Peoples Daily Newspaper, Tuesday 30, July, 2013

www.peoplesdailyng.com

Vol. 11 No. 52

. . . putting the people first

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Ramadan Timings for Abuja MAGRIB

ALFIJR

6.54 p.m.

5.07 a.m.

Five feared killed as twin explosions rock Kano >> 4

Ramadan 21, 1434 AH

N150

FG warns of ϐlooding in Benue, Kaduna, Kano, 11 others >> 4

INEC can’t deregister parties, says court Nulli ies ‘toxic’ section of Electoral Act >> Pg2

Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo (2nd left), commissioning Ta’al Model School, during his official visit, yesterday to Lafia, Nasarawa state. With him are Nasarawa state Governor, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Al-Makura (2nd right), the state Deputy Governor, Mr. Damishi Barau Luka (left), and Speaker, Nasarawa state House of Assembly, Hon. Ahmed Mohammed (right).

NEITI indicts NNPC over N1.4tr oil funds >>Pg 2 Ramadan Message The Prophet (SAW) said “Fasting and standing in prayer (at night) will intercede for the servant (of Allah) on the Day of Resurrection. Fasting will say, ‘My Lord, I prevented Him from food and drink during the day’, and the Qur’an will say, ‘I prevented him from sleeping during the night, so allow us to intercede for him”.

Sponsored by Kano state government (Ahmad and An-Nasa’i)

Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso Governor, Kano State

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

News CONTENTS News

2-10

Editorial

12

Op.Ed

13

Letters

14

Opinion

15

Metro

16-18

Business

19-22

Stockwatch

23

S/Report

24-25

Defence

26

Agric

28-29

Feature

30

FIFA appoints Bassey to preside over Tunis war, Page 41

Int’l

31-34

Strange World

35

Digest

36

Politics

37-38

Newsxtra

39-40

Sports

41-46

Leisure

47

Columnist

48

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INEC can’t deregister parties, says court

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

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Federal High Court sitting in Abuja before Justice Gabriel Kolawole yesterday nullified the deregistration of political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The court also declared Section 78 (7) (ii) of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended, which said parties must win seats in the state and National Assemblies election as null and void.

Justice Kolawole made the declaration in his judgment in a suit filed by Fresh Democratic Party (FDP) and its presidential candidate in the 2011 general elections, Rev. Christopher Okotie.

The plaintiffs, in the suit filed by their counsel, Fred Agbaje, had asked for a declaration that section 78 (7) (ii) of the Electoral Act, 2010 is unconstitutional, invalid, null and void to the extent that it offends the provisions of Section 40 and sections 221-229 of the 1999 Constitution.

The plaintiffs also asked the court to make a declaration that INEC cannot deregister the party except in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

They further asked the court to declare that the purported reliance on Section 78 (7) (ii) of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended, by INEC

Nulli ies ‘toxic’ section of Electoral Act

in deregistering FDP without first hearing the political party violated the provisions of sections 36, 38 and 40, as well as sections 221-222 of the 1999 Constitution, and paragraph 15 of the 3rd schedule (part 10 of the Constitution) among others.

INEC, the Attorney General of the Federation, the National Assembly and the Inspector General of Police were listed as defendants in the suit.

In his judgment, Justice Kolawole said, “The concept of deregistration of political parties is strange to the 1999 Constitution.

“INEC would not have lost anything by issuing the 1st plaintiff (FDP) with a query to enhance the integrity of its decision.

“The statutory powers conferred on the 1st defendant (INEC) can be described as ministerial but when such power concerns deregistration of a political party, it becomes a quasi judicial power because after registration, a political party becomes a legal entity and acquires a legal right and a decision to take away such legal rights cannot be taken without according the political party a hearing.

“Section 78 (7) (ii) of the Electoral

Act 2010, as amended, is hereby declared null and void, in so far as the 1st plaintiff (FDP) was not heard before the decision was taken, the said decision is null and void.

“The 1st defendant’s (INEC’s) decision dated December 6, 2012 is declared invalid and is set aside”, the judge held, but refused to grant the plaintiffs’ prayer that the court should order the defendants to pay them the sum of N10 million as compensatory damages.

It will be recalled that INEC, late last year, deregistered 28 out of the 59 political parties in the country.

The electoral body, in a statement signed by its former Secretary,AbdullahiKaugama, said the action was in exercise of its powers conferred on it pursuant to the I999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2010.

The statement reads in part that: “In the exercise of the powers conferred on it by the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), the Independent National Electoral Commission has today, Thursday, December 6, 2012, de-registered the following political parties: African Liberation Party (ALP); Action

Party of Nigeria (APN); African Political System (APS); Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP); Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) and Community Party of Nigeria (CPN).

Other political parties deregistered include: Democratic People’s Alliance (DPA); Freedom Party of Nigeria (FPN); Fresh Democratic Party (FDP); Hope Democratic Party (HDP); Justice Party (JP); Liberal Democratic Party of Nigeria (LDPN); Movement for Democracy and Justice (MDJ) and Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD).

Others are: Nigeria Advanced Party (NAP); New Democrats (ND); National Majority Democratic Party (NMDP); National Movement of Progressive Party (NMPP); National Reformation Party (NRP); National Solidarity Democratic Party (NSDP); Progressive Action Congress (PAC); Peoples Mandate Party (PMP); Peoples Progressive Party (PPP); Peoples Redemption Party (PRP); Peoples Salvation Party (PSP); Republican Party of Nigeria (RPN); United National Party for Development (UNPD) and United Nigeria Peoples Party (UNPP).

NEITI indicts NNPC over N1.4tr oil funds

By Etuka Sunday

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igeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) yesterday indicted the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) over its failure to remit $8 billion (about N1.24 trillion) in its oil proceeds into the Federation Account.

This is coming as the body disclosed that the country had earned a total sum of $143 billion (about N2.22 trillion) in the last three years.

The NEITI, in its audit reports for the 2009 to 2011 financial years, stated in part that: “Financial flows from NLNG include dividends and repayment of loans of which an amount of $4.84 billion was received

by NNPC. We have confirmed that these amounts have not been remitted to the CBN/NNPC JP Morgan Account or Federation Account.

“We observed that this has been

a recurring issue as an amount of $3.996 billion was also reported as received but not remitted by NNPC in the previous audit. There is a need to confirm the ownership of the 49% investment in NLNG – Is it for the benefit of the Federation, or the Federal Government, or NNPC itself? This is an area for further enquiry,” the report added.

NEITI further disclosed that “Nigeria made a total of subsidy payments of N3 trillion to importers of refined petroleum products. This made up of N1.4 trillion fuel subsidy claims by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for the 2009-2011 and a total of N1.60 trillion paid to other marketers during the same period. The report observed that the disparity between subsidy claims paid from the Federation account and that made by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) was N175.9 billion during the same period.

It added, “the office of Accountant

General of the Federation reported to NEITI auditors a total subsidy payment of N2.825 trillion while the PPPRA disbursed N3 trillion to marketers during the same period.” The report further noted that some marketers disagreed with the amount ascribed to them by the PPPRA. In 2010 in particular, a marketer claimed N2.56 billion as fuel subsidy but PPPRA recorded payment of N1.5 billion, leaving an un-reconciled difference of N1.04 billion.

The reports said the subsidy paid through NNPC and PPPRA had increased astronomically to N1.12 trillion in 2011. Other key findings made by the audit included poor inventory management which accounted for the difficulty in determining deport balances for imported products.

There was also no agreed pricing methodology between NNPC and the companies for the determination of fiscal values for royalty and PPT computations and the use of expired

MOU by some companies leading to revenue loss of $1.7 billion.

The reports therefore recommended among others, that the Federal Goverrnment sets up a committee to review and agree on a new fiscal regime and governance framework for the oil and gas industry and fine clear roadmap for implementation while pushing for early passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

Presenting the report before the stakeholders in the sector, Chairman of NEITI, Mr. Ledum Mitee, appealed that the recommendations of the reports be fully implemented to ensure transparency and accountability in the Oil and Gas sector.

In a keynote address, Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala stated that the NNPC’s 8 billion dollars nonremittance to the Federation Account was worrisome therefore she would work with the Management in that regard.

Army arrests 42 Boko Haram suspects in Lagos, Ogun

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he Nigerian Army in a raid carried out between July 12 and 23, said it arrested 42 suspected members of Boko Haram sect in various hideouts in Lagos and Ogun states.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Div. Maj.Gen. Obi Umahi, brought out the suspects before newsmen in Lagos on Monday.

Umahi said their arrest was based on intelligence report from army operation commanders.

Umahi further said the suspects admitted to being members of the sect, while some confessed to have

taken part in deadly Boko Haram operations in some parts of the country.

The GOC said some of them were among those responsible for the killing of soldiers and civilians in Maiduguri, Borno.

According to him, the suspects were arrested at Ibafo Trailer Park, Ileke New Trailer Garage, Ogun, Aviation Quarters, MafolukuOshodi, Mile 12 Motor Park, Ketu, Orile Trailer Park, Lekki New Extension and Bar Beach, Lagos. ``We are still trying to track their weapons,” he said The GOC held that the suspects

migrated to the south western part of the country following the recent clamp down on their activities in the north by the Nigerian Armed Forces. ``Army officers from 81 Division carried out coordinated raids in some major criminal hideouts in Lagos and Ogun States which are under our area of responsibility. ``This is in response to intelligence reports on the influx of Boko Haram terrorist elements into Lagos and Ogun states. ``The command organised and conducted raids, in junction with intelligence operatives, in various

parts of these states.

However, one of the suspects, who identified himself as Hassan Ibrahim, told newsmen that he and two others were indeed responsible for killing of one soldier in Maiduguri.

The suspect further gave the names of the two others as Ibrahim Ismail and ``Alhaji Black”, adding that, some of them were now operating commercial motorcycle in Lagos. ``It was Alhaji Black who fired the shot that killed the soldier and one Boka in Maiduguri,” the suspect said. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 3

News

2015: Tension in Akwa Ibom as Akpabio threatens missing SSG

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arely five days after he made public his ambition to run for the office of the governor in 2015 the Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Umana Umana, has been reportedly given 48 hours to resign from office or be booted out.

The alleged threat by Akpabio is coming even as the SSG is reported missing.

Umana had last Thursday declared his aspiration to succeed Governor Godswill Akpabio in 2015.

The declaration followed weeks of speculations that he was under intense pressure to vacate office and withdraw from the race, reports that his associates dismissed as blatant lies and fabricated rumour.

His spokesman, Iboro Otongaran, had said the reports

were baseless and unfounded, as it followed a similar one that he was rejected and barred him from running for the office after he was presented to President Goodluck Jonathan as the state’s PDP gubernatorial candidate for 2015.

The intrigues heightened last week when reports said he was one of three nominees, whose names were submitted to the presidency for consideration and appointment as the next Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC).

Though the latest report that he has been forced to resign is yet to be confirmed officially, PREMIUM TIMES’ visit to the Government House, Uyo, revealed there was palpable tension around the premises with an unusually

high presence of armed security operatives at the main entrance to the SSG’s office.

The fierce-looking mobile policemen and operatives of the State Security Service (SSS), mounting security at the gate, were busy frisking every person and vehicle going in or out of the premises.

Nobody was ready to speak on the whereabouts of the embattled SSG, whose decision to declare his interest in the governorship race has been described by Governor Akpabio’s loyalists and associates as an affront and the height of disloyalty to his boss.

When contacted, the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umana, said he could not comment on the recent happenings as he was out of the state.

2015: Jonathan still undecided - Presidency

By Lawrence Olaoye

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o n t r a r y to widespread impressions that President Goodluck Jonathan has perfected plans to contest the Presidency in 2015, the Presidency yesterday disclosed that he has yet to make up his mind on whether to run or not.

Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, made the clarification while fielding questions on Raypower Radio Programme, Fact-file, yesterday.

Although there have been speculations making the rounds that the current crisis bedeviling the country, especially the Rivers state crisis and the leadership tussle in theNigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), are fallouts of his ambition to vie for a second term on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015, Abati said Jonathan had not told anyone of his intention to succeed himself.

This remark is coming on the heels of several comments from Jonathan’s aides, including his Special Assistant on Political

Matters, Dr. Ahmed Gulak and his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, suggesting that the President had made up his mind to have a second shot at the Presidency come 2015.

Answering questions on Jonathan’s perceived ambition, the Presidential aide said “Well to the best of my knowledge the President has never at any time discussed 2015. He has never at any time say this is his position on 2015. His position has been consistent and straight forward and that has been the President saying ‘look let’s focus on governance.’

“If the Nigerian people have given you an assignment, it is your duty to deliver and move the country forward, that is what we want to focus on. And that was the statement about the mid -term report that was publicly presented.

“Two years down the line the President presented to the Nigerian people scorecard of what they have been able to do. He said ‘I took over and now two years down the line I have moved the country forward, this is the evidence.’ Nobody has been able to dispute the evidence. So we must be able to make a distinction

between politicking, the fact and reality,” he cautioned.

While denying the allegation that Jonathan was overheating the polity because of his ambition to return as the President in 2015, Abati said Jonathan is currently focusing on his present assignment to deliver good governance to the people who elected him in 2011 cor a four year term.

Interestingly, Jonathan’s perceived 2015 ambition has been fingered as the major cause of the political upheavals currently facing the country.

Countless groups, including some governors from the northern part of the country, have been campaigning vigorously for the return of the Presidency to the north based on an agreement Jonathan entered into with them ( Northern Governors) before he clinched the PDP Presidential ticket in 2011.

Already, five northern governors, including those of Adamawa, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa and Kano states, are currently engaged in nationwide consultations with critical stakeholders across party lines in the country on the ‘powermust-return-to-the-north project’.

Again, ASUU/FG talks inconclusive

By Aminu Abbas Bamalli

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meeting between the Federal Government and striking university lecturers yesterday in Abuja again ended in a deadlock as parties to the negotiations could not agree on any of the issues at stake.

Competent sources close to the meeting said that deliberations are expected to continue on Thursday.

Two main issues involved are, earned allowances and funding of university education especially given the reported level of infrastructure deficit in the system.

He admitted the decay and rot in universities, stressing that his committee would ensure that there was sustained funding of universities in Nigeria.

Earlier in his opening remark at the meeting, Senator Anyim expressed determination of the Federal Government to ensure that the issues were resolved for the lecturers to return to classroom.

Implementation of the Needs Assessment report is one of the key demands of ASUU that led to the three-week-old strike that has paralysed academic activities in universities across the nation.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation inaugurated the committee headed by Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue state.

Governor Suswam had told newsmen that there were still outstanding issues to be resolved this week for ASUU to call off the strike.

The two knotty issues, according to him, are earned allowance and funding of university education in view of the infrastructure deficit in the system.

He added that all other issues raised by the union had been agreed in apart from the two issues pending.

Suswam, however, disclosed that while the SGF would meet with ASUU leadership yesterday to resolve the issue of the earned allowance, he and members of the implementation committee on Needs Assessment will also meet with ASUU on Thursday to finalise issues on funding.

The ASUU president, Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge did not respond to several calls to his line by one of our reporters.

Ramadan Timing Day 21 TOWNS Aba Abakaliki Abeokuta Abuja Akure Argungu Ankpa Auchi Azare Bama Bauchi Benin Bichi Bida Birnin Gwari Birnin Kebbi Biu Calabar Damaturu Daura Dutse Enugu Funtua Gombe Gwoza Gumi Gusau Gwadabawa Hadejia ` Ibadan Ife Ilorin Jalingo Jere Jos Kabba Kafanchan Keffi/Nasarawa Kaduna Kano Katsina Kontagora Lafia Lagos Lokoja Maiduguri Makurdi Malumfashi Minna Port Harcourt Ringim Shagamu Sokoto Warri Yola Zaria Cotonnou-Benin Ndjamena-Chad Niamey-Niger Younde-Cameroun

MAGRIB 6.49 6.47 7.06 6.53 6.58 7.07 6.46 6.54 6.45 6.30 6.44 6.57 6.53 6.58 6.56 7.10 6.33 6.43 6.38 6.54 6.49 6.48 6.57 6.38 6.31 7.05 6.58 7.07 6.47 7.03 7.02 7.03 6.36 6.52 6.47 6.56 6.50 6.53 6.54 6.52 6.58 7.01 6.46 7.04 6.53 6.31 6.46 6.58 6.57 6.48 6.49 7.04 7.07 6.56 6.32 6.53 7.07 7.22 7.20 6.28

ALFIJR 5.08 5.10 5.27 5.08 5.19 5.07 5.09 5.15 4.50 4.37 4.56 5.20 4.57 5.13 5.08 5.13 4.38 5.11 4.43 4.54 4.55 5.11 5.03 4.50 4.39 5.10 5.03 5.07 4.49 5.22 5.21 5.22 4.51 5.04 4.59 5.15 5.03 4.58 5.04 4.57 4.58 5.13 5.03 5.27 5.27 4.38 5.05 4.57 5.10 5.16 4.55 5.25 5.07 5.20 4.47 5.02 5.32 4.31 5.20 5.00

Source: Society for Propagation of Islam Kaduna

By Lawrence Olaoye

PAGE 4

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

News Collect your certificates December or face penalty, WAEC warns

Kaduna, Kano, Benue, 11 other states may experience flooding this week- FG

he West Africa Examination Council, WAEC, has threatened to impose penalties on candidates who failed to collect their certificates on or before December 31.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Yusuf Ari, yesterday in Lagos.

It stated that millions of certificates of candidates who sat for WAEC examinations since 1960s had long been signed but were not collected by candidates.

“We wish to inform the general public that certificates up to May/ June 2012 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), conducted by WAEC have been printed and dispatched to schools for collection by candidates.

“And certificates for external candidates for up to November/ December 2012 WASSCE diet, also conducted by the Council have also been printed and are equally awaiting collection by candidates at WAEC offices nationwide.

“The external candidates, especially who wrote the November/ December examination diets are advised to go and collect their certificates from all our zonal branches or satellite offices in the states.

“We urge candidates to go to where they sat for the examination because we no longer have enough space to harbour them. Most of these certificates have been lying fallow in our various offices with no one coming forward to collect them.

“Candidates come in trickles for them, only when they have absolute need for them and I think it should not be so. We therefore wish to warn that WAEC will be charging extra fee for the custody of these certificates if the candidates failed to collect them later than December 31,” the statement said. (NAN)

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‘FG needs N460trn to develop infrastructure’

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he Minister of National Planning Commission, Shamsuddeen Usman, has said that Nigeria will require $2.9 trillion (N460 trillion) in the next 30 years to bridge its huge infrastructure gap.

Mr. Usman said this yesterday in Abuja at a high profile policy dialogue on “ Infrastructure and Structural Transformation in Nigeria’’ organised by the African Development Bank (AFDB).

He said the country was well aware of its inadequacies in terms of infrastructure “which is why it has started to address some of them, especially in the areas of power, transport and ICT sector’’.

He explained that a National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP) was formulated to address the inadequacies and integrate existing infrastructure plans and projects of the Federal Government into one.

“The AFDB has been working closely with us in our economic transformation, especially in the development of the NIIMP.

By Hassan H. Ginsau, with agency report eavy rainfall which may result in flooding is expected in 14 states from July 30 to August 6,

in the northern part of the country, the Federal Ministry of Environment announced yesterday in Abuja.

According to a statement, the affected states are Benue, Kebbi, Gombe, Zamfara,

Yobe, Jigawa, Borno, Katsina, Bauchi, Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna, Taraba and Adamawa.

Many towns are also expected to be flooded in these states.

The ministry appealed to government and people

of the prone areas to take all necessary precautionary measures to avoid any disaster.

It added that adherence to similar warnings in the past had saved lives and property.

(NAN)

Deputy Director, Banking Supervision, Central Bank of Nigeria (middle), Mr. Kelvin Ibedu, cutting the tape to commission UBA Security Operation Centre, yesterday in Lagos. With him are GMD/CEO, UBA Plc, Mr. Phillips Oduoza, (left), and Deputy Managing Director, UBA Plc, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka (right)

Man beats wife to death in Edo

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middle age man, Godwin Idon, allegedly beat his wife, Mrs Marvis Idon, to death for killing a snake inside their home in Uzebba-Iuleha, OwanWest Local Government Area, Edo. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that serious

quarrel ensued between the couple after one of their sons had allegedly killed a snake in their living room.

The husband was said to have been infuriated by the action which he described as a taboo in the community.

NAN reports that after a week of quarrel, the wife in

Census Tribunal condemns non-enforcement of judgments

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he Census Tribunal yesterday expressed concern over the non-enforcement of its judgments on census matters.

The Chairman of the Tribunal `A’, Abraham Yisa, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja that some judgments of the tribunal since 1991 were yet to be enforced.

He said the non-enforcement of the tribunal’s judgments had negatively affected arbitration and even the conduct of the 2006 Census.

“Counsels do make judicial references to the previous unenforced decisions of the tribunal regarding the body and describe it as “a toothless bulldog.’’

He also flayed the situation

where the tribunal painstakingly gave well thought-out judgments, “only for the executive arm of government to sweep such judgments under the carpet.’’

“Such actions have defeated the purpose for which the tribunal was set up for.

“The essence of the Census Tribunal as stipulated in Cap 67 of the National Population Act is to give credibility to census figures so that it can stand as international standard and in accordance with the law and best practices.

“Considering the provisions in the act establishing the tribunal, its judgments are of no effect if it gives an order and the order is not enforced,” it said.

company of her mother-in-law decided to seek the intervention of a native doctor to know the implication of the son’s action.

It was when she returned that the husband accused her of foul-play and subsequently hit the wife on the head with a plank during a fight before the

women collapsed and died.

The remains of the deceased, who died on the spot, had been deposited in a morgue in Sabongidda-Ora, headquarters of the council.

The Police Area Commander, Mr David Jimwang, who confirmed the incident, told NAN that the man has been arrested and transferred to the state police command, Benin for further investigation. (NAN)

Five feared killed as twin explosions rock Kano From Edwin Olofu, Kano

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he relative peace that the ancient city of Kano has been enjoying was disrupted when two explosives targeted at drinking joint went off late yesterday.

Eyewitness accounts said the first explosion occurred along Enugu road by Igbo road where majority of the drinking joints are located.

The accounts added that the bomb went off few metres away from where some youth were playing snooker game.

According to one of our sources, “there was a loud bang and thereafter, I saw many of the boys playing the game on the ground, in the pool of their blood.”

The eyewitness said he counted at least five bodies including that of a woman selling recharge cards.

Reports indicated that no fewer than 10 persons were injured while a number of cars had their windscreens shattered.

The second explosion was said to have occurred along New road

by Igbo road, also believed to have targeted a drinking joint.

There was no report of casualties from the second incident. Members of the Joint Task Force cordoned off the areas while residents ran helterskelter.

Several calls put through to the spokesperson of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Kano, Captain Ikedichi Iweha, were not answered.

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 29, 2013

Court okays probe of Rivers Speaker From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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Port Harcourt High Court presided over by Hon. Justice Adolphus Enebeli has held that the police have a constitutional right to arrest, investigate and prosecute the Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Otelema Amachree, in connection with any crime he commits.

Delivering judgment yesterday, the court dismissed the case brought by the Speaker seeking to restrain the police from arresting and investigating him in connection with an allegation he made about a plot to assassinate the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, which he could not substantiate.

Reacting to the judgment, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers state congratulated the Judiciary and the courage of the Judge and called on the Inspector General of Police to arrest and investigate the claims made by the Speaker.

The party in a statement by Jerry Needam, Special Adviser on Media to the Chairman, Hon. Felix Obuah, said the court’s ruling is a signal to false alarmists to be cautious as the judiciary is not meant for shielding crimes or providing cover to suspects.

PAGE 5

News

Arms cache: FG re-arraigns Lebanese suspects

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

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hree Lebanese men held over terrorist activities in Nigeria were yesterday re-arraigned by the Federal Government before an Abuja Federal High Court.

Mustapha Fawaz, Abdallah Tahini and Talal Ahmad Roda, owners of Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland Amusement Park in Abuja, were re-arraigned

on sixteen count charges of terrorist related acts, to which they pleaded not guilty.

They were charged alongside Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland Amusement Park.

In the amended charge, they are alleged to have professed to belong to the military wing of the Hezbollah and knowingly agreed to receive training in preparation for engaging in terrorist acts.

They are equally alleged to have facilitated the acquisition of terrorist funds, unlawfully imported and stored firearms, provided premises for the commission of terrorist acts and withheld from law enforcement agencies information that would have aided in the apprehension of someone involved in terrorist activities.

Tahini, the second accused, is

Dispute stalls case against Tukur

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

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UK visa bond: Nigerians begin payment of 3,000 Pounds Nov

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utcry against its 3,000 pounds tourists visa bond notwithstanding Britain will commence the scheme in the six listed commonwealth countries in November, Financial Times report quoted the Home Office as saying.

The Commonwealth countries to be affected by the policy which was announced in June are Nigeria, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The affected countries are considered to be source of “high risk” tourists to UK. Some visitors from the six countries, under the scheme will be asked to pay 3,000 pounds cash bond in return for visitor visa that allow them to stay in the UK for up to six months.

According to the official data, these six countries accounted for more than half a million visa applications in 2012.

There have been outpours of anger by governments of the affected countries,especially Nigeria and India against the policy.

A protest in India last month forced the British Prime Minister David Cameron to declare that final decision had not been taken on the policy, while the Nigerian government asked Britain to renounce the scheme.

also alleged to have failed to declare to the Nigerian Custom Service at the Aminu Kano International Airport, the sum of $61,170 which he attempted to transport out of the country.

The offenses are punishable under the Terrorism Prevention Act 2013, Miscellaneous offences Act 2004 and the Money Laundering Prohibited Amendment 2012.

L-R: NEITI Board Chairman, Mr. Ledum Mitee, Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Minister of Mines and Solid Minerals Development, Malam Mohammed Sada, during the public presentation of NEITI comprehensive reports of audit of Nigeria’s extractive industries from 20092011, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Jonathan tasks judiciary on ethics From Ali Abare, Lafia

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resident Goodluck Jonathan has charged the Judiciary on upholding the ethics of the profession in the dispensation of justice and sustenance of judicial practice in the country, stressing that no country can adequately dispense justice to its citizenry without strict adherence to the judicial code of ethics.

Jonathan gave the charge on the occasion of commissioning of the new permanent Federal High Court complex in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital.

Represented at the event by Vice President Alhaji Mohammed Namadi Sambo, the President noted that the commissioning of various High Court complexes across the country would afford Nigerians the opportunity to enjoy

speedy dispensation of justice. ``It is a general believe that, justice delayed is justice denied, hence, that explains why government has resolved to take speedy dispensation of justice to the door step of Nigerians.

“I want to appreciate the Judiciary for leaving up to the expectations of Nigerians in every sphere of human endeavor, despite some challenges facing it.

“I wish to call on their lordships and others in the body of benches and the bar to pursue those ethical codes that are the hallmark of judicial practice, Jonathan said.

He explained that the transformation agenda of his administration is on course and more determined to bring to the people, the much needed dividends of democracy According to him, “we are

resolutely determined to continue our electoral promises as regards infrastructural development, job and wealth creation, economic stability, transparency, good governance and national security.”

However, it is imperative for us to say that all hands must be on deck and that as citizens, we should all strive towards contributing our quota.

It is only by this that, together we shall attain our lofty aspirations as a nation”, he said.

Speaking earlier, Gov. Umaru Al-makura appealed to the Fderal Government for the establishment of a 3309/132 KVA power substation in Lafia to boost electricity supply in the state, as well as constructing an alternative route from Doma to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to decongest the Keffi-Abuja expressway.

n Abuja High court, yesterday adjourned till September 23, 2013 to hear the suit seeking to bar the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alh. Bamanga Tukur from discharging the functions of his office.

The adjournment followed the disagreement that arose from the legal representation of plaintiffs before the court.

No sooner had Mr. Jibrin Okutepa (SAN) announced his appearance for the plaintiffs, Abba Yale, Alh. Yahaya Sule and Bashir Maigudu, than Mr. F.N Nwosu informed the court that he also had the instruction of the plaintiffs to appear on their behalf.

Nwosu buttressed his claim with a letter said to have been written and signed by the plaintiffs.

Meanwhile, an oral application

by PDP’s counsel, Chief Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), for a discharge of the July 25 restraining order against the planned national convention of the court, failed,as the court held that: “It will be inequitable to discharge the restraining order based on numerous applications before this court.”

The crisis of appearance forced the court to, “stand down” the matter for thirty minutes for counsel to sort themselves out.

When the court resumed sitting, both warring lawyers addressed the court on their inability to agree on the thorny issue; a development which forced the court to rise for another thirty minutes to enable the judge deliver a considered ruling on the embarrassing outing.

In his ruling, Justice Suleiman Belgore was worried over the development and added that, “it is certainly a trying moment for the legal profession.

“This thing that has happened would certainly reverberate outside the walls of the court. I am very sad at this; the legal profession is at a crossroads and my advice to you is that we should leave politicians to play their politics”, he added.

Justice Belgore said he was forced to adjourn to September 23.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 6

News LEADERSHIP: Court stops application for stay of proceedings

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

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n Abuja High Court has refused to grant an application brought before it by the two journalists from LEADERSHIP newspapers seeking a stay of proceedings indefinitely (sine die) in a criminal charge instituted against them by the presidency, according to the ruling of Justice Usman Musale The Federal Government had

on June 27, 2013 re-arraigned the journalists, the Group News Editor, Mr. Tony Amokeodo, and Senior Correspondent, Mr. ChibuzoUkaibe, on an 11-count criminalcharge, bordering on alleged forgery of presidential directive bromide had published inLeadership newspaper of April 3, 2013.

But the journalists, through their lawyer Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) asked for an order of the court to

suspend further proceedings in the matter indefinitely pending the expiration of the term of President Goodluck Jonathan, to enable him to testify as a witness for the accused persons.

According to him, “by the virtue of section 308, the accused persons/ applicants are constitutionally disabled to summon Jonathan to give evidence in thiscase and he cannot do that until he leaves office”.

“There is a conflictbetween

sections 36 and 308 of the constitution.

“Therefore, the rights of the accused applicants enshrined in section 36 cannot be sacrificedat the altar of section 308”, he said.

Ruling on the application yesterday, Musale held that the citations of the Mr. Falana (SAN) who dwelled on election petition cases cannot be equated with the case in question.

“The matter before the court is

a criminal trial and the burden is on the prosecution to proof his case.

Consequently, the application to adjourn the case sine die is hereby refused”, the judge held and adjourned the matter to October 24, 2013 for trial and also extended the bail of the accused journalists.

The judge also set aside a subpoena he issued against President Goodluck Jonathan to appear and testify as a witness for the journalists.

PPPRA did not investigate marketers documents on N789.6m subsidy fraud, says witness From Matthew Irinoye, Lagos

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prosecution witness in the fuel subsidy trial, Mr. Victor Chidok, Head of Lagos Zonal Office of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), yesterday informed a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja that, the Agency did not investigate some documents submitted by three oil marketers for processing of their fuel subsidy payment.

Chidok made the statement while testifying at the resume trial of the marketers---AdamuMaula, George Ogbonna, and Emmanuel Morah before Justice LateefatOkunnu.

It would be recalled that, the defendants alongside their firms Downstream Energy Sources Ltd. and Rocky Energy Ltd. are standing trial for an alleged N789.6 million fuel subsidy fraud.

While being led in evidence by EFCC counsel, MrRotimi Jacobs, the witness said Downstream Energy was given permission to import 10,862 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) into Nigeria.

Chidok added that based on the mandate, the defendants submitted some documents relating to a shipto-ship transfer between MT La Katrina (Mother Vessel) and MT D. Roseline (Daughter Vessel), offshore in Cotonou, Benin Republic.

According to him, the documents, which included the Cargo Manifest, Haulage Report and Certificate of Cargo Transfer of the vessels showed thatthetransactiontookplacebetween January 2, 2011 and 3, 2011.

He said, “we did not investigate the documents submitted by the marketers.

“We do not have representatives off-shore and we treated those documents on face value.

“We only checked the documents toconfirmiftheytalliedwithourchecklist”, he said.

While being crossed-examined by the defence counsel led by Prof. Alfred Kasamu (SAN), Chidok admitted that the PPPRA witnessed the discharge of the products at the Apapa jetty in Lagos.

“The products were discharged according to the volume allocated to Downstream for importation.

Guns and amunitions recovered from some suspected armed robbers paraded by the Rivers state police command, yesterday in Port Harcourt.

Photo: NAN

FG has role in enhacing tourism-Fashola From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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overnor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state yesterday said the Federal Government still has an important role to play in enhancing the tourism sector, saying “it’s positive strategy on immigration services will help grow and develop the sector.”

Fashola who spoke while inaugurating the six-man Committee on Grading of Hotels and Hospitality establishment and five-man Appeals committee on grading of hotels and hospitality establishment, held

at the State House, Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja.

The inauguration which came barely two weeks after the Supreme Court ruled that State House of Assembly has the right to regulate the activities of Hotels and other hospitality establishment in the country.

According to him, “the Federal Government still has a very big role to play to enhance tourism. Their role is the way they manage the border post of this country. They are the first point of contact for tourist with the country.”

“And the kind of training

that the central government gives to immigration officers and the courtesy that they show to tourist is instructive in whether the country will be a real tourist player or not. That is where the first impression of the country is made. “ “And in the way we manage the administration of visa issuance in the country. Can tourists get visa at the point of entry? These are the things that I believe the Federal Government must begin to work out the regime that will be open and transparent, so that we can reap

NJC orders retirement of Abia chief Judge

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

he National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the compulsory retirement from office of the Acting Chief Judge of Abia state, Justice Shadrack O.E. Nwanosike.

In a statement by the Acting Director of Information of the Council, Mr. Soji Oye, said the council took the decision at the end of its 63rd meeting held on 17th & 18th July,

2013 in Abuja.

The statement said the decision of the Cuncil, headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, was sequel to its findings that Justice Nwanosike falsified his date of birth which invariably affected his retirement age.

The Council, during the meeting also deliberated on the report of its committeeonperformanceevaluation of judicial officers of the superior

courts of record in the federation.

The statement said that at the end of deliberation, the Council constituted a five-man committee to invite judicial officers with, “very low performance or non-performance”, to appear before expalin why they should not be removed from office.

The NJC further recommended the appointment of some judicial officers in the federal and states judiciaries to the Executive respectively.

the benefits.”

He lamented that tourism and hospitality establishments in many parts of Africa are sources for creating employment and sources of generating revenue, but the country isn’t tapping fully into it.

Fashola said “Last year, the state was ranked by an international agency as the second most visited city in the continent with 2.2 million visitors. Despite our population, Dubai was doingbetterthanthestate.

Egypt, Mali and other great African countries were in crisis but there crisis have provided opportunity for Lagos to be the tourist centre because people aren’t visiting the country.”

Fashola added that the “grading will afford tourist the opportunity to plan ahead before visiting the country.”

On the appeals committee, the governor explained that, “we know that there will be people who will feel aggrievedwiththeresultofthegrading, that was why we have created the appeals committee to listen to their complains. And this committee will sit twice in a year, to review the appeals filed by the owners of the hotels.”

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 7

News

2015: Northern elders deny alleged support for Jonathan

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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L-R: Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties (Office of the Vice-President), Senator Isaiah Balat, Mrs. Lucy Gana, Professor Jerry Gana, and President Goodluck Jonathan, during a condolence visit by the G20 delegation to the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan over the death of her adopted mother Mrs. Charity Fineface Oba, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye

he Northern Elders Forum has denied allegations that it and the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) are supporting President Goodluck Jonathan’s candidature in 2015.

Professor Ango Abdullahi, who is the spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum stated this at the weekend in Bauchi.

He said there had never been a time that the two groups ever supported the President’s tenure beyond 2015.

According to him, the statement which was widely reported in the media and credited to Dauda Birma, during a visit to the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, was not the view of the ACF or the Elders Forum.

“Malam Dauda’s visit to the PDP chairman was on two reasons, to commend Jonathan over the release of Major Al-Mustapha and discuss alleged support for Jonathan from the Northern elders.

“Nobody is saying that 99.9 per cent or 100 per cent of northerners of various shades of opinion are share to the same opinion but we concede his right to speak for himself and for people with whom he associates but certainly he cannot be speaking for the ACF or the Northern Elders Forum,” Abdullahi said.

Reps uncover N12.8bn contract Almajiri schools to be completed by scam in aviation ministry September-FG H T

By Umar Muhammad Puma

ouse of Representatives committee on Anti-corruption, National Ethics and Values yesterday revealed that checks conducted by it at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) revealed most companies that were awarded aviation contracts have a direct link with Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah.

The committee Chairman, James Abiodun Faleke, said the committee also uncovered in its findings a breach of contract worth N12.8 billion by the minister.

“The aviation ministry that we are probing, we went to Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and we found out that most of the companies handling the contracts

awarded are all owned by the minister, he declared, adding that the committee will not spare anyone involved in the scam “even if that is the only thing we would achieve in this House, we would expose everybody involved in this aviation corruption.”

He said the minister, in concert with some of her colleagues in the federal executive council (FEC), took advantage of the loopholes in the public procurement law to perpetuate contract scams.

“We are actually looking into the Bureau of Public Procurement law that allows BPP to give no objection certificate.

“All agencies are using this loophole of no objection certificates to issue contracts of N20 billion without advertising it through selective tendering,” he said.

He said the committee would

write to Bureau of Public Procurement to clarify selective tendering.

“We are investigating aviation now. Through selective tendering, aviation awarded a contract worth N12.8 billion in the name of selective tendering. Selective tendering is supposed to come in a situation where those contractors are the only contractors that have those items or have capacity to do the jobs.

“For instance, we have this particular contract which was awarded to MS I- Security Nigeria Limited on 20/09/2012.

“The contract is to provide new security strategy for airport at the cost of N9.4 billion and they have paid N6.247 billion to this contractor. This is just one out of about 100 cases. The issue is this, what is new security strategy?

But reacting to the allegation, the Minister said that, “all contracts in the ministry for the remodeling of the airports and other critical infrastructure/equipment followed all due processes prescribed by the relevant law-the Public Procurement Act 2007.

She spoke through her Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Joe Obi, the Minister said, “the question as to why the Ministry opted for the selective tendering option is obvious.

“The present administration met aviation infrastructure, especially the terminals in a terrible state of dilapidation. “Understandably, a state of emergency of sorts with regard to rehabilitating the derelict and decrepit infrastructure required a lot of urgency which the Selective Tendering provision in the Act suited quite

Jonathan urges leaders to boost intra-African trade

By A’isha Biola Raji

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan has called on African leaders to make bold steps in tackling intra-African trade in the region.

The President made the call on Monday in Abuja while addressing an audience during the send forth meeting of the outgoing Namibian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mrs. Selma AshipalaMusavyi.

In a statement signed by Reuben Abati, special Assistant to President on media, President Jonathan said that there is an

urgent need for African leaders to move beyond declarations of support for greater intra-African trade and act in unison to overcome obstacles which currently hinder economic relations between the nations and people of the continent.

President Jonathan said that with the right political will and commitment, African leaders could speedily overcome all obstacles to intra-African trade such as poor transportation links and achieve a significant boost in continental economic interaction for the benefit of their countries.

The President pledged that Nigeria will continue to spearhead and support efforts aimed at promoting regional and continental economic integration, saying that existing cordial political relations between most African countries will be further enhanced by greater trade and economic relations amongst them.

He commended Mrs. Ashipala-Musavyi for working diligently to boost bilateral relations between Nigeria and Namibia during her tenure as High Commissioner in Abuja and wished her success at her new post in the

Namibian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

President Jonathan similarly commended Ghana’s outgoing High Commissioner to Nigeria, Alhaji Baba Kamara whom he also received at the Presidential Villaon Monday.

According to the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, of the over 200 projects registered by it last year, Nigeria had 42 projects with a value of almost $200 million U.S. Dollars. Only China accounted for more registered projects in Ghana during the period with 56 projects.

From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

he Federal Government is set to complete all the on-going almajiri school projects across the northern part of the country by September this year, with 120 out of the 145 of such schools already completed.

President Goodluck Jonathan disclosed this in an address delivered on the occasion of the commissioning of the new Ta’al Model School, in Bukan Sidi area of Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital.

Represented by Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, the President noted that when completed, the almajiri schools would give under privileged children the opportunity to attain formal education, especially with the rate at which the country is having alarming number of out of school children, said to be about 9.5 million.

President Jonathan disclosed further that his administration would provide free learning materials like textbooks and uniforms to pupils of such schools.

Similarly regarding the issue of strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the federal ministry of education has been directed to commence the immediate implementation of the ASUU committee recommendations, with billions of Naira disbursed and aimed at improving infrastructure of both federal and state universities across the country.

PAGE 8

Photo Splash

Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Barkindo Aliyu Musdapha (middle), in a group photograph with members of Adamawa state rapid response committee on flood, during their advocacy visit to the royal father, yesterday in Yola.

Photo: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

Chief Imam of Egbaland, Sheikh Liadi Orunsolu (3rd right), welcoming Ogun state Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun (left), during the 3rd edition of Ogun state government Ramadan special Iftar lecture, at the weekend in Abeokuta.

Photo: Oluwole Fateye

L-R: Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada, Cross River state Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, and National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), during the opening of the first Gulf of Guinea Regional Maritime Security Conference, yesterday in Calabar.

Photo: NAN

Muslim faithful breaking their fast, during the Iftar dinner organised by Al-Habibiyya Islamic Society, on Sunday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Pilgrims, who are expected to perform Umrah were airlifted, on Saturday by Max-Air, at Sultan Abubakar III International Airport, in Sokoto.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 10

News

Why Nigerian universities run into problems – Ministry

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin he Federal Ministry of Education has said that several universities in the country have been running into problems because of their refusal to implement government’s white paper, rules and regulations.

This was revealed by Rev. Chris Ugoji, the leader of the Ministry’s Monitoring Team that was at the University of Ilorin to assess the level of implementation of the government’s White Paper on the 2004 – 2010 Visitation Panel by the school.

Ugoji, who is also a Director in the Ministry, stressed that government wants the recommendations in the White Paper implemented, adding that “serious value” would be added to the University after the completion of the exercise.

He explained that the exercise was not to set the University backwards, but to help move higher education in the country forward.

The Vice- Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali, in his welcome address disclosed that one of the unique points that make the University tick is its prompt compliance with Federal Government’s directives.

Ambali noted that the university is a responsible corporate citizen that takes federal government directives with all the seriousness they deserve.

The Vice-Chancellor explained further that the university management has been guided by the content of the government’s White Paper in the day-to-day running of its affairs.

T

Adamawa SSG supports 200 widows, youth

T

he Secretary to the Adamawa State Government (SSG), Mr. Kobis Aris, on Monday assisted 200 widows in Guyuk Local Government Area of the state with agricultural inputs.

Aris, during the presentation at Guyuk town, the council headquarters, said the gesture was part of his personal effort to improve the living conditions of the widows.

“This gesture is my personal contribution to the development of the people of my area, as we all know that government alone cannot do everything.

“This is to be distributed free to various vulnerable women and youths associations in the local government area irrespective of religion, tribe and political party.”

Aris said.

The SSG, who hails from the area, said government alone could not satisfy the need of the people, hence, the need for well-meaning individuals to assist.

He said that over 2,500 bags of fertilisers and seeds were distributed free to the groups, and urged them to use the inputs judiciously.

In their separate remarks, the District Head of Banjiram, Malam Musa Talaka and Mrs. Paulina Hassan, Leader, Guyuk Widows Association, thanked the SSG for the gesture.

Ramadan: Zamfara distributes foodstuff, clothing From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

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s part of its effort to cushion the hardship being experienced by the people, Zamfara state government yesterday distributed Ramadan gifts items to over 344 youth across the 14 local government councils of the state.

The items includes, brocade materials and N1000 each to the rehabilitated thugs who

renouncd violence in the state.

Distributing the items, the Deputy Governor, Ibrahim Wakkala Muhammad, who was represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Alhaji Sani Garba, said the conversion of the notorious youth to normal life was an indication that lasting peace has return to the state.

He said that government was ready to accept any notorious group who renounce violence and choose to surrender

weapons for peace to reign, adding that arrangement have been concluded to embark on empowering the teeming unemployed youths in the state.

“As soon as the state Governor returns from his lesser Hajj, new sets of tricycle machines will be distributed to another set of reformed youth so that they become self-reliant, he said.

Chairman of Gusau local government council, Alhaji

Lawali Mada, commended the government and Reformation Coordinator, ASP Garba Dauran, for the method he applied in reforming the youth.

He stress that his administration priority is on security of lives and properties. “there were no theft cases or reprisal attacks recorded in Gusau metropolis in recent time, this is part of our promises that we made during our campaign days”.

Secretary to Adamawa state government, Mr Kobis Aris (2nd Right), donating bags of fertilizers and other agricultural inputs to widows, yesterday in Guyuk local government area of Adamawa state.

Photo: NAN

NDLEA arrests Cape Verdean over cocaine importation From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

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fficials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have arrested a Cape Verdean in connection with the unlawful importation of 2kg of cocaine hidden in female handbags.

The drug was detected during the inward screening of Emirate passengers at the arrival hall of the international wing of the

Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos.

The 35 years old suspect, Rosangela Gomes Gonealves Correia and Olua Uguru Christopher, a 36 year old Nigerian are currently under interrogation on their roles in the illicit import.

NDLEA Lagos Airport Commander, Mr. Hamza Umar, said the Cape Verdean whose statement was obtained in Portuguese has provided useful

information to the anti-narcotic investigators.

“The statement of the lady was obtained in Portuguese through interpreter.

“Both suspects are calm and cooperating with authorities in the investigation.

“The parcels of cocaine hidden inside the linings of the female handbags were found during search.

“While his Nigerian

counterpart Olua confessed he left for Paris in search of better employment opportunities in 2001 and had resolved in selling shoes and shirts.

“I was enticed by the financial incentives. France is a very difficult place to live now because of unemployment problem.

“If I had succeeded in bringing the drug into the country, I would have invested my share of the profit in business.”

Adamawa flood committee seeks support of traditional rulers From Umar Dankano, Yola.

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he Adamawa state Rapid Response Committee on Flood has solicited the support of Traditional rulers in the state in its effort to control flood disaster by relocating flood prone communities to safer sites.

Chairman of the Committee who is also the Secretary to the state government, Chief Kobis Ari Thimnu, made the

call during a courtesy call on the Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Barkindo Aliyu Mustapha, at his palace yesterday.

Thimnu said the call became necessary to avoid the recurrence of what happened last year when many lives and properties worth billions of naira was lost to flood disaster in the state.

Thimnu lamented that some communities including Limawa, Anguwan Maaji, Ngbalang, Boronji have been provided with

land to relocate but the people were still resistant to relocation.

He said the committee wanted the royal father to intervene in mobilizing his district, village and ward heads to make the affected communities see reason and relocate.

In his response, the Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Barkindo Mustapha commended the committee for the advocacy visit and assured them that

the traditional council would support it to succeed in its task of trying to save lives and properties.

Barkindo urged the public to show understanding and maximum support to the committee in its assignment.

The Royal father also used the opportunity to call on federal government on the need to dredge River Benue the way it was dredging River Niger to reduce the problem of flooding.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 11

Money Sense

Maximize your time, maximize your money

T

rading time for money is one of the hardest ways to make cash. But when it’s your job (or hobby, or second job), you must use it wisely or you lose. Since time is finite, every second wasted means dollars gone.

When you waste money, car payments may come up late, rent may be hard to make, or you may not have enough to buy the extras you want. Either way, wasting time hurts your bottom line.

Here are a few ways to help service-based business owners and hobbyists find more time, so they can make more money.

Start out with a detailed plan of what you must accomplish each day.

Never go to bed without knowing what you need to do the next morning (or whenever you work your gig). This is your Door-Die List. If you don’t do, your business dies, and so does your money. Create a focused plan before you sleep. Then, check it again when you wake up. Make it a habit to check it before you sit at your computer; it can help jog your

memory before you get lost in the Facebook rabbit hole.

Schedule your most complex and time-consuming tasks when your mind is freshest.

If you work a primary job, this’ll require a little creativity. You’ll need to figure out your best days for getting things done. It may be at 8 pm in the evening, when the kids have gone to bed. It may be when you get up on Saturday morning and don’t have to work. Whenever it is, make sure you’re focused on your best and most profitable projects then.

Invest in time-saving projects.

If you’re busy tweaking your website or doing laundry, instead of doing what earns you money, then you’re wasting your time and, therefore, your dimes. I know people in my industry that don’t even touch their laundry or the house cleaning. And these people are insanely productive because of it.

These are investments well spent. Take a look at the activities that take up most of your time and budget having someone handle them for you. But, you don’t get to play while they tend to your

“chores” — make the most of your investment and spend that time earning.

Prioritize.

Work on the money first. Leave the movies for the people who don’t have an agenda for earning. We all love vegging on the couch, but

we have to be smart about how our time’s spent. If the goal is to collect minutes and earn dollars, be prepared for this — especially in the beginning.

Master your craft.

You’ll earn more when you can quickly crank out whatever it is you

do. The guy cutting grass knows how to mow four lawns an hour, when it takes you one for your own. He’s a master. He knows how to work quickly, so he earns more money mowing lawns than you would. Master your craft and you’ll also earn more in less time.

Money Tip: Learning from the rich: 4 traits you should emulate

Ways to save money

Get Out of Debt Do you know how much money you are paying in interest each month?

How much of your monthly budget is being eaten up by student loans, car payments and credit card bills? If you could take all of that money and put it into retirement, it is amazing at how quickly you could save for your retirement and other things that you want. Debt often becomes a burden and limits the choices that you can make. One of the best things you can do with your money is to get out of debt and stay out of debt!

Save Your Money Once you have freed up all that extra money from paying off your debt you need to begin saving aggressively.

There will be a point when the money you have will earn more than you do in a month. This takes quite a bit of money, and in order for this to happen you need put a large amount away each month. Once you have a six month emergency fund saved, you will need to begin investing your money.

This is how you can grow your wealth most effectively. Additionally, saving money can help you be prepared to handle the ups and downs that will happen throughout your life.

Quote Be awful nice to ‘em goin’ up, because you’re gonna meet ‘em all comin’ down. -Jimmy Durante

M

ost people wouldn’t complain if they suddenly became rich. In fact, millions of people play the lottery every week with just this hope — even though, statistically, their chances of winning are next to nothing.

Obviously, very few of the wealthy people we’re jealous of have gotten rich this way. As we know, “get rich quick” schemes are usually a gimmick or a con, so it follows that most wealthy people have invested time and effort into getting where they are today.

If we’re honest, we can admit that if we spent less time complaining about our circumstances and more time studying and following the lifestyle habits and principles that have made people rich, we’d

be a lot closer to our financial goals.

The ideology and practices that build wealth can be summed up as hard work, conservatism, ingenuity, and an opportunistic mindset.

Let’s break those factors down.

Hard work There really isn’t a magical formula for building wealth effortlessly. Sure, there are smarter ways to build wealth, and principles that work better than others. But what it really boils down to is just plain, hard work.

At some point in their life, rich people have been the ones who studied for hours, worked late into the night, never watched television, went on vacation, or had social lives, and gave up countless small luxuries for the sake of their goal. A large amount

of effort is required for a large financial gain. Most people aren’t willing to put that much effort into it.

Conservatism The simplest reason why rich people have money is that they haven’t spent it. Think about it.

As the old adage says, you can’t eat your cake and have it, too. In the consumerism culture we live in, it’s easy to fall into the habit of spending everything we make.

Wealthy people have mastered the discipline of saving money and making it work for them instead of always working for money.

If you study the lifestyles of the wealthiest people in the world, you won’t find them buying the newest, most popular vehicle every year. Instead you’ll probably find them driving a vehicle that’s paid off and has

high mileage. You won’t find them maxing out credit cards for every known retailer; you’ll find them to be conservative and wise about their spending. A well-known financial adviser, Dave Ramsay, has said, “You have to live like no one else in order to live like no one else.”

Ingenuity By ingenuity, I’m not saying wealthy people are any smarter or even more educated than ordinary folk. But they’ve realized their own unique abilities and mixed them with some creativity to say, do, or create something no one else has — something that works, and something that everybody wants.

Ingenuity lies in everyone, but wealthy people have utilized it to their financial advantage.

An opportunistic mindset Wealthy people work hard and are wise and careful planners. On the other hand, they’re also willing to take the risks often necessary for great success. People who are tentative when an opportunity arises often miss out on some of the greatest advantages.

While being unafraid of opportunity is a good trait to have, it sometimes carries consequences.

Not every uncertain or risky opportunity succeeds (otherwise, there would be no need for courage). Rich people have often faced discouraging failures, but remain undeterred by them. They know that, in spite of failures, they’ll eventually succeed, and because they’re willing to take great risks, their success will be equal to it.

The path to riches is paved with hard work, conservatism, ingenuity, and an opportunistic mindset. Without these traits, it’s difficult to live a lifestyle that will result in lasting wealth.

PAGE 12

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

EDITORIAL

Stolen oil, our own blood diamond N to Shell Producing Development Company (SPDC), the oil thieves are “well funded and heavily armed by international syndicates.” Its position was backed by the Ribadu-led presidential panel that probed fraud in the oil sector. According to the defence minister, 1,653 suspects were arrested and 3,778 illegal refineries destroyed in the Niger Delta, in the last one year alone. In addition, 120 barges, 878 Cotonou boats, 161 tanker trucks, 178 illegal fuel dumps and 5,238 surface

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igeria has enlisted international cooperation in the fight against the theft of its crude oil, the mainstay of a monocultural economy. Speaking earlier this month on “Nigerian defence priorities: Domestic stability for regional security” at Chatham House in London, Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada likened crude oil stolen from Nigeria to “blood diamond” from Liberia and Sierra Leone banned on the international market in the early 1990s. She demanded the confiscation of the “assets and property of foreign vessels and businessmen” involved in the theft of Nigerian crude.

According to her, oil theft is a major threat to “domestic economic stability and revenue projections”.

Obada’s finance colleague and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, estimates that oil theft is responsible for “a total loss of over 300,000 barrels a day (bpd) or $1 billion (N160 billion) a month in revenue.”

And she believes, as we do, that “this situation is unacceptable and must not be allowed to continue.”

A recent International Energy Agency (IEA) report said Nigeria lost $7bn annually due to oil theft, forcing production down to 1.95 million barrels per day from our quota of 2.25mbpd. It was the lowest production level for two years, according to the IEA report.

Parties involved in the sabotage of the Nigerian economy reportedly include local cartels, international buyers and refiners from mainly Eastern Europe and Asia. According

it is shocking, to say the least, that government is just waking up to the reality of the international dimension to the problem tanks were destroyed.

Given the scale of the oil theft and how loss of revenue has messed up the nation’s annual budgets, it is shocking, to say the least, that government is just waking up to the reality of the international dimension to the problem. Of course, America and the European Union have been aware for long that oil stolen from Nigeria have been arriving their shores. But why would they raise an alarm if our government didn’t? We didn’t ask for help until now because officials of the government were neck deep in the illicit oil transactions. A case in point was the illegal sale of an oilfield to Shell

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and ENI for just $1.3 billion which the UK government is investigating as a money laundering case involving the two oil firms and a former top Nigerian government official. The oil block is believed to contain “more than enough crude to meet the oil needs of the whole world for up to four months.”

Besides, members of the military Joint Task Force (JTF) guarding the creeks of the oil rich Niger Delta and policing the high seas are believed to be complicit in this large scale sabotage of the economy. Then there is the myopic policy of the government to award petrodollar contracts to ex-militants to “protect” oil pipelines from attacks by the oil thieves. They are, in effect, taking from the government and at the same time stealing from it!

Whatever the degree of our dismay over the government’s lack of success in the fight against local oil thieves, we do welcome its realization of the urgent need to internationalize this campaign. And we also appreciate the quick response of the UK government in offering to lend us a hand. Said Minister for International Security Strategy, Dr. Andrew Morrison, when he met recently our minister of state for defence, “We are ready to see Nigeria develop as a commercial power house as you have great responsibility as the regional leader”. And the Americans, too, have said they would help, according to Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke. We do hope that the frenzy of our engagement with the outside world will be matched here at home.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 13

Opinion Jumbo salaries: Greed or constituency servicing?

By Jibrin Ibrahim

O

n July 2011, the professional feather ruffler, Nasir El Rufai, had warned the that the total revenue from oil that year could not pay “the salaries and allowances of politicians and public sector workers and their “overheads” – their tea, coffee, travel and estacode.” He pointed out that it costs on the average about 2.5 million to maintain each of our one million public servants The cost of maintaining one legislator is 320 million Naira, he argued. This is the reason why we have been borrowing to carry out capital projects he pointed out.

The legislature in particular has been very sensitive, if not hostile to any discussion about their salaries and emoluments. They appear to think that they have been too often the targets of unfair attacks and have reacted with anger at those who raise the issue. I feel that there is sufficient basis to have a debate on jumbo salaries with the overall objective of redressing the excessively high cost of governance in the country. This discussion should be focused on both the legislature and the executive.

As both, the executive and the legislature have responsibility for the high cost of governance,

the tradition of one accusing the other of guilt in this regard should cease. The legislature however has special responsibility because they determine the final budget and there are increasing accusations that the process of appropriation is being increasingly compromised by the self-interest of legislators.

It might be the case that they have attenuating circumstances.

The Nigerian National Assembly has had a very bad press and an eroding reputation with the public.

Press reports, allegations from the executive branch and statements by major national players and analysts have presented the members of the National Assembly as self-serving individuals who pay themselves enormous illegal allowances. In addition, they have been accused of using their powers of oversight to blackmail ministers and heads of agencies for pecuniary gain. Finally, over the years, there have been accusations that certain laws have been passed on the basis of hefty inducements to legislators. I believe that there is the tension between legislating and constituency service because the first seeks to arrive at decisions that serve the entire nation while constituency service is, by definition, addressed to a smaller sub-community of society.

In Nigeria, the legislature has

responded to its constituency service function at three levels.

First is the introduction of constituency projects in which legislators propose specific projects for their constituents, which are implemented, not by them, but by various ministries, departments and agencies under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). So while the executive branch carries out the projects, the legislators get the credit.

The second is the increase of constituency allowances to allow legislators respond to regular appeals from constituents for financial help for weddings, burials, ill health and so on in addition to other demands for jobs, contracts and every conceivable demand.

Thirdly, almost all legislators have developed a set of personal projects, which they develop for their constituents.

The argument for constituency services can be stretched to all public officials and indeed all persons with a regular income. We are all participants in a demand system in which relations, friends, associates and everyone else come to people considered to be relatively more well off who then become targets of solicitation. It is because of these more well spread phenomenon that civil society and

the media have responded very negatively to these developments and the articulation of their concerns has played a major role in creating the reputation erosion that Parliamentarians have been suffering from. There must be limits placed on those who finalise the budgets on what they pay themselves if we are to maintain sanity in public finance.

The National Assembly should embark on a path of transparency and accountability in engaging Nigerians in a frank conversation about the imperatives of constituency servicing and its limits. They should be open about what they receive, they should also respond to numerous calls

by Nigerians for a cap on the legislature’s recurrent budget. Even more important, they need to take a more proactive role, together with civil society partners in getting citizens and constituents to understand better their legislative functions so that expectations on them are reduced.

Civil society, including the mass media have a responsibility to take a lead in this debate and educate the public on the reasons they should be moderate on the type of personal demands they make on their legislators. In addition, civil society and the media should orient

The road to Egypt

By Charles Onunaiju

E

vents since the decade after Nigeria was returned to civil rule have consistently questioned whether the political process as opens the political space for popular participation or closes it more tightly for elite power game.

There is no doubt as to the fact that the political practice in the past few years of a return to civil rule has witnessed the ever increasing scope of elite debauchery, in which government institutions have become barely disguised conduits for siphoning the common wealth to private pockets. Under the current administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, matters have simply become worst. The weakness of the administration has further sunk it in a cesspool where it exists as a government in name alone, while it is actually commandeered by a federated cabal of ethnic syndicates, commercialized clerical establishment, parasitic professional political class and rentier pseudo-national and comprador bourgeoisie which are often times quarrelsome.

However, they are united by a common dependency on the paternalistic state in whose generous patronage they are nourished to the exclusion of the majority of Nigerians whose social homogeneity of poverty, misery and wants, is deconstructed into ethnic, religious and sectarian aggregates. In the past ten years but more, in the past three years, the economic policy has trampled on the basic subsistence of the majority of the people

and unashamedly feeding and reinforcing the pre-eminence of the federated oligarchy in our national life. The improvement in the living conditions of Nigerians in the economic policy of the current administration has been reduced to a happen stance, an incident that is only likely to happen if the policy assumptions of the regime reaches maturity.

Even Adam Smith, the grandfather of capitalism did not assume so, rather he queried poignantly in his “wealth of nations”, if this improvement in the circumstances of the lower ranks of the people to be regarded as an advantage or as an inconvenience to the society?” According to him, “ the answers seems at first sight abundantly plain. Servants, labourers and workmen of different

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kinds make up the far greater part of every political society. But what improves the circumstances of the greater number can never be regarded as an inconvenience to the whole. No society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the far greater part of the numbers are poor and miserable. It is but equity, besides, that they, who feed, clothe and lodge the whole body of the people, should have a share of the produce of their own labour as to be themselves tolerably well-fed, clothed and lodged.”

Yet an economic policy claiming the inspiration of free and open market and political liberalism, both drawing from the works of John Locke and Adam Smith, attack their every essence both by its political mendacity and huge intellectual deficit.

Nigeria’s inexorable march to Egypt seems to have commenced at a steady pace with the obvious federal government sanction of the open brigandage in Rivers state. The sheer fool hardy and callous impunity of the five federal government aligned legislators who attempted to impeach the speaker, with clear aim to impeach the governor later, clearly demonstrate not only the misapplication, but excessive use of public authority, which is in clear breach of the democratic mandate.

The government’s economic management team is shamelessly exclusive of the federated oligarchy without any pretence to accommodate the broad sector of the working people or their intellectual representative.

The crucial deficit in policy representation has spawned the existing fetishisms in public policy and turned it into pseudo-religious faith, a tendency, the eminent American economist, Kenneth Gilbrath warned against.Taken together, a sclerotic economy that is dysfunctional in the broad sense, though fulfilling the rentier role to the hegemonic ruling class and their federated oligarchy, the Nigerian political process is in danger of approaching the Egyptian debacle, where a reckless political faction orchestrated a popular discontent leading to military intervention.

Nigeria’s inexorable march to Egypt seems to have commenced at a steady pace with the obvious federal government sanction of the open brigandage in Rivers state. The sheer fool hardy and callous impunity of the five federal government aligned legislators who attempted to impeach the speaker, with clear aim to impeach the governor later, clearly demonstrate not only the misapplication, but excessive use of public authority, which is in clear breach of the democratic mandate. The government and the ruling party do not believe that a democratic mandate comes with political circumspection clearly defined in constitutional constraints and limitations. The mandate of four years does not consist in a licence

their civic education programmes and activities towards getting the citizenry to better understand the legislative process so that their set of expectations from their legislators begins to change.

I believe that waste of public resources is higher in the executive branch compared to the legislature.

If therefore the legislature takes the initiative to curb its own excesses, they will be strengthened in using their over-sight and budget making powers to curb the excesses of the executives The strong arguments made by Nasir el Rufai in his lecture a the Guild of Editors conference are more than enough to urge the Presidency and the National Assembly to respond on the ethics, irrationality and high costs of spending the earnings of 167 million Nigerians on the one million in the public sector.

We must bring in the people as beneficiaries of public revenue through the expansion of public services. As we become less capable of selling our petroleum and give up the fight against oil bunkering, the reality on the ground is that we can no longer sustain the current expenditure profile. As the world asks us how can we afford such jumbo pay for a few? No how.

Jibrin Ibrahim resides in Abuja, FCT. to hollow out state institutions and turn them into instruments for serving narrow selfish and partisan interests.

The four year mandate does not mean that within the period, an elected government could with impunity orchestrate odious acts inimical to public good and assure itself that the duration of its office is sacrosanct and the public can do nothing. Meanwhile, nothing typifies the impunity, intransigence arrogance of power of the Goodluck Jonathan regime than the continued retention of the controversial commissioner of Police in Rivers state, who is widely considered the arrowhead of the regime orchestrated destabilization of the state. The embattled governor of the state, Mr. RotimiAmaechi has cried out publicly that the commissioner of police in the state is pursuing agenda, far from his original brief of security of the state. If the commissioner of police is tainted by political bais, as the governor has alleged, why is the police hierarchy and the federal authority adamant in keeping him there, when he was supposed to work in coordination with the governor. This action of using state institutions to pursue a partisan end is in clear breach of democratic norms and constitutional limits to the powers to the federal authorities. The art of compromising state institutions for partisan and selfish ends clearly undermines democracy and puts the government that practices it, beyond democratic reprimand and restraint and such government would most likely not respect any popular exercise of democratic right to remove it peacefully whether in elections due in two years or even ten years’ time.

Charles Onunaiju is journalist based in Abuja

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

Opinion Rise of Nazism in Nigeria

By Erwin Ofili

I

t has been over 40 years since the end of Nigeria’s civil war.

The events leading to the Civil War saw Nigeria’s largest movement of a mass of people fleeing for their safety in the face of vengeful and genocidal attacks.

Now, in peace time (in relative terms), we have seen something very different. People from the former breakaway republic of Biafra have made Nigeria their home. Lagos – being the economic capital of the country – has seen a particularly large influx of people from the Eastern region and other parts of the country. The poverty in much of the country and the uneven distribution of wealth has contributed to the large migration into Lagos. Also, the porous borders of the country means that refugees from poorer countries and war-torn regions easily get into the country contributing immensely to the social pressures and crime rate in Lagos.

In several for people who identify themselves as more Lagosian than others have toyed with the idea of sending non indigenes “back where they come from”. Many of these people actually have their roots in other South West states, not Lagos.

They complain particularly about Lagos immigrants from South Eastern Nigeria, in many cases confusing people from the Niger Delta for them. These characters complain that “give them an inch they would go a mile”, “rent your house to them, they would soon own your house”, “they are too ambitious”, “they are taking over Lagos”, “they are all over Lagos and our markets, how many of us are in their markets”, “why can’t they stay in their South East”, “they are overpopulating Lagos”, etc. For a country that many fawn over patriotism, there is a lot of us versus them in our conversations about each other. Such people seem to have their kindred spirits

somewhere in be treated like the Lagos state this without government. provoking a Lagos has made at diplomatic Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, least two of such row. abductions and This kind of text messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written transportation of madness is the contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters Nigerian citizens cause of strife - 150 words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your from the state to in many parts Onitsha. Probably, of Nigeria. name and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be some Lagos The conflict addressed to: state officials in Jos is the thought that result of fight since Anambra over resources The Editor, is an emerging based on Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, economic hub indigene 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. let it share the and settler burden of mass discrimination.

Email: opinion@peoplesdailyng.com migration.

Many people SMS: 08134607052 The have assumed government that Lagos is of Lagos state has denied any state and even neighbouring largely shielded from that kind involvement in the criminal countries use the identical culture of problem. They point to the act. The Commissioner of to confuse the original people of appointment of an Anambra Information, Mr. LateefIbirogba, Lagos and get all the government indigene in the Fashola’s cabinet. while denying the act, included positions along with the benefits Others argue that appointment a loaded statement that smacks of political power. This is a very was a tokenistic political move of prevarication: “but we have dangerous spirit of Nazism that to reward the significant Igbo been emphasizing that people Nigerians ignore at their peril. It vote in Lagos. I am of the opinion must live within the law”. Many of is dangerous to assume that since that such appointments should those arrested were so treated for Lagos tends to be more liberal be a norm in all states of Nigeria wandering; some were arrested about these kinds of issues, such that are serious about national while returning to their way homes voices can be ignored. We all integration. I am glad that there or going to their businesses. As owe our future generation the were similar appointments of before, laws against vagrancy responsibility to speak up against nonindigenes in South Eastern and wandering have been used to such demagoguery when we hear states before it happened in Lagos. harass innocent individuals. But it.

Such appointments, based more on this is a new twist where Lagos This transport of human cargo merit than state of origin, is more acts like a nation state deporting to Onitsha is the offshoot of the to the benefit of the state than the foreigners. But this is not the first demented ideology that some non indigene appointee as the state time that such actions have been Lagos residents are more Lagosian makes use of qualified personnel at traced to the state. Some beggars than others. And I must not forget the expense of the state where the were reportedly deported to the to mention that these people were appointee comes from.

Oyo state secretariat. kept in inhuman conditions during If Nigeria hopes to avoid future This development speaks to their detention. They were fed only conflicts that centre on fights the weakness of the system of once a day; over 29 people died over resources, they should make identification that emphasises in detention. They were bundled a Constitution that emphasises “state of origin”. The Constitution in a truck and dumped like refuse residency over origin. Besides, the and the contradictions therein on upper Iweaka Bridge. All this state of origin requirement has does a very bad job of trying to in flagrant disregard of the right always been gamed by Nigerians develop a national spirit among to free movement of Nigerians when needed to get favours Nigerians. Till today, there within the country granted by the like scholarships, bursaries, are some people who identify Constitution. Why complain of appointments, etc. It is too easy to as indigenous Lagosians who foreigners treating Nigerians like falsify evidence of state of origin complain that others have taken trash when we are doing worse in Nigeria. State discrimination over the state. They say that things to Nigerians in Nigeria? based on ethnicity has never people from other South West Even foreign criminals would not worked in countries that practice

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it. In Indonesia, it has kept the bumiputra – who the policy was supposed to favour – at a lower economic and social strata that the Chinese and Indians, who the policy discriminated against. In South Africa, it has kept the Blacks severely affected by unemployment while benefiting a few with access to power. In Nigeria, it has ruined our public education system making good quality expensive for everybody, kept poverty and unemployment high, and spawned a bloody ethnic conflict which has endured.

The Nazis in our government would keep having a free ride if errant actions are not punished.

The Lagos state government must be made to pay compensation to the victims of their illegal deportation. The family of those who lost their lives in detention should be identified and adequately compensated.

Whoever had the idea of deporting Nigerians to their states of origin or to Onitsha, whether in the Lagos state government or within the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) parastatal should be prosecuted and punished for their evil act.

The Abia state governor must be made to pay for his criminal sack of nonindigenes from the state civil service. Other states where similar cases of illegal actions were taken against Nigerians should be adequately dealt with. The Constitutional Amendment should focus more on giving all Nigerians equal rights wherever they choose to reside than on giving the Senate president a life pension. The corruption in our Customs that makes illegal migration into the country too easy must be tackled, along with the corruption in government that makes most projects undoable. All this is necessary if we are to win the fight against Nazism in the country.

Peoples and nations throughout history that have fallen to the seduction of nativism have always seen a long-term decline in their fortunes worse than the economic problem that initially feeds nativist ideology – like in Pakistan.

Erwin Ofili is on LinkedIn

The weeping senator: Lessons for ASUU, NANUS and Nigerians

By TimiOlagunju

I

t was reported in newspapers recently that the Senator representing Ondo Central Senatorial District was obviously overwhelmed by the outrage exhibited by delegates from the 6 (six) local council over the issue of the controversial Section 29 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) on the Girl Child Rights; a subject matter that has attracted public concern and criticism of some Nigerian Senators. According to The Guardian “the Senator burst into tears as he TRIED HARD to convince the obviously enraged CROWD”. In his words “I am very sorry for this costly mistake. I actually voted in error. I pressed the “No” button during the electronic voting session thinking that I was kicking against the early marriage. I can never support such barbaric and wicked bill”.

Firstly, a question for Mr. Senator: what were you doing in the Senate at that time when the constitutional amendment bill was passed, sitting, looking, wondering? As if speaking to the senator directly I asked ‘if you

were thinking as you claimed, not sitting; would you have pressed No, when you meant to press a Yes? Can you imagine a student who answers question 1 for question 10 in an objective question? Wouldn’t his fate be a fatal failure? Maybe, it is time the Legislatures look into amending, adjusting or even scrapping ‘sitting allowances’ in place of ‘productivity allowance’ first, as well as address key issues such as under-development, undernutrition, under-employment affecting the life and limb of Nigerians.

Secondly, Mr. Senator, there was neither a vote for early marriage nor any Bill specially designed for same. Why confuse the people more by justifying your fault? The bone of contention is as to the removal or non-removal of Section 29(4b) which states: ‘Any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age’. As regards the Right of the Nigerian child, the big question is: ‘should we read the provisions on the Renunciation of Citizenship in section 24 (4b) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution in isolation; or is it best interpreted in the light of the Federal Child

Rights Act 2003, which states that anyone who wants to marry must attain the age of 18? Many opinions seem to favor the former position.

As a constitutional lawyer, treading the paths of the few, I see the latter as the correct position. The Senate should be aware that in addition to my above position, Section 29 (4b) is not necessary as it contradicts the Child’s Right Act. Looking at the public outcry over the rights of the girl child, the words of the late Ken SaroWiwa stared at me ‘the pen is mightier than the sword, the pen is mightier than the sword, the pen is mightier than the sword”. In this case, the Media (online and offline), the Civil Society, individuals with a proactive intuition proved that Nigerians are mighty enough to make our Legislative Chamber accountable; in this case Nigerian Senate. These praise-worthy Nigerians have shown we have the power to shape the future of this country; with our collective will, intellect and voice.

This brings us to the issue of the ASUU strike. As Nigerians, have we tapped into the power to shape the education of this country; collectively? Or are we

in a state of neglect, nonchalance and dissension over the state of our educational system? I read in a national daily that the National Association of University Students (NANUS), led by its National President, informed the Senator Chukwumerijie-led Committee that ‘ASUU did not consult with the students before embarking on the prolonged strike and that ASUU’s incessant strikes had failed to impart on the infrastructural status of GOVERNMENT universities nation-wide, accusing the lecturers of pursuing selfish ends at the detriment of students’. Pause a moment, does it sound correct accusing the lecturers for asking the Nigerian Government to honor a gentleman’s agreement?

Accusing the lecturers for asking the Nigerian Government to protect the future and purse of the academia? Accusing the lectures for asking the Government to make the Nigerian academia attractive to the best and able minds like yours?

Lest we forget some students will also be lecturers some day.

To follow the path of truth, Mr. NANUS President, how has lecturers strike directly affected the

infrastructure of Universities as much as the continued neglect of education by successive Nigerian governments? Shouldn’t we rather question the Nigerian President for the common sense behind building a Federal University in each state of Nigeria, when such funds could be used to upgrade science, technology, arts and commerce in the existing Universities, with leftovers to equip Technical Colleges to produce skilled craftsmen? Look at those Asian expatriates around us, most went to Technical Colleges. Government should know, if she cannot honor prior gentleman’s agreements with her own people, what message are we sending to foreign investors, to the world? This is the time to shape the future of this country; it is in our collective effort. Let the same intelligent voice that still speaks on the removal of Section 29 (4b), come as the saving voice to salvage the future of education in Nigeria; with ASUU. And let all Nigerian join in.

TimiOlagunju via timithelaw@gmail.com, timi4nigeria_esq@ymail. com.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 15

Comment Limits of INEC’s registration power

By Faruok Abbass

T

he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is one of the Federal Executive Bodies established

by Section 153 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and one of its major functions is the registration of political parties in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act. There is no doubt that Political Parties are essential organs of any democratic setting and this is because they serve as platforms for political discussions and formulation of policies for the wellbeing of the citizenry of any given country. Thus, it simply goes without saying that whenever a political association applies to INEC for registration as a political party, such an application must be considered in a liberal and favorable manner (so long as the condition precedents for the registration of a Political Party as stated in Sections 222-224 of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2010 are complied with) because it is the citizens of the country that would benefit from the registration of a Political Party on the long run.

It is against this backdrop that, I shall in this short paper consider whether or not INEC has the power to refuse the registration of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

After answering this question, I shall proceed to proffer my candid advice on whether or not INEC ought to approve the registration of

the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Can INEC deny it registration?

It is no longer news that the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, and the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, have merged into a single entity, and they have jointly submitted an application for the registration of a new party, All Progressive Congress, to INEC. Although there has been speculation in the media that INEC is considering advising the All Progressive Congress to change its name before it would be registered as a political party, it is important to state that as at 27th July 2013, INEC had not given an official position on the status of APC’s application. Without prejudice to INEC’s impending verdict on APC’s application for registration, it is submitted that INEC has the power to refuse the registration of APC if it is discovered that the promoters of APC have not complied with any of the condition precedents for the

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registration of a political party in Nigeria. This position is supported

by Section 84 (4) of the Electoral Act, 2010 which provides thus: On receipt of the request for merger of political parties, the commission shall consider the request and, if the parties have fulfilled the requirements of the constitution and this Act, approve the proposed merger and communicate its decision to the parties concerned before the expiration of 30 days from the date of the receipt of the formal request. PROVIDED that if the Commission fails to communicate its decision within 30 days the merger shall be deemed to be effective.

It is instructive to note that the 30 days period mentioned in the proviso to Section 84 (4) of the Electoral Act, 2010 above has not lapsed yet, so this proviso cannot be activated yet. Also, in the case of Independent National Electoral Commission v. Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa (2003)

LPELR 1515 at 38 Paragraph B-C, Ayoola, JSC (as he then was) held thus: Registration is the process of recording the existence of a political party and it provides evidence and certification of compliance with Section 222 of the constitution. It is evident that a political party cannot be registered as being in existence unless the association has satisfied the conditions of eligibility in Section 222.

While INEC is imbued with the statutory powers to exercise its discretion in considering whether or not APC has fulfilled all the conditions precedent for registration as a political party, its discretion must however be exercised based on the extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2010, and the whims of the INEC Chairman.

Should INEC register APC? While it is conceded that this political association is eligible to function as a political party, it is submitted

While INEC is imbued with the statutory powers to exercise its discretion in considering whether or not APC has fulfilled all the conditions precedent for registration as a political party, its discretion must however be exercised based on the extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2010, and the whims of the INEC Chairman. Should INEC register APC? While it is conceded that this political association is eligible to function as a political party, it is submitted that INEC ought not to do based on the doctrine of lispendens.

My shattered American dream

By Tobiloba Adesokan

T

he jig is up. It’s the end of the road. What next?

If I had asked myself this question a few years ago, my answer would have definitely been America. My lifelong dream had always been to study abroad. I knew that one day, I too would be among those drinking Starbucks every morning and shopping in grand malls.

I went to an American school and this made me want to get out of Nigeria even more! I was counting down the years and it was almost time. My parents were always in general support of the idea, but were now beginning to have a rethink. The result of this ‘rethink’ was a very disappointing “NO”. I cried and pleaded for them to change their minds. But it just seemed like the more tears I shed, the deeper their roots sunk into the soil of their horrific decision. They tried to explain the reasons behind their actions; reasons like: “We want you to be nearer home for as long as possible”, “It’s too expensive”, and many more. All these made little sense to me. They tried to make me understand, but my mind

refused to listen to anything that was said. My heart bled for a while after. Why hadn’t they told me a long time ago so my hopes weren’t up? Why hadn’t they put me in a Nigerian school if they wanted me to study here? Why was I an American citizen if nothing was going to come out of it? Where was I going to stand beside all my friends who were England or American bred? I had so many unanswered questions that I was never bold enough to ask.

The thought of running away and finding my own ticket to The States seemed very tempting at the time. I would dream of all the opportunities I would be losing

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by staying back and the longing to go kept getting stronger. While all this was going on in my head and at home, being in school did not tame this longing. My friends would boast about the schools they were going to and when it came to my turn, I would be too ashamed to talk. The words ‘I am going to a Nigerian university’ sounded so alien in my mouth.

I would have never imagined in a million years that I, Tobi Adesokan, would spend the four most important years of my life in this country. When I shared my thoughts with people, especially adults, they replied, “Are the people studying here not human

beings? Are they not doctors? Are they not lawyers?” But that was not the point. Far from it. The point was that my lifelong dream had been shattered into pieces.

Why did I want to leave this country so bad? More than often, I had heard that quality of education outside Nigeria was very sound. I had also heard it created so many job opportunities and opened so many doors to success. So with all this I thought again… Did my parents not want me to be successful? My thoughts kept on running, but my mouth was kept shut. This internal conflict I was experiencing had to stop or else I would go bonkers. Soon enough, it

Why did I want to leave this country so bad? More than often, I had heard that quality of education outside Nigeria was very sound. I had also heard it created so many job opportunities and opened so many doors to success. So with all this I thought again… Did my parents not want me to be successful?

My thoughts kept on running, but my mouth was kept shut. This internal conflict I was experiencing had to stop or else I would go bonkers. Soon enough, it seemed like my wish was granted.

that INEC ought not to do based on the doctrine of lispendens.

This is because the association has commenced an action at the Federal High Court, Abuja in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/224/2013 challenging INEC’s refusal to register it as a political party, and one of the reliefs which it is seeking before the Court is an order prohibiting the registration of any other association known as and called African People’s Congress or having the acronym, APC, as a political party pending the determination of the suit.

Now, the doctrine of lispendens which is an acronym for pendent lite nihilinnovetur, simply means that during litigation, nothing new should be introduced. The doctrine is intended to prevent foisting a fait acompli on a court over an unconcluded matter before it.

See: Akinkugbe v. E.H. (Nig.) Ltd. (2008) 12 NWLR (Pt.1098) 375. The registration of the All Progressive Congress (APC) by INEC would certainly overreach the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/ ABJ/CS/224/2013 and it is also capable of rendering the decision of the Federal High Court to be of no effect if the Court finds in favor of African People’s Congress. I respectfully implore INEC as a law abiding body to refuse the registration of the All Progressive Congress as to do otherwise would amount to ridiculing the judiciary and it would also run contrary to the settled doctrine of lispendens.

FaruokAbass is on LinkedIn. seemed like my wish was granted.

You could say I had a slight change in the way I looked at things. A certain someone helped change my outlook on life.

She made me understand that it wasn’t the school you went to or where you were that made you who you are. Who you were was made up of a million other things. Things like what you fed your mind. Things like your relationship with God. Things like the kind of people you hung out with, and many more. She also made me see that there were some very good schools here in Nigeria which could also get me a solid job in the future. I finally had to face reality. No matter how many tears I shed, or how many hours I begged, I was stuck here. And I decided that I might as well go with it. I decided that wherever I was going to be, I was going to be the best. I was never at the top of my class in my high school, but I made up my mind that my time in university would be worth it. When I left, they would remember my name. Not only as the valedictorian of the class, but as the girl who had amazing leadership skills. I was going to leave my marks.

TobilobaAdesokan has just finished 10th grade at the American Christian Academy, Ibadan.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 16

By Adeola Tukuru

I

n what seems to be division among the natives of the Federal Capital Territory over the Land Swap policy initiated by the FCT Administration, the Ketti-Waru Youth Forum has taken a swoop on the Original Inhabitants Development Association, OIDA, for what they described as lack of foresightedness on the part of OIDA. It would be recalled that last week, the Original Inhabitants Development Association had kicked against the Land Swap model during a protest march to the National Assembly to register their grievances over the rejection of mayoralty seat for the Territory.

In a swift reaction, the Ketti-Waru Youth Forum has distanced itself from such position saying that the rejection of mayoralty by the National Assembly is a different issue from the Land Swap for infrastructural development.

Arising from a stakeholders meeting on Friday last week, the President of Ketti-Waru Youth Forum, comrade Abubakar Yakubu said that the group noted with sadness that the issue of mayoralty been agitated by the OIDA has nothing in common with Land Swap infrastructural development of the FCT. “As such, we the affected communities of Ketti-Waru Youth Forum distance our members from such agitation that we deem unproductive to the development of the Territory particularly the youths,” he stressed.

The forum pledged to support the FCT Administration in all its programmes geared towards the development of the Territory, even as the stakeholder’s forum commend the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed and the Minister of state for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide for their visionary leadership in the Land Swap infrastructural development.

Yakubu told journalists that the issue of mayoralty being canvassed by the Original Inhabitants Development Association is a constitution

FCT indigenes divided over land swap policy matter, while the land swap initiative is targeted at development of the Territory.

“We are more concern about policies that will bring development to our people, and we strongly believe that the

land swap policy is one of such policies. We equally support the creation of more area councils and senatorial districts to bring development to the indigenous people. We are totally in support of the call for the indigenous

people to be appointed as ministers, Special Advisers and Board members of both FCT and federal parastaltals,” he noted.

The youth leader used the forum to appreciate the FCT Minister, Senator Bala

Aduda urged to repair borehole in Dei-Dei Korea dance

By Usman Shuaibu behalf of the executive members development, noted that the people festival of fruit market in Dei-Dei, the of the area were neglected in terms ruit sellers association patron of the market, Malam of infrastructural development for successfully in Dei-Dei ,under Abuja Aliyu Bakori, pleaded with the so long now.

Municipal Area Council He said he would continue to co- held in FCT Chairman of Abuja Municipal (AMAC) ,FCT, have urged the Area Council (AMAC), Hon. operate with the administration of

F

Senator representing the FCT at the National Assembly Abuja, Senator Philip T. Aduda to repair a borehole being constructed by him in Dei-Dei without water on it.

They also called the senator to expedite action to fulfill promises made during the electioneering campaign in the area.

Speaking to Peoples Daily on

Micah Jiba to rehabilitate the road leading to the main road from fruit market.

He further appealed to the chairman to provide boreholes in the market to boost potable drinking water for the marketers.

He urged the chairman to redouble his efforts to provide social amenities for the residents of Dei-Dei to boost socio-economic

the area council for the upliftment of the market.

The patron advised the officials of the market to always work towards the progress of the market and urged them to carry the members along.

Bakori warned the executives, members as well as marketers against any act capable of causing disunity among them in the market.

Shoes displayed for sale by some traders under the busy Nyanya Bridge in Abuja.

Photo: Stanley Onyekwere

FCTA completes 1,215 classrooms in 6 area councils F CT Administration yesterday said it had completed 1,215 classrooms for basic schools across its six area councils.

The Chief Press Secretary to the FCT Minister, Mr. Muhammad Sule, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

He said that the classrooms would help to expand the FCT educational facilities to

Mohammed for carrying the indigenous people along in the policy implementation of the Land Swap initiative especially the appointment of their son, Engr.

Danjuma Bussa as community relation consultant.

accommodate the increasing population across the area councils.

He listed other achievements to include building of six classrooms, seven staff quarters, landscaping, hostels, fence, drainage and sporting facilities at the School for the Handicapped, Jabi.

“The administration has also built two staff quarters,

playground, landscaping and drainage at School for the Blind, Jabi,’’ he said.

He said that nine new junior and two senior secondary schools were established in the last two years.

He said that 80 sets of furniture were provided for primary and junior secondary schools while five Libraries were constructed and furnished in

junior secondary schools across the territory.

“Textbooks and instructional materials numbering 1,308,780 were distributed to FCT Basic Education School pupils this year.

“Early Child Care Education Block; Youth Friendly Centre and ICT centre have been completed at the FCT College of Education, Zuba,’’ he added.(NAN)

By Stanley Onyekwere

T

he second K Pop Korea Dance Festival successfully took place recently at the Ladi Kwali Hall Sheraton Hotel Abuja.

The dance competition was put together by Korean Government, in collaboration with the Korean Embassy, to bring out the best dance talent of youths all over the world.

The Dark Gravity dance team came first while City Royal College, Nyanya came second and GSS Garki dance team came third respectively.

The competition, which started in Nigeria, will hold in all the major cities in Africa and the world, and the best from each country will have the chance to compete in the grand finale in Korea next year.

The Korea Ambassador, Choi Jong Hyun, during a press interview said, “Korea have so much interest in Nigeria and that was why we choose to start the Africa edition in Nigeria and to move on to other countries from here; there is a lot of interest which the Korean Government wants to partner with Nigeria, especially in technology development.

The Ambassador said, “After the country’s war we have nothing as a country but gradually, we picked up and have come to a world stage on technology’s edge and Korea believe that Nigeria can achieve this as well.

“Korea has been engaged in building schools and ICT centers in Nigeria, to support in building the youths and that will increase in coming years. The world has about 1.6 billion youths at the moment and a lot needs to be done by government at all levels to develop the best in their talents, and the K Pop Korean Dance Festival is like other products Korea have produced.

“Like the Samsung and LG Electronics, the K Pop Korea Dance Festival is programme that have come to stay and will be running every year, to bring out the best dancing talent of youths all over the world”, he stated.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 17

Metro

FCT Rehabilitation Centre to graduate 109 trainees

P

rincipal, FCT Vocational and Rehabilitation Centre, Bwari, Malam Bala Musa, has said that 109 trainees will soon graduate from the centre.

Musa, who was speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said, ‘’the date is tentatively between July 23 and Aug. 1.’’

He said that the trainees to be graduated had specialised

in different fields like metal fabrication and welding and leather works, which include shoe production and bags.

The principal recalled how 53 graduated from the centre in 2011, adding that “they are now independent and earning their living. They are no more begging on the streets again.’’

Explaining the activities of the centre, Musa said : ‘’other skills

designed for our students are fashion designing which involves tailoring and designing itself.

“We also have computer applications and repairs, electronics and hand set repairs.

We have poultry, birds keeping, and fishery. ‘’We introduce fish farming as supplement, someone with a specialisation in fish farming or poultry.’’

Musa said the centre also provided training for drug addicts in various trades to enable them to become self-reliant, He added that, ‘’mostly, our students are those abandoned, those with physical disabilities, sometimes those arrested from the streets and drug addicts. ‘’We get their minds off drugs and then provide skills for them so that they will not be where they

were before. ‘’There is a law in the FCT prohibiting begging, child abuse and prostitution; these are the victims and even those with mental problems are among the categories of people we train,’’ he added.

He said that the students were doing fine in terms of performance, adding ‘’we came to realise that these were people who were highly-talented. ‘’I believe it is only the system that did not allow them or that they could not get the support they were expected that led them to where they were.’’ (NAN)

Science school graduates 335 students in Suleja

By Usman Shuaibu

T

R-L: Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, and Chairman of Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Smart Adeyemi, during the groundbreaking ceremony of Abuja Rail Mass Transit Stations, on Saturday at the National Park Station, Wuye District, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

AMML lauds new leadership of Garki model market

By Adeola Tukuru

M

anaging Director of the Abuja Markets Management limited (AMML), Abubakar Usman Faruk has applauded traders of Garki Model Market for electing a new leadership led by its Chairman, Mr. Friday Ozochi who will pioneer the affairs of the Market Association.

Faruk congratulated the new leadership and expressed happiness that the market was able to organize themselves and hold an election during his tenure.

He recalled that few weeks earlier the traders of Wuse Market came under one umbrella for the first time in so many years to discuss issues concerning their common interest in a round table with AMML. The MD reeled out the entire developmental project the Market Manager had brought into the market with the latest being the Parking surveillance and Automation system which is proposed to kick off in August.

“Today is the second happiest day for me as the MD of AMML, the other time is few weeks ago when the traders in Wuse Market united under a central body came

to come along with AMML as it unveils the new parking surveillance and automation system which according to him will bring value to traders through increased patronage; and to the shopping public though seamless drive-in and parking guarantee for a pleasant shopping experience.

Earlier in his speech, the newly elected Chairman, Mr. Friday Ozochi pointed out the need for the traders and the Market Managers to work together saying that the traders have learnt their lesson such that rather than fighting, peaceful dialogue turns in quicker results.

to pledge their support to us, pointing out the need for us to work together; you know for a very long time, they did not have a central traders’ Association”, he said.

“In the same way, I have never sat down on the same table with Garki traders’ Association until today, because you people did not have a common platform. I consider it a big achievement that in our time these major markets in Abuja were able to organize themselves and came out with credible leadership and that both the Association and the Management are now on the same page”, he continued.

According to Alh. Faruk

the election is another effect of President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation Agenda ably implemented in the FCT by the Minister Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed in providing the enabling environment for the ventilation of political thoughts and expression of democratic rights by the traders.

While urging the new leadership to ensure good and quality representation for the people who elected them, Alh. Faruk assured that AMML will continue to hold the traders as the centrepiece of all management policies in the market.

On this note, he urged them

By Adeola Tukuru

Church doles out gifts, food items to prison inmates in Suleja

A

s part of its activities to mark the 2013 Couples convention, the Redeem Christian Church of God (RCCG), Wisdom of God Parish, Province 11, Kubwa, in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) recently distributed food items and gifts to prison inmates in Suleja.

The theme of the convention was titled: “The ideal family in the end time”.

According to the Assistant pastor of the church, Mrs. Folu Oluyombo during the prison

outreach and distribution of food items said the essence of the activity is to reach out to the prison inmates and give them hope that there is still God. She encouraged the inmates that the Federal Government still loves them and wants them to be reformed and stand as a peace maker even after they leave the prison, adding that God is still interested in their

case in as much as they accept Jesus Christ as their personal saviour.

Mrs Oluyombo urged other Minister’s wife, Nigerians and even stakeholders to be interested in what is happening in Nigeria prisons and extend their hand of hope to them.

Items distributed was Bag of Rice, Salt, Pampers, Toiletries amongst others

he director of Queen’s Science / Arts Nursery, Primary and Secondary School Rafin – Sanyiin Suleja local government Area of Niger state, Dr. NathNwaneri, has disclosed that a total number of 335 students / pupils comprised of Nursery, Primary as well as Secondary sections graduated in this year’s academic session.

Nwaneri, who made the disclose during the graduation and prize giving day ceremony at the school premises in Rafin – Sanyi, also revealed that one of their students called Kelechi Lucky took 1st position during the NNPC quiz and Essay competition in Niger state as well as became the 2nd position in the whole federation.

He said; “In 2012 WAEC and NECO examinations, our SS 3 students scored 100% in their results, they passed their papers with credits including English and Mathematics”.

He said that his administration would continue to award scholarship to brilliant children as well as less privileged ones in the societies, pointing out that the management of the school has put in place facilities to encourage the students /pupils in their academic pursuit.

He pleaded with the parents to co-operate with the management of the school in order to provide sound education for their children, while advising them purchase the recommended text book as well as new school uniform for their children during the next academic calendar.

The director then, appealed to the parents to checkmate the activities of their children to know the friends they mingled with in the society.

He also urged the parents to train their children with norms, religion and cultural heritage which they belonged to, as according to him, you can only take the children away from culture but you cannot take culture away from them.

Nnaweri, however, prayed for the graduating students for God’sguidance in their future endanvours.

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

Metro INSIDE FCT COURTS

Police arraign 2 persons for alleged conspiracy, cheating

T

he police has arraigned one Ben Koko, 46 and Julie Ugoagu, 38 in an Abuja Senior Magistrates Court for deceiving one Alhaji Usman Idris into selling cars worth N90 million to them.

The prosecutor, Ugochukwu Jonathan, told the court that Idris reported the matter at the Criminal Investigation Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja, on May 28.

He said that the accused persons, living at 32F Okotie Eboh Crescent, Utako, Abuja, conspired and deceived Idris into selling to them two Toyota Camry 2009 model cars, valued at N7.5 million each.

Other cars were four Toyota Corolla 2009 model valued at N5 million each, and 10 Toyota Hilux four wheel drive 2009 model valued at N5.5 each.

The prosecutor added that both perpetrated the act on the pretext that they work with the Ministry of Transport, which the complainant believed.

Jonathan said that the total number of vehicles collected by the accused persons was 16, valued at N90 million.

He said that the two are standing trial for criminal conspiracy and cheating, contrary to sections 97 and 325 of the Penal Code.

Section 97 of the Penal Code says whoever is a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit an offence punishable with death or with imprisonment shall be punished in the same manner as if he abetted such offence.

Section 325 stipulates that whoever cheats and thereby fraudulently or dishonestly induces the person deceived to deliver any property to any person or to make, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine.

The accused persons however pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Counsel to the accused persons, Mr Linus Okwute, prayed the court to grant his clients bail, citing Section 341(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code to back up his prayers.

He said that they would not jump bail if granted and they would provide reasonable surety.

The counsel said that the essence of the bail was to allow the accused persons to prepare for the trial, promising that they would not interfere with police investigation if granted bail.

The Senior Magistrate, Mrs Ramatu Gulma, granted the accused bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties each, adding that one of the sureties must be a civil servant from Grade Level 14.

She said that the sureties must show to the court their letters of promotion from their employers.

Gulma added that the second sureties must be businessmen and adjourned the case to Sept. 24, 2013 for hearing. (NAN)

An accident scene at NICON Junction on Nnamdi Azikiwe expressway, in Abuja at the weekend.

Court discharges carpenter who allegedly beat up pregnant woman

A

Grade 1 Area Court sitting in Aso Pada in Mararaba, Nasarawa State, on Wednesday discharged a carpenter, Emeka Ani, 25, of Kabayi village, who allegedly beat up a pregnant woman.

The prosecutor, Cpl. Inuwa Maigida, on resumption of hearing applied for adjournment to enable him present his witnesses.

However, the defence counsel, Alexander Owobi, did not object to Maigida’s application.

Owobi pleaded with the court to discharge the accused on the ground that the complainant had already settled the matter with the accused.

“The complainant has visited the accused in Keffi Prison and settled the matter with him.

“The accused person’s wife is presently at the hospital receiving medical attention and has no

money for treatment.

“His son is feeding from the kindness of people in the compound,” Owobi pleaded.

In his ruling, the presiding judge, Mr. Alber Maga, said the matter was not a compoundable offence.

“By the Penal Code, the offence is not compoundable.

“For the fact that the counsel informed the court about the settlement and that the accused person’s wife is sick, I think it will not be proper to continue keeping the accused behind bar,’’ he said.

He said it was not the court’s fault that the accused was not able to meet his bail conditions.

“The accused person is hereby discharged, he should write an undertaking, promising the court not to further commit similar offence,’’ he ruled.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Ani was arraigned on May 16 for alleged criminal conspiracy, criminal force and causing hurt.

Maigida had told the court that the matter was reported at the ‘A’ Division Police Station, Mararaba by Augustine Ojobo of Kabayi Village on May 15.

He said that at about 10.45 p.m. on that day, Ani and seven others, now at large, conspired and beat up Simon Ojobo and Elizabeth Ojobo, who was five months pregnant.

“As a result of the beating they sustained injuries,’’ he said.

“They also made away with the complainant’s bag containing lap top valued at N120,000, a wallet containing ATM cards and student ID card.’’

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges. (NAN)

Car dealer gets 85 days imprisonment for cheating

A

n Abuja Senior Magistrates Court on Thursday sentenced a 38-year-old car dealer, Tunde Abdul-Rahman, to 85 days in prison for absconding with N500, 000 proceeds from the sale of a car.

The Senior Magistrate, Mr Abdullahi Ilelah, however, granted Abdul-Rahman the option to pay N3,500 fine.

The convict had pleaded guilty to the two count-charge of criminal trespass and mischief.

Ilelah also ordered the payment of N500,000 to the complainant as compensation.

The Police Prosecutor, Mr Phillip Apollos, earlier told the court that the complainant, Mr Adejumo Waheed, who resides at Gwagwalada village, had, on May 16, given his Golf car to the convict

to sell at the rate of N500,000.

Apollos said the convict sold the car and converted the proceeds to his use while escaping to an unknown destination until he was arrested by the police on July 2.

The convict pleaded with the court to show leniency as he had a wife and six children to cater for.

Ilelah said although the convict pleaded to the court to be lenient in its judgment, he had to be punished to serve as deterrent to others who were likely to commit such an offence.

In another development, Ilelah has sentenced a 20 year-old man, Alhaji Muazu, to 60 days in prison for attempting to break into a home to steal.

Muazu was however granted the option to pay a fine N1,000 after pleading guilty to a two

count-charge of criminal trespass and mischief.

The Prosecutor, Mr. Philip Apollos, told the court that the convict, while attempting to break into the home of Mr. Olusola Michael to steal, was apprehended by the neighbours.

He said Michael, a resident of Jabi, reported the matter to the Life Camp police station, Abuja, on July 2.

The convict, who pleaded guilty to the offence, begged the court to be lenient in its judgment as he committed the offence because he had no food to eat.

The senior magistrate said the plea of the accused would be considered by the court as he was a first time offender and did not waste the time of the court in admitting to the offence. (NAN)

Photo: NAN

Five security guards charged for alleged negligence

T

he Police on Wednesday arraigned five security guards before a Grade 2 Area Court in Kado for alleged negligence.

The police prosecutor, Sgt. Simon Ibrahim, gave the names of the accused as Olayinka David, Williams Aminu, Felix Raymond, Chris Adamu, and Jonathan Isua.

He said the five accused whose ages range between 18 and 27 were staff of Legacy Security Organisation, Abuja.

Ibrahim told the court that Mr Innocent Okwonko of Plot 295, Ebitu Oke Street, Utako, Abuja, reported a case of negligence against the accused at Utako Police Station on July 11.

He said the complainant told the police that suspected thieves broke into Santarila Hotel, Utako, Abuja, and stole 129 drums of mega paint valued at N1.2 million The prosecutor said that during interrogation the police discovered that the five accused were on duty on the day of the robbery.

He said the offence of negligence contravened Sections 196 of the Penal Code.

Section 196 states that offence of negligence shall attract an imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine of N100 or both.

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

The Presiding Judge, Alhaji Ahmed Ado, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N50,000 each with one surety each in like sum.

He ordered that each of the sureties should be resident within the jurisdiction of the court.

The Judge adjourned the case to Nov. 3,2013 for further hearing.

(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 19

INSIDE

Isa_abdulwahab@yahoo.com, Isaabdulwahab@gmail.com 08033045613

Food prices decline trigger concern for fiscal deficit –World Bank report

By Abdulwahab Isa

A

World Bank food price report has indicated a decline in international food prices for the third consecutive quarter peaking at 12% below the historical peak in August 2012.

The report released yesterday however notes that continued popularity of food subsidies often do not deliver the results policy makers are seeking stressing that subsidies, often “keep poor hungry, boost

fiscal deficits and encourage corruption”.

The report says global food prices declined for three consecutive quarters, and then rose in May and June, remaining close to historical peaks.

Some countries with high poverty and weak safety nets are now responding to this chronic volatility by scaling up consumer food subsidies but these are often counter-productive, the World Bank Group’s quarterly Food Price Watch reported yesterday .

“Poorly designed food subsidy programs that lack transparency and accountability in implementation do not benefit poor people. These programs can be very costly and prone to corruption, and waste scarce fiscal resources,” said Jaime Saavedra, World Bank Group’s Acting Vice President for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management.

“Reforming such programs is a policy priority, leading the way to smart subsidies that target the

L-R: Developer of Vivian Estate Enugu, Mr Leo Ugwu, developer of Elim Estate Enugu, Chief Ugo Chime, Executive Director, Policy and Strategy, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Mr Mike Nwogbo, and south-east zonal coordinator, FMBN, Mr. Simeon Agada, during an inspection of estate housing projects, recently in Enugu.

Photo: NAN

Nigeria’s $1bn Eurobond attracts Investors Aisha Bolaji with agency report

N

igeria’s second $1billion Eurobond is oversubscribed by international investors, an analysts said confirming renewed confidence in Nigerian economy.

The sale of the five- and tenyear bonds generated decent, albeit non-exceptional demand, raising the funds that the government intends to invest into power transmission projects, according to a person with knowledge of the sale.

The valuations of the new Eurobonds also look cheap, said Samir Gadio, an emerging markets strategist at Standard Bank, in London.

“The price guideline for the ten-year implies a spread over United States Treasuries (UST) of 415 basis points (bps) while

the outstanding 21s trade at 343 bps over UST at the moment,” Gadio said yesterday, in an email response to questions.

“Besides, emerging market Eurobonds have gained ground in recent days, suggesting that there is probably more yield compression potential in the secondary market in the immediate near term, especially if the typical bid from local financial institutions also materialises.”

Developing nations sold $35.5 billion of dollar debt in the first half, with yields as little as 2.72 percent, as investors searched for higher returns, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Emerging sovereign bonds have however lost their bid since May 22 as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke signaled the Central Bank may reduce its $85 billion a month of

bond purchases this year, leading to higher yields.

“The government will still have to pay a higher external funding cost than what it could have secured a couple of months ago and only shy of the initial levels of the Jan 2021 Eurobond (at the time a coupon of 6.75 percent and yield of 7 percent), “ Gadio notes.

Nigeria’s total debt stood at 17 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as at March 2013, according to data from the Debt Management Office (DMO).

This comprises of N6.5 trillion in domestic debt (excluding AMCON bonds), and $6.67 billion in foreign dollar debt.

Nigeria was upgraded to BBwith a stable outlook, by Standard & Poor’s last year.

The nation’s budget deficit will narrow to 1.85 percent of GDP in

most needed and complement existing safety nets.” Saavedra added.

According to the latest edition of the Food Price Watch, global food prices continued to fall between February and June 2013 - a trend observed since the recent all-time peak in August 2012 but prices were only 12 percent below the August peak. Higher production, declining imports and lower demand generally pushed export prices down although international markets continue to be tight for maize (corn).

Current prices of wheat reflect expectations that world production will rebound this year from last year’s declines.

Rice prices continued to decrease moderately from a combination of offsetting factors.

Downward price pressures from good harvests in Thailand and Vietnam counteracted upward pressures from increasing demand and thinner supplies in India, Pakistan, the United States, and South America.

Looking ahead, uncertainty in the international market remains. Recently unfavorable weather conditions in northern and central Europe, the Russian Federation and China may affect the prospects of a rebound in the world wheat production.

The current situation in Egypt may also impact international markets of wheat; given Egypt is the world’s top wheat importer.

Domestic prices meanwhile generally followed seasonal trends but wide variations continued: where prices rose between February and June 2013 it was mainly due to a combination of factors including bad weather, dwindling supplies, currency devaluations and public procurement policies.

Dana Air crash victims: NAICOM insists on prompt payment of families

- Pg 20

Benin IPMAN, NNPC to tackle vandalism - Pg 22 Exchange Rates CBN

as at 29th July, 2013 Selling Buying

$

154.76

155.76

€

237.91

239.44

£

205.44

206.77

41.26

41.53

Riyal

Parallel Rates Buying

Selling

$

157.50

158.40

€

250

253.00

£

206.00

210.00

Riyal

43.00

45.00

MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE DAY Evaluate your potential customers

B

efore you launch a new product, you need to have an idea of how many people will buy it. There are two ways to do this. If you’re already selling products, it’s often easiest to start by looking at your existing customers. Who among them might find this new product useful? Then build up your forecast from there.

Think about other people who are similar to your current customers, including those in adjacent market segments. This

is called a bottom-up approach.

To do a top-down calculation, start with a large, diverse population (say the entire population of the U.S.) and then use a series of qualifying attributes, such as income level or age, to narrow your potential market.

To get the best of both of these methods, have two people on your team use each one and then compare the results.

Source: Harvard Business Review

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 20

Economy Company News

Nigeria’s UBA says first half profit rises 9.3 pct

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igeria’s United Bank for Africa (UBA) said on Monday its half-year pretax profit rose to 33.24 billion naira ($207 mln), up 9.3 percent from the same period a year ago.

Gross earnings at the top-tier lender climbed to 125.98 billion naira during the six months to June 30, against 107.91 billion naira last year. ($1 = 160.7 naira) (Reporting by Oludare Mayowa; editing

by Chijioke Ohuocha and Keiron Henderson)

NIMC to dispatch mobile enrolment vehicles to villages

By Aisha Bolaji

A

s part of its expansion plans, the National Identity Management Commission has procured mobile enrolment service vehicles to be dispatched to all the nook and crannies including villages of Nigeria.

Similarly, the Commission has open more registration centers in all the 36 of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja .

A statement by the DirectorGeneral, NIMC, Mr. Chris Onyemenam announcing these developments recently said the agency would, among other things, encourage investment

and improve the business environment in the country.

He said, “The National Identity Smart Cards, which the agency manages, will enable businesses to know the identities of people they are dealing with. Efforts have reached an advanced stage towards expanding to the 774 local government areas.

Additionally, mobile enrolment service vehicles have already been procured to serve people living in the rural areas.

“Consumer credit, for example, will become far more possible to run when firms can quickly and easily confirm their customers to be whom they claim to be. As the extension

of consumer credit becomes a lot easier, consumer credit institutions themselves will in turn spring up and flourish.

In summary, that is where I see the impact that this will have on the economy and Nigeria of tomorrow.” According to Onyemenam, there will be a boost in investment “because the business environment will improve significantly where there is secure proof of identity.”

He said enrolment activities, which started in Abuja on February 23, 2012, had been extended to every state capital. He also said a pre-enrolment portal often helped to reduce time spent at the enrolment centers.

S

N

Cadbury Nigeria says H1 pretax profit up 123 pct

C

adbury Nigeria said on Monday its half-year pretax profit jumped to 3.58 billion naira ($22.3 mln), up 123 percent from 1.61 billion naira in the same period a year ago.

he Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said 83 ships would arrive Lagos ports between July 29 and Aug. 23.

A daily publication of the NPA, ``Shipping Position’’, which was made available to newsmen in Lagos, said 20 of the ships would sail in with petroleum products.

It said that other ships expected at the port were carrying fish, wheat, rice, general cargo, new and used vehicles, steel products, base oil, sugar and malt.

It also said that six ships laden with petrol were waiting to discharge at the various oil terminals.

The document said that some of the ships would berth at Green view Development Nigeria Ltd , ENL Consortium and Ports and Terminals Multi-services Ltd (PTML).

T

outh Africa’s Chamber of Mines has declared a dispute with labour group AMCU in gold negotiations, a move that will likely place wage talks for the entire sector before a governmentaffiliated mediator, it said on Monday.

igerian conglomerate UAC said on Monday its half-year pretax profit rose to 5.21 billion naira ($32.4 mln), up 50 percent from the same period a year ago.

T

Informal sector can access mortgage loans – FMBN

South Africa’s mining group says gold talks stalled

Nigerian conglomerate UAC says H1 profit rises 50 pct

83 ships expected at various ports in Lagos

L-R: The picture shows Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Ade Bajomo; Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema; Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Benjamin Ezra Dikki; DD/SA, - DG, BPE, Mr. Danlami Z. Jelka during a courtesy visit to The Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday in Lagos.

Dana Air crash victims: NAICOM insists on prompt payment of families

By Etuka Sunday

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he National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) yesterday reiterated its position on the prompt payment of all outstanding claims to the families of Dana Air clash victims.

NAICOM’s stance reinforces the six months ultimatum given by the Federal Government to Dana Air and its insurers to pay claims to families of the victims.

The Commissioner for Insurance, Mr Fola Daniel in an exclusive interview with WorldStage Newonline said that the commission’s stance on the payment of claims to families of victims of Dana Air crash had been very clear.

According to him, the

…as subscribers, local capacity soars commission had impressed this on the insurers and they had given commitment to pay once all the bottlenecks were cleared.

Mr. Fola agreed that the Federal Government on Thursday, 27th of June, through the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah gave Dana Air and insurers six months to pay the claims of the families of the victims of the crash or face sanctions.

She said the airline had paid up to 60 per cent of the claims but experienced a delay due to double claims that needed to be clarified and that Dana had promised to pay all by December.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Insurance said that the

insurance Industry in the last three years recorded a growth of one million subscribers.

According to him, the number of insured in Nigeria was 500,000 three years ago, but currently stands at about 1.5 million, out of a population of over 165 million.

Daniel noted that the Gross Premium Income (GPI) had increased from N157 billion in 2010 to N250 billion in 2012.

He said increase in local capacity had moved from less than 10 per cent to 48 per cent, adding that the commencement of implementation of Section 50 of the insurance Act 2003 had improved financial assets of operators.

he Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) said that the informal sector had the opportunity of accessing estate development loans through the National Housing Fund (NHF).

FMBN Head of Loans Production Mr. Kabir Yagboyaju, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos that the loans were targeted at the informal sector’s co-operative societies and not individuals.

According to him, the idea is for the loans to be used to develop housing estates for members of the co-operative societies.

“Contributing to the National Housing Fund (NHF) scheme is not limited to workers.

“The informal sector is also included and the FMBN has, for some time now, been encouraging the sector to participate in the scheme.

“The bank is also encouraging them to set up co-operative societies which they will leverage upon to get loans from the NHF. “One of the FMBN’s loan vehicles that they could benefit from through the co-operative society is the Estate Development Loan,’’ he said.

Yagboyaju said that cooperative societies would provide the informal sector the opportunity to either acquire land easily or buy into the ones being promoted by some estate developers.

He said that it was one way of solving the issue of obtaining Land Titles which has been a problem as the NHF loan could not be given without a Land Title.

According to him, it is a way of facilitating large-scale housing development, as well as ensuring that all NHF contributors benefitted from the fund.

NAN recalls that the NHF was established in 1992 and it is mandatory for workers that earn N3,000 and above, per annum, to contribute 2.5 per cent of their salaries to the fund. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

’s 3 .

4 d oi Andr atures Fe Best

F

irst, Android 4.3 is the fastest version of Android yet. The new system softw a r e makes advancements on the Project Butter tools already present in Jelly Bean, such as vsync timing, triple buffering, reduced touch latency, and hardwareaccelerated 2D rendering, to make gains in overall performance. The new system software also improves rendering for shapes and text, which are higher quality and accomplished more efficiently within the software. It is also better at threading tasks across multi-core systems for balancing power and processing needs.

Second, Android 4.3 adds

PAGE 21

Biz Extra/Ict Here are some of the best features of the new platform:

support for Bluetooth Smart, also called Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy. This is the Bluetooth spec we’ve all been waiting for.

Until now, Bluetooth wasn’t part of the core Android stack and it was up to individual device makers to i m ple-

ment it in their own way. This caused problems for applica-

tion developers. With Bluetooth 4.0 baked into the core of the platform, app developers should see many of their headaches go away. The payoff is that it will be easier to create apps that can talk to low-power sensors that track fitness, medical, proximity, location and other data.

Game developers should be pleased that Android 4.3 adds support for OpenGL ES 3.0.

By stuffing these extensions into Android, gamers can create even more realistic and immersive 3D graphics. OpenGL ES 3.0 provides acceleration of advanced visual effects, better compression, advanced texture rendering and more. The most beneficial aspect of OpenGL ES 3.0 support is that developers will be able to create a single texture-compression format that will run across a number of devices.

One of the more interesting features in Android 4.3 is support for restricted profiles.

Android 4.2 added support for multiple user profiles on the same device, which lets parents create a profile for themselves and others for their children.

Each profile can set its own home screen, favorite apps and so on. Restricted profiles in Android 4.3 takes the idea a step further by giving parents more granular control over what apps and services other profiles can access and use.

For example, Google Play Store purchases can be nixed, as can in-app updates. One drawback, however, is that it requires app developers to opt in.

Android 4.3 brings with it new digital rights management tools that will eventually lead to a better selection of content for Android devices. For example, third-party content companies, such as Netflix, won’t offer some HD content due to the restrictions of DRM tools within Android 4.2. In Android 4.3, Google has improved the modular DRM framework so that developers can stick DRM into their content more easily. In the long run, it should improve the video and audio content that’s available to Android devices.

Finally, Android 4.3 gives developers greater control over notifications. With the tools in 4.3, developers can let their apps access and interact with status bar notifications in any way that they want. According to Google, notifications can be set to skip the notification bar entirely and routed to Bluetooth devices.

While it’s true that the bulk of these new features focus more on developers than consumers, both groups will benefit greatly from the added toolset in Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

Attend Interop New York to experience the latest technologies, learn the most valuable strategies and meet the top minds in IT. Interop New York happens Sept. 30-Oct. 4.

LG Nexus 4 E960 - Full phone specifications General 2G Network 3G Network SIM Announced Status Body Dimensions Weight Display Type Size Multitouch Protection Sound Alert types Loudspeaker 3.5mm jack Memory Card slot Internal Data slots), EDGE Speed WLAN Bluetooth NFC USB Camera Primary Features Video Secondary Features Chipset CPU GPU Sensors compass, Messaging Browser Radio GPS Java Colors

Battery Stand-by Talk time Misc SAR EU Price group Tests Display Loudspeaker Audio quality Battery life

OS

GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 HSDPA 900 / 2100 Micro-SIM 2012, October Available. Released 2012, November 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm (5.27 x 2.70 x 0.36 in) 139 g (4.90 oz) True HD IPS Plus capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors 768 x 1280 pixels, 4.7 inches (~318 ppi pixel density) Yes Corning Gorilla Glass 2 Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones Yes Yes No 8/16 GB storage, 2 GB RAM GPRS Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 32 - 48 kbps Class 12 DC-HSDPA, 42 Mbps; HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot Yes, v4.0 with A2DP Yes Yes, microUSB (SlimPort) v2.0 8 MP, 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, check quality Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, photo sphere Yes, 1080p@30fps, check quality Yes, 1.3 MP Android OS, v4.2 (Jelly Bean), upgradable to v4.3 (Jelly Bean) Qualcomm APQ8064 Snapdragon Quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait Adreno 320 Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM, RSS HTML5 No Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS Yes, via Java MIDP emulator Black, White - SNS integration - Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic - MP4/H.264/H.263 player - MP3/WAV/eAAC+/AC3 player - Organizer - Image/video editor - Document editor - Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, Picasa - Voice memo/dial/commands - Predictive text input Non-removable Li-Po 2100 mAh battery (2G) / Up to 390 h (3G) (2G) / Up to 15 h (3G) SAR US 0.55 W/kg (head) 1.27 W/kg (body) 0.41 W/kg (head) 0.48 W/kg (body) [About 320 EUR] Contrast ratio: 1341 (nominal) / 1.926:1 (sunlight) Voice 71dB / Noise 66dB / Ring 78dB Noise -82.3dB / Crosstalk -82.0dB Camera Photo / Video Endurance rating 32h

PAGE 22

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

Economy

Benin IPMAN, NNPC to tackle vandalism From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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ewly elected Chairman, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN), Benin zone, Comrade David Ikhuoria says his admin-

istration will collaborate with authorities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depot in the state to check high incidences of vandalism.

Ikhuoria made the pledge recently in Benin City shortly after he was elected the chairman of

IPMAN. He said it’s increasingly worrisome that about 200,000 barrels of production are siphoned on a daily basis through pipelines, pointing that “the trend portends a great danger the nation’s economy”.

According to him, “I have giv-

en my word on vandalism to the NNPC depot Chief; because this victory will bring a viable change to the annals of Benin IPMAN. The reason is that when the depot is viable, our members will smile since we do not have any other farm to call our own”.

CIIN building impasse to be resolved soon – President

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L-R: Minister of National Planning, Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman, receiving an infrastructure action plan for Nigeria from Vice-President, African Development Bank (AfDB), Prof. Mthuli Ncube, during a high level policy dialogue on AfDB infrastructure and structural transformation plan for Nigeria, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: NAN

Association decries poor infrastructure maintenance

T

he National President of the Nigerian Institution of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Mr Adekunle Makinde has decried poor maintenance of infrastructure in the country.

Makinde told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone that the nation’s infrastructure had suffered poor maintenance over the years.

He said that poor maintenance of roads and street lights had caused many accidents.

“We have preventive, curative and turn around maintenance.

“Some of the maintenance should be scheduled; that is why they are called routine maintenance.

“There are some cables that must be removed from the ground after sometime, whether they are in good condition or not.

“Some of street light filaments or bulbs must be changed after sometime whether they are working or not because there is a life span for them.

“We know a lot of accidents that would have been averted by having street lights on.

“The lights will prevent people from being knocked down and vehicles veering off the roads,’’ he told NAN. He said that roads should be regularly monitored by relevant government agencies, and that faults should addressed in time to avoid such faults developing into death traps.

Makinde urged the three tiers of government to award contracts to only professionals for maximum results.

He alleged that contracts were being awarded on sentiments

rather than adherence to standard procedures.

The engineer advised that road contracts should be awarded to firms with good track records to avoid compromising standards.

Makinde also advised governments to seek the support of professional bodies while awarding contracts to promote standards.

He urged that certified Nigerian engineers should be allowed to partake in execution of major government projects that had to do with engineering. (NAN)

CBN cashless policy not effective at Nigerian seaports

By Dapo Olawuni, Lagos

S

takeholders operating at the Nigerian seaports have described the Cashless Policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria as mirage because the policy is not working at the seaports.

To this end, they suggested a need for government to introduce the use of credit cards for the purpose of clearing cargoes from the port.

A port pressure group; Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders, Importers and Exporters Coalition (SNFFIEC) canvassed this position saying that there is need to disallow personal contact in the course of doing business at the port

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, Coordinator of the group, Chief Osita Chukwu Patrick stated that “The government should stop people from going into the port with cash, they should mandate it to be credit card or debit card as the case may be, any cash found should be seized, by so doing, corruption will reduce drastically” “In other countries of the world that we have visited and researched, we found out that nobody does personal contact at the port in exchange for anything, but here people celebrate it” Osita also called on the Federal Government to remove the powers to issue and renew clearing licenses from the Nigerian

Custom Service and hand it over to the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) The CRFFN is a body established by an Act of parliament to regulate freight forwarding activities at the port, hence it should be given the full powers to regulate the sector.

“Stop custom from issuing or renewing clearing license and hand it over to the CRFFN so as to balance the system in the maritime domain” he said Osita observed that currently, the Council is in dare need of funds and it can only make money to carry out its functions through the issuance and renewal of practicing

licenses.

“If such is given to the CRFFN I think most of the freight forwarders will be free to speak out because for some time now, fear has gripped importers and exporters due to the fact that when you speak out, the next thing custom will do is to block your license and stop you from perfecting your profession” He took a swipe at the Customs and Excise Manage Act (CEMA) saying that it is obsolete. According to him, the word ‘customs agents’ should be totally abolished and replaced with ‘freight forwarders’. “Customs do not feed us, so we cannot be their agents” he said

he President, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), Mr. Fatai Kayode said that issues concerning the institute’s 30-year old uncompleted building in Victoria Island, Lagos would be resolved during his tenure.

Kayode told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the state of the uncompleted building had become a source of embarrassment to the institute.

According to him, as it stands today, that project is a huge waste of resources.

“We shall take a bold step on the Institute’s Victoria Island building project, which appeared to have been jinxed.

“That project, which is in the heart of Victoria Island, has remained uncompleted for 30 years.

“We shall take a definite and pragmatic position on the property in the overall interest of the Institute,” he said.

Kayode said that the institute would also reinforce activities at its College of Insurance and Financial Management Project.

According to him, the College has been at the core of the institute’s activities in the last three years and is now at an advanced stage of construction.

He said that the College was the best approach to opening up the doors of insurance education and the key to making insurance more appealing to a wider audience.

Kayode said that the Governing Council of the CIIN would work hard to ensure that the second phase of the college project was completed and the facilities made available for use.

He said that the facility would provide 10 lecture rooms that could accommodate 600 people and offer accommodation for 100 students.

“I believe this will go a long way in creating the needed conducive atmosphere for learning insurance and financial management subjects, ‘’ he said.

The CIIN president said that the college would also place CIIN on a proper platform to promote insurance education in the country.

NAN recalls that Kayode became the 45th President of the institute on June 14.

(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 23

Stock Watch

Report as at Monday, July 29, 2013

PEOPLES DAILY,TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

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PAGE 25

Special Report

Hepatitis: How many Nigerians know their status?

E

very year on July 28, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and partners mark World Hepatitis Day to increase the awareness and understanding of viral hepatitis and the diseases that it causes.

According to WHO, 1.4 million estimated cases of Hepatitis A occur annually, while Hepatitis B, regarded as the deadliest of the hepatitis clan, carries the highest estimated number of people infected with the virus worldwide – two billion people. As for Hepatitis C, 150 million people are chronically infected with the virus, WHO said.

Nature of hepatitis Hepatitis A, according to Consultant Gastroenterologist, Dr. Adegboyega Akere, is a liver disease caused by the Hepatitis A virus. The virus, he said, transmitted through ingestion of contaminated food and water or through direct contact with an infectious person, can manifest as mild to severe illness.

Unlike Hepatitis B and C, Hepatitis A infection does not cause chronic liver disease and is rarely fatal, but it can cause debilitating symptoms and acute liver failure, which is associated with high mortality, WHO said. But, Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus and it is a major global health problem, which can cause chronic liver disease and chronic infection, putting people at high risk of death from cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer, according to WHO. Worldwide, an estimated two billion people have been

infected with the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and more than 240 million have chronic (longterm) liver infections, while about 600 000 people die every year due to the acute or chronic consequences of hepatitis. The good news, Dr Femi Adeola, Chief Medical Director of a specialist hospital in Abuja, is that there is vaccination against HBV. The vaccine is 95 per cent effective in preventing infection and its chronic consequences, he said.

A consultant gastroenterologist at the College of Medicine, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Dr Olufunmilayo Lesi, was quoted to have said in a national newspaper that Hepatitis B Virus which damages one of the most important organs of the body, the liver, could stay in body fluids for as long as 20 years without being detected.

“An infected person could live with the chronic infection without any symptoms. By the time you are seeing the first symptoms such as yellowing of the eyes, abdominal pain, coloured urine, it will be too late for any doctor or specialist to save, treat or manage the infection. Most of the patients we see know they have been infected when they already have liver cancer,” she said.

Buttering her point, Dr Lesi said that hepatitis could “stay on a surface it touches for at least seven days. HIV virus does not stay for more than an hour or so.

It is 100 times more infectious than HIV. An infected person in a household would give it to the whole family, if they are not aware of it. That is why we

Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu

are saying it is no more one in 12 persons that are infected in the world. It is closer than you think.”

Hepatitis C is still a contagious liver disease and can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness. Its transmission is different from others in the sense that it spreads through blood of an infected person to an uninfected person.

Apart from the estimated 150 million people, many others are chronically infected and at risk of developing liver cirrhosis and/ or liver cancer. There are more than 350, 000 people who die from Hepatitis C-related liver diseases every year. Although there is currently no vaccine for Hepatitis C; three to four million people who are infected with the hepatitis C can be treated using antiviral medicines.

As for Hepatitis E, records have shown that over 20 million Hepatitis E infections, over three million acute cases of the virus, and 57 000 Hepatitis E-related deaths every year.

Like the type A, Hepatitis E virus is via contaminated water and is found worldwide, but its prevalence is highest in East and South Asia, according to WHO. But despite the fact that Hepatitis is one of the most prevalent and serious infectious conditions in the world, many people, especially Nigerians and health policy makers, are acutely unaware of its staggering toll on global health, Dr Akere, consultant GCI, UCH, told the Nigerian Tribune. This may not be unconnected with this year’s campaign goal: moving from awareness to commitment

This year’s World Hepatitis Day was held on Sunday. The campaign, themed: “This is hepatitis. Know it. Confront it,” emphasised the fact that hepatitis remains largely unknown as a health threat in parts of the world. A’isha Biola Raji examines the prevalence of the deadly virus in Nigeria, the cause and the implications of ignorance on Nigerians.

and action to address the silent epidemic of viral hepatitis.

Sadly, many people who have hepatitis go undiagnosed, mainly because the disease is mistaken for flu/cold or because there are no symptoms at all.

When Desola Adeniji (not real name) fell earlier this year, her roommates from the university she attended thought she had malaria because she complained of loss of appetite, fatigue, mild fever, muscle and joint aches, nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain. After she selfmedicated for a week and there was no improvement, she was taken to the school clinic where she was treated for typhoid.

After the sickness got worse, she was brought back home and was later taken to UCH when her skin and the white of her eyes appeared yellow, aside other medical symptoms she exhibited – dark urine, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. She was later diagnosed with acute Hepatitis B. The consultant in charge of her case at that time said she could have died if she had stayed off proper treatment

much longer. He explained that hepatitis is viral and the disease contagious.

According to Dr Akere, hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, most commonly caused by a viral infection. There are five main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E, he said, explaining that if left untreated, it could cause death, just as it has the potential for outbreaks and epidemic spread.

Hepatitis B and C could lead to chronic disease in hundreds of

millions of people and, together, are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis and cancer, he added.

Explaining how transmission of hepatitis works, Dr Femi Adeola, the Chief Medical Director of a specialist hospital in Abuja, said that Hepatitis A and E are typically caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water, while Hepatitis B, C and D “usually occur as a result of parenteral contact with infected body fluids. Common

“

Sadly, many people who have hepatitis go undiagnosed, mainly because the disease is mistaken for flu/cold or because there are no symptoms at all.

modes of transmission for these viruses include receipt of contaminated blood or blood products, invasive medical procedures using contaminated equipment and for Hepatitis B transmission from mother to baby at birth, from family member to child, and also by sexual contact.”

Corroborating WHO, Dr Adeola said millions of people are living with viral hepatitis and millions more are at risk of becoming infected. Last year, it was reported that 20 million Nigerians were infected with hepatitis B and worse; most people living with chronic Hepatitis B or C infection are unaware that they continue to carry the virus. Because of this fact, many suspecting people, she said are at a higher risk of developing severe chronic liver disease and can unknowingly transmit the virus to other people increasing death toll in the country. Already, approximately one million people die each year from causes related to viral hepatitis, most commonly cirrhosis and liver cancer, WHO reported.

Experts, during a

symposium on Hepatitis B organised by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in collaboration with the Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology of Nigeria (SGHIN) revealed that Hepatitis B alone affects about 19 million Nigerians.

Hepatitis has been known to be more infectious and common than the human immunodeficiency virus infection/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS).

NIMR Director-General, Professor Innocent Ujah, said although the disease is deadly, it is largely unknown by Nigerians, while calling for collaboration to ensure that Nigerians are not only aware of the viral disease, but are able to prevent it.

Also, Associate Professor and Consultant Gastroenterologist, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and a member of SGHIN, Dr Funmilayo Lesi, said Hepatitis B is a common disease in Nigeria that affects at least one in eight Nigerians.

Who is at risk?

Health professionals warned that people stand a higher risk

of Hepatitis B infection if they have unprotected sex with more than one partner, have unprotected sex with someone who’s infected with HBV, have a sexually transmitted infection such as gonorrhea or chlamydia.

Also a man who has sexual contact with other men, share needles during intravenous (IV) drug use, share a household with someone who has a chronic HBV infection, has a job that exposes him to human blood, receive hemodialysis for endstage kidney (renal) disease and travels to regions with high infection rates of HBV, such as Africa, Central and Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe.

If left untreated Medical experts warn that if left untreated, hepatitis could lead to some complications.

One of such is scarring of the liver, otherwise known as cirrhosis. Dr. Adeola said that Hepatitis B infection could cause inflammation that leads to extensive scarring of the liver (cirrhosis), which in turn, may impair the liver’s ability to function.

Another complication, health professionals warn, is liver cancer. People with chronic Hepatitis B infection have an increased risk of liver cancer, they warn, while emphasising that no one should leave hepatitis untreated because it could lead to liver failure. Acute liver failure is a condition in which the vital functions of the liver shut down and when that happens, a liver transplant is required to live.

Then there is the case of kidney problem. Hepatitis B infection can cause kidney problems that may lead eventually to kidney failure.

Children are more likely to recover from these kidney problems than are adults, who may experience kidney failure,

experts have warned.

Cost of hepatitis treatments “The danger of Hepatitis is that many people are unaware that they are carriers and by the time symptoms begin to appear, 95 percent of the liver has been damaged,” Dr Oladipupo Hameed, a member of Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists in Nigeria (SOHGIN), said, during a press briefing organised by the society, to advocate for increased Hepatitis B testing and treatment in Nigeria.

Dr. Charles Onyekwere consultant Physician and Gastroenterologist, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) during the briefing, also said that there is no proper focus for the treatment of hepatitis in Nigeria, at least as regards foreign support.

The Nigerian government, he said hasn’t shown much commitment either.

“Nigeria must design a local model for fighting Hepatitis B because the disease is not a priority to foreign donor agencies,” Dr. Onyekwere added. As if to support the doctor’s submission, the National Agency of the Control of AIDS (NACA) revealed that in 2008 alone, local and foreign agencies spent about N45 billion (or about $400 million) to combat HIV and AIDS. What’s more? In Nigeria, only one institution – the National Institute for Medical Research in Lagos has the equipment to perform laboratory diagnosis for determining the viral load of hepatitis. This process involves numerous tests, and it is costly.

Depending on the level of liver damage, a patient undertaking this diagnosis must be checked every six months during his or her life. A single test costs N28, 000 and numerous tests must

be undertaken.

According to him, to increase the population of Nigerians who know their status, schools, hospitals, and employers of labour should adopt more avenues to screen people.

Prevention Dr Remi Oluyemi, a member of SOHGIN, said last year that “hepatitis is an entirely preventable disease if detected early.” One of the ways to prevent hepatitis, professionals said is to get screened for the virus. Screening costs about N1, 000 and is available at most hospitals. In some state hospitals, screening is free.

Screening helps doctors to determine what type of hepatitis a patient has, or if it has hepatitis, and to administer proper treatments.

Dr Oluyemi canvassed that hospitals insist that patients should be tested for Hepatitis B as part of the registration process, thereby, helping the doctors catch the virus early before wreaking havocs on the internal organs of the patients.

Answering if Hepatitis B can be prevented, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United States of America, said, the best way to prevent Hepatitis B is by getting vaccinated. For adults, the Hepatitis B vaccine is given as a series of three shots over a period of six months. The entire series is needed for long-term protection.

Also, people are encouraged to practise safe sex, to lower the risk of transmission and should not share sharp objects. “Don’t share personal items—such as toothbrushes, razors and nail clippers—with an infected person,” the WebMD warned.

It is also advisable that people wash their hands after going to the bathroom and before fixing food or eating.

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

Defence

Where is the 53 percent military pension arrears?

By Joy Baba

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan, in June, 2010 approved the released of the sum of N23 billion as part of arrears owed to115,000 pensioners since 2003.

An immediate directive was subsequently given to the then Head of Civil Service of the Federation and the Chairman of the Military Pensions Board, to review monthly allowances for the military pensioners and the modalities for effecting the increments put in place at once, during a flag-off ceremony that took place at the Council’s chambers in the State House.

President Jonathan promised that his administration will implement the 53 percent arrears, in order to put an end to problems of unpaid or delayed military pensions, as according to him, “It is an embarrassment to see retired personnel who have served their father’s land suffering on our streets”.

The salary structures of Nigerian Armed Forces (both serving and retired personnel) are normally reviewed after every five years.

After the review in 2010, the 53 percent was implemented in the salaries of serving personnel but which has not being effected in the salaries of their retired counterparts, which is one of the reasons the pensioners are really angry.

It would be recalled that in May, the President of the National Association of Military Pensioners, Mr. Benson Eromafuru, in a statement issued at the end of a meeting with members of the association, in conjunction with ex- Policemen and their civilian counterpart in Warri, Delta state, expressed displeasure at the nonimplementation of the 53 percent three years after the presidency said it has released the funds.

Eromafuru said the defense by the chairman of Military Pensions Board, that the arrears was not captured in 2013 budget was not good enough, adding that nothing will stop them from embarking on a violent protest if the arrears were not paid by May 6, 2013.

The National Chairman also said, in the statement, that if the Federal Government could pay ex-militants their monthly N60,000 promptly, why toy with the life of those who fought for the unity of the country?

He also urged President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene as soon as possible to avert the impending violent protest as the protest might ground the economy of the nation if the pensioners were not paid.

The Chairman of the Military Pensions Board, Commodore

Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji Simeon Audu, in a swift reaction after the imminent threat of strike action by the military pensioners over the arrears increase owed them, called on the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Alhaji Aliyu Isma’ila to wade into the situation and help resolve the problem urging him to capture their arrears in the 2014 budget as that of 2013 has been passed.

Aliyu promised to take up the issue of the 53 percent arrears of pensioners with the relevant government authorities including the Salaries and Wages Commission.

Three years on, the military pensioners who are yet to see the promised arrears, in an angry protest, stormed National Assembly to register their grievance against the non-payment of their arrears purportedly approved already by the Presidency.

The ex-service men, most of

Minister of State, Defence, Olusola Obada whom were carrying placards with inscription that read: ‘Mr. President help us’; ‘We are dying of hunger’; ‘For how long shall we wait’, blocked the main entrance of the National Assembly complex to register their grievance and press home their demands.

The spokesman for the Exservicemen Welfare Association, Capt. Charlie Roberts (rtd), during the peaceful protest said the Federal Government has blatantly refused to pay them the increment that was approved since 2010, so they had to embark on this peaceful protest as a last resort since the Federal Government does not care about their plight.

In a letter addressed to the President and copied to the Senate President, the angry military pensioners said they want President Goodluck Jonathan, the Senate President and the Speaker

Chairman, Military Pensions Board, Navy Commodore Simeon Audu

House of Representatives to solve their problems, adding that they are demanding for the payment of 53 percent pension arrears from July 2010 to date.

The letter further made a demand on the Military Pensions Board to implement the increase on their monthly pension.

A top ranking officer from the Military Pensions Board, who spoke on anonymous ground with Peoples Daily, said the President has actually approved the money since 2010, but that the problem is with Ministry of Finance which has refused to release the said increment.

The officer blamed the Minister of Finance for whatever embarrassment the delay payment has caused the nation.

He further warned about fears that retired military personnel could attack the board

Military pensioners staging a peaceful protest over non payment of their accumulated pension, recently at National Assembly in Abuja

since they are assuming that they are the ones holding onto their money.

“These are personnel trained in the usage of arms and ammunition; you don’t joke with matters as serious as their salaries.

They could take up arms against the people at any time or even aid vices including insurgency to drive home their point”, the officer also said.

He urged the Federal Government and Ministry of Finance to respond to these pensioners to avert any possible actions that would ridicule the nation or drag her image in the mud.

Although, according to him, the Ministry of Finance has agreed to release funds for their arrears he however asked for how long they are going to wait for the implementation?

By 2015, it will be another five years after the 2010 review of military salary structure and there will be a need to do another review.

The unanswered question is: Is Federal Government going to wait till then before implementing the pensioners arrears or do they want to witness another protest from the personnel (which may not be as peaceful as the one held earlier in the month) before they respond to their needs? And how come that the new salary structure has been effected in the salaries of the serving personnel, yet nothing is being done to the retired ones, especially those who fought for the unity of these country?

These questions have been widely debated at the court of public opinion; and many have called on the appropriate authorities to answer the question – so as not to face the dilemma that awaits them.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

PAGE 27

Feature Curbing the incidence of teenage pregnancy in Nigeria

By Jacinta Nwachukwu

M

edical experts have, on many instances, called the attention of the public to the dangers of teenage pregnancy, which they describe as a major health challenge facing all the countries of the world.

They cite a report of the World Health Organisation (WHO), which indicates that more than 16 million girls, aged between 15 and 19 years, give birth to babies every year.

Irked by this report, stakeholders call for the adoption of proactive measures to check the rising menace of teenage pregnancy across the world.

However, the National Population Commission (NPC) says that efforts are being made to curb the menace of teenage pregnancy in Nigeria via aggressive public enlightenment programmes.

Mr Festus Odimegwu, the Chairman of NPC, stressed that the reasons behind teenage pregnancy included poverty and sexual abuse, among others. ``Worldwide and within countries, adolescent births are likely to occur among the poor, less educated and rural populations. ``The increasing incidence of teenage pregnancy in Nigeria can be appreciated against the backdrop of the fact that about 44.5 million Nigerians A pregnant teenage girl are young people. ``In 2015, this number is tive consequences of teenage expected to increase to 60 mil- pregnancy included unsafe lion young people due to early abortions, pregnancy complimarriages, early exposure to cations, poor antenatal care sex and pregnancy and poor and childbirth complications health services,’’ he said. induced by weak pelvic bones, Odimegwu said that teen- among others. age girls were at risk of havOdimegwu stressed that ing sexual and reproductive during the coming celebrahealth problems, insisting that tion of the International Youth the teenage maternal mortality Day on Aug. 12, the Federal rate of 0.822 per 1,000 women Government should address in Nigeria was high. challenges such as poverty, He said that the nega- sexual abuse and ignorance,

“

There is need for parents, school authorities and guardians to acquire relevant knowledge on teenage sexuality for them to be able to educate teenagers on sexual issues.

while putting stiffer penalties in place for perpetrators of sexual abuse.

The International Youth Day focuses on the rights of young people to have full access to education, adequate healthcare, employment opportunities, financial services and full participation in public life.

The Executive Director of a non-governmental organisation, Africare Development, Mr Vitalis Anyadike warned against pre-marital and teenage pregnancy, advising youngsters to abstain from pre-marital sex to avoid contracting HIV and other infections. ``Teenagers have been misinformed by their peers and some members of the society on the risks of pre-marital sex, thereby allowing themselves to be abused sexually,’’ he said.

Anyadike noted that several teenagers had lost their lives to abortion, while others had contracted deadly sexually transmitted diseases.

Chairman, NPC, Mr Festus Odimegwu,

``If people are educated on total abstinence from premarital sex, over 90 per cent of the people will be free from teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections as well as allied problems,’’ he added.

Sharing similar sentiments, Dr Joshua Zaman, a gynaecologist at University of Abuja

Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, said that teenagers were likely to have life-threatening complications during pregnancy and child delivery than those in their 20s.

He said that teenagers, who indulged in pre-marital sex, faced the risk of dropping out of school as a result of pregnancy.

Zaman identified unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV and AIDS, as some of the major challenges facing young people who engaged in pre-marital sex.

He, however, noted that poverty was also responsible for many of the teenage pregnancies, adding that pregnant teenagers usually faced a lot of trauma, social abuse and health related problems. ``There is need for parents, school authorities and guardians to acquire relevant knowledge on teenage sexuality for them to be able to educate teenagers on sexual issues. ``This will also aid efforts to prevent the circumstances associated with irresponsible sexual behaviour,’’ he said.

Besides, Zaman advised parents to sensitise their children to the dangers of early sex, while making pragmatic efforts to dissuade them from engaging in pre-marital sexual relations.

In efforts to protect the youth, Rep. Charles Odedo, a member of House of Representatives’ Committee on Population, said that the Child Rights, particularly those relating to the girl child, must always be preserved and protected. ``The legislature and the executive at the federal level have adopted and enacted the Child’s Rights Act; the National Assembly has been calling on the different states to follow suit. ``Parents are also called upon to create more time for their children’s upbringing, rather than leaving them under the care of housemaids; they should not forget the fact that money is not everything,’’ he said.

All the same, observers note that as the world celebrates the International Youth Day, pragmatic efforts should be made in Nigeria addressing the root causes of teenage pregnancy.

Source: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 27

Feature

10 weird tricks to make your life easier We all know that things like exercise and a proper diet are important for a healthy lifestyle, but in a world where everyone’s looking for the easy route, those don’t always cut it. Instead, we need to see improvement immediately. So buckle up. Here are 10 weird tricks and facts that can help you get ahead—even if you need to pretend that life is an elaborate video game first.

Think of life as a video game The prevailing opinion of video games is that they’re a waste of time. But according to a study from Michigan State University in the United States, video games can be effective tools that allow us to maintain and enhance our relationships.

Another study showed that video games proved more effective than medication for treating depression and anxiety. And using that concept, one game designer (while recovering from a concussion) came up with the idea that these benefits were a result of the mindset a video game creates.

She created a game called SuperBetter, in which real life obstacles were viewed from the perspective of a video game. She turned each stage in her physical therapy into quests. Positive changes became power-ups, and setbacks were the “bad guys” to be defeated. And according to Forbes, the game actually works.

Music has the tendency to improve our dopaminergic neurotransmission, which is a fancy way to say it releases the chemical dopamine in our brains.

Typically, dopamine is associated with our pleasure and reward centers, and it’s also closely linked with drug addiction. In a sense, listening to music is enjoyable because it gives us a buzz. But it also has another effect: The study found that our brains produce more of a certain type of calcium while listening to music, and that calcium is vital for lowering blood pressure. After only 30 minutes of exposure to Mozart, rats had their blood pressure drop a full 20 mmHg (millimeters of mercury), which is the difference between high and normal blood pressure.

Use your right ear If you’re having trouble hearing someone, what do you do?

Most people crane their neck toward the speaker. As it turns out, that’s the perfect thing to do—but probably not for the reason you think. Most people are aware that the brain is split into two hemispheres. Each hemisphere is dominant in different areas, such as perceiving sound, and the left

Essex to determine how color affects mood and found that bright colors had a huge impact on reaction times and memory. Participants in the study were shown either “sunny” colors or bland, gray images, and then asked to perform a series of cognitive tests.

The group that was shown sunflower pictures scored an average of 25 percent higher on the mental acuity tests than those shown gray colors. Even stranger, they also had a nine percent increase in physical strength. The researchers concluded that bright colors increase alertness, and red seemed to give the participants more confidence.

Elaborative encoding The USA Memory Championship is an annual competition in which people compete to memorize the most information in the shortest amount of time. In one of the events, contestants are given five minutes to memorize 500 numbers in a specific order. The record holder correctly recited 303 digits.

How does a person store all that information? If you ask them, they’ll tell you their memory isn’t anything extraordinary. Anybody

Posture Our social hierarchy dictates that every group of two or more people contains at least one dominant and one submissive member. It’s not always easy to see, but people tend to pick up on the body language of others and react accordingly. If you act shy, they’ll assume a more dominant position, and vice versa. And it’s not just others who react to you—your mind reacts to your own body language.

In an experiment at Harvard University in the US, those in a dominant stance had measurably higher testosterone and lower cortisone (higher cortisone equals higher stress), and the results were reversed for people in a submissive stance. With just a slight adjustment to their posture, the submissive people reported feeling more confident and better able to deal with stress.

Stop eating Food actually plays an important role in our sleep rhythms. The body is normally controlled by circadian rhythm, a biological clock that generally syncs up with the cycle of night and day. But according to research performed by Clifford Saper, we have another internal clock—a food clock—that can step in and take primary control. When animals have a restricted food supply, their bodies will adjust to a new rhythm that allows them to forage more often. Saper found that this process can be utilized by humans as well.

If you want to adjust to a new sleep schedule, all you have to do

is stop eating 16 hours before the time you want to wake up. If you’re starting third shift at a new job and need to be awake at 9:00 PM, stop eating at 5:00 AM that morning.

The body can adjust to this new rhythm in as little as one day.

Don’t try to succeed Most people are of a particular mindset: if you work harder you’ll be successful, and if you’re successful you’ll be happy. According to psychologist Shawn Achor, the reality is actually the opposite.

Every time you achieve a goal, your brain raises the threshold of success. Success now becomes a matter of getting a better job or getting a better grade on the next test. The measure of what it means to be successful always increases.

What Achor found is that happiness is caused by noticing positive environmental factors instead of negative ones. He concluded that a brain with a positive mindset is 31 percent more effective than a neutral, stressed, or negative mindset. Doctors are 19 percent more accurate with their diagnoses when approaching problems with a positive mentality. It sounds kind of cheesy, but the findings were backed by another study that showed gratitude led to an overall feeling of well-being. So just think positive, and you’ll be happier.

Use your other hand Most of us have one dominant hand and one that isn’t much use when it comes to everyday tasks.

In an awkward segue, quite a few

people have trouble controlling their anger. Many of you are probably getting angry just reading this. But there’s an unusual way to curb that aggression; according to studies performed by Dr. Thomas Denson, all you have to do is use your less dominant hand.

Denson discovered that when people made an effort to use their non-dominant hand for everyday tasks, their anger levels dropped noticeably over the course of several weeks.

Limit your choices In a study by Sheena Iyengar, shoppers at a grocery store were presented with a table of free samples—six types of jam. On a another day, the same table had 24 total flavors. While the larger display drew a bigger crowd, only three percent of those people actually bought one of the jams. At the six-jam table, 30 percent of those who tasted a sample bought a jar.

When we’re given a choice, we often assume that we’ll be more likely to find something we like with a wider selection. But when presented with too many options, people are more likely to not make a decision at all.

Music As much as we listen to music, we don’t have a clue why everybody likes it so much. When researchers at the Institute of Medical Science in Japan set out to find the answer, they discovered that music has more than an emotional influence on us—it has a physiological effect as well.

Bright colors

can learn to perform these feats using a technique called elaborative encoding. The idea is that the human brain is better at memorizing images than anything else.

And by extension, if you can associate something abstract (like a number) with an image, your brain will more easily recall it. If we were to throw a random number at you (such as a phone number: 475-6732), sure, you could memorize it, but could you write it from memory a week from now?

Duncan Smith led a team of researchers at the University of

(Source: com)

hemisphere is typically responsible for spoken language.

As it turns out, our right and left ears are are also dominant when it comes to different functions. The right ear is better at receiving speech than the left ear— which makes sense. Signals from the right side of the body end up in the left side of the brain. So next time you can’t hear someone, make sure you give them your right ear.

http://listverse.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 28

Agriculture Food security still a huge challenge to African countries, says Prof. Alhassan Prof. Walter Alhassan is the former Director-General of the Ghana Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and now consults and co-ordinates projects on strengthening capacity for Safe Bio-technology Management in SubSaharan Africa (SABIMA). In this interview with Mohammed Kandi, he throws light on the top priorities at the recent Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW) .

Excerpts:

W

hat is the state of agriculture in Africa?

We are making a lot of head way in agriculture, in terms of new technology sets. A few countries are now food sufficient.

For instance, Ghana is an example of one of the countries which is meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) challenge and all these emanate from new technologies which are discussed and presented through the system; like there are regional agencies which coordinate and report directly with them.

The new challenges facing agriculture are discussed from FARA general assembly groups.

They get suggestions through these self-regulatory organisations (SROs) and eventually to the countries and of course, to the government. So, through a series of informed decision practices, which are made available to countries for the formulae, and over the years, as you can see, coming into system there is general increase in our agricultural productivity but there are still challenges facing agriculture.

And in every year, or every three years, they look at these new challenges and again sit back and put in a system; so it’s making progress in our country, but the progress is not the same across Africa, as some countries have better institutional arrangements in support of agriculture research and tackling problems around the poor farmer than other nations. That is why I cited the case of Ghana for instance.

Is it only Ghana that is making progress in terms of achieving self-sufficiency in food production and other key areas in Africa?

Yes, the issue of Ghana’s agriculture has come up, but other countries are faced with greater challenges; like for instance, Kenya; Kenya is one of the countries which have quite advanced taking about agriculture. But, there have been a lot of challenges of farming change, like drought and things like that; so, no matter your intention or your plans, if you are derailed by for instance natural disaster, at that level, it’s completely deteriorating.

Nevertheless, they are recently putting issues in pledge, to be able to tackle the issue of water suggestion on drought disaster of the country; they are looking at the issue very seriously; I believe that within the next two years, they would also get over the worries and also address the government challenges.

Professor Walter Alhassan

There has been a lot of emphasis on the science agenda for African agriculture; what is it all about?

The science agenda has not yet come out; it is being developed as a result these meetings. First of all, what science agenda has done is that the development of what is called a discussion paper, which has a number of experts that have been put together, in which they have looked at the system and they found out that for science to advance in agriculture, these are the gaps that we need to talk about them, such as new improved crop varieties, marketing challenges, all these things they have captured in their discussion paper.

These discussion papers have been circulated for people to comment on, and the comments raised by people will form the issues being discussed today.

The Science Agenda will articulate the science and technology that African agriculture needs to prioritise in order to achieve its agricultural development targets; the complementary actions needed for the science and technology to be sufficiently harnessed and the type and scale of investments required.

As you can see, there is a science agenda group open-side-event,

where they will discuss the science agenda issues again and then from these discussion fair where you would have a bigger stage holder forum, comment on it to come out with new ideas, new bridges and new issues which are there to be captured.

Who are these categories of individuals that have been drafted into developing the science agenda?

These are consortium of all expertise access agriculturalists in Africa. The chairman of the experts group, which we call the expert panel, is Dr. Nwadze Kanayo, who is from IFAD, in Rome; he used to be the literature professor in Tanzania.

Prof. Godfrey Raymond and other highly placed scientists in Africa; I am, for instance, a technical assistant to them, providing information as requested for them to put together.

You talked largely about SABIMA; can you throw more light on it?

The acronym SABIMA means ‘Strengthening Capacity for Safe Biotechnology Management in subSaharan Africa’. The project, which has just entered the third and last year of its duration, was given a clean bill of health by the project’s prime movers, at a milestone meeting at the FARA Secretariat at Accra. SABIMA

is funded by the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA) and managed by FARA. The main focus of SABIMA was to introduce proper steward that’s into the handling of agricultural products development process, especially when using bio-technologies and genetically-modified (GM) crops.

Now they are made by certain regulations. But we think that, that should not be the end; once you meet some criteria to introduce to GM crops, how you do it well is what the SABIMA project addresses. So, the chief scientists have to make sure that likely troubles in the system are eliminated.

Would you say there is more women and youth participation in African agriculture?

I will say it’s a question of awareness creation. Now, there is more awareness by the youth nowadays, some are even having open-side-events to promote the youths entering into agriculture as we speak. However, they need some assurance to excel and have prosperous business to undertake and not just farm like our forefathers were doing subsistence farming; we now looks at it as a business. So, now there are initiatives to help them with

the agricultural entrepreneurship, even at the level of FARA, to address youths in agriculture. So, we think we would change gradually, but in a slow process eventually, that is the future.

Does FARA intend to support the women and youth that are involved in agri-business?

FARA does not provide them with farming tools but it links them up with expertise, support and information. First of all, they form an institution or organisation, a platform to help them to utilise their resources. So, FARA becomes like a clearing point, to handle the resources from international agencies, which can support the youths in agriculture and also help the organisational aspect of the youths in agriculture in Africa. For instance, yesterday was a presentation by a group which helped put together a paper called ‘Uni-Trade’; this is a linkage between Universities, agricbusinesses and research institutions; so that the research developed by the research institutions which have been on the shelve that have been implemented; we would now be taking up by a group, especially the youth who would look at the pilot scale to see how these things can be commercialized. Then after a stage they would be left with an award to be given credit, to be provided by the agencies, in order to enable them practice in a better way.

From your assessment, do you think this forum is different from the previous ones?

Oh yes. With the numbers, I think the first one was in Accra in 2003, I am not quite sure but I think it was in Accra. Well, I don’t think we were more than 2 to 300. Now, it went to South Africa in 2004 and to Uganda; the number had increased to 500 and at Burkina-Faso, whereby about a thousand participants attended and Ghana now; attendance is still expected to be about a thousand.

So, it is growing in popularity and increasing in number, and all the messages and recommendations coming have gone far and wide.

PAGE 29

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

Urges Fadama III to train agrodealers

T

he Ondo State Federated Fadama Community Associations (FCA) has appealed to the Fadama III national office to help train farmers in the state as agrodealers.

The associations’ chairman, Mr. Akin Olotu, stated this recently in Akure, the Ondo state capital, when the Fadama III National Programme Coordinator, Mr. Tayo Adewunmi led a Technical Assistance mission’s team to his office.

Olotu, who said the association oversees all Fadama community groups in the state, added that it had also opened an account in a bank as well as forwarded its work plan to the Fadama central programme unit in Abuja.

Olotu said the association had proposed to set up a fish processing unit in the state, adding that it had not been able to do so.

He observed that the fish processing unit would help to empower some members of the association, adding that, “We have been to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and we have met the requirements”.

…wants more capacity building for beneficiaries

T

he Fadama III National Project Coordinator, Mr. Tayo Adewunmi, has called for more capacity building programme for the beneficiaries of the project.

Adewunmi made the call on recently in Akure at a wrap-up meeting between the Technical Assistance mission’s team and the Ondo State Fadama III office.

The Fadama III project was conceived by the World Bank and the Federal Government as a follow up to Fadama I and II. The implementation period of Fadama III is five years - 2008 to 2013.

Represented by Mrs. Bukky Odetoro, the Fadama III National environmental specialist, Adewunmi observed that some of the beneficiaries were underutilising their equipment. He advised the state Fadama III office to always alert the national office to its needs.

Adewunmi expressed dissatisfaction with the level of assistance the facilitators were giving to beneficiaries.

In her remarks, Mrs. Beatrice Adefulure, the State Fadama III Project Officer, said that the visit of the mission team would help in building on the success recorded and addressing the challenges.

(NAN)

Agriculture

African bank projects win US treasury award

By Mohammed Kandi

T

wo African Development Bank (AfDB) projects, based in Uganda and Côte d’Ivoire, have received the Development Impact Honours Awards from the US Treasury Department.

In a statement made available to the African Press Organization recently, the AfDB Group Lead Strategic Communication Adviser, , John Phillips said the bank was the first multi-lateral

development bank (MDB) to receive recognition for two projects in the same year.

“This year’s selected projects included the AfDB’s Emerging from Conflict/ Multi-sector Support Project in Côte d’Ivoire, which focuses on restoring social services and reducing gender-based violence in post-conflict Côte d’Ivoire, and the Community Agricultural Infrastructure Improvement Programme in rural Uganda,” the AfDB said.

“The US Treasury

Department’s Development Impact Honours awards promote the highest standards in development, by recognising outstanding projects undertaken by multilateral development banks.

“The program seeks to reward excellence in project design and implementation and to showcase the vital work MDBs carry out in communities, countries and regions to support the world’s poorest people. The two AfDB projects were selected

from dozens of MDB projects nominated for the award,” it explained.

President of AfDB, Donald Kaberuka, who received the awards personally from Treasury Secretary, Jacob Lew, informed that “In 2012, the AfDB’s Mali-Senegal Road Project received Development Impact Honors, alongside initiatives financed by the Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and World Bank GroupGlobal Environment Facility.”

NDE trains 50 Plateau youths in agric skills From Ado Abubakar Musa, Jos

T

he Plateau State National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has begun the training of nearly 50 unemployed youths in modern agricultural skills in Plateau-Central Zone.

The state Coordinator of

the NDE, Ms Joyce Yarnap, made this known in Pankshin Local Government Area of the state during the inauguration of the workshop, saying that the workshop was formed to help youths to be self-reliant.

She said that participants would be enlightened to modern skills-acquisition in the areas of fishery, soya-beans production,

poultry and rabitory.

The NDE’s Chief Rural Employment Promotion Officer, Department of Rural Employment Promotion, Mr. Zakari Abubakar called on the trainees to be serious and disciplined so as to achieve the desired goal.

Mr. Zakari further said that “this programme is designed for you as a means livelihood. We

want you to show seriousness and if put you mind, I assure you that you won’t regret it.”

“Those that will go through it successfully, we will talk to stakeholders and see how we can resettle them and that is why the number is just 50, so that we can take care of the people at the completion of the programme,” he added.

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

Feature After Quebec explosion, oil transport by rail leaves questions

A

fter a catastrophic oil train explosion in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec in Canada., where 13 are confirmed dead and 50 missing, a critical question has emerged.

Isn’t it safer to transport oil by pipelines?

The question is of particular importance to people in British Columbia, where two major proposed oil pipelines have met stiff resistance from environmentalists, First Nations and some communities.

Both pipelines - the $6.5-billion Enbridge line through northern B.C. and Kinder Morgan’s $5.4-billion twinning project to the Lower Mainland - are meant to deliver crude from the Alberta oilsands to new markets in Asia.

If the pipelines are not approved, there is little doubt oil shipments by rail to B.C.’s ports will increase. Alberta oil producers are intent on diversifying from their dependence on the U.S. market.

Alberta oilsands producer Nexen has already investigated that possibility using CN through the Port of Prince Rupert in northern B.C. And companies are already bidding on the right to transport their oil on Kinder Morgan’s existing Trans Mountain line because Alberta producers are now shipping oil via the Burnaby terminal to Asian markets.

The combined capacity of the two proposed oil pipelines of more than 1.1 million barrels a day would take more than 1,500 rail cars a day to transport.

No longer able to get all the conventional oil it needs for its small refinery in Burnaby, Chevron began transporting small amounts of oil from Alberta and Saskatchewan by CN rail to Langley, then trucking it to the refinery.

In May, Chevron increased the amount of oil brought in by rail, and the 7,500 barrels of oil now brought in by train and truck account for about 14 per cent of the refinery’s maximum operating capacity.

“Our position is that pipelines represent, we think, the safest, most efficient method (of transportation). However, in response to business needs, we’ve had to introduce these others,” Chevron Burnaby refinery spokesman Ray Lord said Monday.

But Lord also said rail is safe and that there have been no incidents since they started using trains more than a year ago.

Historically, it doesn’t appear using rail to transport oil to the former Ioca refinery in Port Moody was a safety issue either.

Rail was used to transport oil to the refinery for decades until the Trans Mountain pipeline was built in the 1950s without any derailments or spills, said Al Sholund, a Port Moody historian and former employee at the Ioca refinery.

There have been major derailments in Western Canada, including on Aug. 3, 2005 when 800,000 litres of bunker oil and wood preservative spilled into Wabamun Lake west of Edmonton. Just days later, a derailment near Squamish spilled 40,000 litres of caustic soda into the Cheakamus River.

There were 49 fatalities from railway incidents in 2012 in Canada, five in B.C., according to the Transportation Safety Board.

However, all but a handful were from crossing or trespassing incidents.

University of B.C. professor David Farrell said there is no question that statistically, it’s safer to transport oil by pipeline than it is by rail.

Both pipeline and railway industry tout delivery records as almost perfect

He said a U.S. study of incidents between 2005-09 shows road transportation had the highest accident rate, followed by rail and pipelines. Citing the study by the think-tank Manhattan Institute, which supports building pipelines, Farrell noted that the number of incidents on rail were four times as great as on pipelines.

The study found road had 19.95 incidents per billion tonmiles, followed by rail with 2.08 per billion ton-miles, natural gas transmission at 0.89 and oil pipelines at 0.58.

“There is nothing that really moves on (pipelines) other than the stuff in the pipeline. In the case of rail, you have steel wheels, and steel rails, and these are moving, so when you get an incident there’s going to be more damage and the risk of ignition by sparks,” said Farrell, a transportation and logistics expert in UBC’s Sauder School of Business.

However, a Burnaby citizen’s group opposed to Kinder Morgan’s proposed

pipeline says it makes little difference whether it’s pipelines or trains transporting oil.

“It’s like choosing between different poisons,” said Alan Dutton, a member of the Burnaby Residents Opposing Kinder Morgan Expansion.

CP Railway declined to comment after the tragedy in Lac-Mégantic, Que. In an email, CN spokesman Mark Hallman said Tuesday the tragic Quebec accident is a sober reminder of the vital importance of rail safety.

“However, this tragedy notwithstanding, movement of hazardous material by rail not only can be, but is being handled safely in the vast majority of instances,” Hallman said.

According to the Association of American Railroads, of which CN is a member, 99.9977 per cent of hazardous material carloads moved by railroad are accident free.

Pipelines in British Columbia have also had spill incidents, including two recent small spills on Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline.

Major past incidents include a 2007 rupture that leaked 1,400 barrels of oil in Burnaby after an excavator punctured the Trans Mountain line.

Both Kinder Morgan and Enbridge also declined an interview , saying their companies’ thoughts were with the community of Lac-Mégantic and those grieving loved ones.

Kinder Morgan noted its safety record of oil spills is well below the industry average.

Enbridge has also touted the industry’s safety record, noting on its Northern Gateway website that pipelines “are the safest, most economical, and most environmentally sensitive method of transporting petroleum on the planet.”

The Canadian Petroleum Association has noted that from 2002 to 2009, the average annual volume released from pipelines was just two litres for every million litres transported. That works out to 99.9998 per cent of the product transported safely.

(Source: The Vancouver Sun)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

ANALYSIS

By Mohammed Ayoob

E

verybody, including John Kerry, is trying to save Israel from itself.

Except for the Israeli establishment, which occasionally speaks with a forked tongue, but in reality pursues a policy that has put to rest all prospects of a two-state solution.

This policy was summed up three years ago by British-Israeli historian Avi Shlaim with reference to Israel’s continuing colonization of the West Bank in the following words: “Netanyahu is like a man who, while negotiating the division of a pizza, continues to eat it”.

Moreover, despite Netanyahu’s lip-service to the concept of two states, some of the most influential figures in the Israeli cabinet have made it clear that the two-state solution is dead.

Naftali Bennet, head of the Jewish Home Party and a senior member of the current Netanyahu cabinet, has made clear that “The idea that a Palestinian state should be established within the Land of Israel has reached a dead end...

The most important thing for the Land of Israel is to build, and build, and build [Jewish settlements]”.

Dann Dannon, the deputy defence minister and a leading member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, has similarly stated that Israel should declare sovereignty over the Jewish settlements and empty areas of the West Bank and that the fate of Palestinian “blocks” should be “determined in an agreement with Jordan”.

This harks back to the Allon Plan of the 1970s, except that the Palestinian “blocks” now will be much smaller and much more disconnected from each other than envisioned in the earlier plan.

Dore Gold, former foreign affairs advisor to the prime minister, a former ambassador to the United Nations, and influential public intellectual in Israel, has not only ruled out the 1967 borders but also ruled out ceding East Jerusalem to a future Palestinian state.

He insists that there cannot be a two-state solution without Israel retaining military control of the Jordan Valley - a derogation of sovereignty that even the most pliable Palestinian interlocutors, such as Mahmoud Abbas and Saeb Erakat, are bound to reject.

Why is it then that US Secretary of State John Kerry is so eager to push both parties into another set of negotiations that are highly likely to be not only unproductive but counterproductive, by fuelling Palestinian anger by their failure and thus bringing us a step closer to the inevitable third intifada?

The answer is simple. The United States needs Israel and the Palestinian Authority to start negotiations for the sake of negotiations well before the UN General Assembly convenes in September so that it can be spared another major embarrassment on the issue of Palestinian statehood when the General Assembly convenes.

If Kerry can demonstrate that an American-sponsored peace process is underway he

PAGE 31

International Israel-Palestine negotiations: The road to nowhere

Shimon Peres (L), alongside John Kerry (middle), and Mahmoud Abbas (R) can forestall criticism both of Israel and of the United States in the General Assembly for lack of progress toward Palestinian statehood.

The primary reason for the Kerry initiative is to deflect international criticism of the United States for its failure to stop Israeli colonisation of the West Bank which is rendering Palestinian statehood impossible.

It has become increasingly clear to seasoned observers of the Middle East that Washington’s inability to make a dent in Israel’s settlement policy is not only a question of the tail wagging the dog; it demonstrates that on the Palestine issue the dog and the tail have switched roles.

Paradoxically, the American failure to stop Israel from establishing and expanding Jewish settlements and de facto annexation

of more and more Palestinian land may appear comforting to the discerning Palestinian observer for it is more than likely to lead to a re-unified Palestine within the borders of the British Mandate.

This means that we are fast moving toward a situation, if we have not arrived there already, that, notwithstanding the on-going charade about reviving the peace process, there will be only one state between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea. Such a state will be based on one of two mutually exclusive principles: Equal rights for all its inhabitants or de facto apartheid.

The chances are that the dynamics of this state will be Jewish superiority and Palestinian inferiority amounting to apartheid.

This is likely to be the case because the granting of equal political and civil rights to all its citizens

“

would mean that the state, even if it continues to be called Israel, will lose its exclusivist Jewish character, reversing Zionist goals and achievements, an outcome that will not be acceptable to the large majority of Israel’s Jewish population.

An apartheid state such as the one envisaged above, which is likely to be the end result of the present trajectory of Israeli policies, will be a recipe for perpetual conflict between the two peoples inhabiting the territory between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea. Even a seasoned US Army General, John Mattis, head of the US Central Command until his retirement two months ago, warned in a recent interview that the present situation is “unsustainable”.

According to him, without a

The primary reason for the Kerry initiative is to deflect international criticism of the United States for its failure to stop Israeli colonisation of the West Bank which is rendering Palestinian statehood impossible.

separation of the populations, “either [Israel] ceases to be a Jewish state or you say the Arabs don’t get to vote - apartheid. That didn’t work too well the last time I saw that practised in a country”.

Moreover, the US “paid a military security price [for Israel’s policy] every day... because the Americans were seen as biased in support of Israel”.

The emergence of an apartheid state is likely to be accompanied by international opprobrium as well as global ostracism of Israel - an outcome that even the United States will be unable to prevent despite its veto power in the United Nations Security Council that it has used so many times to such good effect in preventing resolutions critical of Israel from being passed by that august body.

What is more, conflict within a binational but apartheid Israelis bound to spill over its borders triggering off one or a series of major regional conflagrations. If this scenario unfolds, and given present indications it is likely that it will within the next decade or two, it will have extremely deleterious consequences for the United States and other Western powers that have major strategic and economic interests in the region but are seen as staunch supporters of Israel.

Mr Kerry’s shuttle diplomacy and the reconvening of talks between a discredited Palestinian Authority and a less than honest Israeli government are unlikely to stop this future from unfolding.

Source: Al-jazeera

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

International

Mursi supporters call for fresh Egypt rallies

S

upporters of Egypt’s deposed president Mohamed Mursi have called for a “millionperson march” against his ouster after authorities warned of “decisive” action if protesters are considered a threat.

Organisers of protests against the military’s overthrow of Mursi urged demonstrators to march on security buildings on Monday night and called a march for Tuesday.

In a statement, the Anti-Coup Alliance of Islamist groups urged Egyptians “to go out into the streets and squares, to regain their freedom and dignity - that are being usurped by the bloody coup - and for the rights of the martyrs assassinated by its bullets.”

The protest calls, which raises the possibility of fresh confrontations, comes after at least 72 people were killed at a sit-in in support of Mursi on Saturday morning.

The country has been bitterly divided between camps supporting and opposing the July 3 toppling of Mursi and hundreds of thousands have come out for rival mass rallies.

Mursi’s opponents had accused him of abusing his power and giving too much influence to his Muslim Brotherhood group.

The Anti-Coup Alliance also called for protesters to march to security buildings in provinces across Egypt on Monday night “to condemn the criminal acts and the firing of live ammunition by

Clashes erupt in Benghazi after blasts Muris supporters have called for more protests.

the interior ministry at peaceful demonstrators”.

Mursi supporters insist he will be reinstated, but the interim government has said it will move to disperse the protests and warned it would take “decisive” action if demonstrators overstepped their bounds.

With tensions rising, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton was due to hold discussions with a range of government and opposition figures.

She was expected to meet

interim President Adly Mansour and vice president for international affairs Mohamed ElBaradei, as well as members of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Tamarud group that organised protests calling for his removal.

In a statement, Ashton said she would be calling for “a fully inclusive transition... including the Muslim Brotherhood”.

She added that this process must lead as fast as possible to a constitutional system and free and fair elections and a civilian

government “I will also repeat my call to end all violence. I deeply deplore the loss of life,” she said.

The Brotherhood’s political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, confirmed it would meet with Ashton on Monday on the basis of “constitutional legitimacy and in pursuit of an end to the military coup”.

The group has insisted that it will not accept any solution to the crisis that does not involve Mursi’s return to office.

Mugabe makes final pre-election push

T

housands of people have flocked to a final Zanu-PF campaign rally in Harare to hear Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s president, speak publically for

the final time before elections on July 31.

In a speech that lasted more than an hour, the 89-year-old Mugabe called on Zimbabweans

Mugabe addressing supporters at a rally

to honour their country’s struggle for freedom.

Mugabe also used the opportunity to reaffirm his party’s commitment to the controversial indigenisation policy, which stipulates businesses worth over $500,000 should have black Zimbabwean ownership of at least 51 percent.

“If you want to invest your capital into my land, you are free to do so, so long as you recognise that you are the owner of the capital and not the owner of the resource.

“Our wealth is our wealth; it must enrich Zimbabweans [and] if they want to share in our wealth, they must come as subordinate partners,” Mugabe said to applause across the stadium.

Zimbabweans go to the polls on Wednesday in an election described as yet another face off between Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T), led by the current Prime minister, 61-year-old Morgan Tsvangirai.

Zanu-PF supporters waited patiently from the early morning to hear Mugabe speak duringthe event which many think will be his last rally for political office.

Supporters said they were there because Zanu-PF was the party that brought liberation to Zimbabwe.

Tensions are rising high between the two parties, who have been in an uncomfortable alliance since 2009, amid multiple accusations of rigging, voter manipulation and other irregularities.

Mali’s nearly 7 million registered voters had a choice of 27 candidates to lead the troubled nation from a crisis ignited by the mutiny which

allowed armed groups to take control of most of the country’s north, before they were dislodged by a French-led military intervention.

Ballot counting under way after Mali polls

B

allot counting has begun in Mali after voters turned out in large numbers for a presidential election they hope will usher in peace and stability after a military coup plunged the country into chaos last year.

Polling ended at 18:00 GMT on Sunday and, as night fell, the tallying of results began.

Officials used electric lamps to check ballot papers for thumb prints, while witnesses sat at wooden school desks jotting down results using mobile phones for light.

Preliminary results collated by journalists at polling stations gave an early lead to former Prime minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, known universally as IBK, sparking

celebrations among his supporters early on Monday.

“IBK - the man we need”, they chanted. One supporter shouted: “It is the people who have spoken!”

Another former Prime minister, Modibo Sidibe, and former finance minister Soumaila Cisse were also expected to have won many votes.

Provisional results are expected from the interior ministry on Tuesday. A second round is due to take place on August 11 if no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote.

Voting passed without incident, despite threats ahead of the polls by the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), an armed group with links to al-Qaeda.

Voters wait in line at a polling station

A

t least one person has been killed in overnight fighting in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, hours after explosions rocked the city in attacks on buildings used by the judiciary, a security official said.

The clashes erupted in the western Gwesha district between an armed group and military special forces on Monday, as an upsurge in violence in the eastern Libyan city since last week’s killing of a prominent political activist showed no signs of abating.

“Clashes broke out between special forces and an unknown armed group,” Mohammed al-Hijazy, a spokesman for Benghazi security operations, said.

“At least one soldier was killed. The special forces have now retaken control”.

Hundreds of demonstrators also gathered in Benghazi’s streets denouncing the latest violence, according to residents.

The clashes came after two blasts targeting judicial institutions in the city left at least 13 people wounded on Sunday.

Both blasts happened around the time families were breaking their Ramadan fast.

Residents living near the court said the building, and others nearby, had sustained significant damage. Windows were blasted out and rubble was scattered on the ground.

It was unclear who was responsible for the attacks.

The cradle of the 2011 uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, Benghazi has in the last three days witnessed explosions, assassinations, violent demonstrations and a mass jail break.

On Saturday, 1,117 prisoners escaped from Kuafiya prison following a riot and an external attack on the prison.

Armed violence and lawlessness, caused in part by often uncontrolled fighter groups, has hobbled governance in large areas of the oil-producing North African state following the 2011 war that toppled Gaddafi.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 33

International

Iraq hit with wave of deadly car bombs

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wave of car bombs has killed at least 51 people in mostly Shia areas of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, and in other cities around the country.

More than 200 people were wounded in the attacks, officials said.

More than 2,500 Iraqis have died in attacks since April, the UN says - with violence at its highest since 2008.

The spike comes amid heightened Shia-Sunni tensions. Sunnis say they are being marginalised by Prime Minister Nouri Maliki’s Shialed government.

The Baghdad bombs, hidden in parked cars, hit markets and car parks in several areas of the city, police say.

The deadliest was said to have hit the eastern Shia district of Sadr City, report say.

A man says he saw vehicles arriving to park shortly before a blast happened in the district of Habibiya, in southern Baghdad.

“We were standing here when a a pick-up truck drove in here and parked there.

There were two others cars

parking there. Minutes later the car went off,” he told the Associated Press news agency.

One bomb also exploded in Mahmudiya to the south of the capital, killing at least two people.

In the city of Kut, southeast of the capital, at least

seven people were killed when two car bombs blew up.

There are also reports of a car bomb going off in Basra, the second city.

This could be the bloodiest month in Iraq for years, with the number of attacks escalating since the beginning

of the month of Ramadan earlier this month.

Although the violence is less deadly than that seen during the heights of the insurgency in 2006 and 2007, it is the most widespread since the US military withdrawal in 2011.

More than 700 people have

Residents inspect a car used in the attacks

Japan’s top diplomat seeks better ties with China

J

apanese Vice Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki will visit China on Monday and Tuesday for talks with senior officials, the latest in a series of efforts by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to improve relations soured by a bitter territorial row.

The hawkish Abe, who cemented his grip on power in an upper house election last week, has since then been signaling a desire for dialogue - even though Japan

has raised its assessment of the risk of China’s military buildup and maritime assertiveness.

On Friday, Abe called for an unconditional meeting between Japanese and Chinese leaders - a proposal he repeated on Monday, according to Kyodo news agency. It said Abe had instructed diplomats to work towards that goal.

On Sunday, Isao Iijima, an adviser to the premier, told

Saiki

Asia & Middle East

Cambodia opposition rejects poll result

C

ambodia’s opposition has rejected the ruling party’s claim of victory in weekend elections, alleging widespread irregularities, according to a party statement.

“The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) cannot accept the results of the fifth parliamentary election ... because the CNRP has found a lot of serious irregularities,” the party said in a statement released on Monday.

The CNRP called for a committee representing the two main political parties, the National Election committee, civil society organisations and the United nations to “be urgently established” to investigate the complaints.

Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) announced late on Sunday that it had taken an estimated 68 out of the 123 seats in the lower house.

“We can say we’ve won this election,” CPP spokesman Khieu Kanharith said.

The CPP had 90 seats in the previous parliament, so if confirmed the result would mark the loss of more than 20 seats, despite the exclusion of the opposition leader who was barred from running.

The CNRP has decried what it described as the kingdom’s worst ever poll irregularities, including missing voter names and thousands of people who turned up to find someone else had used their ballot.

Rights groups also expressed concern that the ink used to mark voters’ thumbs to ensure they did not vote more than once could be easily washed off.

reporters that Abe could soon hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said no schedule had been set.

“As Prime Minister Abe has repeatedly said, he wants a mutually beneficial, strategic relationship and the door is always open for dialogue.

“However, there is no immediate schedule for a leadership summit,” Suga told a news conference on Monday.

Often fragile Sino-Japanese ties have been seriously strained since September, when a territorial row over tiny islands in the East China Sea flared following Japan’s nationalization of the uninhabited isles.

Concern that Abe, who came to power in December, wants to recast Japan’s wartime history with a less apologetic tone has added to the tension.

“Vice Minister Saiki will visit China on July 29-30 and exchange views with Chinese officials,” a Japanese foreign ministry spokesman said. He did not give further details.

China’s Foreign Ministry responded to Abe’s overture on Friday by saying its door was always open for talks but that the problem lay in Japan’s attitude.

Experts say the key sticking point to a Sino-Japanese summit is whether the two sides can find a way to set aside the row to calm the situation and focus on other aspects of relations between the world’s second- and third-biggest economies.

China wants Japan to first acknowledge that a formal dispute exists, a step that Tokyo has rejected for fear it would undermine its claim to sovereignty of the isles, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China, the experts said.

Tensions rose last year after Japan nationalized the islands and Chinese and Japanese ships and aircraft have been playing a catand-mouse game nearby, raising worries about an accidental clash that could escalate. On Monday, Japan’s coast guard said four Chinese vessels were sighted in nearby waters, although not in an area Japan considers its territory.

Sam Rainsy, President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP)

North Korea blames the shut-down on South Korean provocations, including military exercises.

The proposal for “final talks” was formally communicated to North Korea on Monday via the communication line at the truce village of Panmunjom, South Korean media reported.

It did not include a date or time for the mooted talks,

Yonhap news agency reported citing the Unification Ministry.

The Kaesong industrial zone, which lies just inside North Korea, is a major symbol of interKorean co-operation and a key earner for Pyongyang.

More than 120 South Korean manufacturers employ some 53,000 North Koreans at the zone, which has been in operation for a decade.

But work stopped in April

when North Korea ordered its workers out.

Tensions have decreased somewhat in recent weeks, but the two Koreas have not yet found a mutually acceptable solution to the Kaesong issue, despite multiple rounds of working-level talks.

On Sunday Mr Ryoo met representatives of the South Korean firms, which have now been shut down for four months.

South Korea offers ‘final’ Kaesong talks

S

outh Korea has proposed “final talks” on restarting operations at the joint Kaesong industrial zone, amid deadlock with North Korea.

The zone has been closed since April, when North Korea withdrew its workers.

The two sides have held six rounds of talks on a restart, but are deadlocked on Seoul’s insistence that Pyongyang agree not to unilaterally close

the complex again.

Seoul’s unification minister said a written guarantee was needed.

“We want a clear answer from the North on preventing a recurrence,” Ryoo Kihl-jae said.

“Otherwise, we will be left with no choice but to make a grave decision to prevent even bigger damages on our companies in the future.”

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 34

International

US to host Israeli-Palestinian talks

I

sraeli and Palestinian teams are heading to Washington for preliminary talks toward a formal re-opening of negotiations after years of stalemate, but both sides are emphasizing that many obstacles stand between them and a final deal.

Israel’s chief negotiator Tzipi Livni said early Monday as she left for Washington that talks will be complex and that she was leaving “cautiously but also with hope.”

Palestinian negotiators also departed after the Israeli cabinet acceded to Palestinian demands and agreed to release 104 Palestinian prisoners, some of whom have been jailed for decades.

Israeli president Shimon Peres praised the resumption of talks, describing it as a “special day.”

“The Middle East is in a stormy situation. We hope the Middle East will overcome its storm and land in a port of peace,” he said while on a visit to Latvia.

Peres downplayed any potential

Kerry

mediating role by the European Union, saying Europe should “help but leave the negotiations to ourselves and the Palestinians.”

The EU angered Israeli leaders earlier this month by issuing guidelines which would restrict

joint projects in the occupied West Bank.

A statement issued on Sunday by the US State Department said that secretary of state John Kerry spoke to both Israeli and Palestinian leaders and

“personally extended an invitation to send senior negotiating teams to Washington to formally resume direct final status negotiations.”

These meetings “will serve as an opportunity to develop a procedural workplan for how the parties can proceed with the negotiations in the coming months,” spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement on Sunday.

The Israelis will be represented by Livni and Yitzhak Molcho, and the Palestinians will be represented by chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and Mohammad Shtayyeh.

Nabil Abu Rdaineh, a senior aide to Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, said Abbas had received an official invitation from Kerry.

While talks have stuttered and started for decades, they collapsed completely in September 2010 when Israel refused to keep up a freeze on illegal settlement building within the occupied Palestinian territories.

Italy coach crash leaves at least 39 dead

A

coach has plunged off a flyover in southern Italy leaving at least 39 people dead in the country’s worst road accident for decades.

The coach hit several vehicles before smashing through a parapet and toppling down a steep slope near the town of Avellino, in the Campania region.

At least 10 people have been injured, some of them seriously.

The coach was taking about 50 people, including children, back to Naples following a pilgrimage, reports say.

The cause of the accident is not clear.

TV footage showed smashed

vehicles on the flyover and shrouded bodies lined up by the side of a road.

The driver of the coach is said to be among the dead.

“The situation is critical,” leading fireman Pellegrino Iandolo told Italian television.

“Our men are working to save as many lives as possible.”

A police spokesman told the French news agency AFP that the number of victims could not yet be confirmed.

“We are still pulling people from the vehicle,” he said.

He added that the NaplesBari motorway had been closed to traffic because of the accident.

Reports say the bus smashed

through a guardrail on the flyover and dropped 30m (98ft), coming to rest in heavy undergrowth.

The injured have been taken to hospitals in Avellino, Salerno and Nola, Ansa said.

Rescuers try to remove bodies from the wreckage.

Spain train driver charged over crash

A

Spanish court has charged a train driver with multiple cases of negligent homicide following an accident that killed 79 people, a court statement said.

Francisco Jose Garzon, the train driver, was charged but

Garzon under police custody

released on bail after being questioned by an investigative magistrate.

The statement said Garzon must appear in court once a week and is forbidden to leave Spain without permission.

Garzon was driving the

train carrying 218 passenger in eight cars that hurtled far over the 80kph speed limit into a high-risk curve on Wednesday evening. The train tumbled off the tracks and slammed into a concrete wall, with some of the cars catching fire.

The Spanish rail agency has said the brakes should have been applied four kilometres before the train hit the curve.

A local resident who rushed to the scene of the accident said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that minutes after the crash, Garzon had told him that he had been going fast and could not brake in time.

Juan Jesus Garcia Fraile, the secretarygeneral of Spain’s train drivers’ union, told public radio that the track was not equipped with braking

technology to slow the train down automatically if the driver failed to do so when required.

Garzon was not sent to jail or required to post bail because none of the parties involved felt there was a risk of him fleeing or attempting to destroy evidence, the statement said.

The train driver’s license had been withdrawn.

Iglesias was among the survivors and witnesses who began to give evidence to police on Sunday.

On Sunday, the death toll from the train derailment rose to 79 when an injured passenger died at University Hospital in Santiago de Compostela, officials said.

Mourning continued throughout Spain, with Sunday church services being held in remembrance of the dead.

A large funeral mass took place yesterday in Santiago de Compostela, and the Prime minister and members of the royal family are expected to attend.

Europe and Americas

Colombia accuses FARC as talks resume

C

hief Colombian government peace negotiator Humberto de la Calle has said the leftist FARC rebel group will be held to account for all the acts of violence it has committed.

His comments come as peace negotiations resume in Cuba aimed at ending more than five decades of conflict.

Mr de la Calle reaffirmed that the army would continue fighting until the end.

More than 600,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the conflict, most of them civilians.

“I must remind you that the government has decided not to agree a ceasefire until, of course, the conflict comes to an end,” said Mr de la Calle.

“If we sign a final peace accord, then the FARC will be able to get into politics. But in a democracy and without weapons, only after they demobilise.”

The current round of negotiations is intended to focus on the FARC ‘s transition into formal politics.

But a FARC negotiator in Havana confused journalists by reading a statement making reference to land reform, an issue on which there was agreement in May. “There would be no point in discussing land reform in Havana if the government continues to reduce what has been agreed to empty words which vanish in the wind,” said Andres Paris.

The talks were launched last November in the Cuban capital, 10 years after the failure of previous face-to-face negotiations.

At the time, the Colombian government was accused of being naive by agreeing to a ceasefire and allowing the rebels to operate in a vast demilitarised area.

But the go v e r n m e n t o f President Juan Manuel Santos has decided to continue fighting the rebels until they give up their armed struggle and join the legal political process.

There is huge pressure in Colombia, however, for justice for those who have perpetrated acts of violence from both sides of the conflict.

“The guerrilla will be held to account for everything that has happened during the conflict,” said Mr de la Calle.

The rebels say most of the victims were poor peasants and other civilians targeted by the army and right-wing paramilitaries for their alleged support to the rebels.

Earlier this month, the main FARC negotiator, Ivan Marquez, said Colombia had to prepare for peace as the conflict was “nearing an end”.

The government said a final settlement must be agreed by November. The Farc warned of the dangers of rushing into a settlement.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 35

Strange World

Military kindergarten toughens up kids with marine drills

Some children going through the military drills.

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t the Albert Kindergarten, in Taichung, Taiwan, children aged three to six don camouflage outfits

and take part in a mandatory exercise program modeled after marine drills. Their parents hope the rough training will prepare

South African man ‘too fat’ to live in New Zealand

Mr Buitenhuis (R) and his wife, Marthie

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uthorities in New Zealand have told a South African chef he is too fat to be allowed to live in the country.

Immigration officials said Albert Buitenhuis, who weighs 130kg (286 pounds), did not have “an acceptable standard of health”.

He now faces expulsion despite shedding 30kg since he moved to the city of Christchurch six years ago.

New Zealand has one of the highest obesity rates in the developed world, with nearly 30% of people overweight.

Mr Buitenhuis and his wife, Marthie, moved from South Africa

to Christchurch in 2007. At the time, the chef weighed 160kg.

Until now, their annual work visas had been renewed with “very little problem”, his wife said.

“We applied year after year and there were no issues,” she said.

“They never mentioned Albert’s weight or his health once and he was a lot heavier then.”

But in early May, the couple was told their work visas had been declined because of Mr Buitenhuis’s weight.

“The irony is that at the moment he weighs less than when we first arrived in New Zealand and also less than in his first medical, which was accepted by [immigration authorities],” his wife said.

The couple has appealed to New Zealand’s immigration minister, citing the chef’s recent weight loss.

An immigration spokesman said Mr Buitenhuis’s application had been rejected because his obesity put him at “significant risk” of complications including diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

“It is important that all migrants have an acceptable standard of health to minimise costs and demands on New Zealand’s health services,” he said.

them for the hardships of life, but there are those who criticize the preschool for pushing the kids too hard and exposing them to injury.

For one to two hours a day, the children enrolled at Taichung’s Albert Kindergarten perform a series a series of physical exercises inspired by military drills.

Principal Fong Yun believes Taiwanese kids lack confidence and courage compared to youngsters from other countries, so over 10 years ago she teamed up with pediatric professor Chen Yihsin to develop a special program that combined military drills and gymnastics to boost their physical and mental strength.

Yun is convinced her training will help the students deal with hardships like tough college admission exams, job hunting and even marriage. Many Taiwanese parents seem to share her beliefs, as all the classes at Albert Kindergarten are full and parents drive from over half an hour ever day just to drop their kids off here.

The children climb ladders, do handstands, backflips and all kinds of other exercises that even hardened marines sometimes find difficult. In order to graduate, they must prove they’ve mastered the entire routine by passing a challenging test.

Most of the kids who go at

Taichung’s military kindergarten love practicing the drills and proudly show off their trophies – bruises, calluses, etc. – but some educational organizations have expressed their concern about the effect these tough methods may have on them.

They fear the excessive training could affect their development or cause serious injuries. However, Fong Yun says the exercises actually help both physical and mental development and since the drills are conducted by professional instructors, the risk of injury is minimal.

In China, the race for success is very competitive, and parents seem willing to do whatever it takes to help their children get a head start in life. In a society that leaves no room for failure, the young generation has to learn how to deal with obstacles, and the Albert Kindergarten is just one of many facilities that teach them how to do it.

Another is the famous Walking School, which takes spoiled kids, school dropouts and troublemakers and turns them into outstanding citizens.

Woman offers $10,000 to whoever finds her future husband

F

inding true love can be pretty tough for a lot of people, but a female management supervisor from a fairly well-known San Francisco advertising agency seems to think money helps.

According to a leaked email, she is offering $10,000 to any of her friends who can introduce her to Mr. Right.

The unnamed husband seeker who sent out the email obtained

by Agency Spy had just finished reading the best-selling feminist book “Lean In” by Facebook’s COO Sheryl Sandberg.

It was 11 PM on a Sunday night and she realized this was the second self-help book she had read in a month, she was still single and she had just sprinkled dish soap on leftover pizza so she wouldn’t eat two more slices.

Things were not looking well, but there was hope for her still. If Sandberg’s book had taught her anything it was that she needed take a more proactive role in finding love.

After all, if she wanted to get a better job, she wouldn’t just sit in the lobby of an employer’s building and wait for someone to offer it to her, so why should finding a husband be any different.

But instead of going out and meeting new people she decided to write an email to all her friends, offering to give them $10,000 on her wedding day if any of them manage to introduce her to her future husband.

“I’m writing you today because I’ve decided to make an aggressive action plan on finding that one fella that I get to hang out with forever,” the woman writes in her email.

“And I’ve recognized two things

The mystery woman offers $10,000 to her match maker on her wedding day

thatareimportanttothisplan:(1)agreat percentageofmarriagesaretheresultof introductions by friends and (2) most peopledonotgivealotofthoughtabout introducingoneoftheirsinglefriendsto another one of their single friends. I get it.Introducingmetomyhusbandisjust not high on your to-do list.

ButIthinkIhaveanideathatmight change that…” You guessed it, this is where she offers to reward her “closest friends” with cold hard cash.

“I will personally give ten thousand dollars to the friend who introduces me to my husband.

Here is how the referral program works: Step 1: You set me up on a date with a man Step 2: I marry that man Step 3: I give you $10,000 on my wedding day I know you’re thinking that this is nuts. Just plain crazy. “, you can find a husbandwithoutdishingout$10,000.”

Well for starters, thank you – I’m flattered. And secondly, I totally agree.

But the reality is finding a husband always costs money. I just collected 1,000 insider points from Sephora and this isn’t because I buy beauty products to impress my 4-year old nephew.”

Agency Spy has redacted the email author’s name because they “don’t want to add insult to injury if this idea backfires”,butsaysitssourcesclaimshe is “dead serious” and that she’s “already gotten 100 potential dates”.

Offering to pay your friends a sizable reward to get a husband seems a bit wrong, but you have to admire this woman’s honesty and her go-all-out attitude, right?

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

Digest

Do mosquitoes cause childhood obesity?

A small study suggests mosquitoes contribute to the problem of childhood obesity in parts of the United States

By Sarah Griffiths

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osquitoes contribute to the problem of childhood obesity in some parts of the United States, a small study suggests.

Researchers from Brandeis University in Massachusetts led an experimental study to investigate whether the amount of time children spent playing outside varied depending on whether the mosquito population was controlled or not.

They found that children spent more time outside in areas with

effective abatement compared to those with lots of mosquitoes to conclude effective control of mosquitoes could play a role in cutting the rate of childhood obesity.

The scientists asked 38 children from Cliffwood Beach and Union Beach between 2009 and 2012 to log the time they spent outside, when treatment to kill mosquitoes was alternated between the two places to see if there was a correlation.

John Worobey, lead author of the paper published in the Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association admitted

the study was limited because of the small number of participants and children’s self-reporting, but believes the results were clear.

Children living in areas where effective action was taken to cull the mosquito population spent more time exercising outside.

He said: ‘Because obesity is difficult to treat, public health efforts need to be directed toward prevention, which could include mosquito abatement since physical activity protects against obesity.’

The study also found that 75 per cent of the local population said they would spend more time outside if it wasn’t for mosquitoes and households spent $86 a year on their own mosquito controls, indicating that they take the problem seriously.

Scientists said people spent an average of an extra two hours a week exercising in the outdoors when the mosquitoes were kept under control.

The study is one of many seeking to quantify just how much misery mosquitoes cause.

A project by scientists at Rutgers University focused on the impact of the Asian Tiger mosquito - a particularly blood-thirsty species that has colonised half of the US since 1985.

They said that at times the mosquitoes were so plentiful they kept children indoors and passive during the summer months.

While the cost of pest control

is considerable, Dina Fonseca, a population geneticist at the university said the cost of not controlling them could be childhood obesity.

The $3.8 million study into Tiger Mosquito invasions in Trenton shows the pests negatively affect people’s quality of life.

Asian Tiger mosquitoes invaded 30 states in 1985 and are believed to have hitched a ride on shipments of car tyres from Japan.

While they are not thought to transmit serious diseases in the US, they spread dengue and the

chikungunya virus in the hotter climates of South East Asia.

Scientists are examining the mosquitoes as the US Department of Agriculture, which is part funding the Rutgers study, wants to work out the best way of controlling the pests before they start carrying disease as the US climate warms up.

Professor Randy Gaugler, the project organiser, told USA Today: ‘Mosquito control in urban settings came first, and the children’s physical activity idea was birthed from that.’

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Distribution of Asian Tiger mosquitoes in the United States, by county, researched in 2000. The mosquitoes invaded 30 states in 1985 and are believed to have hitched a ride on shipments of car tyres from Japan

Could coffee help prevent depression?

By Emma Robertson

D

rinking between two to four cups of coffee every day appears to reduce the risk of suicide in men and women by 50 per cent, according to a new study.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health reviewed data

from three previous US studies and found the risk of suicide amongst adults who drank several cups of caffeinated coffee on a daily basis was about half that of that compared to those who drank decaffeinated coffee, very little coffee or no coffee at all.

The study, of 200,000 men and

Feel the buzz: Those who drink two to four cups of coffee every day have a 50 per cent less suicide risk compared to those who drink decaffeinated coffee, little coffee or no coffee, according to new research

women, examined data which outlined their caffeine consumption both coffee and non-coffee sources – including tea, caffeinated soft drinks, and chocolate.

However for the majority, coffee was the main caffeine source and over the average 6 and-a-half year assessment period, there were just 277 deaths from suicide.

‘Unlike previous investigations, we were able to assess association of consumption of caffeinated and noncaffeinated beverages, and we identify caffeine as the most likely candidate of any putative protective effect of coffee,’ said lead researcher Michel Lucas, research fellow in the Department of Nutrition at HSPH. Caffeine works by stimulating the central nervous system but may act as a mild antidepressant by increasing production of certain ‘feel good’ neurotransmitters in the brain, including serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline.

This could explain why previous epidemiological studies have found a lower risk of depression among coffee drinkers in past, the researchers reported.

Despite the findings, depressed adults are advised not to selfmedicate by drinking more coffee than usual.

A previous study found an increase in suicide amongst those who consumed more than eight cups a day (posed by model)

In spite of the findings, the authors do not recommend that depressed adults self-medicate by increasing their caffeine consumption as an increase could result in unpleasant side effects.

‘Overall, our results suggest that there is little further benefit for consumption above two to three cups a day or 400 mg of caffeine a day,’ the authors wrote.

The researchers didn’t observe any

major difference in risk between those who drank two to three cups of coffee per day and four or more cups a day, most likely due to the small number of suicide cases in these categories.

However, in a previous HSPH coffee-depression study, the investigators observed a maximal effect among those who drank four or more cups per day.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

Edo PDP urges Oshiomhole to complete abandoned projects

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hairman of PDP in Edo, Chief Dan Orbih, has called on Gov. Adams Oshiomhole to complete the Central Hospital and other abandoned projects in the State.

Orbih told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin yesterday that the number of abandoned projects in various parts of the state was worrisome. ``On assumption of office, Oshiomhole gave the people, especially the youths, so much hope on job creation.’’

The chairman, therefore, called on the government to make good its election promises by providing jobs for the people as well as ensuring that all projects embarked upon were completed He noted that the present administration embarked on various projects at the same time without considering how they would be funded and completed.

He also said the Constitution was not the problem of the country, but its operators, adding however that some sections should be reviewed.

He said there was need for upward review of the minimum qualification for contesting election into governorship position.

On the party’s preparation for 2015, the chairman said campaigns were on but without rallies. ``Political activities geared towards 2015 had begun in earnest.’’

On the delayed election into the Esan North East Local Government Council, Orbih said the party would win the election irrespective of how many times it was conducted. ``Two attempts had been made

by EDSIEC to conduct elections, and on both occasions, the state electoral body refused to announce the result. ``As at today, EDSIEC is yet to say when the election would be conducted.’’

Orbih blamed the high rate of crime in the state on the failure of the administration to fulfill its promises to the people. (NAN)

PAGE 37

We don’t condone corruption at Ijumu LG-vice-chairman From Olanrewaju Lawal,Ilorin

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he Vice-Chairman of Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Mr Dayo Akemode has said that the leadership of the Council is not in the position to defraud the people of the area.

Akemode, who stated this in Ilorin after a thank giving service in his honour at Believers Vineyard Church, noted that they were elected based on the integrity the people of the area observed in them.

Speaking with Journalists after the service, Akemode said “ we

stand for the autonomy of Local Government. When I was elected, I was worried about how to make impact on the people. I wonder if the Council money did not get to the Council, how are we going to do it.

“As the most closer arm of

L-R: Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, members, House of Representatives, Hon. Samson Ogwu, Hon. Hasan Sale, Senate President David Mark, and Benue State Deputy Speaker, Hon. Stephen Onmeje, during a visit by the people of Ado Okpogwu and Ogbadibo Federal constituency led by Hon. Hasan Sale to the Senate President, recently in Otukpo, Benue state.

Anambra guber: Aspirant kicks against Uba’s planned imposition

By Lawrence Olaoye

A

governorship candidate on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the November 16th gubernatorial election in Anambra state has rejected the rumored plan by the leadership of the party to impose the candidature of Senator Andy Uba on the state on the platform of the party.

The aspirant who would not want his name in print for fear of notification said he was aware of

the determination of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo to ensure the emergence of the Senator Andy Uba as the consensus candidate of the party.

Reacting to reports that Obasanjo had last week, in a private meeting held with President Goodluck Jonathan in Abeokuta, urged him to support Uba for the governorship position of the state just as he lamented several attempts made by the Senaotor to clinch the position.

The aspirant in his reaction

said “even if we must place ourselves in slavery, must the slave master come from the south west or must we continue to remain in the bondage of one family?”

He said it would be a shame on the people of the state if they cannot follow in the footsteps of states that have successfully challenged entrenched interests to make votes count.

“Making votes counts begins with our party primary election so we will resist any attempt at imposition or else PDP would be in

APGA guber aspirant in Anambra backs LG autonomy

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gubernatorial aspirant in Anambra, Mr Emmanuel Nweke, has lauded the House of Representatives for voting in favour of local government autonomy in the constitution amendment.

Nweke, who is aspiring on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), made the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka yesterday.

According to him, the lower chamber has once again

government to the people, I always see how erossion affect people, how poverty affect their lives. So, if this money is getting to us, we can address all these local issues,” he asserted.

Akemode also warned politicians against violence as the 2015 general elections beckon.

demonstrated strength and character as the true representatives of the masses. ``The autonomy of the local government is a prerequisite for real development at the grassroots,‘’ he said.

The aspirant urged state governors to support the autonomy, adding that it would ensure the sustenance of democracy in the country. ``LG autonomy is the only way to true development at the grassroots,

which was the major reason for creating the third tier of government. ``There should not be a second thought to granting full autonomy to the councils. The house position is very commendable. I stand behind them solidly. People should be thinking about strengthening the democratic process.

“Our interest should be to elect credible candidates to pilot the affairs of the councils at that level. They should be people with high integrity and of impeccable character,’’ he said.

On the impending council polls in Anambra, Nweke complained that the time frame was short.

He maintained that council election was a serious business that could not be planned and executed in six months as it would not give the masses enough time to evaluate the aspirants.

The aspirant stressed the need to focus more attention on the gubernatorial election holding in November rather than the council polls. (NAN)

trouble.”

A source in the Presidency had said Jonathan s non-committal in his response to Obasanjo’s request. He said “Jonathan urged Obasanjo to find a way to reach out to Andy Uba to interact with his people in Anambra State and to campaign strongly so as to win the primary election on merit because Nigerians are closely watching what is going on.

“Obasanjo being aware of the trend of events in Anambra where members of the Uba family clan, particularly Andy and Chris, are regarded with contempt by the political elite because of their style of politics, is attempting to find an easy way out for Uba through consensus candidacy,” the source said.

Senator Andy Uba had before the nullification of his governorship by the Supreme Court, been the number one helmsman of Anambra State for 17 days. His bid to become governor has seen him regularly and frequently visit the Presidential Villa in the company of Dr Iyabo Obasanjo, ex-president Obasanjo’s daughter.

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

Politics

INEC is not a structured organisation - Fashakin ANALYSIS

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n the revised code of conduct for parties Fashakin, who spoke on a sad note about the new code of conduct for political parties in the country said that although he read in the newspapers of the existence of a revised edition of INEC’s code of conduct, his party, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) was not represented at that even. He said “And even though one would have ordinarily expected that such an important document that pertains to the attitude and conduct ofparties before during and after elections would ordinarily be in the website of INEC, it was not.

Therefore the CPC spokesman noted that his party has always said that INEC is not a structured organization because does not have the structured view about organizing elections for the country. In his words:” You will see a lot of volt- face, vacillations going back and forth. We are living in an electronic age where you put things at the reach of countless many where people can download and read. But, it’s really unfortunate.

And besides when institutions and establishments refuse to leverage on the available technologies, then there is high tendency that they will run into problems. What does it take for INEC to have a computer scientist to help them upload that detail on the internet through their website?”

On 2015 general elections Experience about elections in Nigeria especially those conducted under the leadership of INEC has not been very interesting and there is nothing really on ground to show that INEC has learnt anything yet. First of all, on April 2nd when the elections was to start, midway through the elections, we got announcement that the elections has been cancelled and that we will have to do it again the following week, that was on Aprill 9th 2011. While INEC had repeatedly publicized jingles that the electorates should wait after voting for their votes to be counted, the late NSA; that is National Security Adviser to the President then, the late General Andrew Azazi, came with a counter directive that electorates should vote and go home immediately after. It took the esilience, the doggedness of political parties in shooting down that order. INEC alone should have the final say as regards election. The effort to achieve a free and fair conduct within the Nigerian polity is like a mirage. If you go to Ghana, all the troops, the soldiers and all those that are to be used for elections are, as at the time of elections, under the command of the chairman of the election so that he determines what they do and where they go. And that to a great extent will determine the independence of those conducting the election, not that the President, being the Commander-InChief will be giving orders.

On INEC Independence and impartiality They showcase themselves like an appendage of the presidency.

But it should not be so. More so that the President is also normally a candidate in the elections or his party is also having candidates contesting in the elections. The chairman of the

Rotimi Fashakin, National Publicity Secretary of congress for the Progressive Change (CPC), in this interaction with Evelyn Okakwu, speaks on several issues including the revised edition of the Code of Conducts for political parties released by the INEC chairman; expected roles of political parties in the conduct of free and fair elections in the country; the electoral prospects of the new merger All progressives Congress among other sundry issues.

INEC Chairman

Rotimi Fashakin, National Publicity Secratary, CPC

Commission should always ensure that the deployment of security agents to anywhere conforms to the structured plan of INEC. According to INEC there are 120,000 polling stations, although we later found out that there are 86,000 with verifiable addresses. The remaining 34,000 just existed on the computer, but did not exist in reality.

So when you have a situation like that, that even INEC’s process is also fraught with some inadequacies here and there then you know that there is a big problem. I think the problem is that because the INEC chairman was appointed by the President, he therefore sees himself as an appointee of Mr. President and must do the bidding of Mr. President.

But it should not be so. People should be more interested in how posterity judges them. If you are removed by the president and your integrity is intact then so be it. Nobody should delude himself in understanding that if we don’t have people in authority that are derived directly from the ballot; those that come to authority through the votes of the people, we will have true democracy. That is a fetal lie instaed that will be the beginning of impunity.

Because they know that it was not from the people that they got their authority from, which is contrary to section 14 of our constitution that sovereignty

belongs to the Nigerian people and from whom the people in government derive their authority and powers”.

On parties’ role in conduct of successful elections First of all the party plays a dominant role in the area of education and sensitization. Before the General election in 2011 we sensitized supporters adequately like the situation I mentioned to you earlier that the NSA then gave a contrary directive to that of INEC. We brought out a press statement urging our supporters to discard that directive and follow on the directive of INEC via earlier jingles. We asserted our believe in the supremacy of INEC regarding election matters, also we were able to bring out the absurdity in the conduct of the election through the petition at the tribunal. We were able to show Nigerians that we have a multilayered electoral system, which in itself is something we must watch out for. Because when a Nation has succeeded in getting its electoral system well, that nation is more than 50 per cent on the path to development. Nigeria has not reached that. This country is really on the path of impunity. That is why anybody that becomes a president in this country becomes like ‘An Averter, a thin God’. So as a political party, like in the APC constitution now, we now

“

While INEC had repeatedly publicized jingles that the electorates should wait after voting for their votes to be counted, the late NSA; that is National Security Adviser to the President then, the late General Andrew Azazi, came with a counter directive that electorates should vote and go home immediately after.

have executive in the poling units so that if we have executive members in polling units and then INEC now turns out to say that in that polling unit that nobody voted for a candidate, then we should be able to challenge that.

In APC constitution we now have ward executives local government executives, National executives, as well as poling unit executives. Those are the ways in which political parties can go about ensuring a reduction in election rigging.

Reason for the merger APC Also political parties have seen that if you still remain as regional parties, you will not have a head way at all which is the problem of this country. We have only one dominant party while the other ones are regional parties, but with the emergence of APC, we now have another dominant party which is part of the ingenuity of political parties. For us to be able to say ‘let’s come together and give the Nigerian people real choice’. Some people really want to vote but they will just say;‘pleasedon’t let me throw away my vote please’ then they will just go and vote for PDP because they feel PDP is big’. But if they see another party that is seriously competing with PDP, they will say look I don’t like this PDP people let me go to APC. So that is another thing that political parties can do.

On voters turn out at 2015 elections Well voters apathy is as a result of many factors. People may become paranoid for various reasons. For instance people may say;‘why should I vote when there is only one dominant party and INEC chairman is an appointee of the President, hence INEC is ever ready to support the president’.

But if we are able to make people know that there is a viable dominant party other than PDP and security is well checked to ensure the safety of these

electorates; if the electorates believe that their votes will count, they will vote”.

On the activities of political thugs during elections You see, when you have a very irresponsible political class, who are ready to bread Monsters all in a bid to grab political power; you will have this kind of problem. Ask yourself what is to problem that is stopping us from having electronic voting? Those at the top echelon of political authority know that the only thing that can sustain them in that office is rigging. Look at our old electoral system, you have 120,000 polling units, over 8000 ward collation centers, 774 local government collation centers, 37 state collation centers and finally the Abuja central office which is the final collation center.

As an Engineer, I know that one of the things you can do to help yourself in your design is to reduce control points, because control points are potential failure points. In advanced countries that have brought fidelity to their electoral process, they have from the polling units an electronic system straight up to their central office.

All that will happen for rigging to accrue is that you post soldiers to this control points, to prevent agents from having access to the hall which was what happened in 2011 when we told the electorates that they should not follow the directive by NSA to the president”.

On appointment of the INEC chairman Ideally the INEC chairman should be a judicial officer appointed by the NJC that is the National Judicial Commission. It is very immoral that the man to conduct the election, that the president will participate in, is appointed by the President”.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 39

News Extra

Malnutrition: 86,000 Jigawa children receive treatment From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

N

o fewer than 86, 000 children with severe malnutrition cases have received free treatment in Jigawa state, sponsored by Action Against Hunger International with a French acronym, ACF, in collaboration with the state government.

This was disclosed by the Jigawa Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Lawal Abdu, while speaking at inauguration of a

19-member technical committee on food and nutrition in the state.

He described Sokoto as the only state to have initiated a community-based management survey on malnutrition, aimed at eradicating the menace among the children and rural dwellers in particular.

Abdu charged members of the committee to work hard and coordinate donor support in the area of food nutrition as well as coordinate the planning and implementation of all food

and nutrition programmes.

In his remarks the committee Chairman and Director General of Gunduma Health System Board, Usman Tahir, commended the government for giving them the mandate to serve and assured of their full commitment towards the realisation of the set objectives.

Members of the committee also include representatives from UNICEF, WHO, SUBEB, PATH 2, Radio Jigawa while Aminu Sarkin Hatsi of Budget and Economic Planning will serve as Secretary.

Briefs Unilorin expels five students

T

he management of the University of Ilorin has approved the expulsion of five students for various acts of misconduct.

A statement signed on behalf of the Registrar of the University by Mrs. K. W. Salle, gave the names of the students as Adeoti, Shola Adeola (Matric No 11/55EB018) of the Department of Geology; Onirinwa Funmilayo (Matric No 05/67QY010) of the Department of Arts and Social Science Education; Adu Micheal Abayomi (Matric No 11/55EA024) of the Department of Geology; Atanda Kazeem Demola (Matric No 07/66MF024) of the Department of Political Science; and Odiwe Lilian Unoma (Matric No 10/25OD079) of the Department of Counsellor Education.

From Olanrewaju Lawal,Ilorin

Group wants re-election for Al-makura

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L-R: Lydia Elizabeth Jaiyeola being decorated with Lydia rank as member of the Nigerian Baptist Convention’s Lydia by Chairperson of the Women Missionary Union, Abuja, Deaconess Mojisola Abiola, during the ceremony, on Sunday at the Faith Baptist Church, Lugbe in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Physically challenged get wheelchairs from Akanbi From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

A

former Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practice Commission (ICPC), Justice Mustapha Akanbi, at the weekend in collaboration with Ma-Assalam

Islamic Foundation donated eleven wheelchairs to physically challenged people in Ilorin.

Speaking that the presentation, Akanbi said the gesture was to soothe the pain of people who do not have limbs.

According to him, “those of

us who can walk on our feet and do things that we want to, we do not know the suffering of the people who cannot walk and those other people who are physically challenged.

“Part of our decision this year is that we must do something for

the physically challenged.

“We had to get about 15 wheelchairs. We have donated three already to Sobi Specialist Hospital.

“This morning we are donating 11 wheelchairs to physically challenged challenges people.”

Lawmaker frees 24 inmates in Kaduna From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

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ember representing Igabi Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Ibrahim Bello Rigachukun, yesterday freed about 24 inmates from Kaduna Prison with a call on them to be good citizens.

The inmates are from his constituency and were serving terms for various offences.

Addressing the inmates in front of the prison, the lawmaker said he had equally ordered his

team of lawyers to provide free legal services to another set of 18 inmates charged with culpable homicide.

He said that he decided to free the inmates by paying their fines because he believes in human reformation.

It was gathered that the inmates freed were those convicted for minor cases such as theft, cheating, house breaking and defilement.

“According to him, “we have 24 convicts that are free now and we have 18 standing for culpable homicide matters for which I have engaged the services of legal

practitioners to be of assistance to them by taking them to court.

“There are other youth from my constituency in prison custody in Zaria and other places.

“So, I have mandated my team of lawyers to fish out those from my constituency because I have already paid their fines.

“Whether you are a Muslim or a Christian, I will go extra mile to help.

It is my own way of thinking that I have some of my youth languishing in prison custody because they are not being given priority by the government.

“If they have been given the

opportunity to work, no matter how little, they would not have involved themselves in any crime.

“That is why I said let me try and bring out my people by paying their fines and those with serious offence I engage services of legal practitioners to make sure that they took over the matter by ensuring they are taken to court.”

Bello further assured the freed inmates of his readiness to engage them in his skill acquisition centre located at Maraban Jos where they will be empowered in soap making, vulcanizing, tailoring and computer literacy if they behave well in society.

he Nasarawa State Now Positively in Safe Hands (NSNPSHG) has called on Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura to seek re-election come 2015.

The group made the call at a press conference in Lafia on Sunday.

The group’s CoordinatorGeneral, Comrade Kassim Mohammed Kassim, described the NSNPSHG as volunteers set to sensitise the people of the state on the transformation efforts and achievements of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) administration under the leadership of Governor Al-makura.

He urged the people of the state not to be distracted by selfish and corrupt politicians, stressing that “Nasarawa is already in safe hands.”

From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

Bauchi road accidents claim 137

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he Bauchi State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps Bauchi state has said that a total of 137 persons were killed while 711 others sustained injuries in various road accidents across the state from January to July, 2013.

A press statement by the Sector Commander, Mr. Henry Sunday Olatunji, also noted that the command recorded 197 road accidents within the period under review in various locations in the state.

According to the statement, the command apprehended and charged to court 237 drivers in the state for violating traffic rules and regulations in a special patrol tagged, “Operation Sauka Lafiya.”

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 40

News Extra Briefs KRPC host communities get kerosene

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aduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) has commenced the sale of kerosene at the rate of N50 per litre to its host communities in Kaduna.

The KRPC Managing Director, Bolanle Ayodele, disclosed this during the flag off of the sale at Ejeg Filling Station, Ungwar Television.

According to him, KRPC intended to provide 33, 000 litres of kerosene to the communities. He also warned beneficiaries not to re-sell the product.

From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

Condolence over late journalist

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wara state chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has commiserated with Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ) and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) over the death of Mr. Sola Owolabi.

The NYCN in a condolence message by the Chairman, Comrade Kazeem Adekanye, expressed its sympathy to the entire staff of NAN and urged them to take solace in the fact that the late journalists left indelible marks in the journalism profession.

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

Abandoned FG water projects

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yo state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has called on the Federal Government to urgently put in place necessary measures for the completion of all abandoned water projects in the state.

He made the call in Ibadan while receiving the Board of Directors of Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority, led by its Chairman, Colonel Ibrahim Hassan Biu, during a courtesy call on him in his office.

From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

Gombe NBA

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he Gombe state branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) has elected new officials to run handle the affairs of the association for the next two years.

Swearing-in the officials at a ceremony at the weekend, the Gombe state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Alhaji Abdulhameed Ibrahim, urged them to take their duty seriously to enable the association benefit.

From David Hassan, Gombe

Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (middle), receiving an award from Chairman of the occasion, Chief Sunny Odogwu (left), during the Year 2012 Zik Prize Award, at the weekend, in Lagos. With them is former Head of Interim National Government, Earnest Shonekan (right).

Work for national unity, Jonathan urges youth From Edwin Olofu, Kano

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resident Goodluck Jonathan, has urged Nigerian youth to devote their energies to the quest for peace, progress and national unity, while pledging his administration’s resolve to carry them along in the dream of building a great nation.

Jonathan spoke through his Senior Special Assistant (Youth and Student Matters) Comrade Jude G. Imagwe, during an interactive session and Ramadan iftar, with university students and leaders of youth groups in the North West.

The event was held at the weekend in Murtala Mohammed Library in Kano.

Imagwe while commending Muslims for

the religious journey so far accomplished, extended the prayers of President Good luck Jonathan to Muslims during this month of Ramadan, while reminding them that the Holy month of Ramadan represents an opportunity to reconcile oneself with Allah.

He charged them to preserve and extend their spiritual cleansings beyond the period of Ramadan even as he assured them that the Christian Community in Nigeria is praying with them at this all important month of their faith.

He noted that, “I have come to you on behalf of the president to thank you specifically for the support that you have extended to him during the first half of the administration and to tell you that he needs you more in the

second half than the way you shared with him in the first half.”

“He wants to assure you that he is going to continually work with you as young people, he is going to continually partners with you and above it all, he wants you to note that Nigeria belongs to you more than to any other group or segment of the society.

“Nigeria is 52 years and Mr. President has been in government for just about two years.

“And a whole lot of people expect that the problems of Nigeria would be resolved in only two years.

“It is not just possible,” he told the audience.

“What we are undergoing now is a foundation that would stand the test of time.”

Anambra governorship race: Lawmaker empowers youth in Jigawa From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse of the PDP in the state, Alhaji Isah Ahmad Duniya Bahutu, called Josephine Anenih picks PDP member representing on the people of Dutse to align Dutse -Kiyawa Federal themselves to Kiyawa very tide form Constituency at the considering his contributions in empowering the youths in the

By Maryam Garba Hassan

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ormer Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Josephine Anenih, has picked the gubernatorial form for Anambra state under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Anenih who confirmed this at the weekend in Abuja, said she was vying for the seat in order to bring back the lost glory of the state and the much needed change to the area.

According to her, citizens of state have not been enjoying peace for long along with fragile

security situation in the state.

As she put it, “Onitsha market used to be the biggest in the country but not today as a result of insecurity that has bedeviled the state.

“The people have the Midas touch and contributed greatly to the economic development of the country in those days.

“I hope to turn around things and see how we can address this issue so that the economic activities in the state can bounce back.

“I will not be a governor for the women alone but for the people of the state and I will re-orient the mentality of the people.”

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National Assembly, Hon. Tijjani Ibrahim Kiyawa, has distributed 46 tricycles free of charge to 46 young men in the state as part of measures aimed at reducing poverty in the area.

Distributing the tricycles on behalf of at a colorful ceremony at the Dutse local government secretariat at the weekend, Kiyawa said each of the tricycles was bought at the cost of N500, 000.

Also speaking, the PDP state Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Ahmad Danzomo commended Kiyawa and described the gesture as a fulfilment of the PDP manifestos which is aimed at empowering the jobless in the society.

On his part, former Chairman

society.

He urged all the beneficiaries of the tricycles to handle them with utmost care.

He threatened to seize the tricycle if he notices violations of laws and order or even recklessness in handling the tricycles by the beneficiaries.

“I will be ready to stop any time anywhere and seize the tricycle instantly once I notice any unwarranted behaviour from anyone of you” Bahutu warned.

In his remarks, Chairman of Dutse local government, Alhaji Sanusi Abdulazeez Dankofa, commended the effort of the MP in rescuing the youths from the shackles of poverty.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 41

FIFA appoints Bassey to preside over Tunis war Stories by Albert Akota

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Etubom Paul Bassey earlier this year, reaching the tournament quarter finals at the expense of Angola, and had naivety to blame for their defeat to Ghana’s Black Stars.

The centre referee for the game is Gambian Bakary Papa Gassama, to be assisted by Eritrean Angesom

Ogbamariam (Assistant Referee 1), Rwandan Felicien Kabanda (Assistant Referee 2) and another Gambian, Maudo Jallow as 4th Official.

Egyptian Essam Siam will serve as the Referee Assessor for the Group B match.

NVBF working toward functional volleyball league next season, says Yakmut

Oyedeji in action

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he Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) has pledged that it will set up a functional volleyball league next season.

A member of the NVBF Board, Alhassan Yakmut, said that the federation was working toward raising quality players through a sustainable league.

Bayelsa Queens Vs Martins White Delta Queens Vs Pelican Stars Nasarawa Amazons Vs Taraba Queens Rivers Angels Vs Confluence Queens

– Owerri – 1st August – Abuja – 1st August – Katsina Ala – 1st August – Abeokuta – 1st August

Mba faces Heartland in Confederation Cup tie

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espected Nigeria official, Etubom Paul Bassey, has been appointed by world football-governing body, FIFA, as Match Commissioner for the potentially-explosive 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Tunisia and Cape Verde in Tunis on Saturday, 7th September.

Until a couple of weeks ago, the match was set to be a nonissue, but after FIFA penalised Equatorial Guinea for fielding an ineligible player in their qualifying matches against Cape Verde, the Portuguese island off the west coast of Africa gained three valuable points and moved into a position in which they are mathematically capable of overtaking Tunisia and earn the pool’s ticket into the 10team final elimination round.

With seven points to Tunisia’s nine, the Blue Sharks will depose the Carthage Eagles and jump into the pot for the Draw that takes place in Cairo on 16th September, if they win at the November 7 Stadium, Rades, outside Tunis.

Cape Verde made a sensational debut at the Africa Cup of Nations

Quarter-final pairings for 2013 women’s Federation Cup

“Having a functional league is our target now because the federation’s technical director sent in a proposal to the effect that there should be a functional league, and we have reasoned along with him.

“This is because the players have always had competitions, but these competitions have been

ad hoc, for a competition to raise the quality of players that we will need, it has to be a sustainable league structure; and that is what we are going to develop,’’ he said.

He said that they were working on a four-year strategic plan that would include athletes’ or players’ development, and the development of coaches as well as sponsorship.

“I assure you that as from next season, you will see a functional volleyball league in Nigeria.

Yakmut, who is also the director of grassroots sports development in the National Sports Commission (NSC), noted that the growth of volleyball had been steady but not rapid.

“From what I saw at the sub-zonal World Championship qualifiers in Abuja, the coaches have done a good job.

“They have selected players that will take us to `the promised land’, all they need is the financial and moral support of which we will do everything to ensure that the players are able to attain the pinnacle of their careers.’’ he added.

The senior male and female national teams qualified for the second phase of the World Championship qualifier after winning all their matches.

he Super Eagles striker, Ezekiel Mba has been named in the Akwa United squad to tackle Cup holders, Heartland in the Federation Cup quarterfinals clash tomorrow at the Kaduna Township Stadium.

Mba arrived Lagos on Sunday evening from Abidjan where Super Eagles fought gallantly to edge the Elephants of Ivory Coast for a place in the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa.

Akwa United coach, Justin Tenger said his dependable striker upon arrival in Lagos on Sunday immediately contacted him where he told him instantly that he will be party to the killer squad to challenge Heartland for a spot in the last four of the annual football fiesta.

“Of course, Ezekiel Mba will be featured against Heartland on Wednesday, we’ve been on constant communication since his arrival on Sunday and he is excited to contribute his own quota in the side battle for glory in the Federation Cup. “Oh yes, his presence is a big plus and great relief to some of

my attacking headaches. The entire team is happy having him in their midst for the crucial knockout game against Heartland.

“The camp is alive once again, the mood and spirit among the players very high. It’s a joy for one to have his best tool on special assignment.

“The game against Heartland will be tough and a test of endurance, I think we’re battle ready to confront Heartland.

“Right now any team who want to beat my side must work extra-hard, my players are in a killer mood and will surely overrun Heartland on Wednesday,” said the former Niger Tornadoes coach.

Akwa United are already settled in Kaduna for the grudge game to determine who progress to the semifinals.

The Uyo-based side defeated Enugu Rangers 2-1 in the round of 16 matches decided at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri while the Cup holders were made to sweat to their panties by Sharks before winning 4-3 on penalties in Calabar.

Gaiya backs code of conduct for Eagles

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he House Committee Chairman on Sports, Hon. Godfrey Gaiya, has stated that the proposed code of conduct for the Super Eagles players is for the good of the players noting the Code of Conduct is not to emasculate anybody or to restrict anybody but to provide a level plain ground for the players.

Speaking with Peoples Daily Sports in Abuja, Gaiya said already there was unwritten code of conduct guiding the conduct of players and officials, which he believes would not be enough to bring sanity to football system or trigger any sports development in Nigeria.

According to him, the code of conduct is just a black and white writing document that would spell out the right of player vis-à-vis the responsibility of federation to them.

The code of conduct would not disrupt the relationship between players and administrative as it was acclaimed by many pundits but believes it is a platform to allow players to do their best for their father land.

Hon. Godfrey Gaiya Gaiya however, explained that in any society, definitely there should be sanity, there should be some oath with which to operate therein, saying freedom, no matter how sweet it is should have a limitation without it you are simply quotes anarchy.

He said: “So I think the code of conduct to my understanding today is for the good of players, it is a forum for you when you enter into NFF to know your left to your right what I am expected to, I should also know.

“I think it is good will clearly tighten the relationship between the player and football federation their entitlement the welfare package their right to move as citizen when and when not to I think if it capsulate in the code of conduct it will be good for the good governor of football and for also the Nigeria football federation.” He concluded.

PEOPLES DAILY| TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 43

Sports

Besiktas eye Adebayor

Fenerbahce want Emenike

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Adebayor

esiktas remain keen in their pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who is set to be replaced at White Hart Lane by Spain striker Roberto Soldado.

Adebayor has been linked with a move to Istanbul this summer despite only completing his permanent move to the club a year ago, following a successful loan spell in the 2011-12 campaign.

However, a poor season last term has led to reports of Spurs being happy to sell the Togo striker on while they have also held talks with Valencia over the signing of Soldado.

Move to Istanbul remains a possibility but only if Besiktas win their appeal against a ban from European competition over matchfixing allegations.

Besiktas have taken UEFA’s decision to exclude them from next season’s Europa League to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and club president Fikret Orman is waiting on the verdict before his club makes a move for Adebayor.

Bernard close to Porto switch

Emmanuel Emenike

urkish club, Fenerbahce have revealed that Super Eagles striker, Emmanuel Emenike is in their wishlist of striking options in this summer’s transfer window.

The Istanbul-based club has stated that they have narrowed their options of summer purchases down to Emenike or Benfica’s Paraguayan striker, Oscar Cardozo.

Fener has also claimed that a deal to bring either of the duos will be struck as early as this week.

A senior official of Fenerbahce, Talat Yilmaz revealed that

negotiations in that regard have already commenced.

Emenike is no stranger to Turkish Football as he played for Super Lig club, Karabukspor between 2009 and 2011 where he netted 30 goals in 50 appearances for the club.

He signed for Fenerbahce in 2011 but did not play a single game for the club before proceeding to Russia to join his present side, Spartak Moscow.

The 26-year-old finished as top scorer at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa with four goals.

AC Milan to step up Honda bid

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C Milan could renew their efforts to agree terms with CSKA Moscow for Keisuke Honda after seeing Robinho injured in the club’s 2-1 friendly victory over Valencia on Saturday.

Robinho, who recently committed to a new contract with Milan, scored and missed a penalty during the Champions Cup match before sustaining an injury that is set to keep him on the sidelines for a minimum of two weeks.

Milan play the first leg of their Champions League qualification

play-off on August 20 or 21, with the second leg following a week later, and the potential unavailability of the Brazilian may lead the Rossoneri to register an improved bid for Honda.

Honda, 27, is out of contract in January and has already agreed a Bosman move to the San Siro, but Milan have put forward what CSKA deem to be an unsatisfactory offer for an immediate transfer.

Milan also saw defender Daniele Bonera suffer a fractured patella in the Valencia game, and he has been ruled out for at least three months.

Keisuke Honda

Silva, Marco agree new PSG deal

Bernard

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rsenal are set to miss out on Atletico Mineiro star Bernard, with the Brazil international’s agent confirming he is set to join either Porto or Shakhtar Donetsk.

French newspaper L’Equipe had earlier claimed the 20-year-old was set for a medical in London, but Arsene Wenger told the Daily Mirror that was not the case.

Bernard’s father has told O Jogo that the Gunners do hold an interest

but expressed a preference for a move to Porto, with fellow Brazil international Hulk recommending his former club.

The player’s agent, Adriano Spadotto, has also indicated that a move to Portugal is the most likely outcome; despite rival interest from Ukrainian side Shakhtar.

Atletico Mineiro has confirmed that Bernard will be allowed to leave should a club meet his €25 million valuation.

Liverpool ponder Melgarejo

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Melgarejo

iverpool manager Brendan Rodgers could move to sign Benfica left-back Lorenzo Melgarejo on loan as he looks to increase his defensive options, according to reports.

Rodgers believes the 22-year-old, who can also play in a more advanced left-sided role, would provide ideal competition for Jose Enrique.

Melgarejo, who played in Benfica’s Europa League final defeat to Chelsea last season, is believed to be keen to play Premier League football, and a move to Anfield could become permanent after an initial one-year loan spell.

If a deal is agreed, Liverpool would have to apply for a work permit to complete the signing because Melgarejo has won only one cap for Portugal.

Silva and Verrati both joined PSG last summer

T

hiago Silva has joined Marco Verratti in agreeing an improved contract at French champions Paris

Saint-Germain.

The Brazil international defender, 28, had been a target for Barcelona this summer but he

is now set to sign a new deal that will tie him to PSG until 2018.

The final details of the contract were agreed on Saturday; with last season’s club captain now due to earn €12 million per year after tax. The centre-back is expected to sign the deal in mid-August.

PSG’s Qatari owners have been anxious to ward off interest in a player that they signed from AC Milan for €42 million last summer.

Silva, who was captain of the Brazil team which won the Confederations Cup in June, will be 33 at the end of the new deal.

The news comes a day after it emerged that Verratti, 20, had agreed to prolong his stay in the French capital by one year. The Italian midfielder’s agent, Donato Di Campli, confirmed the news on Twitter.

Spurs again reject Real Madrid offer

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purs chairman Daniel Levy is adamant Gareth Bale will not be sold, despite the Welshman indicating he wants to speak to Real Madrid.

The Spanish giants have stepped up their interest but Spurs are refusing to countenance selling Bale even in the face of a possible record £85m bid.

Real have yet to submit a written offer but Bale is keen to explore their interest, having always dreamt of playing for the Bernabeu club.

Real are expected to formalise their interest in the coming week and test Tottenham’s resolve to hang to a player who scored 26 goals in all competitions last season.

Tottenham arrived back in London from their final pre-season matches in Hong Kong. Bale, 24, did not play in either of the club’s matches in the Asia Trophy because of a muscle problem.

With Real stepping up their interest, the Bale camp this weekend told leading figures at Spurs of their client’s wish to be able to discuss the possibility of a move to Spain. But Tottenham will not be swayed.

PEOPLES DAILY| TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

PAGE 45

Sports

1 3

P I C T O R I AL

1.Japan’s burgeoning production line of young talent shows no sign of abating after an untried Samurai Blue side staved off the challenge of Korea Republic, China PR and Australia to win a thrilling EAFF East Asian Cup. 2. Jessica Ennis-Hill has a good chance of competing at August’s World Championships, according to UK Athletics performance chief Neil Black 3.Batsman David Warner will rejoin the Australia squad on Monday and be available for the third Ashes Test at Old Trafford, starting on Thursday 4. Serie A risks falling even further down the UEFA rankings as Ben Gladwell argues that the new wave of attacking talent can bring about a revival.

5. Promoter Eddie Hearn believes Anthony Joshua is “the real deal” after signing him up to be a professional

4

2

5

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

Sports

Watson plans more attacking style with new coach

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relationship with Colombian Mauricio Hadad after returning to her base in Florida following Wimbledon.

“With coaches it’s always a big decision, the 21-year-old said, I put a lot of thought into it and I

Joshua turns professional boxer

Ennis-Hill to make World Championships

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Joshua

Ennis-Hill essica Ennis-Hill has a good chance of competing at August’s World Championships, according to UK Athletics performance Chief Neil Black.

The British Olympic heptathlon champion has been suffering from an Achilles injury but competed in the long jump and hurdles at the Anniversary Games.

Ennis-Hill has been affected by

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iam Phillips believes Britain will soon become a force in BMX racing, having clinched his first world title in Auckland.

Somerset rider Phillips added that he was optimistic about the long-term future of the sport in Britain, which has already produced a three-time world champion in Shanaze Reade.

Phillips won several British and European titles early on in his career before joining the Olympic Academy Programme in 2005.

He made the quarter-finals at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and achieved his first World Cup podium two years later.

In 2012, he won time trial silver at the World Championships before breaking his collarbone just over two months before the Olympics.

Phillips reached the Olympic final but crashed out of the race.

He said that even if a rider entered a competition as favourite, the “unpredictable” nature of the sport meant that success was still hard to achieve.

thought it was the best decision for me and my career.

“I think to get to the next level I need to change some things in my game, improve some things, add some things, so that’s part of me coming to this decision.

eather Watson has changed her coach and her game plan as she targets a more attacking style to take on the best in the world.

The British number two ended her two-year coaching

romoter Eddie Hearn believes Anthony Joshua is “the real deal” after signing him up to be a professional.

The 23-year-old Olympic gold medallist joined Hearn’s Matchroom organisation after announcing his decision to leave the amateur code.

The 6ft 6in boxer will make his professional debut on 5 October.

He walks the walk, he looks the part, he talks the talk. He’s a great ambassador. I think he can be a role model for youngsters as well and it’s really exciting times.

Joshua has not been in the ring since winning the superheavyweight gold medal at London 2012.

Last November he stated that he wanted to stay as an amateur and win a world title, but he will now make his profession bow at London’s O2 Arena in October.

“I think within three years he’ll be ready for world titles.

If we’re looking at him boxing eight times a year, he’ll be 24-0 at the end of a three-year period.

Phillips set for more world BMX success

the injury all season and last week made her first appearance since winning gold at London 2012 with a javelin and long jump competition in Loughborough.

She followed that up by competing in the long jump and 100m hurdles at the weekend event in London, which commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Games.

The 26-year-old said on Saturday that she was not sure she would be fit in time On Saturday, Ennis clocked 13.08 seconds in her first hurdles race since London 2012 - more than half a second slower than she ran at the Olympics - and confirmed afterwards she had only started hurdling again in training last week.

The 2009 world champion then came eighth and last in the long jump with a best of 6.16m, behind compatriot Katarina JohnsonThompson who won with 6.46m.

Bolt and Williams

Bolt tips Williams for victory

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ix-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt says British teenage sprinter Delano Williams can be a “great”.

Williams, 19, is set to compete for Britain at the World Championships next month after representing Turks and Caicos at junior level.

Bolt believes Williams can make an impact despite finishing last in the 200m at the Anniversary Games.

Delano Williams won gold in the 200m at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona in a time of 20.48 seconds.

Williams, who has linked up with Bolt’s Racers Track Club in Jamaica, is the world junior 200m champion.

His 200m personal best of 20.27 seconds, set this year, is faster than any Briton has run in five years.

But he finished ninth as Jamaica’s Warren Weir stormed to victory in the 200m in a time of 19.89 at the Anniversary Games.

Williams was eligible to compete for Britain at London 2012 as Turks and Caicos does not have a National Olympic committee and so cannot send a team to the Games.

He competed at the British Olympic trials last summer, but injury meant he failed to win a place on the team.

Murray, Peers win Gstaad ATP doubles title

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ritain’s Jamie Murray won the ninth ATP doubles title of his career and his second with Australian partner John Peers with victory in Gstaad.

Third seeds Murray and Peers beat unseeded Spanish duo Pablo Andujar and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3 6-4 on clay in the final of the Swiss Open.

It was the 11th tournament in which the Scot has teamed up with Peers.

Britons Colin Fleming and Jonny Marrayfailed in their bid to win their first title as a pair with defeat in Atlanta.

The third seeds lost 7-6 (8-

Keri-Anne Payne 6) 6-3 to fourth seeds Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France and Dutchman Igor Sijsling.

Murray, 27, is ranked 63rd in doubles, 40 places lower than

his career high of 2011, but there have been encouraging signs since he teamed up with 25-year-old Peers after the Australian Open in February.

The pair showed they can compete with the best when they beat world number one pairing Bob and Mike Bryan to win the Houston title in April.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

Some Interesting Facts

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merica’s first nudist organization was founded in 1929, by 3 men.

•Amount American Airlines saved in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first class: $440,000 •An animal epidemic is called an epizootic.

•An average person laughs about 15 times a day.

•An eagle can kill a young deer and fly away with it.

•An estimated 6,000 American teenagers lose their virginity every day.

•An Indian woman can legally wed a goat.

•Armadillos can be housebroken.

•Armored knights raised their visors to identify themselves when they rode past their king. This custom has become the modern military salute.

•At one time in Holland it took four years to train to be a hatmaker but only three years to train to be a surgeon.

•Average life span of a major league baseball: 7 pitches.

•Average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000.

•Aztec emperor Montezuma had a nephew, Cuitlahac, whose name meant “plenty of excrement.”

•Babies are born without knee caps. They don’t appear until the child reaches 2-6 years of age.

PAGE 47

•Back in the mid to late 80’s, an IBM compatible computer wasn’t considered a hundred percent compatible unless it could run Microsoft’s Flight Simulator.

•Ballroom dancing is a major at Brigham Young University.

•Because of the unusual shape of its legs and its bulky tail a kangaroo can’t walk or move backwards very easily.

•Bird droppings are the chief export of Nauru, an island nation in the western Pacific.

•Blueberry Jelly Bellies were created especially for Ronald Reagan.

Leisure

•Boss spelled backwards is double s-o-b.

•Bubble gum contains rubber.

•Camel’s milk does not curdle.

•Canada is an Indian word meaning “Big Village”.

•Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s fish was named Livingston.

•Captain Kangaroo won five Emmy awards.

•Captain Kirk never said “Beam me up, Scotty,” but he did say, “Beam me up, Mr. Scott”.

•Carnivorous animals will not eat another animal that has been hit by a lightning

PHOTO OF THE DAY

SUDODKU

Eiffel power lightning hits the Paris landmark Source: TheSun.co.uk

strike.

•Cat’s urine glows under a blacklight.

•Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.

•Certain frogs can be frozen solid then thawed, and continue living.

•Chances of a white Christmas in New York: 1 in 4 •Chances that a burglary in the US will be solved: 1 in 7 •Chances that an American lives withi hin n 50 0 miles of where he/ e/sh sh he gr grew ew up: 1 in 2 •Chicken soup was consid ideered ered d an ap phrod hrodiisia isia ac in the he Mid iddl dlee Ages dl Ages.

Say what?

www.peoplesdailyng.com

. . . putting the people first

TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

SPORTS LATEST

Mourinho predicts Chelsea return for Drogba

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h e l s e a manager Jose Mourinho has predicted that Didier Drogba will return to Chelsea but not in a playing capacity.

Drogba, who was voted Chelsea’s best ever player, formed a special relationship while playing under Mourinho during their time together at Stamford Bridge.

The Portuguese coach says that the Galatasaray player holds a special place in the hearts of the Blues faithful and has envisaged a return to the club, but not during this transfer window.

“He is a player and he is a winner and he enjoys his game and I almost had a heart attack because of him,” Mourinho was quoted in the Telegraph. “Let him enjoy a good couple of years of football but, after that, he is loved in this club by everyone and that’s very, very normal. I think one day he will have a Chelsea future.”

Asked if Drogba could return as a coach, the Chelsea manager said: “It’s more a global question than a specific question to the manager.

“I am nobody, I am just the manager. Is he a very important player in Chelsea’s history? Yes. Will Didier be always in the memory of Chelsea fans, Chelsea board, Chelsea owner, Chelsea fellow players, Chelsea kids growing up? Yes. “Is it normal that Didier will be in the future connected with Chelsea again, I think yes? How? I don’t know.”

Barcelona welcomes 10 more players

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arcelona will be close to full strength when they welcome their Spain and Brazil internationals to preseason training on Monday afternoon.

The players were given extended leave after reaching the finals of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup with their respective nations back in June.

The eight Spanish internationals, alongside the Brazilian duo of Neymar and Dani Alves, will undergo routine medical tests at the Ciutat Esportiva in the morning.

The players will then join their teammates in the afternoon for the first training session under new coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino.

The Argentine was watching from the stands as the Catalans demolished Norwegian side Valerenga 7-0on Saturday.

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QUOTABLE QUOTE The political tension in the country is mainly built around the 2015 elections, which shouldn’t be the case… We’ll do our best to curb the overheating of the polity.

— President Goodluck Jonathan

How not to tackle loose public purse strings T

he one fact that is beyond dispute about the meeting, last week, of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) ratesetting committee (the MPC) is that its main decision took everyone by surprise. No less startling were the Monetary Policy Committee’s thinking (that bank liquidity had become a major vulnerability), and its preferred tool for redressing this (imposition of a 50% cash reserve requirement for public sector deposits). We do not (yet) have the numbers associated with the MPC’s decision and choice of policy tool, but it is safe from this vantage to suppose that the picture of the economy confronting members of the policy committee was rather stark. Or, how else could anyone have canvassed such a severe constriction of monetary policy conditions, at a time when the official spin on the economy is that it could not be in better fettle?

Is there space for the charge that on the evidence of a clear dissonance between the MPC’s decision and its take on the economy, we are back to the design of monetary policy in back rooms filled with smoke and mirrors?

Over the last three years, the MPC decision-making process, and its communication policy have helped increase the economy’s “signal-to-noise ratio”. When we speak of inflation expectations being properly anchored, it is largely because the market and the CBN have reached an agreement on the key economic indices to watch out for, and the levers to pull in the bid for stable domestic prices.

Unexpected occurrences, as with the recent MPC decision threaten this balance.

Indeed, for all the post-MPC

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GUEST COLUMNIST Ifeanyi Uddin

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala meeting gloom (largely in the banking sector I should admit), the communique was full of adulatory phrases. According to it, “The Committee was satisfied with the prevailing macroeconomic stability achieved during the period, including the single digit inflation, stable banking system, exchange rate stability, favourable output growth, capital market recovery, and growth in external reserves, thus sustaining internal balance and external viability”.

It also noted that the National Bureau of Statistics’ current estimate of output growth projects overall, GDP growth for this year at 6.91%, up from 6.58% last year. All the major variables passed muster.

The “non-oil sector remained the

major driver of growth recording 7.91% in contrast to the growth rate of -0.68% for the oil sector during the second quarter of 2013”. And even where MPC members ought to have been concerned (growing evidence of demand pressure in the exchange rate markets), the committee “observed that the experience in Nigeria was not unique, as the spike in the US yields negatively impacted financial markets globally”.

In the end, there were three allusions (scattered all over the communiqué) on the nature of the problem to which members of the MPC adverted their considerable resources. First was the reference to “excess structural liquidity in the banking system”, and its potential

Indeed, for all the post-MPC meeting gloom (largely in the banking sector I should admit), the communique was full of adulatory phrases. According to it, “The Committee was satisfied with the prevailing macroeconomic stability achieved during the period, including the single digit inflation, stable banking system, exchange rate stability, favourable output growth, capital market recovery, and growth in external reserves, thus sustaining internal balance and external viability”.

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for “increased pressure on the exchange rate”. Next was the bit about how “the build-up in excess liquidity in the banking system” was driving up the “cost of liquidity management”. Apparently, the CBN’s balance sheet was beginning to sag under pressure from its open market operations in the market.

Third was the palpable gripe over the “perverse incentive structure under which banks source huge amounts of public sector deposits and lend same to the government (through securities) and the CBN (via OMO bills) at high rates of interest”.

My first worry with all these talk about “liquidity” and the new threat it poses to system coherence is that with liquidity at the disturbing levels indicated by the MPC, domestic prices should not be rising at the benign rates we have seen over the last three months. (Recall that in this period, relative to last year’s count, the consumer price inflation is at unprecedented lows).

But, then, perhaps asset prices are the ones being inflated away in this new bubble. And not just any asset class, but government securities, primarily.

However, even if we concede this argument, then the CBN has addressed symptoms and not the underlying ailment. Government’s huge and growing appetite for debt is the reason why the yields on government securities are as high as they are. Indeed, the whole point of the “crowding out effect” of government borrowing on the domestic credit creation process is that higher returns on government debt (it is risk-free, to start with) attract domestic savings away from other sectors of the economy. Matched by a corresponding growth in net capital formation, such debt could, in the end, be self-compensating. But a government that is not reforming (and so needs to pay for the cost of the reforms), and is not investing in new public infrastructure (the private sector has been assigned this responsibility, because “we cannot expect government to do everything for us”) does great damage to any economy. The CBN ought to remember this at its next MPC meeting, when, as we approach the 2015 elections, government may have lost all control of its purse string.

Ifeanyi Uddin is on facebook.com

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