Peoples Daily Newspaper, Wednesday 28, November, 2012

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

Wednesday, November 28, 2012.

Vol. 9 No. 78

. . putting the people first

Insecurity: 1,035 corps members redeployed >> PAGE 3

Al-Muharram 13, 1434 AH

N150

PPPRA fuel deduction revenue missing >> PAGE 3

Nigeria may privatise prison management >> PAGE 7

Why Onagoruwa was sacked as BPE DG

By Abdulwahab Isa

T

he twenty months tenure of Bolanle Onagoruwa at the helm of affairs of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) abruptly came to a halt yesterday due to what a presidency source desccribed as Onagoruwa’s unilateral decision to close transactions without

reverting to the presidency.

A very senior government official told our correspondent that government was very displeased with the way and manner the embattled Director General unilaterally closed the transaction involving Canada based Manitoba Hydro without seeking the consent of the National Council on Privatization

(NCP), the apex decision making body on the privatization exercise chaired by Vice-President Muhammad Namadi Sambo. The source said the action thoroughly embarrassed the Federal Government.

The source who spoke in confidence with Peoples Daily said “I think so many issues pulled together leading to her sack, the

major one being the way and manner she closed many transactions independently without seeking the consent of NCP. “Before you conclude any transaction you are expected to brief NCP on stage by stage progression and seek approval before you proceed to the next stage. I think she closed many

important transactions without seeking the consent of the VicePresident and the recent one was Manitoba Hydro that got the presidency embarrassed”.

The Federal Government, in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media, Umar Sani, announced the unceremonious Contd on Page 2

New sect claims attack on SARS

By Julius Ogar & Lambert Tyen

T

he Jumaátul Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladissudan has claimed responsibility for the Monday morning attack on the Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) detention camp in Abuja.

The sect whose name means the group that dedicates itself to helping Muslims in Africa, said in earlier statement that it was formed to correct the concept, meaning and purpose of Jihad in Islam and that it did not believe in killing innocent non-Muslims except “in self defense or if they Contd on Page 2

PD INDEX

26th Nov., 2012

CBN RATES $ £ EURO CFA RIYAL

BUYING 154.76 246.91 197.25 0.2831 41

SELLING 155.76 248.51 200.54 0.3031 41.5

PARALLEL RATES EURO £ RIYAL $

BUYING 207 255 42 157

SELLING 209 256 44 158

Kano state Governor, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso (left), exchanging a signed Memorandum of Understanding on routine immunisation with the President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote (2nd left), on Monday in Kano. With them are Minister of State for Health, Dr. Ali Pate (2nd right), and Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Ado Mohammed (right).

Photo: NAN

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

CONTENTS News

2-11

Editorial

12

Op.Ed

13

Letters

14

Opinion

15

Metro

16-18

Business

19-22

S/Exchange Property

23 24-27

PDP is troubled by growing insecurity - Tukur

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

T

he National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur has expressed concern over the series of security breaches in the country in recent times.

Tukur said this while fielding questions from State House correspondents after leading a delegation of South Africa's ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) to see President Goodluck Jonathan in his office yesterday.

"We are very concerned about growing insecurity but political parties are not security

Int’l

34-36

Agriculture

37

Defence

38

Politics

39-40

Sports

41-47

Columnist

48

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

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two countries.

"PDP is the biggest and strongest here. We want to see the synergy between us (PDP and ANC); we want to support what is happening, to create employment, education, health, agriculture and so on."

The Treasurer General of ANC, Mathews Phosa said the purpose of the visit is to further strengthen the relationship between the ANC and the PDP, adding that "Nigeria and South Africa are very important African countries although there are others too."

"The two countries united will make a serious contribution towards certain direction of the continent. It is important that we

continue to encourage the relationship between the ANC and the PDP. It does not start today, it was there before and we are just building on an existing structure.

“The important issues in the world require that we collaborate at political level so that we can be focused, advise one another in the AU in the UN and other bodies across the continent. I won't at the moment go beyond the strengthening of political relationship because the rest follow.

Trade will follow if the relationship is good and the two leadership meet and exchange ideas and I do understand that there will be meetings in the future", he said.

New sect claims attack on SARS Contd from Page 1

Nigeria’s unforgettable week of harvest of deaths, tears and tributes, Page 4

organisations. Whatever happens concerns us; so right from the ward level, the home; we are not happy.

So security organisations, who are there to primarily protect, I am sure, are doing what they are supposed to do. Ours is to ensure that our members are sensitised to be security conscious. We are also encouraging them to give useful information that can help bring these miscreants to book. So it is not a political party’s role to dabble into security", he said.

The party chairman revealed that the two biggest parties in Nigeria and South Africa have been meeting to forge areas of cooperation for the benefit of the

attack Muslims like the cases we have in Jos”.

The new radical sect, which announced itself five months ago, finally bared its fangs when its members said to be numbering about 30 stormed the police installation in the wee hours of Monday and engaged security officers in a fierce gun duel which led to the killing of two cops and the freeing of about 30 suspected insurgents detained in the facility, though police said 25 of them were later re-arrested.

In an email posted on the internet, the group said it attacked the police facility because of the oppression of detainees in police cells and threatened to ensure that all

those captured by the Nigerian security or by the Christian in Plateau state such as the women and children would soon march “towards their freedom.”

The email signed by the group''s Spokesperson, Abu Usamatal Ansari (Amir JAMBS) reads: “In the name of Allah most Graciuos most Merciful.

The Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis-sudan is hereby declaring by Allah’s grace to be the responsible for the attack held on 12th Muharram, 1334 – 26th November, 2012, on S.A.R.S. detention facility in Garki area II, Abuja Nigeria.

“Allah SWT has obligated us to help those that are oppressed, especially those oppressions that is taking place in the security cells, prisons and other detention

centers etc. and has become part of the main functions and basics that form Jama’atu Ansasrul Muslimina fi Biladissudan.

“We are stating loud and clear that many of those captured by the Nigerian security or by the Christian in Plateau state such as the women and children in Langtang, Yalwan Shandam etc to mention but a few. By Allah’s grace we are matching towards their freedom.

“Lastly, we are calling upon all Muslims to come and joined hands with us in carrying out this noble duty that Allah SWT has commanded us to do, Allah SWT said: “And what is the matter with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah, and for the feeble among men, and for women and children oppressed…”. Nisa’i:75

However, reacting to development, the Police authorities yesterday said they have no knowledge of any group or individuals that has come out openly to claimed responsibility of it Special Anti-Robbery Squad invasion in Abuja. Police spokesman, Frank Mba said in a telephone interview that the police were not aware of the information and decline further comment on the issue.

Gunmen had stormed the police installation in the wee hours of Monday and engaged security officers in a fierce gun duel which led to the killing of two cops and the freeing of about 30 suspected insurgents detained in the facility, though police said 25 of them were later re-arrested.

Why Onagoruwa was sacked as BPE DG Contd from Page 1 removal of the BPE DG from office with immediate effect.

She was directed to hand over to the most Senior Director in the Bureau, Mr. Benjamin Ezra Dikki, who will oversee the affairs of the Bureau an acting capacity.

Many BPE staff who spoke to Peoples Daily yesterday expressed shock over her removal saying the action caught her unawares.

Ms. Onagoruwa was on the verge of retirement when she was appointed in acting capacity to take over from Dr. Christopher Anyianwu, who was unceremoniously sacked in March, 2010.

Her tenure at BPE was characterized by criticisms especially from members of the National Assembly who refered to her as inept and inefficient to drive privatization exercise.

Severally they moved a motion directing President Goodluck Jonathan to sack her.

The two chambers had threatened not to take BPE's budget defence under Onogoruwa as its DG. The push for her sack by both chambers of the National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives) was sequel to a report of the senate ad hoc

committee on privatization and commercialization chaired by Senator Ahmad Lawan that investigated privatisation and commercialisation activities of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) from 1999 to 2011.

The setting up of the committee was sequel to a motion moved by Senator Ahmad Lawan, who chaired the committee with Senators Babafemi Ojudu; Ali Ndume; Philip Aduda; Ifeanyi Okowa; Hope Uzodinma and Mamman Magoro as members.

The committee was to investigate the process through which the BPE privatised the companies and establish the agreements and conditions upon which the privatisation was consummated.

It was also to determine how much was realised from the sale of the companies and where the proceeds were paid into and to determine how many jobs were lost and gained after the privatisation of companies, identify factors that were militating against the expected improved and good performance of the privatised companies.

The report said the former Directors-General, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, Dr. Julius Bala and Mrs

Irene Nkechi Chigbue, should be reprimanded by the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), “for seeking approval directly from the president instead of the NCP as stipulated in the Public Enterprises Act 1999.”

Ms. Bolanle Ayodele Onagoruwa, a lawyer, administrator and technocrat, was appointed Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the Secretariat of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP).

She was appointed as Director General of BPE, which is Nigeria’s privatization agency on August 11, 2010 by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Onagoruwa was trained variously at the University of Lagos for her law degree (1978); Nigerian Law School, Lagos (1979); University of Kent at Canterbury, England for a Postgraduate Diploma in Politics & International Relations (1987); and the prestigious Harvard Business School, Boston, USA for the General Manager Programme (TGMP). She has also attended several local and international professional certificate training programmes.

Onagoruwa joined the BPE with her wealth of experience acquired in legal practice and the

banking sector in September, 2000 as a Deputy Director (Legal Services) and was promoted Director (Oil & Gas) in 2002. She had traversed various departments and sectors as director and transaction expert before she became Acting Director General of BPE on March 8, 2010.

Prior to joining BPE, Onagoruwa started legal practice with the firm of Bentley, Edu & Co (Legal Practitioners and Trade Marks Agent 1980–1986); and joined Nigerian Industrial Development Bank as a counsel in the Legal Department, (1988 1990.) She later joined Midas Merchant Bank Limited (1990 – 1998) as Company Secretary/ Legal Adviser/Head of Admin and subsequently Pioneer Branch Manager, Abuja Branch (19982000).

She had a three- year stint at Federal Capital Territory Administration (on leave of absence) between June 2004 and July 2007. At FCTA, she was Secretary Social Development (June 2004 – February 2006); and Secretary, Education FCT (February 2006 – July 2007).

Born on August 29, 1958, Onagoruwa, a mother of two sons, who is widely travelled, hails from Odogbolu, Ogun state.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PPPRA fuel deduction revenue missing

By Richard Ihediwa

T

he last may not have been heard about the series of under hand-dealings by officials in the oil and gas sector as the National Assembly, yesterday, uncovered yet another colossal financial impropriety, this time in the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

The National Assembly Joint Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) yesterday discovered that the amount accruable from 15 kobo per liter of fuel deducted by the agency over the years for imported fuel could not be accounted for.

The committee also slammed the agency over the spending of N4.9 billion on salaries alone in one year.

Trouble started yesterday when the PPPRA Executive Director, Mr. Reginald Stanley could not account for the deductions when he appeared before the committee to defend the agency’s 2013 budget proposal.

PAGE 3

SARS update: How gunmen used bullets to break cell

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

F

resh facts emerged yesterday that the total number of policemen on duty at the time unknown gunmen invaded the Special Antirobbery Squad (SARS) head office in Abuja were over 40.

Police sources told our reporter that the gunmen whose numbers were about that of the number of policemen on duty, sneaked into the premises of SARS through the perimeter fence and started shooting sporadically;

…over 40 policemen were on duty

they raided the detention camp where various suspects were kept shooting at the locks to break open the cells.

It was also revealed that as soon as the policemen on duty heard the rapid gunshots, most ran into hiding giving the assailants a field day to operate.

The source also disclosed that though he could not ascertain the actual number and identity of suspects set free by the invaders, he believed that they were more

than the figures declared adding that all the suspects held by SARS are high profile ones including Boko Haram and armed robbery suspects.

Our source also disclosed that the number of rearrested suspects he saw were only six but police authorities had claimed 25.

Spokesman of the police, CSP Frank Mba had claimed in a statement following the attack, that 30 suspects broke out of their cells and attempted to escape, but

Insecurity: 1,035 corps members redeployed from Kano, Bauchi From Edwin Olofu, Kano & Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

134,717 public officers to face trial over assets declaration

S

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

A

bout 134,717 public officers across the country would be facing trial for allegedly failing to declare their assets in line with the Code of Conduct Act, the chairman of the Bureau, Mr. Sam Saba has said.

Saba who disclosed this yesterday at the 2012 ministerial press briefing held in Abuja, said 230,298 assets declaration forms were issued to eligible public officers, out of which 109,026 officers completed and returned their forms for processing and storage.

He said the defaulters cut across many organizations, ministries, parastatals, such as Customs Service Vehicle Inspection Unit and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The CCB chairman also said that the Bureau is presently prosecuting 172 public officers from Kogi and Kwara states for defaulting.

25 of them were rearrested through "tactical and coordinated efforts".

Our source also disclosed that the policemen on duty fled because of the limited number of ammunition available to them while on duty.

He alleged that the highest number of ammunitions provided to each policeman while on duty is 10 rounds or 5, adding that the assailants had enough ammunition at their disposal.

FCT contingent performing, during the closing ceremony of 2012 Abuja Carnival, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Senate outlaws hard labour for prisoners

By Richard Ihediwa & Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he Senate, yesterday, passed the Prisons Reform Bill, which among other things outlawed the imposition of hard labour for prisoners in the country.

Lawmakers backed the removal of section 8 of the of the original law which provides for imposition of hard labour for inmates in Nigerian prisons saying

that clause was enacted by colonial masters, many of who aimed at dehumanising the African.

The passage of the bill, which spelt out some amendments to enhance prisons services towards reformation of criminals, followed the adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Interior which had earlier held public hearings on the proposed reforms.

The draft law, among other things, empowers the Minister of

Interior to designate any building in Nigeria as a prison yard. It also bars general service officers from attaining the post of Controller General of Prisons and allows only career officers to attain that position.

Ruling, Senate President, David Mark, said that the bill will help to make prisoners better Nigerians rather than hardened criminals who will move on with their criminal lifestyle after jail terms.

even hundred out of the 2, 129 corps members posted to Kano state have been redeployed to other states due to security challenges facing the state.

The state coordinator of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Alhaji Bashir Yakassai, who disclosed this to reporters yesterday in Kano, shortly after the passing out parade of Batch ‘C’, corps members, stated that some of those that were redeployed are contemplating cancelling their redeployment.

His words: “As at now, about 700 corps members have been redeployed out of 2,129 posted to the state. The doors are still open to whoever wishes to be redeployed for one reason or the other; this is line with the NYSC guideline”.

In the same vein, 335 corps members posted to Bauchi state have been redeployed.

The Bauchi State Coordinator, National Youth Service Corp (NYSC), Mr. Nuhu Kwarghe, stated this while briefing newsmen at the NYSC Camp, Wailo, in the state. He said out of the 904 corps members who passed out from the just concluded orientation exercise, 335 were redeployed to their various states on grounds of health, marriage and insecurity.

Edo attacks: Three soldiers, 8 others feared dead From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

T

hree soldiers were among 11 persons reportedly killed when armed bandits laid siege on Auchi, headquarters of Etsako West local government area of Edo state on Monday.

The simultaneous attacks on First generation bank situated along Otaru Road and three new generation banks (Ecobank, Access Bank and GT Bank) along Poly Road caused panic among

commuters as the attackers hauled explosives and dynamites while shooting wildly for several hours.

Apparently determined to ensure there was no mobilisation against them, the bandits also simultaneously attacked Warrake Road residence of soldiers; the amour personnel carrier (APC) positioned in the area was also demobilised, while a patrol van packed opposite the Area Command of the police was

bombed.

When the dust cleared yesterday morning, eyewitnesses counted 10 bodies along Igarra and Jattu road.

The Chief Medical Director of Auchi Central Hospital, Dr. Jude Omoregie, said one 16-year-old Khadijat Musa, a yam seller from Kogi state has two pellets lodged in her body.

The said Khadijat told newsmen that she was on a commercial motorcycle near First

Bank when they saw their assailants. “I greeted him good evening and he shot at us. The bike man died and I was rushed here”.

Omoregie also confirmed that three soldiers were brought in dead to the hospital.

Following the incident, soldiers blocked all entry and exit routes which resulted in heavy gridlock along the Benin-Okenne-Abuja road and travellers got stranded for hours.

Edo state deputy governor,

Pius Odubu accompanied by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, Majority Leader of the state House of Assembly, Philip Shaibu including the Acting Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Hurdi, representative of the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Brig-Gen. Abel Umahi, Director State Security Services (SSS) Bello Tukuri Bakori, yesterday afternoon, visited the affected areas.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

Nigeria’s unforgettable week of harvest of deaths, tears and tributes N

igerians are still in shock, mourning the deaths of three elder statesmen in politics and the legal profession, all in one week.

Coming at a time the nation is confronted by daunting security challenges including the Boko Haram insurgency, the colossal threefold loss of national icons may prove to be too many a loss to bear for an already ‘battered people’.

Last week, the nation was hit thrice with the demise of the trio of former governor of Oyo state Lam Adesina (73), ex- Senate leader, Alhaji Olusola Saraki (79) and Retired Justice Kayode Esho (87), who departed this world on 11th, 14th, and 16th of November, respectively.

Obviously, all happed within six days out of the seven days of week 46 of this calendar year.

This is coming at a time when the nation was coming to terms with the irreparable national loss of one her best military icon; General Muhammadu Shuwa (Rtd), to unknown Assassins in Maiduguri, Borno state, on Friday November 2.

Adesina died on Sunday morning at St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos after a protracted illness; three days later (Wednesday), in the early hours, Saraki, followed him to the great journey beyond, while Eso (87) joined the train in the early hours of Friday at Hammersmith Hospital in London, United Kingdom, precisely two days later.

On the demise of Adesina, who would have been 74 next January, the nation has lost an experienced and true patriot, political war horse and defender of democracy of great magnitude of sought.

While here, the late politician was a national leader of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the rallying point of the party in Oyo state.

It is in recognition of this the Oyo state government declared a 7-day mourning period in honour of the departed elder statesman and political bigwig, during which all official state functions were suspended and the national flag flown at half mast.

The state governor, Abiola Ajimobi, in his condolence message described the late statesman as dedicated patriot, foremost defender of democracy and rights of the masses, who had always stood on the side of the truth.

In a similar vein, in late Saraki, the Nigerian people has lost one of the builders of democracy in this part of the world as the contributions of the late politician who during his life time spent his time and wealth to develop political leaders for the masses.

Saraki’s death which, came even before the expiration of

In under a week Nigeria lost three of its icons in politics and the legal profession. Stanley Onyekwere captures the mood of the nation in this report.

Late Justice Kayode Esho the ‘seven days mourning declared in honour of late Adesina, after five years battle with cancer, in his Lagos residence, further deepens the agony and anguish of already mourning nation.

According to former governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion, in his condolence message, Saraki’s death was a “loss to Nigerians and lovers of democracy in the country.

“He was a politician per excellence, a philanthropist of the highest order and a man of the people, a colourful politician and great mentor,” Igbenedion said.

On the side of the late jurist, Justice Kayode Eso, the nation has also lost an accomplished jurist of high moral standing, reputed for his honesty, firmness and diligence to have graced the judiciary, contributed immensely to the development of the bench and legal education in the country as a Supreme Court justice.

The father of judicial activism in the country as he was fondly known, given his view and belief that the judiciary must be independent of the other arms of government, his death created a vacuum that would be hard to fill. He will be missed by all, who crave a better country where the judiciary is beyond doubt independent and the last

Late Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki

Late former governor of Oyo state, Lam Adesina hope of the ordinary man.

Late Eso would be remembered for his numerous landmark judgments delivered while he was at the Supreme Court; such judgments stood the test of time. No wonder he was saddled with various important assignments even

after his retirement from active public service.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, said late Eso was a jurist who exemplified “what was best in our judiciary”, adding that the country has lost a moral voice.

From a stream of eulogies

from Nigerians of diverse background that followed the monumental threefold lost of these eminent statesmen within same week, it is glaring for all to decipher magnitude of the loss of this nature.

Alliance for Democracy (AD) in its condolence message described late Adesina as a committed leader who fought for the people’s empowerment at the grassroots level and exhibited striking leadership qualities and fought for an environment where people ought to have equal opportunities.

In a tribute to late Saraki, the President of South East political group, C-21, Senator Annie Okonkwo, him as undisputed benevolent Chief Priest of Kwara State politics and a true diviner of the people’s needs, and a thorough political captain whose arm band may not find a fitting hand as successor.

President Goodluck Jonathan the late jurist was a “courageous advocate for an independent judiciary”. For President of the Senate, Mr. David Mark, “Eso was a voice for the voiceless. He defended the defenceless and was there for the oppressed. He was forthright and a distinguished officer.”

Also, in their separate tributes, serving Governors Adams Oshiomhole (Edo) ,Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) and former governor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel, described the demise of eminent jurist as a monumental loss to the country and the judicial profession.

According to Oshiomhole, Justice Eso’s death has robbed Nigeria of a shining example of patriotism and discipline, who as a jurist, stamped his imprint as a legend.

The way it stands now, it’s painful, to say the least that the demise of these three national iconic figures during the ongoing efforts to review the constitution, a move aimed at addressing the many unprecedented challenging national issues dividing the Nigerian people, is indeed a great loss to the nation. In their departure, the country has tragedy the chance to directly tap from the esteemed wise counsel from these iconic figures’ decades of experience in their respective fields, to chart the way forward in the ongoing review process.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 5

EFCC docks ex-Intercontinental Bank staff over N9.7m fraud From Edwin Olofu, Kano

T

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Tuesday, arraigned one Bright Evogbai and Okechukwu Okolo before Justice Dije Abdu Aboki of Kano State High Court on an eight count charge for offences bordering on conspiracy, forgery and obtaining money under false pretences.

Having pleaded not guilty to the charge, when it was read to them, the defence counsel, Yakubu Aliyu, formally applied for the bail of the accused persons but the prosecuting counsel, Mainforce Adaka, opposed the bail application and urged the court

for accelerate hearing of the substantive matter.

The duo were arrested following a petition from Intercontinental Bank, signed by the former Regional Security Assistant, NW 1 alleging that the duo who were former staff of the bank in one of her branches in Kano connived to defraud the Bank to the tune of N9.7 million.

Bright and Okechukwu allegedly conspired to forge customer’s instructions on stolen letterheads, forged the customer’s signature and used same to fraudulently transfer the mentioned sum in five tranches to other customers’ account within the branch.

Charge count two reads: “That you Bright Evogbai and Okechukwu Okolo on or about August 26, 2010, in Kano State… obtained the sum of N2,103,483.00 from Intercontinental Bank Plc through AKTH Microbiology fixed deposit account by false pretence that you have the instruction of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital(operators of the said account) to liquidate the account and withdraw the said amount… contrary to section 1(1)(a) of Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act. Count three reads: “On or

about November 5, 2010, in Kano State… obtained N2,080,100.00 from Intercontinental Bank Plc through AKTH Microbiology fixed deposit account by false pretence that you have the instruction of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital(operators of the said account) to liquidate the account and withdraw the said amount”.

Justice Aboki ordered that the suspects be remanded in EFCC custody pending the determination of the bail application.

She however, adjourned the ruling on the bail application to December 17 while hearing on the substantive matter comes up in January 24, 2013.

L-R: PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, TreasurerGeneral, African National Congress (ANC), South Africa, Dr. Matthews Phosa, President Goodluck Jonathan, and Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, after ANC delegation's meeting with the president, yesterday at the State House, Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye

NHIS charges hospitals on improved service

By A’isha Biola Raji

T

he National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has urged service providers to provide improved quality of service.

The call was made in Abuja yesterday, at the Enrollee Forum organized to enlighten the public especially the beneficiaries of the scheme on quality service delivery.

Dr. Hope Uweja who represented the Acting Executive Secretary of the scheme, Dr.

Abdulrahman Sambo said, the scheme would ensure that enrollees are satisfied from services of the system.

According to Uweje, NHIS was an effort to assist the national health system achieve its aim of improving the health status of the general public.

This, he said, was by providing risk security mechanisms against healthcare costs. “This, the scheme hopes to achieve through development and implementation of various health insurance programmes to cover all citizens of

the country,” he said.

The forum which was the second in the last three months was organized across the zonal stations based on the impact it has generated in terms of enlightenment.

In his presentation, Dr. Yakubu Adole Agada, Assistant General Manager, Standard and Quality Assurance NHIS said, only clinics that meet up with NHIS quality standard would be accredited for clients at both primary and secondary providers levels respectively.

Nollywood is Nigeria’s greatest ambassador – Jonathan

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan has described the Nigerian film industry as the country's greatest ambassador which projects her culture to the world in positive light.

Jonathan gave the description when a group of Nollywood practitioners led by Kanayo O. Kanayo paid him a condolence visit over the death of his brother, Chief Meni Jonathan who died last week at the National Hospital, Abuja.

“These are the people who market this country positively in African countries and even outside Africa and even in the Carribean, where they appreciate Nigeria because of Nollywood…you have tried under very challenging circumstances and sometimes from what we were told, may be some numbers of hours you put into you work is more and even when the resources are limited, the struggle with piracy and others and so on. Under these kinds of challenges, you are still doing well and for you to come today, to express condolence I really thank you. You have lifted my spirit.”

The President pledged to assist and encourage the industry in improving on performance, saying: " Not just in creating jobs, so many young men and women have been able create wealth for themselves through the industry rather than looking for white collar jobs".

Leader of the group, Kanayo O. Kanayo said the visit was meant to reassure the President of the group's commitment towards his administration, "whether in Otuoke or Abuja, in good times and challenging times, we stand with you because we know you are outstanding".

He prayed God to grant the President and his family the strength and fortitude to bear the pain of Meni's death.

JTF recovers 5000 bullets from Boko Haram in Damaturu

By Adamu Saleh

T

he Joint Task Force (JTF) has announced the recovery over 5000 rounds of ammunition and firearms from a suspected Boko Haram hideout in Damaturu, the Yobe state capital.

This followed a cordon and search operation, Lt. Eli Lazarus, JTF’s spokesman said in a statement.

“At about 9am Mon 26 Nov

2012, men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) on cordon and search operation in Kandahar area of Damaturu the Yobe State Capital recovered five thousand two hundred and seven (5,207) rounds of ammunition, one (1) rifle, two (2) pistols, three (3) grenades and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) from a suspected Boko Haram terrorists arm store”, it stated He added that the items were concealed in plastic jerry cans and buried in the ground.

N10.9bn theft: Finbank exco bought shares for coy without address From Adesoji Oyinlola, Lagos, Lambert Tyem, Abuja

O

fficials of Finbank were yesterday indicted by an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Sabo Yaro, while testifying in the ongoing trial of former Managing Director of the bank, Okey Nwosu, before a Lagos High

Court sitting in Ikeja.

Sabo said Finbank’s executives used the bank's money to buy shares for companies that had no traceable addresses.

Yaro, an Assistant Superintendent of Police in Charge of bank fraud in the EFCC stated that as part of the tax force set up by the Federal Government to investigate the banks based on a

joint report of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Cooperation (NDIC) , he found that the addresses of the seven companies for which the shares were bought, were fictitious.

Nwosu is standing trial alongside three other directors of the bank, Dayo Famoroti, Danjuma Ocholi and Agnes

Ebubedike for allegedly stealing N10.9 billion from the bank between September 2006 and November 2007.

Yaro, who was testifying before Justice Lateefa Okunnu explained that their investigations revealed that the companies were not customers of the bank and their addresses were ghostly.

“There is one that they claim is No 41 but we learnt the last number on that street is No 21”.

Yaro added that the directors debited the sundry account to the tune of N18 billion and credited the account of Springboard Limited to buy shares for non existent companies and transferred it to some individuals that can't be traced.

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Nigerian Academy of Science Bill passes second reading

By Umar Muhammad Puma

A

Bill for an Act to establish the Nigerian Academy of Science to promote the growth, acquisition and dissemination of scientific knowledge and to facilitate the use of science in the solution to problems of national interest and for other matters connected therein, scaled second reading yesterday at the House of Representatives.

The bill sponsored by Hon. Albert Sam-Tsokwa (PDP, Taraba), was first read on September 19 and was seeking to establish a law for the academy in line with international standard and to make the academy chartered.

Tsokwa leading the debate said the academy has been part of many international academies including those in United States of America, China, Pakistan and many other European and Asian countries and that Nigeria as a nation is also a signatory to many of the scientific bodies.

"The importance of the Nigerian Academy of Science to national development in scientific research cannot be over emphasised", he said, lamenting that despite its importance the academy is not chartered as it is not backed by any law.

He also said it is unfortunate that since the establishment of the academy in 1977, it has not become chartered unlike its counterparts in South Africa which was only established in 1996 and has since become chartered among others in Africa and elsewhere.

Reps Femi Gbajabiamila (ACN, Lagos), Leo Ogor (PDP, Delta), Abubakar Momoh (ACN, Edo) and Abdurrahman Abba Terab (ANPP, Borno), among others, supported the debate.

Deputy Speaker of the House, Emeka Ihedioha, who presided at the plenary, ruled that the bill should be considered for second reading and referred it to the House Committee on Science and Technology for further legislative input.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

Jaji attack least expected - CDS From Mohammed Kaduna

Adamu,

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he Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Admiral Ola Sa'ad Ibrahim, yesterday, described the bomb attacks at a military church in the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji in Kaduna state, as very sad and least expected in a peaceful environment that has been

cherished for many years.

The CDS was responding to questions from newsmen after his visit to the scene of the blast yesterday.

On what charges is expected to be meted on the men manning the gates of the cantonment especially now that the bombers are alleged to have beat the security checks, the defence chief said: "We expect that the board of

inquiry will reflect blame worthiness of the few and then we will treat it on its merit but we cannot pre-empt what took place and how the bomb laden vehicles got into the cantonment.

"We also respect the due process and the rule of law and there are codes out there that we must insist because that is the only way we can render justice but the

L-R: UNESCO Country Representative, Dr. Joseph Ngo, Minister of State for Education, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, and Executive Secretary, National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non Formal Education (NMEC), Alhaji Jibrin Paiko, during UNESCO and NMEC workshop on the attainment of mass literacy in Nigeria, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Fuel scarcity: Fix refineries, oil workers tell FG Adoke il workers under the auspices of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG), and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), have charged the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency, put the nation's four refineries in a fully functional state, if fuel subsidy deduction is in the interest of the people.

NUPENG president, Comrade Igwe Achese in a statement after a week-long meeting with PENGASSAN in Calabar, Cross River

state, said the only solution to the problem at hand is for the refineries in the country to be functional and effective and that is the position of the union on the matter.

Igwe noted that if the President cannot address the issues affecting the union and the nation as whole, the oil workers will be left with no other choice than to down-tools any moment.

PENGASSAN president, Comrade Babatunde Ogun on his part, also spoke on the need to improve on the ills in the oil and gas sector saying the refusal of government to listen to the union led the oil industry to the present situation it is in, as most marketers

have hiked prices.

Ogun remarked that corruption in the industry calls for proper scrutiny and called on the Federal Government to stop casualisation and improve the security of the workers.

The oil and gas unions said only working and effective refineries can remove the incessant sufferings Nigerians are facing.

According to the statement other issues discussed at the meeting included the unions support for the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), deregulation of the downstream sector as well as assessment of the removal of the fuel subsidy.

that the Federal Governments Flood Recovery Food Plan has four major components which include the release of 40,000 metric tonnes of food from the strategic reserve to flood affected states.

According to him, the rest of the components include the provision of improved seeds and fertilisers to farmers that are directly affected and to farmers in unaffected areas to produce food for their states while parts of the country that were not affected by the flood would also be supported.

Similarly the minister stated that

the ministry has already obtained 100 metric tonnes of early-maturing maize seeds which mature in 60 days to plant in 5, 500 hectares of farmlands in the affected areas, adding that this would allow the affected farmers to have food to feed themselves.

Adesina added that government has mobilised from within and outside the country over 14, 300 metric tonnes of rice seeds, which he said was enough to plant 300,000 hectares of rice farmlands in the flood affected areas.

In a remark, Governor Ibrahim

Shehu Shema of Katsina state advised youths in the state to take full advantage of the governments many programmes and inceptives in the agriculture sector to generate wealth and become self reliant.

The governor noted that his administration had rehabilitated 26 irrigation sites, provided 3,500 tonnes of fertilisers at the subsidised rate of N1, 750 to the farmers, adding that the government had entered into a N3 billion partnership with Songhai Farmers to boost food production in the state.

By A'isha Biola Raji

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Flood recovery team visits Katsina From Lawal Sa'idu Funtua, Katsina

T

he Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, yesterday, flagged-off the sale of fertilisers for the 2012-2013 dry season farming in in Jibia, Katsina state.

The minister, who was represented at the ceremony by the North-west Regional Director of Agricultural Transformation Agenda, Mr. Nyam Yusuf Leo, noted

report itself is the only thing that can define precisely who is to blame and who is not to blame and who is to be rewarded for exemplary actions",he explained.

Admiral Ibrahim who spoke to newsmen in front of the AFCSC headquarters after his meeting with the commandant, however, stated that with the lesson now, nothing could be taken for granted.

charges MDAs on FOI Act

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

he Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke, yesterday, urged government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to stick to the comprehensive guidance notes developed by the Federal Government for all public institutions on the operational, institutional and substantive aspects of implementing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). “Conscious of the need to have a participatory approach to the FOI Act process, I have initiated a process of updating the guidelines through a participatory process with the hope of publishing the revised version later this year�, the minister stated, while addressing the national consultative forum on the revised guidelines on implementation of the FOI Act 2012 in Abuja.

Adoke said the process is supported by the Democratic Governance for Development (DGD) II Project, a joint donor-funded project, with the aim of strengthening the democratic character of Nigerian political process.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 7

Facebook murder: Lagos DPP frees four suspects

By Stanley Onyekwere with agency report

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he Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) has exonerated four suspects linked to the murder of late Cynthia Osokogu, inside a hotel room in Lagos, by her Facebook acquaintances in July.

According to an online news portal, Xclusivenigeria.com, in an advice forwarded to the new court handling the trial, the office of the DPP noted that two pharmacists – Orji Osita and Maduakor Chukwunonso and two co-defendants Gideon Okechukwu and Ezeaka Chinonso charged alongside others in the matter are not culpable of the offences of murder, conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to commit felony to wit stealing preferred against them before the lower court.

The online portal learnt that based on the advice, the new trial court presided over by Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, has ordered

their release from prison custody.

The office of the DPP however found the main culprits in the murder case, Okwumo Echezona Nwabufo and Ezike Ikechukwu Olisaeloka culpable of the offences of murder, conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to commit felony to with stealing, while Ezike Nonso Ifechukwu was found culpable of receiving Cynthia’s stolen blackberry phone contrary to sections 326 (1) (2) law of Lagos state.

Also DPP noted that …”In the light of the foregoing, this office shall prosecute Okwumo Echezona, Nwabufoan Ezike and Ikechukwu Olisaeloka for the offences of conspiracy to commit murder, murder conspiracy to commit felony to wit stealing and stealing contrary to Section 231,221, 409 and 285 (1) of the Criminal Law, No. 11, Laws of Lagos State, 2011 respectively.”

No date has been fixed for their arraignment.

Physician cautions parents to prevent early child marriage

A

n Abuja based general medical practitioner, Dr. Patrick Okolie, has advised parents, who still practice early child marriage to have a change of heart as it could endanger the child’s whole life.

Okolie told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday that early child marriage exposed young girls to vesico vaginal fistula (VVF).

According to the doctor, VVF is an abnormal fistulous tract extending between the bladder and the vagina that allows the continuous involuntary discharge of urine into the vaginal vault.

He said the condition was one of the two common obstetric fistulas that were found in the developing world.

“It is generally associated with

early age of childbirth and marriage, which is more common in the states.

“The average age of occurrence of VVF in Nigeria, especially in the northern part of the country, is about 11 years to 15 years of age”, he said.

According to the doctor, it is associated with early pregnancy and unskilled or unattended childbirth.

He explained that preventing or allowing our female children to reach age of maturity before going into marriage and child birth was one major means of prevention.

He said it was better to allow young ones to be fully matured so that they could endure both the physical and psychological challenges of both marriage and child birth. (NAN)

AON withdraws court cases against aviation agencies From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

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he Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), said it has withdrawn all cases instituted against the Federal Government agencies in solidarity with government’s current efforts at assisting airlines to reduce cost of operation.

AON had specifically challenged in court the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) over en-route charges charged its members and also took the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to court over its planned relocation order given to owners of abandoned and dead aircraft in the country.

The assistant general secretary of AON, Alhaji Mohammed Tukur, told journalists in Lagos that the decision to withdraw these cases by the airline body followed the decision of the Federal Government to give airline

operators zero tariffs on aircraft importation and spare parts in the 2013 budget.

Tukur added that with this development, the Federal Government has demonstrated that it has listening ears and that it also in support of the airline business in particular and the Nigerian aviation industry in general.

He noted that the removal of taxes by the Federal Government would reduce airline operational costs; adding that the terminal charges have been settled as government has addressed so many issues in favour of airlines.

The AON assistant general secretary said that with the recent step taken by the Federal Government, airline operators should be able to break even, appealing to Nigerians not to destroy the industry, as the sector has a very bright future if well managed.

L-R: Chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Mr. Sam Saba, CCB Director of Investigation, Mr. Tony Kyunni, and Mr. Goni Aji, during the 2012 Ministerial Press Briefing by CCB, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Nigeria may privatise prisons management

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

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he Nigerian government may be convinced to privatise its prisons system, if it considers some of the proposition tabled before it by a South African businessman, Robert Ratana Gumede, executive chairman of Guma Construction Company based in South Africa.

Gumede’s visit in to the country along with other South African businessmen, was made possible by the cordial relationship between the African National Congress (ANC), and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The two major political parties in Africa had earlier made to discuss areas of bilateral

By Umar Muhammad Puma

I

n concurrence with the Senate resolution of Tuesday, 20 November 2012 which called on the Federal Government to name the Ilorin International Airport after the late Dr. Olusola Saraki, the House of Representatives yesterday followed suit by moving a motion to that effect.

Mover of the motion Rep. Friday Itulah (PDP Edo), described Saraki as a national icon, whose legacies are worthy of emulation, and deserving of national recognition. He noted that late Saraki was the Senate Leader in

relations between the two countries.

Speaking on Monday when the delegation led by Elder Bolaji Anani of the PDP and Matthew Phosa of the ANC visited the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, in Abuja, the South African business mogul, noted that private prisons management is the best form of running prisons in the world.

He said the system is already effective in South Africa and other parts of the world, pointing out that his company constructs, finances and manages prisons in the country and other countries of the world.

“The system will help in speedy justice delivery and reduce over population of

Reps join Senate in asking FG to name Ilorin airport after Saraki the Second Republic from 1979 to 1983.

Rep. Garba Datti Ahmed (CPC Kaduna), while contributing on the motion, said Dr. Saraki was a detribalised Nigerian who dedicated his entire life to the masses and contributed immensely to the development of the country and therefore, deserved national recognition.

All the speakers on the motion, outlined the virtues of the late political icon, and commended his effort and contribution to the

Kebbi NULGE applaud Dakingari for approving N18,000 minimum wage From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

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he chairman, National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) Kebbi state branch, Mohammed Bello Barade, has commended the Kebbi state governor, Alhaji Usman Dakingari for his proactive measure over the implementation of N18, 000

prisons”, he said On other areas of assistance, Gumede said the company could assist Nigeria in information and communications technology (ICT), which he said will enable the security operatives to monitor the influx of visitors into the country.

He listed some of the areas to include: production of the best passport system, disaster management and crowd control.

Responding, the minister noted that the areas reeled out are of importance to the Nigerian government. He said the present administration is desirous to provide effective security and upgrade its prisons system to be one of the best in the world.

minimum wages for local government staff and teachers.

Addressing newsmen yesterday, the chairman said that the implementation of the minimum wage for local governments will commence this November, while the arrears of three months will be paid.

It could be recalled that last month the state government inaugurated a

development of the country.

However, Rep. Peter Edeh (PDP Ebonyi), argued that the House should operate on a ‘balanced scale’. According to him, “we should not only choose to honour Saraki alone and leave people like former President Shehu Shagari, his vice – Alex Ekwueme; former Senate President Joseph Wayas and the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Edwin Umezioke who also contributed immensely in the Second Republic”. committee for the implementation of the minimum wage for the local government employees and submitted the report last two weeks and promised to pay this month.

He also admonished local government staff to support and cooperate with present administration in piloting the affairs of the state and implored them to be law abiding citizens by being patriotic and honest in discharging their primary assignments.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 8

N100 ATM charge will go soon, says Banks’ spokesmen

By Aminu Imam

...Urge patience from customers

he Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB) has said that the implementation of the Bankers Committee’s resolution to scrap the N100 charge on Automated Teller Machine withdrawals in banks where users’ account are not domiciled, will soon take full effect.

Therefore, bank customers are advised to exercise patience for a short while to allow banks to work out the modalities with third party service providers.

The association’s President, Mr. Tunde Shofowora who said this, promised that “the rough edges will be smoothened in a few days” so that “all customers will

soon begin to enjoy this new freedom of using any ATM without charge”.

He urged all parties to speed up the process, adding that the agreement (not a directive) to abolish the charge was reached at the Bankers committee meeting (made up of Chief Executive Officers of Deposit Money Banks, Directors and top officials of the CBN) on November the 13, 2012.

ACAMB pointed out that the modalities will soon be finalised for the few Banks yet to implement the resolution of the committee.

The resolution is one of the banks ways of giving value to customers and promoting neighbourhood banking

T

nationwide.

The body of corporate communications professionals said that Nigerian banks have acquired sufficient capacity in the areas of infrastructure and manpower to run a seamless cashless economy.

It assured bank customers and other related parties to avail themselves of the friendly environment Nigerian banks have provided to promote businesses and personal banking experience.

The Association urged merchants, traders, supermarket operators, and filling station owners to hurry to their banks and collect Point of Sale (PoS) Terminals to facilitate e-payments nationwide.

FG committed to economic diversity–Jonathan

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan has said that his administration remains firm in its commitment to the diversification of nation’s economic base, beyond oil and gas.

He stated this on Monday night at a Command Performance/Dinner in honour of participants of the Abuja National Carnival held at the State House Banquet Hall.

President Jonathan, who was represented at the event by Vice President Arc Mohammed Namadi Sambo, said the Federal Government would continue to promote the rapid and sustainable growth of the tourism and culture sector of the national economy.

According to him, the sector provides economic development option with high capacity for economic empowerment, employment opportunities, poverty reduction as well as good returns on investment, which had the potentials to make Nigeria a number one tourist destination in the world.

“The laudable dreams that gave birth to the carnival have continued to motivate its annual celebration, anchored on the recognition that there exists a nexus between culture and the economic and technological growth of a nation,” adding that, “Interestingly, the Abuja Carnival has proven to be one successful step in directing attention to the untapped huge investment opportunities in Nigeria’s exceptionally rich and diverse cultural and artistic

heritage.”

President Jonathan also acknowledged the support of the private sector for the Abuja National Festival, adding that government would continue to provide favourable investment climate as well as business incentives to both local and foreign investors to boost the nation’s economy.

He commended the management and staff of the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation for evolving a strategic plan to meaningfully engage the organised private sector in the development of the sector.

While commending the Federal Capital Territory Administration and the Management Committee of the Carnival for not only sustaining the carnival but also making each succeeding edition even a greater success, President Jonathan described the Abuja National Carnival as “the carnival of all carnivals in Nigeria, and indeed in Africa,” urging the private sector and all stakeholders not to relent in their commitment to its progress.

The President noted that the carnival “does not only bring peoples of diverse cultures and traditions together, it also promotes amity and deepens inter-cultural understanding necessary for harmony and peaceful co-existence”.

The occasion featured special performances by National Troupes from Egypt, Namibia, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba and China alongside selected Nigerian Troupes.

ACF condemns Jaji suicide bombings, Plateau killings

By Jamila Nuhu Musa L-R: Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, during the ministry's budget defence before the House Committee on Agriculture, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

More donations pour into flood victims’ account in Kogi From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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he Kogi State governor, Capt. Idris Wada has pledged his administration’s continued patronage of the Skye Bank plc in the transaction of government business.

Wada gave the assurance while receiving N10 million naira donation from the Chairman of the Bank, Tunde Ayeni for the re-settlement of the flood victims in the State.

The governor said the donation would go a long way in the rehabilitation of the flood

victims in the state and called on corporate bodies and individuals to emulate the bank.

Skye Bank chairman, Tunde Ayeni promised that the Bank will continue to render its humanitarian services to people of the state.

Kebbi begins screening of Christian pilgrims

K

ebbi State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Committee yesterday commenced the screening of 134 intending pilgrims to Jerusalem.

The committee’s Coordinator, Mr Steven Dogonyaro, who supervised the screening, said in Birnin Kebbi that the exercise was meant to ascertain the health status of

the pilgrims.

“We will screen the pilgrims to be sure that they will behave well and serve as good ambassadors of the state and the country. Female pilgrims will also be checked to know their pregnancy status.’’

He said 84 males and 50 females were expected to travel for the pilgrimage to Jurusalem.

The coordinator commended Governor Saidu Dakingari for his support to the committee, adding, “we are really grateful for the assistance provided to Christian Pilgrims.”

78 of the pilgrims were sponsored by the state government while 40 others were sponsored by local government councils in the state. (NAN)

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he Arewa Consultative Forum, (ACF), has condemned the suicide bombings of a Church in Jaji Military Formation, Sunday, which claimed 11 lives with many injured, saying it is another dastardly act that should be condemned by all people because they go against core value of humanity enjoined by God. In a statement in Abuja, signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Anthony N.Z Sani, the forum said “All those who take delight in taking their lives and those of innocent people, as their own way of pleasing God or addressing their concerns should know they are chasing shadows”.

“This is because violence and killing of innocent people are not God’s ways. That is why they should embrace dialogue as the only viable option to addressing their concerns towards peaceful coexistence” It suggested, “One way they can achieve this is to lay down their arms, approach their chosen Saudi authority to play some roles in any constructive engagement between them and the Nigerian governments, while the Saudi

Arabia if it accepts to play the role would link up the Nigerian authority for effect”.

The forum said its heart goes to those who lost their loved ones and the wounded, asking God to replace the losses in many folds.

Similarly, it has reacted to reports of continuous killings by some communities in Plateau state, as a means to settle scores, saying the incidents are revolting to not only the people of Plateau state, but to all Northerners and Nigeria, nay the whole world.

In a separate statement also signed by Anthony N.Z Sani, it said “the recent killings in Barkin Ladi are depressing. God in his own wisdom created ethnic and religious diversity among the people so the people can make the most of their diversity”.

“And that is why He has allowed migration to places over time, and created a situation where some people come in the morning, some in the afternoon and others in the evening. But all come any way”. It cited America as a good example of such place where people of different tribes and religions have come together to unleash their synergistic potential for the good of not only America but of humanity.

PAGE 10

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

Kano, Dangote, Bill Gates Foundations sign MOU on polio From Edwin Olofu, Kano

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memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed by the Kano State Government, Bill Gates and Dangote Foundations respectively, aimed at tackling the scourge of poliomyelitis in the state.

The memorandum of understanding [MOU] signed Monday is a three year collaboration that will help in

routine immunisation and primary healthcare in the state with a view to reaching significant mileage in eradicating polio virus.

At a brief ceremony at the Kano Government House, it was agreed that, the three parties would work together at providing operations and management support to the state’s Primary Healthcare Board, as the state government is to provide 30 percent of the total fund, while the two foundations are to

complement with 35 percent each.

Speaking at the occasion, representative of Bill Gates and Melinda Foundation, Mr. Jeffery Raikes said that it has become imperative to unite and fight the menace of polio in the state.

Chairman of Dangote Foundation and Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote said that he decided to collaborate with the Bill Gates Foundation in view of the

embarrassing spread of the virus in Kano.

On his part, the state governor, Engineer Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso said the state government would continue to work towards improving healthcare and enhance routine immunisation.

He added that resistance among some parents would be addressed by the government as well ensure total immunisation of eligible children in the state .

L-R: Vice-Chancellor, Nasarawa state University, Professor Shamsudeen Amali, Miss Adaji Ekowo, student of the university who bagged 1st class at the law school, and Dean, Faculty of Law, Professor Maxwel Gidado, after Miss Ekowo was called to Bar, recently in Abuja.

Kaduna trains 600 personnel on healthcare From Mohammed Adamu, Kaduna

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s part of Kaduna State government’s determined effort to provide quality healthcare system to the people of the State, over 600 health workers and community members are being trained on healthcare management.

The training which is being provided by the Partnership for Transforming Health System (PATHS 2) in phases,was part of

the partnership with the government of Kaduna State in providing quality, accessible, affordable and sustainable healthcare to the people.

Kaduna state government on its part has introduced a Sustainable Drug Supply System (SDSS) which is an improvement on the previous Drug Revolving Fund (DRF), and is aimed at ensuring that the poor and vulnerable people are offered efficient health services.

PATHS2 has therefore offered

the State government support to stakeholders in their initiative to improve health systems and provide basic healthcare by improving stewardship systems and demand for quality health services.

Towards this end, Kaduna state government and PATHS2 organized a four day workshop across the state with the theme, ‘establishing, managing and operating a sustainable drug supply system at the Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities’.

EFCC arraigns man over N9m dud cheque

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned one Daniel Edet alongside his company, Daneve Engineering Limited before an Abuja High Court on a two count charge bordering on fraud and issuance of dud cheque.

According to the charge sheet, count two of the charge reads: “That you Daniel Edet and Daneve Engineering Limited on or about June 4, 2010 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory with intent to defraud knowingly and fraudulently issued a Unity Bank Plc cheque no. 00000003 dated the 4th of June, 2010 for the sum of N9,505,072 payable to Global Royal Int’l Concepts Ltd of which the cheque on presentation was dishonored for insufficient funds in the account and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 1(1) of the Dishonored Cheques Act, Cap D11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004”.

Edet's arraignment followed a petition by Sunday Thomas, alleging that Edet issued him a local purchase order (LPO), to supply various office furniture and electronics to his company, Daneve Engineering Ltd which he did and was issued a dud Unity Bank Cheque for the sum of N9, 505, 000.00 .

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Defence counsel, C.A. Nwachukwu, made oral bail application which was opposed by the prosecution counsel, Cosmos O. Ugwu.

Ugwu urged the court to rather grant accelerated trial as stipulated in section 19 of the EFCC Establishment Act, 2004.

AGF inaugurates NHRC board

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

he Federal Government Monday inaugurated board members of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The inauguration came a year after the Senate confirmed the nomination of board members of the commission.

The inauguration was conducted by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke

(SAN) in Abuja.

The board is headed by Chidi Odinkalu, a renowned scholar and human rights activist.

It would be recalled that over 22,000 cases of human rights abuses and complaints have been stalled because of the inability of the board of the commission to function adequately.

Odinkalu, who had been worried with the non-inauguration of the board, said its members would not wait for the inauguration before commencing work.

N1.4bn subsidy scam: Suspects must face trial, says EFCC

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Monday told an Abuja High Court that it has enough evidence to prosecute Helyn Aninye, Chizobam Ben-Okafor and PonSpecialized Services Limited for alleged forgery and obtaining money under false pretence.

The trio would have been docked yesterday before an Abuja High Court sitting before Justice Olusumbo Goodluck on an 18-count

criminal charge, but their pleas could not be taken as their counsel, Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), opposed their arraignment on the grounds that the proof of evidence did not link them to the alleged offences.

“My lord, assuming there are offences to be disclosed, they have not in any way been linked to the applicants, and these links must have a prima facie elements to the applicants,” he said.

He further said that in a case of forgery, it is required to be proved in a particular way and that no

maker of the alleged forged document had been called or identified.

But counsel to EFCC, Steve Odiase, in his application for leave to prefer criminal charges against the accused persons under Section 185 (b) of the Criminal Procedure Code, noted that the proof of evidence speaks for itself.

He stated that the prosecution has formulated three issues for determination by the court in granting the application which include whether the proof of

evidence discloses an offence known to law and whether there is a link to the charges preferred against the applicants.

“My lord, the statement of one (name withheld) of Quality Marine Services limited is enough link to the accused persons. Besides, it has been established that in a case of forgery, the accused persons must not be the maker of the said document before being liable.”

Odiase said.

The judge who advised counsel not to jump the gun by addressing

issues in the substantive case, adjourned to February 21, 2013 for ruling on both applications.

The accused persons were said to have on or about March 3, 2011 at Abuja within the Jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with intent to defraud, conspired to obtain N1.413,507,951.50 under false pretence from the Federal Government of Nigeria as subsidy for the importation of Premium Motor Spirit under the Petroleum Support Fund”.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 11

Simplified way to start car wash business H

ow car wash is one business which can be easily set up if detailed feasibility study is carefully carried out. Such study does not require the service of an expert to be successful. It is a business that can be handled from one person depending on how big you plan to start.

The business is not limited to a particular class of the society. It can be started by the youths, graduates, unemployed, businessmen, women, investors etc. it is so viable that anybody that set it up would never dream of changing his line of business.

As easy as the business seems, there are some important tips that had to be strictly adhered to, to stay afloat and become successful, please stick to these steps; 1. Finance - the first thing that should be uppermost in the mind of anyone going into a car washing business is rising of capital. You need finance to get necessary tools to work with.

From rough estimation, it is a business you need nothing less than two hundred thousand naira only to commence operation.

2. View others - one area that pushes some people out of business is lack of needed expertise in such business before delving into it. To succeed in this business, please visit at least three to five other outfits (in same line of business) and see how it is set up generally.

Ask helpful questions, get facts and figures on how to bill and treat customers so they would always come back. Be confident and very observant you never leave anything out during your tour of

these places (if possible go with a writing pad and a pen).

3. Location - deciding on a particular spot to cite the business is another step that requires careful consideration. Don't locate the business out of sentiment as this might push you out of business. Get a place where there are lots of vehicular movements.

You won't last long in this business if you settle for a remote spot or an area out of town not known with lots of traffic.

4. Approval - after deciding on your location, the next step is to get needed approval from authorities where the business falls. Don't ever commence

business without getting this approval as there are necessary things that ought to be in place due to the nature of the business.

The authorities must confirm such area has good drainage and gutter so that dirty water won't flood the road.

5. Borehole/well - water is the livewire of any carwash business. Take every effort to sink a borehole (this is a small machine sunk to the ground with the ability to produce water where there is none).

Another alternative is by digging a well.

Make sure the well is treated on a regular basis to give clean water suitable for vehicles.

6. Overhead tanks - the tanks would be strategically placed to store water for any period when there is none available. A small thank will do in this instance to save cost. As time goes on, you can then go for the bigger ones.

7. Power - you can generate light by getting a small generator, which is about ten to fifteen thousand naira. You need it to power the borehole to produce water as at when due. You also need power to illuminate your surroundings when it is getting dark.

8 Detergents - go for detergents that are vehicle friendly (you must have learnt

this in course of viewing other car wash outlets). From experience, some detergents might be too harsh on paint of vehicle.

9. Buckets - towels, brushes: other materials needed include hand brushes (used in washing vehicles), towels to mop dry and buckets to mix detergents. All these are very easy to get in any neighborhood.

To cap it all, you need lots of humility and self restraint when dealing with customers. Some of your customers might have gone through some tortuous moment in traffic; they are ready to flare up at the slightest provocation. Treat your customers well and you will have constant supply of cash.

Wrist watch business: Another secret goldmine waiting to be tapped

W

rist watch business is a golden business. Anyone who goes into it and master the strategy can never be poor again. Out of every ten Nigerians you see on the street, eight is putting on wrist watch, while the remaining two may be considering buying one soon. But the question you have failed to ask yourself is: Where are most Nigerian getting those wrist watches that they wear? Who is supplying them, and how much are they getting it for? If you can get answers to these questions, then you will realise how lucrative the business of wrist watches is.

Categories of wrist watches There are about three to four categories of wrist watches, these categories look very much alike, and in most cases only an insider would spot the difference. We have: The Fake, The Fair, The Semi

Quote The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity. – Peter F. Drucker Source: Www.wealthresult.com

Originals, and The Originals. Can you spot the differences if you see them? I really don't think so, even me with my years of experience in wrist watches sometimes finds it very hard to differentiate the fake from the originals or semioriginals, except from their prices or the places they are.

The ordinary ones (fake) cost N200 for the leather type and N250 to N350 for the chain type at wholesale price. The fair one (semi original) cost between N450 to N1,100 for the leather type, and N1,200 to N3,000 for the chain

types at wholesale price (on average some are higher or lower than the mentioned prices) while The original wrist watches (the original brands) are very expensive, ranging from affordable to unaffordable.

What happens is that those wearing the fake or semi originals tends to have a kind of sense of belonging since it bears the same brand name like the originals, that is major reason why those guys who sells them make lots of sales since everyone want to belong and look nice.

It is on the semi original wrist watches that the sellers make plenty gain because, those ones look more closely like the originals and they last pretty longer than the fake, they last so long that the buyers tend to conclude that they actually bought the original wrist watch. Because of that, the wrist watches sellers can confidently give a guarantee on them and sell them for high price. i.e.: a semi original Raymond Well that cost N1,200 could be sold for N4,000 and Luis Armono of N1,100 can go for N5,000 (I'm not saying you should be exorbitant with your pricing, just giving idea of what is currently obtainable) now, you can see the profit potential.

Guidelines to wrist watch business 1. Look for a busy place - You can get a nice decent place in a market, at the shopping mall or buy the bus stops. Not a shop, just a clean open place where you can situate your show case (show glass as they use to call it) under an umbrella or anything like that.

You can negotiate with shop owners to allow you to stay in from of their shop while you pay them some monthly dues.

Make sure you negotiate a place where you will be keeping

your show case at the end of every business day to avoid it being destroyed before the next day.

2. Build a show case - This can be done by a carpenter if you want to use the wooden types decorated with white formica, that make it looks very attractive.

The Carpenter will charge between N10,000 to N15,000 depending on the size you want.

Get a nice one done for you, its part of your branding.

You can go for aluminum type which cost higher (if you can afford it) that one look very nice too and wrist watches use to look nice inside it. The aluminum type cost about twenty thousand and above.

3. Proceed to market to buy your watches - If you want to deal with the semi originals, you should budget nothing less than N100,000 to fill your show case to a reasonable extent. You can mix it with the ordinary ones for those who may not afford the semi originals. Buy some fanciful wrist watch cases for those who may want to present it as gifts to someone.

4. Shade your wrist watches - The next thing after buying your watches is to display them in your show case for people to see them and begin to patronise you.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 12

EDIT ORIAL EDITORIAL

Messy handling of Manitoba TCN contract P enultimate week, the Presidency once again provided proof why it is not always safe to do business with Nigeria, and in the process prepared the ground for a kind of feeding frenzy for the media.

As has been the wont of the Jonathan administration of late, Presidential aides would speak on an issue with all the authority of their office, only to be contradicted the next moment by the President himself. The denial of the First Lady's ill health by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, last month and the President's disclosure during his recent media chat illustrate this disharmony in the Presidency.

On November 14, a statement by Dr. Abati announced the cancellation of the $24 million (N3.79 billion) management contract awarded to Canadian firm, Manitoba Hydro, for the management of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, on the orders of the President.

According to the Presidential spokesman, the award of the contract did not follow due process, even though the admission came only three months after the signing of the agreement. The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), which in a memo to the President had alleged that the process was flawed, recommended the termination of the contract, which had taken five years to conclude.

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), which, to all intents and purposes, appears to be the target of this power play, took five years to conclude the TCN contract with Manitoba, a period spanning the administrations of former President

Olusegun Obasanjo, late President Umaru Musa Yar'adua and incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan. In the process, two other bidders, the Power Grid of India and Electricity Supply Board of Ireland lost out.

But before the ink on the story of the cancellation of the contract would dry on the reporters' note pads, the government did an inexplicable about turn by restoring the contract to the Canadian company, with the

“

This messy handling of the Manitoba TCN contract does not speak well of an administration keen on wooing foreign investors into the country. If anything, it is more like how not to encourage foreign investors on our shores President denying that it was ever revoked in the first place.

But it would seem that saner counsel and some behind the scene arm twisting were responsible for the government's volte face.

For one, the chairman of the Technical Committee on Privatisation and member of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), Mr. Atedo Peterside, is said to have made powerful input to the president against the decision, arguing that the cancellation of the

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

Manitoba contract would reverse some of the gains of privatization.

Also some of the preferred bidders for the generation companies (GENCOS) mounted pressure on the presidency in the same belief that revoking the contract would harm the privatization programme.

But more important, the Canadian government was said to have hinted that the company might be forced to seek legal redress if there was no change of heart from the Jonathan administration.

In all these, there is a distinctive foul smell. Indeed, it is suspected that if the Federal Government has had its way with the contract cancellation, it would have awarded it afresh to India's Power Grid Corporation, one of the two firms that lost out on the contract.

Some pertinent questions need to be answered by the government. Why did it take the government up to three months before realizing that due process was not followed in such all important business deal that took five years to arrange? Why was the Canadian firm not notified beforehand that the contract was going to be revoked? And where was the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), which has the Vice President as its head and, which, by the powers conferred on it by the Public Procurement Act of 2007, has the exclusive right to preside over the privatization and sale of public assets, when contract processes are undertaken?

Indeed, this messy handling of the Manitoba TCN contract does not speak well of an administration keen on wooing foreign investors into the country. If anything, it is more like how not to encourage foreign investors on our shores.

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 13

Awoniyi: The Sardauna Keremi exemplar (I) I

By Sufuyan Ojeifo

cherish my privileged relationship with the late Chief Sunday Bolorunduro Awoniyi, the Aro of Mopa and the Sardauna Keremi (little Sardauna), who died on November 28, 2007 in a London hospital from injuries he sustained in an auto crash on Abuja-Kaduna road. Our paths crossed in 1996 in the course of my journalism practice. I was the Vanguard’’s Deputy Bureau Chief; and, later Bureau Chief in Abuja when we met. He was a director in the newspaper company and I had to take copies of the newspaper to him every day.

I loved to do it because it afforded me the opportunity of daily engagements with him. He was profoundly intelligent. Like a father, he would tell me stories about one remarkable event or the other while he was in the public service, and I always drew huge lessons from such narratives.

He was devoutly God-fearing and man-caring. He was a man of integrity and stickler for proper conduct in and out of

By Paul Adepoju

A

part from the scorching sun that raised the ambient temperature within the typical rickety Ibadan commercial transport bus to about 45oC, it was a blissful sunny afternoon and a quiet ride with a serendipity that was only interrupted every time the driver dished out prayerful curses on any private car driver that attempted to overtake his roadunworthy thick smoke-oozing bus.

Things however got interesting when three youth – two young men and a lady - boarded the bus. From their impressive diction and literary proficiency, it wasn’t hard to infer that they are university graduates. And from the heavy Bagco super sacks that made their cubital veins more prominent, soothsayers aren’t needed to make them out as marketers.

Just like their contemporaries who know no one in government, or have parents or uncles with businesses, companies or empires they could inherit, the only guaranteed way that they can practice their profession is by marketing goods for indigenous corporate companies or foreign (usually Chinese) technology manufacturers.

Without even asking any question, the three youth said all that was needed to know about how they make ends meet. “I really tried today, I was able to drop four product samples at a shopping complex on Iwo road and another two at that new generation bank near the roundabout,” said the lady.

Before she could enjoy her “success”, one of the young men literally clipped her wings when he said he was able to sell more products although he was told to come the following week for the money.

They went back and forth arguing over whose method is better while the third (and eldest) sat motionless, quiet and

public office. He was a man of detail whose pen was incontinent. He was a careful writer, a prose stylist. Our relationship was more than the kind that is wont to exist between politicians and reporters.

By his own admission, he was not really a politician, but a public administrator sucked into politics. This, perhaps, explained why he was meticulous throughout his political engagements and later life assignment as Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the socio-cultural umbrella organization of the North.

We both did not abuse the privileges of our relationship.

Despite his prime position in Vanguard newspaper, he did not notoriously appropriate the platform to project or defend his positions.

He was always reluctant to grant interviews. I would occasionally pile pressure on him to offer perspectives on some national issues.

There were times when he would suggest to me that he would like to speak on some issues, which he would itemize; and, he would, in his quick witted

manner, ensure that his responses to questions and followups were tied up with the issues on his mind. He was fastidious when it had to do with publishing his interview and, therefore, he would always be pleased if you allowed him to go through the transcribed interview before going to press. He would cross the “ts”, dot the “is” and make lucid, all tedious sentences.

He was a simple man. He showed me fatherly affection. He was at home with my family. I remember when I travelled to Indonesia in 2000 to cover the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Conference, leaving my wife who was due to put to bed at home; he took it upon himself to visit her in the hospital while I was away.

He was giving me updates on mother and child.

I miss a terrific motivator, who was always on hand to provide some form of succour in times of distress.

His interventions were great. Above all, I cherished his respect, in spite of the wide age gap. He never talked down on me. He spoke with me and not to me. He was always ready to receive me into his home even at odd hours.

At some point, he would ask for my opinion before granting interviews to the press. There was no doubt that he was fond of me: he loved my writings and he would say so. I was always writing to celebrate him on his birthday. There was a time I did a tribute, as usual, on him. He had called to appreciate my effort. “Oj”, he said, as he was wont to address me, “you have done what Napoleon could not do; you have surpassed yourself.”

He was good at touching base with me. He would call to let me know that he was travelling and when he would return, just like he did on his ill-fated journey to Kaduna. On getting to his destination, he would call to let me know how he was doing; and, by the way, the last journey to Kaduna shattered all that ritual. One day, long before his demise, my phone rang and the old man spoke from the other end: “Omo okun; aku rigidi.” He was greeting me in Okun dialect. I thought he meant to call somebody else and I was trying to let him know that he was speaking to “Oj.” He said he knew and, instantly, I got the

Why go for BSc marketing? apparently sad.

In my mind, I wanted to ask what was wrong but I took a closer look at the fourth finger on his left hand.

“Oh! he’s married,” I said to myself.

There and then I understood his dilemma.

He has bigger responsibilities but with limited resources. At first, you’d want to criticize him for walking a lady down the aisle when he obviously couldn’t boast a reliable, stable and consistent source of income with which he could make ends meet.

You can even blame the parents of the bride for lowering the bride price (typical of Yorubas, you may say) or even vent your anger on the wife who was blinded by love, potentials of the man. But you cannot blame the young man whose white shirt had the collar region stained by sweat and wore a facial expression that depicted a man doing his best but with little or nothing to show.

The field of marketing, according to the course curriculum being used at Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago Iwoye (school where the three had their undergraduate training), is a highly promising field that has churned out successful individuals across the globe. The curriculum also recognised the highly competitive nature of the profession, especially the fact that unlike medicine, law and other professional courses that require special training, you don’t have to hold a degree in marketing before you can market a product. Mary Kay didn’t study marketing; neither did the able-bodied young men at Aba market.

However, a degree in marketing is expected to expose the student to the latest ideas and marketing innovations and solutions that would allow the student to stand out

in a field that is filled with unlettered people. But it is quite disheartening that none of the institutional faculties offering marketing as a course that were contacted expose students to Google Trader, GNBO’s cheap websites and other latest tools which could improve their packaging and connect them to the corporate world.

For instance, instead of dashing from one point to another like the illiterate septuagenarian selling Wonder Rat Killer at the market square, the three marketers could have obtained or compiled a list of potential customers who would be thoroughly studied and they would have prepared presentations that would peak the interest of their customers in the product they are trying to market.

Furthermore, they were three in number, and the lady hinted that her boyfriend is also a marketer. So, how come they couldn’t come together and go as a team, instead of the one-man-for-himself business model that I saw?

The answer is simple; they acted like typical Nigerians who believe in popular on-your-own slogan. And it isn’t restricted to marketing. No. As a matter of fact, the situation is the same across every demography, age group, social class and religious delineations. One would have expected the educational institutions to properly tackle this aberrant misdemeanour. But it is also groaning under the impacts of a myriad of problems that had

characterised this nation.

The dwindling standard of the education system here in Nigeria is obviously an issue of utmost concern (forget online JAMB examinations, all na wash) but it’s not as strong as the pusillanimous attitudes of the graduates.

While there is the need for the course curricula of Nigerian institutions to be revised to equip students with knowledge required to combat contemporary challenges, sticking to false stereotypes, running away from risks, jumping into hasty conclusions, taking illogical actions, serial wrong steps, and the sheer desperation to start fending for themselves are issues that are squarely on the shoulders of the students themselves vis-à-vis the society in general.

The current state of the economy and the non-availability of well paying jobs make every graduate – over baked or half baked – to grab whatever offer comes their way. But it’s expected that in the middle of the crisis, education ought to empower the educated with the necessary information to hijack the situation, ideate solutions and become successful through their innovations, even in the midst of the innuendos that abound.

While this is not an attempt to belittle marketing, or any course for that matter, it has become expedient to re-echo the general rule that career counsellors do give students who are undecided about

“

While this is not an attempt to belittle marketing, or any course for that matter, it has become expedient to re-echo the general rule that career counsellors do give students who are undecided about career path – do what you love!

essence of his resort to Okun dialect: he was simply saying he had adopted me as a son and I should therefore be sucked into Okun etymology.

This, perhaps, explained his pain when I was asked by the management of Vanguard newspapers to resign as Abuja Bureau Chief, certainly not for editorial incompetence or fraud but for some other reason(s) that bordered on office politics. He was on a holiday in London. I called him on August 12, 2005 to inform him of the management’s decision. I could hear him shouting “no way” at the other end. “I would call (Uncle) Sam. You are going nowhere.” I allowed him to finish and I told him quietly: “Sir, do not bother to call anybody. Let me go and take care of myself. It is not the end of life but the beginning of a better life.” Although, he was due to return to Nigeria three days from the day I spoke with him, he called me twenty one times to ask after my wellbeing and to reassure me of his support.

As he was calling me, he was calling my wife.

Sufuyan Ojeifo is a journalist based in Abuja.

career path – do what you love!

But how many students of marketing are studying the course just because they love it? Few I must say.

A larger proportion belongs to the demography whose destiny is extensively altered, battered and reshaped by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) through its UTME examination.

These students are the ones that will fill Medicine and Surgery (University of Ibadan) as first choice and Dentistry (Obafemi Awolowo University) as second choice during their first UME attempt.

After getting ‘JAMBed’, they often change their first choice to physiology (University of Lagos) and anatomy (Ladoke Akintola University Ogbomosho). If they still fail at the second attempt, they often go drastic with their choices because desperation would have set in. Hence it is not unusual to see choices such as Yoruba education (JABU) and sign language (TASUED).

Through the stressful labyrinthine process of getting admission into universities, very few Nigerian youths often get what they desired in the first place. The rest are often compensated with something entirely different. But as typical Nigerians that they are, they are often optimistic and take solace in the popular notion that “degree is degree, success is what is different.”

They start such programmes and endure longer-than-usual educational sessions where they are further oppressed, suppressed, embittered and frustrated. It is therefore not unexpected to note that when such students graduate from their respective Ivory Towers, there might not be much difference between them and those that didn’t get in in the first place because they are the ones that studied marketing, but know nothing about what marketing actually entails.

Paul Adepoju can be reached on Twitter.

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

Democtionary: Defining our democratic lexicon

By A.S.M Jimoh

S

ince the return to civilian rule in 1999, Nigerians have been bombarded with several words, phrases and sentences by all organs of our government. A humorous, but realistic definition of the common terms in our everyday polity is presented here to keep soul and body together in a society where our politicians have totally kept the body and soul disintegrated.

Budget: Money already spent by the government.

Cabal: The untouchable men and women around the president. Committee/Panel: A body constituted by government to produce paper for its archives.

Consensus candidate: Somebody impose on a party as a candidate.

Constituency allowance: Money paid to legislators for doing nothing. Contractor: A front used by government to loot state treasury. Corruption: The primary and most important function of those who govern us.

Democracy dividends: A self-praise word used by Nigerian politicians to euphemistically insult the masses.

Democratic experiment: Used by Nigerian politicians to cover up their incompetence and

corruption. Deputy governor/ Judiciary: The arm of the vital section of the society-the Vice president: A person government which the other youth. National cake: The appointed to take orders from a arms rely on to empty our commonwealth of the people first lady.

Election: A treasury, because its members get controlled by a few charlatans.

Nascent democracy: A ceremonious exercise to confirm their shares too. It is better known an already selected candidate. as Judi-sharing. Legislators: A term used by our politicians to Election tribunals: A group of people who back the mean: “ leave us alone to our looting.” means by judges and lawyers to looting of the nation by law in the continue have their own constituency name of democracy. They are O f f s h o r e - o n s h o r e dichotomy: A phrase many allowance. Electoral promises: better known as legislooters.

Nigerians do A list of things a not know the politician will meaning, just never do. Ex-: A as the 36 prefix which governors who shows that Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text used it to fight someone once messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written over resource looted the contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 allocation. treasury. Excess words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and On top of Crude Account: a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed t h e Oil money being to: situation: saved for the When this president, the 36 phrase is used state governors The Editor, by the Nigeria and the 774 Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, security outfit l o c a l 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. or government government Email: let ters@peoplesdaily-online.com official, it chairmen.

SMS: 07037756364 a c t u a l l y Executives: means the Those thieves who are supposed to be executed Look into: When maximum damage has been but are managing our affairs. government uses this phrasal done. Opposition party: A They are better known as verb, it is actually saying it is party which aids the ruling PDP “Executhieves.” First Lady: The doing nothing about the situation. for election victory.

Party executives: Errand actual deputy to a president or a Marginalization: A word used governor. Governors’ forum: A by an individual or group to boys of the president or state powerful cult of 36 state indicate that they have not had a governors. PDP: Corruption in oppressors where self-interest is share of the national cake. all forms. It is the biggest factory Militants: A criminal of the industry known as politics. discussed more than governance.

Governor: The chief oppressor of organization resulting from long Politician: A person you should years of government neglect of a never trust. Not everyone who a state.

WRITE TO US

stands in elections is a politician by the way. Politics: The only paying industry in Nigeria.

Poverty alleviation programme: A scheme to generate funds for government thugs.

Powerful female minister/commissioner: This term suggests another relationship between the female minister/commissioner and the president/governor or the person who recommends her for appointment.

Power generation project: A scheme used by the government to produce more darkness.

Presidential spokesman: An ex-critic, usually a journalist, appointed by government to misinform the public.

Rigging: A word that describes Nigeria’s perfect election. Senators: A group of comedian and notorious old men.

Special advisers or assistant: A reward for a stupid and sycophantic loyalist to a governor or president. State house of assemblies: A group of dunce who think they are appointee of a state governor.

Traditional ruler: Someone who spends more time in government house than in the palace. Youth empowerment programme: A scheme use by government to recruit thugs.

A.S.M Jimoh is on twitter@anehi2008

Essence of Oni’s Supreme Court appeal

By Kayode Ojo

T

wo self-motivated schools of thought have argued for and against the decision by former Governor of Ekiti State, Engineer Segun Oni, to head to the Supreme Court to challenge the verdict of the Court of Appeal in Ado Ekiti, which dismissed his petition against the October 15, 2010 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Ilorin, which sacked him from office.

A school of thought, to which the greatest beneficiary of the appellate court decision, incumbent Governor Kayode Fayemi belongs, together with his supporters, does not fancy the idea of Oni pushing for a review of the verdict. On the other hand, another school of thought led by Oni believes there are good reasons to subject the verdict to judicial review.

Oni had first gone to the Court of Appeal, Ado-Ekiti, a court of coordinate jurisdiction, with an application seeking a review of the verdict of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin. The fivemember panel of judges, which sat in Ado-Ekiti and presided over by Justice Tijani Abdullahi, on February 27, 2012, dismissed Oni’s application.

The crux of Oni’s application is the allegation of bias in the matter against the Chairman of the Court of Appeal panel and suspended President of the Court, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, which sat in Ilorin. Oni’s position is that with the established strong relationship that existed

between the leadership of the Action Congress of Nigeria, especially Bola Tinubu, and particularly as typified by the telephone conversations between them when the case was on, it was indubitable that Salami compromised the course of justice in favour of his associates in the ACN. But the Appeal Court would seem to appear clear in couching its judgement: “It follows therefore that where there is an allegation of bias in a matter that has been determined to finality, this court cannot exercise its jurisdiction in favour of the applicant. This case of likelihood of bias would have been relevant if it had been raised at the hearing of the appeal before judgment was delivered.

Having not been raised at the appropriate stage, this application lacks merit and is hereby dismissed.”

The clearness or otherwise of this judgment is what Oni wants the Supreme Court to look into with a view to determining whether the court below was correct in dismissing the application on the grounds that it was not raised at the appropriate stage. As a layman, I ask: what is wrong in raising allegation of bias if it can be proved after judgment had been given. What is the essence of justice if it is not seen to be done, no matter the stage(s) of a case and especially where there is a higher court to ventilate dissatisfaction? Is it not possible that there are cases of bias

outside Nigeria that had been decided in higher courts after judgment had been given in the courts below?

I expect the legal team of Oni led by Professor Ben Nwabueze (SAN) to find out if there are such foreign precedents and seek to relate them with this instant case before the Supreme Court.

It is just possible that the exercise may end up enriching our jurisprudence in Nigeria. It may just be the locus classicus in cases of bias discovered after judgments have been delivered.

I believe it will, in the long run, impose a heavy duty on judges to be careful and raise armour against likelihood of bias, knowing full well that the cry and search for justice can continue even after judgments.

Ekiti case has become a thorn in the flesh of the nation’s judiciary, especially given the mess, involving high-level judicial officiers, that it has exposed. Oni has been tenacious in his fight for propriety and justice. The matter would not just fizzle out. Governor Fayemi and his ACN sponsors have been

unable to wish it away. It is clear that the matter has not conclusively qualified as stare decisis non quieta movere (a matter that has been settled should not be disturbed); and knowing that the law is an ass, they do not have any solid constitutional guarantee that they are in a comfortable and safe position.

The Supreme Court in recent times has been churning out radical judgements and I believe this case has all it takes to throw up surprises. The ball is in the courts of the appellant, respondent and the honourable justices of the apex court. But as the nation awaits the judgment that is scheduled for November 29, this year, I feel compelled to take a second look at some grounds on which the Court of Appeal had on two occasions nullified Oni’s governorship election victories.

For instance, the Court of Appeal panel had curiously cancelled the governorship election result in the whole of Ido-Osi Local Government Area which is Oni’s home local

“

What mattered to the court was that enough evidence had been put forward to justify the claim by the ACN that there was violence in Oni’s area to justify a possible preconceived plot to cancel results from the area

government on the grounds of arson and violence, thus denying him of the massive votes that had decided the election in his favour. Was there fairness in the panel reaching that decision?

The report was that the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at Ido-Osi, was burnt.

The identity of the perpetrator of the arson and violence did not matter to the panel because if it did, the man who confessed to having committed the arson should have been charged to court so that appropriate sanction could be meted out to him. But was he charged to court at all? I do not think so. What mattered to the court was that enough evidence had been put forward to justify the claim by the ACN that there was violence in Oni’s area to justify a possible preconceived plot to cancel results from the area.

And I ask: why would Oni, who was then a sitting governor, encourage violence in Ido-Osi, knowing that it was his stronghold and that violence would lead to a cancellation either by the electoral body or the court? Would he have been careless to expose his victory to potential collateral damage from the opponents? Was it not possible that a fifth columnist, in the opponent’s camp, could have masterminded the violence and arson?

Ojo, a public affairs analyst, contributed this piece from Ketu, Alapere, Lagos.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 15

What’s for Nigeria, Africa in Obama’s re-election?

By Chukwudi Nwokoye

T

he election of Barack Obama as the first black president of the United States of America remains huge achievement to African Americans and to a large extent Africans in America. His recent re-election speaks volume to the fact that majority of Americans consider his performance in his first term more than enough to reward him with another term.

However, some of our African brothers cooled their support for Obama in the build up to his during his re-election principally because of Obama’s high profile support for gay marriage. Some also argued that he used the imperialist America’s power to kill his own “African brothers”.

They cite Muamar Gaddafi’s assassination to buttress the fact that Obama is an African only in a name. Some equally argued that Africa has never benefitted funder him as the leader of the free world.

As a political matter, President Obama had nothing to lose supporting gays and would likely have lost that voting bloc if he didn’t back his private rhetoric with public pronouncement of support. Also, he needed support from any coalition in a close election like this one. Governor Mitt Romney, Obama’s opponent, cannot make gay issue a political issue since he himself supported gay marriage as a governor of Massachusetts. The only thing Obama loses is the

By SOC Okenwa

I

n Manila Philippines former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the US-educated Thatcher-like woman who succeeded the corrupt disgraced former film actor turned president Joseph Estrada in the year 2001 is still standing trial for graft. Philippines as a country has an interesting peoplerevolution history especially the celebrated one that toppled the dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his shoe-mad wife, Imelda. The current President Benigno Aquino has been accused wrongly or rightly of victimising Gloria in a campaign of vendetta and witch-hunting. He remains till this day her chief political opponent.

Whilst still in a military hospital receiving treating for an ailment (“rare spinal disease”) she was brought to the court in a wheelchair to answer to charges of corruption! It was reminiscent of the image of the Egyptian ex-President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo — brought inside the military tribunal almost in chains and bedridden! Power and its highprofile victims isn’t it?! Mrs Arroyo was principally accused of diverting $8.8m during her presidency! (Peanut, you might say compared to what the late Gen. Abacha or even Gen. Ibrahim Babangida each stole out of Aso Rock!)

goodwill of most African Americans who are mostly conservative on social issues, but would still vote for him since they stand to gain on the long run if he succeeds not, but Africans not supporting him are not eligible to vote since they are not residing in the United States.

Coming to the issue of helping Africans, unless our people believe that sending aids to Nigeria and other African countries, only for such aids and grants to be embezzled by corrupt and inept African leaders; I don’t know why we still attach ourselves to the apron-strings of developed worlds instead of looking inwards and holding our corrupt leaders accountable for mismanaging and embezzling our commonwealth. Now we see state governors in our country buying houses abroad, fleet of cars and jets. Most of them have retinue of hanger-on and mistresses that they use to launder their state money abroad in Swiss banks.

Obama’s immense success despite all impediments should be a thing of joy, if only because he is one of our own. There are intangibles and tangibles of Obama’s presidency in reference to Africa. Apart from the psychological effect on our people, President Obama’s many successes would benefit lots of Africans especially those living in the United States. Many our people living in America have kids that go to school in America.

It is hard work raising kids in America and keeping them motivated to be the best they can

be. It is difficult to drive it home to them how hard work begets success. But since Obama’s rise to prominence, it is now easier for parents to motivate their kids citing Obama’s example.

Being the son of an immigrant from Kenya whose father, Barack Hussein Obama Sr., virtually ‘abandoned’ with his mom.

Barack Jr. being raised by a single mother and having worked hard, did his homework, kept his head up and became lawyer who graduated from the prestigious Harvard Law School, is enough inspiration for our kids who are struggling in school. The mantra now is the United States is: “if Barack Obama could do it, I can do it”. There is no other sales pitch better than: “Obama says that school is cool”, Obama says that “it’s cool to be smart”. Parents of minority kids including children of immigrants can now see a future president of America or even president of Nigeria in their kids. That real or imaginary glass ceiling has been shattered by Obama’s success.

Now to the tangibles. In education, due to Obama’s reforms, Pell Grants (a scholarship program for indigent students) has been extended to reach many students (including our immigrants like Nigerians and their university-age children) to further their dreams of getting a university education to compete in the 21st Century with other kids. In the 2008-09 Academic Year; Pell Grant expenditures were about $18 billion. In 2011-12, expenditures are $36 billion. While funding

has doubled, the number of students who receive Pell Grants has increased. In 2008, before he took office, the grants assisted 6.1 million students; while in 2012, 9.7 million students received aid, an increase of 59 percent.

Some recipients are receiving larger awards. According to the United States Department of Education, four years ago, the maximum Pell Grant award was $4,731; the maximum has been $5,550 since 2010. It’s expected to increase to $5,635 in the 201314 Academic Year and will rise in line with inflation through 2017. Many of Nigerians in America take advantage of this to further their education.

Again President Obama enacted the Affordable Care Act 2009, otherwise known as OBAMACARE. Under this health care law, it would be illegal for health insurance companies to deny people health care due to their pre-existing condition.

Children are carried in their parents insurance coverage until they are 26 years old; it makes provision for cancer screening and contraceptive coverage for women, wellness program for all where insurance companies reward insured that take initiatives to take care of themselves in form of exercise program, healthy diets and tobacco usages. Many of Nigerians are beneficiaries of the health care law. Health is wealth as the saying goes.

Also a good number of our young men and women joined the United States military for its various benefits including the

tuition assistance programs, Foreign Language Proficiency allowances, health care, dental insurance, life insurance, housing benefits including Veteran Administration Loans etc. President Obama signed into law the Post-911 Montgomery GI Bill into law. The law made it easy for veterans to go to school. This covers both the tuition and the books 100%! Many of our people benefit immensely from this programme and further their education to any level they could. This benefits our country, Nigeria, on the long run because when these people succeed, they come back to contribute to the development of our country.

In his second term, we expect that Obama’s administration would not just send money in aid to dubious African leaders to feather their own nests. Africa does not need handouts from developed countries including the United States. What our people need is empowerment. I sincerely hope that the U.S. does this by helping to fund countless effective educational projects that suffer from lack of funding.

Education is the key to stopping the vicious cycle of poverty.

While the U.S. often funds larger government programmes which are at the risk of being embezzled, it is the small projects, which deal directly with communities, which need support. By reprioritizing and focusing development efforts, U.S. can encourage and help these “selfhelp” programmes in Africa.

Chukwudi Nwokoye wrote from Maryland, USA.

Corruption: Between Yulia and Gloria (II) Mrs Arroyo was first arrested late last year on charges of allegedly rigging the 2007 senatorial elections as she tried to leave her country for medical trip to the States. (Reminds you of Nigeria, doesn’t it?) And the charges against her have since multiplied: plundering of state resources in millions of US dollars of state lottery funds from 2008 to 2010 and approval of an allegedly anomalous contract to set up a national government broadband system. President Aquino has long accused Mrs Arroyo of massive corruption and other abuses of power and had declared his intention of seeing her jailed!

In Kiev Ukraine, there is one firebrand of a deposed imprisoned Prime Minister in the person of Yulia Tymoshenko. She it was a heroine of the Orange Revolution, who did political battles with the ex-President Leonid Kuchma and the oligarchs who were holding sway. The glamorous, fiery orator who was one of the prominent leaders of the Ukrainian revolt against a corrupt election in 2004 was convicted of criminally exceeding her powers when she agreed a gas deal with Russia, seen to have disadvantaged Ukraine.

But Mrs Tymoshenko is fighting back declaring that the

charges of abuse of power against her were tissues of lies inspired by the man she helped oust in 2004 Viktor Yanukovych — who however returned to defeat her in the 2010 presidential election.

Her efforts to remain Prime Minister were frustrated, and she was consequently forced to leak her political wounds. She remains defiant even in ‘detention’ and her supporters are making themselves heard loud and clear on the streets.

Madam Tymoshenko also faces tax evasion charges dating back to her time as head of a private energy company in the 1990s. Her lawyers had argued that her opponents in power wanted her to remain in jail for the rest of her life! Her daughter Eugenia is doing everything possible to help her mother regain

her freedom and dignity!

Though she is currently indisposed, held in her hospital bed by the authorities, she had recently undertaken a hunger strike in protest of her ordeal.

Beaten by her bitter rival Yanukovych in the second round of the 2010 presidential poll and therefore forced to go into opposition she had radically promised to make political life for the President as difficult as possible declaring thus: “We will protect Ukraine from this new calamity that has befallen her”.

Yulia, even in solitary confinement, still commands certain popularity among Ukrainians frustrated by years of economic stagnation and corruption.

Trained as an engineer and economist Tymoshenko is also a

“

Between Gloria and Yulia corruption seems to have broken the gender barrier. In Nigeria corruption knows no gender difference as women are also involved in the fleecing of the common-wealth. The powerful Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke and the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms Arunma Oteh are common examples of women who love money and can do anything, including involvement in unholy liaison with Mr President, to satisfy their cupid egos

business tycoon reputed to be one of the richest people in Ukraine.

She specialised in the energy and gas sector. And when she served in Yushchenko’s government of 1999-2001 she oversaw some energy reforms that bore fruits.

Held in prison for a month on corruption charges, she had vowed to unseat the then President launching a campaign that reached its climax in the Orange Revolution.

Between Gloria and Yulia corruption seems to have broken the gender barrier. In Nigeria corruption knows no gender difference as women are also involved in the fleecing of the common-wealth. The powerful Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke and the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms Arunma Oteh are common examples of women who love money and can do anything, including involvement in unholy liaison with Mr President, to satisfy their cupid egos. When it comes to money matters then some women in Nigeria become ‘men’ — desperate to acquire more and ready to flaunt their ‘special’ biological orifice, in order to ‘belong’.

Concluded SOC Okenwa is reachable on soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28 2012

Man jailed 6 months for stealing flowers

A

A man eking a living with his wheel barrow, yesterday in Garki market, Abuja.

Photo: Justin imo-owo

Bricklayer allegedly attempts to rape married woman

By Josephine Ella Ejeh with agency report

F

or allegedly attempting to entice a married woman to have sexual intercourse with him, a 25year-old bricklayer, Tarvar Toryila, of Karu village, Abuja has been arraigned.

Facing charges for the crime which the police said contravenes Section 389 of the Penal Code, the accused appeared Monday, before a

Karu Senior Magistrates Court.

One Precious Emmanuel was said to have reported the case to the Karu Police Station on November 20, 2012.

The prosecutor, Mr Mohammed Umar, told the court that the accused allegedly entered the complainant’s room at the same address and attempted to have sexual intercourse with her, knowing well that she was a married woman.

“The accused asked her to

become his sugar mummy that he will be having an illicit intercourse with her without her husband knowing about their affair.

“The accused had to struggle with her and she shouted for help from their neighbour but the accused jumped over the fence for safety,’’ he told the court.

Meanwhile, the accused and his friend, according to Umar, allegedly beat up the complainant’s husband when he

confronted him over the sexual harassment he meted on his wife.

The woman in question was said to call the police to come to the rescue of her husband.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty.

Senior Magistrate Chinyere Nwacheonwu granted him bail in the sum of N50,000 and a reliable surety who resides within the jurisdiction of the court.

The case was adjourned to December 12, 2012 for hearing.

Ex- Senator condemns demolition of Lugbe estate

By Josephine Ella Ejeh

M

ore criticism have continued to trail the recent demolition of the Minanuel Estate in Lugbe Extension and other estates within Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as an erstwhile Senator, Chief Osita Izunaso, has described the exercises as inhuman demolition.

The lawmaker, who represented Imo West (Orlu) Constituency of Imo State in the 6th National Assembly said the wanton demolitions do not reflect the status of a country that is having 17Million Housing deficit as recently announced in a Presidential Retreat on Housing.

In a statement yesterday in Abuja, Iunaso, who is also former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Housing and Urban Development, said: “I have viewed developments in the FCT whereby 500 Housing Units belonging to Minanuel Estate in Lugbe Extension, Abuja were demolished in a swoop as condemnable”.

Continuing, he added: “During my tenure as the Chairman, House committee on Housing and Urban Development (2003-2007), our committee deployed all legitimate means of promoting the development of private sector participation in Housing Development and this led to the formation of Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria

(REDAN) under the leadership of the former Executive Governor of Lagos state, Alhaji Lateef Jakande”.

This was as he further expressed sadness over the inaction of the Real Estate Developer Association of Nigeria(REDAN) council on the issue of demolition. ”The sad development in which investment of property developers are swept away by a single unguided action of the executive raises many questions than answers. I expected REDAN to vehemently oppose the idea of demolishing completed housing estate in a country that is having a housing deficit of 17millions.

REDAN is expected to champion a course of due process and rule of law

on the part of government agencies,” he said.

Hence, he advocated for a synergy between the developers (REDAN) and government (as land owner) in ensuring proper housing delivery and added that whoever defaults should be dealt with in accordance to the rule of law.

The lawmaker, challenged REDAN to take responsibility for the recent demolition in FCT. According to him, “Destroying 500 housing units is like destroying a community. I hereby call on the executive of REDAN to rise up and protect the interest of members and sustain the purpose of why they were created by protecting and promoting public investment on home ownership for Nigerians”.

n Abuja Senior Magistrates Court on Monday sentenced one Kefas Simon of Angwa Cement village in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), to six months imprisonment for stealing 34 pieces of flowers.

The Prosecutor, Simon Emman, told the court that, on November, 20, 2012, one Eze Asomonye, of Pyankaro Airport Road, Abuja, reported the case to the Life Camp Police Station.

Emman said that on November 17, the convict went into the complainant’s garden and stole 34 pieces of flowers, valued at N340,000.

The prosecutor said that during police investigation, it was discovered that the convict stole the flowers, which contradicted the provisions of Sections 287 of the Penal Code.

The convict pleaded guilty to the offence.

Senior Magistrate Idayat Akanni sentenced the convict to six months imprisonment without an option of fine.

Akanni also ordered the convict to return the flowers to the complainant. (NAN)

Abuja carnival: Children call for peace and harmony

C

hildren in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) have called for peace and unity across the country.

They made the call at the Millennium Park in the FCT as they gathered to celebrate the 2012 Abuja Carnival.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), who covered the event, reports that it was an atmosphere of fun and celebration for the children.

The celebration included dance, music, drama and fashion parade.

Parents and youths were not left out as they trooped out in their numbers to partake in the celebration.

As a way of promoting peace and harmony the children through their drama presentation called on all Nigerians to be ambassadors of peace.

They re-stated the fact that a few persons have let themselves be agents of disunity causing harm to innocent lives.

They emphasised the need for all tribes to act as one to foster development.

The children, therefore, called on everyone from the East, West, North and South to unite for peace to reign.

NAN reports that as part of programme marking the carnival children within the ages of 5-12 participated.

They came from Akwa Ibom, Kogi, Kwara, Bayelsa, Niger, Ekiti, Benue and the FCT. The carnival tagged ‘carnival of peace and harmony’ ended yesterday, November 27, 2012. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28 2012

PAGE 17

Abuja carnival: Hawkers, food vendors make good sales

H

awkers and food vendors have been making brisk businesses at the Abuja Carnival, which started last Friday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Some of the traders told NAN yesterday that they were using the opportunity of the festival to sell their wares and make money to feed their families.

NAN reports that items being hawked included, sachet and bottled water, soft drinks, assorted food, pastries, confectionery, fried fish and meat.

Mrs Iyabo Dele, a food

vendor, said she was at the Eagle Square because of the carnival, adding that from her past experience, the carnival was exceptionally good as she made huge sales during the event.

"I had made huge sales during the previous carnivals that is why I am always ready for the celebration whenever the time approaches. I cooked almost half

a bag of rice, some beans, plantains and meat. I am happy that sales have been good. I have made close to N20,000 today," she said.

Ten-year-old, Master Muhammed Ali, who sells sachet water, said he had already sold six bags at N10 per sachet.

"I am going to carry another

bag of sachet water," he said Mr Maxwell Uche, who hawks pastries told NAN that he had been making good sales since the carnival kicked off on Friday, adding that he made N10,000 on Monday.

"I thank God, it has been a very good opportunity for me and I have made sales more than I used to in my shop. I have had

good patronage from the participants," he said.

Miss Funke Sunday, who hawks water and soft drinks, expressed happiness at the volume of sales.

"The prices are still the same, bottled water sells for between N50 and N100, while soft drinks sell for N100 per bottle," she said.

(NAN)

Police arraign seven men over alleged joint act, assault

T

he Police yesterday arraigned seven men before an Abuja Senior Magistrates Court over alleged joint act, criminal force and assault, mischief and theft.

The men are Nasiru Haruna, Naziru Haruna, Hamza Abdullahi, Abdulfatiau Ibrahim, Yahuza Amodu, Buhari Ibrahim and Mohammed Nurah, all of Wuse Market, Abuja.

They are standing trial on a four count charge of joint act, criminal force, assault, mischief and theft contrary to Section 79, 265, 327 and 287 of the Penal Code.

After the charges were read to each of them, they pleaded not guilty.

The Prosecutor, Abdullahi Adamu, told the court that Larry Osita of No 25, Ganji Street, Maitama, Abuja reported the case at the Wuse Police Station on November 21, 2012.

Adamu said that on November 20, the accused persons accosted Osita, held him down and jointly beat him up at the Wuse Market.

"Osita's Blackberry bold phone and one other phone, valued at 3,500 U.S. dollars were dishonestly stolen in the process,'' Adamu said.

The Prosecutor said that Larry's wristwatch valued at 30,000 U.S. dollars was also damaged by the accused persons.

Senior Magistrate Bashir Alkali granted bail to each of the accused persons in the sum of N50,000 with a surety each in like sum who must be resident in Abuja.

Alkali said that the sureties must have a definite address, which must be verified by the prosecutor and officials of the court.

He adjourned the case to January 28, 2013 for further hearing. (NAN)

Policemen ordered photo journalists to perch on the bare floor at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Abuja Carnival. Photo: Miriam Humbe

Chairmanship aspirant pledges to refurbish Gwagawlada roads

By Usman Shuaibu

A

chairmanship aspirant for the forth coming Area Council's Chairmanship Election in 2013 in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on the platform of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Hon. Jibril Abubakar Giri, has declared his intention to contest

for the chairmanship of the area council.

He therefore, called on the people of Gwagwalada, to support him to enable him render selfless service to the people if given the mandate.

Abubaker Giri, who made the pledge in an interview with Peoples Daily, said that if given the mandate, his top priority would be the rehabilitation of feeder roads in

all nooks and crannies of the area.

He noted that what the entire people of the area council needed most for now was good roads network to enable farmers from the rural areas to transport their farm produce to markets.

He also said the education of the youths would not be compromised by his administration, pledging to provide instructional materials

for all the primary schools in Gwagwalada.

On revenue generation, the aspirant said that if elected he would inaugurate a committee to generate revenue for the economic growth of the area council, Giri, however, appealed to the political opponents to shun any act capable of causing political crisis in 2013 area councils chairmanship election,

Insecurity: AMAC inaugurates strategic committee on Security

By Adeola Tukuru

I

n the aim to avert insecurity challenges facing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the administration of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) yesterday inaugurated a Strategic Committee on Internal security.

The Chairman , Hon Micah Y. Jiba said that the essence of the strategic committee is to play a key role in ensuring that Abuja Municipal Area Council continues to be the safest home for all residents .

He explained that the committee

will operate like a task force who will internalize the virtues of security consciousness through periodic sensitization of residents and also evaluate monthly security situation in AMAC and appropriately report same.

In his words: "They will evolve strategic solutions to crimes, identify and advise against potential black spot that could breach law and order" "They will liaise with relevant bodies to comb uncompleted buildings, fly-over's, stationary and scrap vehicles as well as raiding illegal bus stops within the metropolis", he said.

According to him, the constitution of this committee is prompted by reports and petitions on the unacceptable gradual emergence of black spot which threaten the peace and security of residents.

Jiba further noted that to stem the tide of this ugly development, they have decided to enlist the support of well meaning Nigerians drawn from different walks of life to assist them in tackling such challenges.

Also the Chairman of the committee and also the Supervisory councilor of Health,

Hon Josephine Nnodim lauded that Chairman of AMAC for the confidence he placed on them by selecting them as part of the committee member so that they can stand in the gap for him to carry out the task.

She assured that council that they will do their best and ensure that they carry out the task given to them and also called for the maximum cooperation of the council and the residents of AMAC in general.

Josephine assured that they will report back any activities to the Chairman.

BUSINESS

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

Email: aminuimam@yahoo.co.uk

PAGE 19

INSIDE

- Pg 22

FG, Lufthansa faceoff

Mob: 08033644990

Trade between Nigeria, Turkey hits N160bn – NEXIM boss

By Abdulwahab Isa

T

he bilateral trade volume between Nigeria and Turkey has attained $1billion (N160 bn) as of June 2012, the Managing Director/ CEO Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) Roberts U. Orya said.

Orya gave the figure Monday when he led the Nigerian delegation on one day visit to Turkish Export-Import bank, (TurkEximbank) in Ankara.

The visit was borne out of the zeal by NEXIM to explore opportunities and deepen both financial and technical bilateral cooperation between the two EXIM banks that perform similar roles in their countries.

A statement issued by NEXIM’s Head, Corporate Communications Mr. Chinedu Moghalu said the business visit to Turkey was borne out of the need to explore additional offshore sources of financing to cater to the Bank’s rising profile of investors in the small and medium sectors of Nigerian economy.

Speaking during the visit, Orya reminded TürkEximbank officials of great economic

potential between Turkey and Nigeria and that bilateral trade has reached more than a billion dollars as of June 2012.

He said Nigeria offers greater opportunities to Turkish business in the area of investments in the non-oil sectors such as service sector, tourism promotion, establishment of branded hotels with high potentials for job creation and foreign exchange earnings.

Responding, Mr. Metin AlaadinMetin, Deputy General Manager of TürkEximbank expressed satisfaction that the NEXIM MD has shown good vision by rekindling the existing relationship between the two Exim Banks which commenced since 2010 but was given a renewed impetus by Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan which took the initiative to encourage a more mutually beneficial commercial exchanges between Nigeria and Turkey during his official visit to Ankara, Turkey in February 2011.

He said TürkEximbank, with a fully paid-up capital of 2billion Turkish lira or about $1.4b as at end of 2009 is a fully state-owned bank acting as the Turkish government’s major

L-R, Chief (Dr.) Sunny Odogwu, (Odogwu Group of Companies), Mr. Roberts Orya (NEXIM Bank), Mr. AlaadidinMetin (Turk Eximbank), and Mr. Denys Denya (AFREXIM Bank) during their visit to Turkey recently. export incentive instrument in Turkey’s sustainable export strategy with the mandate to support foreign trade and Turkish contractors/investors operating overseas.

Members of the NEXIM’s delegation high level officials of the African Export Import Bank – AFREXIM Bank from Cairo, Egyp led by the Executive Vice President Finance,

Administration and Banking Services, Mr. Denys Denya, Nigeeria’s business mogule Chief Sunny Odogwu, the Ide of Ahaba of the Odogwu Group of Companies.

Ogun State, at the weekend, said the interest of several investors, particularly foreign-based, to set up banks in the country was an indication of renewed confidence in the Nigerian economy.

He said the apex bank was currently encouraging investors to set up regional banks, stressing that the various interventions in the mortgage, discount houses, finance houses, microfinance and others were part of the financial inclusion policy Only last week, CBN issued merchant banking licence to South Africa’s FirstRand and Nigeria’s First Securities Discount House Limited (FSDH).

The two banks, which would commence operation in the New Year, will focus on long term funding, make some assets in the economy bankable, while guarantying some international loans coming into the country.

The licensing of the two

merchant banks is the first by the CBN since the regulatory distinction between merchant and commercial banking was axed 12 years ago.

The CBN spokesman maintained that Nigeria had recovered from the financial crisis and was witnessing huge inflow of foreign direct investments (FDI), adding that from South Africa alone, about

N16 billion had entered the Nigerian economy.

He explained that the consistent increase in the nation’s foreign reserve, which now stands at $46 billion, coupled with the fact that Nigeria accounts for about 20 per cent of total investment coming to Africa, was a major consideration for Rand Merchant Bank’s entry into Nigerian banking space.

CBN set to license more banks before 2013

By Aminu Imam

T

here are strong indications that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) would license more banks before the end of the year.

Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, Mr Ugochukwu Okoro-afor, who made this disclosure at a seminar organised by Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN), in Ijebu-Ode,

Microfinance money market operation begins in 2013

T

he National Association of Microfinance Banks (NAMB) says that the proposed Microfinance Money Market Operation (MMMO) will become operational by the first quarter of 2013.

Valentine Whensu, the president of the Lagos State chapter of NAMB, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos at the weekend.

He said that the modalities for the operation of the MMMO were being finalised, adding that the association was working with Kakawa Discount House to ensure its smooth implementation.

Whensu said that the MMMO was an initiative of the Lagos State chapter of NAMB that was aimed at improving the liquidity of the microfinance sub-sector.

“We believe that instead of trading one on one, we should trade on a collective basis to ensure increased liquidity in the system.

“We have operators who have surplus funds in the sector and we

have those who are deficient in funds for business transactions.

“They have their treasury bills and collaterals that they are not using; so, we decided to register ourselves and follow the conventional money market system.

“The MMMO will galvanise business activities because the deficient operators can now access funds at good rates. In addition, it will also engender confidence in the sub-sector”, he said. (NAN)

Traders solicit improved amenities at Alaba market

T

raders at the Alaba International Market, Lagos, have called on the government to provide essential amenities at the market, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The traders, who made the call in Lagos on Sunday in an interview with NAN, moaned about the poor electricity supply and inadequate parking lots at the market.

Management Tip of the Day

I

Turn a relationship into a sale

t’s common wisdom that you’re more likely to make a sale if you build rapport with a customer. Instead of focusing on the transaction, emphasize the connection by doing these three things: · Be generous. Go into each meeting with a list of five ways to make the prospect successful.

Don’t worry about what you’ll get in return. Instead think of it as good sales karma for which you may be rewarded. · Become a trusted advisor. Stay focused on your customer’s success, not your quota. Give the best advice you can give, only recommending your product when it’s a great

fit for their situation. · Believe in the ask. If it’s generous, with a low barrier to entry and huge opportunities for return, then you’re much more likely to forge a trusting relationship.

Source: Harvard Business Review

Mr Uchenna Ibe, a member of the Electrical Dealers’ Association at the market, said that inadequate power supply was hindering smooth operations at the market which, he added, was the largest in subSaharan Africa.

He said that as an international market, Alaba market ought to have a steady power supply that would enhance commercial activities therein.

Ibe also stressed the need for a spacious parking lot, adding that the market currently lacked an enabling environment for articulated vehicles with assorted freight to park and off-load their cargo.

Mr Paul Emenike, a dealer in electrical cables, also complained about the inadequate electricity supply at the market, saying that the power situation had forced most traders to resort to using generators.

(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY,WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 20

Hospitality industry needs enabling environment to thrive, says Hotelier

T

he Vice-Chairman, Rita Lori Hotels, Surulere, Mr Meyiwa Ogbebor at the weekend, has said that an enabling environment was essential for the hospitality industry to thrive in the country.

He said this in Lagos in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Ogbebor said that the hospitality industry was taxed heavily but the impact of what they paid was not well felt by the operators.

“The industry requires constant electricity, water and most importantly accessible roads for it to flourish.

“The road leading to my hotel for instance, has been neglected. It took the management N1million to rehabilitate the road, therefore, I ask, what is the essence of paying tax?"

Ogbebor said.

He noted that proper utilisation of taxes to provide infrastructure, which the hospitality industry

DG, NTDC, Olusegun Runsewe would benefit from would lure more tourists into the country.

“Tourism thrives more where an enabling environment is provided,'' Ogbebor said.

He said that the hospitality industry had a positive impact on the society by being a big employer of labour so government at

all levels should endeavour to play their part by providing basic infrastructures.

“Hospitality industry impacts positively on the society. I don't think it is too much to request that government should in turn make the business environment conducive,'' Ogbebor said. (NAN)

Contingents from Rivers state (left) and Niger state (right) at the boat regatta event of the just concluded 2012 Abuja Carnival on Monday Photo: Miriam Humbe

Niger contingent at the carnival

PEOPLES DAILY,WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 21

Foreign countries storm 2012 Abuja carnival as residents bemoan low turn-out

By Miriam Humbe

T

he 8th edition of the Abuja Carnival which is now an annual event witnessed contingents from foreign countries including Egypt, Namibia, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba and China who turned out in their colourful costumes, participating actively in the open-

ing ceremony of the fourday festival thereby making it an international event.

Participants from the 36 states of the nation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), stormed the designated venues in colourful costumes drumming, singing and dancing.

Obini-Bata, a Cuban female dance troupe had in

September, received the nod of the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke to feature at the carnival.

Mr. Hugo Ravos Uilanes, Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria who led the delegation on a courtesy visit had thanked the minister for the assurance given the troupe, which he

Riders on horseback at the Durbar event of the Abuja Carnival on Sunday.

Photo: Miriam Humbe

Akwa Ibom contingent at the carnival

Kastina Emirate Warriors delegation Dubar, during the 2012 Abuja Carnival, at the Parade ground of the Eagle Square in Abuja. P

The physically challenged are also represented.

Photos: Mahmud Isa and Justin Imo-Owo

said had its affiliation to Yorubaland in Nigeria.

Having watched their performance, Chief Duke who could not help doing a few dance steps himself, pleaded with the Ambassador to ensure the participation of the troupe in the forthcoming Abuja Carnival and other national cultural festivals in the near future.

A Chinese official, Mr Shen Xin, who also participated, was hopeful the event would further promote the relationship between Nigeria and China. “We are here to showcase our cultural values and as well learn from what is on ground. I am hopeful that the event would attract more Chinese companies to Nigeria. “This will attract more tourists from China to Nigeria,'' Xin said.

Although most of the contingents to the carnival expressed their preparedness to showcase their unique cultural and tourism endowments, the festival unfortunately witnessed a low turnout of spectators. Issues responsible for this development are not far-fetched.

First of all, the state of insecurity in the nation may have been largely responsible for the low turnout of residents. There was heavy security presence and a number of ambulances stationed at strategic places while entrants into the various venues were subjected to rigorous search of their bags and persons.

Journalists who covered the event were not

Cross Rivers contingent at the carnival spared the high-handedness of the security personnel either. Photo journalists from various media houses were forced to perch on the floor by security men.

Having observed the trend, some residents of Abuja at the weekend called on the Federal Government to ensure proper sensitisation of the public before holding subsequent Abuja carnivals claiming that poor publicity had over the years hindered the growth of the event.

Malam Garba Halidu said the impact of the festival was not felt by residents due to insufficient publicity on the part of the organisers.

"With the low preevent publicity, the low turnout of spectators should be expected. Personally, I did not know there was an event of such magnitude in town and if the residents can't

feel the impact, the aim of investing huge sums of money to host the festival is defeated. I think there should be more publicity next time," he said.

Mr. Peter Oni, a resident, said the carnival could generate a lot of income for the nation if handled properly. “Since the inception of the carnival, we just wake up to see the street blocked without prior information. This has always been the problem. It is high time things are done the right way.''

Mr Olu-Martin Abe, another resident, said the carnival would have grown by now to a level that corporate bodies would clamour to sponsor if handled properly.

Hawkers and other traders were seen making brisk businesses at all the venues of the carnival which had events such as the Durbar, Boat regatta, Children fiesta and food fair.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 22

FG, Lufthansa face off: Why minister terminated MoU R

By Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

easons which led to the recent termination of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Government and the German Deutsche Lufthansa Aktiengesellschaft (LH) airlines have unfolded, as the German company has been blamed for failure to fulfill its part of the agreement.

The November 2008 pact signed between the two parties agreed to address the exploration of potential short term measures and strategic perspective in three main areas.

Both parties had agreed on grant of additional traffic rights to Lufthansa on beneficial basis to both parties, transfer of knowhow and generation of employment opportunities to Nigerians including creation of a hub by Lufthansa in collaboration with capable and identified Nigerian operator(s) in Abuja.

However, failure to show commitment from the part of Lufthansa airlines to the realisation of these terms was largely the cause of the suspension.

While Lufthansa enjoyed the daily free slots, it however refused to implement the two other agreements that formed part of the MoU which included the training of Nigerians in the aviation sector.

Moreover, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), in a memo to the minister of Aviation restated that the German airline has failed to fully honour the

Lufthansa aircraft on tarmac agreement.

The memo reads in part: “Having carefully analysed the submission, it was cleared that Lufthansa appeared to be the only beneficiary of the MoU as the implementation of the agreement which was planned in phases was yet to progress beyond the traffic rights granted to Lufthansa to operate daily flights from Frankfurt to Abuja.

“There is no evidence to show any serious commitment on the part of Lufthansa airlines to the realisation of the agreement.”

Further more, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria which is also expected to be

Multi-billion naira TRACON facility ready for use, NAMA says From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

T

he multi-billion naira Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) project has been completed, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) told the visiting Senate committee on Aviation in Lagos.

The Director of Safety Electronics and Engineering Services, Ifeanyi Nnwakwo stated this while responding to the enquiry made by the committee’s chairman, Hope Uzodinma as part of their oversight tour to the state.

“All the deliverables and the scope of the project have been delivered and completed by the foreign contractor -Thales ATM of France and the system is working at optimal level,” Nwankwo affirmed.

He told the Senators that the system is characterized by some overlays like ADS-B which allows the radar to accommodate technology upgrade as new ones evolve.

Senators, who watched live coverage of the airspace on the new radar system were impressed by what they saw

however enquired to know the scope of the maintenance contract with Thales and they were told that the existing contract comes with unlimited spares and to lapse in the next two years having commenced three years ago.

The committee was also

S

enate aviation committee during its tour of agencies in the ministry in Lagos has reiterated the need for the agencies to imbibe the culture of good accountability if they want the National Assembly to make budgetary provision for their operations in the 2013 budget.

The committee said it was not satisfy with the explanations given by top management of some agencies over expenditure expended in the current financial books as explain by projects they carried out.

Speaking during the tour,

By Ibrahim Kabiru Sule, with agency report

T

he recent restructure in the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) by the aviation ministry, which has seen the creation of cargo directorate, has been described as step capable of enhancing business in the Nigerian airports.

This was stated by the chairman of the Domestic Airport Cargo Agent Association (DACAA), Mr. Emmanuel Odia, while speaking on the activities of the association in Lagos, yesterday.

Odia further disclosed that the determination of FAAN to construct cargo terminal would boost the activities of the cargo agents, and ensure sanity in the cargo business at the airports.

“I think it is one of the best things that could happen to the aviation industry. It means that there is no cargo terminal in Nigeria that will not have a cargo department and this will enhance our business as cargo agents.

“The moment the directorate picks up, and there is a section for cargo spinning, it will boost our business,” the chairman opined.

While explaining that the move would also help to curb disorder and touting, the chairman equally appealed to the management of the FAAN to create a cargo section under the directorate where all cargo activities would be carried out.

one the beneficiaries of the agreement, wrote to the ministry stating that since the signing of the agreement about three years ago, only one of its ATS instructors benefitted from Lufthansa’s training programme.

Based on this development, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Minister of Justice and aviation minister, upon legal advice decided to suspend the MOU. The Ministers had invited Lufthansa to a meeting with a view to meet the interest of Nigeria particularly as it relates to creating an aviation

hub in Abuja and the training of Nigerians by Lufthansa.

The Attorney General then advised that the MoU be terminated since it was manipulated in favour of Lufthansa and was also not legally binding.

A copy of the MoU revealed that both parties agreed to waive any and all claims against each other relating to a termination of the MoU which was to be governed by laws of the United Kingdom (UK) in addition to the understanding that the MoU shall not have any legally binding effect on both parties.

informed that more than 100 engineers had been trained on various aspects of the radar system, adding that very soon; maintenance would be wholly Nigerian affairs.

It could be recalled that TRACON was commissioned by the President back in October, 2010 in Abuja and since then it has tremendously improved the quality of air traffic services in the country’s airspace.

FG partners Brazil to salvage domestic airlines

..as Senate aviation committee calls for prudence in resource management From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

FAAN’s cargo directorate to boost airport business

the chairman senate committee on aviation, Hope Uzodinma said, “Henceforth, it may be difficult for the National Assembly to grant any budget approval for any government agency that fails to give adequate account of how funds are expended.

Senator Uzodinma who said the committee were on tour of the agencies to check their financial books and cross check them with the projects being executed visited the remodelled terminal building at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) at the MMIA and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

By Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

T

he Federal Government has entered into partnership with a Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, Embraer, in order to assist the country’s domestic airlines with new aircraft.

To this end, the Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority (FAAN), George Uriesi had last week represented the aviation ministry in a preliminary discussion with the company’s Senior Vice President, Operation, Luis Carlos Affonso at its headquarters in Brazil.

A statement signed by Special Assistant, media to the aviation minister, Joe Obi further disclosed that the FAAN MD has told “the Embraer Executives that the Federal Government has altered its strategy for the development of the aviation sector with respect to domestic airlines, by its

intention to assist them increase their fleet with new aircraft from reputable manufacturers around the world.”

This partnership, according to Uriesi, is expected to usher in discussion on competitive, fair and concessionary rates of aircraft procurement.

According to Uriesi, ”Domestic carriers use wrong equipment for most of their operations. There is no established record of sustainability for these airlines mainly because of the use of wrong equipment.

Intervention fund by the Federal Government in the past to assist them re-fleet has failed because there was no evidence of the money being ploughed back into the airlines leading to them failing in the long run. ’’Government wants to change this model entirely by floating a fund for the acquisition of new aircraft for the domestic carriers,” he added.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

Tourism practitioners ask LASG to convert historical centres to monuments

S

takeholders in the tourism sector asked the Lagos Government to convert Glover Memorial Hall and some other historical centres to monuments to boost the state tourism potential.

They made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Mr Wilbert Frank, Group Managing Director, International Africa Hospitality Leisure Group, Lagos, expressed concern that some of the historical centres in the state were not well managed.

Frank said that with government’s intervention, historical centres in the state would look befitting for relaxation and research findings.

“The government can attract tourists to historical centres in the state. Such centres are the Remembrance Arcade, Early Missionary Cemetery, BulletRidden Car, Verekete Shrine, Tafawa Balewa Square and some others,” he said.

Mr Ikechi Uko, the Project Director, Seven Wonders of Nigeria, a tourism firm, said that upgrading and conversion of historical centres would earn government huge revenue.

“The government should always charge visitors some token before entering the centres.

“If the tourist centres are well managed, it will boost the tourism potential of the state and fetch government huge amount of money,” Uko said.

Mrs Wanda Ibru, Managing Director, Pathways Tourism Development Initiative, Lagos, advised government to emulate foreign countries that converted some of their historical centres to monuments in memory of their late political heroes.

She said that the historical centres could be named after political heroes like late Obafemi Awolowo, late Gen. Murtala Mohammed, late Madam Efunroye Tinubu, late Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, and some others.

“Every tourist would like to visit some of these centres because of their history,’’ Ibru said.

Mrs Bilkisu Abdul, the Chief Executive Officer, BBOOG Travels and Tours Ltd., attributed the decay in most tourist centres to lack of maintenance culture.

Abdul urged the state government to put in place a policy that would regulate activities of operators of tourist centres for proper maintenance and upgrading. (NAN)

PAGE 29

Internet service is gradually taking the place of libraries, says Director A lhaji Suleiman Mohammed, the Director, Library Research and Statistics, National Assembly, in Abuja said that Internet service was gradually taking the place of libraries in Nigeria.

Mohammed, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), shortly after a workshop organised for librarians, said the development had reduced the reading culture of most Nigerians.

According to him, staff of the National Assembly, as well as other members of the public are not interested in visiting the library to get materials to read in order to upgrade their knowledge base.

“We observe that members of the public, especially our staff are not keen about using our library services maybe because of Internet services.

“We are trying our best to see that we educate them and we make

sure that the library is supplied with good materials that will be useful to our staff,” he said.

Mohammed said that the workshop was to sensitise staff of the National Assembly on the need to effectively use the library in their research works.

This he said would enhance the reading culture of staff, which could also impact positively on their children.

“This workshop is organised on

Books distribution: FG sanctions publishers

T

he Federal Ministry of Education has sanctioned publishers who failed to supply textbooks and library resource materials to primary and junior secondary schools across the country “with a minimum clause”.

The Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, gave the indication in Abuja while addressing the publishers.

He said that the publishing companies affected by the sanction were Evans Brothers, Universal Press Plc, Spectrum, Lantern, Macmillan, Learn Africa, and Africana First Publisher Plc. Wike said that the sanction was as a result of their inability to supply textbooks for the 2012/ 2013 academic session within the approved six weeks specified in their contract agreements with the Federal Government.

“The Federal Executive Council emphasised in its meeting that, if we cannot deliver these books to Nigerians at the appropriate time, then there is no need in awarding the contracts.

“They all signed that they are going to deliver the books within six weeks, it is more than eight weeks and the books have not be delivered.

“Why should the government suffer for the inability of these contractors.

“Today you hear that government is not serious, government make promises and government fails to keep their promises, now we are saying no, we cannot continue to do that.

“If we have made promises to Nigerians, then it is within our responsibility to make sure that they can see it,‘’ he said.

He added that contractors did not believe that the Federal

Government could impose any sanction on them; this would also serve as a lesson to others.

Wike said that letters had been written to revoke their contract “with a minimum clause”.

“We have not cancelled their contracts, they would still supply the books to the schools.

“If you do not deliver on time, then that clause that says if you did not deliver on time, we will apply it.

“Because we have already written to Mr President to flag-off the distribution of the books on the Nov. 30.

“So if they cannot deliver the books, then we are handicapped.

But let it be known that it is not on the part of government that these promises are not fulfilled,‘’ he said.

Mr Adesanya Adelekan, Managing Director of MacMillan Publishing Company, who spoke for other publishers, said that

Teacher urges FG to make Nigerian languages official in offices

M

r Akindiose Wande, headmaster, Deo-Gratia International School, Gwarinpa, Abuja, suggested that the Federal Government should make Nigerian languages official in offices.

Wande, who made the suggestion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, on the significance of the cultural day festival in the school, said Nigerian languages were

a yearly basis at the end of each year, we invite our Liberians in the states and National Assembly to come together, interact, and exchange ideas on library services in their respective stations.

“When we sensitise the staffs on what they are supposed to do on their job, they will be able to go back and educate whoever is interested in reading books in the library,” he said.

Mohammed said they would follow up to ensure that budgetary allocation was appropriated to the national and state libraries to improve the quality of materials stocked.

According to him, with improved funds for libraries, they will be better positioned to provide effective research materials that will build the capacity of the people.

“The representative of the Clerk will communicate to the Clerk of the National Assembly to ensure that budgetary allocation is made to improve the quality of the books and materials in the library.

“We want to ensure that funds are made available for purchase of books in the libraries and for the improvement of all the materials,” Mohammed said.

He stressed the need for elibraries in the country to enable Nigerians keep abreast with modern library facilities in line with international standard.

(NAN)

unique and should not be thrown into the dust bin.

He said that some languages in the country were dying as a result of neglect by some parents in inculcating the nation’s cultural heritage into their children.

Wande called on parents to promote the country’s culture, adding that inculcating culture in the children would help them understand, interpret and speak indigenous languages.

“Our parents will help us by speaking their languages at home to our children and by teaching them our culture,” he said.

The headmaster noted that the festival was to introduce children to their culture.

He said that the festival was an annual event, adding that the event featured activities such as drama, dance, presentations and fashion show.

Mrs Ebere Okafor, a teacher at

the school, also said that parents should not forget that family was the first unit of socialisation of a child.

She said that effort should be made to teach the children the norms, traditions, and cultures of the land for peace and progress of the society.

Okafor said that doing that would guarantee the transfer of the country’s cultural values from one generation to another (NAN).

they faced some constraints that prevented them from meeting the deadline.

“Some of these constraints are lack of local capacity, lack of raw materials to use for printing which needed to be imported and among others.

“Paper is what we use to produce our books and papers are not available and as you are aware we have to import the papers.

“For those of us who produce abroad, it take at least three weeks and the period of importation takes five weeks and you add that to the period of shipment which is four weeks,‘’ he said.

He, however, said that the Nigerian Ports were also posing a challenge such as the delay of containers which would take at least three to four weeks to be cleared.

Adelekan commended the Federal Government for providing reading material for schools of learning and also increasing the capacity of publishers.

The minister also met with contractors handling the Girl Child Education projects, library projects and the Amajiri projects.

Wike appealed to all the contractors in-charge of the projects to complete them by December.

He advised new contractors to formalise the process involved in their documentation to enable them to complete their jobs by January 2013. (NAN)

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

‘The Funeral Did Not End’

By Henry Chukuwuemeka Onyema

O

n my way home from work that rainmoistened afternoon I popped into Debonair Bookstores, Yaba. It was pay day and I was flush with cash. I scanned the shelves and my eyes fell on Ifedigbo’s latest offering. There had been a fair amount of hype on social media about the book prior to its arrival and the author had done some high-powered PR through Face Book before its presentation. Out of curiosity I added it to my payday collection and hoped my investment would yield returns.

Let me be plain. ‘The Funeral Did Not End’ is an entertainer.

When you run through a number of contemporary Nigerian literary fiction you may agree that it is a big achievement. Quite a few of our writers, in their bid to be literary, have forgotten that fiction must entertain before it accomplishes any other highminded objective. In this era of quality visual and non-visual challenges to the book, any author who does not factor in the entertainment dimension to his work is asking for a short lifespan for his book.

Ifedigbo is a child of his time.

The twenty stories in the collection encapsulate aspects of the contemporary Nigerian situation like few other prose I have recently read. From cult wars to creek warlords; from TV game shows to unabashedly corrupt politicians they reflect the way we are with a subtle caveat; perhaps there is a way we could be. Ifedigbo holds out tantalizing feelers in what he says and implies.

‘Tunji’s Proposal’ left me with a fresh hatred for an old set of spoilers. A young, bright innovator, Tunji, sells his concept for urban waste disposal to bureaucrats who sell him down the river. The tale reeks of the corruption, indolence and hopeless work ethics that characterise the Nigerian civil service. Ifedigbo’s insight into the vice-claw mentality of our bureaucrats is amazing. I am tempted to wonder if the veterinary doctor-turned –author got a raw deal when he went to the Ministry of Agriculture with a proposal to rid Nigerian birds of flu. Just a thought. Well beyond the irony-framed portrait of venality, the language of exploitation and denudation of man by man is a subtle, unspoken lament for what could have been.

‘Lunch on Good Friday’ bears the imprint of a probably unconscious Chimamanda Adichiesque influence. Key into ‘Purple Hibiscus’ for some parallels.

In the novel’s first section Jaja’s clash with his father takes place at the lunch table on Palm Sunday. I was struck by the similarity in underlying tones of tragedy and change that struck the families in both stories on significant days in Christendom. Eugene Achike, Jaja’s father’s domestic tyranny comes to a head that day.

Omalicha’s mother, also a

backhanded home tyrant-witness how she treats her jobless husband and daughters- and adulterer, crosses the line at lunch. Although overt parallels may be obvious to readers of both works I am concerned with the stories’ implicit contextualities. Omalicha and Kambili, both female protagonists, are silent but incisive observers who can see right through the deeds of men. Probably because hers is a short story, Omalicha’s character is less developed. When her father struck by dispatching Nonso Bosah, his wife’s lover and earning himself twenty-five years in jail, echoes of Jaja’s unjust imprisonment for his father’s death by poisoning reverberated.

‘Death on Gimbaya Street,’ the evocative, surreal story of the slaughter of Apo Six in 2005 by the only female victim, is a haunting, well realized tale that ends up making the well-ordered world of the dead more appealing than the chaotic cosmos the living inhabit. Whatever became of the Apo Six case?

In my opinion the story from which the collection draws its title is not its numero uno, though well written and infused with images of sorrow, waste and debasement.

The demands of an unfortunate Igbo cultural expectation that demands an outrageously costly funeral for a supposed big man hits at the individual and collective souls. But the story left me with a feeling of being shortchanged.

More meat should have been cooked with its characters.

‘On the Hot Seat’ defines the collection for me. I prophesy to the church of literature that in years to come, when Ifedigbo becomes one

of the greybeards of twenty-first century Nigerian literature, this tale will mark out his oeuvre.

Cheeky, incisive and seatpulsating, the story of Ben Okafor’s day out with a leading TV reality game host captures the hearts of those who face the sassy and smartsuited moderator’s wiles in their bid for the big bucks. Frank Edo, the host of the MTN-sponsored ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’ should read this story.

‘Call Room,’ the sensual yarn of a reluctant doctor’s ignorant tryst with a HIV-positive senior colleague is tasty. My heart went out to the lovers. I see them making up in the post-story’s world.

‘Share of the Money’ should have been titled ‘Manual of the House.’ I recognized all its characters; indeed they live among us. Or to be accurate they live above us ordinary mortals on their corruption-hewed Mount Olympus.

Sleaze, sex, backstabbing, impeachment and illiteracy, some of the ingredients used in cooking the unwholesome soup of the Nigerian legislature since 1999, are present. Ifedigbo did a yeoman’s job of depicting Northern and Niger Delta politicians’ approach to corruption.

The conclusion invariably drawn is that though tongue and tribe may differ, together in corruption they stand.

‘One lonely harmattan night’ is one of the collection’s most beautiful stories. Ifedigbo waxes lyrical and takes poetic prose to rarefied level in his depiction of an elderly couple’s struggle with their socio-economic situation their grandson’s ill-health and their love for each other. Taste and feel the

second paragraph: ‘After the rains each year, dusty North East trade winds blew over the grassland in this northern part of the country, bringing the harmattan, and stripping the leaves from the short trees again and again, until the branches were left bare and exposed like mangrove roots. When the rains returned, they find the leafless trees standing lonely like bachelors, enduring the hot dry days and chilly nights, waiting patiently for the raindrops and the future.’ (pp.86-87) Old Sani’s kicking of his pitoboozing habit is the ultimate sacrifice; a sacrifice that will not restore their child’s health but heals his wife’s heart in spite of life’s knocks. The story achieves fiction’s ultimate accolade by immersing its reader into its characters.

The remaining twelve stories sparkle in varying degrees. In the war of sex, marks and wits between Professor Bako and Laraba in ‘Sound Proof’ the winner seems obvious but then scorpions are known not to sting. Most of the other tales can be digested with cold bottles of beer but ‘Sister Stacy’ is a takeaway. For the life of me, I could not fathom why the protagonist, Bode, was not content with delving beneath Stacy’s sweet skirts or jeans, as the case may be. Probing into her hypocritical piety cost him a brainy Lolita who knows how to dispense that thing that makes the world go round. The tale pushed the envelope in its writer’s uncluttered bid to tell us that one cannot embrace right and wrong simultaneously.

‘Scourge of the Vandals’ should not be in this collection. It is just too banal for my taste. Cult-related stories are two a kobo on the Nigerian literary firmament so anyone who wants to take on the subject should up the ante. Ifedigbo probably took gory experiences he witnessed as a student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and turned it into a competent but by no means outstanding yarn.

‘Snoop Dog’ as the nickname of a cult hitman? Sounds more like an aspiring imitation rapper. The effort at suspense was average. I knew where Snoop Dog would end up before I got there.

The book’s proof-readers should have been more painstaking. The nineteenth story on p.252 is numbered eighteen. Grammatical and spelling infelicities exist. For instance: p.198: ‘common baby’ should be ‘come on, baby’ p.191: ‘Women of Faiths’ should be ‘Women of Faith’ p.182: ‘alter’ refers to ‘altar’ The illustrations in the book could be upped artistically in subsequent editions.

Ifedigbo does a good job of holding an accurate mirror to our society. He does not preach; he does not moralize; he neither absolves nor denigrates. He is accessible; a good storekeeper of Nigerian popular culture, lingo and mannerisms, including his Igbo heritage. I do not regret buying ‘The Funeral Did Not End.’ Source: Africanwriter.com

PEOPLES POEM OF THE WEEK Title: PRETENDERS

By Chris Msosa (for James D. (Rubadiri ) It is worrying, that I must learn about you, soul brother from eyes looking through a blurred vista that contains your virtuous and beautiful mind.

It is worrying, that they have everything else but respect for your rigorousness, that the prophet will not draw blood of respect or an honest ear from his own kindred it is worrying, that they take the new man's wine even its bitter dregs without a fret.

It is worrying, how comfortable they get.

How comfortable they have gotten In another man's skin

QUO TE UOTE “Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get."

– Dave Gardner

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 31

08091700949 isaochako@yahoo.com

Electronics and computer council of India visits Nigeria T

he Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council of India has arrived Nigeria to help build a business understanding between entrepreneurs in the industry from both countries.

In a statement released by the head of media and publicity of the Indian embassy, the team of thirteen will visit Lagos from the 25th to 28th November, and proceed to Abuja.

"They will have business tips between Nigerian and Indian entrepreneurs in Electronics and ICT sector. During the visit ,Buyer Seller Meetings(BSMs) would be held at Hotel 1960 Classic, Ikeja, Lagos on November 26-27, and at Hotel Valencia, Wuse-II Abuja on November 28, 2012".

"Information Technology(IT) is one of the thrust areas identified by the Department of Commerce, by the Indian Government for enhancing trade between India and Nigeria, Considering the potential for adopting IT in various segments of Nigeria's economy as well as the need to diversify India's IT exports market" he said.

"ITAN and NITDA have been requested to partner the events in Lagos and Abuja respectively. Relevant to note that with bilateral trade of over $17.3 billion, India is currently Nigeria's second largest trading partner. It is hoped that this delegations visit will further enhance our bilateral trade".

Nigerian team in Lahore that propelled the Indian visit

Nigeria to benefit from ECOWAS -EU partnership

N

igeria is to benefit from the ECOWAS-European Union partnership programme for the improvement of the business environment in the region, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Kadre Desire Ouedraogo has assured.

"This will cover the development of a regional investment policy, finalisation of a regional investment code, the implementation of a regional investment policy monitoring platform developed jointly by the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO," the president told a Global Banking and Investment Forum, organized

by West African Monetary Institute (WAMI).

In the speech to the Forum, delivered on his behalf by the ECOWAS Director of Private Sector,

Mr. Alfred Braimah, President Ouedraogo said: "The future looks much brighter now given the level of political will of the Heads of State and Government and the full support of the development partner community to assist the ECOWAS Commission and the Member States to address the business climate challenges at the National and Regional Level" West Africa is associated with a difficult business and investment environment accentuated by poverty, infrastructure deficit, policy deficiency and political governance issues.

With a population of some 300 million people and GDP of US$ 316 billion, the ECOWAS region accounts for 4.5% of the world's population, but only 0.5% of the world's GDP. President Ouedraogo however noted

President of the ECOWAS Commission, Kadre Desire Ouedraogo

that this is also changing, with a projected 5% annual growth rate in GDP for the region.

"Despite the enormous challenges, there is great opportunity for growth and development within the ECOWAS Region," he said "It is worth stating," he said: "that three out of the 40 African Challengers (global business competitors) identified by the Boston Consulting Group are in the ECOWAS region."

These are ECOBANK, the Dangote Group and UBA with the latter two from Nigeria.

With ongoing programmes under the ECOWAS Common Investment Market Initiative, the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and Common External Tariff, the Common ECOWAS Passport and Visa initiative, the President said "there is a large untapped market but only those who are bold to invest notwithstanding the difficulties will reap the benefits."

To this end, the President said the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government have adopted a number of protocols to promote regional integration through business and investment promotion. Among them is the Supplementary Act on Investment Rules and approved a framework developed by the Commission for the preparation of a Community Investment Code.

He told the forum that work on the draft code has been completed and the draft Community Investment Policy will be completed in 2013.

Polio: German government assists Nigeria with 15 million euro

T

he German government is assisting Nigeria with 15 million euro in the fight against the wild polio virus. The grant comes as to support the fourth phase or programmes designed to eradication polio in Nigeria.

At the document signing ceremony held at the ministry of foreign affairs, the minister of state for foreign affairs II, DR Nurudeen Muhammad who signed on behalf of the Nigerian government acknowledged the support of the German government in the campaign.

"The federal government of Nigeria acknowledge and appreciates the German government for its past support with 35 million euro for these programmes and the current 15 million euro, totalling 50 million euros" he said.

"I therefor urge all partners to ensure the judicious use of the funds and its

accountability he added" he added.

Speaking on behalf of the German government, the Germany ambassador to Nigeria, Mrs Dorothee Janetzke-Wenzel assured Nigerians on the continuous support from her government in both technical and financial terms.

In her comments, she said: "15 million euro contribution to the elimination of polio is not only restricted to Nigeria, it is a world -wide action that has attracted the attention of the the German government".

"This programme is basically geared towards children and children are very important to us. We think Nigeria will be the next to eradicate polio out of the three countries left with the virusAfghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan".

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs II, Dr Nurudeen Muhammad (R) with the German Ambassador to Nigeria Mrs Dorothee JanetzkeWenzel

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 32

Congo rebels set conditions for Goma withdrawal R

Rwanda says FDLR rebels attacked villages

R

wanda said on Tuesday its troops clashed with Rwandan FDLR rebels who attacked three villages on its border with Democratic Republic of Congo, but a spokesman for the FDLR denied its fighters had been involved.

Rwanda has in the past used the presence of the FDLR as a justification for intervening in neighbor Congo. But the rebel group, which experts say has dwindled in strength, has not mounted a significant attack on Rwanda in years.

Rwandan defense forces spokesman Brigadier General Joseph Nzabamwita said about 150 fighters of the FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu rebel group operating in eastern Congo, attacked the villages at dawn in Rubavu district in Rwanda's Western province which borders Congo's North Kivu province.

"The RDF (Rwandan Defence Forces) has been engaging them.

Some fled back to the DRC and others dispersed into Rwanda in small groups and the RDF is still engaging them," he said.

He said four FDLR fighters had been killed in the clashes but no civilians had been hurt.

The FDLR, which opposes the Tutsi-led government in Kigali and includes Hutu soldiers and militia suspected of participating in Rwanda's 1994 genocide, denied it had been involved in any fighting.

"Up to now, there is nothing to confirm there was an attack by our forces against Rwanda," FDLR rebel spokesman La Forge Fils Bazeye said.

The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUSCO) reported fighting north of North Kivu's provincial capital Goma, which since last week has been held by Tutsi-led rebels of the M23 movement, which has driven back the U.N.-backed Congolese government forces of President Joseph Kabila.

"There is fighting with heavy artillery going on north of Goma," MONUSCO spokesman Mounoubai Madnodje said.

But he could not say who was involved in the fighting.

No independent confirmation was available of the alleged FDLR attacks on the border villages.

Asked whether the FDLR had fighters in the area of the reported fighting, Bazeye said: "That's an area controlled by M23, we can't live side by side with M23."

ebels in Democratic Republic of Congo said on Tuesday they would withdraw from the eastern city of Goma if President Joseph Kabila agreed to their demands, which the Congolese government was quick to dismiss as a farce.

The deadlock threatens to prolong a crisis that regional officials had hoped they could prevent from descending into all-out war in a region dogged by nearly two decades of conflict.

The M23 rebels, who have said they want to overthrow the government in Kinshasa, captured Goma last week after Congolese soldiers withdrew and U.N. peacekeepers were forced to give up defending the city.

The Ugandan military, which has been coordinating talks with M23, said earlier on Tuesday that M23 leader Colonel Sultani Makenga had agreed to withdraw from Goma with no conditions.

But the political chief of M23, JeanMarie Runiga, told reporters in Goma his forces would withdraw if Kabila held national talks, released political prisoners and dissolved an electoral commission, a body accused by Western powers of delivering Kabila a second term in 2011 in a flawed election.

"The withdrawal, yes. If Kabila agrees to our demands then we'll go quickly," Runiga told reporters in a

T

wo former bitter political rivals in Kenya facing trial at the International Criminal Court, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto, have formed an alliance for next year's election.

The South Africa contingent of the U.N. peacekeepers in Congo erect a razor wire barrier around Goma airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo yesterday. hotel in Goma, flanked by senior M23 officials in civilian clothes and rebels in military fatigues.

The conflicting statements indicated a quick solution to the latest insurgency in eastern Congo, which has displaced thousands of civilians, was not close.

Lambert Mende, Congo's

government spokesman, quickly dismissed M23's demands.

"It's a farce, that's the word. There's been a document adopted by the region.

If each day they're going to come back with new demands it becomes ridiculous. We're no longer in the realms of seriousness," Mende told Reuters from Kinshasa.

The rebels on Tuesday showed no signs of an imminent pull-out and continued to guard strategic sites in Goma.

More than half a dozen armed M23 fighters dressed in crisp fatigues stood in front of the central bank building as U.N. peacekeepers in two troop carriers looked on.

Indicted Kenyans form alliance The announcement comes two days before a court in Kenya is due to hear a petition seeking to bar them from contesting the

Uhuru Kenyatta (L) and William Ruto (R) were on opposite sides in the 2007 poll

election.

Both men deny playing key roles in the violence which followed the 2007 poll.

Some 1,200 people were killed and 300,000 forced from their homes.

Deputy Prime Minister Kenyatta and Mr Ruto, a former minister, were on opposite sides in the 2007 election.

Mr Kenyatta backed President Mwai Kibaki, while Mr Ruto was part of Raila Odinga's alliance seeking to oust the president.

The goals of their alliance would be "national unity, prosperity for all Kenyans [and] reconciliation," according to a statement from the office of Deputy Prime Minister Kenyatta.

Both men have previously said they would contest the

presidential election despite the ICC charges.

The statement does not say who will be their presidential candidate in March 2013 - a month before they are due to face trial in The Hague.

Further details of the alliance will be announced on Sunday, the statement says.

Civil society groups have gone to court, seeking to have the pair banned from the election because of the ICC charges.

Under the new 2010 constitution, holders of public office who are charged with a crime must step down.

Mr Odinga, who became prime minister under the deal brokered to end the bloodshed, is also expected to contest the presidential election.

Mohammed Mursi defuses tension

E

gyptian President Mohammed Mursi has sought to defuse a crisis over efforts to extend his own powers, during talks with senior judges.

Mr Mursi told them that a decree banning challenges to his decisions would stand, but that it would be limited in scope, his spokesman said.

The decree has led to violent unrest, and opponents will hold new protests on Tuesday to demand its withdrawal.

However, Mr Mursi's

Muslim Brotherhood has called off its own rival rally.

After Mr Mursi's five-hour meeting with members of the Supreme Council for the Judiciary on Monday, presidential spokesman Yasser Ali said the president had told the judges he respected judicial independence.

Mr Ali made it clear the president would not withdraw the decree, but said Mr Mursi had reassured the judges that its scope would be restricted to "sovereign matters", designed to protect institutions.

President Muhammed Morsi

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 33

Asia and Presidential campaign kicks off in South Korea Middle East

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outh Korea's two main presidential hopefuls are running neck and neck with the election barely a month away, the latest polls showed after a popular independent candidate bowed out of the race.

The latest survey was released as the candidates, including the daughter of former military ruler Park Chung-

hee, officially begin campaigning on Tuesday.

Election is set on December 19.

The two main candidates seeking to replace Lee Myung-bak are Park Geunhye, of the ruling Saenuri Party, and Moon Jae-in, from the main opposition Democratic United Party.

Park wants to follow in the footsteps of her father, who ruled South Korea for 18 years until his assassination in 1979.

She also served as the unofficial first lady

of South Korea after her mother Yuk Young-soo was killed by a North Korean sympathiser from Japan.

Moon, whose father is a refugee from North Korea, is seeking to occupy the seat of his mentor, the liberal President Roh Moo-hyun.

"It is going to be a negative election campaign," said Kim Jun-seok, a political science professor at Dongguk University in Seoul.

"People will split between the 'pro-

growth' generation that supports Park Chung-hee and the 'pro-distribution' generation that supports Roh Moohyun."

The polls suggested a tight race between Park and Moon after another candidate Ahn Cheol-Soo, a leftleaning software mogul with no party affiliation, left the campaign in a bid to consolidate liberal votes.

A poll conducted on November 24 by JoongAng Ilbo newspaper

showed Park with 44.7 per cent support, slightly ahead of Moon's 41.3 per cent. If elected Park will become South Korea's first female president.

The survey was held after Ahn who enjoyed huge popularity among young and some previously undecided voters - announced his departure Friday and threw his support behind Moon from the liberal opposition Democratic United Party.

India policemen suspended over Facebook arrests

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wo senior Indian policemen have been suspended over the arrest of two women for comments made on Facebook following the death of politician Bal Thackeray.

Maharashtra state's home minister said the men had disobeyed orders. The judge in the case has also been transferred.

Shaheen Dhada was held for criticising Mumbai's shutdown after the 17 November death. Her friend Renu Srinivasan, who "liked" the comment, was also arrested.

The two were later bailed amid outrage that free speech was not being upheld.

Critics have accused the government of "abuse of authority" and the women said they had been "traumatised" by their arrest.

Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil said the state government had

taken the decision to suspend the officers.

"Superintendent of Police for Thane (rural) district Ravindra Sengaonkar and Palghar subinspector Srikant Pingle have been suspended for disobeying the orders of superiors," Mr Patil was quoted as saying by the CNN-IBN news channel.

The suspensions came after a police inquiry called the arrests "unjustified".

On Monday, the high court in Mumbai transferred magistrate Ramchandra Bagade, who had ordered the women to pay 15,000 rupees ($270; ÂŁ169) each before they were freed on bail.

Although the court did not give any reasons for the transfer, Indian media reports have linked it to the women's arrest.

Ruling party candidate Park Geun-hye (L) will face off with opposition leader Moon Jae-in (R).

Qatar defends right to host climate talks

Q

atar, the host of the 18th United Nations climate change conference, known as COP18, has defended its right to host the talks saying that other host countries produce coal.

"Our CO2 comes mainly from the energy sector," Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiya, former Qatari energy minister and president of the Conference of Parties told a new agency on Monday.

The climate talks have placed a spotlight on Qatar, which produces nearly 50 tonnes a year of carbon dioxide for each of its 1.6 million residents.

Qatar, the host of the 18th United Nations climate change conference, known as COP18, has defended its right to host the talks saying that other host countries produce coal.

"Our CO2 comes mainly from the energy sector," Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiya, former Qatari energy minister and president of the Conference of Parties told a new agency on Monday.

The climate talks have placed a spotlight on Qatar, which produces nearly 50 tonnes a year of carbon dioxide for each of its 1.6 million residents.

Central to the issue is the problem of "hot air" carbon permits. The term refers to attempts by some wealthy countries to carry over unused carbon permits so they can be offset against future cuts.

Developing nations say this is unfair and reduces the value of

any commitment to reduce carbon dioxide.

Navigating divisions between developed and developing nations in terms of who should be responsible for emissions reductions will be a key challenge for the hosts, analysts said.

Yasser Arafat's remains exhumed in murder inquiry

Shaheen Dhada and Renu Srinivasan said they were "traumatised" by their arrest

he remains of Yasser Arafat have been exhumed as part of an investigation into how the Palestinian leader died.

Swiss, French and Russian experts were given samples to establish whether his death in Paris in 2004 at the age of 75 was the result of poisoning before the tomb was resealed.

France began a murder inquiry in August after Swiss experts found radioactive polonium-210 on his personal effects.

Arafat's medical records say he had a stroke resulting from a blood disorder.

His widow, Suha, objected to a postmortem at the time of his death, but asked the Palestinian Authority to permit the exhumation "to reveal the truth".

Sealed tomb Arafat's body lies in a stone-clad mausoleum inside the Muqataa presidential compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah. The mausoleum was sealed off earlier this month.

COP President Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiya

T

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 34

Europe and Mass protest in Rio de Janeiro over oil revenue Americas Eurozone and IMF agree Greek bailout deal

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reece will receive urgently needed loans to rescue its stricken economy after eurozone finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund agreed a deal on reducing the country's debt.

The agreement was reached on Monday after 12 hours of talks at the third meeting of the finance ministers and the IMF in as many weeks.

Lenders agreed on a package of measures to reduce Greek debt by $50bn, cutting it to 124 per cent of gross domestic product by 2020.

In a significant new pledge, ministers committed themselves to take further steps to lower Greece's debt to "significantly below 110 percent" in 2022.

This is the most explicit recognition so far that some write-off of loans may be necessary from 2016, the point when Greece is forecast to reach a primary budget surplus, according to Reuters.

"When Greece has achieved, or is about to achieve, a primary surplus and fulfilled all of its conditions, we will, if need be, consider further measures for the reduction of the total debt," Wolfgang Schaeuble, Germany's finance minister, said.

Jean-Claude Juncker, Eurogroup chairman, said ministers would formally approve the release of a major aid instalment needed to recapitalise Greece's ailing banks and enable the government to pay wages, pensions and suppliers on December 13.

Some state politicians among those leading the march in Rio de Janeiro

S

ome 200,000 people have protested in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro against a bill they say will deprive Rio state of much of its oil revenue.

They are asking President Dilma Rousseff to veto the bill, which has been approved by Brazil's Congress.

The bill proposes sharing oil revenues more evenly between oilproducing states like Rio and other states.

Local politicians are fiercely opposed to the move, saying it could cost the state $1.7bn (£1.06bn) next year.

They say that the changes

would affect Rio's ability to host the 2014 football World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.

The bill would lower the level of royalties collected by oilproducing states from 26% to 20%.

Julia Carneiro reports from Rio that state authorities released employees from work

and invited musicians and celebrities in order to entice people to attend the demonstration.

The protest ended up looking more like a big street party, with people dancing and drinking, she says.

Police said about 200,000 people took part.

"We cannot redistribute the royalties with other states," Isabel Johnson, a 24-year-old nurse, told the AFP news agency.

"It is our heritage and our chance to climb on the international stage," she said.

Brazil is expected to be able to produce tens of billions of barrels of crude oil over the coming decades from discoveries of offshore deposits of oil made in recent years.

Ms Rousseff has until Friday to approve or reject the bill.

State governor Sergio Cabral and Rio's mayor Eduardo Paes were among those on the march.

In recent days, state officials have put up banners around the city addressed to Ms Rousseff, bearing the words "Veto, Dilma".

Many of the protesters had been bussed in from other parts of the state.

Protesting farmers spray European Parliament with milk

A

ngry farmers protesting at falling dairy prices in the EU have sprayed fresh milk at the European Parliament and riot police in Brussels.

Thousands of dairy farmers, accompanied by hundreds of tractors, descended on the Belgian capital on Monday for two days of demonstrations.

Disruption has continued, with EU officials hindered from reaching their offices by tractors blocking roads.

Farmers want an increase of up to 25% in their prices to cover costs.

EU milk is often sold at below production costs due to a drop in international demand and increased competition.

The European Milk Board (EMB), which is co-ordinating the protest, says small farmers are being forced out of business.

In Belgium, for example, the wholesale price for a litre of milk is 0.26 euros (£0.21; $0.34) but the

cost of producing it is 0.40 euros, the board said.

Dairy farmers in Shropshire, England, recently won a price increase to £0.29 (0.36 euros) per litre from a leading processor but reported that the cost of production was still £0.31 (0.38 euros).

The EU is the world's largest milk producer and in 2010 nearly 47% of its 123bn euro budget went on subsidies and other forms of financial aid for farmers, including dairy producers.

Police guarding the European Parliament found themselves being squirted with jets of milk on Monday as protesters directed hoses at the building.

A trailer of hay was set alight on the nearby Place du Luxembourg, where a mock gallows was erected with what appeared to be a hanging dummy of a farmer.

"Politics are really killing us," Belgian farmer Julien Husquet

was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

"It has to change very quickly at the European level. The way it is going, we are in big trouble."

"It's very simple: you can't live off milk anymore," French farmer

two top Republicans moderated their accusations that Ambassador Susan Rice was part of a government cover-up of what happened in the September 11

attack on the US Consulate in Libya.

Rice, who has emerged as a clear front-runner to replace Clinton during Obama's second four-year term, is due to meet Senator John McCain on Tuesday in an apparent bid to defuse the bitter row over Libya.

McCain has led Republican attacks against Rice, accusing her of misleading the public over the September 11 assault on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya that left Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans dead.

"My concerns are obviously that she told the American people things that were patently false, that were not true," McCain said, confirming Tuesday's meeting, which stoked speculation Rice is the frontrunner for the nomination.

US media reported that the closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill, arranged at Rice's request, would take place at 9:30am (1430 GMT) and that Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Kelly Ayotte would also attend, along with acting CIA director Mike Morell.

Several leading Republicans have vowed to oppose Rice's elevation to become America's top diplomat at all costs if she is nominated for the position, but McCain, the party's 2008 presidential nominee, has softened his criticism in recent days.

Asked on Fox News if Rice could change his mind, McCain said: "Sure. She can. I'd give everyone the benefit of explaining their position and the actions that they took. I'd be glad to have the opportunity."

Leopold Gruget told AFP news agency.

"If I go on, it's thanks to European aid... If they do it [phase out subsidies] there will be no more small and medium producers here in five years."

Farmers used a platform to hose the European Parliament with milk

Susan Rice to meet McCain over Libya row

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resident Barack Obama's top UN diplomat appears to have a clearer path to succeeding Hillary Clinton, the outgoing secretary of state, after

Susan Rice

Republicans singled out Rice because she appeared on Sunday political talk shows five days after the Benghazi attack and said it was the "best assessment" of the US government that the strike was not pre-planned.

Rice said the assault appeared to have started from a "spontaneous" reaction by protesters angry at an amateur anti-Muslim video made on American soil, as had been the case in an earlier assault on the US embassy in Cairo.

President Barack Obama's administration subsequently admitted the attack had been carried out by fighters linked to al-Qaeda, and State Department and FBI probes are currently under way to find out what happened.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 35

“Zombie� bees electronically enhanced to help solve Die-Off Mystery T o learn more about a bizarre, zombie-like behavior recently discovered in honeybees, researchers are now tagging the "zombees" with tiny radio trackers.

When infected by parasitic maggots of the scuttle fly, the bees apparently desert their hives at night and cluster near outdoor lights, wandering in increasingly erratic circles on the ground before dying.

The parasite could be controlling the honeybees and making them abandon their hives-or perhaps the infected bees are "committing altruistic suicide" to protect their hive mates, said entomologist John Hafernik of San Francisco State University.

Hafernik accidentally discovered the zombie bees last year while searching for dead bugs to feed lab insects. After collecting a handful of bees under a campus streetlight, he noticed maggots emerging from

Tiny, back-mounted radio trackers monitor the bees' comings and goings.

the corpses.

Now Hafernik and colleagues are gluing tiny radiofrequency identification tags-each no bigger than a piece of glitter-onto about 500 infected honeybees. The bees come and go from their hive through a small tube fitted with laser scanners, which register when the insects leave, and whether or not they return.

The researchers hope to find out whether the infected bees abandon the hive exclusively at night, a time when bees don't normally fly outside. If so, it could be a clue that the parasites are mind-controlling their victims.

Such studies could also help researchers understand colony collapse disorder, a mysterious disease that makes bees abandon their colonies and has devastated U.S. honeybee populations in recent years.

"We think it's a long shot that these parasites are the main cause of colony collapse disorder," Hafernik said. But studying them "could shed light on the mechanism behind abandonment."

God asked Could cyborg cockroaches save your life? me drive W 100 MPH

G

od may work in strange and mysterious ways -but does that include making a woman drive 100 mph in a 30 mph zone?

That's the excuse Melissa Miller gave cops who pulled her over early Tuesday after witnessing her speeding and blowing her horn near Fort Pierce, Fla. When authorities questioned why she was driving so fast, she explained it was "because I was letting the Lord spirit [sic] guide me," according to TCPalm.com. and claimed she banged the car horn long and hard because of "the Lord telling me to do it."

The arresting officers didn't need the Lord to tell them what to do -- it was all there in the law books.

Miller, 41, of Port St. Lucie, was arrested on charges of reckless driving and speeding, according to MSN.com.

Miller was taken to the St. Lucie County Jail and placed under a $375 bail, WFTS-TV reported. In addition to reckless driving, she was charged with violation of her probation for leaving the scene of an accident with injuries.

The bail may be a lot, but surely the Lord will provide.

Melissa Miller

hat exactly is a biobot? Is it like a cyborg, a combination of a living organism and a robot?

"Biobot" is short for "biological robot." It is the first stage of creating what we would call an insect cyborg.

Currently, we can steer these roaches remotely and make them stop, go, and turn.

If we can have them interact independently with the technologies we've surgically implanted in them, then they will become true cyborgs.

Is it hard to perform surgery on a cockroach?

No, it's quite simple. Insects can be anesthetized by putting them in the fridge for a few hours-the cold basically makes them hibernate, so they don't move. Then you just need tweezers and a microscope.

We do a simple surgery to insert the electrodes in the roaches' antennae and cerci [rear sensors]. We also use medical-grade epoxy to glue tiny magnets to their backs, so that we can just snap on the backpack containing the wireless control system.

Your paper mentions that these biobots could help rescue earthquake survivors. How, exactly?

Their backpacks can carry a locator beacon and a tiny microphone to pick up cries for help. Of course, a human operator or computer still has to be listening and steering them. Our biobots are basically just beasts of burden. They could also carry a camera or any other kind of miniaturized sensor one can imagine.

These experiments were done in a very controlled laboratory environment, on a

flat surface, so we are now in the process of building test-beds that mimic some real-life scenarios. I don't think it will be very long before we can deploy them to actually help rescue people.

Why use real cockroaches, instead of synthetic robots made from some tougher material?

They come with a selfpowered locomotion system.

And they have biological autonomy to help them survive-they will run away when they sense danger, which makes them hard to trap or squash. That's really useful in uncertain, dynamic environments.

How many roach biobots have you created so far? Are most of them male or female?

More than ten. We paint them with different colors of

nail polish to tell them apart.

We prefer to work with females, because they can carry eggs inside, so they are theoretically better at carrying payloads. But it works on males as well. Can you explain exactly how you are able to steer the biobots?

We use electric pulses to stimulate their antenna sensor cells, making them think there is an obstacle to navigate around.

Cockroaches use their antennae as touch sensors, similar to the way a blind person might use their hands to recognize the environment.

So when we stimulate the antennal sensor on the roach's right side, it makes a left turn, and vice versa. We also stimulate their cerci to make them go forward. Cerci are the

sensors at the very back of the insect that sense any predator behind.

Do the electrical pulses hurt the roaches?

No, there are a lot of scientific papers and evidence that show that invertebrates don't have the sense of pain as we, humans, perceive it. So it was not like we were zapping them and they were reacting to pain. Their reflexes were simply navigating them around perceived obstacles.

We don't want to torture cockroaches. Actually, we hope that our research will help the public to appreciate the importance and complexity of these little folks that we share an ecosystem with. Personally, I can't even kill pest insects at home since I appreciate them so much!

A cockroach outfitted with front and rear electrodes as well as a "backpack" for wireless control.

PAGE 36

T

he effects of smoking on the skin are well documented with those keen to stay looking young urged to stub out the cigarettes.

But a new study has found that smoking could also age the brain.

Tests on 8,800 people over 50 have showed smoking can damage memory, learning and reading skills making people more vulnerable to dementia.

Scientists from Kings College London, who carried out the research, also found high blood pressure and being overweight also seemed to affect the brain, but to a lesser extent.

They said that people needed to be aware that lifestyles could damage the mind as well as the body.

The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (Elsa) carried out tests of memory, planning and overall mental ability on volunteers after four and eight years.

The study showed that smoking consistently reduced all three performance measures after four years.

High blood pressure and high risk of stroke were also associated with lower scores for memory and overall mental ability after eight years.

Being overweight was also linked to poor memory.

The findings, published in the journal Age and Ageing, indicate that future trials should focus on combinations of risk factors

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

Smoking doesn’t just age your lungs, it damages your brain, too rather than individual causes of mental decline, say the researchers.

Lead scientist Dr Alex Dregan, from King’s College London, said: ‘Cognitive decline becomes more common with ageing and for an increasing number of people interferes with daily functioning and well-being.

‘Some older people can become forgetful, have trouble

Smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and a high BMI all worsen the risk of dementia.

Tests on 8,800 people over 50 have showed cigarettes can damage memory.

remembering common words or have problems organising daily tasks more than others.

‘We have identified a number of risk factors which could be associated with accelerated cognitive decline, all of which, could be modifiable.

‘This offers valuable knowledge for future prevention and treatment interventions.’

The results indicate that high blood pressure has a gradual effect

on the brain over a long period, according to the scientists.

‘This could explain why shortterm trials of blood pressure lowering drugs being used to treat mental decline had failed to show a clear benefit.

Dr Dregan added: ‘Our research suggests that the most promising approach to delaying or preventing early ageing of the brain is one that acknowledges the multi-causality of cognitive

decline.’

Jessica Smith, from the Alzheimer’s Society, said: ‘We all know smoking, a high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and a high BMI (body mass index) is bad for our heart.

‘This research adds to the huge amount of evidence that also suggests they can be bad for our head too.

‘One in three people over 65 will develop dementia but there are things people can do to reduce their risk.

‘Eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, getting your blood pressure and cholesterol checked and not smoking can all make a difference.’

Dr Simon Ridley, from the charity Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: ‘Research has repeatedly linked smoking and high blood pressure to a greater risk of cognitive decline and dementia, and this study adds further weight to that evidence.

‘Cognitive decline as we age can develop into dementia, and unravelling the factors that are linked to this decline could be crucial for finding ways to prevent the condition.’

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Grapefruits can trigger overdoses in dozens of medicines- researchers

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illions of people taking medicines for high cholesterol, cancer and to prevent heart attacks are at risk of potentially life threatening side effects if they eat grapefruits, doctors have warned.

A study has listed 43 major drugs which are affected by eating grapefruits or drinking the juice and experts have warned there needs to be more awareness of the risks.

The number of drugs that interact with grapefruit increased from 17 in 2000 to 43 in 2008, researchers in Canada found.

Eating one grapefruit a day or drinking 200ml of juice was enough to trigger significant side effects in some of the patients.

Elderly patients were at particular risk because they are more likely to eat grapefruit and be on the medicines that interact with it, while their bodies are less able to cope with the effects of an overdose, the researchers said.

Grapefruits and some other citrus fruits, contain specific chemicals that affects an enzyme in the gut which can lead to a greater proportion of the drug being absorbed into the body.

This can result in massive overdoses causing serious side effects ranging from hallucinations, low blood pressure, to kidney poisoning, muscle damage, high heart rate and breathing problems.

The findings were published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Some people have died following the interaction and

experts said doctors and pharmacists needed to be more aware of the problem.

The study, conducted by Dr David Bailey, of the Lawson Health Research Institute, in London, Ontario, listed several examples of interactions including one patient who suffered a potentially life threatening increase in heart rate while on the heart disease drug aimodarone and drinking between one and 1.5 litres of grapefruit juice a day.

Another one atorvastatin for high cholesterol suffered serious muscle damage after drinking freshly squeezed grapefruit juice daily for five days and one who developed a blood clot while on Ethinylestradiol, a form of hormone replacement therapy for menopause symptoms who

had eaten a whole grapefruit at breakfast for three days.

Popular drugs affected in this way include simvastatin, taken for high cholesterol, clopidogrel to thin the blood, Tyverb for breast cancer, domperidone for sickness and powerful painkillers Fentanyl, Oxycodone and Ketamine.

One drug, dextromethorphan, is an anticough preparation used in overthe-counter products and other drugs that interact with grapefruit are some antibiotics, some anti-HIV drugs, quinine that is in tonic water and has been used against malaria, heart rhythm medicines, and antirejection drugs used following organ transplants.

For some drugs drinking 200ml of juice daily was enough

to deliver three to six times the normal dose.

Dr Bailey said: “Many of the drugs that interact with grapefruit are highly prescribed and are essential for the treatment of important or common medical conditions.

“Unless health care professionals are aware of the possibility that the adverse event they are seeing might have an origin in the recent addition of grapefruit to the patient’s diet, it is very unlikely that they will investigate it.

“In addition, the patient may not volunteer this information.

Thus, we contend that there remains a lack of knowledge about this interaction in the general healthcare community.”

The grapefruit effect can work in both ways, to reduce the amount of drug absorbed by the body, or to increase it, as was studied in this research.

Prof Simon Maxwell, Clinical Lead of Prescribing at the British Pharmacological Society and Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh, said: “There are a lot of drugs on the list, including some very important high volume ones. But they represent a minuscule fraction of

the compounds out there.

“Serious interactions are not a massive problem in Britain but we are probably not talking to our patients about it enough and awareness amongst doctors is definitely not high enough.”

He said some of the interactions were theoretical such as dextromethorphan used in some cough mixtures as the amount of the active drug used in those medicines was very low.

Also, despite quinine in tonic water being listed as having caused a serious reaction in one patient, Prof Maxwell said this was likely to be extremely rare.

Prof Maxwell said researchers should investigate if the grapefruit effect could be harnessed so lower doses of these drugs could be prescribed with the juice to allow the same clinical effect from less of the active medicine.

But this would be complicated and costly to study he said.

Leyla Hannbeck, Head of Pharmacy at the National Pharmacy Association said: “Grapefruit juice and fresh grapefruit can interfere with the action of a range of prescription and non-prescription drugs.

“In some cases this can result in potentially dangerous levels of the active ingredient in the blood.

“So if you have any concerns about how your diet could affect your medicines ask your pharmacist for advice. A face-toface discussion with the pharmacist can be the key to safer and more effective medicines use.”

Source: Telegraph.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 37

Reuben should learn from Adeniyi, says Zakari INTERVIEW On the subsidy matter and plea bargaining, he said: et me tell you one thing which I have said severally, clearly and unfortunately, Mr Reuben Abati who is supposed to be the Spokesperson of Mr. President is very unreasonable. I read his write up and I quite got very disappointed that rather than addressing the issues, Reuben was particular about Zakari Mohammed as a person. There, he alluded to the fact that I was absent minded. And what was my crime? It was because I said that the government of President Goodluck Jonathan, from all that we had seen does not display strength and of course, the will to tackle corruption headlong and of course that is the truth and I stand by that. I keep repeating it and will keep repeating it.

But I just want to tell Reuben something, that there was somebody who occupied the office of the Special Adviser or Spokesman of Mr. President till months back. That gentleman is Mr. Segun Adeniyi. That man is still alive. My advice to Reuben is that he should go and take lessons from Segun Adeniyi on how he handled the affairs of the late President Musa Yar’Adua when issues of this country, policy issues direction were being discussed.

At some point, we didn’t know the right direction we were to go. But he handled and conducted himself as a thoroughbred professional and a lot of us were proud of him.

But of course the fact that you are an Essayist does not make you an Information Manager.

That is the mistake we made.

Reuben Abati is not a Journalist. I can say that and beat my chest anywhere. That you are in the boardroom and just as an Essayist does not make you a journalist. Having said that, the issue on ground is the fact that the oil and gas industry, because we have done a mistake as a country and we have relied so much heavily on the oil, everybody that is somebody in Nigeria wants to have something to do with oil.

And unless we begin to divest and we begin to redirect our too much focus on oil, the corruption will continue to be there in the oil industry. But I want to say that leadership is not by shifting blames; leadership is about responsibility. The day you desire or decide to, the day you make up your mind to serve, you must be culpable for everything that goes wrong while you are there. So, I want to say that for us as a House, I

L

The Chairman of House Committee on media, Hon Muhammed Zakari, in an interview with Journalists in Ilorin advised Special Adviser to the President on Media, Reuben Abati, to learn from Segun Adeniyi, in addition to other national issues. Our correspondent, Olanrewaju Lawal was there. Excerpt believe, and until we are proved very wrong, the will to tackle the corruption in the oil and gas industry looks about selective and unless we go for it totally, we go for it head long, we might not be able to get to where we are going. Already, people are being taken on. For us as per the plea bargaining, we just want to say that justice should not be a short circuit way. That is, there shouldn’t be shortcut to justice. Let the rule of law prevail. And that is what we keep preaching at the National Assembly. For us, we would keep asking and demanding that the right thing be done even if we are blackmailed in the process. But we know that the way we are, the way things stand now, unless there is a change of attitude, we might not be able to tackle that problem headlong. And that is the issue of corruption in the oil and gas industry. We would pass the PIB with our observations entrenched and we will give it quick passage, taking note that it is not just garbage in, garbage out issue but taking note of the key issues and we have already made our observations on these issues very clear. We will come out with the law that is sustainable.

With the law that will empower the institutions to function rather than the actors in the institutions. So, we don’t intend to pass a PIB that would make the country to be at the mercy of an individual. That of course, we would not accept. But all the key issues that bother on making the oil and gas industry open to investments will be made so that employment would be generated and revenue would be created. We would be in tune with that so that we will be on the same page with Nigerians.

On the issue of Sovereign Nationals Conference, he said: I think for us the elites, we

Hon Muhammed Zakari

are the major problem of this Country. We the elites are Nigeria’s major problem and unless and until we get sincere with our utterances, we will definitely be running into all these kinds of problems. We as a House said that there are issues and if you look at the forty-three (43) amendments that we sought for, for instance, independence of the legislators at the state level, independence of the local government (financial autonomy), State creation, revenue allocation formula, presidency rotation governorship functioning, etcetera, all these issues have been in the public domain overtime. And by the virtue of Section 9 of the 1999 constitution as amended, we are given the power to be able to amend the constitution. Any how we go about it shouldn’t be material. But what does it take to achieve that? Some people have said that we should call

“

My advice to Reuben is that he should go and take lessons from Segun Adeniyi on how he handled the affairs of the late President Musa Yar’Adua when issues of this country, policy issues direction were being discussed.

Confab. We should call for a Referendum. Of late, we have come out with a position and we said that anything that is not in the constitution, we can never be a party to the execution of such. Referendum is not in the Nigerian constitution and it is alien to our constitution and I am sure that the lawyers, the Nigerian Bar Association should know better. For us as a House, there is no perfect document anywhere in the world. There is no perfect constitution in any part of the world. You keep upholding it and amending it all times. The Constitution of a country is the way the country is. Our great grand children can come and bring up certain ideas and begin to put it up and embed it in the constitution.

But to continue to say that the entire constitution is faulty, I disagree with that. And unfortunately, it comes from the quarters that you begin to think that these people should be enlightened enough to know that if you say we should throw out the entire constitution, the institutions that are products of that constitution become all illegal. If you throw them out, where do you start from? Who conducts the conference?

Where do you have the funding? Who moderates it?

What module operandi are we going to operate with? We are leaders in our right and we believe that rather than throw out the constitution and throw the country into confusion, we should look for a lee way out.

Every responsible government, every responsible people will look for a lee way in every situation.

That is what leadership is all about. It is about proffering solutions at every point in time. You navigate as at when it is stormy and take a right course. That is exactly what we believe in the seventh National Assembly that we are doing. These issues have been brought to the public domain, we had interacted and I know that in my constituency, some of your colleagues were there with me, it was democratic.

Every issue was taken according to its merit. And people debated. They had a very robust debate and at the end of the day we came up with common stand on each of these issues.

The views, the aggregate views of the people will be collated and of course that will form the stand of the Nigerian people as far as we are concerned. Never miss it.

Some people have lost elections. Some people have lost relevance. They believe that the best way to come back is to begin to ask for confab. If you want to stand in an election, go and follow the due process as enshrined in the constitution. Pick up the party nomination form. Sell yourself to the people. Be accepted and come out rather than doing it in your own way. You cannot get into the House through the chimney. Getting through the back door, getting through the window is illegal. So, that is exactly what I want us to understand; actually the elite team is the problem with us.

And unless we get these things right, we would keep missing the point. We are empowered by the constitution to tinker with the constitution. And we said the amendment is our own power within the purview of our powers. There is nothing that we are doing in excess. But the people that are asking for referendum, for confab, I think if we search their views, it might not be in the best interest of Nigeria.

We are at critical moment of our history that if things were not done right, we might be putting this country on the slaughters slab and we would begin to pieces it. We don’t want to preside over the sharing of Nigeria or on the piecing of Nigeria. Nigeria, either by mistake, since 1914, we have learnt how to stay with each other. Some of us have made life partners over across boards.

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

Wada accuses PDP elders of frustrating him From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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L-R: Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Chairman, House Committee on Aids, Debt and Loans Management, Hon. Adeyinka Ajayi, and Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Hassan Saleh, during the 2012-2013 borrowing meeting with state governors by the committee, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Disagreement trails naming Airport after Saraki From Olanrewaju Lawal,Ilorin

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former Commissioner for Special Duties in Kwara state under the administration of Late Muhammed Alabi Lawal, Alh Razaq Lawal, and a member of the state House of Assembly, Hon Kamaldeen Ajibade, have expressed different opinions over the naming of Ilorin International Airport after late Dr Olusola Saraki.

The former Commissioner

who stated his views in an interview with journalists in Ilorin, said "The late Baba Saraki was the true and authentic landlord of Kwara government house and he always passed the key to whoever he wishes through the help of Almighty Allah.

"He was instrumental to the elections of all former civilian governors of the state, namely Alh Adamu Attah, Chief Cornelius Adebayo,Alh Sha'aba Lafiagi and Dr Bukola Saraki.

"Therefore no one but the late Saraki deserved to be immortalised with the state government house" But expressing divergent view, a member of the House of Assembly, Ajibade argued that no governor under democratic dispensation got elected without the support of Second Republic Senate Leader.

He said: "I heard National Assembly is calling for the naming of Ilorin International airport after

him. I totally disagree with this. Going by history, there is hardly any governor under democratic dispensation that got to power without Saraki's support.

"Therefore that seat of government should be named after him because he deserves more than that for his generosity. The creme of the society that have been visiting the state since his death shows that his demise was a great loss to the entire Nigerian nation".

PDP congratulates Kaoje over election as APBN boss

By Lawrence Olaoye

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he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday congratulated its National Treasurer over his election as the President of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria.

In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh,

the party commended Kaoje's leadership qualities, describing him as a worthy ambassador.

He stated "A golden fish has no hiding place. As the former Minister Sports, he served the country diligently. As a member of the House of Representatives, he distinguished himself. When our great party decided on him

as the best hand for our treasury, he left no one in doubt.

Now, the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria has elected him as its President.

He is in deed a worthy ambassador. This is no doubt an honour to him, to his state, to our great Party and to the nation at large."

"The National Chairman of

our Party, Dr. Bamanga Turkur on behalf the National Executive Committee and other members of the Party wish to send our sincere felicitations to Hon. Kaoje on this occasion. We urge him to continue as a shinning example of the determination of the PDP to lead the nation to the path of greatness," the party said.

Kaduna council poll: Ensure free and fair elections, parties tell SIECOM From Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

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he Kaduna state Coalition of Political Parties (KCPP) has commended the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIECOM) on the level of preparations for the forthcoming local government elections scheduled for December 1.

A press statement

yesterday by the KCPP Chairman, Alhaji Inuwa Ahmed, urged SIECOM to abide by the rules of the game and also ensure free and fair elections, for the nation’s democratic rule to thrive.

According to the statement, “After a meeting in Kaduna on Monday, the coalition of 46 political parties in Kaduna state affirmed its support of all the

arrangements put in place by SIECOM on the scheduled December 1, 2011 local government elections.

“The coalition appeals to all stakeholders in the state to cooperate with the electoral body in order to ensure that the elections are free, fair and devoid of rancor and acrimony.

“The coalition also calls on the people to come out to

participate in the exercise while urging the electorate to vote credible and acceptable candidates for the rapid development of their local governments and the entire state.

“The coalition appeals to security agencies to perform their duties effectively and make sure that no one is molested or intimidated during the election period.”

ogi state Governor, Idris Wada, yesterday cried out that elders of the party in the state, through their activities have shown that they are out to frustrate his administration.

Reacting to recent publications condemning Wada's leadership style and calls by the elders on PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, to intervene and sanitize Kogi under the governor's leadership, Wada insisted that the party needed to be saved, first, from the elders, reiterating that it was Wada who asked the national chairman of the party to save him from them.

In a statement signed by the governor's Media Assistant on Print, Alhaji Yekini Jimoh, Kogi State Government recalled that the June 23, 2012 visit to the PDP National Secretariat, Governor Wada conferred with Tukur and members of the National Working Committees, during which he asked to be saved from the antiPDP members from Kogi.

It said despite efforts by the governor to reconcile aggrieved members, pockets of indiscipline and disunity witnessed within the party are being perpetrated by the elders.

"The governor, it will be recalled, had pleaded with the National Chairman that our common challenge should be the opposition and that we should not, as a party, have members within our party toeing different lines from what the manifesto and the leadership at the national level have guided us to do. As at today, a member of our party, who we believe has the backing of the so-called elders, has returned to the Appeal Court, to add to the litany of cases against the governor.

"Reporting the governor at this point in time is tantamount to putting the cart before the horse. The real people to beg are the so-called elders," he stated.

The statement accused the "self-styled" Kogi Elders Forum of having transmuted as the fore runner of the state executive of the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and wondered if the elders, by their current engagement, were true members of PDP. "There is therefore little wonder that statements from the said elders in their ongoing campaigns to malign Governor Wada, are constantly followed by a thumb up for them by the ACN state leadership. Perhaps, they are one and serve the same master. A case of the hands of Jacob and hands of Esau, you may say," he alleged..

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 39

Ondo election: NHRC commends security operatives

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

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he National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday said the conduct of security personnel during the Ondo state governorship election showed improvement in the conduct of security personnel in the country.

“The overall conduct of security personnel in Ondo election was considered good by 75 percent monitors,” the project Coordinator of the 2012 Ondo State Governorship Election Security Project of the NHRC/ UNDP/DGD, Barr. Tony Ojukwu has said.

Ojukwu told newsmen in Abuja that the 2012 Ondo state election security project is an

intervention by the NHRC, in collaboration with UNDP/ Democratic Governance for Development (DGD) to strengthen the capacity of election security personnel and monitors for successful electoral duties in the county.

He said security personnel drafted to Ondo state for the purpose of the election performed above expectations as lives and property were adequately protected before, during and after the election.

Ojukwu who is also the Director, Legal Services and Enforcement of the NHRC suggested the payment of hazard allowance and generous provisions as transportation for election security observers.

He said the hazard allowance

will ameliorate the stress election security monitors undergo in the process of carrying out election duties.

The military and the State Security Service (SSS), he said, should be included in training for election security personnel.

Earlier in his remark, NHRC’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Bem Angwe commended the federal government for acting fast on the security threat before the Ondo election.

He said the conduct of security agencies during the election is underscored by the fact that, “the

election was a litmus test for the consolidation of the electoral reform initiative of free and fair elections by President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration with Jega at the headship of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)”.

“We are all eye witness to the improvement recorded across board on the conduct of security personnel and the security of the entire electoral process during the just concluded elections”, he said.

In his remark, the UNDP/ DGD project, Mourtada Deme

said the capacity and willingness of security agencies to provide adequate security in a non partisan and impartial matter contributes to the credibility of elections.

He said the report of NHRC and various observer groups attested to the professional manner in which the security personnel secured the election in Ondo state.

Deme said DGD is committed to supporting INEC and the NHRC in assisting the capacity of security agencies to enhance peaceful conduct of elections in Nigeria.

PDP slams Fayemi over attack on Fayose, others From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

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he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the SouthWest has warned the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi and his party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), to desist from attacking, harassing and victimizing PDP members in the state, especially former governor, Dr. Ayodele Fayose.

The party said there could be breakdown of law and order in the state if Fayemi and his thugs do not desist from the reign of terror being unleashed on PDP members and supporters.

In a release issued by its Zonal Publicity Secretary, Hon. Kayode Babade, the PDP described the attack on Fayose and others in Oye, Ilawe, Ikere, Ikole and Efon-Alaaye by Fayemi’s agents, as well as the failed abduction and subsequent arrest, detention and trial of Mr. Lere Olayinka, Chief Press Secretary to the PDP National Vice-Chairman (South-West), Chief Segun Oni, for alleged sedition as an act of barbarism and cowardice on the part of Fayemi.

The PDP, which also decried the alleged state government protection of criminals said; “In Ekiti, it appears that there is a kind of kill and go mentality, whereby anyone working for government can kill and go scot-free. That’s the reason, Fayemi’s Aide, Tope Longe, who allegedly killed Teslim Abiola, a 400 Level Accounting student of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti (EKSU) is still walking the streets free.

“That mentality must be the reason a Court Magistrate, who imprisoned Mr. Lere Olayinka that was charged for sedition for seven days because

his bail application was not written, expressly admitted Tope Longe, who was charged for the murder of Teslim Abiola to bail in the sum of N100,000 and two substantial sureties.

Shouldn’t we then begin to ask question as to why a suspected murderer was granted bail by a Magistrate while a man standing trial for alleged sedition was denied bail by the same Magistrate?

“This same kill and go mentality of Fayemi and his ACN has made it possible for those who killed our party’s Chairman for Osun Ward in Moba Local Government, Chief Adeleye Awolumate, to be walking the streets free two years after the gruesome murder.”

Babade said further, “The Fayemi-led government has been unleashing terror on lawabiding members of the public.

The attacks on Dr. Fayose; the failed attempt to abduct Mr. Lere Olayinka, and his subsequent arrest and trial for alleged publication of seditious articles against Fayemi is known to all and sundry.

“Also under Fayemi’s watchful eyes, two senior officials of the PHCN and Mrs. Modupe Olatawura, widow of late Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Olajide Olatawura were publicly assaulted by government agents while the palace of IlasaEkiti was invaded by thugs led

by Fayemi’s Special Assistant on Internal Security, Deji Adesokan (Jaruu).

“All these acts of political intolerance are hallmarks of tyrannical governments, which Fayemi government has turned to, and time has come for him to be called to order before Ekiti State is thrown into chaos,” the PDP warned.

L-R: Representative of the wife of Akwa-Ibom state Governor, Mrs Eunice Thomas, receiving an award onbehalf of the governor's wife, from the representative of President, National Council of Women Societies, Mrs A. Azura, during Political Summit Group colloquium, recently in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

NGO boss alleges threat to life over Benue polls From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

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hairman, Benue Network of Non-governmental O r g a n i z a t i o n (BENGONET), Barr. Justin Gbagi has alleged threat to this life over last Saturday’s local government election in the state.

Gbagi, while reeling out his organization’s observation of the polls told newsmen that someone called him at about 11 with a strange number warning him not to divulge what he observed during the election or risk his life.

He also complained of being molested by some youths in Buruku Local Government Area who he said, tore his clothes and seized his phones and camera.

The BENGONET chairman lamented that the

local government poll was a big sham as it was marred by several irregularities including snatching of ballot boxes, massive thumb printing of ballot papers, voter apathy and use of political thugs to intimidate voters.

He alleged that in Gboko Local Government Area’s election did not take place as thugs snatched ballot boxes while in Gwer, a former chairman of the area and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Col. Benjamin Kwembeh, were seen hijacking ballot papers and chasing away BSIEC officials from the polling units.

Furthermore, Gbagi noted that in Agboughoul, Makurdi Local Government, BSIEC staff had no identification and needed assistance from voters

to fill-in information on the voters’ register.

He also observed that in Aliade, Gwer Local Government Area, election did not take place and no security personnel was seen in any polling unit, adding that there was inducement of BSIEC officials by PDP chieftains who bought drinks for them.

Gbagi mentioned one Clement Azuanongo who supervised the hijacking of ballot boxes in Konshisha, contending that some PDP agents masqueraded as agents of the opposition ACN. “This election was indeed marred by lots of irregularities.

I will not be intimidated by anyone to say what I observed.

We are going to make our observation public very soon”, he stated confidently.

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

Kaduna Assembly begins probe of SUBEB

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L-R: Chairman, House Committee on Industry, Hon. Onawo Mohammed (left), recieving Managing Director, Bank of Industry, Ms. Evelyn Oputu (middle), during the bank's budget defence before the committee, yesterday in Abuja. With them is a member of the Committee, Hon. Amere Gafar Akintayo (right).

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Kogi: Lawmaker unleashes thugs on opponents over Ijumu congress From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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n a move to retain his grip on the politics of Ajaokuta area of Kogi state, a political figure from Ajaokuta was said to have resulted into the use of thugs to manhandle perceived political opponents.

The figure who is also a member of the House of Representatives was said to have ordered the beating of the secretary of the last weekend Ward Congress Committee, Mallam Suraj Suleiman, who was formerly in his political camp, at the Government House during PDP stakeholders meeting.

Narrating his ordeal to our reporter, Suraj alleged that the boys who attacked him were supporters of the lawmaker even as he also alleged that the boys also carted away his money and other valuables According to him, the lawmaker, who felt that he had lost out of the political equation in

the area decided to use hired thugs to pursue his ambition “The lamaker knows that he has lost out completely. That was why he decided to make use of thugs to intimidate perceived enemies” Suraj noted The lawmaker was also said to have personally engaged the personal aide of the former Chief of Army staff, General Salihu Ibrahim, in a fight even as the congress was said to have been held unhindered.

“The member representing our area on seeing that he was loosing decided to fight everybody who was there. He personally slapped the PA to General Salihu Ibrahim, Mr Stephen Adajinewa” The Congress Chief Returning Officer for Ajaokuta LGA, Alex Enesi, was also said to be seriously beating by thugs loyal to the lawmaker.

A reliable source told Peoples Daily that the case which was reported at the Kogi state police command Lokoja was receiving

serious attention When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ajayi Okansomi, who could not confirm the report, immediately promised to get back to our reporter. The source added that the congress which was held peacefully across the 14 words of the LGA, recorded large turn out of PDP members in the area There was also apprehension and tension in Ijumu Local Government of Kogi State, following alleged diversion of ward congress materials for the Peoples Democratic Party’s ward congress by some leaders in the area.

It was gathered that the ward committee for Ijumu Local Government did not turn up with the nomination forms and result sheets while supporters of the party who turned out in all the 15 wards of the local government waited for the material in vain.

Our reporter also gathered that in some area where few

nomination forms were available, there were no results sheets to enter the result of the congress, saying that the action of committee caused some pockets of violence and arrest of some party supporters.

Briefing journalist yesterday in Iyara, a chieftain of the party, Chief Bode Olumodeji alleged that the vice chairman of the party in the Western Senatorial District of the state, Mohammed Balga, who was to be the Returning Officer for the local government, connived with some leaders in the area to divert the materials meant for the congress to private house.

He said they have vowed not to participate in the local government congress coming up tomorrow until the problem is solved. According to him, there was no guarantee that diversion of materials during the LG congress would not happen again insisting that the mistake of the ward congress must be corrected first.

Gov. Fayemi urges corps members to impact self reliance on host community

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ov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, yesterday urged corps members posted to the state to teach members of their host communities how to be self-reliant.

The governor made the call at Ise-Ekiti during the close of the orientation programme for the 2248 Batch C Corps members.

Represented at the ceremony by his deputy, Mrs Funmi Olayinka, the governor said that by so doing, they would be reducing the alarming growth of unemployment in the country.

Fayemi urged them to put all the trainings they received during their orientation course into effective

use for the overall development of Ekiti and Nigeria. ``The skills which you have all acquired through the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurial training should be put in place to increase your financial status," the governor said.

Fayemi described Ekiti as a peaceful state, saying that in times of distress they should not forget to call on God as the ``chief security officer of the world''.

He assured the corps members that government would continue to utilise its teeming youth for grassroots sensitisation, mobilisation and electioneering.

He said that they would be used for awareness creation and execution of programmes such as the MDGs advocacy project, HIV and AIDS prevention and care, polio and malaria eradication as well as fight against corruption.

Earlier, the Ekiti State Coordinator of NYSC, Mr Baba Ahmed, said that the 21-day course had been positively rewarding to the participants. ``The 21-day course has equipped the corps members mentally and physically to enable them to face the challenges of the service year," he said.

Ahmed added that various

speakers from the private sector, government and NGOs were sourced to deliver lectures which motivated and aroused corps members self consciousness and confidence.

He said that skills in soapmaking, cosmetics, insecticide, bridal accessories, hats and beads, consumables like cake, custard, meat pie and peanuts, livestock keeping and ICT had been acquired by the corps member.

The coordinator however appealed to the governor to assist in building more hostels, staff quarters and a modern multi-purpose hall for the use of corps members during their lectures. (NAN)

he Kaduna State House of Assembly yesterday set up a nine-member committee to investigate the activities of the state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

This followed a motion moved by Hon. Philemon Gidan-Mana, who urged the assembly to investigate funds remitted to the board every month from the accounts of local councils and its alleged recruitment of fake teachers.

He argued that the monies being deducted from the local councils was making the local governments poorer, with some unable to even pay salaries.

According to him, the members have to look at the activities of the board critically to avert a situation whereby the local government councils would be failing in discharging their statutory responsibilities.

Seconding the motion, Hon. Ahmed Hassan, representing Makarfi Constutuency, expressed concern over continuous depletion of local council funds to service the board.

He said the continuation of such deductions would cripple the local government system in the next five months, urging the members to set aside their partisan interests on the matter.

In his contribution, Mr Yohana Jatau, representing Jaba Constituency, called for a thorough investigation to ensure the employment of qualified teachers and judicious utilisation of funds allocated to the board.

Hon. Aliyu Jigo, representing Kakangi constituency, said it was the responsibility of the legislature to make sure that all monies collected from government coppers were used judiciously in line with section 138 of the 1999 Constitution.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other members who contributed to the debate included Hon. Shehu Adamu, Hon. Kantiok Irmiya and Hon. David Umaru.

They all called for a thorough investigation of the board to ensure that at the end of the exercise the standard of education improves greatly in the state.

The Speaker, Alhaji Mu'azu Gangara, constituted a ninemember committee to investigate the issues and report back to the House within eight weeks.

Members of the committee are: Philemon Gida-mana (Chairman), Kantiok Irmiya, Umar Yunusa, Bala Mohammed, Yakubu Bityong, Peter Adamu, Haliru Sambo, Yakubu Yusuf and Shehu Tahir. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 41

2012 CAF Awards: Zambia, CIV, others listed

NFF disagrees with Zonal Coordinators, to name AGM venue today

T

By Albert Akota

T

he Nigeria Football Federation, (NFF) has said that it has the sole responsibility of deciding the venue of the forthcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Chief Media Officer of the football federation, Ademola Olajire, said in apparent disagreement with the agitation of the Zonal Coordinators who had threatened to boycott the annual congress should the NFF stick to the original venue Port Harcourt.

The members had insisted against Port Harcourt following Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s description of the federation as the most corrupt government agency in the country.

“The venue of AGM is NFF’s responsibility to decide as are the date and time. The zonal stakeholders, that comprise of state FA’s, are also key members.

“As Nigeria may know, the football house normally considers a venue or state that will be suitable for it members by providing accommodation and other social logistics throughout the meeting,” he said adding that it would act according when the board holds its meeting today.

Also, he disclosed that the board has received the management audit report and noted that the “NPL congress will be top issues to been discussed at the executive board meeting tomorrow (today),” stressing resolutions on all issues would be made.

Peoples Daily Sports learnt that the FA’s chairmen held a meeting in Abuja last night to discuss their stand in respect of the of the venue of the AGM, but their resolutions were unavailable as at the time of going to the press.

The chairman of chairmen who doubles as chairman security committee of the NFF Johnson Effiong has earlier said that the venue of AGM would be determined by the FA’s chairmen not solely by the NFF as they are key stakeholders of the meeting.

Pape Moussa Konate, Mohamed Salah, youngsters from Senegal and Egypt listed for CAF award

Kurfi harps on Nigeria’s tennis prospects

N

igeria have the potentials to produce likes of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafeal Nadal if adequate attention is paid to talent discovery, grooming and exposure at the right time and place.

This was the view of a sports philanthropists, Malam Aminu Kurfi yesterday while speaking on seemingly but sudden dearth of tennis stars in the country.

Kurfi, who recently undertook to sponsor the rehabilitation of the dilapidated tennis facility at the Kaduna Tennis Club, said Nigeria is blessed with budding talents who only required some attention and the right mentoring to maximised their talents and win laurels for Nigeria.

“Everywhere you go to in this country you find talents in various

D

sports. Take lawn tennis for instance. There are several promising players.

What they lack is proper technical nurturing, the facility to train and this must be adequate.

“I am convinced that we can produce great tennis players in this country.

I am also of the view that the efforts of the Nigeria Tennis Federation should be complemented because the federation relies on the government for funding.

“If those in the private would identify with them through sponsorship of events or even sponsoring identified tennis prospects to some training exercises abroad, I think it would go a long way to assist these talents properly horn their skills,” he stressing that it was the motivating factor behind his decision to assist effect the repairs of the facility at the Kaduna Tennis Club.

Plots to remove Ekeji thickens as NFF denies involvement

By Patrick Andrew

B

rickbats that arose from Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s description of the NFF as ‘the most corrupt government agency’ in the country at the Presidential Sports Sector Retreat may have metamorphosed into alleged surreptitious moves to remove the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Dr. Patrick Ekeji.

Ekeji is alleged to have been behind the woes of the NFF which culminated in Amaechi’s comment in the presence of President Goodluck Jonathan, who

had led key members of the government and corporate executives to the retreat.

Though Amaechi was said to have exonerated the present board of the NFF, the description did not go down well with some members of the board and the zonal coordinators in particular who reacted by threatening to boycott the NFF Annual General Meeting that had hitherto been fixed to be held in Port Harcourt.

Subsequently, it was alleged that a group working in conjunction with certain elements from the House Committee on Sports and purportedly sponsored by the leadership of the football

Delta Queens win Super-Six elta Queens FC of Asaba were yesterday crowned the champions of the 2012 edition of the Nigerian Women League’s Super-Six Championship.

They walloped Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt 3-0 in the final match played at the Old Parade Ground, Abuja.

Iwuagwu Faustina scored the opening goal for Delta Queens in the 20th minute

he Confederation of African Football has released the nominees for the rest of the categories for this year’s GLO-CAF Awards scheduled for December 20 in Accra, Ghana.

Earlier, it had announced the five shortlisted nominees for the2012 CAF Player of the Year and the three (3) players vying for the 2012 CAF Player of the Year (Based in Africa).

Yesterday, CAF released the remaining awards contenders in the catagories of National Team of the Year with the reigning African champions, Zambia, nominated along with Ivory Coast, the 2013 AFCON debutants Cape Verde are also in the running as is Central African Republic.

In the Women’s National Team of the Year category, crowned African Women’s Champions, Equatorial Guinea and Ghana’s U-17 side that finished third in this year’s FIFA World Cup and Nigeria’s Super Falcons for the honours, are in contention.

Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, Senegalese young striker, Pape Moussa Konate and Kenyan midfielder Victor Wanyama have been nominated for the Most Promising Talent.

CAF will announce the top three nominees each category of the year and by late December after the voting by CAF relevant Standing Committees, namely the Media, technical and football committees.

after Rivers Angels failed convert many scoring chances.

Ohale Osinachi also of Delta Queens, heightened her team’s chances of winning in the 53rd minute from a free header as a result of a corner kick.

Faustina came back in the 63rd minute to seal her side’s victory, while Rivers Angels was not able to reply any of the goals.

In the third place match

played at the same venue, Kogi Confluence Queens defeated Sunshine Queens 4-3 on penalties after a 90 minute draw.

The three best clubs were presented medals and certificates of participation after which the champions were handed the trophy. The final match was graced by dignitaries in the football sector.

federation, is said that have initiated efforts at high levels to get Ekeji removed.

The group is alleged to have held several meetings, made sundry contacts at various levels of government and at party levels all to effect the removal of Ekeji, whom the members see as a stumbling block on their path.

However, in a swift reaction to the alleged backing of any such group for the removal of the DG of the NSC- assuming it is true- the General Secretary of the NFF, Musa Amadu dismissed it with disdain.

“There is no iota of truth in this.

It is a blatant lie aimed at soiling the cordial working relationship between the NFF and the NSC. Detractors are clearly at work,” he said in a text response to our inquiry.

Peoples Daily Sports recalls that it would not be the first time that certain forces have rose against Chief Ekeji as it was openly canvassed when the relationship between the executive committee of the NFF and the NSC was like that of the cat and mice.

That was in the early days of the board when court cases dotted its path and marked by the vociferous campaign of a parallel body that claimed that the NFF was a body

not recognised by law, and therefore illegal.

That subsided following the court’s dismissal of the suit challenging the elections of the board members even as the campaigned suffered dishonour when FIFA failed to step in as expected to pronounce an administration.

Even then, Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi secured a truce with those he thought had genuine reasons to cause trouble for the board and that ended all surreptitious moves to kick out Ekeji whom some believed had sympathy for the parallel group and some elements in the NPL tussle.

Chief Patrick Ekeji, DG, NSC

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

Lius Suarez

given several opportunities by two coaches at Stamford bridge.

The People says Suarez could be snapped up for £40million at the end of the season – after it emerged the striker has a release clause in his contract.

The discovery meant that the two clubs Chelsea and Man City, who have been eager to snap up the Uruguayan goal poacher, that has been the only saviour of Liverpool in the top striker’s role, could lure the player to their respective sides come January.

Though the player only recently signed the dotted line to extend his stay in Anfield, but the two bigger spenders are unlikely to be deterred and would accordingly take advantage of the trigger provided by the sign-out mystery discovery to step in.

His value was quoted at £50million when City’s interest was reported recently and it is now thought Suarez could leave for less than that.

It’s an intriguing situation Liverpool will want to play down. But whispers have been coming out of Anfield about the £40million trigger, and sources close to the player have confirmed a clause does exist.

Sneijder’s high wage demands may see him out of Inter

W

esley Sneijder, Inter Milan Andrea Stramaccioni has hinted that Wesley Sneijder’s continuous absence from the Inter squad may be down to his monetary dispute and not a factor brought on by injury.

The Interista was absent from the Nerazzurri setup after he picked up an injury, but he has failed to feature in over a month due to reasons of a possible contract dispute.

Reports have suggested that the Dutchman, who is the highest earning player at Inter, is demanding a higher salary cut, in order to keep him at the club, and it seems his monetary squabble with the club may be the reason for his prolonged absence.

Stramaccioni was asked about Sneijder following their 1-0 loss to Parma: “I think his situation is simpler than it might seem. The coach has the final say on the matter and I chose not to include him in the squad,” he added.

“It’s not a punishment, I see what goes on in training during the week and when the game comes round I make my choices according to what is best for Inter. Anything else you need to ask the club about, I’m not interested in what goes on away from the pitch.”

EPL log

Lukas Podolski, Arsenal

L

iverpool’s talisman and leading light Luis Suarez carries a buyout clause in his contract with the Reds.

However, Chelsea deadly in need of potent finisher following the inability of Fernando Torres to fill that role in spite of being

Rafeal Benitez, Chelsea

Chelsea, Man City to meet Suarez’s ‘mystery’ buyout clause

Vincent Kompany, Man City

PAGE 42

Rafa may face another round of jeers today in Chelsea vs Fulham

C

helsea interim manager Rafael Benitez will face the wrath of his new club’s fans for the second time in four days today when they tackle London rivals Fulham in the Premier League.

The former Liverpool coach was roundly booed during Chelsea’s 00 draw with Manchester City in his first game at the helm on Sunday and supporter groups have pledged to repeat their protests when Fulham come to Stamford Bridge.

Benitez has not been forgiven for his tenure at Liverpool, but he has repeatedly dismissed concerns about the animosity directed towards him by his new club’s supporters.

“I was asking, ‘What were they singing?’” he admitted after the City game. “I don’t care. I’m just focused on the game.”

When informed what some of the fans had chanted, Benitez said it was to be expected after the barrage of questions he received from journalists when he was presented to the media last week.

“It was a surprise for you after the other day?” he asked reporters.

“Some of the fans will realise it’s not the way to support their team.”

Sunday’s draw with City, in the first match since Roberto Di Matteo was sacked as coach, left the European champions five points below leaders Manchester United in

fifth place.

Chelsea have now gone five games without a league win, but Fulham’s form has been scarcely better, with Saturday’s 1-0 loss at Stoke City extending their own run of matches without victory to five as well.

The stalemate at the Bridge was only the second time in 31 matches that City have failed to score, but the defending champions will expect to fare better in front of goal at Wigan Athletic today.

Wigan have the fourth most porous defence in the top flight and although they showed impressive resolve to beat Reading 3-2 on Saturday, City’s forwards will view the trip to the DW Stadium as a good opportunity to get back on track.

With United just a point above City in the standings, midfielder James Milner has urged his teammates to show more killer instinct in front of goal.

For leaders United, who host West Ham United, the concern is the frequency with which Alex Ferguson’s team have had to come back from behind this season.

Saturday’s 3-1 win over bottom club Queens Park Rangers was the ninth time in 13 games that United have conceded the initiative in the Premier League since the start of the campaign.

Ferguson also has problems on

the flanks, with Nani out with a hamstring injury and Antonio Valencia doubtful due to a hip problem.

“We’ll see what Antonio is like Monday and tomorrow,” said Ferguson. “We’ve got plenty of options in the midfield and up front - it’s just the two wide positions.”

West Ham’s fans will be under close scrutiny at Old Trafford, after allegations of anti-Semitic chanting in Sunday’s 3-1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur prompted the Football Association to open an investigation.

There are eight top-flight matches on Wednesday, with fifthplace Everton out to prove their UEFA Champions League credentials against the team immediately below them, Arsenal.

High-flying West Bromwich Albion, third, travel to Swansea City, while Spurs host Liverpool, promoted Southampton welcome Norwich City to the south coast and Newcastle United visit Stoke.

TODAY’S MATCHES Everton v Arsenal Swansea City v West Brom Tottenham v Liverpool Southampton v Norwich City Chelsea v Fulham Stoke City v Newcastle United Man Utd v West Ham Wigan v Man City

De Rossi spotted at Stamford Bridge

M

anchester City have returned to the negotiating table for AS Roma midfield ace Daniele de Rossi.

The Daily Star says City are closing in on £25m Italian World Cup winner De Rossi.

Roma midfielder De Rossi was a

surprise guest at City’s 0-0 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday with his partner Sarah.

City have been trying for months to sign De Rossi, who turned down a move to the Etihad last summer.

Roma general manager Franco Baldini said earlier this month:

“Manchester City made an offer for De Rossi during the summer.

We listened to the offer, and considered it.

“If we were to get another offer from them we would listen again.”

Chelsea also showed interest in De Rossi before Roberto Di Matteo’s sacking as manager last week.

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ROYAL LEGEND BROTHERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED SOCIETY HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PRINCE ADEWALE ADELABU 2. ALHAJI LAMIDI OMOWALE 3. CHIEF MUSIBAU OWOLABI 4. HAJIA KUDIRAT ABIOLA YUSUFF 5. OLANREWAJU SAM AJAYI

6. ELDER ZACHEOUS OGIDAN 7. ALHAJI ABDULAZEES ABDULAFEES 8. ENGR. HAKEEB OLADIMEJI 9. BAR. KEHINDE SOREMEKUN

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO FOSTER LOVE AND UNITY AMONG ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. 2. TO PROMOTE AND PROVIDE FOR THE WELFARE OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. 3. TO PROPAGATE, UPHOLD AND DEFEND THE INTEREST OF ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. 4. TO FOSTER A SPIRIT OF GOOD FELLOWSHIP AND CO-OPERATION AMONG MEMBERS, THEIR NEIGHBOURS, FELLOW NIGERIANS AND OTHERS THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH BREATH OF THE FCT. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. KEHINDE SOREMEKUN

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MR FIDELIS ONYEKAOZULU CHUKWUKELU 2. MR OBINNA ANTHONY 3. MR BENJAMIN OKAFOR 4. MR PAUL EZEAMA 5. CHIEF ETHEL OKWARA 6. MR CHUKWUMA ONYEKWELIBE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1.TO CATER FOR THE WELFARE OF THE MEMBERS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420,TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGENED BARR. MOSES AHAM AKANO

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

2013 Nations Cup finals Zambian goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene suffered ‘minor injuries’ when two boys threw stones at the team bus in Soweto Police will guard the 16 teams participating in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa around the clock, organisers said yesterday, after children threw rocks that injured a Zambia player recently.

“After the last event with the players, security will be

Eagles, Black Stars, Chipolopolo, others to have 24/7 security provided to all our teams over 24 hours,” deputy police minister Maggie Sotyu told a news conference in the capital Pretoria.

“Buses carrying players will be escorted by police at all times.”

Togo yet to apply for Sunu nationality switch

T

ogo have not applied for a nationality switch for Gilles SunuTogo have not applied for a nationality switch for France youth international Gilles Sunu, FIFA has exclusively revealed.

Christopher Katongo

The 21-year-old, who plays for French side Lorient, has been approached by the Togolese authorities to play for the Hawks at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in January.

Since the winger has already played for France as youth level, Togo must apply to FIFA for a nationality switch before he can play for the country of his parents.

Sunu, whose father Manu is a former Togo international, was invited for this month’s friendly against Morocco but he failed to turn up for the match in Rabat.

FIFA has revealed that no application has been made for the former Arsenal player to switch nationality to play for the West African country.

“Regarding your request on the Giles Sunu, at the time of writing, FIFA hasn’t been formally contacted in this respect,’’ FIFA a wire service.

This means Sunu is unlikely to secure a switch in time to play for the Hawks at the tournament in South Africa which starts on 19 January.

Sunu is regarded as one of the talented youngsters in French football, having played for English side Arsenal at youth level before being loaned out to Lorient for playing time.

With his chances of playing for France at the senior level waning, playing for Togo could offer him the chance to play international football at the highest level.

Despite security measures two boys threw rocks at the Zambian players’ bus in Johannesburg on November 14.

Goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene suffered a small glass cut to his face during the incident, which happened as the African champions were leaving the FNB Stadium following a friendly against South Africa.

“We did not anticipate what would happen, hence we did not have security escort,” said Sotyu.

The stadium, also known as Soccer City, will host the opening

and closing matches of the Africa Cup. It was the venue of the 2010 World Cup opening and final.

Teams will clash for the continental title in South Africa from January 19 to February 10 next year.

No glass bottles or cans will be allowed inside the stadiums and drinks will be sold in plastic containers.

Reserve policemen will also be on standby. Police handled much of the security in the World Cup after wardens refused to work demanding better pay and conditions.

Andre Ayew, Chipolopolo’s

Yaya Toure, Elephants, Black Stars’

PUBLIC NOTICE

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ZUNYE CHILDREN HOME THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ORGANISATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MRS VICTORIA ZUNYEALI AYAM 2. MRS ALICE JUMMAI YANKO 3. MR MAPA AYAM 4. MR MOSES NDAKO AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO HELP THE HELPLESS, HOMELESS, HUNGRY ORPHANS AND ABANDONED BABIES BY PROVIDING THEM A HOME. 2. TO BRING UP AND TO BUILD THE ORPHANS IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S WORD AND THE FEAR OF GOD. 3. TO PROVIDE THE ORPHANS AND NEEDY CHILDREN WITH A CARING, LOVING AND SECURE FAMILY, ENVIRONMENT, WHERE BASIC NEEDS FOR FOOD, HEALTH, CLOTHING AND EDUCATION ARE MET. 4. TO SEEK AND PROMOTE THE RIGHTS OF ORPHANS AND STREET CHILDREN. 5. TO SUPPORT THE POOR THE LESS PRIVILEGE IN THEIR EDUCATION AND HEALTH NEEDS.

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DOMINION HOUSE OF JESUS MINISTRY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. EGBUEH CHUKWUMA PATRICK PRESIDENT 2. DR. EGBUEH CHARLES ARINZE SECRETARY 3. MRS ELIZABETH KOKORICHA 4. MR CHINONDU BARTH ILECHUKWU 5. THEOPHILUS ODUKWE 6. EGBUEH TITUS IBODI REV. (FR) 7. EGBUEH RAYMOND EMEKA 8. BISHOP HILARY OKEKE 9. KANAYO EZENWATA 10. CHIBUEZE EZEUKWU (FR) AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO ASSIST THE LESS PRIVILEGED IN THE SOCIETY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRY HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

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THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PROF. AKIN OYEBODE 2. MR GEORGE ETOMI 3. DR. SOPE WILLIAMS ELEGBE 4. EDEFE OJOMO AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PROVIDE RESEARCH AND WRITING TRAINING TO INDIVIDUALS AND INSTITUTIONS. 2. TO PROVIDE RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION SUPPORT TO INSTITUTIONS. 3. TO PUBLISH RESEARCH MATERIALS ON TOPICS RELATING TO LAW, POLICY AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES. 4. TO PUBLISH THE YOUNG AFRICAN RESEARCH JOURNAL ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. UCHE NDUKWE 2. ALHAJI BALA JIMETA 3. DR. ABUBAKAR NUHU 4. BARR. ABDULRAZAQ AGBOLADE DOKUNMU 5. GODSON UTI 6. PASTOR ONI ERNEST AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PROMOTE THE GAME OF FOOTBALL AMONGST EX-FOOTBALLERS AND FOOTBALL ADMINISTRATORS. 2. TO PROMOTE GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL AMONGST YOUTHS IN THE COUNTRY. 3. TO ASSIST YOUNG AND UP-COMING FOOTBALLERS. 4. TO SEE TO THE WELFARE OF EX-FOOTBALLERS. 5. TO ORGANISE VARIOUS FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT AMONG RETIRED FOOTBALLERS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

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THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. OKON OBOT 2. IMA-AKAN OBOT 3. IDONGESIT SUNDAY UDO 4. DADA ANTHONY ABIODUN AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 2. TO PREACH THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT REDEMPTION THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: ISHAYA N. DADO (08035893802)

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

PAGE 45

Eko 2012 Eko 2012

LAWMA adopts “pick as you drop approach” to clean festival venues

M Police deploy 19,000 officers to provide Security

T

he Lagos State Police Command says it has deployed 19,000 officers and men to provide security in the state during the Sports 18 th National Festival (NSF).

Mr Vincent Brown, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Operations, Lagos State Command, disclosed this yesterday in Lagos.

“The command is set for the festival; about 1,500 officers would be deployed to various games centres across the state, while about 18,000 others would serve in the general security duties in the state.

“The Police is not providing security for the festival alone; the military, as well as the para-military agencies are all involved. We all have some understanding on our various roles,’’ Brown said.

Yesterday, some heavily armed military men were seen keeping watch as people trooped into the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, ahead of the opening ceremony Also, some paramilitary personnel were seen controlling traffic alongside some officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority in the Surulere area of the metropolis.

rs Grace O l a t u n d e , Western Regional Coordinator, Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), yesterday said the authority has adopted the “pick as you drop approach’’ to keep the metropolis clean during the 18th National Sports Festival (NSF).

Olatunde said that the measure was to ensure a

thorough cleanliness of the metropolis during the Games and added that the approach would leave the festival venues clean at all times.

“The authority has engaged extra hands to start cleaning at 7 a.m. and stop at whatever time they can finish the cleaning,’’ Olatunde said stressing that they expect increased population.

“Lagos State cannot afford to be dirty at all. All

hands are on deck to keep the state sparkling clean.

Some of us left the Teslim Balogun Stadium at 2 a.m. yesterday (Monday), just to tidy up the place for yesterday’s opening ceremony,’’ she said.

Olatunde said that the influx of people and the amount of waste cannot be managed by the stadium managers alone and that LAWMA had to take over the cleaning, alongside

some other outfits.

The coordinator said that there were more than 65 cleaners in the main bowl of the stadium and over 200 others outside the area.

She said that every day, until after the festival, the cleaning schedule would be before, during and after every event. “’We have placed waste baskets at strategic places for the people’s

convenience and the waste trucks will be moving in and out of the stadium to make sure that there is no pile-up of dirt.

Olatunde assured Nigerians that Lagos and its environs would be kept clean throughout the festival period and urged everyone to use the waste baskets wisely. LAWMA cleaners were seen at the Games venues carrying out their duties.

Referee bans betting at tennis competition venue

O

luranti Lajide, the Table Tennis Chief Referee at the Sports 18 th National Festival has warned against gambling at the venue of the competition.

Lajide handed down the warning yesterday at a meeting with the various states’ team leaders for the festival held at the KnockUp Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos.

“Any table tennis players or official caught gambling within the arena of the

table tennis competition would be disqualified.

“Gambling in any form within the game’s arena has been banned and any player or official caught would be handed over to the security agencies for prosecution.

“Gambling is not synonymous with table tennis and should not be allowed to tarnish the good image of the sport,” he said.

The Chief Referee also advised the more 60 team leaders that attended the

meeting to strictly adhere to the rules and regulations governing the game.

According to him, the matches will be run according to the rules and regulations of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) and the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

“The sport’s code of conduct is in affiliation with the ITTF requirements,” he added.

Lajide also told the team leaders to warn their

players against gumming their table tennis bats with rubber surfaces within the competition arena.

“One of ITTF’s latest rules and regulations is against players gumming their bats surface with a rubber surface within the competition arena. Any player caught doing so would be disqualified,” he said.

According to him, a protest fee of N50, 000 would be made before a complaint is attended to, saying the surcharge was

to curtail the number of protests in the event.

Lajide added that a total of 36 events would hold in the game at the festival, made up of seven for the able-bodied category, 24 for para-players and five for the deaf players, which is being included for the first time.

The table tennis event for the festival would hold from Nov. 28 to Dec. 8 at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.

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AREWA PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY AKWA IBOM STATE Aruna-Ouadri, who participated at the London Olympics, is a product of National Sports Festival

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PAGE 47

Say what?

SUDOKU Getting Started Each sudoku puzzle is a 9 by 9 grid of horizontal and vertical rows, evenly separated into 9 squares with 9 spaces each. Instead of word clues, each puzzle’s solution is determined by the pattern of the numbers already filled in you. You solve the puzzle by filling in the missing digits so that, when completed, each row and each square will have all the number from 1 to 9; each number will appear in exactly nine spaces within each puzzle.

FACTS * Women are born better smellers than men and remain better smellers over life.

Quick CrossWord (78)

* Your nose can remember 50,000 different scents. * Nails and hair do not continue to grow after we die.

They do appear longer when we die, however, as the skin dehydrates and pulls back from the nail beds and scalp. * By the age of 60, most people will have lost about half their taste buds. Perhaps you shouldn't trust your grandma's cooking as much as you do. * Your eyes are always the same size from birth but your nose and ears never stop growing. Source: Weird facts

PHOTO OF THE DAY

ACROSS 1 Toned and fit 92,4) 5 Impersonates (6) 8 In between (4) 9 Judgements (8) 10 Victorian mental institution (6) 11 Corinth’s country (6) 12 Wonder-struck (4) 14 Grandad’s wife! (3) 15 __ Steatfeild, Bellet Shoes author (4) 16 Dye used as a pH indicator (6) 18 Monastery heads (6) 20 Hummus seed (8) 22 Tries the patience of (4) 23 Attack (6) 24 Christmas drink (3-3) DOWN 2 Christens (5) 3 __ with, shot full of (7) 4 Fluctuations (9) 5 Impair (3) 6 American corn (5) 7 Part of a fingernail (7) 11 Almond-topped fruity treat (5,4) 13 Twists (7) 15 Catching (7) 17 Fine variety of cofee bean (5) 19 City in which Lost in Translation is set (5) 21 Mate (3)

Yesterday’s solution

Yesterday’s answer

Udderly amazing: 'Milking' involves pouring pints of milk over your head, preferably in public places, and it has taken YouTube by storm Source: Dailymail.co.uk

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

SPORTS LA TEST LATEST

Chelsea 'regret' handling of ref case

C

helsea have expressed regret over their handling of allegations against referee Mark Clattenburg after a Premier League match last month, the club said yesterday.

Chelsea also said they were sorry for the intense media scrutiny Clattenburg was subjected to following the game against Manchester United in which they complained about "inappropriate language" the referee had allegedly used towards their Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel.

Clattenburg was cleared by the Football Association last Thursday.

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck held a meeting with Professional Game Match Officials Limited, which manages top English referees, and the Premier League to discuss the matter on Monday.

"The club regrets not having given more consideration before issuing a statement on the evening of Sunday 28th October," Chelsea said in a statement on their website.

"The club also regrets the subsequent impact the intense media scrutiny had on Mark Clattenburg and his family.

"The referees accept that, given Chelsea FC had received a good faith claim from one of their employees, the club had an obligation under FA rules to report the allegation."

Chelsea said they would welcome Clattenburg back to Stamford Bridge and the referees' governing body said it would have no hesitation in appointing him to officiate Chelsea games.

"There was recognition by all parties that the impartiality and integrity of refereeing in this country remains paramount," Chelsea said.

"All parties now believe it is time to draw a line under this incident, learn from it and move on for the good of all Premier League clubs, players and match officials."

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QUO TABLE Q UO TE UOT QUO UOTE Kogi is one state that we directed to ensure that the performance of the governor should win us election again. The governor should focus on ensuring that his people are satisfied with his performance in office..., not 2015. — Chief Olisa Metuh, PDP National Publicity Secretary, contradicting Kogi Governor Idris Wada on 2015 campaign

The missing framework of accountability R

eports of the public presentations on c o n s t i t u t i o n a l amendment by the National Assembly have a common thread running through them, from Calabar to Sokoto, Maiduguri to Abeokuta.

Democracy in Nigeria is a misnomer. It is a limited edition democracy and unless a clear winner emerges in this war of politicians against the people, nothing good will come out of this exercise.

In this democracy, there is nothing of the people, by the people and for the people. The former President of the Lagos Business School, Professor Pat Utomi, encapsulated this reality when he said what we have today is a "government of politicians, by politicians and for politicians". The whole thing is about Presidents and Governors who rule the country without any element to serve the people. I see some flexibility in the President who seems amenable, from time to time, to popular criticism and outcry. The Governors seem inflexible and stiff. They want to keep everything and concede nothing.

One annoying feature of the public hearings is the near absence of the governors as in the case of the North-West where only one, Rabi'u Kwankwaso, out of eight turned out for the zonal public hearing. Most Northern governors are today ashamed of their Northern identity and thinking and that is perhaps why only Kwankwaso showed up to articulate the reigning sentiment in the North.

But really a more important issue for the people is how the lopsided relationship between the ruler and the ruled can be mended. Unless this is done, the constitutional amendment would end up as an exercise in shadow boxing, or one that is designed to protect and safeguard existing privileges enjoyed by the Governors and the poor go home empty handed.

These days, no state in the country gets less than five billion Naira from the Federation Account credited into their coffer every month. Because of the absence of an effective framework

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MUSINGS By

Garba Shehu garshehu@yahoo.co.in

Senate President David Mark of accountability, this money, in some cases up to N50billion to the oil-producing states, ends up as money to the Governor, not to the people. Governor does as he wishes. The parliament is asleep in his pocket and the public accounts committee is comatose.

For this reason, the Nigerian masses are the most "unprivileged" class in the world and the Governors are demigods.

That is why a Governor would embark on the construction of an international airport in a state where classrooms have no roofs and seats for pupils. One Governor in a state that is statistically the nation's second poorest and owes his workers N11billion in salaries and allowances had the audacity to build a mansion for a female governor across the border in a neighbouring country.

The concept of budget tracking is intended to help the citizens know where their money is going and ask their leaders to account for budgetary allocations.

Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in her first coming into government in 2003 introduced the policy of publishing subventions being dished out to state governments. The whole idea is to encourage accountability

by helping the people have access to information about how much their governors are receiving.

This is a wonderful objective. In reality, however, is it working?

The people seem docile or indifferent to the way elected leaders behave.

But how about a situation in which the constitution is amended in a way that ties the federal grants to projects such as education, agriculture and industrialization?

In terms of their freedom of expression, Nigerians can shout and be heard in their corner but they dare not ask questions on these mis-undertakings.

I think it is on account of the felt sense of helplessness and failure to check these types of excess that the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, made the unexpected call for the death penalty to punish corruption. In China, they do it.

Ordinarily, the death penalty is a horrible punishment and it is doubtful as an effective deterrent.

As a Nigerian loving his motherland, I am opposed to capital punishment. In fact, I am opposed to the death penalty. But there are legal, moral and practical lessons for introducing the death penalty for corruption in Nigeria. And if the Northern governors had assessed that the Northern masses would largely not welcome the death penalty for corruption, they were absolutely wrong seeing the enormous support for it through comments in social networking sites.

If they are serious about giving us a better constitution, the legislators at the centre and in the states should formulate an effective framework to ensure that money to the states is money to the people, not to their governors. They also need to correct the situation in which

there is one law for politicians and another for the ordinary citizen.

This country has a law for all, but these laws are twisted and extended to suit the needs of the rich citizens and politicians. The law applied in the bribery case involving a sum less that N10,000 by junior official or small crook is very severe but the one dealing with a politician or minister who steals billion or trillions of Naira is lax and flexible. A very important requirement for curtailing corruption is that any suspected politician or contractor involved in scams due to greed for money and power must be tried and punishment awarded.

The greatest incentive to crime is the confidence of escaping punishment.

Constitutions anywhere should not be amended to protect the interest of few at the expense of the larger majority.

While capital punishment is wrong for high profile white collar robbers, it is okay for ordinary offenders. This defeats the essence of constitutional amendment.

Lastly, it is not out of place for the political parties to be forced into a contract with the citizens.

They all have manifestoes which they must publish. This should be their contract for which they will be held accountable for the conduct of their elected officials.

When this is done, you won't have the kind of running conflict between the current President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly.

When the leadership of the National Assembly was summoned to explain why they were in constant conflict with the President every now and then, the leadership of the House of Representatives under Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal requested information from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, if the President knew that the party had a constitution and a manifesto.

They accused the President of running a government of strangers who were not anywhere around when the party fought for election and won.

These days, it is fashionable to hear politicians talking about the devolution or transfer of power from the centre to the regions or states. How about there being a transfer of power from the ruler to the ruled, such that the real people can exercise control over their affairs?

Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako, Abuja. Lagos Office: No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos, Tel: +234-09-8734478. Cell: +234 803 606 3308. e-mail: contact@peoplesdaily-online.com; pmlnewsdesk@gmail.com ISSN: 2141– 6141