Peoples Daily Newspaper, Saturday, June 30, 2012

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

VOL. 1 NO. 97 SATURDAY 30, JUNE — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

. . . putting the people first

Bizarre: Woman flees after pouring hot water on step-son >> Page 4

SHAABAN 10 - 11, 1433 AH

N150

Suleja: Reviewing six month state of emergency >> Page 2

Insecurity

Can Dasuki deliver?

There is hope for north-east — Shettima Problem will still remain even if ...Col. Hameed As NSA denies >> Pages 5, 9,10 & 11 Ramadan timeline

s: New Petroleum Industry Bill ready w e >> Page 5 in 14 days, says Madueke N ·

Pages 9, 10 & 11

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

Features

Iya Ibadan, a mama put’s delight

By Augustine Aminu

L

i f e is expensive in Abuja.

This is usually the first opinion of first time visitors to the federal city. From housing to transportation and food, the average Nigerian always struggle to survive in Abuja.

Abuja is Nigeria’s capital city and it is unlike every other city in terms of development, you could be right to call it the ‘London’ of Nigeria with her many beautiful housing and architectural pieces. But besides these you will also notice another beautiful thing about Abuja and that it has many fancy restaurants, eateries and social joints where lots and lots of delicacies are on offer. Many Abuja residents eat some really sumptuous meals outside their homes in what is fast becoming an urban lifestyle in the city.

However, only the few affluent are able to afford these expensive meals from the many expensive restaurants scattered in various parts of the beautiful city. Yet, like every Nigerian, the low income earners crave to eat good meals at affordable rates.

Mama put is where you find the common man, the cheap meals available at low prices but like everything that comes cheap quality is often compromised. In terms of hygiene, privacy and taste, you may have to play trial and error with several of them to find one that fits your criteria for good outdoor meals For a first timer to Okonjo Iweala way, near camp at Utako district, one could see the construction work that is going on either side of the road with the construction of the bridge that will link Utako district to the Wuye district of FCT. One thing that will strike your attention as you walk through the street is the presence of exotic vehicles parked at the end of the street near the construction site. One ordinarily will think they are cars for the construction engineers or contractors that have come to make supply at the site. You could even be forgiven for thinking there is a political rally taken place there.

Your guess maybe right but as you get closer, you will discover a bend to the right hand where everyone that comes to the place

diverts. it is a beehive of activities as customers line up to have a taste of Iya Ibadan foods such as Amala, pounded yam, accompanied by mouth-watering spicy soups like Ewedu(vegetable), Gbegiri ( beans soup), efo(vegetable) that will be well decorated with all kinds of assorted meat like Kpomo, roundabout, goat meat, cow meat, dry and fresh fish and so on.

However, what caught the attention of this reporter is the fact that the environment is modern facilities like the big eateries in town. The staff of mama Ibadan are young girls aged between 19 – 20 years and most of them don’t understand English except their local dialect, Yoruba.

James Okon, one of the regular customers to this resturant told our reporter why

he frequents the joint. He said, “My office is at Wuse market, and I have been a regular customer for about two years now. I come here for my lunch every day. I enjoy the Amala, roundabout, shaki, orishi-rishi”.

For Zainab Bello a banker, she said “I come to this place to eat because I enjoy their food and it’s very cheap. With at least 200 you can eat and get satisfied and you would be happy. Their food is affordable, everyone can buy.

Here there is no class. When you come you just join the queue and get your food”.

Joining of the queue is one of the uniqueness of the joint.

Everybody in the place is orderly no matter your status.

According to one customer who simply gave his name as Philip, “it is a case of everybody is equal here and no one is above the law

here” David Akogwu said he frequents the place because of the local flavor he gets from the local dishes prepared there. “You see those girls if one happens to marry them as wives you will enjoy good dishes in your house.

Most girls today have lost touch with our local dishes all in the name of civilization. When I come here, I don’t miss home” When the reporter asked one of the young girls on the line why she was there, she retorted, “you what are you doing here, are you not here to buy food? What kind of question is that? You no get eyes?”. But after a while, the girl became friendly and said it is because she lives far away, Suleja and she has to come out early. “I live in Suleja, and I wake up by 5am to beat the holdup at Dei- Dei. I don’t have

time to cook in the morning, but it’s not every day I come here”.

Amidst her tight schedule as she attends to customers, Iya Ibadan said she started the business as far back as 2000 in Ibadan at a motor park but came to Abuja for greener pastures.

“Since I started this business here, I thank God, my customers have all been co-operating.

There is no fight between them.

You can even see the kind of people that come here; they are respectable men and women.”

Asked if she has plans to make the restaurant compete with Mr. Biggs or Tantalizer, she said “People love this feel of nature and locality. By the time we start making our local dishes look like those big restaurants; the customers will lose the taste of home. That is why they come here.”

People queing for plates

Iya Ibadan at work

Satisfying customers needs

Having the feel of delicious meals

PAGE 3

Special Report PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

Suleja:

Reviewing Six months state of emergency E

c o n o m i c and social activities have been strangulated by the state of emergency imposed on Suleja, after the 2011, December Christmas day bombings at the St. Theresa Catholic Church that resulted in the deaths of many. However, the presence of the soldiers have brought peace to the town that was shockingly thrown into confusion following the spate of bomb explosions.

As most residents attest, Suleja has always been a peaceful town but residents watched in awe as the once peaceful town was turned into a theater of war last year.

The various attacks forced the president to impose a state of emergency on the once peaceful community. With soldiers deployed to the town and a curfew imposed, economic and social life gradually came to a halt.

The dullness in economic activities and near-absence of social activities since the Boko Haram sect began its attacks, plus the presence of heavily-armed military troops, have since left little to be desire about the town In his declaration on December 31, 2011, the president stated that, “while the search for solution is ongoing, it has become imperative to take some decisive measures necessary to restore normalcy in the country, especially within the affected communities.”

Speaking to Peoples Daily, residents say despite the return of normalcy to the town, life has been a torment by the continued state of emergency and elongated curfew.

Though there has been no official declaration to suspend the state of emergency, but residents believe after six months, normalcy has returned to the community and wants the federal government to suspend the curfew.

Section 305 (6) of the constitution states that “a proclamation issued by the President under this section shall cease to have effect (c) after a period of six months has elapsed since it has been in force; provided that the national assembly may, before the expiration of the period of six months aforesaid, extend the period for the proclamation of the state of emergency to remain in force from time to time for a further period of six months by resolution passed in like manner.”

A resident told our reporter, “It has been six months now. It is like we have been living under siege. At a point the curfew was 6pm to 6am then banks close by 1 pm. Now it is 8pm to 6am. Many of us cannot count losses since the state of emergency was declared. Many people who were engaged in night

On 31, December 2011 President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency on 15 local governments comprising four states. Six months into the emergency rule there has been divided opinion on the need to review the emergency rule. In Suleja local government area of Niger state, residents say the heavy presence of soldiers and the elongated curfew imposed on them has made life difficult. Augustine Aminu examines the situation.

Security forces view the scene of bomb explosion at St. Theresa Catholic Church at Madalla market have since closed shops.

Imagine how difficult it has been for them” Other residents who spoke to our reporter complained of how movement from one point to another has been made difficult due to the heavy presence of soldiers. They also urge the federal government to suspend the state of emergency in the town A resident, Sanusi Aliyu told our reporter that, “Suleja people are peaceful people but right now, the people are really suffering because of the curfew. We are not saying the government should withdraw the soldiers because I believe they are doing a good work. But there is need to suspend the curfew. The curfew is really our problem” He said residents of the community have been cooperating with the military men to ensure peace returns to the community.

According to him, “we have given maximum corporation with the soldiers. Even the political, traditional and religious leaders in our communities have been cooperating with the security operatives and that has brought normalcy back.”

Another resident, Barrister Sanusi Isah said the suspension of the curfew is long overdue and called for its immediate suspension.

He said, “Curfews are imposed for

the purpose of restoration of normalcy in chaotic places, communal or social crises, and removed as soon as normalcy returns.

Under normal circumstances a curfew of that magnitude in Suleja is not expected to last for more than a week, but this one is now six months. It is further accompanied with gross violation of the people’s fundamental human rights by the military men deployed to enforce the curfew. Innocent citizens are subjected to corporal punishment; sometimes flogged to pulp on very slight and minute human errors that never have any

bearing to a person being a criminal.”

He continued that “We can understand if there is communal crisis or any other cogent reason to warrant the continuation of the curfew but the town is free from any of these, yet the curfew has neither been removed nor relaxed. In comparison to other places where more than the occasional bomb incident of Suleja occurred; places with well-known cases of social and communal crises, and even others where actual wars were fought; no state of emergency has been declared, nor the imposition of stringent curfew lasting this long. All of these are

coupled with the fact that, there was never a time bomb exploded in Suleja at night.”

Investigations also reveals that developmental activities have been affected at the council level due to lack of funds.

It would be recalled that, the chief press secretary to the Niger state governor, Danladi Ndayedo told a national daily last week that though there was initial pain of emergency rule as a result of no-release of the council’s funds and the effect on the law abiding citizens of the area, the emergency rule was able to calm the security challenges in the area “since emergency rule was declared in Suleja and 14 other local government areas in Borno, Yobe and Plateau states, and federal government at some point withheld the allocation of the affected local councils, it has led to additional burden on us in terms of the provision of basic necessities of life like water supply, sanitation, education, primary health care and the payment of staff salaries” he said.

It would also be recalled that governors of all four states affected by the state of emergency have voiced their disapproval for an extension of the emergency rule.

Though, several individuals have urged the suspension of the emergency rule but have also been careful in calling for the total withdrawal of the soldiers. It would be recalled that the recent bomb explosion in some parts of Kaduna happened after soldiers were allegedly withdrawn from those areas.

Commercial motorcyclists waiting for their turn to cross a military check-point as the "state of emergency" continues in Suleja, Niger state

PAGE 4

Features

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

Bizarre: Woman flees after pouring hot water on step-son

By Miriam Humbe with agency report

I

n the ideal African family setting over the past years, families stayed together in a communal manner, even love of neighbour was a common phenomenon and the extended family was not abhorred. People were not particular about nuclear family as large families perused the ego of the family heads who advertently married more than one wife. Children born to such marriages cohabited in peace with one another seeing themselves as belonging to one parent. The women also surrendered to the same authority and lived peaceably or at the least, tolerated each other till they all grew old while watching their children grow up.

The alarming paradigm shift in intolerance today in polygamous homes is simply becoming an eye sore. Or else, how can one explain a situation where a woman who knows very well the birth pangs and all it takes to bring forth a child into this world be so cruel as to become so morally bankrupt to the extent of intentionally causing bodily harm to her step son by bathing him with hot water?

The increasing rate of child abuse, wife battery, child

Ola’s burnt hand

Ola molestation, maltreatment, and such unsavory ills have become dangerously rampant and calls for serious concern.

Today, man's or [woman's] inhumanity to man appears to reign supreme in most polygamous homes and the society generally. One may just begin to wonder, where have all our values

gone?

In Lagos, a family squabble only recently, caused fate to play a fast one on a young boy whose step-mother generously poured hot water on him.

A young man, identified as Ola presently lies critically ill and in bad condition and is said to be under the intensive care unit in a hospital around Igando area of Lagos.

Ola's step-mother who is said to be a staff of the Lagos Internal Revenue Service allegedly took the laws into her hands and punished him for beating her little daughter by pouring hot water on him in his sleep.

While narrating his ordeal at his hospital bed, the youngster said; "the argument that led to the sad incident started when my stepmum saw me beat my sister, she got very angry and wanted to harm me back in anger, she reached for and did all she could physically, I tried to defend myself but she overpowered me".

She got more furious after my father and some neighbours tried to stop her, and she started scattering the house and even broke bottles and in the end, caused grievous harm to the young man, contrary to Section 332 of the Criminal Code Act, with intent to maim, disfigure or disable him.

"My uncle who also lives around was able to drag her away from the house. I was still sleeping on my bed the next morning, when she walked into my room and bathed me with hot water; I staggered to the living room and saw my father and uncle. That was

the last I remembered before I passed out and woke at the hospital, he continued."

Ola's father said his brother came into the house around 4:30am the next morning to settle the rift that occurred the previous day. While they all sat in the living room, his wife stood up and went into the kitchen more often than necessary.

No one imagined that she had not forgiven her step-son and was up to something sinister. She was going in and out, and they thought she was getting ready for work.

"It was not until Ola staggered out of his room, looking weak and skin peeled, and fainted on the ground that the scales fell from

our eyes and the reality dawned on us. We quickly rushed him to the hospital, while she stood staring and mocking him for calling out for help." His Uncle narrated.

Meanwhile, the case has been reported at the police station, while the boy is still at the hospital wallowing in serious pain. In the interim, the step-mother, knowing the gravity of her offence, is said to have disappeared into thin air. The onus of tracing the where about of the woman firmly rests on the family but this is seriously speaking; one incident and the likes of it that society must rise in unison to condemn in its totality.

News

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

Insecurity

Dialogue, only way out –Dasuki From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

T

h e newly appointed National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), said yesterday that dialogue was the only option for the Federal Government in tackling the insecurity bedeviling some parts of the north.

He said the Federal Government was considering adopting dialogue as its only means of solving the persistent security challenges in the northern part of the country.

Col. Dasuki, disclosed this yesterday when he paid a courtesy visit on the Borno state Governor, Alhaji Kasim Shettima at the Government House in Maiduguri, saying

Kebbi Dep Gov loses son to car crash From Ahmed Idris, Birni Kebbi

T

h e Kebbi state deputy governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu has lost his son, Khalid to a ghastly motor accident.

The accident occurred yesterday around 12:00 pm near Waziri Umar Federal Polytechnic, Argungu road, Birnin Kebbi.

According to an eye witness, Khalid was coming from Sokoto when he tried to receive a call and in the process had a collision with a motorcycle and his vehicle crashed.

According to another eye witness, the Peugeot 604 car conveying late Khalid somersaulted as a result of over speeding.

Confirming the incident to newsmen, the chief press secretary to the Deputy Governor, Mallam Nura Bena said late Khalid who was born in 1991, was a 300level student of Petrol Chemical Engineering at the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, Adamawa state.

Khalid has since been buried according to Muslim rites. The state Governor, Alhaji Saidu Dakingari attended the burial alongside other dignitaries.

since the security challenges have defied the present solutions, there was need to unveil other alternatives.

“The intractable insecurity pains us and so I cannot just stay in Abuja to rely on reports emanating from there, so I’m convinced that the best approach available for stemming the menace is through dialogue and by seeking the opinions of traditional rulers, community and religious leaders, security operatives as well as other stakeholders so that we can all put heads together to end the bloodshed,” the NSA added.

According to the NSA, he was purposely in Maiduguri to ascertain the security situation with a view to finding lasting solutions, noting that President

Goodluck Jonathan was committed to ensuring that normalcy is restored to the troubled zones.

“Nobody can tell me that he/she is happy with the current situation which has led to the decay of infrastructure, unemployment and poverty, among others. I was seriously shocked with what I was in Damaturu and Potiskum.

Shops, markets and other commercial centers were shut, unless urgent steps are taken to reverse the ugly trend, no meaningful development can be achieved,” he declared.

Dasuki, who commiserated with the people of the state on behalf of the Federal Government, called on them and other stakeholders to join hands with government to foster

peaceful coexistence in the state.

Responding, Governor Shettima commended the new NSA for the visit, saying, for the past two years, this was the first time, a highly placed official of the government came to the state.

The NSA had also visited both Potiskum and Damaturu in Yobe state on Thursday to ascertain the security situation in the areas with a view to finding lasting solutions to the incessant Boko Haram attacks.

Dasuki, who also held a private meeting with Yobe state governor, Ibrahim Geidam called on indigenes and residents of the state to always support government with crucial information regarding the activities of terrorists,

promising that any information made available to security agencies will be treated with utmost confidentiality.

Peoples Daily Weekend recalls that since Boko Haram violence became a national issue in 2009, the cities of Maiduguri, Damaturu and Potiskum have come under the deadliest of bomb and gun attacks with scores of uniformed men and civilians dying and others sustaining varying degrees of injuries.

While top officials of the Federal Government including the President have stayed away from the area since then, the new NSA took the bull by the horn and paid a visit to the three cities in a space of two days to have first hand information on the level of damage caused so far and find a way of the crisis.

New Petroleum Industry Bill ready in 14 days, says Madueke

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

T

he Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani AllisonMadueke yesterday submitted the revised version of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to President Goodluck Jonathan with a firm assurance that the final version will be ready for submission to the National Assembly in a fortnight.

The minister told State House correspondents that the President, after receiving the Bill, directed her ministry in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, to carry out a final overview and present

same to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval.

She said the entire process of the review and presentation before FEC would be completed in good time, assuring that the revised Bill would be forwarded to the legislative arm for passage.

“I am very pleased to say that the Special Task Force on the PIB and the PIB Technical Committee have today submitted their report to myself and Mr President with other stakeholders from government and the industry present as well.

The work has taken over a period of about six months

because of the extensive revision of the Bill that has been done.”

She continued: “A lot of details have gone in to it, we have looked into fiscal regime, we have looked at the reconfiguration of NNPC to ensure that going forward, it becomes the commercial entity that it should have been all along. And we have looked at other administrative roles within the entire gamut of the sector as well. I think that the teams have done a very good job.

At this point, Mr President has directed that the Ministry of Petroleum now takes the Bill and along with the relative government stakeholders do the

final overview and prepare it for presentation to the Federal Executive Council.”

The Minister said the new Bill re-configured various sections of the industry including the fiscal and the templates for various calculations.

She said the issues of domestic gas, fiscal regime for domestic gas and the reconfiguration of the NNPC were critically examined and incorporated in the revised PIB. The Minister led a team of ministers and experts in the petroleum industry, including new NNPC boss, Engr Andrew Yakubu to submit the bill.

... As Yakubu pledges ….. NSA denies giving to reposition NNPC Ramadan timeline

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

N

e w Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC, Engr Andrew Yakubu has promised to reposition the corporation for better service delivery.

Yakubu who spoke to State House correspondents shortly after the presentation of the new Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, said he would not only be transparent, he would carry all stakeholders as well as the Nigerian public along

in his effort to achieve set objectives.

“You will agree with me that in recent past, we have had quite a lot of challenges; and a lot of eyes have been on us on the way we do our business.

Those criticisms have been taken on board, and my new management will plough them back into the system; we will review our processes and we will reposition NNPC for growth,” he said.

Yakubu described the new PIB as a welcome development as it would grow the country’s asset base and expertise.

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

T

h e National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) has denied reports quoting him as putting a timeline to the end of Boko Haram insurgency in parts of the country.

The NSA who is on tour of some states where Boko Haram hostility has been rampant to meet stakeholders in such areas, claimed he was misquoted in some media reports to have said that an end will come to Boko Haram hostility before the commencement of Ramadan fast.

A statement issued yesterday by the Special Assistant to the NSA on Media, Karounwi Adekunle said that, "the NSA never at any forum in Potiskum, Damaturu, both Yobe state on Thursday or Maiduguri, Borno state today (yesterday) said he will bring an end to the sect's hostility before the start of Ramadan fast.”

The statement continued: “His cogent message in all the meetings he's held so far with some stakeholders was the need for leaders to reach out and prevail on Boko Haram members to cease fire so as to create room for dialogue."

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

News Court jails bricklayer over military pension scam

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

J

ustice Musa Sale Shuaibu of the Federal High Court, Yola, Adamawa state, has sentenced Papa Haziel, 22, to 12 months imprisonment for fraudulently obtaining the sum of One Million, Two Hundred and Twenty Two Thousand, Three Hundred and Sixteen Naira, fifty Six kobo (N1, 222,316:56) from Military Pension Board under false pretence.

Haziel was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial crimes Commission (EFCC) Haziel, who was arraigned on a two count charge, was sentenced without an option of fine. The sentence is however to run consecutively.

According to a statement signed by EFCC acting spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, the accused, who is a bricklayer, was alleged to have claimed to be the son of a retired military officer, Mr. Vatau Haziel, and forged documents with which he had been drawing money from the Military Pension. During a verification exercise, Papa presented Vatau as a retiree.

When the lid was blown and

Court orders restoration of two constituencies in Benue From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

T

h e Federal High Court in Makurdi, Benue state capital, has ordered the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to restore two suppressed state constituencies of Otukpa and Agasha in the state.

Ruling on the two separate cases filed by the Agasha and Otukpa communities, Justice Abimbola Obaseki contended that INEC failed to prove why the two constituencies should not be restored and therefore ordered the electoral body to conduct election into the Otukpa constituency within 14 days while that of Agasha should be held within 30 days.

Justice Obasaki however, said INEC is at liberty to appeal against the judgement.

Reacting to the judgment, counsel to the Agasha community, John Shishi described it as ‘sound judgement,’ maintaining that it was an indication that Nigerian judiciary is up to the task delivering justice.

Vatau was interrogated, he confessed that he was being used for the scam, but Papa insisted that his father was sick and behaves abnormally and therefore should not be taken seriously.

The two, Papa and Vatau Haziel, were arrested but later released on bail; Papa was to thereafter claim that his father had died as he presented a document which he claimed was the certificate of cause of death of Mr. Vatau Haziel, this was later discovered to be another forgery.

Prosecution counsel, Barrister Abubakar Aliyu, in the course of the trial, tendered the forged death certificate, bank statement and instrument purported to have been used to withdraw money, a letter from Military Pension Board and the reply, EFCC letter to the MD Union bank and the reply as exhibits.

The accused person pleaded guilty when the charges were read to him, blaming the offence on the economic situation of the country, a development which necessitated Justice Shuaibu to convict him as he said it will serve as deterrent to others.

Two brothers sentenced to death by hanging From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

T

h e Chief Judge of Benue state Justice Iorhemen Hwande has sentenced two Fulani brothers to death by hanging for armed robbery.

The convicts, Abubakar Yau and Ibrahim Yau were alleged to have on 28th March, 2009 conspired and robbed Simon Tartyough and Isaac Kerna, both of Guma LGA at gun point along Makurdi- Guma road and dispossessed them of valuable properties including handsets and the sum of N39, O40.

In his judgement, the Chief Judge said the offence was punishable by death under section 1(2) (b) of the Robbery and Firearms Special provision Act. Justice Hwande judgment’s was later interpreted in Hausa language to the convicts for lucid understanding.

The two convicts, Abubakar Yau, 30 years and his brother Ibrahim both cattle herdsmen reside in Innundu village of Guma LGA.

PDP accuses ACN of wasting N7tr in 13 years From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

T

h e Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Southwest zone has described the flood presently ravaging Lagos state as part of the evidences of ACN’s 13 years of failure.

The party alleged that, "over N7 trillion has been wasted in the last 13 years of ACN's administration in Lagos state."

According to a statement signed by the PDP Zonal Publicity Secretary, Hon Kayode Babade, the party sympathized with Lagosians for the loss of lives and properties

caused by the flood.

The party said it was time Lagosians begin to ask questions as to what the ACN and Governor Babatunde Fashola have done with the Lagos state money, especially the N23 billion Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

$10m scam: EFCC arraigns officials of Mbakwha, Orgba cooperative societies

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

T

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned Felix Maduegbuna, Stephen Fakrogha of Mbakwha Cooperative Society on one hand; and Duru Cosmos, Paul Momoh of Orgba Cooperative Society on the other, on a two count charge each.

They were arraigned before Justice Olukayode Adegbola Adeniyi of the FCT High Court, sitting in Abuja for allegedly misappropriating a World Bank Grant Fund of $10million.

The Federal Government of Nigeria had obtained a $120million loan from the World Bank/IDA to develop the solid minerals sector of the economy. Out of this facility, a grant fund of $10million was made available for disbursement to artisans and small scale miners (ASMs) and mining communities which they allegedly misappropriated.

Maduegbuna and Fakrogha, Chairman and Secretary of Orgba Cooperative Society, in 2009 allegedly converted the sum of N4, 826,850.00 (Four Million Eight Hundred and Twenty Six Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty Naira Only) from the grant to their personal use; while Cosmos and Momoh, Chairman and Secretary of Mbakwha Cooperative Society, also in December 2009 converted to their personal use, the sum of N4,826,850.00

(Four Million Eight Hundred and Twenty Six Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty Naira Only) meant for the procurement of Atlas Copco XAS 47 Air Compressor, Jack Hammer with accessories and Diaphragm Water Pump, to enhance mining activities of the members of the cooperative.

The arrest and prosecution of the accused followed a petition dated September 23, 2010, by Mr. U.I. Adie, Project coordinator of Sustainable Management of Mineral Resources Project, an organ of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.

Mr Adie alleged that the accused fraudulently converted the proceeds of the Grant Fund for purposes other than which they were granted.

When the charges were read to the accused, they pleaded not guilty. Their counsel, James Akor urged the court to admit his clients to bail but prosecution counsel, Gift I. Odibo, urged the court to be properly guided in granting bail to the accused. She said the accused who were earlier granted administrative bail by the EFCC refused to honour invitation when they were to appear for further enquiries until they were re-arrested by operatives of the Commission.

Justice Adeniyi however granted bail to the accused in the sum of Five Million Naira each (N5 million) and one surety in like sum. Beside, the

judge ruled that the sureties must be civil servants with proof of residence in the federal capital. They are however to be remanded in EFCC custody until the fulfillment of the bail conditions.

While the judge adjourned Maduegbuna and Fakrogha’s case till 9th and 10th October 2012; Cosmos and Paul are to have their day in court on 27th September and 3rd October, 2012.

Benue community mourns prominent scholar

By Augustine Aminu

T

h e people of Otupka in Ogbadibo local government area of Benue state are mourning the loss of frontline academician and indigene of the community, Professor Omale Austen Peters The late professor was until his recent death, a lecturer at the Kogi state university, Anyigba.

He started his teaching career at the University of Sokoto in 1982 and later transferred his services to Kogi state university, Anyigba in 2006

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 7

News

Kogi guber:

Bauchi awards N2.5billoion Specialist Hospital contract

Absence of judge I stalls verdict

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

h e absence of Justice Abdu Kafarati of a Federal High Court, Abuja, Friday, stalled the judgement in the suit filed by two governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi state challenging the election of Idris Wada as

the governor of the state.

The court had earlier slated Friday June 29, 2012 to deliver its judgement in the suit, but could not sit owing to the absence of the trial judge.

The plaintiffs, Alhaji Jubril Isah Echocho and Mr. Oyebode Makinde had separately sued governor Wada, the Independent National Electoral

Commission (INEC), and PDP asking the court to nullify the primary election that produced Wada and declare Echocho as the authentic PDP candidate based on an earlier primary election conducted by the their party.

A new date for the judgement will be communicated to parties in the suit in due course.

NADCEL 2012 activities commences in Abuja

By Joy Baba

T

h e 2012 Nigerian Army Day Celebration activities commenced yesterday (Friday) with a Jumat prayer at the Central Mosque, Mogadishu Cantonment, Abuja.

Addressing newsmen at Defence Headquarters Abuja, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Azubuike Ihejirika represented by the Chief of Military Civil Affairs, Maj. Gen. Bitrus Kwaji, said a church service to mark the occasion will also hold at the Catholic

Church, Ribadu Cantonment Kaduna, on July 1, 2012.

NADCEL is an important annual celebration in the Nigerian Army calendar. It is an occasion that offers the Nigerian Army the opportunity to take stock, assess its performance, interface with its various publics, and set goals for the succeeding year the COAS further said.

The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘Partnering the Civil Society Towards Improved Security’. This theme, Gen.

Ihejirika said, was deliberately crafted to reflect the mood of the country at this critical point.

The lineup of activities for the week long celebration which is expected to be witness by President Goodluck Jonathan among other dignitaries include: unveiling the Nigerian built armoured personnel career (APC), Combat Airborne Jump and helicopter Repelling, Combat March and a pep talk on old days in the Infantry Corps by Maj. Gen Emmanuel Abisoye (rtd).

DSTV subscription not same as copyright payment - Okoroji tells hotels & restaurants

C

hairman, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Chief Tony Okoroji, has said the payment of DSTV subscription by hotel and restaurant owners in Nigeria is not the same as payment for music copyright. He made this known while addressing a cross section of the press at the recent licensing agreement signing ceremony between COSON and MultiChoice Nigeria, operators of DSTV, which took place in Lagos.

Chief Okoroji said: “I am informed that someone has misled owners of hotels, restaurants and similar public establishments that the payment of their DSTV subscription authorizes them to freely play music to their customers and to the general public.

There is no better place to state publicly that the payment of subscription to receive the first class signals from DSTV is not the same as a copyright license to communicate music and sound

recordings to the general public.

Hotels, restaurants and similar establishments which have not done so should get in touch with COSON without delay”.

Chief Okoroji also clarified that individuals who subscribe to DSTV and do not use the subscription in a business or public setting need no copyright licence for the full enjoyment by themselves, families or friends of the music and sound recordings received.

n its efforts to provide excellent healthcare in the state, the Bauchi state government has awarded contract of N2.5 billion for the construction of a 300-bed specialist hospital in Bauchi.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sani Abubakar Malami, disclosed this yesterday at the ministerial briefing on the achievement of the ministry held at the Abubakar Umar secretariat, Bauchi.

Malami revealed that 70 percent down payment of N1. 8 billion has been made and the contractor mobilised to site.

He said that the need to establish the Specialist Hospital came about following the conversion of the State Specialist Hospital to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital.

He said the Specialist Hospital would improve the existing health facilities in the state.

He also said that the administration has expended substantial amount of money to renovate and standardised general hospitals throughout the state.

The commissioner disclosed that the General Hospitals at Bogoro and Bayara were renovated and equipped with the sum of N375. 6 million while the ones at Kafin Madaki, Misau and Zaki would soon be completed.

Agitation for new state will cause disaffection, disunity in Plateau —Govt From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

P

l a t e a u state government has disclosed that agitation for the creation of new state out of the state would cause disaffection and disunity among the people, adding that the state government will not support and endorse the creation of a new state for now.

The government in a press statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Yiljap Abraham, said already the state faces numerous security challenges and government would not wish to

distract its people with issues that could aggravate it in the demand for a new state.

Yiljab described the agitation for the creation of the new state as tainted and ill motivated alleging, that the agitation is an extension of earlier calls by vested interests outside the state for dismemberment of the state.

Yiljap vowed that government would resist attempts to weaken the unity of the state and expose the citizens to greater insecurity which would return the state to a state “no development” platform as witnessed in past.

EU to finance projects in focal states, support reform agencies

By Joy Baba

T

h e European Union (EU) has approved the sum of 80 million Euro (about N16 billion) to finance the implementation of the second phase of the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Reform Project (WSSSRP II) in the six EU focal states.

It has also approved 20 million Euro (about N4 billion) for the support of the Federal Government in the implementation of the second phase of the National Strategy for Public Service Reform (NSPSR)

and 62 million Euros (N12 billion) to support the Federal Government’s efforts in the fight against drugs and related organised crime.

This was contained in an agreement jointly signed by the Head of EU Delegation, Ambassador David Macrae and the Minister and Deputy Chairman of the National Planning Commission, Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman in Abuja.

A joint statement issued yesterday, indicated that the states to benefit from the projects include; Anambra, Cross River, Jigawa, Kano, Osun and Yobe.

Oyo to introduce NHIS, ‘Abiyamo’ programmes From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

G

overnor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state, on Friday, said that his administration would soon introduce the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to the state as part of efforts to improve the healthcare delivery of his government.

The governor who disclosed

this while receiving the health minister, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu who paid him a courtesy call in his office in Ibadan, also said the “Abiyamo Programme” being proposed by his administration would come on stream in the next two weeks.

He said that the NHIS scheme to be introduced in the state would be community-based and that all strata of the society would be involved so as to improve the

health status of the people.

Governor Ajimobi also expressed his administration’s commitment to the eradication of malaria, which he described as one of the highest killer diseases in the state.

The governor said that it would do the people of the state a lot of good if malaria was wiped out, adding that part of the efforts at eradicating diseases was the introduction of free health mission

through which over 300,000 people had been treated across the state free of charge.

He also stressed the need for government to consider a publicprivate partnership (PPP) arrangement with key professionals in the health sector, intervention partners and service companies in order to improve the health status of the people.

Earlier in his remarks, the

minister had said that he was on a maiden two-day working visit to UCH to see the progress the hospital had made in the past years, the challenges it had been facing and to inaugurate some projects.

Prof. Chukwu commended the collaboration and good working relationship between the state government and UCH, saying “that is the way it should be”.

PAGE 8

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

Kada News Kaduna crisis: NMA protests attack on hospitals, doctors

T

h e Kaduna branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has condemned attacks on two hospitals as well as some of its members in the course of the recent violent upheavals occasioned by the bombing of churches in Kaduna and Zaria on June17.

The NMA in a press statement signed by the state Chairman and Secretary, Dr. Solomon Avidime, and Dr Joseph Ovosi, respectively, said that the health facilities attacked were the Covenant Hospital, Benin Street, and Alheri Clinic, Jos Road, while one Dr. Zainab MohammedIdris also was a victim of the attacks even as her driver was killed by an irate mob at the Kamanzo area of Kaduna metropolis.

According to the statement, “it should be noted that Doctors and other healthcare personnel are doing their utmost best at the risk of their lives, to render emergency and basic healthcare services without any discrimination on the grounds of religion, tribe, creed or political affiliations, as enshrined in the Oath of Service, which we swore to

Kaduna state Gov. Mr. Patrick Yakowa

uphold.

“Therefore, the NMA Kaduna state sees this recent development as totally unwarranted and calls for restraint on the attacks of innocent and law abiding citizens and also healthcare facilities and personnel who defy odds to help the sick and the wounded in the face of the crises.

“Life is sacred and its sanctity should be respected by all irrespective of the differences in our affiliations.

“We are proud to say that within the limits of available human and material resources in most facilities where the victims were received, all patients except the two that were fatally injured on arrival at the hospitals were alive.

Some have been discharged while others are now recuperating.’’

“The current security challenges and the attendant mass casualties and death tolls across the northern states of the country have put a stretch on the already thin and fragile health system within the affected states.

“We appeal to the relevant security agencies to ensure the movement of medical personnel as a matter of urgency when duly identified during crisis periods.’’

The NMA also commended the state government over what the group described as the prompt response to the restoration of peace and security in the state and also lauded the mediatory roles of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Jamatu Nasril Islam (JNI).

“These are indeed trying times for us as a state but we urge the peace loving people of the state to remain steadfast and complement the efforts of the government in maintaining peace and avoiding religious strife and intolerance,” the statement said.

L-R : Vice Chairperson NLC National Women Commission, Comrade Funmi Elesho, General-Secretary, National Union of Textile Garment & Tailoring Workers of Nigeria [NUTGTWN] also Vice President NLC, Comrade Issa Aremu, National Treasurer NUTGTWN, Comrade John Adaji, at a press conference on Kaduna crisis… on Thursday

NIM trains army officers T

he Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, near Kaduna says it has entered into partnership training programme with the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) in order to enhance the managerial skills of middle level officers of the nation’s Armed Forces.

Speaking at the inauguration of the maiden edition of NIM’s Conversion programme for officers, the AFCSC Commandant, Air Vice Marshal Ahmed Mu’azu, explained that the course was designed to develop the professional knowledge and to prepare them for increasing responsibilities both in staff and command appointments.

According to him, “this means that the middle-level officers are not only required to be proficient in professional military education but also to be versatile in managing men and materials.

“That is why we decided to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the professional body as the NIM for an

COAS Maj. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika initial period of three years, to groom the officers in order to further develop their managerial skills.

“And, to equip participants with new skills, insight and better understanding of the concepts, challenges and practice of

Support Yakowa, Mikati urges residents

A

former People’s Democratic party (PDP) gubernatorial aspirant in Kaduna state, Alhaji Shuaibu Idris Mikati, has enjoined the people to support Governor Yakowa’s efforts aimed at enthroning lasting peace in the area.

Mikati noted in a statement that no meaningful socioeconomic development can take place in an atmosphere of

rancour and social upheavals.

According to him, all hands should be on deck to move the state forward even as he condemned the spate of bomb explosions in parts of the north.

As he puts ait, “reprisal attack on innocent citizens is unwarranted and Nigerians should join hands in prayers and supplications to God, over the security challenges facing governments at all levels.

“Governor Yakowa and all northern governors should take as a serious challenge, the security problems in the northern states as it is already hindering investments in the region.

“No amount of investment in security would be too much in Kaduna as the state needs sustainable peace to recover from the shocks of bomb blasts.

“Political leaders should

move closer to the people and help address their problems because the present level of disconnection and poverty between the leaders and the led is nothing to write home about.

“There is also the need for the youth to be engaged in productive activities as the task of building a peaceful, strong, united and egalitarian society should not be left to government alone.”

management with professional attention to military environment.

“Each participant will among other benefits, build on their management and leadership strengths with focus on developing areas that need improvement, rather than studying what is already known.

“You will also become better prepared to cope with the changes in your jobs and be able to transfer your skills from one context to another.

“These benefits presuppose that after graduating from this programme and becoming associate members of this revered institute, you would become even better tools for the advancement of the Armed Forces in particular and Nigeria in general.

“The college appreciates the fact that as members of the Armed Forces, our tasks, responsibilities and challenges are becoming more complex and dynamic.

In his address, the President and Chairman of Council of the NIM, Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, noted that the content of the program was based on nationally and internationally accepted standards that describe the expectations from managers and leaders, with cognizance to the military operating environment in the country.

According to him, “the modules are structured with clear outcomes to competence performance in the role, behaviors and the underpinning knowledge and understanding that are necessary for those outcomes to be produce. This is why we have termed this program military management.”

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 9

Cover Insecurity:

Can Dasuki deliver?

By Abdulrahman Abdulrahim

S

i n c e he came on board last week as the new National Security Adviser (NSA) after Gen. Andrew Owoye Azazi was booted out, tongues have been wagging about Col. Sambo Dasuki,'s emergence. Dasuki was said to have been recommended by highly placed individuals in the country. Names being bandied include Aliyu Gusau, IBB, Abdulsalami Abubakar amongst other eminent personalities.

However not a few Nigerians have welcome the development

as the right step in the right direction but can Dasuki deliver, despite his blue blood and impeccable credentials as an accomplished soldier? Is he the man for the job or will his emergence present fresh security challenges?

It remains to be seen if he fits into the frame of someone who can be called an intelligence officer. It remains to be seen also if as a privileged prince from the Sokoto caliphate, he has what it takes to mix freely with people of diverse backgrounds and gather the facts needed to unravel the problem of terrorism and how to

tackle them.

However, Col. Sambo Dasuki may have started well by visiting some of the troubled spots, a feat his predecessors cannot lay claim. Watchers of the polity see this as a positive step, and that by visiting the major flashpoints of Maiduguri, Potiskum and Damaturu, Dasuki has shown willingness to heed the President's call for a change in tactics.

Going by the fact that the Federal Government had been accused of failing to engage the major stakeholders in its efforts to dialogue with the sect, Dasuki's

visit, the first by any top Presidency official since the beginning of the crisis, as well as his words are no doubt reassuring. He must however be cautious on his choice of words.

Many Nigerians have faulted the unguarded comments from high places, the presidency inclusive about terrorism in the country.

It can be recalled that the sacked former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Hafiz Ringim was in the habit of talking tough and making inflammatory comments about insecurity without taking tangible steps to curb it.

Few days after he went to the northeast to brag that, "Boko Haram's days are numbered," the sect members took the battle to his doorstep and launched an audacious attack on Loius Edet House. It was also under his nose that a Boko Haram suspect, Kabiru Sokoto escaped and that was his greatest undoing.

Similarly, the presidency has been chided for barking without biting, hence, the continued insurgency. It would seem that early in the tenure of the new NSA, he too has started treading the familiar path, the flip-flops

Contd on Pages 10,11

PAGE 10

Cover

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

Insecurity:

Can Dasuki deliver?

Contd from page 9

that government officials in Nigeria are renowned for. In the euphoria of elevations, they make exerting comments but on realising the weight of the statements, they begin to retract them and blame the press for misquoting them.

The new NSA was in Yobe state on Thursday, one of the states where President Jonathan declared state of emergency due to increased insurgency of Boko Haram, where he reportedly predicted the end of the sect's rebellion before the beginning of Ramadan only to issue a statement on Friday denying the comments. According to reports, "Col. Dasuki while on a visit to Potiskum and Damaturu in Yobe state assured of President Goodluck Jonathan's commitment to restoration of peace in the areas, and the country before the beginning of this year's Ramadan Fast due in three weeks". But in a swift reaction, the National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki rtd denied reports quoting him as putting a timeline to the end of Boko Haram Islamist sect hostility in parts of the country.

According to the statement issued and signed by the SA Media to the NSA, Karounwi Adekunle, the NSA never made such statement. The statement issued on Friday by Adekunle categorically said "the NSA never at any forum in Potiskum, Damaturu, both Yobe state on Thursday or today in Maiduguri, Borno state said he will bring an end to the sect's hostility before the start of Ramadan Fast. His cogent message in all the meetings he's held so far with some stakeholders is the need for leaders to reach out and prevail on Boko Haram members to cease fire so as to create room for dialogue."

"This clarification has become necessary to avoid further spread of this misinformation and unnecessary insinuations", the statement added.

The denial is in the right direction considering that a similar pledge by the presidency to end the crisis by June this year drew the wrath of the sect which launched more attacks. Also, given the fact that Dasuki is yet to settle down or even initiate dialogue with the sect, one wonders about the three weeks deadline.

With the denial, it is now clear that he has what it takes to modify the country's security apparatus to be able to face the challenges. There are indications too that Dasuki is receiving wise counsel from people that matter in the country as to how to succeed in his assignment, even though a former Inspector General of Police, (IGP) who also preferred anonymity declined to speak with Peoples Daily weekend based on the fact that "security situation in the country has been politicized" some of these concerned citizens see the development as "encouraging".

While speaking to Peoples Daily weekend on the general security situation in the country, however, former Military Administrator of Kaduna state and immediate past Secretary-General of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) said the problem is beyond appointment of a new NSA. He called on government to look for alternatives to its use of force to curtail the

Jonathan

Dasuki

Azazi

activities of the Boko Haram members.

He called for dialogue, saying: "The use of brutal force alone does not douse the situation. There must be a combination of enforcement and dialogue. That is the only way you can deal with this type of situation. But in a situation where you want to use force, it may not work especially in the case of Boko Haram that you do not even know who they are. You do not know who you are fighting. It is more difficult to handle that this kind of situation. So, there must be a multi-dimensional approach to the battle to end insecurity. If we restrict it to the use of brutal force alone, chances of success are very slim."

Speaking on the emergence of Dasuki as NSA, Col Ali said: "The change of personality may not necessarily bring about a cause for celebration. While I congratulate Sambo Dasuki and I pray for him to succeed, the entire gamut is in the hands of government. One person cannot solve this problem. There must be concerted effort from all angles especially from government policies. But the body language you get from government appears as if they are not really bothered. So, if you change then National Security Adviser 10 times, it may not solve the problem. The National Security Adviser does not command troops.

What he does is to give advice and get security information, study it and give to those who should operate it. If those who should give directives for the operation of these things are not willing to overcome the situation then there is no number of Sambo Dasuki that you put there that will solve the problem."

"If this problem requires a royal solution or requires the royal fathers to solve it, by now we would have overcome the matter. It is pure experience; it is pure hard work and the ultimate thing is the commitment of government to bringing down this insecurity situation. The way I see it is that government is not committed.

During the last media chat, you heard

what the President said. As far as he is concerned, he is not ready to dialogue with people he does not know. If government really wants to discuss with these people, government can get them but if in a situation where you play pranks, it will be difficult to get to them. But, is Boko Haram the only problem that we have? Boko Haram or no Boko Haram, this country is sitting on a keg of gun powder because as long as people keep stealing money with reckless abandon, there is no way there can be peace". Col. Hameed Ali said.

The retired soldier also faulted the President's comments in the last media chat where he said he won't dialogue with faceless people, insisting that if government really wants to get the perpetrators, they can get them. He further argued that as long as corruption and injustice still pervade the system with graduates not getting jobs, peace will continue to elude the country.

He faulted the call for state police by the governors, saying if granted the governors will only use it to harass and intimidate their political opponents.

But by reiterating the President's pledge that government will keep the dialogue option open, Dasuki has given hope to most Nigerians that the country may be on its way to peace finally.

Speaking in Maiduguri yesterday, the new NSA said: "The intractable insecurity pains us and so I cannot just stay in Abuja to rely on reports emanating from there, so I'm convinced that the best approach available for stemming the menace is through dialogue by seeking the opinions of traditional rulers, community and religious leaders, security operatives as well as other stakeholders so that we can all put heads together to end the bloodshed."

Responding, Governor of Borno state Kasim Shettima commended the NSA for the visit saying for the past two years this was the first time a highly placed official

of government came to the state.

When President Goodluck Jonathan came back from his controversial Brazil trip on Friday last week and immediately fired his under-performing National Security Adviser (NSA), General Andrew Owoeye Azazi (rtd), many Nigerians had mixed feelings. This is because Azazi had by his antecedents and abysmal performance, never proved to be worth his huge pay. It was obvious all, and to all followers of events in the past two years that his longevity on the job was more because of his Bayelsa origins than for his competence.

A lot of Nigerians on the other hand, expressed great surprise that the present administration could finally take the decision he took in sacking the national Security Adviser, General Andrew Owoye Azazi, so not a few Nigerians were shocked that President Jonathan finally summoned courage to do the needful and get rid of the largely adjudged incompetent ex- general.

Azazi's failings Andrew Azazi's appointment as a replacement for another retired general, Aliyu Gusau coincided with the time the Boko Haram insurgency was turning to a big deal. So, he had his job cut out for him.

But after every blast and gun attacks as well as violent uprisings in parts of the north, his incompetence and inability to properly advise the Presidency on major security issues and help prevent needless killings became obvious.

His biggest test came during the 2011 general elections. All students of Nigerian politics knew that some Nigerians are moderate in their political views while some are extremists and the latter group is always ready to take advantage of anything to cause havoc. All serious political watchers knew that the 2007 general elections remained the most Contd on page 11

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

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Cover Insecurity:

Can Dasuki deliver?

Contd from page 10

manipulated in the history of this country but hardcore Buhari supporters had little reasons to protest then because a fellow northerner (in fact, a fellow Katsina man) had been announced as the winner. There was no reason to cause any crisis; after all, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had faithfully kept to the terms of its zoning principle by allowing the north to retain the Presidency.

This was not the case in the 2011 polls, Yar'adua had died and Jonathan had served out his tenure and by the provision of the party's zoning formula, the PDP presidential ticket was supposed to return to the north. But claiming ignorance of such provision, Dr Goodluck Jonathan bullied his way to Wadata Plaza and secured the presidential ticket at all cost.

About 24 hours after the election, counting had begun and Jonathan was coasting home to victory, Azazi went to sleep, took everything for granted and hell was let loose.

It was immediately voting kicked off that some overzealous youths must have planned to wreck havoc if they did'nt have their way and at the level of intelligence gathering, nothing was done. Azazi did not think of advising government on the need to beef up security by double fold in some potential flashpoints. It was his first major test and his first major gaffe.

Azazi and his boss seemed not to be on the same page; they never agreed on major security issues. Little wonder his tenure was so disastrous, leading to the bombing of key national assets and killing of innocent Nigerians in places of worship and other places. The Boko Haram sect had a field day because Azazi was not the man for the job. The two men denied this for long but recent events proved that it is either the NSA never bothered to advise the President or the latter never listened or both. It was more likely that both men never really got a grasp of the evil that had befallen the nation. All they could do was to say, "We are on top of the situation" or issue statements condemning terrorism anytime there was a major blast.

In one of his most controversial comments, Azazi took the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the cleaners, blaming its key movers for the insecurity in the north.

The former NSA, who spoke in Asaba, the Delta state capital at the second Southsouth Economic Summit with the theme, "Development, Investment and Security," stated that to address the security challenges which include kidnapping, armed robbery, Boko Haram bombings and other violent crimes, there is need to understand the entirety of the problem, from their genesis.

"The other day when I stated that the issue of Boko Haram cannot be dealt with in just one day and that it has to be gradual, people interpreted it to mean that Boko Haram has come to stay with us. What I meant was that there was a need to understand where the problem is coming from and avoid this fire brigade approach to such national challenges "We do not need to politicize the

Babangida

Abubakar

Gusau

security challenge on our hand. And most people are not always comfortable when I say in some quarters that the PDP is to be blamed for some of these problems. The PDP got it wrong from the beginning by claiming that its convention and rules state that this person can rule and this person cannot," he declared.

In a veiled attack on PDP's zoning policy, he called on the political class to put their house in order by seeing all persons as capable of holding any political office irrespective of the ethnic groups they belong.

Almost immediately, the President replied by urging Azazi to watch his tongue.

It was obvious that the two men were not really working together; it could also be interpreted that the tax payers' money was being wasted by keeping Azazi in office for too long. From the Asaba statement came Azazi's inevitable fall from stardom.

Even though this has been denied, another pointer to the fact that Jonathan and Azazi were not together was the interview traced to an aide to the former NSA which accused President Jonathan of not listening and working with the advice of Azazi. According to the story, Jonathan was asked to approve the arrest of Buhari and other key northern leaders for alleged complicity in the security challenges of the nation but he refused.

The Azazi's aide also described Jonathan as a weakling .

Azazi was in all ramifications not the right man for the job in the first place.

Apart from not working hand in hand with his principal, the Federal Government's efforts to stem the tide of terrorist attacks in the states that are most affected were never really adequate despite the billions of naira voted for security annually under Azazi's watch. Even the Federal Government peace keepers, the Joint Task Force (JTF) and other security outfits sent

to these states to contain the activities of terrorists are not always adequately funded by the government. If feelers from top officials of these state governments are to be relied upon, the states have to cough out several millions of naira to fund the operations, feeding and accommodation of Federal Government operatives. This is in spite of several billions of naira budgeted for security at the federal level. A particular state was said to be spending about N1.2 billion on security monthly.

The Federal Government in fact budgeted N1 trillion naira for security in the 2012 budget, but Nigerians cannot say where the money is and what it has been used for.

The issue of Federal Government's lackadaisical attitude in supporting the state governments where Boko Haram attacks are more constant is not new. This may have been responsible for the demand of state police by the Nigerian Governors' Forum (NGF) after a meeting held last Monday.

In Borno, Yobe, Plateau, Niger, Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi and Adamawa, key government functionaries have confided in several sources how they spend hundreds of millions of naira to fund the security agencies in the states while the Federal Government just send soldiers without providing much logistics for their operations.

Another failing of Azazi's inglorious tenure was the seeming lack of cooperation of Federal Government security agencies with the states they operate in and even among themselves.

Officials of the state governments also complain that there is no constant meeting between state governments and the Federal Government to find lasting solutions to the security crisis going on in parts of the north.

Stakeholders also criticise the Federal Government over its refusal to carry the

affected state governments along in the botched efforts to seek dialogue with the Boko Haram sect.

Another reason why he was never the best candidate for the job, according to pundits is that the circumstances surrounding his exit from the military were shrouded in controversy. He was alleged to have engaged in some deals that ran contrary to ethics and the laws of the land. Azazi's combative personality never really fit into the frame of an intelligence officer who could marshal the security network of a complex nation facing terrorist attacks like Nigeria.

Azazi out, Dasuki in People who know Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd) say he is a disciplinarian; a nononsense soldier. Dasuki is however from one of the most privileged families in northern Nigeria, the sultanate in Sokoto. He is a cousin to the current Sultan of Sokoto, Alaji Muhammad Abubakar Saad III and the son of the only living ex-sultan.

Sambo Dasuki has served Nigeria in several capacities before; most notably as the Aide- De- Camp (ADC) to former Military President, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Dasuki was one time Managing Director of the Nigeria Security and Minting Corporation during the era of late General Sani Abacha. He was forced to retire from the military by the Abacha junta.

He attended American Universities, Washington DC and George Washington University where he obtained a BA in International Relations and MA in Security Policy Studies respectively.

He had his military training in several institutions in Nigeria and abroad including: Nigerian Army School of Artillery, Oklahoma, U.S Army Command and General Staff College, Ft. Leavenworth Kensas.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 13

Politics

Nasarawa assembly bye-election: Litmus test for both CPC and PDP From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

W

i t h the demise of the member representing Awe north at the Nasarawa State House of Assembly (NSHA), late Alhaji Yakubu Faransa, who died on the 30th of May, at the National Hospital, followed by the subsequent fixing of 7th July for the conduct of the bye-election to fill the vacant seat, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the stage is once again set for the two rival parties straddling the political landscape in the state to flex their muscles and demonstrate their control or lack of it over the political machine operating in the state.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which have ruled the state for the past twelve years and which lost the gubernatorial election only a year ago, still controls the assembly, with 20 out of the 24 members coming from the party. Not only that, the vacant seat was formerly occupied by a member of the party and pundits would readily agree that the PDP will attempt to show that it remains the party to beat in the state.

While the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), riding on the tail of its recent victory both at the polls and subsequently at the courts, will marshal out its arsenal, in a bid to dislodge the grip of the PDP on the assembly, even if by a single seat.

No matter how one views the situation, the political dynamics permeating the polity for now, leaves no room for certainty.

Meaning that parties involved in the bye-election, particularly the two aforementioned, must go about the exercise fully conscious of the fact that the game plan has changed. Unlike in previous dispensations, elections have evolved into a more participatory, critical venture, calling for a total overhaul of preceding approaches, with the electorates becoming ever conscious of their role in the emergence of political leaders.

Quite unlike the time when the party alone decided the outcome of an election. Not long ago, all that a candidate vying for a political office needed to do, was to clinch the ticket of the ruling party at the primary election and for sure, such a person merely passed through the rigmarole of the general election before being declared winner.

By emerging victorious in the 2011 gubernatorial election,

Gov. Umaru Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa state

Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura, demystified the incumbency factor when he denied former governor Aliyu Akwe Doma of the PDP, the chance for a second shot at the Lafia Government House. What that implied was that, even with a sitting governor, there is no guarantee that the CPC will win the election, since all the parameter that defined incumbency, have been exposed, thrown into the dustbin of history. An outsider, far removed from the establishment, is quite capable of upsetting the apple pie!

So for any of the parties to emerge victorious at the polls on the 7th of July, there is the urgent need for them to imbibe an entirely different approach and like Alhaji Abdulhamid Kwarra, a former majority leader at the state assembly recently observed, three things are key to deciding the success or failure of a party: the popularity, the acceptability of a candidate and logistics, will be the determining factors when the electorates troop out to elect the next assembly man from Awe north constituency.

On their parts, INEC in collaboration with all the security agencies in the state, have assured both the electorates and the parties of a level playing ground. In separate discussion, stakeholders meeting, Alhaji Ahmad Makama, Resident

Electoral Commissioner (REC), the same man who supervised the election that saw to the defeat of a party in power, assured that the commission has put everything in place to create a level playing ground for the four parties contesting in the bye-election, namely; ACN, ANPP, CPC, and PDP, with the last two being major contenders.

Addressing stakeholders recently at the headquarters of the commission in Lafia, the REC, outlined the programme of activities leading to the 7th July exercise, cautioning the political parties against conduct capable of disrupting the exercise, assuring them that arrangements have been finalised to conduct a credible, free and fair byeelection.

For the PDP, the Awe byeelection provides the opportunity for the party to assert its control at the grass root, as well as confirm

its grip on the state legislature.

Granted that the PDP has established structures across the nook and cranny of the state, a party machinery that existed for the past 13 years, with a workable network that when galvanised, can effectively deliver. If this seemingly dormant structure is rightly motivated, then the chances of the party clinching the seat will be bright.

Also, by fielding Alhaji Musa Saidu, twice chairman of Awe local government area and a grass root mobilizer, a man who, pundits say, is popular and acceptable and who is in control of several youth organisations in the area, the PDP, has so far, not only brightened its chances but send a message across that it intends to retain its seat at the assembly.

At an emergency stakeholders meeting held last week, at the secretariat of the party, speaker

“

So for any of the parties to emerge victorious at the polls on the 7th of July, there is the urgent need for them to imbibe an entirely different approach

after speaker, harped on the need for the party to put its acts together and to assert its control of the political set up in the state, by winning the Awe bye-election.

Chief Yunana Iliya, state chairman of the party, was emphatic when he told those who attended the meeting, “the late Yakubu Faransa was PDP, the seat belongs to the party and we must take our thing!”

For the CPC, a mere child of necessity, a party that lacks structure and visibility, success at the Awe bye-election is hinged on the popularity presently being enjoyed by Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura, even as the party machinery in the state is subsumed within the administrative structure.

At a rally in Awe, Al-makura, while presenting the CPC candidate, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Tunga, a former aide to the governor, who resigned from his position to contest the election, told the crowd to “vote for the CPC candidate because they are used to voting Umaru Tanko.”

The populist approach to governance adopted by the CPC government on its own, is sure to put the party in good stead but feelers around the state indicate that this alone, may not give the party the desired result, to dislodge the PDP’s control at the assembly, even by a single vote.

Investigations by Peoples Daily Weekend showed that there is a rising discontent among the population, particularly politicians who at the start, played significant roles in the emergence of the governor but who now felt jettisoned, who use any forum to express their discontent, with some making known their intention to frustrate the effort of the party.

But a major obstacle that could scuttle the ambition of the party to add up to its membership at the state assembly, is the general perception that “people are hungry”, a parlance meaning that, money is not in circulation.

For the ordinary citizen, dividends of democracy is better appreciated when politicians dish out money and everyone is happy. Unlike the frugal, reformist stance of the CPC administration, which has the potency to weaken the massive support being enjoyed, even with the positive change sweeping across the state.

As both parties go to the trenches, it remains to be seen which of them will emerge victorious in the 7th July byeelection.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 15

Man in the News

Boko Haram: What has Mark done?

By Lawrence Olaoye

S

i n c e 1999, Mark, who became the Senate President in 2007 has remained an acknowledged political leader not only of his state, Benue and the region, but the nation in general.

As the number 3 political office holder in the land since 2007, his views are mostly guided by patriotism even as he has been at the fore-front of resolving serious national crises. Mark at the head of the National Assembly saved the country at a time when it was literarily heading to political doldrums and the nation was at a dangerous cross-road.

The principle of ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ was propounded by Mark’s leadership to unlock the lockjam brought about by the incapacitation of Late President Umaru Yar’Adua. The passage of the doctrine of necessity made the Goodluck Jonathan, then Vice President to Yar’Adua, to take over the Presidency in acting capacity.

No doubt, the Senate President has contributed immensely to the military and political development of the nation and has never left anybody in doubt about his love for the country, and his support for peaceful coexistence of the people who are by nature heterogeneous.

But recent outburst at the Senate Retreat held in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom state, cautioning that Nigeria may break up if the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents are not curtailed has elicited criticisms and knocks from several stakeholders who have equal stakes in the polity.

Mark equally drew the ire of the stakeholders, particularly from the North, when he heaped the blames of the failure of the government to stop the Boko Haram activities on the docility of the northern leaders. He said “The elders in the north, I ask, can they really stop this menace and if they cannot, let them say so. Because the impression at the moment is that there are some group of elders in the north, who can stop it; there are group of elders who know what is happening.

“My candid opinion is that they cannot stop it and they don’t know what is happening. If they were involved at all at some time, they are now completely out of control right now as we speak but if they are, I think it is proper that they come out because Nigerian has to be one for northern Nigeria to exist.

“The way the exercise is going at the moment, if Boko Haram is not halted, it may result to the breakup of this country and God forbid, because people will not take it for too long. I call on the elders that they should come out frankly

Sen. David Alechenu Bornaventure Mark and they should assist if they are in the position. But if they don’t, they will also break.”

Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima, in his immediate reaction, disagreed openly with the Senate President insisting Nigeria will not break-up because of the activities of the Boko Haram sect just as he counseled that the people must learn how to live with one another.

Shettima said it was impossible for the country to break along religious line because adherents of the two dominant religions in the country, Christianity and Islam, are interwoven in the Northern and Southern parts of the country.

The Northern Elders Forum through its Spokesman, Prof. Ango Abdullai, accused the Senate President of being grossly unfair to northern elders. He noted that Mark has been heard at various fora speaking against the leadership of the North and accusing them of not owing-up to their responsibilities and wondered if Mark has excluded himself from being a leader of the region.

He lamented that the Senate President who is the No 3 citizen in the country and also No 2 citizen in the North after the VicePresident could accuse the Northern leaders and elders for doing nothing about the security challenges bedeviling the country, especially the north.

“If he has excluded himself from being a leader or elder, then I think he is right to say that others who are regarded as elders or northern leaders should be queried for the security changes faced in some quarters in the country”, Abdullahi said.

According to him, Mark cannot be a leader and a derelict, and say others should bear responsibility for some of the failure in the north.

Abdullahi said he could not remember Senator Mark ever convening any meeting of northern leaders and elders as the Senate leader to discuss problems challenging the country or the North.

“So there must be something sinister about this, if you look at the details of his submission at the retreat, he is also trying to shift the blame on Northern Muslims for the crises that are going on, in other words he is passing the buck to those he considered to be Muslims in the North”, “I believe this should not be coming from somebody who occupies No3 position in the country and No2 position in this part of the country, and we still regard him as one of our own even if he decided not to, but we still think so”.

The Plateau state government has in the same vein condemned the call for the dismemberment of the country as the state regards the advocates as ‘upatriotic, wicked and wild.’

The state’s Information Commissioner, Yiljap Abraham, who said this when he visited the Jos office of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), added that such ` unwarranted calls'' were a ` disservice to the nation.’’

Following the flurry of bitter reactions trailing Mark’s comments, political observers have begun to ask pungent questions as most of them have begun to reason with Abdullahi

who raised the suspicion that something could be sinister about his comments.

There are insinuations that the Senate President is being touted in certain quarters to take over as the President from the North after President Goodluck Jonathan may have finished his tenure. The question is: could this utterance be part of his subtle campaigns to polish his political image to make him appear a saint to a certain section of the country?

Many, like Abdullahi are equally asking Mark to give a record of what he had been able to do in his personal capacities, as the number two northern leader in government, to end the Boko Haram insurgents in the region.

Again, Mark’s comments on deeper analysis, to some political watchers, indicate a lack of trust and confidence among the political leaders in the north and this was brought about by the schisms introduced by the insurgents through attacks on worship places.

They argued that the north must put its house in order and confront the Boko Haram challenge if it ever hopes to speak with one voice again.

S e n a t e President, David Alechenu Bornaventure Mark was born on the 8th of April, 1948. He attended primary school at St. Francis Catholic Practising School Otukpo, Benue state, between 1956 and 1961 before he proceeded to the most popular Military Secondary school in Nigeria, the Nigerian Military School Zaria, Kaduna beginning in 1962 and passed out in 1966. He continued with the character that was imbibed in him by the influence of the Military Secondary school and proceeded to the Nigeria Defence Academy(NDA) Kaduna on the 3rd Regular Course in 1967 and graduated in 1970 to become a Communications Engineer in the Nigerian Army after a period of four years.

An excellent Military Engineer who earned several promotions based on his sterling performances in the Army, Mark was called to the Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna state from 1978 to 1979 to receive leadership trainings for senior duties and appointment as a Senior Officer.

Following the sequence of events he further consolidated the professional knowledge of his career by attending the Nigerian Defence Academy WASHINGTON DC USA, between the years 1990 and 1991, proceeding to the reputable and distinguished Havard University Havard, Boston-USA between 1991 and 1992.

He was appointed the Directing Staff in charge of Tactics and operations, where he oversaw and coordinated all training related to military strategy, operation and tactics. The department was also responsible for teaching military - civilian relationship and military history.

Mark attained the height of his professional military career when he was appointed Commander Corps of Signals a position all signal officers crave to attain David Mark hit national limelights with a big bang when as a young army major he was appointed Chairman of the Abandoned Properties Implementation Commission. It was a very sensitive and politically explosive issue, and therefore a most difficult assignment to implement the Federal Government White Paper on the controversial properties abandoned as a result of the civil war. His pragmatic handling of the issue has continued to elicit accolades till date.

On the strength of his performance in the abandoned project assignment , Mark was appointed the Military Administrator of Niger state by the then Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. He was later appointed the Minister for Communications during the administration of Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. The Senate President, then a Colonel, was controversial and daring as he was the only Minister who dared to lead by example by ensuring that public officials paid their telephones’ bills or get disconnected. He got to the height of the controversy when he was severally criticized for the high cost of telephony in the country when he was alleged to have retorted that telephones were not meant for the poor.

“

Abdullahi said he could not remember Senator Mark ever convening any meeting of northern leaders and elders as the Senate leader to discuss problems challenging the country or the North.

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 30, JUNE — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

Tourism & Leisure Farin Ruwa:

Nasarawa’s breathtaking smoking waters N

asarawa state in north central Nigeria is not only blessed with abundant natural resources in the form of precious mineral resources like columbite, barytes, sharp sand, tin, marble, salt, coal and aquamarine. The state is also composed of different ethnic groups each with its own cultures and traditions who are living harmoniously with one another.

Nasarawa is also blessed with beautiful scenic sites like the Ox-bow Lake, Lafia Dyeing Pits, Doma Dam, Akiri Warm Spring and the Bakono Games Reserves in Nasarawa Local Government Area. All of these adorn its landscape like a bride adorned in her alluring costume awaiting the appearance of her groom.

Farin Ruwa waterfall is found in Wamba Local Government area of the state.

It is located between the boundary of Bokkos and Wamba local council areas of Plateau and Nassarawa states respectively. Farin Ruwa is also about 120km away from Lafia, the state capital and 30km away from Wamba, the local government headquarters. The nature and beauty of the waterfalls is simply breath taking. It is a truly magnificent work of nature incomparable with other waterfalls in Nigeria. This is because of its high level falls which is approximately 150m high and 50m wide. The force of its gushing water is so torrential that it can be mistaken for white smoke thus earning it the name “Farin Ruwa” a literal translation of “White water” in Hausa language.

Farin Ruwa waterfall, which was said to have been first discovered in the 1950s by the colonialists is a spectacular waterfall about 120 kilometers away from Lafia, the capital city of Nasarawa State, 30 kilometers away from Wamba, the local government headquarters and about 160 kilometers from Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital.

To develop the waterfall to international tourism standards, the Nasarawa state

government set out to invest millions of dollars to build chalets and a hotel complex, a golf course, water and amusement parks, among other recreational facilities which are aimed at attracting tourists by their thousands.

The hospitality facilities are expected to transform the waterfall into the biggest tourist destination in Nigeria put Nasarawa State on the world tourism map and transform the country into a major tourist destination.

Farin Ruwa is just as spectacular as Canada’s Niagara Falls and Zambia’s Victoria Falls.

The nature and beauty of the waterfalls makes ones’ heart skip with awe! It is a truly magnificent work of nature for its high level falls which is about 150 meters high and 50 meters wide and absolutely incomparable with any other waterfalls in Nigeria.

Eco-Tourism Farin Ruwa is captivating; tumbling 150 meters, the waterfall is a cascade of three falls 50 meters wide creating a natural spectacle that is at once both beautiful as well as breathtaking. Its tourism potentials have been noted internationally as the World Tourism Organisation has listed it as a world tourist site. Much of the surrounding environment is

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 30, JUNE — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

Weekend

PAGE 17

Cocktail Cake decorating ideas

Decorating a cake in a simple manner doesn’t mean it will look plain and unimaginative. With simple ingredients and small decorative accents, you can make a cake worthy of any celebration. >>Page 28

Maryam Booth I am not in competition with Aki and Pawpaw — Ibro >>Page 24

>>> Page 32

Looking beautiful the African way >> Page 19

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 18

Relationship Avoiding conflict worsens situation

P

e o p l e have varying degrees of comfort with conflict. Some prefer avoiding it at all costs.

Unfortunately, those costs and then they tend to increase the longer issues are left unaddressed. Therefore, learning how to manage and resolve conflict is to your benefit when dealing with conflict: -Treat it as normal and expected.

Conflict need not be catastrophic or personal. Conflict is simply part of being human.

Deal with issues as they arise.

Avoiding conflict makes situations worse.

Time does not resolve matters. Instead, it decreases the chance of a positive outcome.

Attempt to understand the other person's point of view. Dismissing the other's views, assigning blame, and exclusive focus on your own perspective are all counterproductive.

Don't judge emotions. No one's feelings are more or less "right" than the other's. Emotions reflect a valid perspective of an individual. Even if you don't understand it, acknowledge the other person's reaction as important.

Focus on the behavior, situation or problem area without attacking the person involved.

Do not assume your values or beliefs are "right." They reflect a view of the world from your unique perspective.

Respecting another's viewpoint as equally valuable opens an opportunity for learning and growth.

Dealing with conflict does not need to be dreaded or feared. Interpersonal

conflict is a natural component of human interaction. In fact, if the problem is the object of focus versus the people involved, disagreements can generate new ideas and growth. Dealing with issues as they occur, acknowledging the other party's feelings and perspective, and avoiding judgment or blame further increase the chance of productive conflict resolution.

Logical thought Conflict in relationships is exacerbated when we think we must defend ourselves.

Given that most people do not intentionally harm those they love, this is illogical. In fact, the majority of things leading to hurt feelings were never meant

to have that outcome. No matter how upset you are, make a leap of faith that your partner loves you and wants you to be happy. When you attribute the problem to miscommunication vs. he/she doesn't care or is trying to hurt you, it diffuses the emotional charge. Once your emotions have stopped telling you to attack or run, you have the benefit of logical thought. As you can imagine, this offers more clarity to your perspective.

In turn, resolution of the conflict becomes easier.

Interpersonal Conflict Interpersonal conflict, whether family conflict or conflict in the

workplace, is often dealt with in nonproductive ways. Two traditional approaches are avoiding conflict and managing conflict. A third option is conflict resolution.

As you can imagine, and probably have experienced, avoiding conflict is problematic. There is no opportunity for resolution and a back log of negative experiences starts to accumulate. These unidentified or unresolved conflicts simmer under the surface causing a general feeling of irritability between the involved parties. Perceptions, feelings and interactions between the parties become coloured. Eruptions over minor matters, at seemingly random times, may also occur.

Managing conflict can have a better outcome than avoidance. However, to minimize harm, it must be done in a purposeful way. This is an ongoing process in which goals are set, frequent and honest communication occurs and differences are discussed openly. When actual resolution of the conflict is unlikely, it is best to establish such a plan.

Conflict resolution works to resolve problems in a mutually favorable manner. This approach goes beyond acknowledging and coping with conflict.

At its best, it embraces conflict as an invaluable means for achieving ongoing learning and growth .

Viewing conflict as an opportunity for growth can go against instinctive responses. When conflict arises, we often feel attacked. Our fight or flight response may be triggered. We think we must choose between passivity or defense. However, if you don't personalize the problem (i.e. make it about you) then this level of reaction becomes unneeded. Instead, you can logically look at the situation, open to the other person's input, and decide together what can be done to help make things better.

Source: LifeTips

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 19

Beauty Tips Looking beautiful the African way L

o o k i n g beautiful is a desire of every one. So why not look beautiful and stunning with your dark skin, the African way? Dark skinned women are blessed with bold natural looks that go with properly planned beauty regime that could be modern or simple ingredients. A large variety of tips for African beauty are however, available.

Try this for a quick start On your cheeks go for a light pink or dark pink blush. With regard to the lips, outline with a lip pencil and fill it with dark colour. Red lip gloss will make your lips simply stunning but if you want to make your lips look plump, then just outline them with a dark brown lip liner. Blend it with your inner lips with the help of your finger.

As the next step, apply a caramel coloured lipstick and fill in your lips.

Apply a transparent lip gloss to make them look more vibrant.

Apply three coats of mascara Your eyes are your highlighting feature. So make sure you work well on your eyes. Just go for caramel coloured over your eye lids. A light colour highlighter looks best on your brow bone.

It is always better to make your eye lashes look amazing, so always apply at least three coats of mascara.

African beauty Toner: Toner works well for women and you need to use it regularly. It is very effective in closing the pores of the skin and also prevents impurities from getting settled on the skin. If you want to try natural toners go for rose water, honey and lemon.

Moisturiser: Moisturiser is a must for almost all skin types. Choose your moisturiser which nourishes your skin and gives it a healthy glow depending on your skin tone.

Foundation : When you are buying the foundation, there are certain factors to be taken into consideration. If you have a very dark skin colour, then you should choose a foundation which has a bluish undertone.

If you have medium brown skin, then reddish-yellow tone foundation would suit your skin type. Just as a finishing touch, apply a light foundation which has a yellow touch to it. It works best for all skin types.

Easy at-home skin care treatments

N

e x t time you stop by a market, pick up a few fruits and vegetables for mixing up your own homemade skin care products! It will save you money -- and feels great.

Lemon rind and juice, avocado, paw-paw, honey, milk and other ingredients will refresh and make your skin glow.

Lemon cleanser for all skin types -1/8 cup ground almonds (An edible oval shaped brownskinned nut that is usually used in cooking) -2 tsp milk or cream -1 tsp lemon juice Combine thoroughly, and use to gently cleanse skin. Rinse well with warm water.

According to Sue Dolan, M.Ed., author of Naturally Skinsational: Rejuvenating Skin Care Recipes, lemons are a natural source of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and antioxidants.

Dolan says, "A natural form of AHA such as lemon is found in many natural skin care recipes for not only the cleansing attributes but for toning and exfoliating the skin."

Skin-revitalising orange peel -1 egg yolk -1 tsp honey -1/8 cup fresh citrus (lemon, orange or lime) juice -1 packet plain gelatin Mix together thoroughly, and apply to skin for 20 to 25 minutes. Oranges are a great source of vitamin C, which are clinically proven to prevent wrinkles and fine lines. In this

creation by Dolan, "The egg yolk moisturizes and firms, the honey moisturizes and the citrus juice exfoliates the dead skin cells away, stimulating new cell production."

Avocado body mask -2 avocados, thoroughly mashed into a paste -3 tablespoons salt -1/4 cup honey -Grated rind of two fresh lemons, along with the juice -1/4 cup organic coconut oil Mix all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. (The consistency should be that of a thin sour cream.) Apply to your skin for 10 to 15 minutes, then scrub off well with warm water.

Keep unused portion in refrigerator for two to three days.

"Avocados have a treasure trove of anti-aging attributes," says Dolan, including vitamins A, D and E, as well as proteins, lecithin, potassium and beta-carotene, a cancerfighting ingredient. Dolan continues, "Avocados also are high in emollient qualities imparted by sterolins, which work to heal sun-damaged skin, scarring and reduce age spots."

Strawberry facial mask -1/2 cup fresh strawberries -1 tablespoon fresh milk -1 tablespoon rice flour or cornstarch Mash together all ingredients to make a smooth paste. Spread over your face and neck, and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat your

skin dry. Use twice weekly.

Strawberries contain natural antioxidants, which are known to repair skin and act as antiaging agents, as well as protect your skin from environmental stress. The salicylic acid in strawberries removes dead skin cells, unveiling the smooth, radiant skin below.

Apricot and papaya face scrub -1 tsp apricot kernel powder (finely grated) -3 tbs apricot pulp -3 tbs ripe papaya pulp (pawpaw) Mix all ingredients together and apply to your face and neck for 20 minutes. Gently scrub while rinsing off. Leon Rao, natural skin care advisor and

author of Leon's Anti-aging Beauty Secrets, advises, "If you don't have apricot kernel powder at home, you can substitute it with oatmeal powder or almond powder."

Skin care benefit Apricots are high in betacarotene and known for reducing problematic skin issues. A mixture of sub-acids and sugar, apricots are great for gentle exfoliation and nourishment, leaving your skin soft and brighter.

Carrot facial mask -2-3 large carrots -4 1/2 tbs honey Cook carrots, then mash into a smooth consistency. Mix the mashed carrots with honey, and apply to your face. Leave on for

10 minutes before rising off with cool water. With roots in Afghanistan, carrots are known for their high potency of vitamin A, as well as vitamin C, folacin and potassium. Carrot juice moisturizes and repairs skin tissue, while protecting it from sun damage and toning the skin.

Banana face mask Bananas don't only tighten and cleanses pores, , they also revitalize dry skin, says Dr Shobha Sehgal, head of business, day spa and beauty zone. Mash two ripe bananas , add a table spoon of honey and rub on the face, leave on for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water to reveal a soft, supple and hydrated skin.

L ear ning PAGE 20

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

Mathematics Lesson Surface Area of Prisms SA = ?r2 + ?rl

Compiled by Joy Baba

General Cone

S

o , you’ve just sold your laptop and now you have a new one.

Congratulations!

Hopefully, the one you bought is faster and can do a lot more things than your old laptop.

Having a new laptop, you now have a clean start to do everything right when it comes to maintaining your laptop.

All the scratches you had before on your first laptop, you can prevent all of that now.

All of the other mistakes you did on your first laptop, such as an undeletable virus and stuff like that – you won’t have to repeat them again!

After some time, it’s likely that you’re going to sell your laptop for an upgrade. Before you do, follow these tips first.

Protection Upon getting a laptop, one of the first things you can do is protect it. You can buy a laptop sleeve so that you can take it wherever

ICT ESSENCE with

Bello Abdul’Azeez +234 805 113 0075 abdulazeez@ictessence.com www.ictessence.com

Two simple tips for protecting your laptop Most importantly, it prevents dirt and other yucky stuff from entering your keyboard.

Accessories To further protect your laptop, you must buy accessories, namely, an extra keyboard, mouse and speakers.

Why go through all of that?

Well, if you prop down

can be applied. You won’t be using your laptop speakers, thus preserving them. If you continuously blast loud music through those tiny speakers, soon enough you’ll break the cones. The music will become distorted and you won’t enjoy anything that comes out of it anymore.

By purchasing speakers, not only will you

your laptop at home, you might want to use an extra keyboard – a real one. The full keyboard gives you access to plenty of typing space.

You’ll be able to type fast without hitting the wrong letters. Aside from that, you’ll be preventing any damage.

The same goes for the mouse. With a mouse, you’ll be able to click and point your way through the Internet with incredible precision. Your fingers won’t have to feel strained from all the scrolling it does.

When it comes to speakers, the same idea

preserve the quality of your laptop’s speakers, you’ll also be able to enjoy music better!

Audio will be clearer and most of all, louder!

Volume is something that laptop speakers sorely lack.

Conclusion By following these two simple tips, you’ll be able to enjoy your laptop more while preserving it along the way.

Taking care of your laptop is crucial. It is important to have discipline and be consistent if you want your laptop to be scratch free.

Cheers!

General Sphere

W

e shall be concluding our study on Surface areas of common solids this week. We will be looking at Surface area of Cones and Spheres.

Example 1: Given r = 4 m and h = 3 m.

First we must calculate the slant height using The Pythagorean. (4 m)2 + (3 m)2 = l2 ==> 16 m2 + 9 m2 = l2 ==> 25 m2 = l2, or l = 5 m.

The surface area would then require use of the formula SA = (?)(4 m)2 +

(?)(4 m)(5 m) = (16 m2)(?) + (20 m2)(?) = 36? m2 (in terms of ?) or 113.0 m2.

Example 2: Given r = 7 in and h = 10 in.

First we must calculate the slant height using T h e PythagoreanTheorem.

(7 in)2 + (10 in)2 = l2 ==> 49 in2 + 100 in2 = l2 ==> 149 in2 = l2, or l = 12.21 in. The surface area would then require use of the formula SA = (?)(7 in)2 + (?)(7 in)(12.21 in) = (49 in2)(?) + (85.47 in2)(?) = 134.47(?)

in2 = 422.2 in2.

Surface Area of Spheres SA = 4?r2 Example 1: Given r = 3 ft. The surface area requires the use of the formula SA = 4(?)(3 ft)2 = 4(?)(9 ft2) = 36? ft2 (in terms of ?) or 113.0 ft2.

Example 2: Given diameter = 20 m or r = 10 m. The surface area requires the use of the formula SA = 4(?)(10 m)2 = 4(?)(100 m2) = 400? m2 (in terms of ?) or 1256 m2.

you go. If possible, try purchasing a dedicated laptop bag because it’s safer.

You’ll certainly prevent scratches from happening that way.

When picking a bag or sleeve, pick the one with plenty of foam and pockets for your other stuff.

With that in mind, it’s also important that you protect the keyboard with a protector. You can buy one in your local computer shop. It helps protect your keyboard by preventing the characters from being erased. It also protects the actual plastic from smoothing out.

Healthy Living

PAGE 21

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

Maternal mortality: The Ghana example W

h a t is the situation of health facilities and maternal mortality in Niger state?

Niger state government is trying to increase and improve its wide range of health care facilities for the people at the grass roots because the goal is to bring health care closer to them. On maternal mortality, if we look at the statistics we can say it is on the high side but if you look at the figures on ground, we can also say it has reduced to a considerable extent compared to other states within the zone.

Give us a worst case scenario of maternal mortality in the state It could be the case of a pregnant woman in the most remote area of Niger state, where she is faced with an emergency obstetrics and needs prompt attention, that is, to be referred to a secondary or tertiary facility, then you begin to talk of how to get the pregnant woman there and when you are able to get her there, then you ask the question, do we have people who can handle this? Honestly a lot has been done in this regard in Niger state. Before now you find cluster of communities having one basic health facility serving many people, like 6 communities sharing one health facility in the past. But now you can hardly see 2 or 3 communities without a basic health centre serving the immediate communities.

Similarly, some of the secondary health facilities have been upgraded; we have the General hospital in Sabon Wuse, the one in Wuye, Lapai local government, the Gwange General hospital and so on. There is also the employment of health personnel unlike before when we had problem of shortage of doctors and midwives.

Have you had any training to enhance your capacity in handling maternal health issues at the grass roots?

I was one of those who undertook a study tour to Ghana sponsored by the Development Research Project Centre, (DRPC) Kano, in 2011. While in Ghana, we visited primary, secondary and tertiary health institutions. We also discussed maternal health issues with stakeholders in that country and looked at their policies compared to ours, to make comparism and see where we can make adjustments.

How would you describe the tour?

It was an eye opener. We were told that there is the policy that stipulates that a pregnant woman should be automatically enrolled with the NHIS, if I should interpret this, it means whether the woman has NHIS support or not, the moment she becomes pregnant she can go to any hospital and she will be attended to, that is that she has access to ante natal care free of charge up to the delivery period and two weeks after delivery, post natal. So a pregnant woman does not have to worry about paying for medication or medical care for herself and her unborn child. There is also the National Ambulance policy in Ghana;

Hajiya Asama'u Abubakar Mohammed is one of the champions of maternal mortality, for the Development Research Development Centre, (DRPC) an NGO based in Kano.

Also a civil servant with the Niger state primary health development agency, she discloses in this interview with Jamila Nuhu Musa, how, during a study tour to Ghana, sponsored by the NGO, pregnant women were experiencing global best practice in maternal mortality handling. For instance, aside a national ambulance policy, a woman in labour is taken to the hospital by a commercial driver at the expense of the health facility, amongst others.

Hajiya Asama'u Abubakar Mohammed which entails a pool of ambulance. All that a pregnant woman need do is make a call for her to be taken by an ambulance from her home to the nearest health facility.

Apart from that, the moment pregnant women start attending ante natal, they are given some telephone numbers to enable them make distress calls and access health care anywhere they are.

Again, there is what is known as reportable and audited issue as it concerns maternal mortality. That means that if a pregnant women dies today as a result of pregnancy complications, there is a chain of reporting the matter up to the presidency level. And this is even an indicator for economic development in Ghana.

Partnership is also key to maternal mortality handling in Ghana. For instance, when a woman is in labour and does not have transport money, what she does is to stop a vehicle and she is taken to the hospital by the driver who then claims his fare at the health facility. That means there is some kind of funding to support health

facilities in dealing with maternal mortality at their level.

Do pregnant women in Ghana experience unavailability of drugs?

I do not think so though it cannot be completely ruled out but there is what is known as micro nutrient supplementation to pregnant women, and this is very important when you are talking about iron, folic acid, Vitamin A etc; these are the important drugs that pregnant women need. We were told that when donor agencies said they would assist the Ghanaian government, they said no! Don't assist us hundred per cent, if you do so we will not be committed to health care delivery to Ghanaians. So they initiated a strategy to share the percentage of assistance in such a way that when the donor agencies withdraw their assistance, the government and people will not be left stranded. The health facilities also have anti shock garments to help reduce bleeding during delivery or what is known as hemorrhage so that a woman does not bleed

to death when having her baby.

How do they tackle problem of non attendance of ante natal by pregnant women?

In Ghana a pregnant woman is attached to a midwife who monitors her pregnancy up till delivery period. But in the case where she is disallowed from attending ante natal by her husband, what she does is to give the midwife attached to her a call and the midwife goes to the pregnant woman's house to talk to the husband or family about the dangers of doing so, and it could become a matter between the family and the state in the event that something goes wrong.

There is also shortage of manpower but they have been able to manage the problem through what is called task shifting and task sharing whereby the few midwives who are very good receive more training at the medical colleges so as to sit -in for doctors during emergencies when doctors are not available at the grass roots.

How can Nigeria benefit from these strategies?

Nigeria will do better in tackling problems of maternal mortality if it can borrow a leaf from the Ghanaian government in this regard, even though a lot is being done on the issues in Nigeria, problem of implementation of maternal health policies and programmes should be revisited because Ghana government’s system of handling maternal mortality is an example of how to handle maternal mortality which is the best thing that can happen to any pregnant woman.

“

Again, there is what is known as reportable and audited issue as it concerns maternal mortality. That means that if a pregnant women dies today as a result of pregnancy complications, there is a chain of reporting the matter up to the presidency level.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 30 JUNE — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

With Aunty A'isha

Sights and sounds Manners every child should learn by age 9

M

astering these simple rules of manners will get you noticed for all the right reasons.

Sometimes you just don’t realize it is impolite to interrupt, pick your nose. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, busy moms and dads don’t always have the time to focus on etiquette. But if you imbibe these 25 must-do manners, you will be a polite, kind, well-liked child.

Manner 1 When asking for something, say “Please.”

Manner 2 When receiving something, say “Thank you.”

Manner 3 Do not interrupt grown-ups who are speaking with each other unless there is an emergency. They will notice you and respond when they are finished talking.

Manner 4 If you do need to get somebody’s attention right away, the phrase “excuse me” is the most polite way for you to enter the conversation.

Manner 5 When you have any doubt about doing something, ask permission first. It can save you from many hours of grief later.

Manner 6 The world is not interested in what you dislike. Keep negative opinions to yourself, or between you and your friends, and out of earshot of adults.

Manner 7 Don’t comment on other people’s physical characteristics unless, of course, it’s to compliment them, which is always welcome.

Manner 8 When people ask you how you are, tell them and then ask them how they are.

Manner 9 When you have spent time at your friend’s house, remember to thank his or her parents for having you over and for the good time you had.

Manner 10 Knock on closed doors and wait to see if there’s a response before entering.

Manner 11 When you make a phone call, introduce yourself first and then ask if you can speak with the person you are calling.

Manner 12 Be appreciative and say “thank you” for any gift you

receive. In the age of e-mail, a handwritten thank-you note can have a powerful effect.

Manner 13 Never use foul language in front of adults. Grown-ups already know all those words and they find them boring and unpleasant.

Manner 14 Don’t call people mean names.

Manner 15 Do not make fun of anyone for any reason. Teasing shows others you are weak, and ganging up on someone else is cruel.

Manner 16 Even if a play or an assembly is boring, sit through it quietly and pretend that you are interested.

The performers and presenters are doing their best.

Manner 17 If you bump into somebody, immediately say “Excuse me.”

Manner 18 Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze and don’t pick your nose in public.

Manner 19 As you walk through a door, look to see if you can hold it open for someone else.

Manner 20 If you come across a parent, a teacher, or a neighbor working on something, ask if you can help. If they say “yes,” do so, you may learn something new.

Manner 21 When an adult asks you for a favor, do it without grumbling and with a smile.

Manner 22 When someone helps you, say “thank you.” That person will likely want to help you again. This is especially true with teachers!

Manner 23 Use eating utensils properly. If you are unsure how to do so, ask your parents to teach you or watch what adults do.

Manner 24 Keep a napkin on your lap; use it to wipe your mouth when necessary.

Manner 25 Don’t reach for things at the table; ask to have them passed.

PAGE 23

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

SHOR T ST OR Y SHORT STOR ORY

The devoted mother

A

mother duck and her little ducklings were on their way to the lake one day. The ducklings were very happy following their mother and quack-quacking along the way.

All of a sudden the mother duck saw a fox in the distance.

She was frightened and shouted, “Children, hurry to the lake. There’s a fox!”

The ducklings hurried towards the lake. The mother duck wondered what to do. She began to walk back and forth dragging one wing on the ground.

When the fox saw her he became happy. He said to himself, “It seems that she’s hurt and can’t fly! I can easily catch and eat her!” Then he ran towards her.

The mother duck ran, leading the fox away from the lake. The fox followed her.

Now he wouldn’t be able to harm her ducklings. The mother duck looked towards

her ducklings and saw that they had reached the lake.

She was relieved, so she stopped and took a deep breath.

The fox thought she was tired and he came closer, but the mother duck quickly spread her wings and rose up in the air. She landed in the middle of the lake and her ducklings swam to her.

The fox stared in disbelief at the mother duck and her ducklings. He could not reach them because they were in the middle of the lake.

Dear children, some birds drag one of their wings on the ground when an enemy is

going to attack. In this way they fool their enemies into thinking they are hurt. When the enemy follows them this gives their children time to escape.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 30 JUNE — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 22

With Aunty A'isha

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

AFRICAN TALES

MODEL OF THE WEEK

The woman with two skins

T

he boy then asked them, “Is this woman worthy of being the king’s wife?”

And a shout went up from every one present that she would be a proper wife for the king, and looked as if she would be the mother of plenty of fine healthy children.

Then the boy pointed out the jealous woman who was sitting next to the king, and told the people his story, how his mother, who had two skins, was the spider’s daughter; how she had married the king, and how the head wife was jealous and had made a bad Ju Ju for the king, which made him forget his wife; how she had persuaded the king to throw himself and his sister into the

river, and the Water Ju Ju had saved both of them and had brought them up.

Then the boy said, “I leave the king and all of you people to judge my case. If I have done wrong, let me be killed on the stone by the Egbos; if, on the other hand, the woman has done evil, then let the Egbos deal with her as you may decide.”

When the king knew that the wrestler was his son he was very glad, he told the Egbos to take the jealous woman away and punish her in accordance with their laws. The Egbos decided that the woman was a witch so they took her into the forest and tied her up to a stake, gave her two hundred lashes

with a whip made from hippopotamus hide and then burnt her alive so that she should not make any more trouble. Her ashes were thrown into the river. The king then embraced his wife and daughter, told all the people that she, Adiaha, was his proper wife, and would be the queen for the future.

When the fuss was over, Adiaha was dressed in fine clothes and beads, and carried back in state to the palace by the king’s servants.

That night the king gave a big feast to all his subjects, he told them how glad he was to get back his beautiful wife whom he had never known properly before, also his son who was stronger than all men, and his fine daughter.

The feast continued for a hundred and sixty-six days; and the king made a law that if any woman was found out getting medicine against her husband, she should be killed at once. Then the king built three new compounds, and placed many slaves in them, both men and women. One compound he gave to his wife, another to his son, and the third he gave to his daughter. They all lived together quite happily for some years until the king died and his son came to the throne and ruled in his stead.

- Concluded

CREA TIVITY CREATIVITY

Egg carton bat craft (for age 10 and above) This is one of those projects that look even better in real life than it does in photos!

What you need: egg carton (the paper type, not the Styrofoam type) *scissors *black paint (we used acrylic) and paintbrush *glue *white paper (just a small scrap will do) *wiggly eyes *a sharp pencil, needle or nail thread

Cut a line of three egg carton cups.

Draw a line lightly with a pencil so that when cutting the egg carton with scissors, you don’t have to think about where you should be cutting.

You will end up with something that looks like this!

Cut two tiny triangles from a scrap of white paper and glue them on below the eyes.

Paint the egg carton with black paint, inside and out.

Let dry.

Glue wiggly eyes onto the center cup.

If you don’t have wiggly eyes, just cut or punch two circles from white paper and use those

OPTIONAL: poke a couple of holes in the top of the bat and thread a piece of thread or string through to hang your bat.

Munir Mohammed Munir

ACTIVITIES Name and paint the above picture with beautiful colour, cut and paste on your wall in class or at home for decoration, I am sure you will like it.

Cheers!

PAGE 24

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 30 JUNE — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

Kannywood

I am not in competition with Aki and Pawpaw - Ibro

Maryam Booth started acting at age 8

H

ers is a family of artistes, Maryam Booth’s mother; Zainab Booth is a popular Kannywood actress, while her younger brother, Mohammed is also an actor, all of them in the Hausa movies industry.

Maryam, like her mother and brother, is the most talkedabout Kannywood actress in town. She came into the acting scene when she was just 8 years old; and has established herself as an icon in the northern Nigeria movies industry. She came into the limelight with her hit movie Dijangala which was released in 2007. Since then, she has not looked back, as she

has acted in lots of movies and is certainly a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

Maryam was born on October 28th 1993, she started her education in Ebony Nursery and primary school in 1996 with a play group, and in 2002 she enrolled with the Ahmadiyya secondary school.

Her mother Zainab Booth had a Fulani mother and a Scottish father. The films Maryam has acted in include, Keji, Dawainiya, Rashin Uwa. When she was 15, she celebrated her birthday at the Chinese Dragon Restaurant Kano which was organized by her friend, Mohammed Auwal Khalifa.

Miniature in nature actor, Ibrahim Musa, fondly called Ibro, has denied the rumour that he’s in competition with the pint-sized actors in Nollywood, Chinedu Ikhadieze and Osita Iheme a.k.a Aki and Pawpaw.

‘There is no truth in the rumour, Aki and Pawpaw are my friends and colleagues’ he said.

Rivalry and undue competition is common among Nollywood practitioners, and it has sparked public face-off among many actors. But Ibro, who had been speculated to be competing with Aki and Pawpaw, says there is nothing like that.

According to Ibro, who recently landed a mouthwatering ambassadorial deal with an international outfit, Peace on Campus Initiative (PCI), “Aki and Pawpaw are my friends and colleagues, but it would be wrong for people to speculate that we are competing. Both of them are doing well, likewise myself, so there is basically no reason to compete. Besides, there is enough space for everybody to shine and make money without disturbing one another. The industry is very large for everybody and I’m enjoying it.”

Since Ibro was officially unveiled as the ambassador of the organisation under the chairmanship of Oliver Cowell, he and his entourage have been busy campaigning against social vices like cultism and prostitution among Nigerian youths.

Ibro, who is currently in the Eastern part of the country, is expected to cover all the geographical zones of the country before the train will move to foreign institutions, particularly in West Africa.

Asked if his acting career will not suffer due to his ambassadorial appointment, Ibro said “Not at all. As a matter of fact, I will be doing more movies that will tackle the negative effects of these social vices soon.”

Dan Auta and a girl friend

Baba Ari

Hankaka and Dandolo

Rabilu Musa (Ibro) singing

A L B U M

Ibro

Nollywood PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 30 JUNE — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 25

Korean-POP: Nigerian talents emerge, win prizes

By Mohammed Kandi

T

he Abuja Sheraton Hotel and Towers, venue of the much awaited grand finale of the 1st K-POP Dance Competition, last weekend trembled in excitement, thrilling youngsters, mostly children and young adults, who dazzled the audience with amazing dance steps by various contending groups.

Thanks to the Korean Cultural Centre (KCC), organizers of the dance competition aimed at discovering young Nigerian talents that would participate in the 2012 World K-POP competition in Seoul, Korea’s largest city and capital.

The crowd couldn’t conceal its enthusiasm for the pleasant evening dance hilarity as various competing groups comprising students from senior secondary schools and crews outside the secondary school category took their turns to perform captivating dance moves, as well as humorous comedy presentation by teenagers identified as “up-coming artists”.

Observers said the actionpacked event hadn’t any dull moment, considering the coherent transposition from one activity to the other- judges poised sorting results, the mammoth audience constantly screaming

N15m Scam: Jim Iyke’s parents begged me, Habiba

T

he alleged 15million fraud case against Nollywood actor, Jim Iyke may not end soon if the latest development turns out to be real.

According to some documents sent to Nigeriafilms.com, Habiba has through her office, debunked rumour spread by Jim Iyke that the case was quashed in court for lack of evidence. Contrary to what Jim Iyke earlier told the media, that the case was quashed from court, Habiba claimed that the matter was only withdrawn from court after Jim Iyke begged Habiba to do so. We learnt that Jim Iyke went to Habiba’s Abuja home along with his aged parents to beg her to withdraw the case from court. Habiba agreed but gave Jim Iyke some conditions before the case would be withdrawn, which Jim Iyke accepted.

Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, Choi Jong-hyun (middle) in a group photograph with winner of the 2012 K-POP Dance competition recently while the DJ played a blend of contemporary Music POP which many confirmed was extremely appealing.

Declaring the event open, Director of Korean Cultural Centre, Mr. Suh Joeng Sun, expressed delight that, like in other parts of the World, the K-POP dance had finally been accepted and established in Nigeria in particular and in Africa at large.

“Our mission is to make every African join the rhythm and tempo of the Korean wave”, Mr. Sun said, adding that, “it started

from China, Japan and Southeastern Asia, and has spread to North America and East and West Europe.”

He thanked all the co-sponsors of the event for their support but principally applauded the Samsung Electronics Company for its usual assistance, saying the company presented variety of gift items such DVD Players, Smart phones and trophies.

However, winners who emerged from two categories- 1&2 had undergone a stiff contest. But, the judges disclosed that all the rival

groups were expected to meet up with some criteria including energy used and sustenance on stage, flexibility and transition, facial expression and body language, mass, costume, uniformity and use of space as well as coherence, precision and originality which took 70 percent of the overall assessment.

The Gold medallists and overall winner of category 1, Nanny Gracious International School went away with splendid prizes of a trophy, cash and Samsung smart phones for each member of the group.

While the Silver medallists for the same category, Dark Gravity got a trophy, cash prizes and Samsung smart phone each, Cleansing International School and Bronze medallists also got a trophy, cash prize and a DVD player each.

Emerging the overall winner for category 2, however, the Elevators which have participated in several World music events received superb gifts comprising of a trophy, cash prize and Samsung smart phone each. The Silver winners, Da Magic Steppers, also receiver a trophy, cash prize and Samsung phones.

Also, members of JSS Gawraka, the Bronze medallists for the category 2 received a trophy, cash prize and DVD player.

Expressing his excitement over their achievement as winners in the category 1, team leader of the Nanny Gracious International School, Oniye Isaac said their success was purely the “hand of God”.

But, Emmanual Jekeygreen, a member of the Elevator and winners in the category 2, attributed their success to hard work, determination and dedication to duty.

The Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, Choi Jong-hyun, on his part commended participants for the wonderful performances.

Bisi Ibidapo and I are sworn Violence: Top music director, DJ Tee stabs artiste on set enemies- Laide Bakare op music video director, DJ appeal, DJ Tee was said to have

T

N

ollywood actress who is perfecting plans to put finishing touches to her much-anticipated movie, Jejere featuring 9ice, Laide Bakare has come out to say that she and Bisi Ibidapo-Obe are sworn enemies and why they don’t talk. “Bisi and I are not friends, we are best of enemies,

Bisi Ibidapo

Laide Bakare

I cannot be stating the reasons on the pages of newspapers or online. I don’t have any close friend in the industry. I see them as just my colleagues.

Having a close friend in the industry is very dangerous. I don’t envy anybody in the industry. I only appreciate them.

Tee reportedly stabbed an upcoming artiste, Tolani while shooting a music video yesterday in Ikeja, Lagos.

DJ Tee, who is an ex-military man, was said to have stabbed Tolani when he tried to stop DJ Tee from beating his siblings on location.

According to reports, Tolani was at the Daily Times location of the video shoot of an artiste called Malcolm, which he went for as a way to support his friend, Malcolm.

At a point, DJ Tee was said to have ordered those on set to leave the shooting area but a lady was reported to have defied that order.

This, as gathered, infuriated him and he started calling her names.

Not happy with DJ Tee’s action, one Dolapo also on set , told him not to use harsh words on the lady. His advice got him a slap from DJ Tee who ordered his boys to beat up Dolapo for interfering in the matter.

While Dolapo was being beaten, his 17 year old sister named Bolaji reportedly pleaded with DJ Tee to tell his boys to stop beating her brother.

Rather than heed Bolaji’s

descended on her also by ordering his boys to give her the same treatment meted on her brother, Dolapo.

At this point, the stabbed artiste, Tolani, who is also the brother of Dolapo and Bolaji, tried to stop the terror let loose

by DJ Tee and his boys on his

DJ TEE

DJ TEE siblings. It was at this point that DJ Tee allegedly broke a bottle and stabbed Tolani in the face and got them out of the premises and continued with his shooting. Tolani is said to be receiving treatment at a hospital in Ikeja.

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

Hollywood/Bollywood Marie Carr walks down the aisle, singing Christina Aguilera's "The Right Man"

Gangs of Wasseypur "a must watch", says Amitabh Bachchan!

A

Bride sings walking down the aisle

M

a r i e Carr has given walking down the aisle new meaning.

When the Cincinnati bride performed a rendition of Christina Aguilera's "The Right Man" as she entered her wedding and approached her husband-to-be, there

wasn't a dry eye in the house, for good reason.

Talk about making an entrance!

Everybody was taken aback, but no one more so than her husband, Devin, who said, "It was amazing.

I couldn't wait to spend the rest of my life with her."

Marie herself said, "I

wanted him to know how perfect he is to me. I thought the best way to do that would be to sing to him as I walked down the aisle."

Online, viewer response has been split into several categories, namely "fake!!", "Most amazing video ever!!", and "This is terrible." What do you think?

Casey Abrams speaks on new album, important cause

D

u r i n g his season 10 run on American Idol, Casey Abrams was anything but predictable.

Viewers really had no idea what they were in for each week, as this aspiring singer advanced further and further in the competition.

With Casey's first

album as a signed artist, THG asked what fans can look forward to and he was pretty straightforward: More of the same!

"Expect fun," he said.

"There are some singer/ songwriter vibes, some upright guitar. A little bit of everything."

Abrams has remained an Idol viewer since leaving

the show ("I feel like I have to be," he says. "It's like a high school reunion each year. I keep going back."), but he's also taken on a new cause: IBD spokesperson.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease affects 1.4 million people, including Casey, who was hospitalized during his time on Idol but hesitant to discuss why.

50 Cent hospitalized after serious car crash

A

serious car wreck left 50 Cent hospitalized with possible injuries to his neck and back, according to a website affiliated with the

50 Cent

rapper, This is 50.

The crash involved his SUV and a Mack truck, apparently.

It happened early morning on the Long

Island Expressway just outside N.Y. City. The truck rear-ended 50's SUV, which "almost flipped over."

The star was taken to a nearby hospital, where, according to the site, doctors ran tests on his neck and back. Fortunately, he checked out fine.

A representative for Curtis Jackson (50's real name) confirms: "He was taken to New York Hospital Queens where he was treated for minor neck and back injuries. He was released this morning and is doing fine."

Good to hear. Hopefully he recovers quickly and fully from the scary incident. In other 50 news, the rapper recently quashed his beef with Oprah. thehollywoodgossips.com

m i t a b h Bachchan was s u p e r impressed by Gangs of Wasseypur which released last Friday. Ever since the actor watched the film, his blog has been flooding with its reviews and strongly recommends the film to each and everyone.

On Friday, the film ran houseful in most parts.

"Quite undoubtedly the moment of the day has been the film 'Gangs of Wasseypur' (GOW), which I have had the great privilege of watching.

It is Indian Cinema at its best, honest, stark and as painfully real as possible.

"For one that has was born and lived a major portion of his life in almost similar environment, or at least exposed to it to some degree, I found so much that I could well relate to. And that has led to the authenticity‌," Big B wrote on his blog.

"Anurag Kashyap has not done any fancy shot taking and allowed the visuals to flow as they would, were one to be living those circumstances in real time," he wrote.

Bachchan The film has stellar performances by Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Richa Chadha and Piyush Mishra.

Praising Manoj Bajpayee, the 69-year-old wrote, "Manoj Bajpayee in particular, and of all the

artists right down to the smallest in capacity and presence, has been beautifully done. No one looked or performed out of place. It was just effective."

"In all a glorious film and one that I would recommend strongly," he wrote.

Madhuri Dixit and Sushmita Sen honoured for excellence in acting, entrepreneurship

B

o l l y w o o d divas Madhuri Dixit and Sushmita Sen were awarded for their individual excellence in the field of acting and entrepreneurship.

Madhuri was awarded with the platinum diva award, while Sushmita on the other hand took away the woman entrepreneur award for successfully running her organization -I AM SHE, at the Planman Media's Powerbrands Hall of Fame awards held at Kingdom of Dreams recently.

"I am very proud and honoured for receiving the award. It reiterates the fact that people still look at me with integrity. I have come here with a lot of hard

Madhuri

work," said Madhuri Dixit.

She was accompanied by husband Sriram Nene.

Sushmita Sen said: "It has been a journey for me.

I won Miss Universe in 1994, got to do my first film 'Dastak' in 1996 and now I receive this woman entrepreneur award for I AM SHE, which I established two years ago."

The awards for rising star female and rising star male went to actors Parineeti Chopra and Prateik Babbar, respectively.

"Just a year ago I was not even planning to become an actress. I was working in corporate industry. I always thought of becoming a banker. But

Sushmita

I think destiny has its own role to play," said Parineeti.

"It feels really good that I have been getting so many awards. I promise to work harder and I hope to keep everybody happy," she added.

Prateik Babbar, dedicating his trophy to the people he has worked with so far said: "This is really encouraging. I would like to dedicate this to all the people who I have worked with in all my films".

An award for exemplary contribution to Indian theatre was given to theatre veteran Tom Alter.

In the category, India Ki Shaan, celebrity chef Vikas Khanna was honoured at the awards ceremony.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 27

Homes

Choosing the right carpet colours

C

h o o s i n g the right carpet colours for your home is a big decision and one you will be living with for years to come. This is because carpeting is one of the more costly expenses in decorating your home; you'll want to choose a rug colour that works with your current or planned colour scheme. Trends do change though, even in the popular colours for floor coverings, but they run 1-2 years behind those of the rest of the fashion industry. This means that the most popular shades in the ladies' clothing department will be showing up on floors in a couple of years.

What are considered outdated as far as carpeting is concerned at the moment, are the cool gold and green shades. Silvers, mauves and grays are also less favoured. The

current trends are towards the much warmer colors. Golds and greens are still around, but they have been warmed up considerably.

Earthy, environmental colours have become increasingly popular as well. Light blues, neutral stone hues, rosy quartz, khaki and suede shades are also very much in demand. Beige, the traditional stand-by, is considered too dull and too safe by many designers and interior decorators. However, no other colour has as much utilitarian value and flexibility as beige, so it will continue to be a popular choice, regardless of changing colour trends.

When choosing the right carpet colour for your room, there are several factors to consider.

Fortunately, rugs come in almost

as many colours as price ranges today. It is no longer difficult to find the colour you want at a price you can afford. Always remember that your carpet choice will become the foundation of your fashion dĂŠcor for each room you design.

The following tips may help you choose the right carpet for the rooms in your home: -Level of traffic - the more your carpet will be walked across, the more danger of spills, stains and tracked-in dirt. Lighter carpets can be treated to be more stain resistant, but the less expensive ones will still show wear and tear faster than darker-coloured rugs.

If you have lots of visitors thronging your home or office, or you have pets, more dirt will be tracked in. Hallways and all-

purpose living areas tend to take the worst beating. Most carpets of any colour whatsoever are not recommended for kitchen use.

-Use of space - do you want your carpet to brighten up a dark room or tone down a too-light space? Red is a perfect choice for darker family rooms, living rooms and hallways.

It wears well and tends not to show stains as badly as some of the lighter colours. For rooms that have excessive sunlight, you will need to also think about fading, a problem that is more obvious with dark carpets.

-Personality match - does the rug colour match your personality? Casual, more-relaxed people tend to favour the warmer colours and earth tones. Detailoriented people, on the other hand, often prefer blues, blacks, whites,

grays and jewel tones. Do you feel more comfortable walking in rooms whose rugs are in one colour family or the other?

-Design match - do you want a carpet that blends into your overall fashion design or one that makes its own fashion statement?

Every room needs one main focal point. Your rug can be that point or it can support another object such as a painting or piece of furniture. You just don't want the carpet competing, or your room will feel too busy and confusing.

-If all else fails - Choose beige. It is a safe colour that goes well with white walls but also works with other colours. A mottled light brown rug will camouflage pet activities and stand up well to daily wear. You really can't go wrong with beige.

PAGE 28

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

Cuisine

Pots & Pans

With Hajiya Ramatu Usman Dorayi

Cake decorating ideas

Decorating a cake in a simple manner doesn't mean it will look plain and unimaginative. With simple ingredients and small decorative accents, you can make a cake worthy of any celebration. If you are a beginning cake decorator or just want to treat someone to a special surprise, first think about what kind of cake the person would appreciate.

Consider that person's hobbies and interests and the design will follow.

Sparkly Flower Cake A sparkly flower cake is simple to decorate and can be styled to look like a daisy, a sunflower or a tropical flower, depending upon the theme of your party. Begin with a round layer cake and cover it with one solid colour of frosting. Use a glass cup to press a circle shape into the frosting in the center of the cake. This will be the middle part of your flower.

Use a toothpick to draw the petals of the flower. To make them even, begin by drawing three petals. If the face of the cake were a clock, you'd be drawing one at the 12 o'clock position, one between 4 and 5 o'clock and another at between 7 and 8 o'clock.

Make colored sugar by mixing food

coloring and granulated sugar in a plastic bag. It's best applied to wet frosting, so work quickly.

Once the first layer of petals is drawn, carve in a second layer. Use a spoon to place colored sugar into each petal. Carefully apply it on the edges of the petals and then use the back of the spoon to press it in toward the center of each petal. Leave a 1/4inch border between each sugared petal.

After each petal has been sugared, go over the edges with a solid line of frosting, from a tube or a piping bag.

For the center of the flower, you can make a puckered region using the star tip. Add sprinkles to this area for decoration. You might want to pace a plastic bumblebee on your flower,

too.

Rainbow Bundt Cake The shape of a Bundt cake is quite distinctive, like a giant, embossed doughnut. Traditionally, Bundt cakes are frosted with a drippy layer of glaze. You can make this a little more interesting by colouring the glaze.

Bake a vanilla or white Bundt cake and cover it with white glaze. Allow it to dry.

Put a few drops of yellow food colouring into a bowl with plain white glaze, until it's a nice bright shade of yellow. Use a spoon to drizzle it on, in a random pattern, along the top of the cake. Leave plenty of open spaces for the other colours. Once the yellow has dried, repeat the process with orange, then red, green, blue and

finally purple. Be careful to make sure the colours dry so that they don't get "muddied up" into brown. Try not to overlap colours too much, for the same reason.

Smiley Face Cake -A smiley face cake is quite generic. It can be made to congratulate a retiree, or just to cheer up a friend. It's possibly the simplest cake you'll ever make.

Begin with a round layer cake, and cover it with yellow frosting. Allow the yellow frosting to dry (so that the black doesn't "bleed') and then make eyes and a happy mouth with a tube of black frosting. An alternative to black tube frosting would be jelly bean eyes and a licorice mouth, pressed into wet frosting.

Womanhood PAGE 29

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

Tips to help widows cope with children pain before they can heal, and this takes a long time. Telling children to be strong and get over it is cruel. You may want your children to give the appearance that all is well again so that you can hide from your own pain. But unexpressed grief results in unproductive and harmful behaviours, such as fighting with friends, failing at schoolwork, and demonstrating unsafe and poor behaviour.

Don't expect sudden understanding about God when you explain your religious views about death. Teaching abstract spiritual and religious concepts is no easy task. As children mature, they are able to understand more and more.

While we can teach only what we believe, be careful not to expect too much of yourself.

Openness to mystery is valuable not only in teaching about death, but also in teaching anything about life.

Assure your children that they are not responsible.

Children often believe that their thoughts can cause something to happen. They need to be reassured that nothing they did or thought caused their father to die. Answer their questions

O

ne of the major concerns of a mother is helping their children deal with the devastating loss of their father. No matter what the age of the children are, their feelings and concerns will require much patient understanding and the healing power of time. Although at the initial time of occurrence, just before or shortly after the burial, friends and family members tend to show concern with some promising to step into his shoes to ease their pain.

These promises more often than not easily get forgotten and the woman and her children are left alone to face the harsh new reality of having to cope without their bread winner. Here are some thoughts to help you and your children face this painful

loss together: Explain that death is natural.

Death is not a punishment, nor is it a horrible experience only meant for some people. This may not be a very easy task though but as their mother, it is necessary to make every effort possible in this direction. Know that not every child will understand death in the same way. Never tell a child that people die because they are bad or that death is like sleeping. You can imagine what young children would do with that information.

Let your children teach you about their experience of grief.

No one's love for anyone else is exactly like someone else's. Your child loved his father in a unique and special way. Nobody knows

how your child is feeling because nobody else is your child. Help your child find ways to express how he feels and then really listen.

Don't force your children to understand death. It is a mysterious stage in the life cycle, and although death is now a secret to us, we all eventually experience it. Some families rely on long-standing cultural traditions about how grief and death should be handled. In other families, death is a forbidden topic. It's best to be available to answer the sensitive questions that your child will pose. But it is important, too, to be able to say simply that you don't know.

Let time help heal the hurt.

Healing is a process, not an event. Children need to face the

about the ever return of their father with as much tact and care as possible. This is important because children tend to erroneously believe that their father may one day walk back into their home and provide them the needed warmth.

Maintain consistency at home. Try to keep the household routines as stable as possible.

Despite all that you must cope with, it is important that you maintain regular mealtimes and bedtimes. Try to keep the demands on yourself as simple as possible.

Be patient. Do not try to work toward the goal of having your child get over it. Children do not get over the loss of a father. They learn to live with it, reconcile themselves to it, and make peace with it. Your children will come to the realization that their world is different without their father. As they become more reconciled to his loss, they will look ahead with hope and begin to make plans for the future.

They will not forget their father even as their lives go on without him. This process will require patience.

Source: voices.yahoo.com

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30 JUNE — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

Do you have old pictures for memories?

Send them to julius2001_a@yahoo.com

From the archives From OBJ’s library

The first generation of Olusegun Obasanjo clan, with Busola on the extreme right after Mrs Remi Obasanjo, Iyabo sitting next to OBJ on the left, Enitan with OBJ, Segun next to Iyabo and Gbenga on the extreme left.

Former president Olusegun Obasanjo in Aba during the war

Jimmy Carter with Lt. Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, 11th October, 1977

General Olusegun Obasanjo, President 1976-79, at Obasanjo Farms, Ogun State, 1989

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 31

Leisure

Crosswords

With Augustine Aminu

Across

Down

1. Flies on a string

1. Small motor vehicle

4. Mammal that swims and barks

2. Roman 2

7. Artificial Intelligence

3. Hearing organ

8. Amount (abbr.)

4. Pig’s home

10. Note after La

5. In the position of

11. Wishes to God

6. In front of an audience

13. Worn around the neck

9. Organizer of a team or business

15. In debt

11. Flower part

17. Unusual

12. Moist and heavy

18. Sheep sound

14. Love Many Splendored Thing (2wds)

19. Hair styling product

16. Very small

21. Suspicious

18. Boast

24. Morning

20. Return to the ground

26. Memorable period of time

22. Snake-like fish

27. A single one

23. Cloth fragment

28. Score in hockey

25. Modus Operandi

29. Pleased

27. Battery size

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

QUOTABLE QUOTES “A politician is a person who can make waves and then make you think he’s the only one who can save the ship.”

— Ivern Ball “The saddest life is that of a political aspirant under democracy. His failure is ignominious and his success is disgraceful.”

— Mary Catherine Bateson “The truly skillful politician is one who, when he comes to a fork in the road, goes both ways.”

—Marco A. Almazan “A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have.”

— T h o m a s Jefferson “Mothers all want their sons to grow up to be president, but they don’t want them to become politicians in the process.”

— John F. Kennedy

Source: Nigerian Village Square

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, JUNE — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

F Stay warm and beautiful this season Compiled by Miriam Humbe

A

s the daylight wanes and the nights get colder, staying warm and beautiful is the key to feeling good and comfortable especially with the current weather change.

In keeping with your fashion taste and style, it is necessary to keep handy your blazer or nicely knitted cardigan worn over your inner shirt or blouse for the corporate or formal outlook. When matched with a lovely pair of loafers or sneakers to keep your feet warm, you’re good to go just like delectable Nollywood actress, Stella Damasus.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 33

Business

NNPC Towers, Abuja

Unity Bank holds first national draw for savings promo

By Augustine Aminu

U

n i t y Bank Plc will today hold the first National Draw of its ongoing ‘AIM, SAVE & WIN’ promo during which a star prize of one car and other prizes will be given to its customers.

Altogether the Bank will be giving out six cars during the six month long Promo at which winners will emerge by accumulating savings in their accounts up to N150,000. Other prizes could be won from savings deposit of N5,000 to N75,000 over a period of 45 days. There will be another National Draw and a grand finale before the Promo ends in September, this year.

Savings customers of the Bank also stand a chance of winning scholarship worth N5milion with deposit of N75,000 for 45 days.

The draw, which will hold at noon at the Shehu Yar’adua Centre, Abuja is coming on the heels of a successful zonal draws held last month in Benin, Lagos, Kaduna, Bauchi and Abuja at

which more than 160 customers received Plasma televisions sets, generating sets, refrigerators, bicycles and mobile phones.

Apart from the car which is the star prize for today’s draw, customers of the Bank who emerged winners from the draw also stand the chance of winning refrigerators, bicycles and others.

The Bank maintains that the Promo provides it an opportunity to reward its customers for loyalty and to showcase its beneficial savings products which caters to all class of people in the society.

It further indicated that the Savings Promo will also help Nigerians to develop savings culture without which reasonable economic progress would not be made, pointing out that all great economies emerge from members of the communities setting aside a measure of their income to create the desired future.

The Bank has pledged that the processes leading to the selection of winners and the draw itself will be transparent and must reflect its

commitment to integrity as an institution that prides itself on the timeless principles of probity.

Regulators such as the Nations Lottery Commission, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and an Independent Auditor, PKF, for the Promo are all expected to be at the draw venue to ensure a successful outing.

NSE attributes market growth to firms Augustine Aminu with agency report

T

en out of 327 firms contributed to the growth of the capital market in the fourth week of June, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has said.

A statement issued by NSE in Lagos on Friday, said that Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Ltd. led the 327 firms in volume and value terms.

It said that Stanbic IBTC

Reps give Dana ultimatum on payment of compensation

T

h e management of Dana Airline has been given seven days to pay part of the compensation fee to families of the Dana air crash victims. The resolution which was reached on Thursday was raised by Yakub Abiodun under matters of National importance.

The airline was asked to pay 30% of the amount of the compensation, as stipulated by the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for

International Carriage by Air, simply known as the Montreal Convention.

The lawmakers also directed all other airlines who had plane crashes in the past to comply with the laws by paying the 30 per cent of the required compensation, or in full where investigations had been concluded. Lawmakers agreed that if the house of assembly did not act in compelling the airline, it would amount to irresponsibility on their part.

accounted for 193.8 million shares worth N3.4 billion in the fourth week of June.

The transactions, according to the NSE, represented 10.41 per cent of the total volume of shares and 21.30 per cent of the total value sold.

The NSE, in its analysis, showed that CSL Stockbrokers Ltd followed with 131.9 million shares, representing 7.09 per cent, while Rencap Securities Ltd. sold 121.5 million shares.

The other top stockbroking firms by turnover of transactions were Chapelhill Denham, BGL Securities, Apel Assets & Trust Ltd. Others are Partnership Investment Company, APT Securities and Funds Ltd., ARM Securities Ltd. and Marina Securities Ltd. The Exchange said that the 10 firms accounted for 48.09 per cent of the total volume and 66.13 per cent of the total value of shares traded within the period.

The 327 stockbroking firms were those registered by the NSE.

PAGE 34

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

Business Feature WEF: NEXIM spearheads Nigeria’s hosting right

NEXIM Bank and the World Economic Forum - A leveraging platform

By Abdulwahab Isa

Y

e a r in year out Nigeria never misses the opportunity of attending historic World Economic Forum (WEF).

Tagged World’s largest economic gathering, WEF is a forum where world leaders converge in numbers to examine fundamental economic issues, and solutions are proffered.

Ironically, Nigeria has had the highest number of delegates since WEF commenced its African meetings but the country is yet to host the world body. Of African countries, South Africa and Ethiopia had hosted.

The Nigerian Export Import Bank (NEXIM) under Robert Orya, is spearheading the push to have Nigeria host WEF in 2014.

The initiative to accord Nigeria WEF hosting right stemmed from May 2011 meeting in Cape Town, South Africa.

Orya, who incidentally was attending his first WEF as participant made strong case before the organizers, to consider Nigeria for the 2012 Forum; but that did not happen as Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was already selected.

Ever since its establishment in 1991, NEXIM never attended WEF. The jinx was broken In May 2011, when the forum extended, personal invitation to NEXIM Managing Director Mr. Roberts Orya to attend Forum meeting’ s which took place in Cape Town, South Africa.

This year’s Forum meetings in

Addis brought together, more than 700 leaders from business, government, civil society, academia and the arts from over 70 countries to discuss the future of the region and to shape a blueprint for growth that would benefit all Africans.

In more than 35 sessions and 12 private meetings, participants engaged in debate, soul-searching and knowledge exchange in a quest to determine the path ahead and the continent’s terms of engagement with the rest of the world.

The three-day meeting discussed and examined the continent’s big challenges: resource and commodity price volatility; inadequate hard and soft infrastructure; a weak manufacturing sector; corruption; youth unemployment; food insecurity; persistent poverty; and inadequate access to healthcare and education.

The participants acknowledged daunting socioeconomic challenges confronting Africa content, they expressed confident that African citizens – propelled by young people driven by aspiration and determination – are ready to take ownership of the continent’s development and to shape their own future.

Nigeria’s’ delegation to the 22nd WEF which took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia between 911 May 2012 with a theme ‘Shaping Africa’s Transformation’ was led by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

To tackle myriads of bottlenecks thwarting Africa trade, a plenary session was devoted to participants to examine the issue on sub theme ‘advancing Africa’s trade and manufacturing growth.

The session on Advancing Africa’s Trade Agenda tackled the issue of how the continent can advance its regional/global trade agenda and stressed that despite growth in some emerging regions, the global economy remains steeped in uncertainty with export forecasts falling and the Doha trade round in deadlock.

The session focused on three dimensions namely, Managing intra-African trade and finance; Investing in cross-border infrastructure; and Strengthening trade facilitation with emphasis on the following key points The general consensus was that it is time to move past diagnosis of why African countries do not trade nearly enough with each other.

For Pascal Lamy, DirectorGeneral, World Trade Organization (WTO), Geneva, he observed that “the issue of boosting intra-African trade is not so much the diagnosis on what needs to be done, but on how to do it,…We know that the necessary initiatives have to happen at the regional level.

Regional organizations have to address these problems one by one. The key to removing these bottlenecks lies in the political energy of regional leaders to do it.”

In his contribution to the

plenary session Mr. Roberts Orya indicated that “…despite the ECOWAS Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons, Goods and Services as well as Right of Residence and Establishment signed more than thirty years ago on 29th May 1979 by regional leaders as an instrument for promoting unfettered movement of Community citizens within the region as part of the process of creating a single regional economic space where citizens can avail themselves of the opportunities that abound in Member States and contribute to the region’s development, free trade is a still a mirage to the subregion.

According to the NEXIM MD, it is against the spirit and letter of the Protocol that ECOWAS Member States still regard the markets of Europe, Asia and America as their traditional markets due to the cumbersomeness of moving goods and services within the sub-region as road transportation is still the dominant mode despite being fraught with every imaginable encumbrance.

He informed the Forum participants that Nigerian and African exporters spend •2,100/ container and wait for a minimum of 50 days to have their goods delivered from Apapa ports in Nigeria to Douala ports in Cameroun or Tema Ports in Ghana; while it costs just above $1,900 to freight same from China to Nigeria. Paradoxically, Lagos – Douala is only 353

nautical miles and should take a vessel a maximum of 24 hours to cover. Even more unacceptable he said, was a situation where an exporter pays $3,500 to transport a lorry load from Lagos – Accra for a trip of 4 – 10 days.

The critical reason remains that the European and Asian cargo vessels that come to Africa must first sail to their home ports and then does trans-shipment to Nigerian or other West African ports.

Explaining the importance of SEALINK project, NEXIM Head, Corporate Communications, Mr. Chinedu Moghalu, said the imperative to facilitate trade business among African region informs NEXIM Bank’s commitment to facilitate a SEALINK project as a Public Private Partnership initiative to deepen trade within and among ECOWAS and Central African countries and help realize Africa’s potential as a global trade powerhouse.

According to Mr. Orya, “Nigeria is Africa…and Africa is Nigeria” adding that whatever initiative that boosts the volume of intra regional trade for the country ultimately resonates to the rest of Africa.

Concluding his remarks, Mr. Orya said the onus to push the agenda for providing instruments for intra-African trade must necessarily be on the private sector as the government beyond providing an enabling policy space cannot step to the plate in that regard.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 35

Business

Mixed reactions trail sack of NNPC management

By Aminu Imam

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan’s decision, on Tuesday to sack the top management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has continued to attract mixed reactions from a cross section of Nigerians and civil society organisations (CSOs).

In a move considered by most Nigerians as overdue, the president approved the immediate compulsory retirement of Group Managing Director of the corporation, Austen Oniwon, along with all the Group Executive Directors.

The affected Group Executive Directors include Michael Arokodare (Finance and Accounts); Philip Chukwu (Refineries & Petrochemicals) and Billy Agha (Engineering & Technology).

Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, Reuben Abati, said in a statement that the re-composition of the new management team of the national oil company include Andrew Yakubu, who would take over from Mr. Oniwon as Group Managing Director.

According to the presidential spokesman, the sack of the NNPC top hierarchy is to “further strengthen the ongoing reforms and transformation of Nigeria’s Petroleum sector, and in furtherance of efforts to achieve greater transparency and accountability in government.”

The President General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Peter Esele, does not seem excited with the action, as he sees it as “another change in the usual musical chairs” at the helm of the national oil company; while a group of civil society groups, under the aegis of the End Impunity Now Campaign, described it as “wobbly steps to tackle corruption”.

Mr. Esele, who spoke on Wednesday said the problem with the NNPC goes beyond the sack of its management, but how to institutionalise unfettered structural process to run its operations without political interference.

“It is difficult to say if the removal of (Austen) Oniwon, the GMD of NNPC was a sack or not, considering that he was already due for retirement this month,” he said. “But, the real challenge in NNPC is how politicians could take their hands off the running of its affairs.

“In less than 13 years, the

Andrew Yakubu

NNPC has produced no fewer than six GMDs. No organisation as strategic as NNPC, that wants to be taken seriously, can have such high turnover in its management. But that is how the politicians want it.

“There must be a fixed tenure for the management of NNPC to allow them consistently drive policy. Successive administrations since Gaius Obaseki hardly settled down to face the challenge of working to leave any legacy before they are changed.

“The sack is simply the usual change in musical chairs.

The only hope for Nigerians is to wait a little more and see what the PIB (Petroleum Industry Bill) is going to come up with. Perhaps that would help put the relevant laws in place that can straighten the NNPC and the regulatory agency, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

Meanwhile, on Thursday, some members of a CSO called the ‘End Impunity Now’, embarked on a campaign rally protesting government’s impunity and ineffective war against corruption and the administration's reluctance to implement the fuel subsidy probe report.

The rally, tagged ‘End Impunity Now’ campaign, was organised to provide civil society groups an opportunity to march to the office of the Attorney

Mr. Austen Oniwon

General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, to present a letter demanding the implementation of the report and prosecution of indicted officials.

The ‘End Impunity Now’ Campaign group, in a statement by the Executive Director, African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), David Ugolor; and National Convener, United Action for Democracy (UAD), Jaye Gaskia, dismissed the sack as inadequate. They said government needed to take more concrete steps to demonstrate not only its commitment to fight corruption, but also the irreversibility of such commitment.

“Now is the time for the President to move forward with the people, to work together to end impunity,” the group said. “The issue of the rot in the petroleum sector in general, and the fraud and mind boggling corruption uncovered by the House of Representatives probe in general, goes beyond the NNPC, and includes all the other agencies and parastatals in the sector, including PPMC, PPPRA, DPR etc.

“We are of the opinion that each of these agencies has been implicated in the fraud and rot, and their boards and managements should also be sacked. We call for total reform in the sector, the prosecution and

punishment of indicted members of boards and managements.”

The group stated that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should immediately prosecute the sacked officials, particularly the Group Managing Director and other board members of the NNPC and other agencies.

“The President should make available to the EFCC and the general public the reasoning behind the dismissal and the evidence that convinced the President to take this action,” the group noted.

The group also said the handling of the sack by the President is a further demonstration of the incompetence of the Petroleum Minister, Diezani AlisonMadueke, under whose watch all sorts of nefarious deeds were undertaken.

“How can the minister evade responsibility? We reaffirm our demand for the sacking of the Petroleum Minister forthwith and instruction to the EFCC to undertake an immediate investigation into the activities of the office of the minister.

“Given the levels of corruption that have been exposed by the House of Representatives Committee report, it is simply not good enough to dismiss one or two persons and sweep the rest under the carpet. We say again Mr.

President, fire the irresponsible ministers," the group stated.

The group reiterated its demand for the minister and her counterpart in the Finance Ministry to resign their appointments; saying failure to do so should result in the president exercising his authority to remove them.

It noted that revelations through the various probes have shown that there is little or no coordination of the economy taking place, pointing out that the Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the minister of finance, who also doubles as the coordinating minister for the economy, should be made to share in the responsibility for the monumental fraud and rot in the petroleum industry.

The group emphasised the need for the EFCC to be given full support by the President, who should make a clear public statement endorsing the leadership of the EFCC and reenforcing the commission's mandate to investigate and prosecute corruption without hindrance.

“The President needs to allocate appropriate funding to build the capacity and resources of the EFCC to effectively execute its mandate,” it said.

However, some fully armed police detachment forced the civil society group to call-off the rally.

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

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CHAIRMAN MALAM WADA MAIDA, OON, FNGE EDITOR, DAILY AHMED I. SHEKARAU

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Dwindling security situation in Adamawa Re: Sovereign wealth fund W h e n Adamawa was carved out of the former Gongola state, there was love and peaceful coexistence amongst the (113) ethnic tribes in the state.

Although there was no identifiable semblance of democracy in those periods, yet political activities which were usually labeled 'nationalism' were predominantly elite phenomenon, dominated and to a large extent shaped by a bureaucratically defined political class.

The political class was embedded in local ethnic groups but its main centre of activity was in the larger towns and its performance as a political class was not decisively created or shaped by the rural population of the villages. Though, the rural population was part of the power base, it had no major influence on its actual policies and performance. However, the links with the rural population were strong and vital.

In fact due to cohesive and purposefulness of the elite in the defunct Gongola and the early part of Adamawa, the state had under the Shehu Shagari and Babangida Junta alone produced four service chiefs viz: Chief of Naval Staff, chief of Army staff, Inspector General of Police and Chief of Air Staff, AM Ibrahim Alfa who is now late.

This analysis will not be complete unless the Barde/ Juta regime is made mentioned of. No doubt, that administration appears to be the benchmark for almost all Administrations in the defunct Gongola and now Adamawa and Taraba states.

Though in 1976, when the state was created, it was led by General Muhammadu Jega. That regime's concern was promotion of peace and unity among the (113) ethnic nationalities and the establishment of administrative and make shift physical structures of the young state.

The Abubakar Barde regime was a turning point, while it equally maintained and even promoted peaceful co-existence among the people of the state, it also realized that, there were more than enough prospects to move the young state into development compared to any of the older states. He ensured building a balanced and inclusive cabinet devoid of any religious and ethnic bias. The Barde / Juta regime had tried its best to maintain peace during its tenure, the peace of a graveyard in the entire state.

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Though I was still young, but I can recall, there was no students' unrest in any of the post primary schools not to talk of major security breaches in the state. It did not stop there; it equally attempted to exploit the state's huge potential in Agriculture, Health care delivery, education and industrialization to mention a few.

The end of that regime left a number of ongoing projects which were the school of Nursing and Midwifery, the Brewery Project at Bajabure, College of Education Hong, the state Secretariat Complex and the state House of Assembly Complex. Others are the sports stadium along Yola Numan road currently one of the abandoned projects, the permanent site of the college of Preliminary Studies, Science School Infrastructures in M/Belwa, Uba and Fufore all abandoned projects.

Although not much was achieved by successive administrations yet peaceful coexistence had continued to be their cornerstone. Perhaps the only misfortune that occurred under Boni Haruna led administration in 2003, was the Fulani/ Bachama feud which resulted in the loss of lives and properties in Numan LGA. This unpleasant situation led to the deposition of the former Hama Bachama Freddy Soditi Bongo. Despite that episode, the Boni Haruna regime deserves commendation for completing almost 90% of the capital projects initiated by the Barde/Juta administration.

This is in addition to establishing the state university.

Governor Nyako's massive grassroots support in 2007 even without going through the tortuous primary election was informed by the belief that, as an octogenarian, he would put to bear his wealth of experience as a former Service Chief and former Military Administrator and move the state forward in all aspects of development that begets a peaceful society but within the first six months of his reign, Governor Nyako proved the electorate wrong.

One of his agenda that impacted negatively on the citizenry is the unconventional appointment of Special Assistants under the auspices of Special Projects and Programmes Units (SPPU). What this means is that the activities of the core civil service has been thrown overboard while the number of conventional civil servants in the state has remained at 15,000 since 2008 to date, the governor's SAs as they are popularly referred to, have been fluctuating between 45,000 and 50,000. Arguably, the regime had attempted to empower some Youth under the (SPPU) but there are several misgivings surrounding their activities.

For one, traducers of the administration have alleged that the SAs have been used as instruments of political thuggery especially during the last governorship election.

According to them, since these SAs are paid allowances of between N10, 000 and 500,000 monthly, depending on their status, they do not have specific functions rather than carrying out adhoc responsibilities as foot soldiers of the government against its perceived political enemies.

Although the government supporters would not accept this position held in some quarters but the killings in Mubi, that of Christ Apostolic Church Jimeta, Lamurde and Numan LGA's by unknown gunmen in January 2012 readily comes to mind.

This was specifically attested to in the media by one of the governorship candidates ahead of the February 4th Poll. He alleged that government was behind those incidents aimed to scare away potential voters to its advantage.

Equally of note is the number of concerned citizens and security experts in the state who had persistently raised alarm over the influx of aliens into the state at the tail end of last year.

These concerns and apprehensions entertained by these groups is connected to the perceived anticipated backlash of the unfortunate cases of insecurity to lives and

properties that had already enveloped Plateau, Borno and Yobe and gradually finding its roots in Adamawa, no thanks to the recent Fulani/Bachama feud.

According to some Non Governmental Organizations and members of some pressure groups from the state who encompass concerned citizens and security experts, the Adamawa State government's decision to import foreign grazers from some countries and other northern parts of the country into the state and resettle them on farm lands that belong to indigenous farmers are danger signals to the corporate existence of the people.

It could be recalled that, this same NGO and the pressure group at the end of last year issued a press statement, lampooning the state government over the same state of insecurity, warning the authorities to act promptly and decisively before situations go out of hand. Quoting copiously from their statement, "the current government in Adamawa, knowing its waning popularity among the people ahead of the just concluded national voter registration by INEC, resorted to importing foreign nationals from Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, and the Republic of Chad who are oblivious of the happenings in the state to register as potential voters".

One of the primary responsibilities of government to its citizens is to protect them and their property from attack and since a democratic government is meant for the people by the people, authorities are expected to listen to the people's advice most especially on issues that border on security.

I am of the opinion that, if the government in Adamawa had listened to an earlier advice of the security experts and other concerned citizens as stated above, the recent reprisal attack on innocent lives in Lamurde and Numan local governments would have been nipped in the bud.

The present administration has made quite a number of blunders in the recent past, instead of allowing rationality to prevail; it has given much room to advices of sycophants and other idle people who say hallelujah even when they know things are falling apart. These groups of people are those who specialize in attacking anybody who attempts to point out where the government goes wrong but as stakeholders, we will not relent in pointing out any lapses of the government as long as such opportunity presents itself.

Maliki Salaudeen resides at Nasarawo ward, Jimeta Yola

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 30, JUNE — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 37

Opinion

IsPublic Brazil state owned electricity company, the right model for Nigeria? opinion and subsidy reversal

By Dr Kasim Buba Muhammad

G

oing to Brazil by the Head of the administration last week, to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Brazil’s successful state electricity company to assist Nigeria improve its generation capacity, is a sad commentary on the deficiency of our Roadmap Plan on Power, which promised much in terms of power reforms, but achieved very little. This is also a clear proof that Nigeria has prematurely dismantled its own state electricity industry in favour of privatization.

If the administration thinks that the Brazil state owned Electricity Company has something to offer Nigeria, why didn’t the Nigerian government keep our own electricity industry in state ownership to benefit from the advantage of a comparable model Instead of now trying to seek assistance from incompatible or diametrically opposed systems, that is, a successful state owned model and a prospective privatized Nigerian model? It will not work, the confusion is obvious!

This will not in any way help Nigeria to improve its generation system, but will only compound the power situation.

The Government has managed to come with a plan that offers the worst of all worlds, just like the NITEL/Pentescope arrangement which led to the demise of NITEL. Why can’t Nigerians learn a lesson from their past mistakes?

Hence the Brazil state owned Electricity Company is not the right model for Nigeria, rather the Nigerian government should have turned to another country, which has a successfully privatized electricity industry for assistance.

In this way, Nigeria can benefit from the advantage of a privatized setting to improve its own generation system under similar condition. Unless of course the Nigerian government wants to discard its privatization plan for now, in which case the idea of the Brazilian state electricity company coming to help will be right.

What we should bear in mind is that Nigeria has not yet correctly diagnosed its electricity problem. You often hear top government functionaries and even the President of the country saying that they could not improve the power situation because of lack of power infrastructure or gas infrastructure or that the water level in the hydro power stations has dropped below generation

level. These are not the actual problems militating against the generation and supply of reliable electricity nationwide.

For any organisation to succeed, more so an electricity industry like the PHCN, it must be properly organized.

The available resources: materials, machinery, methods and money have to be used in the most effective way and it is essential also to design the organization within which people’s activities are coordinated so that they may be effective in the different task of electricity production and supply. The interplay of these factors will determine the success or failure of the organisation and the extent of its effectiveness to supply regular electricity nationwide.

There is no short cut to it!

However, if the Nigerian government really wants the country to benefit from its arrangement with the Brazilian state electricity company, then it is necessary to abandon its ongoing privatization plan and permit the PHCN to run on full commercial lines, as a state entity, to take full advantage of its relationship with the Brazilian state electricity company.

The Government’s haphazard privatization proposals really have

seriously hampered progress in the power sector and this brings little comfort to those of us who believe that an efficient national energy supply industry requires something other than a free market solution. In other ways, they also reveal the tangle that the Government has got itself into.

This is nowhere clearer than over the recent artificial jack-up of the electricity tariff to attract foreign investors to the power sector which have caused serious ripple effects in the economy and got the real sector, especially manufacturers bitterly grumbling.

The electricity privatization palaver has made things difficult for Nigeria. The only way out of this predicament is to reverse the PHCN to state ownership. There are also other good examples of state owned electricity industries such as New Zealand and France around the world, from which we can draw lessons for a successful utility in Nigeria.

Dr Kasim Buba Muhammad Former Policy Adviser/Analyst and a member of the Presidential think tank, The Independent Policy Group (IPG) (Formerly Consultative Group on Nigeria)

Calculated attempt to tarnish image of FCTA

By Dike Chigbue

I

n the last few weeks, there have been a carefully orchestrated ploy to tarnish the image if the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) with several aims ranging from causing disaffection with some notable Nigerians, undermining the efforts of the Hon Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed and most unfortunately to mislead the general public.

These negative campaigns are not only coordinated by individuals but also with organizations and media houses.

Most notable is the unfortunate and bias stand of Leadership newspaper that obviously have some unwarranted scores to settle with the Hon Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed, they have equally allowed themselves to be the main vehicle used by these evil men to dent the image of the ministry.

Recently Leadership newspapers published on its ‘Our Stand’ page to accuse the Hon. Minister of neglecting the satellite towns in Abuja, an assumption that is false and a figment of its imagination because there is no doubt that despite the huge challenges the Hon Minister faces on a daily basis to transform Abuja he has not relented on its efforts to develop all areas of Abuja including satellite towns.

Since he became minister of the federal capital territory, there is no doubt that residents of the FCT have benefited from the purposeful leadership of Senator Mohammed in the administration of the capital city.

He has displayed uncommon zeal in taking the FCT to the next level. His

stride transcends development and provisions of social amenities and infrastructure for the people, as he took into cognizance, at all times, the welfare of the people; indigenes and settlers alike.

Coming from the era of previous administrations that gave very little or no concern to the plight of the people in effecting developmental projects, such consideration for the common man even when being fair and committed to duty, came as a welcome development which has gone a long way in endearing Senator Bala Mohammed, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to residents.

Even his enemies are quick to acknowledge his progressive accomplishments which stand out before every keen watcher because Senator Bala Mohammed has been able to achieve so much in the FCT within such little time, demonstrating such impeccable character in the style and manner that he has flawlessly piloted the affairs of the territory with relentless zeal even as he has demonstrated unflinching support to the transformation agenda of his principal, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

In the area of infrastructural development, the Minister has also not been resting on his oars. He has attracted investment from within and outside the shores of Nigeria that has been estimated at about $6.5Billion (that is over N1trillion) from April 2010 when he assumed office till date.

That includes the investment from the US-based Balkan Development Centre of Dallas for the building of Abuja Town

Center at a value of $2.6 Billion, the construction of what would become Nigeria’s tallest building, a World Trade Centre by the Church Gate Group which is valued at $1 Billion. The building of a 16-hectare Abuja International Film Village at a cost of about $1billion, the construction of Abuja Botanical Gardens and Recreational Centre by a consortium of foreign and Nigerian investors, various Mass Housing Projects by foreign and local companies and also the investment by Innoson Group from Nnewi which is constructing an ultra-modern automobile manufacturing and service centre in Abuja, to mention but a few.

There are also some of other contracts which were signed by the preceding administration in FCT, which have been certified to be in national and public interest and are being vigorously prosecuted by the current minister.

These include the Abuja light rail project, the Millennium Tower project, the 10-lane highway leading to the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport and Zuba both in FCT among other trunk A and B roads under construction.

He has also awarded another contract for another bypass starting from Gwarimpa, then cutting Mpape and other areas coming out behind the Mogadishu Barracks so that people travelling to Kubwa axis and also from Keffi, Lafia and the whole of Northeast can afford to bypass the city and travel all the way to Kaduna and other places, including Lagos. The minister is also expanding the transportation system from mono model transportation to a multi model approach.

Even though Abuja is totally a land

territory without seaports, the land transportation system which we operate in Abuja is being expanded to encompass motor road, railway, monorail and Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, otherwise known as Park and Ride Mass Transit. All these are coming into effect and the various consultants and investors that are coming in are going to start work this year. All these things are going on through the public/private partnership arrangement of the government.

The minister has also recorded significant progress in the areas of development of satellite towns by providing aggressive infrastructure and dealing with social menace around the capital territory. Despite the distortion of the original Abuja master plan, which led to the upsurge in societal ills and vices such as prostitution, armed robbery and racketeering of various forms, the minister was able to live up to the challenges of development and expansion by adequately addressing the ugly trend which had, painfully gained ground and was becoming trenchant.

In this regard, it is highly commendable that the FCT has recorded success in fighting societal ills as a result of Senator Bala Mohammed’s efforts with law enforcement agents to wipe out the menace from the territory.

Without doubt, by any standard in the world, the Hon Minister is on course to transform Abuja so instead of using official means to pursue personal issues, leadership Newspaper and other actors should support the transformation.

Mr. Dike J. Chigbue, Executive Director, Stand Nigeria Initiative

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 38

Reporter’s Diary

In crisis situation, reporter is ‘King’

From Agaju Madugba

W

h e n I attended a course on, “Conflict Reporting,” organized by the BBC in Lagos, way back in 2002, the lead facilitator, Christine K. a German, had told participants that, no story or report is worth dying for even as she admonished us that we should not in any way endanger our lives in the pursuit of news reports. Through out the week-long programme, she repeatedly emphasized that a journalist reporting conflict should do everything to stay alive so that he or she does not become part of the story. “For me, the area emphasizing that that no story is worth dying for has remained my guiding principle through out these years that I have worked as a reporter in the crisesridden Kaduna state. During the 2000 anti-Shariah riots, I witnessed assault on fellow human beings at Asikolaiye and Badiko. At Barkin Ruwa, I watched individuals hacked down and set ablaze while trying to flee to safety and I had to jump over several corpses at Kasuwar Barci and Tudun Nupawa, in the Tudun Wada area, in order to get to the city centre. It was virtually the same story when two years later in 2002, the Miss World riots ripped through Kaduna metropolis with bloody consequences. The same scenario played out itself during the 2011 post-presidential riots. The Kaduna situation has perhaps proved that indeed, no story is new, only the characters or actors differ.

In all, the ultimate desire to stay alive has never wavered in me although the luck factor may also play a significant role. To a large extent, surviving Kaduna in periods of bloody conflicts may actually depend on where you are when the madness begins. If for instance, you are a Christian and you happen to find yourself in the Muslim dominated area of Tudun Wada at the eruption of an ethno-religious conflict, then consider yourself dead except of course you can claim to be a Muslim and able to recite certain verses of the Holy Koran and your attire matters a lot in addition to your proficiency in the Hausa language. Your interrogators do not understand a word of the English language. On the other hand, if you are a Muslim and you are at Sabon Tasha or environs during such a period, if you must live, then you have to claim to be a Christian and you have to name the church you attend and the name of your pastor, alongside the ability to recite certain portions of the Holy Bible. Perhaps, it may not be out of the way if adherents of both Christianity and Islam begin to study aspects of both religions, for who knows, it may save your life.

And, in both circumstances, it goes without saying that you may have to also adopt the appropriate names. It would certainly be the highest form of embarrassment if you claim to be a Muslim but your name turns out

A deserted road in Kaduna during the crisis to be Christian John or Christiana Paul.

For the latest violence of June 17, 2012, I was at home, just lazing around, pretending to be busy but actually doing one or two things around the house. Then at about 9.30 am, reports filtered in from Zaria that there were bomb attacks on two churches there. A few telephone calls confirmed the reports and unknown to me, as I left my residence, heading for the town, through the Post Office road area, in order to get more details concerning the Zaria reports, parts of Kaduna metropolis were already on fire as you see people just running and motorists driving at neckbreaking speed and you begin to wonder what in God’s name was the matter (again). In spite of the apparent confusion and of course with the “stay alive” flashlight already beaming furiously at me, I managed to pull beside the road at the High Cost Junction and inquired from a few of those running, what was happening. There were variations in the answers given the fact that some people were actually running because they saw others doing so, without knowing why and fingers pointing towards the Barnawa area.

That was the situation until someone who claimed to be an eyewitness at the scene said that Boko Haram had bombed the Shalom Pentecostal Church, at Trikaniya, some four kilometers away, after the Abuja junction, on the Nnamdi Azikiwe Bypass. I put a call through to a colleague, who lives at Nasarawa, close to Trikaniya and without even waiting to know the reason for my call, he asked to know my location and I told him. “You had better go back home!” It sounded like an order and I complied. On my way back home, the area boys had already mounted road blocks, on the look out for perceived enemies, stopping motorists and checking the boots,

bonnets and interiors of vehicles. The illegal check points also doubled as interrogation centres but unlike some others who arrived the point later, I was lucky as the hoodlums, armed with machetes and other dangerous weapons, did not demand to know whether I was a Christian or a Muslim. I still thank God that they did not ask me, perhaps due to divine intervention because if they had, I would not know their reaction as I would have told them that as a reporter, my religion is journalism!

And given their apparently misplaced fanaticism, I would have even gone further to tell them that I was also ready to die for journalism as they too were set to give up their lives for whatever religion they professed. Near the junction of Sea Breeze Garden Resort, a commercial motorcycle operator had already been hacked to death and his okada placed on top of his corpse. Few hours later at about 2 pm, the Kaduna state government slammed a 24-hour curfew on the state, as the situation degenerated and violence enveloped Trikaniya, Ungwan Muazu, Tudun Wada, Gonin Gora, Sabon Tasha and Ungwan Pama suburbs, among other areas.

In the early hours of Monday, June 18, government announced a review of the curfew from 6 am to 6 pm. It turned out to be an error of judgment as a section of residents especially in the Barnawa area

exploited the opportunity to reintroduce a regime of mayhem on the people. On Tuesday, June 19, the Kaduna state Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Jinjiri Abubakar, scheduled a press conference for midday and I left the house at about 10 am but never made it to the Police Headquarters, venue of the conference. Given the precarious situation at Barnawa, I, along with the Correspondents of The Nation and Punch decided to avoid that area and instead branched off at the Water Board section of Barnawa, going through the St. Gerald Hospital and that was the end of the trip to the town. As we approached Queen Amina College, it would appear as if hell was let loose as you just saw people running here and there. Motorists broke the known traffic rules as each driver seemed to move in no particular direction. Not in a position to take chances, as I approached the U-turn at the Chachangi Airline office, and considering the long traffic of vehicles waiting to make the U-turn, I had no option than to join the madness as I quickly turned around, using the one way and daring the risk involved. I headed back towards the St Gerald Hospital where I stopped briefly near the gate to inquire from those coming from the town what the commotion was all about. It turned out that some youth had invaded the central market

“

Near the junction of Sea Breeze Garden Resort, a commercial motorcycle operator had already been hacked to death and his okada placed on top of his corpse.

where they attacked traders and other people, according to reports.

For whatever it is worth, in periods of conflicts or in situations where government places restriction on movement of people, the journalist appears to be king as he moves about unrestricted but it also exposes the naivety of some of the security personnel, especially the soldiers on patrol and at the check points. For what we considered as security reasons, correspondents of the Nation, Punch, the Sun, THISDAY and I preferred to do the rounds together more especially as we all live in the same area. But on one of the days during the 24-hour curfew regime, soldiers on patrol who stopped us at the High Cost junction turned hostile over an alleged offence that we were in a convoy of five cars.

“Why should all of you ride in different cars?” one of the soldiers (a Second Lieutenant) queried even as he also questioned our claim of being journalists since the cars had no official newspaper logo on them.

Well, perhaps also for security reasons, it may be easier for them to handle five persons in a vehicle than contending with the same number of people in different vehicles. It took the intervention of a higher officer with the patrol team for them to allow us continue.

And few minutes later at the Station roundabout, a different set of soldiers at the check point there accused journalists of disobeying the law. “You people are the ones who imposed the curfew and you are the ones coming out,” one of them said. But some of the soldiers displayed high sense of civility and understanding. “Please make sure you tell them that we are working o!” some of them would say.

As the curfew period in Kaduna enters the third week from tomorrow, the beat goes on.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 39

International Anti-government protests intensify in Sudan S u d a n e s e police have fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters outside a Mosque belonging to an opposition party in the capital Khartoum, a witness has said.

The witness said yesterday that demonstrators carried Sudanese flags and banners reading "The people want the regime to fall", a slogan used by protesters during the Arab Spring uprisings over the past year.

The protesters had gathered in the capital's Hijra Square beside the mosque of the opposition Umma party. After the tear gas and an unknown number of arrests, demonstrators burned tyres and threw stones at police before running for cover, the witness told the AFP news agency.

"Police have fired tear gas at protesters as they attepmted to take to the streets following Friday prayers. There is a lot of

defiance here, protesters have blocked the roads and they are burning tyres," said Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reporting from Khartoum.

"People have been chanting 'We want the downfall of the government', so people here belive that this is the start of their revolution," she added.

Waffa al-Amin, an activist, told Al Jazeera by phone from the protests that "about 2,000" protesters had gathered in the Ummdurman district of the capital.

"We are surrpounded by 500 police and security forces. We have blocked the area so they can't get to us, however, they have been firing tear gas at us," al-Amin said.

Demonstrators planned major protests for Friday and Saturday, the 23rd anniversary of a coup by President Omar alBashir.

Sudan protests

Aid workers abducted at Kenya's Dadaab camp

S

omali militants ambushed an aid convoy, killing a Kenyan aid worker and kidnapping four international workers at a Kenyan refugee camp near the border with Somalia, officials have said.

Four international workers from the Norwegian Refugee Council were abducted yesterday after gunmen attacked a two-car convoy traveling through the sprawling Dadaab refugee camp, said police official Philip Ndolo.

Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri said the kidnapped workers are nationals of Norway, Canada, Pakistan and the Philippines.

"We understand that this was a high-level delegation that was

touring the camp on its outskirts when they came under an organized ambush of about a dozen Somali armed men. One vehicle got away and they other was taken and driven toward the Somalia border some 80 miles away," our correspondent said.

"The vehicle was abandoned and it is unclear if the abducted workers were put in another vehicle and their whereabouts are still unknown", she added.

The gunmen killed a Kenyan driver for the aid group during the

attack, Ndolo said. Earlier reports said one Kenyan driver was also kidnapped but a security official said only the four foreign workers were taken.

Dadaab hosts nearly 500,000 Somali refugees.

Ndolo said that police and military security personnel were pursuing the attackers.

Kenya deployed troops into Somalia last October, so even if the kidnappers succeed in crossing back into Somalia, they may have to contend with Kenyan troops on the other side of the border.

Tuareg rebels driven out of Timbuktu

T

h e armed Islamist groups Ansar Dine have forced Tuareg rebels to leave the northwestern Mali town of Timbuktu and its outskirts as tension between the armed factions continue to rise.

The Al Qaeda linked armed group declared on Thursday that they had secured full control of Mali's desert north, a day after pushing their former Tuareg separatist allies out of the town of Gao in a gun battle that killed at least 20 people Residents contacted from the capital Bamako on Thursday said no fighters from the Tuareg National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) could be seen in the positions they had earlier occupied around Timbuktu and at the airport.

Kenyan troops invaded Somalia in October after a spate of kidnappings in its territory in late 2011 [AFP]

Chinese space mission returns to Earth

T

h r e e astronauts have returned to Earth after achieving China's first manual docking in orbit, a milestone in the country's effort to build a space station by the end of the decade.

The return of the trio, including the country's first female astronaut, to a landing zone in a remote and sandy area of northern China was broadcast to a national audience on state television CCTV yesterday.

The return capsule of the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft, which lifted off on June 16, hit the ground at about 10:00am local time (02:00 GMT), after an approach slowed by a large parachute.

Rescue workers quickly surrounded and opened the capsule, which had turned on its side and looked charred on the outside.

All three astronauts were in good physical condition, the state run Xinhua news agency reported.

They would need to remain in the capsule for about 50 minutes to acclimatise, according to CCTV,

which showed a medical worker in a white uniform going inside to talk with them.

The crew had successfully carried out China's first manual space docking with the orbiting Tiangong-1 module, a difficult move that is essential in the process of building a space station. Beijing aims to have built such a station by 2020.

The manoeuvre - completed by the Americans and Russians in the 1960s - requires two vessels orbiting Earth at thousands of kilometres per hour to come together very gently to avoid destroying each other.

It was the main goal of the mission, which was China's fourth manned trip to space.

The Shenzhou-9 team was headed by Jing Haipeng, a veteran astronaut on his third space mission.

Liu Wang carried out the manual docking and the third crew member was Liu Yang, the first woman China has sent into space.

Yang has been hailed as a national heroine.

Annan 'optimistic' about Syria talks

U

n i t e d Nations says Syrian opposition has captured increasing number of army officers Kofi Annan, the joint UN-Arab League envoy to Syria has said he was "optimistic" that the ministerial crisis talks on Syria would produce an acceptable outcome.

"I think we are going to have a

good meeting today. I am optimistic," Annan told Reuters Television in Geneva yesterday.

The talks being held by foreign ministers of major powers and regional players in the Swiss city will end "with an acceptable result", he said, without giving details.

Russia proposed changes on Thursday to his plan for a national unity government in Syria,

despite initially supporting it, but the United States, Britain and France rejected the amendments, Western diplomats said.

The suggested changes are related to Moscow's refusal to support the ouster of Syrian President al-Assad, diplomats in New York said on condition of anonymity.

Foreign ministers from Turkey,

Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq will also attend the meeting. Iran, Assad's other close ally, was excluded - a condition set down by the US - as was Saudi Arabia, which has supported the Syrian opposition.

Annan's spokesman Ahmad Fawzi told Reuters: "The talks are on course and the preparatory meeting is going ahead this morning.

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

Wellness Zone

Phyllis Ogo Ogah phyllisogoogah@gmail.com +234 80 58425746 (sms) only

101 "Everyday" tips for losing 10 pounds (I)

H

ello friends, and hey did you miss me last weekend? I was down and out, but I am up and about once more.

There was a time in this world when the need to lose weight was completely unheard of. People ate well, but they worked well too.

They woke up early in the morning and then engaged in a whole day's work. This work was mostly physical labor. People worked on fields digging, sowing, harvesting.

They tilled they soil, rode horses, worked on farms and ranches. The result was that they could afford to eat almost anything they wanted in whatever quantities they wanted but that was ages ago.

The world has changed so much since those days. Life styles have changed so much and the comforts and facilities have increased so much. But every rose has its thorn.

As a result of all these comforts and amenities the state of physical wellbeing has really changed.

Most of us have sedentary jobs that demand little or no exercise at all.

To put it simply, things have become so damn easy. And just as can be expected, weight gain has become a major concern for almost

every city dweller. During the period of thoughtless youth it is not such a major concern. The young practically eat nothing and so weight problems do not bother them so much. But as soon as you turn twenty, you start showing signs of weight gain and that too in all the wrong places .It's not about the hour glass figure or the perfectly sculpted and toned body.

It is more about staying fit and remaining healthy to ensure a long, disease free life. Everybody knows that those extra pounds spell illness. All over the world people are switching to a healthier lifestyle and the catch line is indeed weight .In the next three weeks or month, I'll be dedicating this column solely to the cause of losing weight and that too in the most surprising ways you ever heard of.

There is only one thing that you have to bear in mind. Weight loss does not happen by itself. There are only two ways to accomplish it...

The first is by watching what you eat and the second is by seeing to it that your body gets the exercise that it needs. As you digest this, my hope is that you're continually amazed by all the"everyday" things you can be

doing to lose 10 pounds...or more.

Seat tight as we kick obesity out of Nigeria.

Strength training is an integral part of any weight loss programme.

1. Drink plenty of water. Our body needs a lot of water so give in to water. Water is not just way to flush out toxin but if you have more water in your body you will generally feel healthier and fitter.

This itself will discourage any tendency to gorge. The best thing about water is that is has no calories at all.

2. Start your day with a glass of water. As soon as you wake up, gulp down a glass of cool water. It's a wonderful way to start you day and you only need a lesser quantity of your breakfast drink after that.

A glass of water lets out all your digestive juices and sort of lubricates the insides of your body.

You may have your morning cup of tea but have it after a glass of water. It is good for you.

3. Drink a glass of water before you start the meal. Water naturally needs some space so that you feel fuller without actually having to stuff yourself.

4. Have another glass of water

while you are having the meal.

Again this is another way of making yourself full so that you can actually rise from the table eating less but feeling full just the same. Instead of drinking it one gulp, take sips after each morsel. It will help the food to settle faster so that you get that feeling that you are full faster.

SIDENOTE: Water is such a remarkable thing, but seldom do we give it the credit that it deserves. Did you know that over 66% of your body weight is nothing but water? It's amazing!

Water also plays a vital role in weight control, which is why I donated so much space to it, above.

Hydration is essential for eliminating body waste 5. Stay away from sweetened bottle drinks, especially sodas. Hey all those colas and fizzy drinks are sweetened with sugar and sugar means calories. The more you can cut out on these sweetened bottle drinks, the better for you. So if you must drink sodas, then stick to diet sodas.

6. Include in your diet things that contain more water like tomatoes and watermelons. These things contain 90 to 95 % water so that there is nothing that you have to lose by feasting on them. They fill you up without adding to the pounds.

7. Eat fresh fruit instead of drinking fruit juice. Juice is often sweetened but fresh fruits have natural sugars. When you eat

fruit, you are taking in a lot of fiber, which is needed by the body, and fruits of course are an excellent source of vitamins.

8. If you do have a craving for fruit juice then go for fresh fruit juice instead of these that contain artificial flavors and colors. Or even better, try making your own fruit juice taking care not to sweeten it with too many calories.

9. Choose fresh fruit to processed fruits. Processed and canned fruits do not have as much fiber as fresh fruit and processed and canned fruits are nearly always sweetened.

10. Increase your fiber intake.

Like I mentioned, the body needs a lot of fiber. So try to include in your diet as many fruits and vegetables as you can.

The more we move, the easier to keep off the pounds!

HEALTH TIP FOR THE WEEK According to Dr. Weiss at St. Louis University, exercise, especially strength training, helps prevent bone loss and may even increase bone density by regularly stressing your bones.

Keep moving!

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, JUNE — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 41

Weekend Euro 2012 final

Spanish defender Sergio Ramos vies for possession of the ball with Italian enigmatic forward Mario Balotelli during the group stage of the fiesta. Today Spain and Italy return for an epic final.

Del Bosque, Prandelli on path to glor y

By Patrick Andrew

T

wo coaches probably two destinies. It is unlikely Vicente Del Bosque or Cesare Prandelli will indulge in touchline histrionics when Spain face Italy in the UEFA Euro 2012 final this Sunday.

For Del Bosque will no doubt insist on Spain’s domination of world soccer after testing prominence as kings of Europe in 2008, and two years later the world champions.

For Prandelli, another meeting with the holders, three weeks after they drew 1-1 in their opening group stage game, is reward for the impressive rebuilding job he was tasked with after Italy’s embarrassing flop at the 2010 World Cup. Spain are yet to sort out their selection problem, Del Bosque is undecided on the best attacking formation without record scorer David Villa.

He has wavered between fielding a six-man midfield and no striker, as he did against Italy in Gdansk on June 10, or starting with Fernando Torres or, surprisingly, Alvaro Negredo who failed to make an impact and was taken off against Portugal.

Italy coach Prandelli will have no such selection dilemmas after a vintage display from frontmen Antonio Cassano and two-goal Mario Balotelli in the 2-1 semifinal win over Germany on Thursday.

The 54-year-old, twice Italian coach of the year, has moulded Italy into a force to be reckoned with again following their dismal 2010 World Cup group stage exit when they drew with Paraguay and New Zealand before losing to Slovakia.

Prandelli was given the task of “overhauling the entire structure of the national teams” when appointed weeks after their return home from South Africa, and he has yet to taste defeat in a competitive fixture.

The statistics make for odd reading. There is no doubt that Prandelli’s Italy take a more adventurous approach than Azzurri sides of old, yet defensively they are as solid as ever.

Italy went through Euro qualifying unbeaten, winning eight of 10 matches, and scoring 20 goals, but also finished with the best defensive record across the nine groups, conceding just twice.

While their tournament preparations were off-colour with three successive friendly defeats and a match-fixing scandal

back home, Italy have displayed pride and passion in abundance at Euro 2012. Prandelli must now plot a way to stop Spain equalling Germany’s record of three European titles. The fact that Spain have met Italy seven times before in major tournaments and never managed an outright win give him, and his impressive team, the chance to dream.

Facts and figures between Spain and Italy * If Spain win, they will equal Germany’s record of three European titles. Spain won the second Euro tournament in 1964 and the last one in 2008. They were also losing finalists to hosts France in 1984. * Italy’s only previous European title was as hosts in 1968 when they beat Yugoslavia in the final. They were also runners-up in 2000 when they lost 2-1 to France on a golden goal in extra time. * The European final has never been decided by a penalty shootout in 13 previous tournaments. The last two finals were decided by a solitary goal - Greece beat hosts Portugal 1-0 in 2004 and Spain beat Germany 1-0 four years ago in Vienna. * Spain have met Italy seven times before in major tournaments and never managed an outright win. Their only success was in a penalty shootout at Euro 2008 in the quarterfinals following a 0-0 draw. The two met in the group stage at this tournament and drew 1-1. * Nine of the 14 Spanish players who appeared in the 2008 final are in the current squad - Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, David Silva, Cesc Fabregas, Santi Cazorla and goalscorer Fernando Torres. * Four of the six Spanish players who were voted on UEFA’s team of the 2008 tournament are missing.

Imposing defender Carles Puyol and the 2008 finals top scorer David Villa are absent through injury. Carlos Marchena and Marcos Senna are no longer in the squad.

The two survivors are Casillas and Xavi.

* If Mario Balotelli, who scored two goals in Italy’s 2-1 semi-final victory over Germany, finds the net again he could be the tournament’s outright leading scorer on four goals. Spain have three players on two goals who could rival him - Torres, Fabregas and Alonso. Balotelli shares the lead on three goals with Alan Dzagoyev of Russia, Mario Gomez of Germany, Mario Mandzukic of Croatia and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal. * Spain, the world and European champions, have continued their amazing run in competitive matches since losing to Switzerland in their opening game of the 2010 World Cup. They are unbeaten in 19 matches of which they have won 17. The two draws were both at this tournament - 1-1 against Italy in the group stage and 0-0 against Portugal in the semifinals. Spain won that game on penalties but, statistically, it counts as a draw. * Spain have conceded only eight goals in that run of 19 games and have kept clean sheets in their last four games at this tournament. * The only player to score against Spain in this tournament is Italy’s Antonio Di Natale, who came on as a second half substitute in the group game and found the net within five minutes. * Italy have lost only two of their last 19 matches outright at Euro finals. Apart from the 2000 final when they went down 2-1 to France in extra time, their only other defeat was a 3-0 loss to the Netherlands in a 2008 group game.

They went out on penalties to Spain in the quarterfinals that year after a 0-0 draw.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, JUNE — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 42

Tornadoes owe players five years sign-on fees, bonuses N

igeria Premier League (NPL) club, Niger Tornadoes owe their players five years worth of their financial entitlements.

The club, which have not been enjoying the best of results on the pitch this season, have not paid signing-on fees to players since 2007. This much was revealed by Niger State sports commissioner, Hassan Abdullahi.

Abdullahi confirmed that the sponsors of the club were forced to dissolve the previous management board because of “financial indiscretions. We noticed a lot of financial indiscretions with the past management which was why the board was dissolved,” he said.

The commissioner however revealed that the players have been paid salaries and bonuses regularly. “For bonuses and salaries, we have no issues. None of our players can express any complaint as far as that is concerned,” he stressed.

Abdullahi concluded with a promise to the players that their outstanding entitlements would soon be paid.

“At the moment, we are working on modalities to clear the outstanding money and I am sure we will achieve

Gunners ‘ll be sweet test for Eagles, says Keshi

H

ead coach of the Nigeria national team, Stephen Keshi believes the upcoming friendly match between the Super Eagles and Arsenal will be hugely beneficial to both sides.

The Super Eagles will meet Arsene Wenger’s team at the Abuja National Stadium on August 5 as the Gunners intensify their preparations for the 2012/2013 season.

It is the first time Arsenal will be playing in Nigeria and Keshi believes the experience will be special.

“The game will be very special and I believe it is going to be hugely beneficial to both teams.

“Like you know, Arsenal are preparing for the new Barclays English Premier League season while we will also use the game to prepare for the upcoming World and Nations Cup qualifiers, so this game is very important,” Keshi told SuperSport.com.

Keshi also hinted that home-grown players would be relied upon to prosecute the game against Arsenal.

“The game will be especially important for the home-based players who will have a chance to prove themselves against top flight competition,” he said.

The coach also took the time to appraise his rebuilding project with the national team which has seen him blood domestically-based talent and the foreign-based professionals.

“To be honest, I can’t say I’m satisfied yet with the project. Yes, there are improvements in several aspects but we will be deceiving ourselves if we think everything is perfect,” Keshi said.

Reuben Gabriel, Super Eagles’ attacking midfielder

an appreciable measure of success in that regard. Very soon, as soon as we get the executive council (in Niger

Robbin Van Persier, Skipper Arsenal

State) approval, we will commence the process of payment to the players,” he said.

Mongezi Bobe, Skipper Leopards

Solid defence key against Al Merreikh, says Leopards skipper

M

ongezi Bobe captains South African club side, Black Leopards who face Sudanese team, Al Merreikh in the 2nd quarter final of the Orange CAF Confederation Cup in Omdurman this weekend. Bobe believes that Leopards will be looking to build on what has been a solid display so far on the continent that has surprised many.

Leopards have scored every game away from home in this competition and Bobe is optimistic that his colleagues are able toshow what they benefited from matches they played in the previous stages of the tournament. He was talking to Cafonline.com ahead of the weekend match.

How have preparations gone and what is the mood like ahead of this match?

The mood in our camp is very high, because we are looking forward to play well as we have done so far in this competition. We know that this team we are going to play against (Al Merreikh) have a fantastic home record and supportive fans and having drawn here against TP Mazembe last time this means they will be keen to win thus making this encounter a tough assignment for us.

But we are up for it because we have acquired some experience of playing and coming through against teams from Zimbabwe, Congo DR and Nigeria. We

managed to navigate these challenges well so playing against Merreikh will be another challenge but I’m hoping that come Saturday things will go in our favour.

How has surviving relegation from South Africa Premier League impacted this team going into this game?

It was a big difficult time but we are pleased that in the end we retained our status in the top league in our country.

When we started playing at CAF Confederation Cup and had to concentrate on a poor run in our local league’s matches too it was a trying time. During this time we had a number of players rule out from squad due to injuries. On the continent we were doing well and in the end we managed to save the team from relegation while doing well in CAF competition, so for the Omdurman match we are hoping luck will be on our side and we can take a positive result back to South Africa for the return game.

From your homework on the opposition (Al Merreikh) what sort of team are they?

They are a good side, they have experience of playing continental club competition football. Everybody is looking forward to play against Al Merreikh, they are good and tough side.

They play a style of football where they

like to keep the ball and we like to play teams like that because we are a team that also keeps ball possession, so am hoping that the fans will enjoy the game on Saturday.

So, nobody needs to motivate you for this type of match?

Definitely when you leave your home or your country and come to another country it is going to be tough, but my colleagues are ready physically and mentally, we need to focus, so all of us looking forward to the game. We also like playing under pressure, and we are aware that Al Merriekh will have a full house of support for this game.

What do you think you need to do to win on Saturday?

Bobe: The key for us to win this game is defending very well. Stopping Al Merreikh from scoring is crucial and if we can score then we know that can go a long way in helping our cause. But we have to respect Al Merreikh because they are playing at home and will be looking to win at home. Ideally we will be happy to score at least one or two goals while not conceding.

What are you looking forward to most about this match?

It is very important for us try and come out with a win but even if we get a draw it is still be ok.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, JUNE — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 43

GSS Ilorin, Gboko wins 14th Nestle Milo Basketball tourney From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

G

overnment Secondary School (GSS)Ilorin has won the 14th Milo male secondary Schools Basketball category for the north central zone of Nigeria which was held in Kwara State indoor stadium.

The Kwara state team defeated Government Secondary School Minna with 42 point to 33 point in the male final while Queen of the Rosary,Gboko, Benue state defeated her counterpart, Government Model School, Niger in the female final with 48 points to 29.

While urging the Nestle Milo to

continue to invest in the grass root sport development, the Kwara state Commissioner for Sports, Barrister Anthony Kayode Towoju in his address noted that the company gesture has boost the morale and discipline of the students across the country.

Towoju, who challenged other corporate organization to emulate the Nestle Milo example, said sport has gone beyond mere just playing but an investment which could turn tenanted children to billionaire and most populous person in the world.

He appealed to the participants to take the advantage they have to ensure they

redeem the image of the country beyong its shore.

In her speech, the brand Manager of the company, Mrs. Funmi Osineye said the competition was designed to discover and nurture the sporting skills of future champion. “ We have witnessed a 25 percent increase in the number of participants in this year’s edition with 5,000 schools participating. In addition, we have also expanded the geographic scope of the competition to include AkureLokoja and Ilorin which are all new venue.”

She added that the winners in the boy’s and girl’s category would go home

with N30,000 prize money while second and third placed team would go home with N25,000 and N20,000 respectively.

Twelve teams in both male and female categories would emerge from the zonal qualifiers to represent their zones in the national finals in Lagos.

Government Secondary School, Ilorin, representing Kwara, won the boys’ category, while Queen of the Rosary College, Gboko, Benue, won the girls’ category.

Kwara, Benue, Niger, Plateau, Nassarawa and Kebbi participated in the North Central Conference of the championships.

Ondo targets gold medals in boxing T

he Ondo State Boxing Association says it will embark on talent hunt at the grassroots to identify boxers who would be groomed to represent the state in national competitions.

The association’s Secretary, Bolanle Adebiyi, yesterday in Akure, that to achieve the objective, the body would organise competitions in six sports zones starting with the open championships scheduled to be from July 3 to July 5.

Adebiyi listed the zones as Akure, Ondo, Okitipupa, Owo, Ikare and Idanre, adding that at the end, each zone would produce five boxers, including three males and two females.

“There would be weighing of the athletes to know their categories and medical check-up because we want to

be sure that they are healthy before competing.

“This will be preparatory championships for the 18 th National Sports Festival in Lagos, we have to be thorough and be sure that the best boxers are selected.

“We will use national officials to screen them and we already have five of them in Ondo State and another five will be coming to help them,’’ she said In his comment, Abiodun Obanla, the state’s Assistant Boxing Coach, also said the objective of the grassroots championships was to discover boxers who would be camped in preparation for the festival.

“Whoever wins in the tournament will be invited to camp for training and this is part of our preparation for the festival,” he said.

A Nigerian amateur boxer slugging it out with an opponent at the Olympics games

Onwukwe blames low popularity Basketball: Maijama 100 per cent positive of U-18 team of baseball to poor funding

By Patrick Andrew

R

obert Onwukwe, the Technical Director of Lagos State Baseball and Softball Association (LSBSA), has attributed the poor popularity of baseball & softball to inadequate funding of the league.

Onwukwe disclosed yesterday in Lagos that there would be the need to keep the league running, so as to pave way for the development of the sport at the grassroots.

“There is the need for the regular running of the league. This will help in promoting the game across the country. Creating more awareness about the game will help in popularising the sport,’’ he said.

He noted that generating funding, as well as acquiring equipment for

players to organise competitions, were some of the major problems being faced in the country.

“We do not get funds to organise competitions that will help the association to discover more talents from the grassroots.

“And providing equipment for players are also challenging,’’ Onwukwe said.

The technical director commended the Lagos State Government for providing funding to the association for its grassroots quarterly programme earlier in the year.

“The association hopes the government will also receive the second quarter funding for the upcoming grassroots programme later in the year,’’ Onwukwe said.

S

hehu Maijama, Nigeria’s Head of Delegation to the West Africa Basketball conference holding in Cote d’Ivoire, yesterday in Lagos said the team was 100 per cent hopeful of a good outing in the championship.

The event has been scheduled to hold between today through July 6 in Abidjan, and Maijama said that the team had been training hard and was sure of a good outing.

“We have a team that has been training so hard ahead of this conference and I am 100 per cent sure of a good tournament in Cote d’Ivoire,” he said.

Maijama expressed satisfaction at the performances of the team in the course of their build up for the event.

“We hopeful the players selected will

not disappoint the country.

“They are a bunch of talents and there is no doubt in my mind that these are the country’s best youth for this championship. I have watched their training sessions.

I am impressed and delighted from what I have seen so far,” Maijama said.

He added that he was also confident of the ability of the coaching crew to bring out the best in the players.

“The coaches have also done well.

I believe their tactical ability will bring out the best in the players and guide them toward a very good outing’’.

The team left for Cote d’Ivoire yesterday.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, JUNE— SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 44

African Championships

Disatrous for champions Nigeria, historic for Gabon F

By Patrick Andrew

irst it was Blessing Okagbare, who failed against all expectations to deliver gold, then followed by Seun Adigun, who was in total control until she stumbled misjudged her stride three hurdles to the finishing line and was eventually disqualified. Both lost their African titles.

Okagbare’s conqueror was Ruddy Zang Milama who did not only strolled into fame but gave Gabon their first ever sprint title.

And it might be the country’s only medal at the 18th edition of African Athletics championships.

The Nigerian Olympic medal hope was thus dethroned in the women’s 100m as she clocked 11.16 seconds to herald what turned out to be a rather disastrous day for most of the defending champions.

Adigun, the 2010 champion in 100m hurdles must rue her misjudged stride and the gold at sight not to talk of her African title. The Nigerian was way past the 50mpoint when the disaster struck. She looked ahead of Faye and Algerian Amina Ferguen, but she lost her footing fumbling through the homestretch, before her subsequent disqualification.

Nigeria’s only gold medal of the day came in the women’s Discus Throw from Chinwe Okoro whose final attempt of 56.60m was the best of the day.

Nine gold medals were won at the Charles de Gaulle Stadium on the bad day for continental sprint powerhouse Nigeria who yet again failed to recapture the 100m men’s title which went to South African Simon Magakwe in 10.29 and also lost the women’s 100m Hurdles to Senegalese Gnima Faye in 13.36.

Kenneth Kipkemoi led a Kenyan sweep of the men’s 10,000m in 27:19.74 a championship record, with compatriot Gladys Cherono grabbing the women’s 5000m gold in 15:40.04.

Milama, who was fourth in the semifinals at the World championships in Daegu, had a strong start as Okagbare looked set to repeat her victory over Gloria Asumnu and the Gabonese, winner of the bronze in Nairobi.

But a strong prevailing finish earned the 25-year-old athlete with a PB of 11.03, the African title overhauling Okagbare who timed 11.18 for silver with Asumnu taking the bronze in 11.21.

“I felt good coming into the race and am very satisfied with this win,” said Milama, the lone Gabonese athlete in Benin, whose gold medal is the first for her nation at any championships in a decade.

“I have always had a bad finish but this year I have been great. Now I wait for London,” she added rubbing her sore Achilles that she hopes will be back to shape before the Olympics.

But as Milama savoured her notable performance, South African Magakwe rued his failed Olympic qualification in his 10.29 run, which he blamed on the humid conditions in the Beninese Sea Port capital.

Like most of his teammates, Magakwe whose rare sprint gold for his country was an improvement of his African Bronze

Ruddy Zang Milama

Gnina Faye

Seun Adigun

Blessing Okagbare medal from 2010, is looking to hit the qualifying mark in the five-day championships, which ends Sunday.

He was followed home by Egyptian Amr Seoud, the 200m defending champion, in 10.34 and Wilfried Serge Koffi of Cote d’Ivoire (10.37).

In the hurdles 100m race, Faye dipped first ahead of Ferguen (13.56) with Nigerian Uhunoma Osazuwa taking the bronze in 13.61. Kenyans replicated their overriding performance from the last edition, with a gun to tape victory in the men’s 10,000m, a race their rivals Ethiopians failed to challenge.

Mark Kiptoo the 5000m bronze medallist in Nairobi, had taken the field through the opening 1000m in 2:48.06.

Then Kipkemoi, the reigning Kenyan

champion confidently sped past the half way mark in 13:39.83.

He sporadically slipped back leaving Kiptoo and Lewis Mosoti to lead the pack of six, before Ethiopia’s Solomon Deksisa and Abraha Adihana fell off the pace, eventually dropping out leaving Tebalu Zawude, the impossible task of penetrating the charged Kenyans.

Kipkemoi led his teammates through a fast final lap as he sped off at the bell with Kiptoo and Mosoti in tow to the first championships sweep. Kiptoo finished second for the silver in 27:20.77 with Mosoti in third in 27:22.54.

“I wish this was the Kenyan qualifying race for the Olympics,” said Kipkemoi, after his blistering pace, which shaved off about five seconds off the old games 19-year old mark of 27:25.23.

“But after winning the gold the message is out I am the new man to watch!”

The women’s 50000m started off rather slow with Ethiopian Wudessa Shitto guiding the field through the first 1000m

in 3:32.65.

Cherono then moved up the pack of the five who had broken off from the eight starters, with Nyaruai hot on her heels as the Ethiopians fell off the pace. The two went head to head until the last 50m when Cherono sprinted home obliterating a 12year-old Games record which stood at 15:43.46.Nyaruai making a return to action after a three year break clocked 15:40.65 for the silver with Ethiopian Gebreslase Teklezgi 15:53.34 earning her the bronze.

Madagascar’s Ali Kame who led for much of the Decathlon competition picked a rare gold medal for his country in the event, after topping the 110 Hurdles, going past 4.30m mark in the pole-vault and a throw of 60.7m in the javelin gaining 235 points on his closest opponent Algerian Mourad Souissi with 7511.

Tunisian Syrine Balti Ebondo won her fourth women’s pole vault Africa gold after a clearance of 3.80m while Senegalese Ndiss Kaba Badji, second in 2004 & 2010, won the men’s Long Jump with his attempt of 8.04m.

World champion Amantle Montsho of Botswana easily sailed through to the 400m final in 51.25 as Mohammed Khouaja(46.82), the surprise 2010 champion, was locked out of the men’s 400m. Another Tswana Isaac Makwala was fastest in 45.70 ahead of Oscar Pistorius, South African double amputee, who recorded 46.14.

In the 400m hurdles three-time African champion L.J van Zyl of South Africa made the final as one of the two fastest losers in 51.14. Senegalese Mamadou Hanne had the best qualifying time of 49.86.

Some results: Men 100m: Simon Magakwe (RSA) 10.29 Amr Seoud (EGY) 10.34 Wilfried Serge Koffi (CIV) 10.37 Long Jump 1. Ndiss Kaba Badji (SEN) 8.04m 2. Zark Visser (RSA) 7.98m 3. Ignisions Gaisah (GHA) 7.73m 10,000m 1. Kenneth Kipkemoi (KEN) 27:19.74 2. Mark KIPTOO (KEN) 27:20.77 3. Lewis MOSOTI (KEN) 27:22.54 Women: 100m 1.Ruddy Milama (GAB) 11.16 2.Blessing Okagbare (NGR) 11.18 3.Gloria Asumnu (NGR) 11.28 100m Hurdles 1. Gnima Faye (SEN) 13.36 2. Amina Ferguen (ALG) 13.56 3. Uhunoma Osazuwa (NGR) 13.61 5,000m 1. Gladys Cherono (KEN) 15:40.04 2. Veronica Nyaruai (KEN) 15:40.65 3. Gerbreslasie Teklezgi (ETH) 15:53.34 Pole Vault 1. Syrine Ebondo Balti (TUN) 3.80m 2. Juanita Stander (RSA) 3.50m 3. Jeannie Van Dyk (RSA) 3.40m 3. Dorra Mahfoudhi (TUN) 3.40m Discus Throw 1. Chinwe Okoro (NGR) 56.60m 2. Elizna Naude (RSA) 55.88m 3. Kazai Suzane Kragbe (CIV) 54.56m

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, JUNE — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 45

Field Hockey Rules Compiled by Augustine Aminu

F

ield hockey rules govern the basics of game play and penalties. This fast-paced version of hockey is easy to follow once you learn the rules. Grab a hockey stick and learn how to play field hockey.

Game Plan A field hockey game lasts approximately an hour and is divided into two 30-minute halves, not including a half time. If you view a collegiate or international game, expect each half to last 35 minutes, including play stoppage. The field measures 100 yards long by 60 yards wide and a center line splits the field. A 25-yard line is also marked on each side. A striking circle, where goals must be attempted, marks an area 16 yards out from the goal posts.

The ball, a bit larger than a baseball, weighs approximately 5 ½ ounces. A hockey stick can’t weigh less than 12 ounces or more than 28 ounces. It’s made from hardwood and has a curved head that is flat on one side and round on the other.

Eleven players, including a goalie, take the field for each team. Two umpires regulate play.

Sometimes, a third referee is available at the scorer’s table.

How do players move the ball down the field?

It’s passed or dribbled with the flat side of the stick. During ball movement, players cannot shield the ball with their bodies or sticks. Each player must have equal opportunity to make contact with the ball.

Penalty Box Unlike the game’s counterpart on ice, field hockey rules do not include a penalty box. But, penalties are assessed if player commits a foul.

Shielding another player from attempting to make contact with the ball, using the stick or interfering with play, or using the body to advance the ball are all fouls.

Once an infraction occurs, the other team receives a free hit. Players must be at least five yards away from the ball when it returns to play.

If a defender causes the violation in the shooting circle, the other team receives a penalty corner.

A penalty corner places the ball 10 yards from the goal line. Once the ball is back in the circle, a shot can be attempted. If the first shot is a hit, it has to cross the goal line at a height of not more than 18 inches for the goal to count.

A penalty stroke differs from a penalty corner. An offensive player and the goalie square off. All other players stand behind the 25-yard line.

Overtime Limits This overtime differs between international and high school levels of competition. ·International field hockey rules. If the game is a classification round or if play results in a winner advancing, two seven and a half minute periods are played if the score is tied after regulation. A winner is declared once a team scores a goal. What happens if it’s still tied?

Alternating penalty strokes against the defending goalie may be used to decide a winner. ·High School rules. When there is a tie at the end of regulation player, two 10-minute halves are played. Each team has seven players on the field. If the game remains tied at the end of extra time, alternating penalty stroke attempts against the defending goalie determine the winner.

Additional information from Life123

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

Features

Gaping hole in Otedola's rise

By Abdulwahab Isa

H

e plays in the billionaire league courtesy of his dual privileges: a rich parental background and dint of hard work.

His father, Sir Michael Otedola a quintessential Nigerian politician and former governor of Lagos state had stint of career in journalism and Public relations spanning , both overseas and Nigeria before he was elected Lagos state governor under the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) in 1992 to 1993.

Unarguably therefore, a school of thought was correct in the assertion that the scion of Otedola -Femi Otedola is a privileged Nigerian whose path of fortunes were clearly laid out for him.

Femi Otedola by all standards is born and feeds with a silver spoon. Invariably, it may be safe to say while his parental background plays a core role, Femi's meticulous focus and dint of hard work sustained him in the pinnacle of the billionaire club.

Born in 1967 at Epe in Lagos State; Femi Otedola owns multibillion naira indigenous oil giant- Zenon and has a majority stake at African Petroleum (AP) which is directly administered by him. The oil firm is a dominant force in diesel business among oil marketing concerns.

Among clients it supplies diesel fuel to power the generating sets include Dangote Group, Cadbury, Coca Cola, Nigerian Breweries, MTN, Unilever, Nestle, Guinness among others.

To his credit, he owns one of the largest oil storage facilities which he purchased for N2.8 billion. This is besides hundred brand new trucks purchased for N1.3 billion three years ago to strengthen the distributive arm of his business. He also, acquired a massive flat bottom bunker vessel with a storage capacity of 16, 000 metric tonnes of diesel for 6.8 million dollars. Otedola's Zenon owns four cargo ships.

Otedola who started Zenon few years ago had within a short time seized control of the diesel market. Today he has become the pacesetter in the downstream sector while expanding the frontiers of

Mr. Femi Otedola competition.

His other chain of businesses includes, Atlas Shipping Agency, Swift Insurance, FO Properties Limited, FO Transport.

The depth of his wealth was acknowledged in 2009 by a renowned magazine -the Forbes which ranked Femi along with his business ally - Aliko Dangote in the class 2009 Forbes 793 dollar-denominated billionaires in the world. Femi's net worth was estimated at over US$1.2 billion.

Obviously, Zenon oil boss is among privileged Nigerians that seized opportunity offered by country's return to democratic dispensation to make fortune for self.

At onset of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo era as the democratic president, Femi in the nucleus network of billionaire league which include Aliko Dangote, Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim etc acquired various government

establishments through divestment policy christened privatization program.

In a rare demonstration of one good turn deserves another spirit, Femi had paid Obasanjo in several folds. A philanthropist, he contributed well over N100 million to the President's reelection expenses.

And, under the aegis of friends of Obasanjo and Atiku, he

contributed N25 million towards the rehabilitation of the National Mosque in Abuja. He was one of the co-launcher of Obasanjo Presidential Library and he donated N200 million.

He is said to have direct access to President Obasanjo at the time.

In the business arena, Aliko Dangote was his trusted ally and close confident when Obasanjo held sway.

“

But in couple of preceding weeks, Otedola's meteoric prolife as philanthropist billionaire has attracted some odium, courtesy of oil subsidy mess which become a subject of probe by an ad-hoc committee of the House of Representatives chaired by Hon. Farouk Lawan.

However, the intimacy of friendship bond between the duo billionaires went sour in the recent past and both; unwittingly engaged in media mudslinging to settle their scores. The seeming crack has been mended and Femi and Aliko Dangote are back in their usual fondness.

A classic business man and passive politician, Otedola junior dines and wines with the powers that be and enjoys the protection of power of the Villa.

From the tenure of Chief Obasanjo to brief era of Umaru Musa Yar'adua stretching to Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Femi undeniably enjoys presidential patronage.

But in couple of preceding weeks, Otedola's meteoric prolife as philanthropist billionaire has attracted some odium, courtesy of oil subsidy mess which become a subject of probe by an ad-hoc committee of the House of Representatives chaired by Hon. Farouk Lawan.

Needless going into the fiery tale of oil subsidy mess that has, entangled the principal prosecutor-Farouk Lawan, who owned up collecting $100,000 bribe out of agreed $620,000 to remove Zenon from the list of indicted companies that cheated Nigerians in the oil subsidy payouts.

Otedola's Zenon obtained Forex of $232,975,385.00 from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) but ended up not importing the petroleum product, while another firm, Synopsis Enterprises, obtained $514,419,775.47, but failed to bring in the petroleum product.

He is fighting hard to claim his innocence. Rather than being vilified, Otedola reasoned his action deserved commendation. A very smart chap, he clandestinely brought men of the State Securities Services (SSS) into the game, and a diminutive Farouk got entangled in the game unknowingly.

In the meantime, the present circumstance has left a gaping hole in irresistible profile of Otedola's junior. He needs to go beyond the mere rhetoric of 'I do no wrong' sing- song to extricate him from the corruption web that entangles him.

After all, it takes two to tangle. The giver and taker are guilty of corruption.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 30 — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

PAGE 47

From the Pulpit No more delay!

D

e l a y is a familiar word.

It means interruption, postponement, suspension, deferment, adjournment, stay, wait, holdup, lateness, etc. When delay involves minor issues of life like flight schedule, bus departure or arrival time, a social or official meeting etc, it is considered inevitable in any human system. The effect isn't on one person. But there's a delay that's more than a common delay. It's a delay that has become a spirit that rules either a department of a person's life or other departments.

There's a kind of delay that someone experiences in life that's more than ordinary and makes living frustrating, wearisome and depressing.

Persons experiencing delay in marriage, conception, employment, promotion, healing don't need anyone to convince them that something is wrong. If care is not taken, a two-month delay can become a one- year, two-year or eighteen-year delay. The earlier it's identified for what it truly is and seriously dealt with, the better.

Twelve years' delay The woman in the Bible with the issue of blood that lasted twelve years never believed she would be battling with that problem for that long. It started one day and unfortunately like child's play she was in that pitiable condition for twelve years before she encountered Jesus and she was healed. At the time she met Jesus, she was not only a seriously sick woman but had become poor. If you give the devil an inch, he will take a mile. But glory

to God, twelve-year infirmity was healed by Jesus without touching this woman. She was healed touching Jesus by faith. (Mk 5:2530) I decree your healing now from that sickness, that infirmity, that's delaying you in Jesus' name.

Thirty-eight years' delay Delay can last as long as a man or woman lives if left unattended to.

There's a man in the Bible who was on the same sickness for thirty-eight years! That sickness must have started like a joke, and he must have thought it would soon be over but that wasn't so. He was in it for thirtyeight years. Just imagine that! That was not an ordinary sickness. His destiny was held hostage by the enemy. We've no idea how old he was before he was attacked by that sickness. Add thirty-eight years to whatever age you assume the man could have been before the sickness and you'll realize that the enemy wasted a substantial part of his life.

The enemy delayed him in life.

At the time Jesus met this man, he had been abandoned by relations.

He told Jesus he had no man to help him apparently because he had been abandoned by relations. But praise God, Jesus healed this man and put an end to the delay in his life. Thirtyeight years of delay ended just in one encounter with Jesus. "Jesus told him, 'Stand up, pick up your sleeping mat, and walk!' Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up the mat and began walking!" (John 5:8-9 NLT). Your delay will end today in Jesus' name.

One lie the devil employs to prolong people's stay in their pitiable conditions is that the delay will

disappear on its own one day. That's not true. It took the power of Jesus to end the delay in the lives of these two people I've mentioned. They could have died in their conditions merely lamenting. In the name of Jesus, I command that same power to terminate that delay in your life now. Receive your liberty.

Delayed from the womb The Bible tells us another story of a man delayed by the enemy from his mother's womb. He was physically disabled before he was born. Acts 3:2 says, "And a certain man that was lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple." (ASV) In a way, this man was better than the man sick for thirty-eight years who told Jesus that he had no man to help him.

Why did I say so? Because this man born lame from his mother's womb still had some people carrying him with his 'ugly legs' to the Beautiful Gate to beg for alms! Their motive could be altruistic or selfish. But this man was delayed by the enemy until the power of Jesus healed him through Peter and John. (Acts 3:68) Eight-year delay It was the same name of Jesus that Peter used to heal Aeneas, a man paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. Peter said to him, "'Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and make your bed!' And he was healed instantly." (Acts 9:34 NLT) By the power in the name of Jesus, an end came to eight-year delay in Aeneas' life. That shall be your

GREEN PASTURES

By Pastor T.O. Banso cedarministryintl@yahoo.com GSM: 08033113523 experience today in Jesus' name. I declare an end to your delay now.

Delay means waiting. But as I've said, there is a time when waiting for healing, marriage, conception, child delivery, promotion, success, admission, employment etc. becomes more than normal. The normal nine months, two years or five years for that thing becomes three years, ten years or thirty years.

How long have you been in that condition? How long have you been waiting? Do you think it's ordinary or normal? It might have gone beyond an incident to become a spirit, and when a spirit is involved it takes more than wishing to break that yoke. It takes divine insight, the Word of God, the power of God, the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

It's time for that delay to end in your life. It's time for that yoke to be broken. It's time for you to get married! It's time for you to be pregnant! It's time for you to move forward! It's time for your promotion to be released! It's time for all those great dreams you've heard and the wonderful prophecies you've received to be fulfilled! Delay is a bad thing. It ages you. It wastes your potential and abilities. In the name of Jesus, I command that delay to end now.

Causes of Delay Delay can be caused by many things which may eventually open the door to the devil in someone's life to establish a stronghold. These causes include: (1) A Lifestyle of sin.

(2) Unconfessed sins. (3) Disobedience. (4) Wrong choices and decisions. (5) Clear-cut demonic operations through ancestral power or curses from different quarters.

If you're living in sin, you need to repent. If you have unconfessed sins, you need to deal with them to be free. If you've been living in disobedience, you must repent and begin walk in obedience. If you've made some wrong choices, you may need to unmake those decisions and make right choices - and there're some decisions you can't unmake so you need godly counsel on what to do in the circumstances you've found yourself. Whatever you think is the cause of your delay, don't act irrationally; don't complicate your situation. I advise you to go to a genuine anointed servant of God for counseling, and may be for prayers.

The Lord will deliver you from the power of delay whether you know the cause or not. Your life and destiny won't be wasted in Jesus' name. No more delay for you this year!

Final salvation through sanctification of the spirit 2 Thessalonians 2:13,14 In the first 12 verses, the Apostle had revealed the doom and damnation of the Antichrist and all his deceived prophets and deluded followers. Now, he turns to believers and followers of Christ, praising God for their calling and destiny by way of contrast. As he turns the thoughts of the Thessalonian Christians from the Antichrist and his perdition to Christ and His provision, he gives thanks to God for them as “brethren beloved of the Lord.” By their decision to respond to the call of God, they became saved, converted and included in God’s family, who will live with Him forever. By their repentance and faith in Christ, they were now separated from the world and the god of this world. Once they became converted, they continued following the Lord and obeying His word (1 Thessalonians 1:5-7; John 8:30-32).

Their Christian life became Christlike; they sought more grace to face the challenges of the Christian life and continued living righteously. Having received His free salvation, they prayed for and pursued full salvation, expecting to see the final salvation at the end. God called, they responded and were converted and saved. God commanded, they responded and were cleansed and sanctified. God commissioned, they responded and continued in spiritual, sacrificial ser-

vice until the final consummation in glory. Separated from sin, separated unto the Lord, sanctified and serving the Lord faithfully until the end, true believers in Christ expect to partake of Christ’s glory throughout eternity.

1. GOD’S CHOICE TO SALVATION BY THE GOSPEL “God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation.” “The beginning”, in relation to God, means from eternity (John1:1; Ephesians1:4). In relation to the believers in Thessalonica, “the beginning” refers to the time they heard and responded to the gospel (1 John 2:24; 1 Thessalonian1:5; 2:13). God, in His sovereignty, made the choice of the believers; the believers, on their part, accepted the choice. God calls us to salvation and those who repent and believe are chosen to salvation. The word of God is very clear on God’s part and man’s part in present salvation.

“The LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be special people unto Himself” (Deuteronomy 7:6). “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). “The LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto Himself” (Deuteronomy 14:2). “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” “If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then He will turn and do you hurt, and consume

By

Pastor W.F. Kumuyi you, after that He hath done you good” (Joshua 24:15,20). Those who reject or turn away from the Lord make His choice of none effect in their lives (1 Samuel 2:28-30; Matthew 13:15). “Their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Acts 28:27). Those who reject God’s love and His saving grace are doomed to eternal suffering; all who respond to His gracious choice and live for Him will live with Him eternally.

2.

GRACIOUS CONFORMITY THROUGH SANCTIFICATION OF THE SPIRIT “Because God hath chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the

Spirit.” There is a present salvation and there is a final salvation. “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13). That is final salvation at the end. “Call for Simon, whose surname is Peter, who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved” (Acts 11:13b, 14). That refers to the believer’s present experience of salvation. “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they” (Acts 15:11). The Apostles and the house of Cornelius already had present salvation. So, the words of Peter here look forward to the future, final salvation.

“God hath from the beginning chosen you to (final) salvation through sanctification (holiness of heart and life) of the Spirit” (through the agency of the Holy Spirit). This sanctification refers to the gracious experience of inward holiness with all outward conformity to godliness without which no man (Jew or Gentile) shall see the Lord. This sanctification, provided by Christ, performed by the Spirit and possessed by the believer through consecration to God, absolute surrender to Christ “and belief of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13), is necessary for the final salvation - to be fitted for the inheritance among the saints in light. To be saved at the end, safe in His heavenly Home

beyond the reach of danger, forever safe in an eternal state of joy and glory, we must abide in salvation and holiness through the grace of God, love of Christ and power of the Spirit.

3.

GLORIOUS CONSUMMATION FOR SAINTS IN GLORY “Wherefore He called you by our gospel.” God called the Thessalonians to salvation, to full salvation by the preaching of the gospel. Paul did not preach a partial gospel, he preached “all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:26,27). He referred to the gospel as “our gospel” (2 Thessalonians 2:14; 1 Thessalonians 1:5), also as “my gospel” (Romans 16:25; 2 Timothy 2:8).

This was not a personal, private gospel which he formulated by himself.

He received it from God. “I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, … which I also received… according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11,12).

What Paul preached is “the gospel of Christ” (Romans 1:16) as well as “the gospel of God” (Romans 15:16). The gospel of God is the whole counsel of God, all we need to know to have full salvation now and final salvation at the end.

BIG PUNCH “Goodluck is not performing. What he did was an attempt to divert Nigerian’s attention from his failure but my father should not be used in that way. That is all I know” —Raila Abiola on the renaming of UNILAG after her father

SATURDAY 30, JUNE — SUNDAY 1, JULY, 2012

‘Northwards!’

I

t has ever been an entrenched culture, a mandatory belief, for every other part of Nigeria to see the North as 'the problem'. Every one fails because of the North, but everyone succeeds by their own merit, and because they manage to escape the grip of the North. Any discourse, whatever its nature, seems incomplete unless the North is demonized, so much so that even the most intelligent would appear remarkably less so when they are seized by the anti North phobia. In a lecture to a South South summit recently Prof Wole Soyinka embarked on a delusional mission 'northwards', as he must, like all the others. 'Northwards from this very spot where we are gathered, a daily decimation of our humanity pronounces its diabolical judgment on the structure that still struggles to deserve the name nation, calling in question, through its fiery monologues, the very legitimacy of our nation being,' he said. 'Let me take this opportunity however to stress to us all within the nation that this ongoing catastrophe is not the burden of any one part of the nation by itself, but a fight of survival for the totality of its humanity.

There is an immeasurable gulf between taking up arms against the state and declaring war against humanity.'

Prof Soyinka then went on to infer to his audience that he knew everything about the matter: it is simply a war of retribution being waged on the principals by aggrieved agents 'demanding evidence of preparations of the theocratic utopia that was dangled before them, a utopia founded on theocratic myopia that nerved them to acts of total disregard for fellow humanity and a passion for self-immolation.' The way to resolve the matter is not dialogue in a way dialogue is done to achieve peace but another form of dialogue of his own contraption.

The idea, however far-fetched, of the North being the most singular challenge to Nigeria's nationhood and even to Nigeria's survival is, in the ultimate sense, not a bad omen at all, but one which presents a far reaching and historic challenge: the North as problem implies the North as solution. The fact that every one looks 'northwards', each according to their perception and knowledge, for good or for bad, rightly or wrongly, with good will or otherwise, means

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the region has something to offer, always and eternally. Nigeria looks northwards for food. If it fails the entire nation suffers. Audu Ogbe, a former Chairman of the ruling party, PDP, states the position of the North as the rather reluctant, incredibly incompetent but nevertheless the ultimate guarantor of food security and prosperity of Nigeria, as follows. 'We

WEEKEND with

Ibraheem Sulaiman sa427420@gmail.com

Arewa House, Kaduna

have 76% of Nigeria's land mass.

In that land mass there are close to 600 dams, small and big, yet we are importing milk worth $1.5 billion a year; we are importing sugar worth $1.7 billion a year; we are importing wheat $4.3 billion a year; we are importing rice worth $2.3 billion a year; we are importing fruit juice concentrates worth $4.7 billion a year.' Apart from that, the population of those whose elite routinely vilify the region that reside there would make a whole nations by itself, finding more space, friendlier environment and far more opportunities for prosperity and fulfillment than are otherwise available in their domains of origin. Over and above all, the Northern population is destined to rise, in relation to the rest of the Nigeria, to irreversibly tectonic proportions, and it would constitute over two thirds of Nigeria's population, as well as over two third of its land mass. That is the power above political, the sheer power of humanity, the sheer

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power of permanent resource.

Northern Nigeria is therefore secure in its stature, secure in its potentials, secure in its future. And herein lies the great challenge. The North can not afford to bear any ill will towards any part of Nigeria, nor allow itself to be precipitated into conflicts. The wisest course is to maintain sincere good will towards all, confident in its God given endowment, and yet cautious, vigilant. The millions of people who make their homes and their livelihoods there can not be regarded as enemies, they are friends and compatriots, brothers and sisters, who are offering their talents and energies for the good of society and for their own good. Yes, short sighted people think that the political process can be manipulated, as they say and as they hope, to 'deal with the North', to hamstring it beyond repairs politically and economically. Well, if injustice and treachery have ever served any purpose, that purpose is never ever in the ultimate interest of the perpetrators. In a world of

interdependence, where interests and benefits intertwine and interlock, you can only hurt one side by hurting the other. In this way does the North present a moral dilemma to even its most mortal adversaries. Who grows the onion, the tomato, the rice, the grain they eat? Who grows the meat they so avidly consume with relish?

Now after the North has been politically vanquished and banished into wilderness, a perfect political climate has emerged. And it looks like this: oil wealth is now so fairly shared that thieves now have at least 20% allotted to them, [the same amount, $7 billion, is what Nigeria is borrowing from India, China, African Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank and elsewhere, for development, thus returning the country to the dilapidating and excruciating Debt Trap after having triumphantly and appropriately exited from it]; higher tariffs on goods and services, starting with fuel and electricity, the possibility of total meltdown of the economy

and shut down of vital institutions; the systematic weakening of the safeguards and protection for the Treasury; the continuous rise of poverty, of inequality, of deprivation; the prospect of a collapse of normal life, and gloom and doom lying in ambush for all.

The conquest of the North generated an appetite for more conquests, as a result, integrity, competence, diligence have since been conquered and the ship of state is adrift.

There is no doubt that the North is in a state of anomie. Indeed many of the criticisms of the region arises from the disappointment and dismay felt by those who look up to it in vain for direction and leadership. In other words many people are frustrated by the utter absence of imagination, inspiration and wisdom from the region and are confronted every time they approach with retreat, confusion, myopia. The thrust of the values the region must uphold is to stand firm for justice for all, an all encompassing justice which gives every body and every section - those who love and those who hate, those who oppose and those who cooperate, the small, the big, the friend, the foe - their rightful due.

This is the strength of the North and its saving grace. The tragedy for the North, however, is perhaps that it is fast losing many of its virtues, and for a community which is essentially and intrinsically a value carrier, which quality has all along earned it the position of leadership and trust, this negative development is monumental. The North is being undermined from within. It must pay the price for choosing expediency over principles, for going 'southwards' while everybody else desires to head in its direction. Today many Nigerians in positions of trust are getting more and more united, not, unfortunately, in integrity and honor, but in corruption and decadence. Every deal which undermines the economic well being of Nigeria and entails massive corruption and self enrichment is conducted and achieved through a perfect collaboration between North and South, between Muslim and Christian. This is the kind of unity which must be reversed and defeated.

The possible way out will engage our attention in the next two or three weeks.

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 ISSN: 2141– 6141