting in Kano, to come to grasp with the stark reality of thousands of children from the north being decimated by hunger and malnutrition.

That hunger and malnutrition could be part of Nigeria’s plethora of development issues may of course seem farfetched, what with the country so blessed with abundant arable land, with close to 70 percent of the over 150 million populations involved in diverse agricultural practice.

However, emerging data from recent surveys conducted by the United Nations International Children and Educational Fund (UNICEF), showed that indeed, hunger is fast ravaging children under age five, as well as women aged 15-49, mostly in the 10 northern states of Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, Plateau and Nasarawa.

A cross-sectional nutrition survey was conducted by UNICEF in northern Nigeria in February this year, in Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara states, with the objectives of determining the nutritional status of children under-five years and women 15-49 years of age, assess infant and young child feeding practice and estimate crude and under-five mortality rates. Overall, 7,186 children under-five and 6,098 women were interviewed from 4,733 households.

According to the summary findings of the survey, the highest and lowest prevalence of Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) were found in Yobe and Zamfara states at 15.6% and 6.4% respectively. The prevalence of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) ranges from 0.6% in Katsina to 3.1% in Yobe states.

The survey posits that given the large number of population in the surveyed areas (over 44 m), the result indicates that considerable number of children are acutely malnourished and needs nutritional support.

The prevalence of GAM was found between 5 and 15 percent in all surveys across the states. Global acute malnutrition beyond 10% is regarded as emergency situation and given the size of the population of the area, the magnitude of the problem is significant.

What is malnutrition and its effect on the life of a child? Malnutrition is a condition where a child becomes physically weak and extremely thin because of the lack of proper feeding. Wasting or acute malnutrition is a condition represented by measures of thinness and represents current nutritional status. Research has showed that children with severe acute malnutrition are nine times likely to die from any causes than those who are not. That without intervention, severe acute malnutrition has up 60% mortality risk.

Several factors were said to be responsible for the inability of parents to adequately feed their children, which include among others; the Sahelian food crisis, social, economic as well as cultural norms of the people.

The Sahelian food crisis, presently ravaging eight countries in Sahel Africa, including Northern Nigeria, was said to have evolved sometime in 2011 as a result of factors ranging from scarce rainfall, which

A woman with her malnourished child led to poor harvest; displacement of people and disruption of food production due to conflict and violence; increased food prices as well as structural poverty in the region.

With over a million children projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition in the region in 2012.

Socio-cultural factors also combine to contribute to the escalation of malnutrition among rural dwellers, as confirmed by journalists while interacting with some mothers who reported at the Malikawar Garu CMAM site.

A mother, Hadiza Sallau (not real names), aged between 45 to 50, told journalists that initially they thought the emaciating child she held in the crook of an arm, was attacked by evil spirits, not until volunteers asked her to report to the clinic.

Again, poverty, which is rampant and on the increase, is a major factor responsible for malnutrition among children in the north. According to 2010 surveys of the National Bureau for Statistics, 60.9 % of the country’s population live in abject poverty, with the scourge reaching a peak in the north where the NBS said Sokoto recorded the highest level of poverty with 86.4%, the north-west and north-east as well recording 77.7% and 76.3% respectively.

Grinding poverty has made it virtually impossible for several families to have three square meals a day, with many a mother having to be deprived of food, which consequently affects her chance of surviving pregnancy, her child’s health and the community at large.

Improper feeding is also another factor in

malnutrition and this occurs when families though having sufficient food, fail to maximally utilise such for nutritional benefits. This is mostly as a result of ignorance among rural dwellers, who have enough stock of chicken, goats, beans, etc but who fail to utilise these properly.

Having considered the prevalence and causes of malnutrition among children under-five and women aged 15-49, it remains to be seen what needs to be done to address this scourge that is presently ravaging the north.

The UN declaration on the rights of the child, which has been domesticated in the country, in its second article provides that “the child shall enjoy special protection, and shall be given opportunities and facilities, by law and by other means, to enable him develop physically, mentally, morally, spiritually and socially in a healthy and normal manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity.”

Even though it is apparent that most state governments in the north are not aware of the ravaging consequences of malnutrition, being that the malady was first recorded as recently as 2011, the proclamation by the UN on the rights of the child, should have informed any policy geared towards the protection of the child.

In this respect, state governments in the affected states are expected to evolve a plan of action that would save the lives of thousands of children who are currently threatened by hunger and malnutrition.

Already, UNICEF, which has the UN mandate to tackle Severe Acute Malnutrition

(SAM) across Africa and Latin America, has taken the gauntlet and has launched on a major campaign aimed at eradicating malnutrition in Nigeria.

These include a rigorous campaign to support a national nutritional policy, towards the adoption of the national nutritional policy as amended in 2002, development of state nutrition annual work plans in line with national plan of action, establishment of ad hoc State Committees on Food and Nutrition, as well as promotion of nutrition partnership and networking.

Its direct intervention on the Sahelian malnutrition crisis, is most felt in the areas of the Community based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM), which involves community outreach for community involvement and early detection and referral of cases, where large numbers of children with severe acute malnutrition can be treated in their communities without being admitted to a health facility or a therapeutic feeding centre.

The UN organ has so far established CMAM sites in seven states from Gombe in 2009, to Jigawa, Borno and Yobe in 2010 and Adamawa, Bauchi, Kano in 2011, with the number of sites in these states scaled up from 15 sites in Gombe in 2009 to 216 sites in Gombe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno. Only the states of Plateau, Nasarawa and Taraba are yet to have CMAM sites.

Annual CMAM admissions has increased steadily from 1,701 in 2009, to 18,118 in 2010; 57,185 in 2011 and 59,093 in January and July 2012.

UNICEF also recommends for the use of proven high impact and cost effective intervention when responding to SAM, referred to as Essential Nutrition Action, which includes; exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding, mother’s nutrition/ iron, use of iodised salt, etc, as well as focussing on the period from pregnancy and through the first two years of a child’s life.

So far the organisation has recorded tremendous achievements in treating SAM across the north but like with every problem in life, it is sill grabbling with issues particularly, the seeming lack of response from state governments to tackle the malnutrition menace. Only Jigawa and Kebbi states has demonstrated enough political will to address the issue. Jigawa was able to constitutes it ad hoc state committee on food and nutrition whereas Kebbi provided N180 m to be used in buying Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for distribution among patients admitted at CMAM sites.

UNICEF officials expressed worry that most government officials see the programme geared toward eradicating malnutrition as the “singular responsibility of UNICEF. But the truth is that it is the responsibility of government, as duty bearer, to provide for the needs of its children. The UN does not give us one dollar funding to fight malnutrition.”

Sam Kaalu, media specialist of the DFO lamented.

Therefore, for the fight against malnutrition among children in the north to bear fruit, there is the need for governments in the affected states to not only collaborate with UNICEF but also ensure that the ongoing programme by the UN organ, aimed at saving the lives of millions of children threatened by hunger, succeeds through concerted effort and financial commitments.

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

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Another voice for Major Al-Mustapha Re: Sovereign wealth fund

O

nce again, even at the risk of being boring to indifferent Nigerians with the issue of state pardon for Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, it is important to remind the Jonathan administration of the significance of the virtue of compassion.

As the Commander-in-Chief, it is within the prerogative of the President to do something courageous and decisive about the fate of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the late General Sani Abacha’s Chief Security Officer.

The entire Nigerian political territory is within the jurisdiction of the President.

Therefore, it is not wise to say that the President has no powers to extend pardon to the languishing officer, whose mother has already died, caused by high blood pressure she developed because of his uncertain fate.

Major Al-Mustapha spent more than 14 years in detention, facing one of the longest trials within human memory. He was finally convicted to death by hanging on January 30th last year by a Lagos High Court, presided over by Justice Mojisola Dada. The death sentence is as controversial as the length of time the young army Major has spent in detention since October 1998.

Nigerians were particularly shocked by the tone of bias and partisanship in the language of Justice Dada. She made personal contemptuous comments on the Major, leaving many to wonder whether she was delivering a judgment or pouring personal vitriol on the convict.

Another disturbing aspect of the judgment was the fact that all the contradictory accounts of the prosecution witnesses and their recantations, including

Sergeant Rogers’ shocking revelation that he was promised handsome rewards to implicate Al-Mustapha, didn’t appear to affect the weight or outcome of the verdict. The death sentence which was based on weak witnesses’ accounts made even the OPC factional leader, Dr. Frederick Fasheun to question the harshness of the judgment based on contradictory evidence.

Dr. Fasheun’s position shows that AlMustapha’s issue goes beyond regional or ethnic sentiments. After spending 14 years in detention during trial and being slapped with a death sentence afterwards, despite inconsistent witnesses accounts, was a shock to many Nigerians. The harsh and inconsistent quality of evidence before the court made the January 2011 verdict controversial.

Other observers, however, believe that considering the hostile political environment where Al-Mustapha was tried and convicted, Justice Mojisola Dada had no choice but to give a judgment that must satisfy the vindictive passion of the political

environment. At one point, in 1999, a Judge in the case was replaced because of the openly hostile posture of the Judge at that time.

Major Al-Mustapha’s lawyers protested his biased comments at the beginning of the trial.

This case was infested by political sentiments from the beginning and that there are forces determined to see the end of Al-Mustapha because his freedom might pose a threat to their interests.

Major Al-Mustapha has suffered enough and one doesn’t think that granting him freedom will lead to the collapse of Nigeria.

Despite his open confession before the Justice Kayode Eso Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Rivers State that his movement had killed two thousand people in the course of insurgency, a former Niger Delta militant leader, Alhaji Asari Dokubo, was granted amnesty by the federal government.

Apart from causing death of thousands, the former militants had also engaged in kidnapping for ransom and economic sabotage.

However, when the late President Umaru

Yar’Adua granted them amnesty, no northerner opposed such gesture of national reconciliation. If amnesty was not bad for the former militants who had carried out mass murders, including the killing of 14 soldiers on security duties, I see no reason why Al-Mustapha’s pardon would be bad for Nigeria. Discrimination in the application of amnesty is not good for Nigeria, especially at this tense moment when our President should unite all sections of the country behind him.

When the OPC leaders were granted freedom by Obasanjo after facing charges of murdering policemen and other innocent people, the nation accepted it as a sacrifice for unity. The OPC crimes were committed in Lagos and the Lagos State government at that time didn’t object to their freedom. And, therefore I see no reason why anybody should now tell us that Al-Mustapha’s issue is between the Lagos State Government and the convict.

The federal government has a duty to be involved in matters of amnesty.

President Jonathan can and should exercise his prerogative of mercy on any Nigerian in any part of the country. He should rise above the sentiments of those who seek eternal vengeance against perceived enemies. Major Al-Mustapha has been punished enough and I don’t think killing him after spending 14 years in jail will benefit anybody. If it wouldn’t, then his pardon won’t harm anybody either.

— Mallam Umar, an advocate for amnesty without borders, lives at 91, Queen Idah Street, Asokoro – Abuja

approach to stop transmission."

This concept by NPHCDA to partner and engage the traditional institutions to eradicate polio is indeed a laudable one as it looks like the most viable means to actually eradicate polio in the high risk states of Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Niger, Borno, Yobe, Kano, Kaduna, Kastina and Jigawa because these traditional leaders beyond the undeniable fact that they know their terrains well also command a large level of connection between their individual traditional institutions, their remote areas and subjects.

In its commitment to deliver on the target given to him by the Federal Government, Dr Muhammad told the traditional rulers in Sokoto

recently that "this situation is unacceptable," saying traditional leaders should do more to bring an end to polio in the north.

He further said: "We believe no one knows the terrain than the traditional leaders and as such should intensify efforts to end the scourge."

He expressed optimism with the expected three rounds of immunization, significant progress would be made and will likely bring to an end to polio in these affected states.

Also important to the actualization of a polio free society is the continuous support of the federal government for the Ministry of Health NPHCDA and a further enhanced

partnership with state/local government, civil society groups and other stakeholders.

Finally, we must commend the vision, drive and doggedness of the Executive Director of NPHCDA who within the last one year of taking over the leadership of the agency has transformed the agency and put it on track to make history by not only championing the drive for a polio free society in Nigeria but to also eradicate other diseases.

We should therefore support the federal government to achieve its goals in line with its transformation agenda.

— Ojogun is the Sokoto state coordinator of Stand Nigeria Initiative

WRITE TO US Peoples Daily Weekend welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed to: The Editor, Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja.

Email: letters@peoplesdaily-online.com

Time to achieve polio-free society

I

t is pertinent at this point to realize that the need for the eradication of polio cannot be over emphasized. Beyond state and local government, the responsibility also lies with the traditional leaders who can make a significant difference.

The Executive Director of National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Ado Muhammad emphasized in the recent meeting held in Sokoto on revaccination strategy, ‘that traditional leaders will enable the agency get across missed settlements, particularly nomads with a view to devising the best

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

PAGE 37

Opinion

By Goodluck Jonathan and Jens Stoltenberg

Saving the lives of women and children

n 2010, the UN Secretary-General’s Global Strategy for Women’s andChildren’s Health highlighted the suffering of women and children around the world caused by lack of access to life saving commodities.

Life in the developing world is filled with stories like that of the woman who, just after child birth, dies from excessive bleeding because the health centre is stocked-out of the medicine to save her life; the child with a simple case of pneumonia who cannot be treated because the needed antibiotic is not registered for use; and the 45year old woman who finds out she is pregnant for the seventh time, after almost dying the last time she gave birth because she does not have access to modern methods of family planning.

The overarching health system and financial impediments for governments and endusers to access life-saving commodities is made worse by the lack of awareness of how, why and when to use them, preventing women and children from accessing and using appropriate commodities.

Other system barriers to these commodities include the severely under-resourced regulatory agencies in low-income countries, which lead to delayed registration of commodities, lack of oversight of product quality and general inefficiencies; market failures, where return on investment is too low to encourage manufacturers to enter the market or produce sufficient quantities; and user supply and demand challenges such as limited demand for the product by end-users, local delivery problems and incorrect prescription and use.

The UN Secretary-General’s Global Strategy called on the global community to work together

to save 16 million lives by 2015 through increasing access to essential medicines, medical devices and healthsupplies that effectively address leading avoidable causes of death during pregnancy, childbirth and childhood.

This challenge has been taken up by the UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children, with a focus on the world’s 49 poorest countries. The Commission recognises that if the needs for modern contraceptive methods were fully met in these countries, an estimated 53 million unintended pregnancies would be avoided, about 90,000 women’s lives would be saved and an estimated 590,000 newborn deaths would be averted.

In addition, many of the over 800,000 deaths of children each year from diarrhoea could be prevented with oral rehydration solution and zinc that cost less than US$0.50 per treatment.

The Commission has identified 13 overlooked life saving commodities that, if more widely accessed and used, could save the lives of more than 6 million women and children. These are; Maternal health commodities such as Oxytocin and Misoprostol (to prevent and treat post-partum haemorrhage) and Magnesium sulphate (to prevent and treat eclampsia and severe preeclampsia); Newborn health commodities such as injectable antibiotics (to treat newborn sepsis), Antenatal corticosteroids (to prevent respiratory distress in preterm babies), Chlorhexidine (for newborn cord care) and resuscitation devices (to treat newborn asphyxia); Child health commodities amoxicillin (to treat pneumonia) and Oral rehydration salts and Zinc (to treat diarrhoea); and Reproductive health commodities such as Female condoms,

By Adamu Oyanki

On the unfair vilification of Akwe Doma

I

W

hen Nigerians recently erupted in jubilation over the nation’s 52nd independence anniversary, little did people know that Nasarawa state also clocked 16, having being created by the late General Sani Abacha on October 1st, 1996.

Since its creation, it has had mixed fortunes in terms of quality of leadership.

Among those the state was fortunate to have been blessed with is Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma who fought hard to make the creation of the state a reality.

It is a well known fact that Aliyu Akwe Doma in conjunction with other like-minded indigenes of the state ran punishing schedules, sacrificing time, energy and money to ensure that Nasarawa state was created out of the old Plateau state in 1996. His houses both in Doma and Jos became a Mecca where the agitators for the creation of the state converged to brainstorm on how best to realize their noble objective. This humble writer was one of the pioneer local government chairmen in the then new Nasarawa state.

But either through sheer mischief or outright hatred, some misguided elements have elected to distort Doma’s role in the political evolution of the state. These arm-chair critics masquerading as writers recently went to press with uncharitable articles demonising the personality of Akwe Doma, all in an attempt to paint him black in the eyes of unsuspecting members of the public.

The critics unfairly described his tenure as the governor of the state from 2007 to 2011 as lacklustre. Most of the publications, especially the one by Muazu Abari, contained baseless nay unfounded allegations laced with barefaced vendetta.

For them to remain relevant and useful in the politics of Nasarawa state, they must continue to bash Akwe Doma. Funny enough, all their efforts in this regard are as fruitless as squeezing water out of stone.

According to a wise saying, a river whose sources are well known cannot, even in its cascading avalanche, sweep away the discerning. Abari in one of his recent write-ups on the anniversary of Nasarawa state in his

characteristic manner descended on Doma, saying that the former governor disappointed the people of the state who looked up to him to ‘’supersede the achievements of his predecessor’’ when he assumed office as governor in 2007.

According to the writer, ‘’the administration (of Doma) not only failed woefully to even sustain the vision of his predecessor but ended up as the worst administration ever produced by the people of Nasarawa’’.

The author of that piece did not stop there as he went ahead to accuse Doma of several other sins to wit: arbitrary seizure of farmlands from the people of Doma; failure of his 13-point agenda in the areas of provision of water, which he said led to the proliferation of ‘ ’mairuwa’’ and good roads. Abari even went to the ridiculous extent of attributing students’ massive failure in national examinations to the failure of Doma’s administration.

According to a wise saying, the roots of evil are three: arrogance, envy and greed. Arrogance prevented Satan from bowing to Adam; envy led Cane to kill Abel and greed took Adam out of Paradise. In the same vein, it is the combination of arrogance, envy and greed that has beclouded Abari and his fast vanishing tribe of myopic critics from seeing any redeeming feature in what Aliyu Doma’s administration achieved between 2007 and 2011.

An Igbo proverb says that when a wooden god exceeds its bounds, it would be told from which specie of wood it was hewn from. Abari and his ilk must be told in no uncertain terms that whether they accept it or not, the silent majority of Nasarawa people knew what the Maduabuchi Doma did for them during the course of his sojourn at Shendam Road Government House, Lafia from 2007 to 2011 and no amount of grandstanding by enemies of progress can distort Doma’s great contribution to the development of the state.

For the avoidance of doubt, it is necessary at this juncture to lay bare in a nut shell Doma’s positive sides (read achievements) when he presided over the affairs of the state as its chief executive.

Contraceptive implants and Emergency contraception.

To deliver on the promise of saving the lives of millions of women and children, the Commission recommends actions which focus on the need for improved global and local markets for life-saving commodities, innovative financing, quality strengthening and regulatory efficiency, improved national delivery of commodities and better integration of private sector and consumer needs.

The scaling up of access to and use of these 13 commodities is not only a moral obligation, but one of the most effective ways of getting more health for the money invested.

It would make a significant contribution to put maternal and child health in a trajectory to end these preventable and tragic deaths. The Commission estimates that the scale up will cost less than USD 2.5 billion over five years and save over 6 million lives. These estimated costs per lives saved are low and represent excellent global development investments.

The Commission has also developed a detailed plan for implementation with cross-cutting and commodity-specific actions and clearly stated national, regional and global activities and associated costs.

Recognizing that many commodity-related obstacles are linked to financial barriers and rooted in broader health system challenges – such as poor governance, inadequate human resources, ineffective local supply chains and insufficient information systems – the Commission calls for further links between the identified solutions and priority actions and other

With his 13-point agenda as a handmaiden, Doma hit the ground running exuding an uncommon zeal to positively turn around the then ailing fortunes of the state. And he made a huge success of it.

Realizing that the state is largely agrarian in nature, he launched the famous ‘’Badakoshi Scheme’’ through which he revolutionalized agriculture; his administration also constructed 500 housing units for civil servants complete with infrastructures (for N1.2bn); provided 5,000 motorcycles for civil servants on hire-purchase (N4.4bn); payment of retirement and death benefits to civil servants and payment of severance package to political office holders—chairmen and councillors— during Abdullahi Adamu’s administration (N1.25bn).

Other tangible achievements of Doma administration, which spoilsports like Abari have often glossed over for reasons best known to them included: establishment of drug revolving scheme (N430m); design, construction and rehabilitation of some township roads in Lafia to the tune of N959m; payment of encumbrances and loans for Karu International Market to NDIC (N1.2bn); settlement of inherited debt (N16bn); procurement of 20 nos 500 KVA transformers and buses which the present administration commissioned with fanfare to celebrate its one hundred days in office.

Others are payment of counterpart funding to its development partner, UNICEF to scale up its activities in the state (N587m); conversion of vocational and relevant technical centres to full-fledged Skills Acquisition Centres in Lafia, Doma, Nasarawa and Wamba (N932m); reconstruction and rehabilitation of the State House Assembly complex into an architectural masterpiece (N1.8bn); reconstruction and rehabilitation of Ministerial Head offices by indigenous contractors (N868m); donation of 50 patrol vehicles to the police to stem the tide of crime in the state (N350m).

In the area of health, MDGs, upgrading of Primary Health care counterpart fund

global and national initiatives for strengthening health systems The Commission believes that it is possible to overcome seeminglyentrenched barriers when partners work together.

The success insubstantially reducing the price of antiretroviral drugs for HIV istestimony to the effect of partnerships, with 6.6 million people indeveloping countries receiving these drugs at the end of 2010. Initiatives such as aggregating orders, and improving the forecasting, financing and manufacturing capacity of insecticidetreated nets in sub-Saharan Africa increased their supply from 5.6 million in 2004 to 145 million in 2010, leading to substantial reductions in deaths due to malaria.

When auto-disable syringes for immunization were introduced in 1992 to prevent infections from re-use in developing countries, the cost was over six times that of normal syringes. The price difference is now near equal and use near universal due to sustained increased demand following initial GAVI Alliance support for their use.

These previous achievements give us the confidence to call on local communities, National authorities and the global community to once again rally around an initiative that will save millions of lives in the poorest countries of the world, this time by improving the availability, affordability and accessibility of these 13 proven life-saving commodities.

Dr. Jonathan, President Federal Republic of Nigeria and Rt.Honourable Jens Stoltenberg, Prime Minister, Norway cochair the UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children.

(N1.9bn); launch of National Programme on Immunization (N130m); recruitment of 1,600 teachers, promotion of 1,900 and training of 2,500 of them in 2008.

In the education sector, the administration equally performed wonderfully well with the donation of study centre complete with furniture, computers and vehicles to National Open University; provision of collapsible chairs and tables to primary and secondary schools; implementation of new teachers salary scheme; construction of classrooms for secondary schools; provision of training and instructional materials (N225m); clearance of backlog of scholarship (N280m); overseas scholarships for 2008 (N205m) and payment of WAEC fees for indigent students (N172m).

Roads also got Doma’s Midas Touch as the following roads were either constructed or rehabilitated: Doma-Okpatta (N4.7bn) out of which N2.7bn was paid before the expiration of his tenure with 91.5% of the work completed; Toto-Umaisha (N1.2bn), with N784m paid and 80% of the job completed; Panda-KigwariKaru (N5.8bn); Keffi-Kokoma-Agwda-Udege (N3.053bn); Doma-Agyaragu-Kadarko-GizaAgaza-Obi-Assakio (N5.1bn); Nasarawa-Mada Station (N753m); Adadu-Azara-Wuse (N3.052bn) and Gude-Angwa Zaria road (N275m).

With this breathtaking scorecard, which is verifiable, it is only unrepentant enemies of progress that will say that Akwe Doma, one of the founding fathers of Nasarawa state did not do anything for the state when he held sway as governor of the state.

Not to worry, his traducers may scoff, let them be. Sceptics have a right to argue. Allow them. The believers and admirers of his laudable achievements may applaud, by all means let them be. What is however incontestable is that between 2007 and 2011, Doma sacrificed a lot in furthering the development of the state.

Oyanki, Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) wrote fromLafia,Nasarawa State.

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

Digest

South African President Zuma's country home controversy

N

ew security fences, a medical clinic. Firefighting services added for a helipad. Plus other upgrades, all for South African President Jacob Zuma's home to the tune of more than $23 million in taxpayer money, and all for his rural private residence.

Zuma is embroiled in a controversy over the costly additions to his private home in a country where millions still lack decent homes, running water, electrical power and adequate access to health and education services.

The revelations of the renovation of Zuma's rural compound, dubbed "Zumaville" in the local press, in KwaZuluNatal come before the ruling African National Congress' December conference where Zuma seeks to be reappointed as the party's leader, and therefore its candidate for

president in the 2014 national election.

Zuma's standing has already been shaken by the recent police killings of 34 striking platinum miners in the continuing wave of ongoing wildcat strikes. He is widely seen by striking miners as aloof to their concerns that they're not paid enough for the difficult and dangerous work they perform.

Firebrand politician Julius Malema, ousted this year as ANC Youth League leader, says Zuma should not be allowed another term in office.

The government has refused to disclose the precise cost of the work on Zuma's countryside home. Local reports say the upgrades cost about 200 million rand ($23 million).

Zuma said at a breakfast meeting recently that he does not know how much the work will cost, that it was authorized

Ramajit Raghav is world's oldest father aged 96

T

h e virile 96-year-old puts his health and fertility down to a fruit and dairy-rich diet Ramajit said: "I have led a very simple life. I didn't marry for long and followed a strict diet.

I've taken milk, butter and fruits everyday since my childhood.

We are absolutely delighted to have another member in the family.

"It's a great feeling for both of us."

The 96-year-old added: "My wife will undergo a tubectomy operation this year. We aren't planning more children, two are more than enough and I have limited financial resources, which can only sustain their needs.

"I want to send them to school and wish to see them lead a respectable life."

by the Ministry of Works and was motivated by security concerns.

Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi said also that work on Zuma's residence was similar to that done on those of other South African presidents.

High security fences have been erected, roads upgraded, a medical clinic added and firefighting services developed for the helipad at the compound, according to the South African Press Association. Speaking to reporters, Deputy Public Works Minister Jeremy Cronin also could not confirm the cost but said the matter would be investigated for any "inexplicable overruns on costs," according to SAPA. Some critics say the ANC party that was once led by antiapartheid icon Nelson Mandela is overly focused on political power with too little attention being accorded to the country's black poor.

Zuma's presidency has been "marked by political problems, most notably a radical decline in the ANC's credibility. Zuma's own actions have also stripped the office he holds of dignity," wrote Pallo Jordan, a former minister of arts and culture, in an article published in BusinessDay newspaper.

"Whoever the ANC membership elects in December will have to grasp the nettle of restoring the ANC's dented credibility and dignity to the office of the president."

Shadrack Gutto, a professor of African studies at the University of South Africa, said ordinary South Africans have come to expect little good from the ANC, whose top bosses have become fabulously wealthy even as millions of South Africans are mired in poverty. As some South African miners were striking for better pay, businessman Cyril Ramaphosa, an influential

member of the ANC who had once been a touted as a future leader, was bidding millions of dollars for a prize buffalo.

"Every day there is a scandal here, a scandal there," Gutto said, adding that a time will come when the party will be thrown into "the dustbin of history."

Of the costly renovations to Zuma's private residence Gutto said: "It has to be investigated. It will be a scandal when the truth comes out."

Zuma, 70, remains popular in his Zulu homeland and many say he will win another term as ANC chief. He may be challenged by Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe. The speculation has been fueled by the release this week of an authorized Motlanthe biography, as well as a decision by ANC officials in Gauteng province, where both Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria are located, to back Motlanthe.

Source: Yahoo.com

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27— SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

The gubernatorial wanna-be who is daring the real thing O n these shores, democracy be damned, the fear of governors is the beginning of wisdom, especially if one's immediate aspirations include becoming the next number one citizen in his state. Then, the last thing you would want to do, or even be accused of doing, is going public with some frivolous allegations against not only the governor of your state but the entire governors in your region.

This is exactly what a nevouriche (courtesy of his position, of course) governorshipaspiring head of a mega rich federal parastatal (thanks to its affinity to the oil industry) has actually dared to do. This guy, who has found reaches beyond his dreams, is from the North.

But from his obsequious utterances and actions in support of the South, in particular, President Goodluck Jonathan's neck-of-the-woods, one would never suspect so. Of course, the worship of the President, his spouse and those who supposedly have his ears (the Edwin Clerks, in Jonathan's case) is also the beginning of wisdom, especially for those who want to cling to their office and or those who want one). As a matter of fact, the Abuja residence of Ijaw chieftain and elder statesman, Edwin Clerk

has become the Mecca of sorts for this admirer of anything South South. Busy body has learnt that whenever the octogenarian statesman happens to be in Abuja, our man is sure to be among the first to rush to pay their homage, and will continue daily until the man leaves town. And he never goes on the visits empty handed, according to the rumours.

Well, a couple of weeks ago, this fella, who once mentored the political thugs in his state,

then as a commissioner, was on a Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) question and answer Hausa programme where he accused Northern governors of frustrating his agency in its activities in their respective states. According to him, many of the governors have not been forthcoming in making land available in stateowned tertiary institutions for his agency. He alleged that they place all kinds of huddles, including payment of compensation, to make it

“

...the Abuja residence of Ijaw chieftain and elder statesman, Edwin Clerk has become the Mecca of sorts for this admirer of anything South South.

PAGE 39

BUSY BODY difficult for his agency to acquire land to enable it build additional (science) structures in line with its intervention programme. Not only that, he alleged that where the land had been acquired, the governors feel too big to personally attend the commissioning of projects executed by his agency in their state, prefaring instead for him to visit them at the government house. Hear him; "Imagine, some of the governors will just sit in the government house and expect me to visit them instead of them coming to the site of the project we are either building or commissioning!"

However, he has nothing but superlative praises for governors from the states in the South, for whom he claimed "no request is too much for them to grant without hesitation."

According to him, a governor of one of the states in President Jonathan's South South region not only "was on ground" to receive him when he visited the state, but easily made a boat available to enable him make his choice of the land on which his agency could execute its project. So ready to assist his agency have these governors been that "they don't demand for compensation", he also

claimed. This claim beggars belief. Demands in the North for compensation for lands acquired by a government agency but no such demand in the South.

Meanwhile, his alleged gubernatorial ambition is getting a boost regularly from favourable opinion and news items appearing largely in the Lagos-Ibadan media.

And in his home state, where he is known to have a healthy relationship with political urchins, it is learnt that, of late, he has been busy mending fences with former friends and acquaintances whom he had abandoned when he got on the Abuja gravy train some three and plus years ago. Perhaps, he suspects that political thugs alone cannot make him realize his cherished goal of becoming his state's number one citizen come 2015. Unfortunately for this more-South-than Southerners Northern politician, there are other gubernatorial pretenders even more abundantly endowed with the financial wherewithal, clout and human relation, not to talk about the incumbent governor with whom he has no love lost, to contend with on the appointed hour.

Insight When Orhii visited flood victims in Benue From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

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he flood disaster which befell Benue State had its attendant effects on the victims most of whom lost properties and farmlands amounting to millions of naira.

Since the disaster occurred over two months ago, the State has become a Mecca of sorts with well meaning individuals and corporate organizations donating relief materials to alleviate the suffering and pains of the internally displaced persons.

The Director-General, National Agency For Drug, Food and Administration Control, NAFDAC Dr. Paul Orhii, aside his position, is also a prominent son of the State.

No wonder then that on October 1st 2012 when he visited the designated resettlement camps in LGEA primary, school, Wurukum, Saint Catharine primary school and NKST primary school, Wadata areas of Makurdi town to commiserate with the victims of the flood, there was out pouring of emotions in the camps amongst the flood

DG, NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii victims.

Before presenting relief materials which include 700 bags of rice, drugs, beverages and other essential commodities worth over N20 million, Dr. Paul Orhii and his entourage that comprised top management officials of NAFDAC embarked on a comprehensive tour of the flooded areas in Makurdi and

some parts of Guma LGA. He lamented the magnitude of devastation caused by the flood, noting that it was calamitous and far beyond the scope of the State government "The level of damage and loss is in the range of billions of naira and the truth is that what we have in our hands is far beyond the scope of Benue state government hence the need for the intervention of well meaning and public spirited Nigerians in this trying moment of our national life".

"We in NAFDAC are concerned about your health and that is why we have come to ensure that the food, water and drugs you consumed in the camps are of good quality."

Dr. Orhii assured the victims that more relief materials and drugs would be supplied to them too even as he promised them that the Federal and State governments will not relent in their efforts to bring succor to the people to enable them "pick up your lives again".

He advised the displaced persons not to be in a hurry to go back to their homes to avoid deaths occasioned by outbreak

of deceases and incidences of collapsed buildings.

"We will also help to ensure the conduct of impact assessment on the affected buildings and the fumigation of the houses when the water level recedes before you go back to occupy those buildings again please; so that we do not record deaths in the aftermath of the flood", he stated.

The NADFAC boss maintained that his visit was to compliment the efforts of governments both at the state and federal levels stressing that it was the state Governor, Dr. Gabriel Suswam who called to inform him about the flood while he was out of the country.

The NAFDAC DG also discouraged the flood victims from engaging in quarrels and rancour advising them to use the opportunity of their stay in the camps to make new friends, stressing that such friendship could last a life time.

And in a show of appreciation and outpouring of emotion, the displaced persons at the camps prayed earnestly, and in tears to God for his continued blessings and

protection on Dr. Orhii.

Presenting the relief materials to Benue State Governor, Dr. Gabriel Suswam, the NAFDAC Director General maintained that it was his own modest way of palliating the huge burden the flood has placed on the State government.

Governor Gabriel Suswam lauded Dr. Orhii describing him as a man with the 'heart of gold'.

Governor Suswam recalled how the Director General of NAFDAC had in the past reached out to victims of communal clashes in Gwer West and Guma local government areas during Fulani invasion of these areas as well his philanthropic donation of hospitals, schools and ambulances to various communities in the state and urged other illustrious sons and daughters of the state to emulate Dr. Orhii.

"If only all Benue sons and daughters in positions of authority would emulate your kind gesture, the dreams for our state would be achieved. The people of this state would remain eternally grateful to you for this singular gesture", Suswam added.

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27— SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

Interview

‘Only preparations that are lawful are allowed during Eid says Muslim cleric ‘Only preparations that are lawful are allowed during Eid prayers’ says Muslim cleric Ustaz Mohammed Ibrahim Arikiya is the chief Imam of the state secretariat Friday Mosque in Lafia, Nasarawa state. In this interview with Ali Abare Abubakar, our correspondent in Lafia, the Islamic scholar spoke on the significance of the Eid-el- adhan and other issues. Excerpts:

W

totally against any conduct that could lead to the breach of peace.

It is also the aspect of preparation not to accept any directive that is not in line with the teaching and practice of Islam. It is not advisable for instance, to engage in gossips, as the Holy Prophet forbid such acts.

Again, tradition allows for parents to send their children on visits, with most using the occasion for different purposes, with report of missing children, with others getting involved in accidents. All these are unacceptable during the eid celebration. Youths also use the occasion for attitudes that are not acceptable, throwing parties and committing fornication and other vices that are not acceptable in Islam.

hat is the significance of celebrating the Ed-el adhan to the Muslim ummah?

Islam as a religion has described the significance of the ed-el adhan as a day of joy, happiness and visitations. It is also a period when community leaders meet with their subjects in an atmosphere of conviviality, when children visits their parents, teachers and family members. The day is also of historical significance in Islam, because it is on this day that animal sacrifice is offered immediately after the prayers. The history of the sacrifice began in the time of our grandfather, prophet Ibrahim (AS) and the holy prophet Mohammad (SAW) directed us to offer the sacrifice.

This sallah celebration is even more remarkable because it occurred on a Friday, which is also another eid prayer.

With this, it is to be expected that Muslims all over the world would celebrate doubly, for being alive to witness the occasion. This of course is a once in a life time occurrence, and not many people are able to witness this double celebration. It is also a day when Muslims are expected to conduct their affairs with decorum, fear God, obey his directives and do what is only pleasant to Allah (SWT), as well as follow the injunctions of the holy prophet Mohammad (SAW). It is also a moment when Muslims who were able to go on pilgrimage to Makkah, will visit Minna, where they will perform the symbolic stoning of the devil, after which they will proceed to the Al-Masjid Al-Haram, to perform the circumambulation, returning to Minna before sun set. It is a day of immense importance to Muslims, as it is a day which Allah swore to, as it was mentioned in the holy Qur’an.

S

uch festivities are usually preceded by e l a b o r a t e preparations. What can you say about these preparations by the Muslim faithful?

There

are

preparations

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hat can you on p r e v a i l i insecurity across country?

Ustaz Mohammed Ibrahim Arikiya

“

Again, tradition allows for parents to send their children on visits, with most using the occasion for different purposes, with report of missing children, with others getting involved in accidents.

that are lawful and are condoned by Islam. There are also preparations that are unlawful and therefore unacceptable.

Lawful preparations means to be able to take care of those that will pay you a visit at home. It is also lawful preparation to be able to provide for the needs of one’s neighbours that are less privileged, either by giving them food or animals for sacrifice.

To also provide for the needs of orphans in the society. In Islam, orphans are those children that lost their father but not those who lost their mothers. On the eid day, after the prayer, Muslims engage in merry making, according to laid down directives, as well as sharing, with faithful urged to give to the less privileged. Islam is

say the n g the

Those of us that are alive today, are really in a predicament. If we are at all fearful of God, then He will protect us. But every day you hear of one skirmish after the other, with the leaders exploiting the followers, deaths everywhere. Muslims are not known for terrorism, as they are peaceful and law abiding. No Muslim is allowed to take the life of another person, backbite or even cause disaffection. A true Muslim will not engage in frivolities, except for those for are motivated by politics and whose conduct are not Islamic. If a Muslim is involved in any criminal act, then such a person is not a true believer. Islam preaches peace. Allah created us to live together as one in this country. Only those that fear Allah are the true believers.

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hat advise will you give to the Ummah as they celebrated the sallah?

My advice for them is for the Ummah to conduct its affairs in line with the laws handed down by God, to observe the teachings and practice of the holy prophet Mohammad (SAW).

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

PAGE 41

Weekend German links Kenya’s Jelimo, Makau to doping substances

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Super Falcons showing off the trophy on arrival from South Africa

AWC: Super Falcons set for title defence

By Patrick Andrew

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igeria’s Super Falcons have arrived in Bata, Equatorial Guinea- venue of their group games in the 8th edition of the African Women’s Championship, battle ready and raring to go.

The fiesta rolls off the ground this Sunday with the 6th edition winners Equatorial Guinea taking on the Bayana Bayana of South Africa, who are seeking their first win of the trophy.

Though the six-time African champions had unpleasant receptions from their hosts, who opted not to receive them when they landed in Malabo, they have their minds fixed on a sole objective: retention of the trophy they won two years ago in South Africa.

The Media Officer of the team, Chisom Mbonu, informed Weekend Peoples Sports that no official of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) was on ground to receive the Nigeria delegation, comprising 21 players and 12 technical and administrative officials.

The team waited for three hours at the Malabo International Airport before the efforts of Nigeria’s Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea, Ambassador Bassey and his host, Ambassador Job Obiang Esono Mbengono, yielded dividends: connected flight to Bata.

They finally touched down at the Bata International Airport at 11.55 pm where the LOC officials and Ibrahim Umar, the Consular-General, Nigeria Consulate in Bata, met the team and proceeded to escort them to their Villa Celotti lodge, where they spent the night.

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Director of Competitions, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi lamented the treatment meted out to the Nigerian delegation.

“The treatment given to us was unprofessional and negates the spirit of sportsmanship. Our accommodation is not befitting of competitions practices. And therefore we have rejected it. We are insisting that they change our accommodation or we secure accommodation ourselves,” Sanusi said threatening to lodge official complaint against their hosts yesterday.

Nigeria are in Group B of the 2012 AWC. The Super Falcons begin their campaign against Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses at the Nkoantama Stadium, Bata on October 29 before facing Ethiopia at the same venue, on November 1.

The AWC champions will then round off their preliminary campaign at the Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo against the Ivory Coast on November 4.

Sunday Matches Eq/ Guinea V South Africa Senegal V DR Congo

enya’s Beijing Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo and world marathon record holder Patrick Makau have been cited by German journalist Hajo Seppelt as some of the clients of clinics providing doping substances.

Following his latest claims in an interview published at Athletics Illustrated website, Athletics Kenya (AK) top brass met on Friday but declined to comment on the allegations.

“There is nothing new in the claims and we have read them on the internet and we have nothing to say and once we have, we shall let you know,’’ AK president Isaiah Kiplagat said when reached to comment on the matter.

“The issue is already with WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) and we are discussing it and soon, we shall let you know,’’ he added.

According to Seppelt, Makau and Jelimo patronised clinics in Nairobi and Kapsabet who admitted to supplying banned anaerobic drugs including blood booster EPO, although the German national TV ARD freelancer did not allege the two famed stars purchased or used the banned substances available at the facilities.

“What I can say is that - according to the owner of the store in Nairobi - Patrick Makau is one of the clients of the store in downtown Nairobi. But the guy who sold us the EPO claimed that Makau and other world-class runners only buy nutrition supplements there,’’ Seppelt told Athletics Illustrated.

Makau is lined up to compete at Sunday’s Frankfurt Marathon where he is chasing his own 2:03:38 world record set in Berlin last year.

“Believe it or not. Regarding the clinic in the high altitude region (Kapsabet), we have been told by the doctor that he is working with a lot of world-class athletes.

He only mentioned Pamela Jelimo’s name. And he showed us her medical data. But again, he was talking about clients. Not more,’’ Seppelt said.

Jelimo’s Golazo Sports country manager Barnabas Korir declined to comment about the claims when contacted.

Seppelt further alleged that Matthew Kisorio, who captained Kenya’s team to the Punta Umbria World Cross in 2011, collaborated the assertion of doping among the country’s revered distance runners was rife, after testing positive for banned substances in June. “We met Mathew Kisorio twice. He was apparently very afraid. But he talked very frankly about his doping experiences with doctors in the country.

“Our impression was that he hoped to get a reduced ban, for example, one year or six months, instead of two years - if he admits what he did,’’ the German journalist narrated.

Seppelt first caused ripples in Kenyan athletics circles in May when he ran a report on ARD weekend show, Sportschau, incurring the wrath of AK top brass and athletes who vehemently disputed his claims. Only last week, Kiplagat announced that foreign journalists and agents seeking audience with Kenyan runners would be required to get clearance from the federation.

Seppelt gathered his explosive report while working undercover as an athletics agent from Europe.

Algeria 2013: Golden Eaglets go for last hurdle

T

he Golden Eaglets are 90 minutes away from securing a deserved ticket to the Algeria 2013 CAF U17 Africa Youth Championship. They take on their rivals, the Junior Syli Stars today needing only a draw to berth in Algiers.

A fortnight ago, the delectable side overwhelmed their counterparts 3-0 at the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar to make today’s return leg in Conakry a mere formality. Already, the technical crew, led by Manu Garba, has assured that they will leave no stone unturned to secure the ticket, and thus makes it 100 percent qualification for Nigeria.

The squad of 18 players and 10 officials flew straight from Cotonou, where they had gone to acclimatize, to Conakry for the tricky clash in which the Junior Syli Stars believe they still have the chance to edge out the Eaglets for a

place in Algeria. It could happen, but the Eaglets are not thinking of conceding the ticket to them.

Both Emmanuel Amuneke and Nduka Ugbade, made this clear before their departure stating that the team was aware of the task before it and leave no room for complacency in the game.

“We are going to play as if the first leg result does not exist. That way, there will no room for complacency. The boys know what it means to get the ticket.

They know what they stand to gain, especially for their career and the glory of Nigeria,” Amuneke said.

“We won’t underrate our opponents nor even consider the return leg a mere formality. We know football is not mathematics because anything can happen on the pitch. So, we won’t rest on our oars until the ticket in safely tugged in our pockets,” Ugbade said.

Makau, alleged involved in doping

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

PAGE 42

Barca take defensive headache to Rayo

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arcelona coach Tito Vilanova must again reshuffle his defence for today’s clash with Rayo Vallecano. He’s likely to do this because centre back Javier Mascherano is likely to be suspended for the game in Madrid.

Mascherano was sent off in last weekend’s 5-4 win at Deportivo Coruna and although the club have appealed the Argentine’s dismissal, the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) is unlikely to exonerate him.

Mascherano would join injured Spain pair Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique on the

sidelines, while Brazil right back Daniel Alves has not played since being forced off in this month’s 2-2 ‘Clasico’ draw at home to Real Madrid.

Midfielders Alex Song and Sergio Busquets and fullback Adriano can fill in at centre back and 21-year-old academy graduate Marc Bartra performed solidly there in Tuesday’s 2-1 comeback win at home to Celtic in the Champions League.

Barca playmaker Andres Iniesta netted his first goal of the campaign to make it 1-1 against Celtic and his remarkable record of never losing a match when he scores

was preserved.

The Spain international, scorer of the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final, has 42 goals for his club in the same number of games and Barca have won 37 of those and drawn five.

Atletico Madrid, level on 22 points with Barca at the top but behind on goal difference, host Osasuna on Sunday after extending their winning run to 11 matches in all competitions this season thanks to Thursday’s 2-1 Europa League win at home to Portuguese side Academica.

Resurgent under coach Diego Simeone, Europa League

champions Atletico are now unbeaten in 21 games, a club record, but the Argentine wants his players to focus on their jobs on the pitch rather than their impressive statistics.

Third-placed Malaga are also on a high after European success following their memorable 1-0 win at home to seven-times winners AC Milan in Champions League Group C on Wednesday, in what was probably the biggest game in the club’s history.

Qatar-owned Malaga, who play at struggling Espanyol on Saturday, have lost only once in 13 games this term in all competitions despite cashflow

Man Utd, Chelsea put title credentials to test

By Patrick Andrew with agency report

I

t’s surely a massive game: one that will definitely put their claim for the title to the test.

Whereas, Man United would love to get the bragging rights Stamford Bridge for the first time since 2002 as they try to close the gap on Chelsea, the hosts, would be hoping to profit from United’s poor recording of conceding goals and coming from the death to claim the maximum points. of course, United have done this successfully because of the proficiency of former Arsenal skipper Robbin van Persia, whose combination with Wayne Rooney seem the perfect answer for Sir Alex Ferguson.

Chelsea have been attempting to evolve from the defiant defensive style that fetched them the Champions League trophy to the more expansive game Roman Abramovic desires.

They are sure to test against Ferguson’s craving for more defensive players than delectable midfield. United and Chelsea are the top-scoring teams in the Premier League with 21 and 19 goals respectively. That is down to the biggest on-pitch changes for both clubs: the approaches.

Roberto Di Matteo tends towards experimentation with the formation, something the senior players have for the first time openly condemned to the ire of the manager, who believes any serious big player can always adjust and adapt to such changes.

Similarly, Ferguson is also credited with tactical changes: his diamond formation has given way to a pattern that allows Rooney to take of the midfield and thus free van Persie to lead the attack.

By withdrawing Rooney in a diamond formation, Ferguson appears to have fallen on a system

LOGS Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Team Chelsea Man Utd Man City Everton Tottenham West Brom West Ham Fulham Arsenal Swansea Newcastle Liverpool Stoke Sunderland Norwich Wigan Aston Villa Southampton Reading QPR

that makes United look deadly and more convincing than in the opening games of the campaign, the number of goals they’re conceding, notwithstanding.

So, one can conclusively say that the battle will be in the midfield and whoever compromised the midfield will comes out on top.

Although Chelsea are unbeaten with seven wins from eight, their only true challenges have come against an Arsenal side who folded and a Tottenham Hotspur team missing their two most crucial players, Mousa Dembele and Gareth Bale.

But United lost to Spurs and immediately altered formation and, subsequently, their form.

Given the quality of opposition if United go behind, it might finally test whether fully relying on their attacking potential is a profitable tactic for the season.

Chelsea can pack the bus as always while relying on the potency of Juan Matta or Eden Hazard to finish United by capitalising on their soft underbelly: the weak defence.

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L 0 2 0 1 2 2 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 1 4 5 5 6 4 5

Of course, the devil for both sides will be in their fine attackers and so many flaws in the rest of the pitch: their defence lines, though Chelsea’s seems far better than United’s.

For Ferguson, it will be his 50th league match against Chelsea. He has won 16, drawn 18 and lost 15 of the 49 meetings. The first of those games came at Stamford Bridge on February 21, 1987, when Frank Stapleton’s opener was equalised by Micky Hazard for a 1-1 draw. Will another Hazard bookend the 50?

In other games, ninth placed Arsenal knows they cannot afford another loss against bottom club QPR with eight games played on 12 and three points respectively.

Arsenal are currently 10 points behind leaders Chelsea and need to spark at The Emirates this weekend as the season slowly hurtles towards Christmas.

Meanwhile, forward Theo Walcott is again set to miss action due to injury but midfielders Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere are expected to be in available for Arsenal.

GF 19 21 17 15 15 12 12 16 13 14 9 10 8 6 6 8 6 13 8 7

GA 6 11 9 9 12 9 9 11 6 12 12 12 9 8 17 15 13 24 14 17

GD 13 10 8 6 3 3 3 5 7 2 -3 -2 -1 -2 -11 -7 -7 -11 -6 -10

Pts 22 18 18 15 14 14 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 8 6 5 5 4 3 3

The two sides previous two meeting last season saw QPR win 2-1 this past March while Arsenal won the first leg 1-0 on New Year’s Eve. However, Arsene Wenger should feel upbeat about picking up points against QPR who trace their last away win to December 1994 in Highbury that they won by a memorable 3-1 victory.

Third-placed Manchester City will also look to get back on track after a 3-1 defeat at Ajax in midweek left their Champions League challenge hanging by a thread.

On Sunday, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers gets his first taste of the Merseyside derby as the Reds make the short trip to Goodison Park to face Everton.

Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini hopes to recover from a knee injury in time to feature and his teammate Kevin Mirallas said: “It’s good to have Marouane available because he is scary for the other team. People in the opposition fear him.”

problems over the summer that led to the departure of some of their best players and delays in wage payments.

Fourth-placed champions Real Madrid also have a selection headache for their trip to play Real Mallorca on Sunday after midfielder Sami Khedira was injured in the first half of Wednesday’s 2-1 Champions League defeat at Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.

Coach Jose Mourinho replaced Khedira with new signing Luka Modric but the Croat, who has yet to settle after joining from Tottenham Hotspur, is much less effective than the German in the holding midfield role alongside Xabi Alonso.

Another option for Mourinho is Michael Essien, who joined from Chelsea in the close season, but he has been filling in at left back in the absence of injured trio Marcelo, Fabio Coentrao and Alvaro Arbeloa.

Valencia, down in ninth place, are looking to get their stuttering campaign back on track at Real Betis on Saturday to help ease pressure on their Argentine coach Mauricio Pellegrino, who replaced Unai Emery at the end of last season.

Weekend matches Arsenal v QPR Aston Villa v Norwich Man City v Swansea Reading v Fulham Stoke v Sunderland Wigan v West Ham Sunday Chelsea v Man Utd Everton v Liverpool Newcastle v West Brom Southampton v Tottenham La Liga Espanyol v Malaga Real Betis v Valencia Celta Vigo v Deportivo Rayo v Barcelona Sunday Levante v Granada R/Zaragoza v Servilla Atletico Bilbao v Getafe Mallorca v Real madrid Atletico Madrid v Osasuna Ligue 1 Lille v Valenciennes Reims v Troyes Montpeller v Nice AS Nancy v PSG Sochaux v Evian TG Toulouse v Brest Sunday Lorient v AC Ajaccio Bastia v Bordeaux Marseille v Lyon Bundesliga Mainz v TSG Hoffenheim G/ Furth v W/Bremen F/ Dusseldorf v Wolfsburg Schalke 04 v Nurnberg SC Freiburg v B/Dortmund Sunday VfB Stuttgart v Frankfurt B/ Munich v B/Leverkusen Hannover 96v M’gladbach

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

PAGE 43

14 teams slug it out at South-South Open Volleyball Championships F

ourteen teams are taking part in the South-South National Open Male and Female Volleyball Championships that began in Port Harcourt yesterday and will end on November 4 Dr Ebenezer Morakinyo, the First Vice-President of Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), said the participating teams were drawn exclusively from South-South geopolitical zone.

“We will be having male and female teams, each from the six states of Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River, while the Police in Rivers and the Shell Sports Club are registering a team each too,’’ he said.

Morakinyo said this federation was organising the championships in conjunction with the sponsors, Masters Energy Oil and Gas Ltd., and Hon. Dakuku Peterside of the House of Representatives.

He said NVBF had made all necessary arrangements in conjunction with the sponsors for a smooth and qualitative competition that would help to unearth more volleyball talents.

However, he hopes that the sponsors would make the championships more national in the future.

“I am sure this will be possible after good organisation on the part of NVBF and when the sponsors see the good number of talents we bring out from the competition,’’ Morakinyo said.

In a swift reaction, Vincent Ajala, the Vice-Chairman/Managing Director of Masters Energy,asssured that the company was partnering with the NVBF for a good.

“We have a very good number of reasons to partner with the federation.

The championships has laudable objectives, which we believe will help the youths in the South-South, which is our area of operations.

“The volleyball game has also been rising of late, while we also have confidence in the capabilities of the NVBF. “But, more importantly, we want to unite more youths in the six states of the zone, and also raise the profile of the game amongst them,’’ he said.

On his part, Peterside said his involvement in the championships was to appreciate NVBF’s effort, in view of the challenges it faces in staying afloat in an environment dominated by football. “It is not easy for federations like NVBF to stay afloat; but with some of us coming round to offer our help in whatever way, they will be able to bring up more hidden talents,’’ he said.

The participating teams were expected to arrive in Port Harcourt yesterday, while the formal opening ceremony is scheduled for Sunday after the technical meeting/draw exercise must have been completed same.

Farah eyes marathon run at Rio Games

IBF title fight: Vazquez says he’s unstoppable

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iguel Vazquez has boasted that he would prove “unstoppable” in today’s IBF light weight title duel.

“I believe I am the best lightweight champion in the world. My defeats were to the best fighters in the world in higher weight classes,” Vazquez said today’s clash in the suburb of New York Vazquez will defend his IBF lightweight title against countryman Marvin Quintero on a card at a Native American reservation casino near Verona, New York.

He has a professional record of 31-3, with 13 knockouts and has won ten fights in a row since 2008, when he suffered the second of two losses to unbeaten Mexican light-middlewight Saul Alvarez.

His only other loss was in 2007 at the hands of still unbeaten Tim Bradley, who beat Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao in a controversial decision last June to claim a portion of the world welterweight title.

Quintero, who will enter the ring at 253, with 21 knockouts, hopes to disprove the idea that Vazquez is the best. It will be his first world title fight.

He has won nine of his past ten fights, all on early stoppages, and has not been the distance, win or lose, since May of 2009.

His longest fight was his most recent, in which he stopped Filipino southpaw Al Sabaupan in the ninth round last April to make him the mandatory challenger for 25-year-old Quintero.

B

Miguel-vazquez

Governor's Cup: Upset galore as Lopez-Perez, Ruan book final

T

wo major upsets were recorded yesterday in the men and women categories of the the Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis second leg finals holding at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club.

Enrique Lopez-Perez of Spain, seeded five in the tournament, defeated the number three seed, Kento Takeuchi of Japan, 6-3, 6-3.

The victorious player set a new record of sorts, being the first player to defeat two top-seeded players in two games, in a row.

Moh Farah ritain’s double Olympic champion Mo Farah could attempt a 10 000 metresmarathon double at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, his coach Alberto Salazar said.

Farah thrilled a home crowd at the London Games in August when he became only the seventh man to complete the 5 000-10 000 metres Olympic double.

Salazar told BCC Sport that Farah, who will be 33 in four years’ time, could have lost a “little speed” over the 5 000 by then.

“My guess is he will do a 10-marathon double. At Rio, that would be a good shot.

We will have a look at the schedule but if the 10 is first, he would go 10 000 and marathon,” Salazar said.

Farah will attempt to replicate his Olympic double at next year’s world championships in Moscow and could then make his marathon debut in the 2014 London race.

“He’s the best long-distance runner on the track in the world right now....so why would you go from where you are the best in the world to something completely unknown?

“The only time it makes sense is that he could run the worlds in Moscow next summer and then do London in April, 2014.

There is no worlds or Olympics in 2014, so he could run London and then still perhaps run a late track season in August.”

However, Salazar said there was no guarantee that Farah would move up to the marathon, “The exception will be if his track running is continuing to go so good that we feel, you know what, maybe he’s tried a marathon, but if he’s still on top in the 5 000, why would he go to marathon?,” he said.

Lopez-Perez had on Oct. 25 defeated Camil Capkovic of Slovakia, who was the No. 1 seed at the tournament.

The Spaniard did not let down his guards as he continued to fight hard to see that he achieved his aim of going after the trophy.

The game lasted two hours as spectators savoured every moment of the match.

In other upsets, Conny Perrin of Switzerland, number four seed, defeated the tournament’s number one

seed, Russian, Nina Bratchikova 6-7 (6), 2-0 (retired), in the women’s singles.

Perrin had won the first set after a tie break and was leading 2-0 in the second set when Bratchikova retired.

Bratchikova, who had slumped on the court apparently due to exhaustion at the start of the second set, was rushed to the Sick Bay by the medical team. She later re-emerged after some treatment, but refused to speak with newsmen.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

PAGE 44

P.I.C.T.O.R.I.A.L Chelsea will not pay above •35 million for Atletico Madrid’s inform striker Radamel FalcaoD

Sri Lanka’s bowlers stifle Pakistan to give the hosts a 16-run win and a place in the final of the World Twenty20

Eduardo Alvarez predicts Mallorca to hold Real Madrid, but believes Barca’s defensive frailties will not cost them at Rayo Vallecano

FIFA reviews a big week for international women's football, with Spain, Iceland and Russia completing the 2013 UEFA Women's EURO field, while traditional big guns USA and Germany again could not be separated.

Victoria Azarenka must wait to see if she can finish the year as world number one after losing to Serena Williams.

Lennox Lewis speaks of his devastation at the death of his long-term trainer and close friend Emanuel Steward

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

PAGE 45

What a sport! Pole vault; the sport, the thrill Compiled by Augustine Aminu with Wikipedia report

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ole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts. It has been a full medal event at the Olympic Games since 1896 for men and 2000 for women.

Initially, vaulting poles were made from stiff materials such as bamboo or aluminum. The introduction of flexible vaulting poles made from composites such as fiberglass or carbon fiber allowed vaulters to achieve greater height.

Today, athletes compete in the pole vault as one of the four jumping events in track and field. Because the high jump and pole vault are both vertical jumps, the competitions are conducted similarly. Each athlete can choose what height they would like to enter the competition. Once they enter, they have three attempts to clear the height. If a height is cleared, the vaulter advances to the next height, where they will have three more attempts. Once the vaulter has three consecutive misses, they are out of the competition and the highest height they cleared is their result. A “no height”, often denoted “NH”, refers to the failure of a vaulter to clear any bar during the competition.

The competitor who clears the highest height is the winner. If two or more vaulters have finished with the same height, the tie is broken by the number of misses at the final height. If the tied vaulters have the same number of misses at the last height cleared, the tie is broken by the total number of misses in the competition.

Poles are manufactured with ratings corresponding to the vaulter’s maximum weight. Some organizations forbid vaulters to use poles rated below their weight as a safety precaution.

Because pole stiffness and length are important factors to a vaulter’s performance, it is not uncommon for an elite vaulter to carry as many as 10 poles to a competition.

Although there are many techniques used by vaulters at various skill levels to clear the bar, the generally accepted technical model can be broken down into several phases, listed and described below: The approach During the approach the pole vaulter sprints down the runway in such a way as to achieve maximum speed and correct position to initiate takeoff at the end of the approach. Top class vaulters use approaches with 18 to 22 strides. At the beginning of the approach the pole is usually carried upright to some degree, and gradually lowered as the vaulter gets closer to the landing pit.

This way the vaulter can minimize levered weight of the pole.

The faster the vaulter can run and the more efficient his/her takeoff is, the greater the potential energy that can be achieved and used during the vault. It is common for vaulters to gradually increase running speed throughout the approach, reaching maximum speed at take-off.

The plant and take-off The plant and take off is initiated typically three steps out from the final step. Vaulters (usually) will count their steps backwards from their starting point to the box only counting the steps taken on the left foot (vice-versa for left-handers) except for the second step from the box, which is taken by the right foot.

The goal of this phase is to efficiently translate the kinetic energy accumulated from the approach into potential energy stored by the elasticity of the pole, and to gain as much initial vertical height as possible by jumping off the ground.

The plant starts with the vaulter raising his arms up from around the hips or mid-torso until they are fully outstretched above his head, with the right arm extended directly above the head and the left arm extended perpendicular to the pole (viceversa for left-handed vaulters). At the same time, the vaulter is dropping the pole tip into the box.

On the final step, the vaulter jumps off the trail leg which should always remain straight and then drives the front knee forward. As the pole slides into the back of the box the pole begins to bend and the vaulter continues up and forward, leaving the trail leg angled down and behind him.

The swing up The swing and row simply consists of the vaulter swinging his trail leg forward and rowing the pole, bringing his top arm down to the hips, while trying to keep the trail leg straight to store more potential energy into the pole, the rowing motion also keeps the pole bent for a longer period of time for the vaulter to get into optimum position. This action gives the vaulter the best position possible to be “ejected” off the pole.

Alternate swing methods Another form of swing is called the double leg drop. After executing a normal take-off, the vaulter lets his lead leg drop and swings with both legs together. In doing this, the weight of the vaulter’s lower body is centered further from his rotational axis, making it more difficult for the vaulter to swing with as great a speed as with a single legged swing.

A third form of swing is called the tuck and shoot. This is accomplished by tucking both legs in toward the chest rather than leaving the trail leg extended.

The extension The extension refers to the extension of the hips upward with outstretched legs as the shoulders drive down, causing the vaulter to be positioned upside down.

The turn The turn is executed immediately after or even during the end of the rockback. As the name implies, the vaulter turns 180° toward the pole while extending the arms down past the head and shoulders.

The fly-away This is often highly emphasized by spectators and novice vaulters, but it is arguably the easiest phase of the vault and is a result of proper execution of previous phases. This phase mainly consists of the vaulter pushing off the pole and releasing it so it falls away from the bar and mats. As his/her body goes over and around the bar, the vaulter is facing the bar. Rotation of the body over the bar occurs naturally, and the vaulter’s main concern is making sure that his/her arms, face and any other appendages do not knock the bar off as he/she goes over. The vaulter should land near the middle of the foam landing mats, or pits, face up.

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27— SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

City Life

With Stanley Onyekwere 08138559513

Sanitising Abuja: A case of fighting illegality with illegality?

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here is no gainsaying that achieving a tidy and well ordered environment in Abuja stands to give the nation a befitting capital city that would be pride a of all. And this should be the concern of all and sundry however caution should not be thrown to the wind.

Of course there are enabling laws from which agencies acting as"defenders of Abuja master plan" derive their powers, but the concern of stakeholders is how this is not done outside the ambit of the law.

Over time, some of agencies in charge of ensuring strict compliance with city's plan and environmental laws including prohibiting street hawking, in the quest to carry this mandate have allegedly accumulated for themselves a notorious history of engaging in 'illegality ranging from extortion, brutality, intimidation, assault and battery against perceived harmless offenders.

However, without taking anything away from these rules which must be kept, there is also the need to do things right. For instance, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) as one of the 'Abuja dream defenders' vested with the responsibility of ridding Abuja streets of hawkers and street vendors, through strict enforcement of environmental laws, have

CITY QUOTE “All cities are mad: but the madness is gallant.

All cities are beautiful, but the beauty is grim.”

— Christopher Morley

CITY BRIEFS: Man, 39, bags 5 years sentence for defiling 5year-old girl

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The Director, Mr. Isa Shuaibu, Abuja Environment Protection Board (AEPB) (middle), and other officials of the board, when the agency visited Utako Ultra Modern market on an inspection tour, recently. been accused severally of indulging in some of these illegalities. For instance a woman was allegedly killed when the taskforce was chasing

after commercial motorcycle rider in one of the suburbs in the FCT. Perpetrators of varying acts ranging from street trading,

A street trader battling with an AEPB official, in an attempt to salvage her wares.

operation of commercial motorcycle and indiscriminate development of structures,amongst others against the Abuja blueprint have been given various descriptions by many.

For some it is a menace, while for others it is something we have to live with. Obviously, several accounts of distortion on the Abuja dream road map which has become a common sight in not only the city centres but also in most satellite towns and villages in the FCT, in recent time would continue to attract the attention of government and citizens.

Economic hardship and the ever mysterious Nigerian factor are the basic reasons people give for breaking the laws of the FCT. Nevertheless, such acts of violation against the Abuja master plan would on the long run defeat the dream of the founding fathers of the capital city, which is to make it one of the most beautiful and well planned capital cities to reckon with in the universe.

And this worrying situation should, beyond the urgent need of a change at least through appropriate legislation, calls for the various defenders and their employers to redefine its strategy towards reaching the ultimate goal.

Got interesting stories about life or happenings in your neighbourhood? Contact CityLife, and let others read about them. Send suggestions/comments with your names and phone numbers via mycitybeat2pml@gmail.com.

Magistrates’ Court in Benin has sentenced one Saturday Udoh, 39, to five years imprisonment with an option of N80, 000 fine for defiling a five-year-old girl.

Delivering judgment, Chief Magistrate Mike Osayi held that the prosecution, led by Sergeant Shaibu Mohammed, proved its case of defilement against the convict as required by law.

The prosecution had told the court that Udoh committed the offence on May 31, 2012, at Falodun Country Home Motel, Benin, and that the one-count charge contravened Section 218 of the criminal code.

The court held that the evidence of the convict that he went to collect money from somebody at the house opposite where he worked when the incident happened was untrue.

Catholic Diocese, Lafia to begin issuance of Christian, court marriage certificates

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he Catholic Diocese of Lafia, said it would soon begin the issuance of Christian and court marriage certificates to its couples.

Bishop of the Diocese, Bishop Mathew Audu, who disclosed this in Keffi while speaking at the annual meeting of the Catholic Women Organisation, Lafia Diocese, said that double marriage certificates would discourage infringement of the rights of women whom he observed were often denied the property of their deceased husband.

According to him, the double marriage certificates will make women have rights on the property of their husband in case of death or even separation.

From the Pulpit PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 27 — SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

Living for Eternity (l)

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PAGE 47

GREEN PASTURES

u m a n beings don't like to talk or hear about death but whatever your attitude to it is, it will come one day. But my focus in this message is not the reality of death. There is life before death, and there is life after death - eternity. Many times what many peopleprepareforislifebeforedeath.They labourtosavemoney,buildhouses,make investmentthattheycanliveonandmake lifereasonablycomfortableforthemselves after retirement before death eventually comes. And there is nothing bad about that.Forsomepeople,deathcomesearlier than they expect while some live longer than they expect. But surely death will come whether you prepare for it or not.

You must not prepare for life before death alone, you must prepare for life after death today not because you expect to die soon but because this moment is the only time you're sure of. I'm sure, you're aware of those who're close to you or those you know who died suddenly whennobodyexpected.Myprayeristhat you will live long but you must live ready for eternity. Death can come and the rapture can take place too. (1 Thess 4:1317) Life is short You cannot afford to postpone preparation for eternity. No matter how long you live here on earth in this dispensation, it will be infinitesimally small compared to eternity. Life here on earth is temporary; it is transient and fleeting. David understood the transient nature of life when he prayed: "Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered - how fleeting my life is." (Ps 39:4 New Living Translation) It doesn't

matter whether it is 80 or 1,000 years, your time on earth is brief. David said again in Ps 144:3-4: "O LORD, what are mortals that you should notice us, mere humans that you should care for us? For we are like a breath of air; our days are like a passing shadow." (NLT) How long does a breath of air or shadow last? Very brief! Hear David again: "I am gone like ashadowwhenitlengthens;Iamshaken off like a locust." (Ps 109:23 NKJV) Job 8:9 also talks about human life being like a shadow: "For we were born yesterday, and know nothing, because our days on earthareashadow."(NKJV)Lifeisshort; even ifyoulive for120years,itis stillshort compared to eternity. Ps 119:19 says, "I am here on earth for just a little while" (Today's English Version) Eternity is endless. Where will you spend your eternity? Are you preparing for life after death?

It would have been a different thing if death is the end of everything.

Unfortunately, it is not. There is life after death.Thatiswhyitisnotwisetoprepare for life before death while neglecting preparation for life after death. Are you preparing for eternity? The right time to prepareforlifeafterdeathisnownotafter youhavefinishedpreparingforlifebefore death. I hope you're not one of those who willsaytheydon'tcarewhateverhappens after death - they only care about here and now. But that won't be a wise way to live. You may wish to learn from the regret of that man in Luke 16:19-31.

Eternity in Hell InLuke16:19-31,theBibletellsusthe story of a man who lived but didn't prepare for eternity. He lived such a comfortable life, lived in great wealth

Exodus 1:12,13,22; 2:1,2; Micah 6:4; Proverbs 29:25; 25:26; 26:25; 24:10; 2:12-14; 24:9; 2:17; 1:24-32; Deuteronomy 32:20

Living by faith in trying times

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h e s e are trying times and we need to live by faith. There was a time Israel was under captivity and servitude in the land of Egypt. They went there without knowing that there would be oppression or difficulty. The Egyptian midwives were commanded to kill every son but save every daughter born by Israelite women. “And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive”. Pharaoh never wanted any future for the nation of Israel. By killing every male child, he wanted to assimilate the women into the Egyptian culture and community. It was at this period that Moses’ father and mother got married and gave birth to him. Theirs was a decision of faith. As they got married by faith, they raised their children by faith. Although, they were surrounded by idolatry in Egypt, they brought their children up in the faith of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In difficult times, we can still raise our children to follow the path of righteousness. We must not allow the surrounding culture or religion to influence the upbringing of our children.

The family of Moses lived, walked, planned and did everything by faith.

How we react to trials and persecutions depend on our faith.

Difficulties will either crush or stir up the giant in us. Some people’s reaction is manifested through: (1) Fear. They may refuse to go to church, read their Bibles or mention the name of Jesus. It is fear that make them compromise with

the wicked and surrender their birthright. (2) Falsehood. Such people get whatever they want by means of falsehood. (3) Faint-heartedness. They react to persecution by becoming timid and tired. (4) Frowardness. They are people who are not dependable because there is no faith in them. (5) Foolishness.

They cannot confess Christ and stand for Him in the public. (6) Forgetfulness.

They easily forget their root and the commitment they made to the Lord. (7) Faithlessness. When people allow challenges and difficulties to hinder them from abiding by their conviction, it is faithlessness. Whether at home, school, office, marketplace, etc., we must live by faith; we must declare to the world who we are.

1.THE CALL AND CONVERSION THROUGH FAITH IN TRYING TIMES Exodus 2:11,12; Romans 3:23,24; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Acts 24:16; Romans 5:9.

At a time in Egypt, Moses did not have faith in God; he acted like the Egyptians. He wanted to be a great political leader because he had learnt that the Egyptians oppressed and killed his people. But a moment came in his life when he knew that what people thought or said about him did not matter. He realised that he had to place his conviction firmly in the Almighty God. This was when he got converted.

With his transformation and encounter with the Lord, he was able to stand before Pharaoh to demand for the freedom of the children of Israel.

When a man becomes born again,

probably thinking it would continue like that forever. He never believed that there was life after death, and he therefore did not prepare for it. "Jesus said, 'There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed and who lived each day in luxury.

At his door lay a diseased beggar named Lazarus. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man's table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

Finally, the beggar died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead.

There, in torment, he saw Lazarus in the fardistancewithAbraham.Therichman shouted, 'Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in these flames.' 'But Abraham said to him, 'Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. Anyone who wanted to cross over to you from here is stopped at its edge, and no one there can cross over to us.' 'Then the rich man said, 'Please, Father Abraham, send him to my father's home.

For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them about this place of torment so they won't have to come here when they die.' 'But Abraham said, 'Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read their writings anytime they want to.' 'The rich man replied, 'No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent tothemfromthedead,thentheywillturn from their sins.' But Abraham said, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the

By Pastor T.O. Banso cedarministryintl@yahoo.com GSM: 08033113523 prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead.' But Abraham said, 'If they won't listen to Mosesandtheprophets,theywon'tlisten even if someone rises from the dead.'"

(Luke 16:19-31 NLT) The story in the passage you've just read is often called the story of the rich man and Lazarus but I call it the story of twobeggars.ThefirstbeggarwasLazarus -abeggarhereonearth.Theotherbeggar was the rich man - a beggar in hell. The rich man only prepared for life before death and lived like a king on earth; he failed to make the most important preparation - preparation for life after death. Alas, he became a beggar in hell.

He was not begging for any of those sumptuous meals, special delicacies or choice wine he was used to during his lifebeforedeath.Hewasratherfrantically begging for a drop (not a cup) of water to cool his tongue. That shows the intensity ofthefireinhellandhowseriouslythirsty he was in anguish.

The man suddenly remembered his brothers who were still on earth. He pleaded that Lazarus be sent to his father'shometowarnfivebrothersabout the place of torment he was so that they wouldn't have to come there when they died. (Luke 16:27-28) His request once more was turned down.

The rich man and his five brothers

FAITH DISCOURSE WITH

Pastor W. F. Kumuyi he begins to walk in newness of life. He does not give room to the old lifestyles anymore. He becomes bold by reason of his justification and transformation from being a sinner to a saint. And by having “a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men”, he is no longer a slave to any man. He manifests courage to obey the Lord and nothing can hinder him from entering the kingdom of God. 2.THE CHARACTERISTICS OF FAITH IN TRYING TIMES Romans 15:4; Hebrews 11:2427,28; Psalm 31:15; 1 John 5:4; 4:4; Philippians 3:14,13.

The life of Moses should make us desire and follow the path of righteousness. By faith, he rejected: (1) Royalty. Moses was regarded as a son of Pharaoh’s daughter, yet he refused being an heir to the throne. (2) The pleasures of sin. (3) The treasures in Egypt. Moses rejected all these and chose the following: (1) suffering with God’s people. Though he was counted

as a son of Pharaoh’s daughter, he voluntarily chose to identify with the suffering of the people of God. (2) The reproach of Christ. (3) Reward that will come from God. From the time Moses knew the Lord and before he died, there were three things he retained: (1) Faith. He had implicit and unwavering faith in God. Like the rock of Gibraltar, his faith was immovable, solid and steadfast. (2) Fearlessness. We must get to a level where we understand that our time, life, success, promotion, and fulfilment are in the hand of God. David had no cause to be afraid because he knew his “times” were in the hand of God. (3) Fortitude.

Moses never compromised because of his determination to please the Lord. If God is our defender and protector, we should not be afraid. We must “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” God who is on the throne will get us to our desired destination, earthly connections notwithstanding.

didn't believe all that the prophets preachedabouteternity,heavenandhell, God's judgment on the sinner etc. The rich man went to hell not because of his wealth but because he didn't prepare for eternity with God. Anyone who is not preparing to spend eternity with God is invariably preparing to spend eternity with the devil - there is no other place.

Heb 9:27 says, "It is destined that each person dies only once and after that comes judgment" (NLT). In Luke 13:3, Jesus said, "And you will also perish unless you turn from your evil ways and turn to God" (NLT) Jesus said a similar thing in Luke 13:5: "No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will also perish." (NLT) Don't be deceived by whatever you're enjoyingnow.Solomonsaid,"Everything is meaningless…utterly meaningless!"

(Eccl1:2NLT)Hesaidasimilarthingagain in Eccl 12:8: "All is meaningless…utterly meaningless."(NLT)Solomonwastalking aboutlifewithoutGod.Godhasprepared forthosewhowillspendeternitywithHim something better than whatever anyone can enjoy here on earth. (Heb 10:34) Shouldn't you spend your eternity with God? Permit me to stop here today. I believe you have been richly blessed. I will bring you the concluding part of this series next week.

3.THE CHARACTER OF THE FAITHFUL IN TRYING TIMES Exodus 39:1,5,7,21,31,32,42,43; 40:19,21,23,25,27,32,16; 25:9; Hebrews 8:5; 2 Corinthians 2:17; Romans 12:1,2; Hebrews 11:24-27; 2 Corinthians 4:18.

Moses knew that he owed his honour, authority, ministry and assignment to God. He never did anything by human wisdom but “as the Lord commanded” him. He did not modify or deviate from the pattern; he followed the blueprint that was revealed to him on the mountain. He succeeded also because those who associated and worked with him knew that they must do the work as the Lord commanded him. Faith in a believer leads to faithfulness, loyalty, dependability and obedience to the word of God. As believers, we must conduct our business, career, marriage, child training, choice of friends according to His word.

We must note that: (1) Faith in God and faithfulness to God go hand in hand.

If we have faith in God, we will not be unfaithful to Him. It is impossible to be faithful to God without having faith in Him.Botharerevealedbyourobedience.

(2) There will be fearlessness in tough, difficult times, if we must succeed. (3) ThereshouldbecouragetostandforGod. When we obey God, He will not live us in the hands of persecutors. (4) We should manifest love for God and His people.

(5) There must be humility and meekness. (6) Seeking God’s glory in all things must be our pursuit. (7) We must walk with God at all times.

BIG PUNCH “The current violation of the sanctity of lives through the activities of religious sects, kidnappings and communal clashes are not part of God’s injunctions to humanity. We should therefore stop killing ourselves or others in the name of God.” —Arewa Consultative Forum in a Sallah message to Nigerians.

SATURDAY 27— SUNDAY 28, OCTOBER, 2012

Blueprint On Northern Economy (IV) Prof Aminu S Mikail et al Mechanized Agricultural potential orthern Nigeria is blessed with large fertile agricultural land that can be suitably put to mechanized agricultural production. The region controls over 70% of the total cultivable agricultural land of Nigeria and has abundant draught animal resources that are required for animal traction and such potential can be exploited through proper breeding, training and evaluation programmes. Most important of all, the region has centers for research (National Center for Agricultural Mechanization, Ilorin- NCAM and National Animal Production Research Institute, Zaria-NAPRI) with viable agricultural mechanization and production/ breeding programmes, which if properly funded could produce the necessary tools for revitalization of rural agricultural mechanization.

As noted, majority of the farmers in these Northern States are the small scale and mainly use hand tools in their production system and are responsible for 60% of the region’s output, cultivating less than a hectare per farmer. The second category is the medium-scale, which uses draft animal technology and cultivates about 6 hectares contributing 30%, while the third category responsible for about 10% of the region output, is the large scale which uses tractors and can cultivate up to 50ha, and above.

Drudgery in the first category is high, mechanized cultivation is uneconomical and per capita contribution remains small.

There is general apathy with this business model because of profitability concerns in continuing with this way of production without reform.

Therefore, there is need for redesigning the small-scale crop production model, particularly by bulking congruent smaller land holdings as the basis for farmer groupings and associations, to enable profitable use of improved inputs and technology due to better economies of scale.

Introduction of the draft animal technology has to be made to the small scale farmer after appropriate reforms of the farmer organizations. Continuing with back breaking farm drudgery is not the way to a prosperous future for an expanding population, a future away from subsistence to surplus production.

Presently, the medium and

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large scale farms are those that require, and are able, to profitably use agricultural mechanization support.

Government should strengthen private sector farm machinery acquisition and maintenance services, as an immediate measure to boost medium and large scale production. This could be accomplished through support for private agricultural machinery hiring services.

Post harvest potentials Storage and processing: Nearly 50% - 75% of the region’s harvested grains are stored using traditional methods.

Such methods are only partially successful due to inherent defects in such storage structures which are generally vulnerable to insect’s infestations, mould, rodents, and birds’ damage. In Nigeria, post harvest loses are high and put at 15-20% for grains, 40% root and tuber crops, and over 50% for fruits and vegetables.

As a pre-requisite for achieving sustainable household food security and enhanced ability to procure food at affordable level in the Northern States, post harvest losses should be arrested through provision of appropriate storage and processing facilities. The onfarm storage, used at farm level by small scale farmers/ households developed by National Stored Products Research Institutes (NSPRI) should be vigorously pursued and the capacities of the Strategic Grain Reserve silo complexes be expanded to store more grains.

Post harvest and processing operations of agricultural commodities in the Northern States seem to be frozen in time, in terms of processes, techniques and technology use for value addition.

Processing of agricultural commodities is primarily accomplished by local processors with no access to improved practices and technology. 90% of processing for crop and animal products, usually, is intended for immediate consumption as the processes lack technological practices that enhance product quality and shelf life. Commodity standardization, quality control, packaging and branding, and even primary hygiene are uncommon factors in local processing. This negatively affects market competitiveness and profitability of locally processed products compared to imports, with resultant losses in income/profits to the value chain players. The key drivers to economic growth and expansion of opportunities through agriculture in Northern Nigeria

311 689 606 327 454

7458 1765 3308 1969 0344

WEEKEND with

Ibraheem Sulaiman sa427420@gmail.com

NSGF Chairman, Gov. Babangida Aliyu are the processor-value-addition industries. The primary focus of development interventions in agriculture is the primary producer; the crop or animal farmer, who usually receives considerable attention and support to increase production.

Various supply-side interventions consisting of inputs subsidies, capacity building, and technology extension have been, and still are, directed to farmers for increases in production, yet without any considerable impact. Majority of farmers still remain food and nutritionally insecure because of a compendium of regenerating and reinforcing levels of serious constraints. Farmers are yet to enjoy a fair redistribution of the recent economic growth in Nigeria.

Therefore, such circumstances not only call for a re-examination and possibly a redirection of efforts, resources, techniques and approaches used to extend support for farmers as producers; but also a new outlook for farmers as entrepreneurs.

Contextualizing global best practices, and the peculiar nature of the political economy in Northern Nigeria’s agricultural sector, it is most appropriate for government to allow marketing

forces to attractively pull, rather than government always pushing, the farmer to produce.

Therefore, the envisioned commercial agricultural marketing system shall be achieved through different models of contractual linkages between farmer and agroprocessing industry. Linking farmers to industry has a unique potential to make farming more entrepreneurial and a business minded operation. A farmer as an entrepreneur, in addition to being a producer will, over time, create the necessary innovations for a competitive, efficient and profitable farming business that translates into a wealth creating enterprise. Therefore, it is essential for government to massively invest in agricultural and industrial infrastructure, as a way of improving the investment climate for private individuals, firms and organizations. Reviving the drive and taking measured steps for actualizing industrial agroprocessing is the shortest and most effective way to economic prosperity for the Northern States.

It is envisaged that these small scale processors will serve as intermediary, initial or primary processors for the medium to large agro - processors.

Agricultural marketing potential The potential of agricultural marketing to generate different and numerous kinds of business opportunities makes it the engine of growth for most economies.

The current situation of noninterference by government in produce market has opened opportunities to farmers through increase demand, alternative market outlets, resulting in price hike with attendant increase in production. However, farmers are experiencing the vagaries of economic and market forces that determine prices under such dispensation. Northern farmers are characterized by smallholdings, low capital base and productivity, large number (60 million) scattered in different locations.

These peculiarities expose these farmers

to economic forces and vagaries of weather, which are not within their ability to control, thus making them inherently riskaverse.

Supportive social infrastructure for the smooth running of the marketing system have to be provided by government, which include effective communication and functional transportation systems, electricity and secured financial arrangements.

Very importantly, the Northern State Governments need to make it conducive for private operators to invest into value adding agro-processing (with the rural areas as point of focus) and massively invest in research and technology, enable a multi-stakeholder low-capital extension system using the farmer-first, farmer-led participatory approach where both private and public extension agents act as facilitators, putting the farmer in full control of decision making in aspects that affect their businesses.

The later approach will make research and extension to be relevant in meeting the farmer’s needs, so that all stakeholders exist within an effective feedback looping system.

The unorganized marketing of agricultural products by individual small scale farmers is usually characterized by high transactional and variable costs with very little room for upward price flexibility; rather, prices on yearly basis spiral downwards during harvesting season because of supply glut. During such periods, speculators mop up products from farmers at prices that can hardly cover production costs.

The farmer is forced to buy inputs at very high costs, while products are sold at prices lower than international prices thereby making the business virtually a cost recovery operation, sometimes even registering loses enslaving the farmer within a cycle of debt and deprivation.

This small and fragmented marketing is made all the more unprofitable because of little or no value addition to the primary product. Therefore, supporting small scale farmers to strengthen their organizations, as viable entities, is an entry point for an effective poverty reduction, and an efficient system for marketing agricultural products.

Currently, farmers are squeezed between high inputs costs and low products prices thereby making them as price takers” producing to survive – subsistence level.

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