Nigerian observer 24 10 2013

1 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2013THE NIGERIAN

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 • Vol. 38 NO.339• THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2013 • N100.00

SWEARING-IN: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State flanked by Mr. Samuel Oboh, Chairman(left) and Mr. Jimmy Igene, Vice Chairman , after being sworn-in as the Chairman and Vice Chairmanrespectively of Esan North East Local Government Area of the State yesterday.

SECURITYISSUES8

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TIT BIT “A buldozing determination may berequired in suppressing the distractionsthat lay on the way to our goal; but theeyes of our minds must be opened to thesigns that inform us of how far we havecome, and how far we need to go.

- Kingsley Ogbeide-Ihama

Terrorism andglobal securityMatters Arising

MAN ANDNATURE

Page 27The law ofreciprocal

action

The Nigerian

ASUU Strike

Senate mandatesMark to intervene

Oshiomhole swears-in Esan North East Chairman

FG to review 2006 Gender policy

N5.7b pension scam: Judge lashes ex-Director’sattempt to frustrate trial

. Accuses Police of aiding electoral fraud

Continues on page 2

Continues on page 2

... As NLC moves to resolve strike

Continues on page 2

BENIN CITY – Edo StateGovernor, ComradeAdams Oshiomholeyesterday in GovernmentHouse swore-in Hon. SamAbhulimen Oboh and Mr.Jimmy Igene as Chairmanand Vice-Chairman ofEsan North East LocalGovernment Arearespectively.

By ADAMS OYIBOKE/OYENMWEN OMOROGBE

ABUJA - The FederalGovernment is set toreview the 2006 NationalGender Policy, to bringabout strategic change inimproving the lives ofwomen in the country,

Women Affairs MinisterZainab Maina has said.Maina said this in aninterview with newsmenyesterday. She said thatthe review and its strategicimplementation would

bring the much-neededpeace and developmentin the country. Maina said the

exercise would enablethe administration to fine-tune its priorities onwomen’s developmentand gender balance innational life.

Continues on page 2

KADUNA - TheNigerian LabourC o n g r e s s(NLC)yesterday said theunion was working toproffer solution to thelingering strike of theAcademic Staff Union ofUniversities (ASUU). The NLC President,Mr. Abdulwaheed Omar,told newsmen after acourtesy visit to Gov.Mukhtar Yero of KadunaState that the union wasin Kaduna for a crucialNEC meeting to addresssome of the issues.

The ASUU had been onstrike for four monthsdue to the non-implementation of someaspects of its agreementwith the FederalGovernment. “We have alsodiscussed extensivelyyesterday and we aregoing to continue today. “I assure you that wewill come out with acommuniqué in whichASUU matter is going to

be part of it. “Beyond that we arealso making consultationswith ASUU andgovernment officials,

Continues on page 2

Performing theswearing-in ceremony,Governor Oshiomhole

congratulated them ontheir victory in the keenlycontested local

government election. According to him: “it hasbeen a long political road

to travel and you haveshown that you areindeed a long distantrunner. “You have proven thatalong with your vice andindeed the leaders ofour great party, the All

ABUJA - Senate of the Federal Republic hasmandated its president and chairman, Sen. DavidMark to engage President Goodluck Jonathanand leadership of the Academic Staff Union ofUniversities with a view to bringing to an end theprotracted strike action of the academics that hasentered it’s fourth month.

Also, the Senateappealed to the strikinglecturers to suspend thestrike and return to workto prevent furtherdevaluation of thecountry’s educationalfortunes. The Senate chamberfurther encourage itsCommittee on Educationto liaise with the FederalMinistry of Education, theNational UniversitiesCommission (NUC), theASUU and all other

relevant stakeholders toproffer lasting solution tostem further strikes in theeducation sector. This is even as SenatePresident David Mark inhis remark preceding theresolutions at yesterdayplenary, “begged” ASUUmembers to return toclassroom while dialogueon their grievances is on-going. He stressed that “aslong as we continue thedialogue we will find

solution. While this isgoing on, we shouldavoid inflammatorystatement, let me

appeal for understandingof both parties; let us shiftground in ourunderstanding; if we

continue to dig in, wewon’t find solution”. I want to beg the ASUUto return to classroom.

They have made theirpoint. The more theystay put on their strike

ABUJA- JusticeAdeniyi Ademola of theFederal High court,Abuja, has warnedSani Teidi, standingtrial over missing N5.7

billion pension funds onthe consequences oftaking extra-judicialsteps.

Teidi was a formerDirector, PensionAccounts, in the Office ofthe Head of Civil Service

of the Federation.He is linked to a “Save

Our Souls’’ petitionwritten to the office ofthe Chief Justice of


FG to review 2006 Gender policy

LAPO awards N33m scholarshipto 723 beneficiaries

News

Senate mandates Mark to intervene

... As NLC moves to resolve strike Judge lashes ex-Director’s

attempt to frustrate trial

Continued from page 1


Oshiomhole swears-in Esan North EastChairman


According to her, the much-needed peace anddevelopment in Nigeria willonly be achieved with qualityinvestment in women andgirls, whom she described, asthe nation’s hidden treasuresand resources.

“We need to review thepolicy implementation so as toidentify gaps, challenges, andevolve strategies tostrengthen it. “Efforts are already in place,this review, therefore, isanother major step to furtherbuild a true platform for the

development and realempowerment of women andother vulnerable members inour society.” She said that the currentadministration under the

leadership of PresidentGoodluck Jonathan haddemonstrated unflinchingcommitment to ensuring thatmen and women had equalrights and opportunities in allspheres. “As we undergo this phaseof our policy documentreview, all stakeholders arebeing presented with anotheropportunity to note andcorrect the past wrongs,” theminister said. Maina said that the reviewprocess was a practicaldemonstration of theministry’s quest to promotenot only the advancement ofwomen, but gender equityand equality in the country. “The ministry expects thatthis review will carry allstakeholders along andfacilitate a better operationalpolicy document and createan environment forgovernment to developmechanisms that will assist inthe achievement of thenational goal of genderequality,” she said. Speaking on the upcoming2015 general elections, theminister said that womenmust be each other’s keeper,stressing the need to removethe ideology of ‘pull her down’syndrome. Quoting the BritishCouncil’s 2011 GenderInequality Index, she saidNigerian was placed 120 outof 135 countries in femalerepresentation in governance,adding that the trend neededto be addressed andreversed. She called for continuousenlightenment of women inthe path towards greaterfemale participation ingovernance.

they would begin to losesympathy; in this matter, thereis no victor no vanquished”,Sen. Mark continued. Moreso, the senate presidentstressed the importance ofeducation more than any otherthing to national development,stressing, “our nationaldevelopment must be hingedon education; ab-initio peoplemust be told the truth what canbe accomplished and whatcannot be accomplished”. The Senate Presidenthowever bemoaned what hedescribed as inefficiency offederal government negotiatorswhose ignorance “ASUUsimply took advantage of” andmade spurious and impossibledemands that have put thecountry on hold. He noted that while theSenate Committee onEducation chairman, Sen.Uche Chukwumerije, wasreading out items on theagreement between the federalgovernment and ASUU, he hadforever thought of them as

mere notes than they were saidto have been truly endorsed bythe government negotiators. Earlier in his contribution tothe debate, Sen. Chukwumerijeenumerated the items on theagreement to include: TeachingPractice Allowance, ExternalExcess Workload Allowance,Sick Leave Allowance, PostGraduate Allowance,Sabbatical Leave Allowance,Work Injury Leave Allowance,Housing Loan, Car Loan,increase of retirement age forall categories of lecturers to 70years, Pension, and Fundingthe Universities among others. Also in his comment, Sen. ItaEnang argued that since themoney was not appropriated forin the current Budget, it wasabsolutely impossible for thefederal government to pay themoney as demanded by ASUU,stressing, “no money can bepaid without necessaryappropriation. He further argued that TradeUnions Act section 1, provesthat the demand of ASUU has

gone beyond trade unionism topolitical, adding that for ASUUto conscript all lecturers willynilly into their strike has madethem dictatorial, and havecommitted criminal breach oflaws and order. Moreover, Sen. Enangaggregated all the demands oftrade union organizations in thecountry to be over 500% of thenational Budget, asserting “aperson employed under a lawisbound by the law and he cannotbe a breaker Ahmed Lawan noted that thePeoples Democratic Party hasfailed Nigeria, while Sen.Danjuma Goje submitted thatthe N500 billion ASUU demandis affordable and should be paidthem. Presenting the motion earlier,which he co-sponsored with 38members, Senate LeaderVictor Ndoma-Egba observedthat despite severalnegotiations between thestriking lecturers andrepresentatives of the FGcoupled with intervention ofprominent Nigerians for theparties to reach a compromise,stressing, “the strike haspersisted with no sign of atruce”. He was disturbed that thestrike action has taken adangerous dimension withstudents engaging in all formsof anti-social vices, adevelopment that maycompound the precarioussecurity situation in the country.

particularly the VicePresident, who is nowhandling the issue with the viewto making sure that this issueis resolved as soon as possible. “It has been unfortunate, butthere are so many thingspeople have even beenmisinformed of but we areparticularly worried now withthe lingering strike. “Let us look at the issue, whatare the challenges and comeup with some kind of templateon how to go about resolvingor implementing these things,”he said. During the courtesy call, Omarappealed to the Kaduna stategovernment to allocate land forthe union to establish itsHarmattan school, which hesaid was similar to the Rainschool in Cross River state. He said that the school wouldenable the union improve on itsservice delivery to workers. Responding, Gov. Yeroappealed to striking universitylecturers to resume academicactivities, saying that the strikehad affected students and thenation at large. “ASUU should look at thefuture of this children andwhatever grievances they have,they can still continue todialogue with the federalgovernment, call off the strikeand commence academicactivities,” he said. Yero assured the union thatthe state government wouldprovide land for its proposedHarmatan school in the state,as well as continue to improveon workers welfare. The governor, however, urgedthe NLC to task its members onimproved and more efficientservice delivery to enable thestate forge ahead and ensuredevelopment. The NEC meeting had morethan 300 members from acrossthe country in attendance.

Also at the meeting were theleadership of the FederalMortgage Bank of Nigeria, whowere invited to interact with theunion on the union’s proposalto provide mass housing toworkers.

Continued from page 1Progressive Congress (APC) inEsan North-East that toughtimes may last but they maynever last as much as toughpeople may do and that pointis very well demonstrated. “You have shown thecourage, the fighting spirit asleaders and members of APC,that our commitment to theballot box is unshakable.” “Our faith in theDemocratic process remainstrong and ourcommitment to one-man,one-vote is not negotiable. He said that: “Not even thepresence of the whole armyin the world or the police canextinguish our commitmentand our determination toensure that democracy isenthroned in this part of thecountry,” he stressed. He condemned in strongterms the militancy attitudedisplayed by oppositionPeoples Democratic Party(PDP), its leaders andchieftains in the localgovernment to “subvert thewill of the people byintimidating, using the NigeriaPolice Force and othersecurity agencies toembarrass electorates andlaw abiding A.P.C. membersin the Tuesday LocalGovernment Election forEsan North East. Governor Oshiomholedescribed the unruly action ofthe opposition PDP todemocratic process as anational embarrassment. According to him: “As aNigerian, I am embarrassedthat the Nigeria Police are

involved in camping electionmaterials and coercingEDSIEC officials to docontrary to their will, whilepolice stations turn voting andcollation centres. “A situation where a federalminister of works, federallegislator used their exaltedpositions to compel EDSEICofficials to write on paperswho wins or do not win. “Thank God we are inTechnology age where resultcan be transmitted withinseconds,” he noted. He however commendedAPC leaders, supporters andthe newly elected chairmanand his vice for remainingsteadfast and unshakable,inspite of the repressive andviolent actions by oppositionPDP to subvert the cause ofjustice and the will of thepeople. Oshiomhole urged the newcouncil and his vice to use theresources of the localgovernment area to better thelives of the people andimplored all public officers,irrespective of their positions,who had cause to subscribeto oath of office not doanything that would affect thegoodwill of the people. He however appealed to allNigerians, especially politicalleaders to always placeNigeria first before theirpersonal interest, adding thatthere is hope for the future ofNigeria. Responding on behalf of thevice chairman and the people

of Esan North East Localgovernment, area, the newlyelected chairman thanked thegovernor and expressed Joyin the victory and the supportreceived from all APCmembers. He promised that EsanNorth East would be fully safein his hands, stressing that histenure would witness adramatic change from thepast government of PDP inthe local government council. According to him: “I like tothank you all my leaders andall supports of APC in EsanNorth-East for remainingresolute inspite of all theviolent intimidations. Speaking with TheNIGHERIAN OBSERVERafter the Swearing-Inceremony Hon. Sam A. Obohpromised to liaise with thestate government for theprovision of bore-hole watersupply within the first sixmonths of his administrationto all communities in EsanNorth East, beside otherinfrastructual facilities. It would be recalled that thelocal government electionheld Tuesday forchairmanship and councilorsin Esan North East localgovernment was contestedbetween the peoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) and AllProgressive congress (APC) The chairman Edo StateIndependent ElectoralCommission (EDSIEC)declared Hon. Sam Oboh ofAPC winner with a total votecast of 12,672 against 3,314 forHon. John Yakubu of PDP.


Nigeria (CJN) alleging high-handedness of the Judge.

Ademola, on June 19,slammed Teidi and UdusegbeEric, the second accused insuit, with bail in the sum of N500million with two sureties in likesum.

The petition may not beunconnected with the bailconditions which they claim istoo huge to be perfected.

The judge, who expresseddispleasure on the content ofthe petition, said “I will not allowany body to rubbish myintegrity’’.

“The court in its wisdomgranted the accused personsbail and I have not said I willnot sign their release if theconditions are met.

“This matter has gone veryfar; some persons are currentlybefore a Magistrates’ court,including my bailiff forsubmitting forged documentson behalf of the accusedpersons.

“The task clearance,certificate of occupancy, namesof sureties and other relevantdocuments for the perfection oftheir bail were forged.

“The court immediatelyalerted the FCT PoliceCommissioner through theDPO and arrests were made.

“The second person that wasarrested claims to be a relativeof the first accused person(Teidi).

“This is how desperate theyhave become; how cananybody insinuate that the courtis blind to the continuousdetention of the accusedpersons.

“Let me warn that the courtwill not allow itself to be boxedto a corner as I have alwaysinsisted on the rule of lawprevailing,” he said.

However, Mr Sunday Ameh(SAN), counsel to Teidi,expressed shock on thedevelopment, saying “I am notaware of the existence of sucha letter.

“My lord, my client has alsoexpressed shock on how thepetition came about as,according to him, he did notcommission anyone to write it.

“If the development hasbrought embarrassment to thecourt, I pray the judge to forgiveus.

“ As an officer in the templeof justice, I shall be the lastperson to support or encourageextra-judicial approach in thehandling of this suit.

“I was indeed taken abackwhen the prosecution wrote todemand a copy of the petitionof the letter,’’ he said.

At the resumption of the trial,Chief Godwin Obla (SAN)sought the permission of thecourt to present MustpaherGaenya, a prosecution witnessfrom the EFCC.

The process was howeveraborted when the counsel tothe first accused (Teidi) prayedthe court to compel theprosecution to serve him withthe statement of evidence.

Ameh further sought thecourt’s intervention to equallyserve the defence teamrelevant documents asprescribed by the new rules ofthe court.

However, Obla argued thatthe demand by the defenceteam was out of place as thesuit was instituted before theamended rules of the courtwere made.

The judge upheld theapplication of the defence teamby ordering service of allprocesses on them.

He therefore fixed Nov.18 forcontinuation of the trial.

By TUNDE EIGBIREMOLEN

BENIN CITY- Lift AbovePoverty Organisation (LAPO)Microfinance Bank has givenscholarship worth N33 millionto 723 beneficiaries who arechildren of LAPO Clientsspread across the 14 LAPOregions in Nigeria. Of the number ofbeneficiaries, 30 were givenscholarship to University levelwhile the rest are for children ofclients in secondary schools. The 2013 LAPO scholarship isthe 5th in the series, havingstarted in 2008; and with thelastest beneficiaries, the numberof students who have benefitedfrom the scheme so far has nowcome to 1,198, bringing the totaldisbursement so far to aboutN55,503,900. At the well attended ceremonyat its corporate Headquarters inBenin City, LAPO scholarshipBoard Chairman, Prof.Christiana Okojie declared thatthe first secondary school awardin 2008 began with the seedfund from LAPO’s GrameenAward of $10,000, stressing thatit started with 32 beneficiaries. She added that by 2009, thenumber grew to 98, andincreased to 197 in 2010; in2011, a total of 377 received theaward and by 2012, it recordeda total of 494 secondary studentsand 30 Universityundergraduate beneficiaries. Welcoming guests, the

Managing Director of LAPO,Mr. Godwin Ehigiamusoe,represented by the AssociateDirector, LAPO, Mr. MosesEhigiamusoe stressed that thescheme was borne out of theneed to bring out a brighterfuture for children, particularlythose from low-incomehouseholds. Edo State Commissioner forSecondary, technical andtertiary Education, Barr.Washington Osifo representedby Mr. John Obabairibhojie, andthe Edo NDDC Commissioner,Barr. Henry Okunrobo,commended LAPO for thescheme and urged other pro-poor organisations to emulatethe gesture. They also advised thebeneficiaries to make good useof the scheme, be studious andcommitted to their education. The General Manager, LAPO-NGO, Sabina Idowu-Osehobosaid the MD of LAPO, Mr.Godwin Ehigiamusoe waspassionate and committed to theeducational development of thechildren of clients of theOrganisation and commendedall those involved in thesuccessful running of thescholarship scheme. A cross-section of beneficiariesand their parents who spokewith The NIGERIANSOBSERVER testified of howthe scheme has helped them andtheir families, asserting that,“LAPO has done very well” forthem.


NewsCourt Restrains CommitteeFrom Conducting Election

LG ElectionHolds Dec

21, PLASIECAffirms

Nat’l Dialogue: Resolutions Should BeSubjected To Referendum - Lawyers

Medical Student SeeksDissolution Of MarriageLawmaker Inaugurates 15

Constituency ProjectsLAGOS - A 29-year-old

medical student, Mrs.Ariyike Adebiyi, has urgedan Agege Customary Court,Lagos, to dissolve hermarriage to a man shedescribed as a dropout.

Ariyike, a student of theObafemi AwolowoUniversity, Ile-Ife, Osun,told the court that her 33-year-old husband, Femi,used charm to compel her tomarry him.

Ariyike was responding toa divorce suit filed by Femian estate agent.

The student consented tothe marriage dissolution, andsought the custody of theirone-year-old child.

“I can’t imagine myselfmarried to a dropout, if notthat he charmed me. Mymarriage to Femi is nothingbut a mirage.

‘‘I wanted to use Femi asmy case study when I waswriting my project, but itturned out to this mess.

“My family did not allowme to go with him after ourengagement ceremony.

“I packed my things to hishouse two months after theengagement and was

WARRI (Delta) - THEelectoral committee set up by theregent of Ogbe-Ijoh clangoverning council and elevenothers have been restrained bya Delta State High Court sittingin Warri from conducting anyother election or selection intothe council.

Justice Marshall Umukorowhile presiding over the case,granted the interim Injunctionsought by the plaintiff and barredany further election into thegoverning council, pending thehearing and determination of themotion on notice.

“The defendants, Chief (Dr.)Samson Mamamu, the regent ofOgbe-Ijoh Clan for himself andor representing the Ogbe-Ijohtraditional council and 2nd to12th defendants, for themselvesand on behalf of the purported,Ogbe-Ijoh electoral commissionshall be restrained in the interim,especially having regard to thepending suit No. W29772011before this court” said the Judge.

Speaking further in hisruling, Justice Umukoro said”Consequently, the defendantsare hereby restrained fromconducting any other election orselection or initiating any otherprocess to fulfill or occupy thevarious offices in the Ogbe-Ijohclan governing council pendingthe hearing motion on notice.

According to him, interim

Assembly, the aim will bedefeated.

Chief Peter Uwanoghor,former Chairman, Nigerian BarAssociation (NBA) UghelliChapter in the state said theconference should be organisedby Independent NationalElectoral Commission (INEC).

He said that if the outcome ofthe dialogue was submitted tothe National Assembly, it wouldbecome mere legislation insteadof the decision of the people.

JOS - The PlateauIndependent ElectoralCommission (PLASIEC) hasreaffirmed its readiness toconduct the local governmentcouncil elections December 21,2013, and advised members ofthe public to ignore any rumourto the contrary.

“ There is no going back on thestipulated date of December. 21for the conduct of the localgovernment,” PLASIECdeclared through its PublicRelations Officer, Mrs.Christiana Choji.

Choji told newsmen that thecommission was ready toconduct a “free and fairelections”, adding that allnecessary arrangements werealready in place for that.

“The Commission still standsby the election timetablereleased to all political parties onSeptember. 2, 2013. PLASIECalso wishes to remind politicalparties that collection and returnof PLASIEC form 001 by partieswill end on November. 7,” shedeclared.

Choji also solicited for fullcooperation toward a successfulpoll.

College, Ogochi and therenovation of six classrooms andfurniture at Aloaye PrimarySchool, Udaba-Ekperi.

“My interest in politics is toprovide basic amenities whichmy people lack. I assure youpeople of these communities ofmore developmental projects,”he said.

Oghumah said that the

By BETTY IDIALU order shall be effective from theOctober 18, 2013 for seven daysvide order 39 rule 7 (3) of theHigh court civil procedure rules2009 when parties shall appearin court on October 28, 2013.

The Claimant Hon. JosephHitler had gone to court tochallenge alleged manipulationof his candidacy into thechairmanship position of theOgbe-Ijoh clan governingcouncil.

Hon.Joseph opined that, hisfamily whose turn it is to producethe chairmanship of the councilhad endorsed him as theirrepresentative, adding this wasaccepted by all, and lamentedthat some influential persons inthe clan were working againsthim because of selfish interest.

“This is an opportunityNigerians were yearning for inthis country. So it should not bemismanaged.

“The National Assembly canamend the constitution but weare fashioning out the basis ofour existence and the structureof that existence and the interrelationship of the variouscomponents of the country,’’ hesaid.

Mr Patrick Oganwu, also aformer NBA Chairman, WarriChapter, holding a referendumwas necessary because manyNigerians had lost confidencein some of its institutions.

He, therefore, said that theoutcome of the dialogue shouldgo to the people via a plebisciteor a referendum.

On his part, former NBAChairman in the state, MrSunny Asanuye said that if theresult was referred to theNational Assembly, the entireexercise would be in futility.

Meanwhile, Mr. Austine

Icheghe, current Chairman,Ughelli NBA was of the opinionthat the resolutions should bereferred to the NationalAssembly since they were therepresentatives of the people.

“If the National Assembly isallowed to handle theconference, it will save time andcost and also have a bindingeffect on the populace,’’ he said.

maltreated by his family.“My husband drinks,

smokes Indian hemp andcomes home late at night, yetI endured because of mypregnancy, ’’ Ariyike, wholives at 11, Babatola St.,Egbeda, Lagos, said.

She submitted that hermother paid the medical billswhen she was delivered ofher baby.

“My husband did not showup at the hospital. Hisyounger sister beat me upbarely 48 hours after I wasdelivered and I fainted,’’ shesaid.

Femi had told the courtthat his parents-in-lawprevented his wife fromfollowing him to his houseafter their engagement.

He added that theyprevented him from seeinghis wife and child.

“I want the court todissolve the union and grantme the access to my child,’’he prayed.

The Court President, Mr.Emmanuel Sokunle, told thecouple to maintain thepeace, and adjourned thecase to November. 5 forjudgment.

FUGAR (EDO) - A memberof the Edo House of Assembly,Mr. Johnson Oghumah, has saidthat he had completed andinaugurated 15 projects in hisconstituency.

Oghumah, who representsEtsako-Central Constituency,disclosed this to newsmen inFugar, in the Etsako-CentralLocal Government Area of Edo,after inspecting projects invarious communities in hisconstituency.

The lawmaker, who did notdisclose the amounts expendedon the projects, said that theywere all completed and deliveredbetween 2010 and 2013.

He said the projects includedthe construction of threeclassroom blocks, office andfurniture at Uralo SecondarySchool in Iraokhor, theconstruction of four blocks ofclassrooms, office and furnitureat Oboarekpe Primary School,Ogbona and the Ukhoelectrification project.

Other projects were theprovision of two 500 KVAtransformers, two boreholeprojects in Ivhieghui andIvhiokhile, and the supply of 150chairs and desks to the MixedSecondary School, Fugar.

Also inaugurated were theconstruction of three classrooms,office and furniture at Central

constituency projects cut acrossthe 10 wards in the Etsako-Central local government.

The lawmaker said that theprojects were executed toimprove the lives of the people.

He, however, called on thepeople of his constituency tosupport the government in its bidto develop the state.

ASABA - A cross section oflawyers in Delta state hasadvocated that the outcome ofthe National Dialogue shouldbe subjected to a referendum toreflect the wishes of the people.

Some of the lawyers, whospoke to newsmen in Asaba,said the resolutions should notbe submitted to the NationalAssembly.

According to them, if theoutcome of the dialogue is leftin the hands of the National

L-R: Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Hon. Lucky James and the Deputy Speaker, Edo State Houseof Assembly during the swearing-in of Esan North East Council Chairman, Hon. Sam Obohin Government House yesterday. Photo: CHARITY OZIGBO-ESERE.

The Chief of Staff to Edo State Governor, Rt. Hon. Patrick Obayagbon and the Head ofService, Princess (Mrs.) Ekiuwa Inneh during the swearing-in of Esan North East CouncilChairman, Hon. Sam Oboh in Government House yesterday. Photo: CHARITY OZIGBO-ESERE.


South South

Food Poisoning: Scientist Warns AgainstConsumption Of Roadside Foods

Maritime Academy Laments Inadequate Training Facilities

Academy Seeks SupportTo Produce Buoy For

Commercial Use

FRSCCautionsAgainst

Under-AgeDriving

ORON (AKWAIBOM)- Mr FrancisKponu, the Director ofSpecialised SeafarersTraining Centre,Maritime Academy ofNigeria, Oron, has urgedthe Federal Governmentto provide training shipsfor the academy toameliorate its trainingchallenges.

Kponu made this knownto newsmen in Oron,

Akwa Ibom, after a tourof the academy.

He said that manycadets, who hadcompleted their courses inthe academy, did not havesea time exposure due to

lack of training vessels.He also said that the

academy needed funds toprovide moreinfrastructure to cater forthe increasing number ofstudents intake into the

academy.‘We need fund to build

new structures, we havethe capacity to run thedegree courses, but wehave not been given the

approval due to dearth ofinfrastructure,” Kponusaid.

Earlier, during the tourwith journalists, thedirector said that a schoolcertificate holder orprimary school certificatecould work in a ship afterobtaining a mandatoryone-week course.

‘’The one-week trainingis compulsory in line withthe Standard of TrainingCertificate and Watch

ORON, (AKWAIBOM)- Mr Ime Umanah,the Principal TechnicalOfficer, MaritimeAcademy of Nigeria, hassaid that the academycould manufacture a large

number of navigationbuoy if properly funded.

Umanah told newsmenin Oron, Akwa Ibom, thatlocal production of buoywould reduce the nation’sexpenses.

The reports state thatbuoy is used to mark thewater channels to enablethe captains locateshallow or deep areas inthe water body.

He said that the academycould produce themachine in large numbersif given the opportunity.

Umanah said that theacademy had met thestandard of InternationalMaritime Organisation(IMO).

“We have only one buoyin the academy producedby a cadet as practical inhis study.

“We are confident of thequality of our productionbecause it meets the IMOstandard.

“‘It cost about N65, 000and it takes between threeand four days to produceone navigation buoy.

“We can produce forcommercial purposes ifgiven the support “, hesaid.

Umanah, who hadearlier taken journalistsround the engineeringdepartment, said that thestudents produced most ofthe plugs, nuts and boltsused in the departments.

PORT HARCOURT- APort Harcourt-based foodscientist, Mrs HelenAnderson, warnedNigerians againstconsuming food sold onroadsides to reduce the riskof food poisoning.

Anderson told newsmenin Port Harcourt thatcareless consumption offoods especially fromroadsides had causedavoidable deaths.

“Many of the foods theysell at bus stops, motor

parks and during trafficjams are substandard forhuman consumption.

“Our people rush suchfoods because they areoften cheap; you know anaverage Nigerian goes forquantity instead ofquality,’’ she said.

The food scientist saidthat some people resortedto the sale of substandardand expired foods due topoverty.

Anderson, who is also anutritionist, described the

development as criminaland inhuman.

She said that Nigeriansshould be careful of whatthey “take into their body’’in order to avoid diseasessuch as cholera.

“We cannot afford toallow some greedy andwicked individuals todepopulate us in the nameof struggle for survival,’’she said.

The food scientist urgedthe National Agency for

PORT HARCOURT- TheRivers Sector Commander ofthe Federal Road SafetyCorps, ( FRSC), Mr SundayOghenekaro, has taskedparents to desist fromallowing under-aged childrento drive their cars.

Oghenekaro told newsmenin Port Harcourt that it waswrong for affluent parents toallow their under-agedchildren to drive theirvehicles.

He said that some of theroad traffic crashes thatoccurred involved under-aged motorists.

The commander advisedparents not to risk the livesof their children by givingcars to them to drive whenthey were not qualified andmatured to do so.

He said that any personbelow the age of 18 was notqualified to drive.

“Even if someone is up tothe age of 18 and above, suchperson has to be trained by acertified driving school andissued a certificate ofcompetence by a vehicleinspection officer.’’

Oghenekaro said that afterundergoing the aboveprocesses, the person had toapply for driver’s license.

He said that it was onlywhen a person had beenissued a driver’s license thatsuch person would bedeemed to have qualified todrive.

He advised that even if onehad been found to bequalified such person had tolearn and imbibe positivedriving attitude to ensuresafety on the road.

keeping (STCW) to beable to go on the sea.

‘’The certificate givento such a person is validfor only five years. Theperson is expected to takehigher courses to beupgraded,” he said.

According to him, thefour compulsory coursesare on personal survivaltechniques, first aid,personal safety and socialresponsibility as well asfire fighting.

Food Drug Administrationand Control and otherregulatory agencies toinitiate measures to dealwith the situation.

According to her, it isvery important to subjectfood vendors to strictsupervision so as toascertain the quality oftheir foods.

The nutritionist said thatit was time for regulatoryagencies to apprehend andprosecute sellers ofsubstandard foods.

Middle, Edo State Governor and the Esan North East Council Chairman, Hon.Sam Oboh, his Vice and their spouses in a group photograph shortly after theirswearing-in in Government House yesterday. Photo: CHARITY OZIGBO-ESERE

L-R: Oyo State Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association, Mr. Seun Abimbola, Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice BadejokoAdeniji and Justice Mukthar Abimbola during the lecture on the “Future of Law and Legal Practice in Nigeria” recentlyin Ibadan.


South-WestForgery: 2 MenRemanded

MurderCourt

RemandsLand

Speculator

Robbery: Man, 24, DockedForte OilDeclaresN2.7bnProfit

Theft: 3 Men Remanded In PrisonCustodySANGO-OTA (OGUN)-

An Ota Magistrates’ Court inOgun has remanded threemen in prison custody forallegedly robbing a man ofhis motorcycle at gunpoint.

Director of PublicProsecutions (DPP).

The accused, who residesat No. 4, Badalu St., Maza-Maza, Lagos, is facing anine-count charge borderingon conspiracy and armedrobbery.

Reports state that the pleaof the accused was, however,not taken.

The prosecutor, Insp EdetOkoi, had earlier told the

LAGOS - Forte Oil Plc hasannounced a N2.7 billion profitafter tax for the nine monthsended Sepember 30.

This was contained in astatement issued by thecompany in Lagos and obtainedby the newsmen.

The profit after taxrepresented a growth of 317 percent when compared with N700million declared in thecomparative period of 2012.

The report showed that profitbefore tax rose by 258 per centto N3.2 billion from the N900million recorded incorresponding period of 2012.

Its turnover increased by 29per cent to N92 billioncompared with N71 billionposted in 2012.

Mr Akin Akinfemiwa, ForteOil Group Chief ExecutiveOfficer, attributed theperformance to businesstransformation initiatives,enhanced safety health andenvironmental practice acrossits business lines and superiorcustomer service delivery.

“We remain committed to ourmission of building a long-termsuccessful company; boostinginvestor confidence by makingForte Oil the investment ofchoice in Nigeria and globally,”Akinfemiwa said.

Mr. Julius Omodayo-Owotuga, the Group ChiefFinancial Officer, said that thecompany would continue withits diversification to increaseshareholders’ value and marketshare.

LAGOS- An IgbosereMagistrates’ Court in Lagos hasremanded a 32-year old landspeculator, Olasiga Owolewa, atthe Ikoyi Prisons, over allegedmurder.

The accused, of no fixedaddress, is standing trial on atwo-count charge of conspiracyand murder.

The Magistrate, Mrs. A. F.Botoku, gave the order, pendingthe outcome of the legal advicefrom the Office of the LagosState Director of PublicProsecutions (DPP).

The Prosecutor, Cpl. AbiodunAnimashaun, had told the courtthat the offences werecommitted on August 8, at IleEpo-Oba Filling Station,Ikorodu, Lagos.

“The accused, with a gun,unlawfully shot and killed oneSamson Onabajo,’’ Animashaunsaid.

The prosecutor said thatOwolewa and Onabajo werefighting over a land matter,which led to the death of hisvictim.

“Investigation is still ongoingand the case file has beenforwarded to the DPP, for legaladvice,’’ he said.

The prosecutor said theoffences contravened Sections221 and 231 of the CriminalLaw of Lagos State, 2011.

ADO-EKITI- An Ado-EkitiMagistrates’ Court hasremanded two men, SimonOramulua, 57, and OkaforchaAugustine, 50, in prisoncustody for alleged forgery.

The Police Prosecutor, Mr.David Erinma, told the courtthat the accused committed theoffence on August 29, 2012, at52 Ajilosun Street, Ado-Ekiti.

He alleged that the accusedunlawfully forged the officialreceipts of the Animo TimberBuyers Association.

The prosecutors added thatthe accused also plotted amongthemselves to sign documentstestifying to the contents of thesaid association.

He said the offencecontravened section 107(3) ofthe Criminal Code cap C 16,Laws of Ekiti of Nigeria, 2012.

The accused pleaded notguilty to the charge while theircounsel, M. Ade Akanle,prayed the court to grant bailto his clients.

Chief Magistrate SimeonOjo, however, remanded theaccused in prison andadjourned the case toNovember 28 for furtherhearing.

court that the accused, withothers still at large,committed the offences at2.30 a.m. on September 6 atNo. 22/24, Alhaji KareemSt., Olodi-Apapa, Lagos.

He said that the accusedand others, while armed witha gun and other dangerousweapons, robbed theresidents of the building.

Okoi said that the gangwent from flat to flat anddispossessed the residents of

phones, recharge cards,pieces of jewellery and cash,all worth N389, 500.

The prosecutor said theoffences committedcontravened Sections 1(2),(a) and 5 of the Robbery andFirearms (SpecialProvisions) Act, Laws of theFederation 1990 (asamended).

The case was adjourned tillDeember 3, for mention.

The accused — WasiuLasisi, 21; Ismaila Saheed,20; and Olalekan Olaleye,20 — whose

addresses are unknown,are being tried for armed

robbery and conspiracy.The Magistrate, Alliu

Soneye, who gave the order,

said the accused should bekept behind bars pendinglegal advice from the StateDirector of Prosecutions(DPP) on the matter.

Earlier, the prosecutor,Cpl. Olumide Ajayi, had toldthe court that the accusedcommitted the offences onJuly 18 at 5.10 a.m. at No.3, Olaoluwa St., Wazobia inAdiyan area of Agbado nearOta.

Ajayi alleged that theaccused, who were armedwith guns, robbed one MrOluwadamilare Ajewole ofhis motorcycle withregistration no. FST 933 QAworth N110, 000 and amobile phone valued atN9,500.

The offences, he noted,contravened Sections 1(2),(a) and 6 (b) of the Robberyand Firearms Act, Laws ofthe Federation, 2004.

The magistrate adjournedthe case to November 20 formention.

IKEJA- An IkejaMagistrates’ Court in Lagoshas remanded a 24-year-oldman, Ndubuisi Nweke, at theKirikiri Prisons, Apapa,alleged to have robbed someresidents of valuables worthN389, 500.

The Magistrate, Mrs.Margaret Dan-Oni, orderedthat the accused should bedetained, pending legaladvice from the State

L-R: Minister of State for Niger-Delta Affairs, Mr. Darius Ishaku; Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief EmekaWogu; Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, Minister of State for Works, Amb. Bashir Yuguda and Minister ofSpecial Duties, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki at the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja yesterday.

L-R: Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; Vice President Namadi Sambo andPresident Goodluck Jonathan at the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja on yesterday.


LagosNGO Wants Children’s Use Of

Internet Monitored

Youths ChallengesECOWAS Wants Collaboration

Oando SeeksPartnership

To BoostPowerSupply

LAGOS -The managementof Oando Plc has pledged topartner with indigenousinvestors to boost powersupply in the country.

Mr Kevin Johnson-Azuara,the company’s CorporateCommunications Officer, saidin a statement in Lagos thatOando was glad to be part ofthe 10.4 mega watts AlausaIndependent Power Plantproject.

The plant powered byGaslink, a subsidiary of Oando,was inaugurated recently bythe Lagos State Government.

The statement said the plant,which uses environmental-friendly gas, would drasticallyreduce noise pollution withinand around the state secretariatat Alausa.

“This is due to thedisplacement of over 100diesel generators and reductionof carbon emissions by 3.4million annually,” it said.

It said the project financed byFidelity Bank Plc furtherdemonstrated that Nigerianswere capable of findingsolutions to their challenges.

LAGOS - Mr. CharlesOsezua, Chairman,Institute for Work andFamily Integration - a non-profit organisation hasadvised parents andguardians to monitor theuse of internet-enabledgadgets by their childrenand wards.

Osezua gave the advicewhile speaking at the 2013Society and TechnologyConference organised bythe institute in Lagos.

“Technology has, nodoubts, come with so manyadvantages for businesses,families and the society atlarge.

“However, we areconcerned about the rate atwhich vices are beingpromoted and escalatedthrough mobile technology,especially with phones.

“As we are told by theInternational BusinessMachines Corporation(IBM), two out of three

people in the world keepmobile devices withinreach at all times.

“Countless young peoplespend more time withgadgets than with people inthe same room with them.

“It is expedient forparents and guardians tomonitor the activities oftheir children as we have somany cases of cyber-bullying, assault and rapedue to uncontrolledexposure to internetgadgets.

“The duty of every parentis not just to provide formaleducation, but also socialeducation; this is not theduty of governments orhousemaids,” he said.

Mr Pius Onobhayedo,Head, Design and NewMedia, School of Mediaand Communication, PanAtlantic University, urgedbusiness establishments to

IKEJA - A prosecutionwitness, Mr. IhechukwuIreogbu, on Tuesday testifiedthat an oil marketer, RowayeJubril, forged some documentsto fraudulently obtain N963.7million subsidy payment from

the Federal Government.Ireogbu, Managing Director,

MGI Inspection Ltd., gaveevidence at the resumed trial ofJubril before Justice LateefatOkunnu of an Ikeja High Court.

Jubril was charged to court

alongside his company, BrilaEnergy Ltd.

They are being prosecuted bythe Economic and FinancialCrimes Commission (EFCC).

Ireogbu, who was cross-examined by Jubril’s counsel,Mr Raphael Oluyede, said thathis firm had a prior businessrelationship with the defendant.

He, however, testified thatMGI Inspection Ltd. did notparticipate in the inspection ofthe 13,500 metric tonnes ofPremium Motor Spirit (PMS)purportedly imported by Jubril.

The witness said that theclaim by Jubril that thecompany inspected the producton Jan. 26, 2011 and January.27, 2011 at off-shore, Cotonouin Benin Republic, “wascompletely false.”

Ireogbu said that heinstructed Mr Felix Iweka, anemployee of the Port CargoServices - a subsidiary of thecompany - to go to Cotonou tocarry out the inspection.

According to him, Iwekalater confirmed that he did notinspect ship-to-ship transfer ofthe product between the mothervessel, MT Overseas Lima, andthe daughter vessel, MTDelphina.

“He only carried out a surveyon another vessel and not thisparticular transaction,” thewitness said.

Also testifying, MrAkinwunmi Olarenwaju, anemployee of the PetroleumProducts Pricing andRegulatory Agency (PPPRA),said that the agency madefruitless efforts to contact thepurported supplier of theproduct.

Olarenwaju, who was led inevidence by EFCC counsel, Mr.Seidu Atteh, said that thedefendant had claimed that hepurchased the product fromNapa Petroleum TradeIncorporation, Panama.

He said: “The EFCCrequested a tripartite meeting

between the suppliers, the oilmarketers and the PPPRA inrespect of the transactions.

“We invited Napa Petroleum,Mercurial Trading and NamaxPetroleum for the meeting.”

The witness testified thatNapa Petroleum did notrespond to its letter and failedto attend the said meeting.

The case has been adjournedtill Jan. 21, 2014 forcontinuation of trial.

LAGOS - The EconomicCommunity of West AfricanStates (ECOWAS), called on itsmember-countries tocollaborate and confront thechallenges of youths in the sub-region.

Mr. Jefferson Kanmoh,ECOWAS ParliamentCommittee Chairman onCommunication, Informationand Technology, made the callat the opening of a 5-dayECOWAS Joint Committeemeeting in Lagos.

The theme of the meeting is“Promotion of YouthOrganisations and their

participation in CommunityActivities: Challenges andProspects”.

Kanmoh noted that thepeculiarities of the challengesconfronting youths in our regiontoday urgently required diversepartnerships and collaborations.

“Young people representapproximately 3.3 per cent ofthe population of West Africa.

“If we agree that youths areindispensable partners in thedevelopment of the sub-region,we need to jointly support themto bring about positive changein our various communities,” hesaid.

Kanmoh said that the meeting,holding in Lagos for the firsttime, would focus discussionson ECOWAS sectoral youthpolicies and programmes, aswell as youth participation incivil society organisations andactivities.

The ECOWAS official addedthat the meeting would alsodwell on youth job opportunitiesand challenges, as well as theirintegration into the dynamics ofECOWAS.

The Speaker of the ECOWASParliament, Sen. IkeEkweremadu, represented by aNigerian member of theParliament, Sen. Olugbenga

Obadara, noted that youths inthe region were “increasinglyfinding themselves insecure andvulnerable to unemployment”.

Ekweremadu said that thesituation of youths today hadbecome “more precarious” thanin the past.

He, however, stressed thestrategic importance of theyouths to the integrative goalsof ECOWAS.

The Speaker added that the“Community’s Parliament” wasworking on proposals aimed attransforming the parliamentfrom an advisory institution toa legislating one.

embrace digital marketing.Onobhayedo said that

under-utilisation of theinternet also constituted itsabuse.

“Social media sites, e-mail and telephone wereinnovated purposely withthe aim of easing businesstransactions, and notchatting.

“There are so manybusiness organisations inNigeria that have yet to tapinto the opportunities todigitalise their marketingthrough new technologies.’’

L-R: Representative of the Zonal Commanding Officer, FRSC, Mr. Jide Fehintola, Com-mander, NDLEA, Oyo State Command, Mrs. Omolade Faboyede, Caretaker Chairman,Oluyole Local Government Area, Mr. Abas Aleshinloye, representative of Oyo StateGovernor, Col. Olumide Ishola, representative of 2 Div., Col. Chima Okafor and FRSCOyo State Sector Commander, Mr. Godwin Ogagaoghene, at the inauguration of 2013Ember months safety sensitisation in Ibadan yesterday.

L-R: Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii, ex-plaining a point during the familisation visit of members of the Board to the Agency’s South-East-Zonal Laboratory atAgulu in Anambra yesterday. With them are: Head, South East NAFDAC Laboratory, Mr. Charles Nwachukwu, membersof the council, Dr. Michael Daramola, Mr. Paul Enebeli, Chairman, Prof. John Ibru and Dr. Bolanle Njoku, member.

Subsidy Of Fraud: Marketer ForgedDocuments To Obtain N963.7m - Witness


Across The Nation

Court Dismisses Alao’s Bid ToQuash N1.1bn Fraud Charge

FCT Indigenes Deserve Special Attention

Don’t Use NationalDialogue For Politicking

-Monarch

Commissioner Urges Residents ToJoin Cooperative Societies

AWO (EKITI) - The Ekiti StateCommissioner for RuralDevelopment and CommunityEmpowerment, Mr. FolorunshoOlabode, urged residents,especially those in ruralcommunities, to joincooperative societies. Olabode said this whilespeaking at the 24th AnnualGeneral Meeting of Awo-IfelereCooperative MultipurposeUnion in Awo-Ekiti, Irepodun/Ifelodun Local GovernmentArea of the state. He explained that joiningvarious cooperative societies thatabound in the state would enablethem take advantage ofgovernment’s efforts ateradicating poverty. The commissioner said thatsuch efforts would enable them

to enjoy micro-credit facilitiesand other forms of largesse fromgovernment. “Formulation ofcooperative societies or aligningwith one will enable membersenjoy various governmentprogrammes of povertyalleviation, ‘’ he said. Olabode, who was representedby the Deputy Director,Cooperative Societies Service,Mr. Dayo Falua, stressed thatcooperative societies would alsoimprove the standard of living ofthe people. He added that their membershipof the societies would increasethe marketability of their varioustrades, adding that the societieswere major employer of labour. The commissioner, however,urged officials of the societies to

intensify efforts to recover alloutstanding debts to make themeconomically buoyant. In his address, the patron ofFederation of Ekiti StateCooperatives, Mr. AdeolaAyoola, expressed gratitude toGov. Kayode Fayemi forcreating a ministry that wouldcoordinate the activities ofsocieties. The President of the Awo-Ifelere CooperativeMultipurpose Union, Mr. GaniyuOmoboriowo, promised to workwith the government.The highlight of the occasionwas the presentation of prizes tothree outstanding cooperativesocieties with highest number ofshares and the best threecooperative societies on loanrepayment.

JOS - The Middle Belt Forum(MBF), reaffirmed itscommitment to a unitedNigeria, but called for specialattention to indigenes of theFederal Capital Territory(FCT). “The FCT belongs to themiddle belt; we gave it out toNigeria out of sheer patriotism,but the status of developmentthere has thrown away theindigenes,’’ the group’s

spokesman, Prof Jerry Gana,said in Jos. The Forum, an amalgam ofnorthern minority groups,made the submission at theNorth-Central sitting of thePresidential AdvisoryCommittee on NationalDialogue. It frowned at the continuousneglect of the original ownersof the FCT, and declared that

the situation was a time bombthat would be “catastrophic’’when it burst.Gana said that the nationaldialogue being proposed byPresident Goodluck Jonathan,must examine ways to takecare of that group of people bymaking a special provision forthem. According to him, theirneglect has constituted somemassive national tension that

should not be allowed toexplode.While reaffirming the desirefor one Nigeria, he said thatsuch should be built on justicefor all groups so as to guaranteepeaceful, orderly, andsustained development thatwould transform Nigeria. He said that the nationaldialogue should serve as aplatform for solutions tolingering issues that had bred

mutual distrust and suspicion,and suggested that all ethnicgroups should be representedin it. Gana said that Nigeriansshould be allowed to choosethe terms on which to livetogether, especially the type offederation that was mostsuitable for them.“Nigerians should be allowedto decide whether they stillwant the current three tiers ofgovernment or whether toreturn to the six regionalgroups.“We should also be allowed todecide on the issue ofdevolution of powers; let’sdecide on whether the centrehas more powers which shouldbe devolved to the states andlocal governments so as tomake governance much closerand accounting,’’ he said. Gana also emphasised theneed to protect the rights of theminority groups, and pointedout that many had been underso much pressure “for a verylong time’’.“Because of environmentalfactors, many Nigerians areshifting from the south to themiddle belt; gradually, ownersof those areas are beingdeprived of their only heritage.“Many middle beltcommunities have no place tostay and this has led to all

manners of tension. Thenational dialogue shouldexamine these situationsbecause they are largelyresponsible for the currentviolence in central Nigeria.“As a people, we in the middlebelt are depressed and suchdepression is certainly notgood for progress andstability,’’ he said. Gana also called for a morereliable population figure thatwould ensure fair sharing ofresources, and noted thatallegations of unfair sharing ofresources was usually at thecentre of most conflicts. He said that Nigerians hadalways expressed misgivingsover the cost of democracy andsuggested the need to dialogueover whether the countryshould sustain the currentbicameral legislature or go fora unicameral one. The MBF called for theestablishment of more states soas to correct injustices sufferedby minority communities,stressing that giving morevoices to the voiceless was asure way to promote peace. It declared its abhorrence forany conference that would“tear Nigeria apart’’, andobserved that many nationsthat once separated, had againreunited toward a strongerforce. “But should Nigeriansresolve to disintegrate, we, inthe middle belt, shall want toremain in Nigeria and beknown as Nigeria with ourcapital in Abuja,’’ he declared.

IKEJA - An Ikeja High Courtdismissed an application by anoil marketer, Abdullahi Alao,seeking to quash the fuel subsidyfraud charge against him andfour others. Report says that, the applicationwas dismissed by JusticeLateefat Okunnu, for lacking inmerit. The Economic andFinancial Crimes Commission(EFCC) on Oct.10, 2012,charged Abdullahi, son of aprominent businessman, AlhajiAbdullazeez Arisekola-Alao, tocourt.

He was charged alongside twoother oil marketers, OlarenwajuOlalusi and Opeyemi Ajuyah,and their companies -MajopeInvestment Ltd. and AxenergyLtd.The defendants were alleged tohave obtained N1.1 billion fromthe Federal Government for theimportation of 15,000 metrictonnes of Premium Motor Spirit(PMS).Okunnu, while ruling on theapplication to quash chargesfiled by Alao’s counsel, Mr.Oluwaseun Awonuga, held thatthe charge before the court was

competent. The judge dismissed thedefence submission that the fiatobtained by the EFCC from theAttorney-General of Lagos Statehad “expired”. She held that the EFCC and theAttorney-General of theFederation were empowered toprosecute criminal offencesunder state laws, even without afiat from the state’s attorney-general. Okunnu said: “Section 211 (1)of the Constitution allows forcircumstances in which anyother body other than the

Attorney-General can institutecriminal proceedings against aperson. “The EFCC Act, which is anAct of the National Assembly,also empowers the agency toprosecute criminal matters undera state law,” she said. The judge noted that the EFCCAct and the Constitution weresuperior to any law passed by astate House of Assembly. She also held that theAdministration of CriminalJustice Law of Lagos State 2011gave powers to the EFCC toprosecute the defendants beforea state high court.

JOS - The Gbong Gwon Jos,Jacob Buba, has called on thePresidential Advisory committeeon National Dialogue andNigerians not to use the forumfor politicking. He said this in Jos, whenmembers of the PresidentialAdvisory Committee onNational Dialogue, led by theChairman, Sen. FemiOkurounmu, paid him a courtesycall in his palace. Buba said that the conferencewas very timely as it wouldprovide an avenue for allNigerians to air their issues anddifferences so that they could beresolved.“I appeal to Nigerians not to usethis forum for politicking

because this committee is not apolitical committee. “It is acommittee that wants to listen toand help advice those inauthority on what areas toaddress and on how to addressthem so that peace andtranquillity would reign inNigeria and we may enjoy thetrue dividends of democracy.“We must address issues insincerity and do away withpoliticking because we areaccountable to the cominggeneration of what becomes ofNigeria” he said. Buba prayed that the committeewould have the wisdom toundertake the task they weresaddled with.

- Gana

Senate CommitteeChairman onHealth, SenatorIfeanyi Okowa(left), with Bishopof Gboko, BishopWilliam Avenya,at the NationalCatholic HealthSummit in Abujayesterday.

L-R: Representative of Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Deji Adekunle, ExecutiveSecretary, National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other relatedMatters (NAPTIP), Mrs. Beatrice Jeddy-Aba, National Public Prosecutor on trafficking inHuman Beings, Netherlands, Mr. Warner Ten-Kate and Italian Ambassador to Nigeria,Amb. Roberto Colamine, at the NAPTIP Seminar on International Co-operation in Abujain Abuja yesterday.


NewsEFCC Prays Court To Revoke Bail

Granted Accuse

Shell, PETAN Partner OnTechnology Transfer

Driver Remanded For Assault

3 Men Arraigned For Negligent Conduct

ABUJA - The Economic andFinancial Crimes Commission(EFCC) in Abuja prayed an FCTHigh Court to revoke the bail itgranted to one Daniel Edet.

Counsel to the EFCC, Mr.Cosmas Ugwu, made the prayerat the resumed hearing at thecourt in a case the anti-graftagency instituted in 2012.

The news reports say thatEdet was charged with issuinga N9.5 million dud cheque.

The EFCC had filed a one-count charge against Edet, theDirector of Global ConceptLimited, for allegedly issuing adud cheque to one Ifeanyi

ABUJA - An Upper AreaCourt in Mararaba, NasarawaState, has ordered the remandof a driver, IkechukwuEde,of Uke Town, NasarawaState in prison custody forallegedly assaulting twopolice officers.

The Presiding Judge, Mr.Vincent Gwehemba, gave theorder after the prosecutor,Insp. Joseph Ahua, prayedthe court to order that Ede,24, be remanded.

Gwehemba said theaccused should remain inprison custody until October23, to enable the police toconclude investigations.

Earlier, Ahua had told thecourt that the two policeofficers, Abdul Monday andMusa Gabriel reported thematter at the ‘A’ Division

ABUJA - The police inAbuja have arraigned threemen in a Wuse Zone 2Senior Magistrates’ Courton a two-count charge ofjoint act and negligentconduct.

The men are TitusDawnson, 28; Jacob Ipah,25 and Amos Icheme, 26, allof CEDPA Organisation,Cairo Street, Wuse 2, Abuja.

The prosecutor, Cpl.Francis Tanko, told the courtthat Ibrahim Ogwuche of the

Okoye.Ugwu urged the court to grant

an order revoking the benchwarrant for the bail of theaccused.

He alleged that the accused,while on bail, issued another N5million cheque to thecomplainant.

“This action violates theconduct of this court and wesubmit that the second dudcheque issued by the accused isan offence.

“We, therefore, urge the courtto revoke the bail, granted theaccused in line with the

provisions of Section 341 (c) ofthe Criminal Procedure Code,’’the counsel argued.

However, the accused’scounsel, Mr. CasmirNwachukwu, opposed EFCC’sapplication, and submitted thatthe accused did not commit anyoffence that would warrant arevocation of his bail.

He argued that theprosecution did not prove thefact which shows that theaccused committed an offence.

“We urge you todiscountenance the application,as it lacks merit,” he said.

After arguments for andagainst the revocation of bail,Justice Abubakar Umar,adjourned the case to Nov. 5 forruling and continuation ofhearing.

Police Station, NasarawaState.

The prosecutor said that onOctober 18, the two officerswere performing their lawful

same address reported theaccused at the Wuse PoliceStation on Oct.8.

Tanko said Dawnson,Jacob and Icheme workedfor Ogwuche as securityman, office assistant andreceptionist, respectively.

He said that at about 6a.m. on the same day,Ogwuche discovered thatsome unknown persons hadbroken into his office whilehis employees were sleepingwithin the premises.

The prosecutor said thatproperties worth N650,000were stolen from the officeand that the accused couldnot give a satisfactoryaccount of them.

Tanko said the offencecontravened sections 79 and196 of the Penal Code.

If convicted under thesesections of the code, eachaccused could beimprisoned for a period ofup to six months or be finedor be punished with both.

The accused howeverpleaded not guilty to the twocounts of joint act andnegligent conduct.

The magistrate, Mr.Aminu Eri, admitted each ofthe accused persons to bailin the sum of N200,000 withtwo reasonable sureties eachin like sum.

Eri said that the suretiesmust be resident within thecourt’s jurisdiction, andadjourned the case toOctober 29 for hearing.

duty under the pedestralbridge, Mararaba, NasarawaState, when the accusedassaulted them.

He said the offence was

contrary to provisions ofSection 171 of the PenalCode.

If convicted, the accused isliable to serve a prison term

of five years or be given anoption to pay a fine or both.

The accused pleaded notguilty to the charge.

LAGOS - The Shell NigeriaExploration and ProductionCompany (SNEPCo) incollaboration with PetroleumTechnology Association ofNigeria (PETAN) ischampioning technologytransfer in the oil and gasindustry.

This is aimed at boostingNigerian content developmentand employment

A statement issued by MrValentine Obidi, the PublicRelations Officer of PETAN,disclosed this in Lagos.

The statement said that Shelland PETAN, at the 2013 GlobalNigerian- Aberdeen Forum,created joint venture allianceswith the Nigerians in theDiaspora in the UK and the UKTrade and Investment to realisethis objective.

According to the statement,the General Manager, NigerianContent Development for Shell,Igo Weli said that the fallout ofthe forum is an urgent need todevelop a knowledge sharingframework.

“Already, I am happy to hearthat PETAN is saying they wantto link their platform to that. So,it is getting bigger. So, the firstthing we are going to do is todevelop that platform.

“ We have already startedtalking to a consultant todevelop the platform. When wedevelop that platform, we needsubject matter experts fromamong the Nigerians in theDiaspora.

“We want volunteers, we arenot going to appoint or steer orpinpoint anybody. We are goingto be asking those of you whoare interested to volunteer tohelp us,’’ the statement said.

The Managing Director,SNEPCo, Mr ChikeOnyejekwe, was quoted assaying that “today’s eventmarks the beginning of acollaborative knowledgesharing network.

He said that the networkwould help both PETAN andNigerian companies to accesstechnical knowledge and

unleash a new level ofcompetence for the Nigerian oiland gas sector.

Dr Paul Eke, Chairman,Nigerians in DiasporaOrganisation (NIDO) UK NorthChapter, said that theorganisation was formed in2000 by former President,Olusegun Obasanjo.

He said that organisation wasto replicate the success storycountries like Israel, China,India witnessed throughtechnology transfer from theircitizens in Diaspora.

“This concept is what Nigerianeeds at a time like this, thegovernment needs toincorporate Nigerians inDiaspora if we want to makeprogress to ensure technologytransfer.

“In those countries, theircitizens in Diaspora travelledfar and wide, acquired lots ofexperience, came back homeand implemented all thosethings, helped the government,helped the industry, helpedevery other sector of theeconomy.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Dr. Folashade Esan (left); the MinisterLabaran Maku speaking and Acting Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN),Otunba Jide Adebayo at the Minister of Information’s monthly World News Conferencein Abuja on Tuesday.

L-R: Former Minister of Education, Prof. Jubril Aminu, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Prof.Julius Okojie and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Dr. Mackjohn Nwaobiala at the National UniversitiesCommission (NUC) at 50+1 anniversary lecture in Abuja on Tuesday.

1 0 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2013THE NIGERIAN

News

FG Evolves NationalStrategy On Mass Housing

Kwara LG Poll: CouncilBoss Sues For Peace

Multichoice Pledges ToSupport Charity Homes

Erosion : Monarch UrgesGovt Intervention

Kwara To DistributeN100m Loan To Artisans

ENUGU - The Enugu branchof Multichoice Nigeria Ltd.,owners of the South Africa-based cable television, DSTV,pledged to support charityorganisations in the state.

The Branch Manager, MrsVivian Odenigbo, made thepledge in Enugu whilepresenting gift items to theDaughters of Divine LoveCharity Home in Abakpa Nike,Enugu, as part of activities tomark its customers’ week.

Odenigbo said theorganisation would beinvolved in the activities ofsome less-privileged homes togive the inmates a sense ofbelonging.

“This charity home will bepart of Multichoice agenda. Wewill do our best to make lifebetter for the inmates.’’

The manager commendedthe management of the homefor taking care of the inmatesand urged them to keep up thegood work.

In her response, the Head ofthe home, Rev. Sr. Kate-MaryNnamonu, thanked theorganisation for the gesture.

Nnamonu said the home washousing orphans, old peopleand persons with disabilities,who were abandoned by theirrelatives.

She appealed to governmentsand well meaning Nigerians to

assist the home in renovatingits structures and building newones was as provide them withfunds to pay school fees for theinmates.

Items presented to the homeincluded two bags of rice, 10cartons of indomie Noodles,two jerrycans of vegetable oil,toiletries and a DSTV decoderfor its common room.

OBOSI (ANAMBRA) -Igwe Chidubem Iweka, thetraditional ruler of Obosi inAnambra, has appealed to thefederal and state governmentsto intervene in the erosionmenace in the community.

Speaking at the close of the2013 Obiora Festival inObosi, Iweka said thecommunity had made variousoral and written presentationsto the two levels ofgovernment concerning themenace but that theirintervention was still awaited.

“I seize this opportunity tocall on all sons and daughtersof Obosi Kingdom to assistin whatever capacity they canto help curb the erosionmenace.

“Many houses have beenswallowed by erosion andmany more are still beingthreatened.

“If no major action is taken,one day this silent monsterwill ravage and desolate agreater part of our kingdom

and beyond.“We still continue to make

our fervent pleas to the stateand federal governments tocome to our aid and save ourtown from total ruin,’’ the EzeObosi said.

Also speaking, retired Col.Emma Nwobosi, the OgeneObosi Kingdom, called on theAnambra government to setup a skills acquisition centrein the community.

Nwobosi said such a centrewould help engage thejobless and check youthrestiveness and crime.

“We urge our successfuland highly placed sons anddaughters to help place ouryoung people in jobs. Employa youth and bring about abright future for his familyand others,’’ he said.

Earlier, Mr OlajideOmokore, who was given achieftaincy title by themonarch, said the titledepicted the unity in diversityin the country.

“We promise to oil thisunity in such a way thatNigerians will come to termswith the fact that all Nigeriansare but one, bound by thespecial love of GodAlmighty,’’ Omokore said.

The three-day festival wasattended by Gov. Peter Obi ofAnambra, who led adelegation of APGAmembers.

Also Col. TaritimiyeGagariga, the Commander ofOnitsha MilitaryCantonment, led officers ofthe cantonment to payhomage to the monarch.

IIORIN - The KwaraGovernment on Mondayin Ilorin has said it hadearmarked N100 millionfor distribution as loan to5,000 artisans in the state.

The KwaraCommissioner forInformation andCommunication, MrTunji Moronfoye, toldnewsmen that the gesturewas meant to boost thepotential beneficiaries’trading activities.

“In due course, the loan,which is a revolving one,will be extended to allartisans in the state,’’ hesaid.

Moronfoye toldnewsmen further that the

Kwara government wascommitted to improvingthe well-being of thepeople of the state.

He advised the first setof the scheme’sbeneficiaries to makejudicious use of themoney to improve theireconomic fortunes.

The commissioner toldnewsmen that the stategovernment planned toput into full operation avocational training centrein November.

“The centre will be anavenue to fully engageyouths in the state onentrepreneurship skills’acquisition,’’ he said.

YASHIKIRA (KWARA) -The Chairman of Baruten LocalGovernment Area of Kwara, DrLafia Kora-Sabi, urged residentsof the council to embrace peaceduring Saturday’s councilelections.

The chairman made the call inan interview with newsmen inYashikira.

He called on the people of thearea to turn out en mass to cast

their vote for the party of theirchoice during the council poll.

According to him, youths inparticular must perform theircivic responsibility and shun anyact of violence.

The council boss commendedGovernor Abdulfatah Ahmed forthe approval given to theconstruction of Okuta-Gwanara-Ilesha-Baruba road, describingthis as a welcome development.

ABUJA - A housingexpert, Mrs. NkechiEnekebe, said the FederalGovernment has commencedthe development of strategiesto evolve a national strategyon mass housing delivery andslum upgrade in the country.

Enekebe, a town planner,who is also an AssistantDirector in the Housing andUrban Development

Department in the FederalMinistry of Niger Delta,made the disclosure in aninterview with newsmenyesterday in Abuja.

She said that experts in thehousing sector werediscussing modern strategiesto upgrade slums in citiesacross the country with aview to evolving socialhousing strategies.

According to Enekebe, themost appropriate way to dealwith housing challenges is toprovide enabling policies.

She said that there werealso plans to also providenew approaches that wouldnot only address housingdelivery but emphasise citydevelopment, introduction ofnew communities andmassive infrastructuredevelopment.

Accordingly, we willcontinue to develop newtechnologies becausemassive urbanisation hasbeen identified as the majorcause of slum creation incities across Nigeria.

“This is why stakeholdersin the housing sector aremeeting in Abuja tobrainstorm on ways cities canbe developed and slumsupgraded,” Enekebe said.

Guest Speaker, Mrs. Rehab David (left), with the Plateau Co-ordinator,Country Women Association of Nigeria (COWAN), Mrs. Jessica Vonkat,during the World Rural Women Day celebration in Jos recently.

Women celebrating World Rural Women Day in Jos recently.


WithIMOISILI EDITH07089364470

RelationshipHow Not To MeetMr WrongTHE most important

part of finding the rightperson is honestlydefining yourself and yourneeds in life. Defining thethings that matter most tous and evaluating theimportance of a potentialpartner’s level of concernfor those same issues issomething many of usdon’t do until after we’veinvested significant timeand energy in arelationship.

Perhaps the mostimportant thing you needto know is who you are.Sounds simple. Butsometimes peopleobserving us can seethings about us that we’vegrown so used to, we nolonger even notice.

Think about what youknow about yourself.Make a list.

•Do you like to get upearly, or do you like tosleep in? Do you like toparty until the bars close,or would you rather spendan evening in pajamaswatching TV

•Are you religious ornot?

•Is family important toyou? Would you like tohave children? If so, howsoon, how many?

•What hobbies do youenjoy? Are you an activeoutdoors person, or do youprefer doing thingsindoors and leisurely?

•Are you a health nut ora smoker?

Most of us are veryopen-minded about whatwe like. If a person we aredating is different, it canseem exciting and becomea fun opportunity to trynew things. We mighteven learn we likesomething we’d neverthought of trying before.But sometimes we allowour initial excitement tocloud potential conflictareas. It’s fine to be open-minded. But it’s very

important for us to knowwhich things are importantto us—which things wewon’t compromise—priorto engaging in a romanticrelationship with anotherperson.

Both women and menare waiting longer andlonger to get married forthe first time, according tothe Census Bureau, andfewer women are havingbabies before their 40thbirthdays, the Centers forDisease Control reports.Interestingly, more andmore women are havingbabies well into their 40s.Could it be that it hasbecome more difficult forcouples to connectromantically?

Finding Mr. or Ms. Rightrequires taking your eyesoff of work and focusingon yourself more. Whatcan you do to become theperson you would want todate? She offers some tipsfor finding “the one.”

Figure out what you’relooking for. Have youthought hard about whatkind of person you’relooking for? One trick is tovisualize your perfect day.Are you at the beach?Traveling? Is the man withyou quiet or chatty? Is thewoman serious or funny?Does he want children?Does she go to church?This will help you identifythe characteristics andvalues of your Mr. or Ms.Right so you can recognizethem when he or shecomes along.

Get happy in your ownhead. Once again, it’s allabout attraction. Puttingout positive, confidentenergy will attract thesame. Besides, it’s never agood idea to rely on otherpeople to make us happy.If you need to recover from

old hurts, lose weight orfind a job, take care of thatbusiness first.

Think you’re ready?Test yourself with thisquick quiz.

1. Are you happy withyourself? (Or are youmiserable because you’veput on 50 pounds sinceyour divorce?)

2. Are you looking forsomeone to rescue you ortake care of you? (If youanswer “yes” to this one,you may not be ready.)

3. Is there room in yourlife for a relationship? (Ordo you have three kids andwork a 60-hour week?)

4. Has enough timepassed since your lastrelationship? (Or are youstill wounded?)

Now, get yourselffabulous. Rather than,“Why can’t I find a goodman?” ask yourself, “Whodo I need to become to

attract the man (or woman)who is perfect for me?” It’snot about changing you;it’s about being your bestyou. Part of that is yourmojo – your self-esteem. Ifyour mojo is slipping,you’ll attract controlfreaks, players and jerks.Pump it up with amakeover, a workout, asincere inventory of your

attributes.Get out there! Put on

your sexy jeans getyourself out the door.Where to start looking? Ifyou enjoy working withyour hands, volunteer fora Habitat for Humanityproject. If you’ve alwayswanted to learn Italian,take a class. If you love todo \t “_blank” yoga, checkout a new studio (ladies,you’ll find a surprisingnumber of guys there.)Perhaps you find a newchurch or take a class onblank” Buddhism. The list

of meeting spots forsingles is a long one:bookstores, dance clubs,supper clubs, book clubs,gyms, golf courses, rowingclubs, dog parks.

It’s not the end of theworld. Remember yourevaluation process? Well,if he’s wise, he has one aswell. And even if he’severything you think youwant or need, he may have

noticed something aboutyou that won’t work forhim. That’s OK. You canbe a bright, beautiful,dynamic person, and stillnot be “right” for everyman out there. Nobody isright for everybody. Ifsomeone doesn’t see youas compatible, that’s notrejection, it’s a fairevaluation. Just as youknow you’re not suited forevery job that’s out therein the world, you’re notsuited for every lifestyle,either.

Part of the criteria for any“Mr. Right” should alwaysbe: “He really wants to bewith me.” If he doesn’t—he can’t possibly havebeen Mr. Right for you. Ifhe choses to end therelationship, he likely hasdone you a favor. Respecthis right to decide what is

best for his own life. Andhave faith in your ability tofind the man best suited toyour needs.

Get to know yourpartner.

You’ve gone out for afew months now, and itseems to be going well.You are getting to knowone another very quickly,and all the listedrequirements are being

met. He’s everything youdefined, and he says you’rewhat he’s been looking for.What now?

Be sure to meet Mr.Right’s friends and familybefore investing too muchin the relationship. It’svery easy to be PrinceCharming when he’s awayfrom those who know himbest. How does he act withhis; mother, his brother, hisfriends and his coworkers?Is he the same man you’vebeen seeing for the lastthree months? Or is hesomeone you don’trecognize? Whenassociates make jokesabout him, do you wonderwho they’re talking about?Or do you laugh becauseyou’ve seen the sameendearing shortcomings inhim already?

“Part of the criteria for any “Mr. Right” should always be: “He reallywants to be with me.” If he doesn’t—he can’t possibly have been Mr.Right for you. If he choses to end the relationship, he likely has done youa favor. Respect his right to decide what is best for his own life. And havefaith in your ability to find the man best suited to your needs.”


THE media have been awash with assortedcommentaries since the United States basedonline publication, Sahara Reporters blew thelid on the aviation minister that she compelledthe Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, topurchase two BMW cars worth N255 million forher. As has always been the case with big po-litical cases as the one making the rounds, therewere denials from the ministers quarters untilthe Special Assistant on Media to the Minister,Mr. Joe Obi confirmed that the two armouredBMW cars were truly purchased by NCAA toprotect his boss from “imminent threats.”

WE are surprised that in a country with chronicpoverty statistics where 70 per cent live on lessthan $1US and disturbing human developmentindex, a serving minister could authorise thespending of a whooping N255m on two bulletproof cars. It further reinforces our positions onrising profligacy and corruption in the Presi-dent Goodluck Jonathan-led administration.From all indications, it is a case of outrigh cor-ruption and stealing because the same brandof armoured cars are said to sell for N76million,so why the inflation to N255million?

THE nation in general is today facing serioussecurity challenges and we wonder why Ms.Stella Oduah feels that it was now her respon-sibility to secure herself by dipping her handsinto the public till. What about the security ofthe rest 160 million Nigerians whose lives aredaily being threatened by Boko Haram, Move-ment for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta(MEND), Egbesu, Oodua and Bakassi Boys in-surgency, armed robbery, kidnapping and oth-ers ? Who will purchase their bullet proof carsfor them? The story making the rounds, to saythe least is condemnable.

WE are pleased that the National Assemblystatutorily charged with oversight duties haveswung into action by ordering its Aviationcommittee to probe the allegations giving thecommittee one week to come up with a report.This is what was long expected of theparliamentarians given the commitment of thepresent administration to war corruption.

ALSO, we are pleased with President Goodluck

AviationMinister’s

N255m CarScandal

Jonathan raising a panel of inquiry to also carryout a quick investigation into the scandal that wasalready taking something away from the office ofthe president as his silence in the face of the issuegoing viral in both conventional and social mediawas suspect, necessitating fresh allegations byanalysts that he may be shielding Oduah as oneof the sacred cows of his regime.

FURTHERMORE, we are worried over reportsthat the whistle blower on the minister is beingdeclared a criminal by the Nigeria Civil AviationAuthority who are said to be on a manhunt forthe whistle blower in spite of the freedom ofexpression guaranteed by the United Nationsconvention and Freedom of Information Act. Wecondemn the management of NCAA for theiraction which seeks to punish the whistle blower,instead of seeking ways to reward him for his anti-corruption efforts and patriotism.

IN the same vein, we are concerned about whatappears to be very desperate moves by theaviation ministry at cover-up. Spokesperson ofthe Nigerian Airport Management Authority(NAMA), Mr. Supo Atobatele has only recentlydescribed the reports on purchase of cars as“frivolous, malicious, and mischievous.” He cameup with an explanation that “for the avoidance of

doubt, “this evil story, as being promoted ispatently false in its enirety and is calculated toput the agency and the office of the minister intodisrepute.” This assertion in our consideredview is an afterthought and runs contrary tothe confirmation from the personal aide of theminister who said the bullet proof cars werepurchased to save the minister from personswho plan to eliminate her because of “herreforms.”

BUT most importantly, we need to know whathas become of the due process office in ourcountry given the astonishing figures. Thecommittees probing the scandal need to knowwho authorised the purchase of the cars, whobenefited from the inflated figures and otherpiercing issues.

NIGERIANS are saddened that the allegedfleecing of the aviation sector by those in chargeof affairs with such impunity at a time whenuniversity teachers are on strike for more thanthree months over poor funding of the Nigerianpublic universities with the same FederalGovernment complaining of lack of money torespect agreement it entered into with theAcademic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

WHETHER innocent or otherwise, we expectthe Minister of Aviation who is at the centre ofthe storm to tow the path of honour by steppingdown from office. That is what is done incivilised societies. It will be wrong for her to seatin the same office while investigations are goingon as that could afford her the opportunity tocover her tracks, if she is truly guilty as alleged.It is for this reason that we call on PresidentGoodluck Jonathan to suspend her from officeimmediately pending the outcomes of thevarious probe panels investigating the matter.

We equally call on all agencies probing thesleaze to be very thorough in their task with aview to ascertaining the veracity of theallegations and come up with variousrecommendations that will ensure that all thosefound wanting are made to face the law to serveas a deterrent to all those managing publicresources.

THE NIGERIAN


DiscourseThe Struggle To Tame Africa’s Beast

Of MegacityA WALK along the two

kilometres of light rail thatLagos authorities havemanaged to build in three yearsgives a sense of how hard it isto impose order on one ofAfrica’s most chaotic cities.

From either side of theconcrete structure - no trackhas yet been laid - the crowdedslums and highways ofNigeria’s lagoon-sidecommercial hub teem withactivity.

Its trademark yellow busesovertake, undertake and forcetheir way down impossiblynarrow side streets, wherewomen stir pots next to canalsclogged with rubbish.

With between 15 million and21 million people - the upperestimate is the official one,though no one really knows -and generating a third of GDPfor Africa’s second biggesteconomy, Lagos has becomealmost as alluring to yield-hungry investors as it is to the4,000 or so economic migrantswho turn up each day.

Violent crime, mushroomingslums, police extortion andwidespread fraud have oftenheld investment back, but inthe past decade, authoritieshave started trying to tacklesome of the obstacles,especially maddening trafficbottlenecks.

“Just keeping Lagos roadsmoving without rail, pushingthat kind of tonnage justthrough our road network, nowthat’s the eighth wonder of theworld,” says GovernorBabtunde Fashola.

Fashola and his predecessor,Bola Tinubu, have tried to turnthe city from a byword forsqualor into a glitzy businesshub. Their success will rest onprojects like the light rail,which has involved massiveand controversial slumclearance.

If they manage, it couldbecome an investment hub inAfrica and a model for fast-urbanising African nations. Ifnot, it might face a dystopiancrime-ridden future not unlikeits past.

“WE CAN’T STOP THEMCOMING”

If Lagos were a country itsGDP would make it Africa’sseventh biggest economy -more than twice the size ofKenya’s. Its large consumer

market is already wellestablished for firms likeUnilever, Heineken andNestle.

One of Africa’s biggest stockmarkets sits here, as does itssecond biggest market ingovernment bonds. Industry ishampered by poor powergeneration, but the servicesector is booming.

Lagos accounts for morethan half the non-oil economyof Africa’s leading energyproducer, says economist PaulCollier, who sees it as key tobreaking the country’sdependence on oil.

“Lagos is Africa’s bestchance of a productivemegacity,” he wrote in ThePlundered Planet. “As oil runsdown and is replaced by a neweconomy ... Nigeria’seconomic future lies in Lagos.”

But it faces a daily challengejust trying to keep up with thepace of population growth,much of it on the edge of water.

Nigeria, already pushing 170million people, will be hometo 400 million by 2050,making it the world’s fourthmost populous country,according to the globalPopulation Reference Bureau(PRB). Lagos will haveroughly doubled in size bythen, Fashola anddemographers agree.

On top of Nigeria’s highbirth rate, there is migration.

“The more successful Lagosis, the more people it attracts.That’s the Catch-22,” saidKayode Akindele, partner in aLagos-based consultancy.“Social services can’t keepup.”

Fashola’s planningcommissioner Ben Akabuezethinks Lagos could have 35million people by 2025 oncurrent growth rates. In 1970,authorities say, there were just1.4 million Lagosians.

“We can’t stop them fromcoming,” Akabueze toldReuters from his office inmainland Lagos’s noisy,heaving Ikeja district. “There’sbeen a net positive migrationalmost on a daily basis.”

To try to cope better, thegovernment is rolling out acompulsory residents’registration. “Everybody iswelcome,” Akabueze says.“But we want to document the

people who stay.”VEHICLES FOR

CHANGEThe influx puts pressure on

inadequate housing, andspawns unemployed youthswith few options for making aliving outside the street gangs- the infamous ‘area boys’ whoinformally control territory andextort money from passers by.

But the biggest headache istravel. The transport authoritysays there are 9 million roadtrips a day in the city. SomeLagosians get up at 4.30 a.m.to make the office by nine.

Things are improving;highways were widened andpolice stationed at bottlenecks.New ferry services now beattraffic by crossing the lagoonin a state one fifth of which iswater.

Tutu Adewale, an assistant toa financial professional, usedto spend three or four hourseach way commuting by busalong a tangle of bridges. Nowit takes her 45 minutes by boat.

“I made do with it, but it’ssuch a relief now,” she said.

The $2.5 billion light railproject will take more time.

China’s state-owned ChinaCivil EngineeringConstruction Corporation(CCECC) began work in 2010,but there are still 25 km left tobuild on the $1.3 billion east-west line, and no work hasstarted on the 35 km north-south one.

The project is behindschedule because there is

barely a stretch of land onwhich someone isn’t living ortrading.

Thousands of illegalsettlements erected by slumdwellers have been destroyedthis year. No one has beencompensated, because theywere never supposed to bethere to begin with.

Amnesty International inAugust condemned theeviction of 9,000 residents ofBadia East and the razing oftheir homes in February,leaving many to sleep inmosquito-infested streets.

In one incident, 72 tradersfrom the Igbo ethnic groupwere deported to theirancestral lands after theirhouses were bulldozed. Thatappeared to give slum

clearance an ugly ethnicdimension, and Fashola madea reluctant public apology.

“My shop was just right infront of that bridge,” said Igbotrader Uche Okonkwo, 43,surveying the wreckage of amarket trashed to make wayfor the rail. “They demolishedthe warehouse, the shops, theoffices, the showroom,everything.”

Fashola’s defenders sayslums have to be removed ifprojects like the light rail are

to happen, but critics say theheavy-handed approach showsa lack of sensitivity to the poor.

The governor is fixing thecity for the besuited businesstypes, they say, but has beenslow on things like low-costhousing to help those sleepingunder bridges or on rubbishtips.

“Much as I admire Fashola,I don’t see enough being doneto help those at the bottom,”blogger Tolu Ogunlesi toldReuters in a chic art cafe in theprestigious Victoria Island, anarea housing one the world’shighest concentrations ofmillionaires.

“They’re talking aboutbuilding 1,000 low-costhousing units a year, but weneed hundreds of thousands ayear,” he said.

There’s no shortage ofhousing projects for the rich.Moss-dusted colonial-erahouses in leafy Ikoyi districtare becoming rare as they gettorn down and swapped forluxury flats.

At Bar Beach on the AtlanticCoast, tonnes of sand is beingpoured into the ocean toreclaim it for the proposed EkoAtlantic city, a Dubai-stylegated community that will

have chrome skyscrapers,business parks, palm trees anda marina.

Being on water is the onlything it will have in commonwith the Makoko slum a fewmiles away, where 100,000fishing people live in houseson stilts with no sanitation.

At his desk piled high withpapers, Fashola resents thenotion he has neglected thepoor. He points to projects likemassive mains waterprovision, which will whenfinished provide 10-20 litres aday to Lagosians, even if thecity swells to 35 million, hesays.

But the state’s message is: ifyou leave the poverty of yourvillage to live on the streets inLagos, that’s your lookout.

“If you have nowhere to stay,then stay in your village. Youcan’t simply jump on a bus andcome live under a bridge,”Akabueze says.

The governor has won praisefor dealing with crime. Manyarea boys have been co-opted- some as yellow-shirted trafficcops, while others keep orderin bus terminals.

Violent crime has steadilyfallen since he took office in2007, though there was been aspike in kidnapping this year.

“There was a time securitywas a big problem, especiallyrobbery, but you have to handit to them, things got a lotbetter,” said Lagos tycoonTony Elumelu.

Many fret about what willhappen when the governorsteps down in 2015.

“Everything Fashola’s donecan easily be reversed. You’djust have to do nothing, itwould be reversed,” saidAkindele.

Yet a growing number ofbusiness people feel the state’sefforts to bring some kind oforder to Lagos may bebecoming irreversible.Corruption is rife, butinstitutions function; rubbish iscollected, streets are swept,hedges trimmed.

“Lagos is depersonalisingpolitics,” United Bank forAfrica CEO Philips Oduozasaid. “Institutions arebecoming more important thanpeople, and that could outlastthe governor.”

Reinforcing this arerocketing tax receipts; 65percent of state revenues arenow non-oil.

The governor, who gets up at7 a.m. and works until 3 a.m.,says his to-do list isn’t gettingany shorter.

“In a football match, the last15 minutes can be the mostdecisive,” he says, creakingback in his leather chair. “So Iintend to finish with as muchpace as we started.”

• Courtesy: Reuters

“Everything Fashola’s done can easily be reversed. You’d justhave to do nothing, it would be reversed,” said Akindele. Yet agrowing number of business people feel the state’s efforts to bringsome kind of order to Lagos may be becoming irreversible.Corruption is rife, but institutions function; rubbish is collected,streets are swept, hedges trimmed.”


AjuwayaToday

Pull The Trigger!By EZE NNENNA ADAHMM! This to me is my

main concern as a writer.Indeed worrying is what weall are guilty of most of thetime. Oh! Pardon mymanners. Corper we! Corperwe!! Corper’ We’o!!!. Iphantom your response –ofcourse, we are one and willunconditionally remain one,for we are but questers inquest for a common goal ona parallel plane and I praythat the plane we stand shallbe smooth and solid that wemay attain that higher height.

Few days back, desiredrove me through the lane ofimagination, visualzing,which almost turned intohallucination, and I wishednot to come to terms withreality. But for how long willI continue swimming infantasy? There was alwaysone lump, infact a force thatstands between my dream-hallucination and my dream-reality and that almightyforce is called. DOUBT

She is a killer of time. Yes,doubt kills more dream thanfailure ever will. Doubt is nota pleasant condition butcertainly is absurd. Now youunderstand why I rankeddoubt as almighty.

It is true that we are allgraduates serving our fatherland right now, but the realitystares us in the eye. At thispoint, I ask us; After nowwhat next? Maybe you do notunderstand me, I mean, afterour serving year whatfollows? Reality sets in.

I got the inner urge todiscuss this issue because ofthe rate of unemploymentthat threatens our nation andthat of course brought shiversof fear to my ambition. Ourpredecessor of two, four, tenand more years aftergraduation and passing outparade (POP) have becomestreet walkers and hasacquired M.A in applicationletters and Phd in Cv’s, testsand interviews. That is ourcountry for us, sodisheartening anddiscouraging. But yet there isstill glimpse of light in theturnel (Hope).

The privilege has beengiven to us by the NYSCbody. An opportunity toacquire knowledge in variousskills Acquisition andE n t r e p r e n e u r i a lDevelopment (SAED) inorientation camp and stillmore with divers objectivescoming to our group CDS onseparate days of the week.Ours (my follow corpmembers) is to grab, take

advantage and exploit theseopportunities.

Digesting the meal setbefore us, that is, speaking ofour discussion, let me borrowa leaf from the NYSCsecurity tips (handbook)given to us in the orientationcamp, page(5) of it, with thesub –head: Be Focused; wewere advised to be“determine, persevere, bepainstaking and diligent”which are essentialingredients to achieve ahigher height in life. Thoughall these ingredients in place,there is yet another essentialprerequisite to attain yourdream goal, ‘Believing inoneself. Sometimes you justhave to be your own HEROand save your own littleworld.

Indeed, doubt is a killer oftime, that is why we have topush through against allodds, like the chronic youthsunemployment which like acult, initiating and drowningour graduates intoundesirable and illegaloccupation, cybercrime,which ordinarily should havebeen a technologicalinnovation channelledtowards technologicaladvancement.

“Unemployed youths inNigeria is a clear case offailure of leadership to utilizeabundant human naturalresources in the country tocreate jobs that will engagethe youths in productive andmeaningful economicactivities” (Adejumobi,2011).

The point here is thatwhen large numbers ofyouths are unemployed theirquest to survive may makethem become willing tools inthe hands of maverick anddisgruntled politicians whowant to use them for anti-social and clandestinepolitical activities. What amI saying. I am thereforeencouraging my fellow corpmembers here in Edo Stateand beyond.

The batch C’s whose trainof goodbye has alreadykicked off, and batch A’s andB’s that are still here andthose that are yet to join inthe brotherhood and eventhose graduates who will notor did not pass through theritual of NYSC, to brace upand develop a thick skin tothe temptation of being thatnegative graduate due to thedisease of unemployment.Instead, believe in yourself,

believe in your ability,believe in the skills andacquisition knowledge youhave acquired and put it touse. Whatever you setyourself to do, do it well. Donot fear, panic or doubt yourinner strength, then you willsee yourself doing more thanyou can imagine.

The biggest reason whywe have bad experiencesand failures in any area of

life is doubt. We doubtwhen we worry and fearthe future, that is whatcauses failure in ourwork, marketing,business, relationships,health, dreams andeverything else. Do youknow why? Because webecome what we thinkmost. All actions areeffects and the only causeis thought. Our beliefscreate reality. Whenconflicting beliefs exist,we sabotage our realitycreation. That is why wefail to manifest what wewant.

Through the process ofmanifesting your desires, youmay encounter situations

where you still haven’t gotwhat you wanted at a timeyou expect to get it and youstart to question and doubtthat what your doing works.When you think, “why isn’tthis working yet” or whyhasn’t it happened yet, youare moving away from yourdesires. When you havenegative feelings of fear,worry or doubt, all you haveto do is ‘stop’ in that momentand change your focus ontowhat you want.

If you don’t believe thatsomething won’t work ordoubt it, then you will pushthe things you want awayfrom you. Your believe thatyou can’t have what youreally want will be created inyour life as that thoughtenergy goes to work to makesure you don’t get what youwant.

Apart from trying to attainour goals and dreams in life,one way or the other if youfind yourself in position ofbeing a leader or having thedesire to be in leadership ofany sector, then you have toempower self-belief andparalize self doubt.

Tom Petty, captures theexperience of many in

“saving Grace”, he sings,‘You are confident but notsure’.

Yes, as life goes on insegments, we catch our selfin grapple with self-doubt.Sometimes it has its benefit,as in Robert Sutton in’ ‘GoodBoss Bad Boss’ says, “thebest boses dance on edge of

over confidence, but ahealthy dose of self doubtand humility saves themfrom turning arrogant andpigheaded”. What am tryingto bring to your attention isthat you should believe inyourself enough to bring self-doubt with you into yourdecisions and commitments.

The relationship betweencommitment and doubt is byno means an antagonisticone. Commitment however,is healthiest when it’s notwithout doubt but in spite ofdoubt.

Pressing into paralyzingself-doubt as a leader oraspiring leader. Fear ofmaking mistake is healthywhen it raises intensity or

alertness in you.MOVE THROUGH

SELF-DOUBT WITHDEADLINE

Give yourself reasonabletime to explore options andthen pull the trigger.

You can make it, I canmake it, together we canmake it, creating a nation of

our dream. “Never doubt thata small group of thoughtfulcommitted citizens canchange the world, indeed, it’sthe only thing that ever has”.Margaret mead.

We are the youths, and theyouth is the wheel of themotor. Be the change youwant to see in the society.Protect your dignity.

I can never be left outfrom enjoying the prayers,blessing and prophesiesrained on me and mycomrades every morning onthe parade ground before themorning daily physicaltraining and drills in camp byour beloved mama, the campdirector, Pastor Mrs. M.A.Williams.

Long live NYSC, longlive Edo State, Long live theFederal Republic of Nigeria.I remove Hair Dressing.

“Indeed, doubt is a killer of time, that is why we have to push throughagainst all odds, like the chronic youths unemployment which like a cult,initiating and drowning our graduates into undesirable and illegaloccupation, cybercrime, which ordinarily should have been a technologicalinnovation channelled towards technological advancement.”


ScienceReport Slams Continued Antibiotics

Use In US LivestockUS regulators andlivestock producers havefailed to curb the use ofantibiotics in cattle, pigsand poultry despiteconcerns that excessiveuse in meat productionwill reduce the drugs’effectiveness in humans,a panel of experts said.

“Meaningful change isunlikely in the future,”concluded the 14-member panel, assembledby Johns HopkinsUniversity, in a reportreleased on Tuesday thatquickly drew protestsfrom livestock industrygroups.

The release marked thefifth anniversary of alandmark 2008 PewCharitable Trust reportthat called for an end tothe sub-therapeutic use ofantibiotics by livestockproducers, as well as anend to practices such astiny cages for laying hens.

Congressional hearingsfollowed the release ofthat report, and thelivestock industry wentinto damage controlmode.

The Johns Hopkins’report said “additionalscientific evidence hasstrengthened the case thatthese (non-therapeutic)uses pose unnecessaryand unreasonable publichealth risks” of allowingbacteria to developresistance to antibiotics.

“We have even betterscience to support therecommendations wehave made,” said MaryWilson, an

epidemiologist atHarvard University. “Weare, in fact, running out ofantibiotics. We are seeinginfections that areuntreatable.”

More than 2 millionAmericans are sickenedby antibiotic-resistantinfections each year and23,000 of them die,according to the U.S.Centers for DiseaseControl And Prevention.

Livestock industryleaders said the newreport was a scare-mongering attack that didnot provide a clear linkbetween antibiotic use inlivestock and the rise ofantibiotic-resistant illnessin humans.

Critics of antibiotic useare “just pushing a pre-setagenda,” said Scott Hurd,an associate professor atIowa State Universitywho works on riskassessment.

Different antibiotics areprescribed for people thanthose used on livestock,industry groups noted.They tied drug-resistantbacteria strains to over-use of antibiotics bypeople.

Antibiotics are routinelysprinkled into U.S. cattle,hog and poultry feed topromote growth and arealso used to prevent andtreat illness. Agricultureaccounts for 80 percent ofantibiotic sales, accordingto the limited recordsavailable.

Robert Lawrence,director of the JohnsHopkins Center for aLivable Future, which

produced the report,blamed “the politicalpower of industrialagriculture” for lack ofaction on antibiotics andother reforms.

Legislation to expandthe U.S. Food and DrugAdministration’s powerover antibiotics use inlivestock has stalledrepeatedly in Congress.

“Antibiotics wereinvented to cure sickhumans, not tocompensate forunsanitary conditions onthe farm or fatten animalsup so they could sell formore at the market,” saidRep. Louise Slaughter, aNew York Democrat.

Former Kansas

Governor John Carlin,who chaired the reviewfor Johns Hopkins, saidgrowing public interest infood productioneventually will outweightoday’s anti-governmentmood, and “I would sayto my friends inproduction agriculture thenext few years would bea good time to cut somedeals.”

James Merchant, theformer dean of publichealth at the University ofIowa, said research onantibiotic resistance was“getting much strongerand more specific.” Aswell, he said, theincidence of antibioticresistance declined in

countries, such asDenmark, that restrictantibiotic use in livestock.

In one study inPennsylvania, researcherssaid people have a greaterchance of one type ofa n t i b i o t i c - r e s i s t a n tinfection if they merelylived near fields fertilizedwith hog manure or high-density hog farms. Thestudy was published onSeptember 16 in thejournal JAMA InternalMedicine.

A 2012 study publishedin a journal of theAmerican Society forMicrobiology concludedthat the routine use ofantibiotics by cattle feedlots may facilitate theemergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

While the FDA hasaltered its guidelines tosay antibiotics should beused only under theguidance of a veterinarianfor prevention, control ortreatment of disease, theJohns Hopkins report saidthere was a loophole.Drugmakers can ask forFDA approval of theirproducts for disease

prevention at the samedosages as when theywere used to speedanimal growth.

“This means that whileantimicrobial approvalsmay change ...antimicrobial use maynot,” said the report.

Richard Raymond, aformer agricultureundersecretary for foodsafety, said in a report forthe Animal AgricultureAlliance, a livestockgroup, that antibiotics arepart of an array ofbiological tools forlivestock producers.

Among them are beta-agonists, a type of feedadditive that helpsanimals gain weight morequickly, and man-madebovine hormones used toboost dairy production.

U.S. drugmaker Merck& Co. suspended U.S.and Canadian sales ofZilmax, the leading beta-agonist, on August 16following concerns aboutcattle that appeared to besore-footed or werehaving difficulty walkingafter being fed theadditive.

• Courtesy: Reuters

“In one study in Pennsylvania, researchers saidpeople have a greater chance of one type ofantibiotic-resistant infection if they merely lived nearfields fertilized with hog manure or high-density hogfarms. The study was published on September 16 inthe journal JAMA Internal Medicine.”


Spotlight

Modeling Christ In OBy MOST REVD F. J. IMAEKHAI, JP PHD, FNIM

CHRISTIANS who areexpected to providesolutions to vices nowendemic in the countrybecause their exemplar,Jesus Christ, is the Prince ofpeace, the light of the worldand the Salt of the earth. Asmost Christians do notmatch belief with action, ithas become necessary todraw their attention to modelthe social, political,economic life after JesusChrist, their role model, andauthor and finisher of theirfaith. It is in such modelingthat our Christian praxis willtruly reflect the values of thekingdom and put us inproper and fittingperspective of being in theworld and not of the world.We must therefore avoid thepitfalls of economicdeterminism andmaterialistic conception ofhistory. The aptness of thetheme lies in directing ourattention to the fundamentalsof Christian praxis.

CLARIFICATION OFCONCEPTS

The following key termsconstitute the theme -Modeling, World and Christ,and these are here explainedfrom relative perspectives:

(a) Modeling: Accordingto the Oxford AdvancedLearner’s Dictionary, theterm ‘modeling’ is the verbform of model and it hasseveral meanings amongwhich are the following- “acopy of something, usuallysmaller than the originalobject; something such assystem that can be copied byother people; a person or

thing that is considered anexcellent example ofsomebody or something;etc” Modeling relatively,therefore, means the processof showcasing somethingthat is an exact copy of theoriginal; something orsomebody that is a perfectexample of another that isgreater and higher in worth.It means an example forimitation and emulation.

(b)World: The term‘world’ is verycomprehensive in meaningand often connotes the earth,with all its countries, peopleand natural features.Relatively, “in a few biblicalpassages the word ‘world’(kosmos) is in the sense ofmankind. In John 4:16, forinstance, we are told ofGod’s love for ‘the world’ inthis sense. When this is whatis meant, then Christian dutyto love mankind is clear. Itis in the other, and moreusual, sense that there areproblems. In this wider sense‘the world’ usually means‘the environment ofhumanity’ This is to say, itincludes not only the naturalenvironment and all itsvaried resources, but also thecultural and socialenvironment brought intobeing by sinful humanity. Inthis sense, the evil isdescribed as the ‘prince’ orruler of this world’ who wascondemned and cast out bythe power and work Christ(John 12:31; 16:11;Ephesians 6:12). ‘The wholeworld lies in the power of theevil one’ (1 John 5:19). “Byimplication, therefore,

THE theme is, “Modeling Christ in ourworld” with text taken from Philippians 2:1-11. Our world is far from being perfect as itpresents all known vices capable of tearingapart the fabric that welds the society together.In a nutshell, the world manifests all kinds ofevil and there is no peace anywhere. Peacehave eluded the world and people in the worldare getting disillusioned about it and canhardly find meaning in their lives.

“When these passages aboutthe rule of the devil over theworld are added to verseslike 1 John 2:15-17, wherewe are warned to loveneither ‘the world nor thethings in the world’ there isa prime facie case for anegative attitude to bothmaterial goods and to man’scultural and other naturalabilities such as marriage.On the other hand,‘everything created by Godis good’, even in a fallenworld. We are to receive allthese gifts with thanksgivingif we ‘believe and know thetruth’. A negative view offood and marriage, and evenmoney and the things that itcan buy, is roundlycondemned by the NewTestament, especially in thePastoral Epistle (notably lTimothy 2:1-4; 4:1-10;5:8-23;6:17-19, and Titus 3:8-14).

According to Akogu, “thebiblical world refers not onlyto ‘universe (‘cosmos’‘space’) as an invisiblesource and principle ofpower, but also to world aswe know it in the sense of‘earth’ in the history ofmankind. ‘World’ accordingto hagiographers of the NewTestament and in Greekthinking is the personalizedmight ‘Aeon’ which alsomeans as much as ‘time’,‘flesh’, ‘all’, ‘everything’,.“The ‘word’ has, since the‘Fall’ (‘Sin’) of Adam andEve also fallen from God’sprimordial grace. Godcursed the earth, humannature itself and the wholecreated nature, ‘world’.(Genesis 3:l4ff’). From thispoint in time the worldmanifests -in its appearance- a sinful nature; it hasacquired a structure, whichis ‘against God’. This

ungodly characteristics is themain content of the arduousexpression ‘sin of theworld’, or ‘root-sin’(‘original sin’), inheritedfrom the first human parents,Adam and Eve”. Jesus didnot partake in this sinfulnature because He was notconceived like the rest ofmen and that qualified Himto be their Saviour bybecoming the perfectsacrifice.

(c) Christ: The title‘Christ which in Greek is‘kristos’ means ‘Messiah’and is used exclusively forthe Jesus of Nazareth inwhom all the Old

Testament propheciesconcerning the Saviour ofthe world have been and arebeing fulfilled, in theparlance of theology, thedoctrine of Christ, Hisperson and natures, is calledChristology. “Theimportance of Christologyfor Christianity is obvious,since without Jesus Christ,the religion named after Himwould not have emerged.Modern scholars debate therole of the historical Jesus inthe formation of Christianity,but there is no doubt that Heoccupies a place given to thefounders of other religions.Christianity is Jesus Christ ina way which is quiteunique”. It was from thisunique title ‘Christ’ that thenomenclature Christians’ascribed to the followers ofthe Jesus of Nazarethderived. “Luke, who clearlyknew the Church there well,places the first use of thename at Syrian Antioch(Acts 11:16), “However,“the three occurrences (Acts11:16; 26:28; l Peter 4:16) allimply that it was a generallyevident that there were othernames which the Christians

themselves used, andperhaps preferred” forexample brethren, beloved,brothers and sisters, etc.

THE MISSION OFGOD (MISSIO DEl)

Beginning with the act ofcreation, where God is seenas the one making somethingout of nothing, God has beenon mission. He called thingsthat are not as though theywere and at His command,things that are now-existentcame into being. This hasbeen a point of sharpdisagreement between theChristian faith and someother schools of thought likethe Evolution Theory ofcreation, but “creation is thesovereign act of the TriuneGod who was ‘before thefoundation of the world’.The fact of God’s sovereigncreation ex nihilo (‘out ofnothing’) is the greatestbiblical teaching. There is noeternal matter or eternal evilspirit. The sun is a merecreature, not a god Genesis1:1 includes the whole ofreality, including time, asGod’s creation. This keytruth has far widerimportance than is alwaysrealized’. The holisticmission of God is principallyin three major phases witheach phase chieflyassociated with particularperson of the triune God-head (the Trinity-Father, Son and HolySpirit). These phases are (1)Creation associated withGod the Father; (2)Redemption of the Creationassociated with God the Son,Jesus Christ; and (3)Sanctification / Sustenanceof the Creation associatedwith God the holy spiritaltogether active in each ofthese phases.

THE PLACE OFCHRIST IN THEMISSION OF GOD

The person, life andactivities of Christ will everremain central to the missionof God in the world. It wasby Christ that the missionwas initiated and by Himalso that it was and will beaccomplished -i.e. themission of holistic andeternal salvation ofmankind. Christ is never tobe equated with anyreligious founder or great

biblical characters and this iswhere Christianity gainssuperiority over all otherworld’s religions. In theaccount of theTransfiguration (Matthew17: 1 -8), Peter went into theerror of taking Jesus to becoequals with Moses andElijah but God had to repeatwhat He said earlier at Jesusbaptism; “Then answered

Peter, and said unto Jesus,Lord, it is good for us to behere: if thou wilt, let us makehere three tabernacles; onefor thee and one for Moses,and one for Eliajah. While heyet spake, behold, a brightcloud, overshadowed them:and behold a voice out of thecloud, which said, this is mybeloved Son, in whom I amwell pleased; hear ye him.”(Matthew 17:4 & 5 Cf 3:17).Even the Creeds clearlyexpressed that the Son isco—equal with the Fatherand the Holy Spirit; He wasnot created but begotten ofthe Father and of one beingwith Him. In the text above,Moses and Elijahrepresented the Law and theprophets and they came toJesus to surrender theirministry to Him so that Jesuswill become the ultimaterevelation of God to man.Hence, the Apostle Paulsaid; “For Christ is the endof the law for righteousnessto everyone that believeth”.For God to ensure that theposition of Christ is His

miscomclarepMathedec

TtheChChdif

relscrtoldtrucanexc“Thelsin to (JoSucareoppothpropluacctimChWaevebecmawhthehophavhelto erelHoLo

“Testament prophecies concerning the Saviourof the world have been and are being fulfilled,in the parlance of theology, the doctrine of Christ,His person and natures, is called Christology.”

• Most Rev. F.J. Imaekhai


Our WorldSpotlight

ssion to the world is notmpromised, He added theause “hear ye him” in thepeat declaration inatthew 17:5 which was notere in the initialclaration in Chapter 3:17The presence and work ofe person of Christ inhristianity madehristianity uniquelyfferent from other

ligions. Hence theseriptural sayings: “Jesusd him, “I am the way, the

uth, and the life: No onen come to the Fathercept through me” andhere is salvation in no onee! There is no other nameall of heaven for peoplecall on to save them”

ohn 14:6 & Acts 4:12).ch positions of the Biblee always vehementlyposed by those without,her religions andoponents of religiousurality. However,cording to Obuh, “this

meless declaration of Jesushrist of Himself as the onlyay to God is helderlastingly crediblecause that which separatesan from God - sin, overhich all other religions ofe world have proved to bepelessly powerless and sove no form of efficaciouslp to offer their adherentsenable them enjoy a livingationship with the Most

oly. Most Mighty, Mostving and All Sufficient

God of all creation, JesusChrist dealt with by Hissacrificial death on the crossand subsequent resurrectionfrom the dead on the thirdday. Therefore, inChristianity, Jesus Christoffers man what otherreligions and religiousfounders cannot —forgiveness and victory oversin and restoration to God.What a peculiarity”.

THE MISSION OF THECHURCH

What could rightly bedescribed as the Churchnever really existed beforeChrist because the Church isthe band of those united bytheir confession of faith inJesus Christ, the Son of God,their racial, social,geographical, economic,language, political. etcdifferences notwithstanding.Hence, the church is oftenreferred to as the Body ofChrist. The Church is aproduct of the mission ofChrist (a mandate Hereceived from the Father -‘Mission’ Dei’) which Heaccomplished through Hisdeath, resurrection andsubsequent ascension, andthat was why the Churchcould not be born until theday of Pentecost. The earlyapostles formed theimmediate nucleus of theChurch and their chiefmission immediatelybecame the propagation andconsolidation of the essenceof the holistic mission ofChrist through missions andevangelism. This mission ofChrist is succinctly capturedin His Nazareth manifesto;“The Spirit of the Lord isupon me, for he hasappointed me to preachGood News to the poor. Hehas sent me to proclaim thatcaptives will be released,that the blind will see, thatthe downtrodden will befreed from their oppressors,and that the time of theLord’s favour has come.” Herolled up the scroll, handedit back to the attendant, andsat down. Everyone in thesynagogue stared at himintently. Then he said, “ThisScripture, has come truetoday before your veryeyes!” (Luke 4:1821 CfIsaiah 61:lf). The agenda ofChrist became the mission of

the early Church because Hesaid “Peace be with you. Asthe Father has sent me, so Isend you.” (John 20:21).Therefore, when the worldobserved the Christiansmodeling Christ in everyaspect of their lives andconversation, they simplynicknamed them‘Christians’. Now the timesmay change but the missionof the Church remains thesame — to model, showcase,manifest Christ to the worldto the end that the word isliberated by the power ofChrist. The Bible says, “Forthe earnest expectation of thecreature was made subject tovanity, not willingly, but byreason of him who hathsubjected the same in hope,because the creature itselfalso shall be delivered fromthe bondage of corruptioninto the glorious liberty ofthe children of God.”(Romans 8:19-21).. Theworld is indeed waitingwhether consciously or not.

THE CHURCH IN THEWORLD BUT NOT OFTHE WORLD

It was Jesus Christ Himselfwho first gave Hisimmediate disciples the rightdescription of theirrelationship henceforth withthe world, likening it to Hisown relationship to theworld when He said, “Theyare not part of this world anymore than I am”. (John17:16). He went further toexpantiate on this bywarning them not to expectfriendliness from the worldwhen He said “if the world

hates you, keep in mind thatit hated me first. If youbelonged to the word, itwould love you as its own.As it is, you do not belongto the world, but I havechosen you out of the world.That is why the world hatesyou. Remember the words Ispoke to you: ‘No servant isgreater than his master.’ Ifthey persecuted me, theywill persecute you also. Ifthey obeyed my teaching,they will obey yours also.They will treat you this waybecause of my name, forthey do not know the Onewho sent me.” (John 15:18-21). The Church is in theworld but not of the world.The Church is in the world,not for what it can gain fromthe world but for what it hasto offer the world. WhenJesus said the Church is notto conform to the system ofthe world by adoptingworldly standards ofjudgment. Hence thewarning of Apostle Paul tobelievers in Romans 12:1 &2; “I beseech you therefore,brethren, by the mercies ofGod, that ye present yourbodies of God, that yepresent your bodies a livingsacrifice, holy, acceptableunto God, which is yourreasonable service and benot conformed to this world:but be ye transformed by therenewing of your mind, thatye may prove what is thatgood, and acceptable, andperfect, will of God.” TheChurch is never to get intocompetition with the worldbecause the former will

never beat the latter in theirown game. Even JesusHimself acknowledges thisfact while telling the parableof the shrewd manager whenHe said; “And the lordcommended the unjuststeward, because he haddone wisely: for the childrenof this world are in theirgeneration wiser than thechildren of light”. (Luke16:8). The Church is still leftin the world because of theGreat Commission that theChurch may model Christ tothe world and bring abouttheir salvation. The Churchshould, therefore, neverexpect the hostility of theworld to cease until she isruptured from the world.Jesus said “Verily, verily, Isay unto you, that ye shallweep and lament, but theworld shall rejoice: and yeshall be sorrowful, but yoursorrow shall be turned intojoy. A woman when she istravail hath sorrow, becauseher hour is come: but as soonas she is delivered of thechild, she remembereth nomore the anguish, for joythat a man is born into theworld. And ye now thereforehave sorrow: but I will seeyou again, and your heartshall rejoice, and your joy noman taketh from you.” (John16:20-22). You cannot haveGod as your Father exceptyou have the church as yourmother.

THE CHURCH AS ANAGENT OF CHANGE

There is something thatwill remain constant in thecourse of the Church

modeling Christ to the worldand that is the clash ofcultures.

There is no race of menthat is qualified to bedescribed as having theheavenly cultures such thatit has nothing to change inorder to concur with theGospel of Christ; there arealways areas of conflictbetween what God wantsand the realities prevalent inany human society. In allsuch cases, the Church is notto give in to the pressuresfrom the world; it should bethe other way round becausethe Church is God’s agent ofdivine change. the Churchmust realize that while shemake efforts, the worldwould always put upresistance but she is not tobe deterred because theBible says “And the lightshineth in darkness; and thedarkness comprehended itnot” (John 1:5). There arethe challenges of individualand communal cultureswhich varies from place toplace that the Church has gotto grapple with the divineagent of change in the worldin her efforts to model Christis the growing universalculture of post-modernismwith its imposing overtbiblical heterodoxy. Thetarget is to relegate the Bibleand frustrate the mission ofthe Church but the Churchmust rise to the challengewith the weapons ofrighteousness so that withthe victory of Calvary, shewill overcome the god of thisworld and set his captivesfree.

“What could rightly be described as the Church never reallyexisted before Christ because the Church is the band of thoseunited by their confession of faith in Jesus Christ, the Sonof God, their racial, social, geographical, economic,language, political. etc differences notwithstanding.”

“There is no race of men that is qualified to be described as having theheavenly cultures such that it has nothing to change in order to concurwith the Gospel of Christ; there are always areas of conflict betweenwhat God wants and the realities prevalent in any human society. In allsuch cases, the Church is not to give in to the pressures from the world;it should be the other way round because the Church is God’s agent ofdivine change.”


WithObuseh Jude

GSM: 08033510173

Security Issues

IN September 2001, duringthe first year of the newmillennium, the cities of NewYork and Washington D.C,were attacked by what mostpolitical and military leaders inthe West described as ìterroristgroups. The loss of lives in asingle day due to theses attacks(about three thousandcivilians) was exceeded inAmerican history only bybattles during the Civil War.

After the attacks on theWorld Trade Center in NewYork City and the Pentagon inWashington D.C, manyAmericans evidently agreedwith pronouncements by manysenior political figures that theunited states was at war withterrorism Yet, for manydisempowered people in otherregions, Americans are theworst terrorists in the world(According to Osama binLaden, the late leader of AlQaeda in a 1998 televisioninterview with the AmericanBroadcasting Company).Following the Attacks,President George W Bushannounced that the US wouldmake no distinction betweenterrorists and the countries thathabour them. For manyfrustrated, impoverished,infuriated people who view theU.S as a terrorist countryattacks on American Civilianswere justified in precisely theway: making no distinctionbetween a terrorist state andthe citizens who aid and abetthat state.

Since the 9/11 debacle, amassive paradigm shift insecurity thinking seems tohave occurred, as attested to bythe increasing collaborationsamong countries with similarsecurity threat indicators inattempts to check theburgeoning dimensions of theviolent activities of extremistgroups across the globe. Theglobalization of security hasresulted in massive alliancesbetween the securityestablishment of the US andthose of other countries - acolossal move from national tointernational/global/collectivesecurity. The response of statesto 9/11 shows that in the post-sovereign global world, statesremain crucial agents ofsecurity. The U.S seems tohave successfully mobilizedthe world against terror.

The American-led war onterrorism has beenconfrontational in itsexecution; a winner takes allapproach that is aimed at

Terrorism And Global SecurityMatters Arising

defeating all terrorist threatsaround the globe. Thesubsequent reprisal bombingof Afghanistan, which wastargeted at Osama Bin LadenísAl-Qaeda terrorist networkand the Taliban for aiding andabetting them, the invasion ofIraq due to the purported threatposed to global security by thatcountry’s possession ofWeapons of Mass Destruction-this claim is to be substantiatedand other concerted globalsecurity initiatives, arepractical demonstrations of thezero-sum anti-terrorismstrategy preferred by the U.Sand its allies in the aftermathof 9/11.

However, despite itsseeming effectiveness inchecking the activities ofextremist groups, the war onterror seems to have creatednew terrorists. While Al-Qaeda may have beenweakened, the radical Islamicmovement worldwide seemsto be strengthening with theformation of new groups andcells who are obviouslyinspired by Osama Bin Laden,whose legendary image whilealive, and heroic death in apurported shootout with USsecurity forces in Pakistan,have turned him into a martyrof sorts; a role model forextremists the world over.Thus, several years after thecommencement of the globalwar on terror, there seems tobe no practical indicators tomeasure the progress of thewar on terror no standardmetrics to show whether thewar on terror is being won orlost. The question is: are moreterrorists being captured,killed or deterred every daythan the Madrassas and radicalclerics are recruiting, trainingand deploying more footsoldiers across the globe?

For the U.S, the world’spoliceman and arrowhead ofthe global anti-terrorismcampaign, the backlash fromits much-trumpeted war onterror has been loud and clear.According to Jim Lobe (InterPress Service, September 8,2011) Al-Qaeda appears tohave largely succeeded in itshopes of accelerating thedecline of U.S global power,if not bringing it to the brinkof collapse. That appears to bethe strong consensus offoreign-policy elite which,with only a few exceptions,believes that theadministration of PresidentGeorge W. Bush badly over-

reacted to the attacks and thatover-reaction continues today.

Continuing in the same vein,Jim Lobe (Ibid) estimates thatthe costs of war on terror havebeen staggering in almostevery respect. The estimated

three to 4.4 trillion dollarsWashington has incurredeither directly or indirectly inconducting the global war onterror accounts for asubstantial portion of the fiscalcrisis that transformed thecountry’s politics and broughtit to the edge of bankruptcylast month of August 2011.And while the U.S militaryremains by far the strongest inthe world, its veil ofinvincibility has beenirreparably pierced by thesuccess with which rag-taggroups of guerrillas havedefied and frustrated

(emphasis added).The ongoing American-led

global war on terror, whilehaving been quitecommendable, has failed toextinguish or even check thespread of this phenomenon.Rather than decline, it keepsaccelerating at an alarmingpace, rearing its head even inonce peaceful sections of the

world. The rise of newextremist groups across theglobe such as Boko Haram etal (Western education is evil)ñ a group whose apocalypticactivities have turned theNorthern part of Nigeria intoa theatre of war ñ has exposedthe banality andineffectiveness of the ongoingwar on terror. The truthremains that the world hasnever been as unsafe as it iscurrently, despite all the noisebeing made about fightingterrorism. Force cannot bedefeated with force.

In some of my previouswrite-ups on this page, I have

always argued for a paradigmshift in the current context inglobal security thinking: amove from confrontation toconstructive engagement. Myviews have not changed.Deliberate attempts must bemade by all concerned both at

the national and global levels- to engage in processes ofconstructive dialogue wherepractical solutions can beproffered to the crucial issuesat stake. No matter howpainfully true it might seem,some of the extremist groupsoperating in the world todayhave reasons even if some ofthem sound irrational for theirviolent conduct. Addressingsome of these issues (such asthe several cases of structuralviolence and other forms ofg l o b a l i z a t i o n - i n d u c e dinjustices) will go a long waytowards allaying their fearsand setting the tone for a return

of positive peace to thesetroubled parts of the globe.

Talking of globalization, theAmerican-led west (thecurrent chief driver of thevehicle of globalization) mustbe more transparent andhumane in its relations with

the rest of the world. It mustforthwith desist from itstendency to deride theeconomies, demean thecultures, control andmanipulate the politicalsystems of other less powerfulnations to satisfy theircapitalist appetites. Justicemust be seen to be done by allconcerned for positive peaceto return to the world.Recognition and respect forthe rights of other people toself determination is one of thesurest guarantees in order toreturn to a word naturallyinclined towards disorder. Godsave the world!

“The ongoing American-led global war on terror, whilehaving been quite commendable, has failed to extinguishor even check the spread of this phenomenon. Rather thandecline, it keeps accelerating at an alarming pace, rearingits head even in once peaceful sections of the world.”

• Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary General


By CHIEF BOBSON GBINIJE

OpinionUduaghan: Now Walking The Talk?

Gov Emmanuel Uduaghan

The security and welfare ofthe people shall be theprimary purpose

O fgovernment………..”

1 9 9 9CONSTITUTION OF THEFED. REPUBLIC OFNIGERIA (SECTION 14)

“With malice toward none,with charity for all; withfirmness in the right as Godgives us to see the right, letus strive on to finish the workwe are in”

Abraham Lincoln- 1809-1865) Second InauguralAddress.

BY Jeffersonian,Aristotelian, BenthamistPrinciples and normativestandards, “The pursuit of thegreatest good for the largestnumber remains the cardinalplinth and matrix uponwhich visionary leadership,good governments andaltruistic governancefulcrumises”. This isglaringly corroborated andexplicitly articulated in theBook of Books ‘THE HOLYBIBLE’ that, “When a greatand righteous King rules, thepeople jubilate”. Are Deltansjubilating?

How has it been withDeltans ever since hisExcellency, the ExecutiveGovernor of Delta State, DrEmmanuel Ewetan Uduaghancame on board in 2007 vis –a- vis his three – point agendaand palpably tangible strides.Has the lot of Delta State andDeltans improved on theeducational, economic, socio-political front. Do we havepragmatic structuralevidences on ground torealistically, not hypocriticalpropandistic hype show thatGovernor Uduaghan is nowwalking the talk?

There are and will alwaysbe multidimensionality ofopinions on these issues. Butit must be laid bare from thebeginning that Uduaghan’selectoral victory over ChiefGreat Ogboru was a pyrrhicvictory, some say fraudulentand others called it a stolenmandate. He was nottherefore given a place tostand, “damihi locus standietare et mowebo”(give me aplace to stand and I will movethe world - Archimedes).

Uduaghan’s electoralvictory made him aninfrangible legalis homo anda litigant. This scenario

affected his settling down tothe rudiments of governance.Delta State gravitated andcascaded down the slop andlabyrinth of dilapidated roads,hospitals without drugs,rickety school buildings,teachers without salaries as atwhen due, no light, no water,no good roads, kidnappings,sea piracy, armed robbery,ethnic schisms, extra judicialkillings and assassinations,etc. Indeed, there was totalstructural decay and lethalinsecurity.

Delta State becamecocooned in the toga ofmomentum withoutmovement. INDEED, AFAILED STATE. A failedstate according to ‘The CrisisStates Research Centre ofthe United States’ is “a statethat can no longer performits basic security anddevelopmental functionsand has no effective controlover its territory andborders.” Delta State becamethe quintessentialepitomisation of a failed state,broken promise, fraudulentagenda and dashed hopes.

Indeed, Uduaghan becameenshrined in the throes of theGoliathic Complex and theAlice in wonder landsyndrome. In visionary lapsesand tantrums, he startedorganizing and sponsoring allsorts of conferences, talkshows, seminars, colloquiums,gala nights, award shows,carnivals and symposiums,etc, spending billions of taxpayers money as if the use ofmoney was going out offashion. And like EmperorNero who slept whilst Romeburnt, Uduaghan luxuriated inBarmecidal- Dish projects,whilst millions of Deltanssuffered under the stranglehold and aspluxiatingcliffhangers of scorchingpoverty, bad roads, massiveunemployment, hunger, half-baked Micro- Credit schemes,instituting behemotheconomic advisory team,kidnappings, assassinationsand wanton payment ofpension and gratuities to anex-convict former governorwho is in jail – Chief JamesOnanefe Ibori. What a socio-economic and financialrascality?

But, recently and likethunder out of celestial realmUduaghan has started walkingthe talk of development. Adrive through Warri, Sapele,

Koko, Ugbuwangue,Orerokpe, Effurun, Eku,Abraka and some other townsin Delta State will reveal thatGovernor Uduagha has justwoken up from a lethally deepsomnambulistic slumber andhas partially started walkingthe talk of his three- pointagenda.

On the education frontmost Delta towns and citiesare littered with Model schoolstructures. WHAT A GREATBEAUTY TO BEHOLD! Hehas started macadamising,

patching, tarring, filling,constructing many roadsincluding the Airport roadround about, the Enerhenjunction round about and theDelta Estate culverts andmany others in Asaba andcreating culverts in sometowns and cities. There arethink–tanks, syndicatedinstitutions to drive thedevelopmental agenda ofDelta State to de-emphasizeour over dependence on oilrevenues through partnershipwith the private sector as wellas to improve access toeducation, water, shelter andhealth as a conduit todovetailing into the attainmentof the MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGS).

The flagging –off theconstruction of the 12

kilometer road project thatruns through Oginibo- Obi-Ayagha, Erhuwaren-Agbowhiame communities, inughievwen kingdom, Ughellisouth LG A, Delta State mustbe commended.

Delta State has budgetedN398.31 billion for the 2013fiscal year with N145.94 or36.64% for recurrentExpenditure and 252.3%billion or 63.36% capitalExpenditure.

These achievements areindeed a minusculemicrocosm in the macrocosmof real development, a tip of

the iceberg and a molehill in amountain. Deltans want to seeall-embracing and palpablytangible development in theprovision of real total freeMedicare, free education at alllevels, construction of 2,000Blocks each of Low CostBuildings in the 25 LocalGovernment Areas of DeltaState, building of hospitalannexes in every 3 MilesRadius, massive constructionand repairs of roads to 65% ofvillages and farm locations inDelta State.

Attack the menace of seapiracy, kidnapping andassassinations by the creationof Marine and Land FarmLocations to employee alljobless artisans, unemployedgraduates and artisans, paymonthly stipends to the sick

and senile old people above 70years. Endeavour to create thetourism socio- economic,political template andenvironmentally conduciveauibience to make Delta Statethe investor’s Mecca. Let usmake use of the carbon blackfrom the Warri Refinery asindustry stimulants. The deadindustries should be broughtback to life. The Asaba TextileMills, Ughelli Glass Factory,AT&P Sapele, Bendel SteelStructures etc.

The Laodicean attitudinalorientation of Deltans hasbeen the major catalyst to ourundevelopment in the past andpresent. Hence, SenatorWilliams E. Borah (1865 –1940) observed that “themarvel of history is thepatience with which men andwomen submit to the burdensunnecessarily laid upon themby their Governments”. Oursuffering in Delta State did notstart today, from AirCommodore Luke Ochulor –1991- 1992, Olorugun FelixIbru- 1992- 1993, Col. BasseyAsuquo- 1993- 1994, Col.Ibrahim Kefas- 1994-1996,Col. John Dungs – 1996-1998, Navy Capt. WalterFeghabo- 1998- 1999, ChiefJames Onanefe Ibori 1999-2007 and now Dr EmmanuelEwetan Uduaghan 2007-20…Our story and strugglescontinues to remain the same,reminiscent of the comrades ofUlysses who loved theirservitude, brutish and slavishconditions.

Delta State receives overN400 Billion FederallyGenerated Revenues and overN50 Billion from InternallyGenerated Revenues everyyear, exclusive of the 13%derivation earnings. Yet wehave little or nothing to showfor it. It is against this scorchedbackground that the respectedItsekiri woman, Chief RitaLori, the Igba of WarriKingdom, whilst rejectingUduaghan’s Xmas gifts said“By now you already knowmy stands on the way you runthe administration of DeltaState. I feel unhappy anddepressed to see the State, andItsekiri land particularlydeclining from the time youhave been in government.Severally, I have spoken toyou as a brother and son,stressing that the ItsekiriRiverine Areas are decliningeducationally andeconomically. The way ourland is today shows noplanning or foresight. There isno creation of jobs, neither isthere adequate security of livesand property. For many years,there has been fighting andbloodletting in Escravos. Infact, things have got worsesince you became Governor.Yet, you have not used yourposition to bring peace to thisvery important Itsekiri town.Indeed, what we have arecases of Itsekiri sons killingone another.

Also, it is sad to know that

when people are saying wehave a Governor as a son aplace like Ugborodo, whichpeople know as the terminalfor Nigerian oil, can boast ofnothing but mud and water.There is no infrastructure, nohouses, no roads, schools orhospitals…………..”

Chief Rita Lori has withlaconic brevity spoken theminds of 90% of Deltans. Sheis a formidable Itsekiri opinionleader, highly veneratedItsekiri Nationalist and Mother– like person to GovernorUduaghan. If she could speaklike this, notwithstanding theprinciples of familiar piety andethnocentric sensibilities,what will other Deltans whotruly really feel the laceratingand scorching hell ofeconomic hades and socialdoldrums talk about. If wetleaves should burn, what willdry leaves do and if goldshould rust what will iron do?

The time has come and it isnow for Governor Uduaghanto consign propagandistic-skullduggery and Goebbeliannarcissism to the incineratorand start charting the course oftrue palpable development forDeltans and Delta State. Hemust start by making hisAssets public, because whatwe read about him and theEFCC is not palatable at alland he should treatsagaciously because of the“Ibori Saga.” He shouldreconstitute all Delta StateAgencies across the gossamerof integrity trajectory, providejobs, all–embracingly engagein massive construction ofroads across the state, payteachers 27 % minimumwages and stop clandestineand furtive subtraction fromtheir salaries, declare true andpragmatic free education andfree Medicare of all levels andlet the Warri industrial parkand the tourism projects etcwork.

Finally, we passionatelyappeal to Governor Uduaghanto find work for idle hands andour cries about kidnappings,sea piracy assassinations,terrorism, armed robbery andthuggry will reduce to itsbarest minimums. The essayistThomas Carlyle posited that“A man willing to work, andunable to find work, isperhaps the saddest sightthat fortunes inequalityexhibits under the sun,blessed is he who has foundhis work, let him ask noother blessedness” and that“work is the grand cure of allthe maladies and miseries thatever beset mankind.”

This is substantiated by thegreat poet Voltaire, he sad“work keeps us from threeevils. Boredom, vice andneed” and Virgil said “labouromri vincit” (work conquersall). UDUAGHAN THINK!!!

Chief Bobson GbinijeMandate Against Poverty

(MAP),Warri.08023250378.

“The time has come and it is now for Governor Uduaghan to consign propagandistic-skullduggery and Goebbelian narcissism to the incinerator and start charting thecourse of true palpable development for Deltans and Delta State. He must start bymaking his Assets public, because what we read about him and the EFCC is notpalatable at all and he should treat sagaciously because of the “Ibori Saga.”


Builders Of Obama’s HealthWebsite Saw Red Flags

International Features

US President, Barack Obama

CRAMMED intoconference rooms with pizzafor dinner, someprogrammers building theObama administration’sshowcase health insurancewebsite were growingincreasingly stressed. Someworked past 10 p.m., energydrinks in hand. Othersrewrote computer code overand over to meet what theyconsidered last-minuterequests for changes fromthe government or othercontractors.

As questions mount overthe website’s failure, insiderinterviews and a review oftechnical specifications byThe Associated Press founda mind-numbingly complexsystem put together byharried programmers whopushed out a final productthat congressionalinvestigators said was testedby the government and notprivate developers with moreexpertise.

Project developers whospoke to the AP on conditionof anonymity - because theyfeared they would otherwisebe fired - said they raiseddoubts among themselveswhether the website could beready in time. Theycomplained openly to eachother about what theyconsidered tight andunrealistic deadlines. Onewas nearly brought to tearsover the stress of finishing ontime, one developer said.Website builders saw redflags for months.

A review of internalarchitectural diagramsobtained by the AP revealedthe system’s complexity.Insurance applicants have ahost of personal informationverified, including incomeand immigration status. Thesystem connects to otherfederal computer networks,including ones at the SocialSecurity Administration,IRS, VeteransAdministration, Office ofPersonnel Management andthe Peace Corps.

President Barack Obamaon Monday acknowledgedtechnical problems that he

described as “kinks in thesystem.” He also promised a“tech surge” by leadingtechnology talent to repairthe painfully slow and oftenunresponsive website thathas frustrated Americanstrying to enroll online forinsurance plans at the centerof Obama’s health care law.

But in remarks at a RoseGarden event, Obamaoffered no explanation forthe failure except to note thathigh traffic to the websitecaused some of theslowdowns. He said it hadbeen visited nearly 20million times — fewermonthly visits so far thanmany commercial websites,such as PayPal, AOL,Wikipedia or Pinterest.

“The problem has been thatthe website that’s supposedto make it easy to apply forand purchase the insurance isnot working the way itshould for everybody,”Obama said. “There’s nosugarcoating it. The websitehas been too slow. Peoplehave been getting stuckduring the applicationprocess. And I think it’s fairto say that nobody is morefrustrated by that than I am.”

The online system wasenvisioned as a simple wayfor people without healthinsurance to comparison-shop among competing plansoffered in their state, picktheir preferred level ofcoverage and cost and signup. For many, it’s not workedout that way so far.

Just weeks before thelaunch of HealthCare.gov onOctober 1, one programmersaid, colleagues huddled inconference rooms trying topatch “bugs,” or deficienciesin computer code.Unresolved problems led tovisitors experiencing crypticerror messages or enduringlong waits trying to sign up.

C o n g r e s s i o n a linvestigators have concludedthat the government’sCenters for Medicare andMedicaid Services, not

private software developers,tested the exchange’scomputer systems during thefinal weeks. That task,known as integration testing,is usually handled bysoftware companies becauseit ferrets out problems beforethe public sees the finalproduct.

The government spent atleast $394 million in

contracts to build the federalhealth care exchange and thedata hub. Those contractsincluded major awards toVirginia-based CGI FederalInc., Maryland-basedQuality Software ServicesInc. and Booz AllenHamilton Inc.

CGI Federal said in astatement that it was workingwith the government andother contractors “around theclock” to improve thesystem, which it called“complex, ambitious andunprecedented.”

The schematics from late

2012 show how officialsdesignated a “data serviceshub” — a traffic cop formanaging information — inlieu of a design that wouldhave allowed stateexchanges to connectdirectly to governmentservers when verifying anapplicant’s information. OnSunday, the Health andHuman Services Department

said the data hub wasworking but not meetingpublic expectations: “We arecommitted to doing better.”

Administration officials sofar have refused to say howmany people actually havemanaged to enroll ininsurance during the threeweeks since the newmarketplaces becameavailable. Withoutenrollment numbers, it’simpossible to know whetherthe program is on track toreach projections from theCongressional Budget Officethat 7 million people would

gain coverage during the firstyear the exchanges wereavailable.

Instead, officials haveselectively cited figures thatput the insurance exchangesin a positive light. They saymore than 19 million peoplehave logged on to the federalwebsite and nearly 500,000have filled out applications

for insurance through boththe federal and state-runsites.

The flood of computerproblems since the websitewent online has been deeplyembarrassing for the WhiteHouse. The snags havecalled into question whetherthe administration is capableof implementing thecomplex policy and whysenior administrationofficials — including thepresident — appear to havebeen unaware of the scope ofthe problems when theexchange sites opened.

Even as the presidentspoke at the Rose Garden,more problems were comingto light. The administrationacknowledged that a plannedupgrade to the website hadbeen postponed indefinitelyand that online Spanish-language signups wouldremain unavailable, despitea promise to Hispanic groupsthat the capability would

start this week. And thegovernment tweaked thewebsite’s home page sovisitors can now view phonenumbers to apply the old-fashioned way or window-shop for insurance rateswithout registering first.

The House Energy andCommerce Committee wasexpected to conduct an

oversight hearing Thursday,probably without Health andHuman Services SecretaryKathleen Sebelius testifying.She could testify on CapitolHill on the subject as earlyas next week.

Uninsured Americans haveuntil about mid-February tosign up for coverage if theyare to meet the law’srequirement that they beinsured by the end of March.If they don’t, they will facea penalty.

On Monday, the WhiteHouse advised peoplefrustrated by the onlinetangle that they can enroll bycalling 1-800-318-2596 in aprocess that should take 25minutes for an individual or45 minutes for a family.Assistance is also availablein communities from helperswho can be found at LocalHelp Health Care governor.

Courtesy:AP

“Just weeks before the launch of HealthCare.gov on October1, one programmer said, colleagues huddled in conferencerooms trying to patch “bugs,” or deficiencies in computercode. Unresolved problems led to visitors experiencing crypticerror messages or enduring long waits trying to sign up.”


Issues

By SUNNY OSAZE

Criminal Justice: Between AU And ICC

Celebrating New Yam FestivalIn Utese

DURING a recent visit ofPresident Goodluck Jonathanto Kenya, he imploredAfrican leaders to get rid ofpolicies that are capable ofobstructing intra-Africantrade and the unity of thecontinent.

At a joint press briefingwith his Kenyan counterpart,Uhuru Kenyatta, he faultedthose angling for the trial ofPresident Kenyatta by the

International CriminalCourt (ICC) in The Hague,saying it would furthercompound the political crisisin the country.

Few weeks afterward, in anaddress at the ExtraordinarySession of African UnionHeads of State andGovernment, in AddisAbaba, Ethiopia, PresidentJonathan said African nationsare ‘disappointed’ with theICC over African affairs. Hetherefore called for anamendment of the lawsgoverning the InternationalCriminal Court, ICC, toallow serving African leadersto enjoy immunity fromprosecution for war crimes,genocide, and war against

humanity. Two serving African

presidents, Sudan andKenya, have been accused ofwar crimes by the ICC.

The president, whoexpressed Nigeria’s supportfor the existence of the ICC,said, “While the work of theInternational Criminal Courtis immensely useful for theachievement of a worldwithout crimes againsthumanity, genocide and otheracts of impunity, it would befair to say that in Africatoday, the wave ofdemocratization hasengendered greatercommitment to the rule oflaw and respect forfundamental human rights.”

The ICC has openedinvestigations into eightcases, all of which are inAfrica including Uganda, theDemocratic Republic of theCongo (DRC), CentralAfrican Republic (CAR),Darfur, Kenya, Libya, Côted’Ivoire and Mali. Five of theeight cases were referredvoluntarily by the Africangovernments in question;two through a UNSC

resolution supported by allbut one African member inthe council at the time andthe Kenyan case was openedat the ICC prosecutor ’srequest.

On his own Kenyattablasted the ICC of “bias andrace-hunting as it has beenreduced into a painfullyfarcical pantomime, atravesty that adds insult to theinjury of victims. The court,according to him has stoppedbeen the home of justice theday it became the toy ofdeclining imperial powers,performing on the cue ofEuropean and Americangovernments against thesovereignty of African states.

While urging the AU tounite in the face of a “divideand rule” policy, he said“Africa is not a third-rateterritory of second-classpeople. We are not a project,or experiment of outsiders.”

Meanwhile, the Sudaneseforeign minister said that themeeting had drawn strongsupport for a withdrawal

from the ICC including fromhis own government.However, he added thatwhile some countriesexpressed a readiness to pullout, they believed the timewas not ripe for such a move.

There have been manyopposition to the clamourfrom Africa itself. In theforefront is the ArchbishopDesmond Tutu of SouthAfrica who said grantingsuch immunity would meangiving permission to Africanleaders to commit warcrimes.

Most countries not only inAfrica, have constitutions orlaws that provide immunityfrom all kinds of prosecutionwhile in office. While thework of the InternationalCriminal Court is valuablefor the achievement of aworld without crimes againsthumanity, African leadersshould not be targeted by theICC but also so-calledsuperpower leaders with UNveto-power who arbitrarilyinvade weaker nations. Weare living witnesses to how

some powerful nationsannexed and terrorised poorand weaker nations withimpunity, where thousands ofinnocent souls are killed andtheir leaders not onlyhumiliated but are killed inmost embarrassing carnagein modern history.

Notwithstanding the ICC’suniversal jurisdiction, itdevotes more energy and tothe prosecution of cases fromAfrica, while ignoring otherpowerful leaders whocommit worst crimes againsthumanity against othercitizens. Even though someAfricans are in the ICC, theallegation of bias is soglaring and yet it never deemit feat to allay the fears andsentiments of other nations.International organisationswere created to resolveproblems rather thancompounding them,especially in developingcountries.

The fact is that Africannations under the umbrella ofAfrican Union sharecommon principles on warcrimes and crimes against

humanity with ICC. Africanleaders should maintain theunity of the continent andspeak with one voice onissues affecting any of thecountries. They shouldintensify efforts instrengthening the capacity ofnational and continentaljudicial systems.

The meeting ended upcalling on the United NationsSecurity Council (UNSC) todefer the trials of Bashir andKenyatta under Article 16 ofthe court’s Rome Statutewhich allows for a delay ofup to one-year subject torenewal. The African leadersalso declared that no sittingAfrican head of state shouldcome before anyinternational court ortribunal.

The positions of Africanleaders reinforce theimportance of the ICC evenas they didn’t withdraw. Aresolution for withdrawalcould have been reactionary,but a clear message has beensent that Africa desires to betreated fairly and justly notas inferior continent.

CULTURE is onesignificant aspect of oureveryday life as Africa andwhatever culture which we areidentified with is not taken forgranted but held in highesteem and celebrated byvarious group across Africaespecially in Nigeria becauseit is a form of identification.

Nigeria as a nation has over250 ethnic groups across theland with diverse culturalheritage which from time totime has continued to attractboth foreigners, indigenes andnon-indigenes alike across theglobe to visit places withsignificant cultural heritage.

Our culture as Nigeriansespecially as Edo indigeneswhere the first blackcivilization started is of uniquenature and is made up ofvarious ethnic groups. Thisculture is by the people whoare ready to protect it at all costbecause it keeps the societymoving.

For example, Utesecommunity in Ovia North EastLocal Government Area ofEdo State is a peacefulcommunity and her people arepredominantly farmers. It is acommunity that takes itsculture very seriously becausethe people believe theirheritage and destiny lie in itsculture, traditions, norms and

value of its founding fathersand as such every year theycelebrate and upheld thisculture especially the new yamfestival celebration.

Talking about new yamfestival, the Utese peopledevote a whole week forvarious activities to celebratethe festival showing howimportant the festival is tothem and the entire people ofthe community. It is a time tolook forward to, where all sonsand daughters of thecommunity travelled from allaround the world back to theirnative land to felicitate withtheir people and ancestors.

Utese is made up of 20villages and these villages allcome together in unism tocelebrate this festival wherevarious traditional rites areobservered in the cause of thefestival. The festival is done tore-awaken and re-orientate theyouths of the various villageon the importance, necessityand relevant of the festival tothe entire community.

The festival affords theindigene and non-indigene theopportunity to pay homage tothe traditional ruler of the land,the enogie of Utese His RoyalHighness Idahosa Ogidigbiand his chiefs. The subject willequally have a rare opportunityto see the enogie and the

chiefs’ dance before their veryeyes. The festival takes sevendays where various activitieswill take place and manyrituals perform.

The festival is as old asUtese and it is very significantand important to the people ofthe community especially

farmers to give thanks to Godfor fertile land, bountifulharvest. Both the farmers, theruler of the community, chiefsand all the indigene comestogether to thank God forblessing their cultivation.

The tradition forbids menand women from wearing

shirts. The men are to leavetheir chest open while thewomen tie rapper and bra andmove on a procession roundthe major streets in the townon the last day of the festival.The God of Agriculture(Uwenmworo) is the providerof bomber harvest. Sons anddaughters are expected tocome home for the celebrationand in return get ancestralblessing.

The first day of the festival

is a time to offer prayers to theancestors for a wonderful,peaceful and a successfulcelebration with the ancestorsaccepting every scarifcesoffered during the cause of thecelebration. Items usedinclude assorted wine, kolanutand the likes.

The second day isdedicated to the able youth inthe town who all come out andin unism to tidy or clear allthe weeds or bushes on theroad or foot path that thevillagers take to their farms.This act is very important asall the youth must ensure theyare part of the exercise.

This is followed up on thethird day by hunting activities.This act is also carried out bythe youth of the communitywhere they all go hunting tokill animals which are usedduring the celebration proper.This is followed by harvestingof yams on the fourth day ofthe festival while all roadsleading to the community willbe closed for five hours on thefirth day as various traditionalrites are done. The last day ofthe celebration is formerriment, eating anddancing, as it marks the end ofthe week long festival.

By DANIEL EDOBOR


Gov Theodore Orji

View PointCan Bursary Save Abia

Govt?By ODIMEGWU ONWUMERE

Addressing Problem Of ObesityBy SUCCESS OSAY

GOVERNOR TheodoreAhamefule Orji of Abia Stateis known to be doingeverything he couldn’t do toattract the support of peopleto like his batteredgovernment. He likeslaunching different projectsin the media that do not in thereality reach the people. Ifnot, how could a governmentlike this be too boastful ofgoing to pay bursary tostudents of Abia origin in allinstitutions of higher learningin the country, withoutspecifying how much thestudents are going to be paidand how many they are.

The gibberishes of Gov.Orji administration aretiresome to think about. Thedishonorable aspect of thebuffoonery is to note that themuch hyped bursary wouldtake effect from this October.This make-belief statementby the government wascoming when thegovernment has not resolvedits matter with a higherinstitution in Aba, Abia State;and you wonder who thestudents are that Gov. Orji isgoing to pay the bursary.

This government has madeits numerous comments verycheap. Gov. T.A Orji has not

told the world who thebeneficiaries of the(N10billion?) it mouthedsome months ago that wasmeant for farmers are. Andtoday, it is talking aboutrelying on “availabledatabase to work out theamount” for the bursary tos t u d e n t s .Hahahahahahahaha. Whichcommittee worked or isworking on the database. Wecan see where a governmentrelies on cheap publicity todraw public attention.

It was the same way wewere told of the stategovernment’s youthempowerment scheme, butwhat turned out to be theempowerment, were Kekesand buses donated to mainlyselect of universitygraduates. And thegovernment’s hack andrented writers went berserk intheir unprofessional mannerof writing, to sell the projectto the media. But our goodpeople refused to buy theircrassness, because wealready knew that the man at

the top in Umuahia, wouldalways betray. An arch-example was his betrayal tothe hand that fed him and theman whom he has doneeverything possible and

Gov. Orji knew or refusedto realise that there is no suchthing as well groomed andgood governance. In such agovernment, you don’tempower people withmentioned objects; thesystem empowers them. Sucha system must have pipe-borne water, good roads,electricity, employment,

Gov. T.A Orji’s Abia State,except noise-making.Remember the governmentonce said that white-collarjobs are elusive in the state;hence the provision of Kekeand Taxis for our teeminguniversity graduates. Noteven those who wereinopportune to be universitygraduates are remembered.

As shameful as it sounds,but shameless to theproponents of the bursarybazaar, they believe that only“through such diverseapproaches that theobjectives of touching thelives of all the youths can beachieved” in our Abia State.Hocus-pocus! Thegovernment is using thishoodwinking method to calmthe youths of the state not torevolt, whereas their agedparents cannot be paid theirpensions, as pensioners theyare. A matter they havehanded over to their destiniesand have resorted to prayers.Their supplication is fornature to smelt thehardheartedness of GovernorOrji to pay them. Thegovernor is hardly talking onhow to address this, but herehis government is telling usanother story of bursary tostudents.

A state that would paybursary to Abia studentsacross the country is the one

that was in 2012 (and tilldate?) unable to pay the sixpercent and 15 percentincrease in pension, whichmost states in the countryhave effected, but was yet tobe implemented in the Gov.T.A Orji’s Abia State. Is thegovernment also talkingabout the non-payment of thearrears and the increment ofmembers of the union, whichmembers of the union havesaid that it could not bejustified?

What the governor hasmost times done is tocommend the pensioners forwhat he sees in his periscopeas, their positivecontributions to thedevelopment of the state.Instead of pay them, he useshis lackadaisical method ofassuring them that he wasconcerned about theirwelfare.

It behooves every Abiaperson to rise to the occasionand condemn this deludinggovernment of Gov. Orji andtell the youths to speak outand up that their parents whospent the better part of theirlives in the service of theirfatherland and are nowpensioners, are being treatedwith impertinence. We aretired of the government’suntiring methodology oflying.

WHENEVER you passthrough a busy street inNigeria now, this is what youwill see; out of every tenpersons, about four are thinor have an average body masswith a lot of allowances intheir dresses, and then theremaining are so big to theextent they will need thricethe material size of the thinones to make a comfortabledress.

The general, crude anduninformed conclusion ofmost Nigerians is that the thinand average-bodied ones areeither malnourished or havea bad health condition and somay need attention. While thebig ones are living veryalright without any stress(maybe they’re even rich).

The word ‘Obesity’ mightbe a good guide before oneshould conclude. Obesitysimply means excessive fataccumulation in the body thatcan cause adverse effects onhealth & is even life

threatening.There is the societal

impression of living wellwhen one is fat. So peoplewant to impress and showothers they are ok because inNigeria, when a man islooking thin, people willconclude he is either drinkingtoo much gin or thinking toomuch and when a woman isthin, they will say she will notfit into her blouse and twowrappers.

Using the Body Mass Index(BMI)—a comparison of theweight & height of anindividual—people can beclassified as overweight iftheir BMI is between 26-30kg/m2 and obese if theirBMI is greater than 30kg/m2.After this calculation, (maybe including others like‘Body Fat Percentage’,‘Waist - Hip ratio’), you willfind that most people areeither overweight or obesewithout knowing it.

Although there are genetic

and hormonal influences onbody weight, the bottom lineis that obesity occurs whenyou take in more caloriesthan you burn throughexercise and normal dailyactivities. Your body storesthese excess calories as fat.Obesity usually results froma combination of causes andcontributing factors,including:

INACTIVITY: if you arenot very active, you don’tburn as many calories. Witha sedentary lifestyle, you caneasily take in more caloriesevery day than you burn offthrough exercise or normaldaily activities. Watching toomuch television is one of thebiggest contributors to asedentary lifestyle andweight gain.

UNHEALTHY: diet and

eating habits. Having a dietthat’s high in calories, eatingfast food, skipping breakfast,eating most of your caloriesat night, consuming high-calorie drinks and eatingoversized portions allcontribute to weight gain.

PREGNANCY: duringpregnancy a woman’s weightnecessarily increases. Somewomen find this weightdifficult to lose after the babyis born.

LACK OF SLEEP: gettingless than seven hours of sleepa night can cause changes inhormones that increase yourappetite.

C E R T A I NMEDICATIONS: somemedications can lead toweight gain if you don’tcompensate through diet oractivity.

MEDICAL PROBLEMS:obesity can sometimes betraced to a medical cause,such as Prader-Willisyndrome, Cushing’ssyndrome, polycystic ovarysyndrome, and other diseasesand conditions. Somemedical problems, such asarthritis, can lead todecreased activity, whichmay result in weight gain.

Looking at the causes, onecan easily take personal stepsto control or manage thedisease by exercising, takinga weight loss program andadjusting diet, although,obesity caused by geneticsmay prove much moredifficult to avoid or manage.

Some people know they arealready overweight or obeseand also know theconsequences, but theycannot discipline themselvesenough to control it, others donot even know it. They thinktheir eating and lifestyle isvery healthy and so theweight gain, some say it is“rest of mind”.

When one is obsessed,problems such ascardiovascular diseases, type

2 diabetes mellitus,obstructive sleep apnea(moments of breathingdifficulty or absence),osteoarthritis, some types ofcancer, difficult sleeping,snoring, pain in your back orjoints, excessive sweating,rashes or infection in folds ofyour skin, daytime sleepinessor fatigue, depression andconsequently, low lifeexpectancy.

Statistics has also provedthe rate and mortality ofobesity in other parts of theworld like the US andEurope, not just Nigeria.Studies have shown hundredsof thousands of deaths peryear that are associated withobesity.

It is a shame that in thismodern Nigerian society,men still look at a potbelly asa badge of pride and success.Obesity is a silent killer. Itjoins the ranks ofmalnutrition, malaria,hypertension, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, etc.

Watch your weight andyour diet. For all you know,you may be eating your wayto the grave.

impossible today, to witch-hunt and humiliate. Yet, noway!

infrastructure and a sinceregovernment. But regrettably,these are in dire dearth in

“Although there are genetic and hormonal influences on bodyweight, the bottom line is that obesity occurs when you take in morecalories than you burn through exercise and normal daily activities.”


A Treatise On Divine ProsperityReligion With

REV. DR. A. A. OPARA

Continued from last week

OCCUPY TILL I COMELKI9: 13

JESUS told a parable to hisdisciples as he began toapproach the end of hisearthly ministry called theparable of the pounds (Lk19:11)

This is the parable. Jesussaid, “A certain noblemanwent into a far country toreceive for himself akingdom and to return. Andhe called his ten servants anddelivered to them ten poundsand said unto them occupy tillI come” Lk 19:12-13. Each ofthese ten servants was givesa pound. What happenedwhen the nobleman returned?

“And it came to pass thatwhen he was returned, havingreceived the kingdom, that hecommended these servants tohe called unto him to whomhe had given the money, thathe might know how mucheveryman had gamed totrading” Lk 19:15.

When each of the servantsappeared before him to themlie commended as follows:“then came the first saying,lord thy pound bath gainedten pounds” Lk 19:15. And tothis the master said “wellthou good servant, becausethou hast been faithful in avery little, have thouauthority over ten cities” Lk19:17He also commended thesecond servant who investedhis pound and gained fivepounds. He gave himauthority over five cities incommendation Lk 19:18-19.But the third did not investthe money rather tied it up‘‘And another came saying,lord behold, here; thy pound,which I have kept laid up in anapkin” Lk 19 :20. The noblemaster rebuked him for notinvesting it or putting it intothe bank to yield someinterest and took his poundand gave it to the first faithfulservant. Lk 9: 20 -24. ThenJesus said; “1 say unto you,that unto everyone whichhath shall he given, and fromhim that hath not, even thathe hath shall be taken awayfrom him” Lk19: 26. This isa financial parable; probablythe only financial parableamong the forty six parablesin the new testamentscriptures in which the lordused financial investment

benefits resulting fromfaithful. labour to describeour spiritual state. Thefaithful servants investedtheir pounds and gained morepounds and they werecommended for theirfaithfulness but the unfaithfulservant did not do so: he wasreprimanded.

Christ is obviously thenobleman who traveled to afar country: the pounds hegave each servant is the gift -both spiritual and naturaltalents given to children ofGod: and the lord expectseach faithful child of God toutilize the gifts and talents forkingdom expansion. The giftsand talents must not be keptdocile but utilized to enhanceGods kingdom on earth. JesusChrist would return andwould bless each faithfulservant who did righteouslywith his talent and spiritualgifts.

WHY THEP R O S P E R I T YTHEOLOGY?

(Gods game plan for oursalvation)

Many persons evenChristian and Christianministers are usually againstthe prosperity theology. Thisis because it has beenseriously abused and used foregocentric pursuits. Manyinsist that, “You stop theprosperity theology and teachsalvation theology” I wasvery much in support of thisidea. I was initially andantagonistic against anythinghaving to do with prosperitytheology; and for years Ishunned it and would notteach it— but it dawned onme that having closelystudied the scriptures, I wasundoing my ministry and notproperly directing thecongregation. I waspresenting God wronglybefore my congregation.Why have I said so? Yesbecause the church did notprosper and the congregationdid also not pro per and Ipresented God as a sufferingGod worshiped by sufferingchildren. But as soon as I tooka closer look into the conceptof Christian prosperity andrelated it with our salvation,I began to see a new lightdawn on my congregationand the ministry. The newmessage put a new hope and

galvanized them to aspire tosucceed in their endeavorsand to see Gods blessing aspart of his salvation plan formankind. You may be like meas I was before I took a closerlook at the prosperitytheology. Now I think theprosperity theology is clearlypart of the salvation plan ofGod. While Jesus came tosave yet he came also to bless.For what do you think of aman who says he is saved yetin penury? Would that notaffect his faith. Jesus came

principally to save; yet as partof the salvation plan he cameto bless the saved.

“For God so loved theworld that he gave his onlybegotten son that whosoeverbelieveth in him should notperish but have everlastinglife’ Jn3:16. This is theprimary reason Jesus came tosave the would, But part ofthe salvation plan is to blessthe saved, that they havingbeing saved, their destinychanges for good also.

“1 am come that they mighthave life and that they mighthave it more abundantly” Jn10:10.

You see that Christ came tosave yet that the saved mightalso enjoy abundant life. Theproblem with the prosperity

theology is that teachers teachit isolatedly. It is not so. It isto be taught as part of thesalvation plan of God. Christdid not come principally toprosper but to save; yet thesaved must not only findsatisfaction for their souls,but also satisfaction: for theirspirit and body. The ApostleJohn wished same to the elderGaius when he wrote;

“Beloved, I wish above allthings that thou mayestprosper and be n health, evenas thy soul prospereth” 3Jn2

Reader do you now agreewith me that the prosperityconcept is part of thesalvation plan of God? Doyou rationally think that God,being so good and whocontrols all the resources inthe world: for he says “theworld is mine and the fullnessthereof,” (P 24:1, Ps 50:12)would such a kind fatherbestow hunger, poverty anddisease on his children?Would that glorify the lord?Would that not portray him inhad light? Look at what theBible says about God beingdelighted in the prosperity ofhis servants;

“Let them shout for joy andbe glad, that favour myrighteous cause, yes let themsay continually LET THE

LORD BE MAGNIFIEDWHICH HATH PLEASUREIN THE PROSPERITY OFHIS SERVANT” PSALM35:27

We are told here God ismagnified in the prosperity ofhis children. Don’t you alsothink so? Do you see the sonof a rich man on earthsuffering hunger andpoverty? Then the worldwould say either the son is “aprodigal son” or the man is aspendthrift or a wicked man.I think in the same way we

paint a just andmagnanimous Jehovah whena child of God continuallyexperiences suffering,disease, hunger and poverty,and presumes that it is Godswish for his life, How canthat be? Through theprosperity theology God ismaking us to know that he isGod; of we are saved anddeal righteously with himand we listen to him and obeyhis directives; he will blessus as abundantly. Theproperty theology portraysGod as a very benevolentfather who blesses thegenuine effort of his children.It does not teach laziness nornouveau riche’ ideas as sometry to portray it. Of a truth Ibelieve opposition to theprosperity theology is notthat it is not biblical but theteaching approach is faulty.Some preachers just teach it,they fail to present it as God’sgiven plan for our salvation,pari-pasu. Peter he Apostle ofJesus; while he remained avery faithful disciple of Jesus

asked a question on behalf ofother disciples who hadaccepted Jesus as their lordand personal saviour, whatwould be their reward. Theyhad already been saved; theyhad worked assiduously forthe faith, what would be theiroutcome?

“Then peter began to sayunto him, lo, we have left alland have followed thee. AndJesus answered and said,verily I say unto you, there is

no man that hath left house orbrethren or sisters or father ormother or wife or children orlands for my sake and thegospel’s. But he shall receivein hundred fold now in thistime, houses, and brethrenand sisters and mothers andchildren and lands withpersecutions, and in the worldto come

ETERNAL LIFE” Mk10:28-30.

Did you hear what Jesussaid to the disciple Peter? Didhe say to Peter: “now you aresaved; you got to suffer andsuffer then wait for yourreward in heaven.” But ratherhe said he would be blessedon earth here a hundred foldand receive eternal life afterdeath. Praise God! If you area child of God, born of thespirit: rise up and challengeevery obstacle to yourblessing. The lord shall causenew doors to be opened foryour prosperity if you believe;

“1 have set before thee anopen door, and no man canshut it” Rev3: 8 my God is theGod that saves and prospers!

“Did you hear what Jesus said to the disciple Peter? Did he say toPeter: “now you are saved; you got to suffer and suffer then wait foryour reward in heaven.” But rather he said he would be blessed onearth here a hundred fold and receive eternal life after death.”


InternationalEU Revives Membership Talks With Turkey

Vatican Confirms CommunionBan On Remarried Divorcees

• Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (right), Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held a joint newsconference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday.

VATICAN CITY- TheVatican confirmed on Tuesdaythat Catholics who haveremarried after divorce arebarred from receivingcommunion, dashing hopes thatthe ruling could change soon.

Archbishop Gerhard Mueller,head of the Holy See’s doctrinaloffice, said in a long article inthe Vatican newspaper that suchcouples could receivecommunion only if they had aChurch annulment.

BRUSSELS - The EuropeanUnion will launch a new roundof accession talks with Turkeynext month following a three-year hiatus after Germanydropped opposition promptedby Ankara’s crackdown onstreet protests.

Turkey began negotiations tojoin the EU in 2005, 18 yearsafter applying, but a series ofpolitical obstacles, notably overCyprus and resistance toTurkish membership inGermany and France, haveslowed progress.

The new “chapter” ofnegotiations with the 28-member bloc will open onNovember 5 and the processshould be accelerated to helpAnkara implement democraticreforms, EU enlargementcommissioner Stefan Fuelesaid.

“Recent developments inTurkey underline theimportance of EU engagementand of the EU remaining thebenchmark for reform inTurkey,” he said.

Many EU capitals want totake the long-awaited step onTurkey’s path towards the EU,arguing Europe should

But he said “even if there isno possibility of admittingremarried divorcees to thesacraments,” priests must showparticular pastoral concern forpeople in difficultcircumstances.

The question of marrieddivorcees is a major issue inCatholic Churches in a numberof developed countries,particularly in Germany, wherebishops say it is a growingproblem.

Earlier this month the Vaticanblocked a move by a Germandiocese to allow some divorcedand remarried Catholics toreceive communion. TheVatican said local diocesescould not enact reforms on theirown.

The Church teaches thatmarriage is indissoluble. It doesnot recognize divorce but onlya Church-sanctioned annulment,which is a ruling that theconditions for a marriage, suchas free will and psychologicalmaturity, did not exist when ittook place.

capitalize on Ankara’s rapidgrowth and rising influence inthe Middle East. Others arenervous about an expansionthat would see the blocbordering countries includingSyria, Iraq and Iran.

Earlier this month, theEuropean Commission praisedrecent judicial reforms in

Turkey and the government’sannouncement last month of apackage of laws designed tosalvage a peace process withKurdish insurgents.

In its progress report itaccused Turkish police,however, of using excessiveforce to quell protests thatstarted at the end of May,

urging the government tostrengthen oversight of thepolice and press ahead withinvestigations into theirconduct.

Six people were killed andabout 8,000 were wounded inviolence as the protests againstPrime Minister TayyipErdogan’s government swept

Turkish cities and police usedteargas and water cannon todisperse a sit-in in an Istanbulpark.

EU governments, led byBerlin, had postponed plans tolaunch new talks in June as arebuke for the handling of theunrest.

The newly openednegotiating chapter - one ofmore than 30 that need to bediscussed before Turkey canjoin the EU - covers issuesdealing with how a countryspends EU aid targeted for poor

regions.Turkey’s EU affairs minister,

Egemen Bagis, welcomed thedecision and said he hoped itwould mark a new beginning installed relations betweenAnkara and the bloc.

“We hope Turkey’s relationswith the EU will become moreorderly and we will experiencea period where illogical,unnecessary and meaninglesspolitical obstacles areremoved,” he said at a lunch forthe EU’s outgoing ambassadorto Turkey.

The solemnization of marriage between former Miss James Susan Annette(based in Florida USA) and Mr. Nyemnkem Samuel Chidube (A Welder)took place on Wednesday 23rd October 2013 at the Oredo Local Govern-ment Council Marriage Registry in Benin City. Amongst those presentwere Mr. Oscar Adams, Mrs. Anna Nyemnkem, Mr. Thomas Nyemnkem,Mr. Michael, John William Hard, family members, relations, friends andwell wishers. Picture shows the couple at the Registry. Congratulations.Photo: SONNIE. E.

SUSAN Weds SAMUEL

Prince George To Be Christened;Godparents Named

LONDON - Prince Williamand his wife Kate have askedseven people to be godparentsto their son, Prince George, whowill be christened at a majorroyal family gathering yesterdaypalace officials said.

Queen Elizabeth II and herhusband Prince Philip plan toattend the christeningWednesday at the Chapel Royalat St. James’s Palace, along withPrince Charles, his wifeCamilla, Prince Harry and otherroyals.

Kate’s parents Michael andCarole Middleton and her sisterPippa and brother James are alsoon the guest list.

The godparents include closefriends from their universitydays, a friend of William’s latemother, Princess Diana, achildhood chum of William, anda school friend of Kate’s.

They are: Oliver Baker, afriend from St. AndrewsUniversity; Emilia Jardine-Paterson, who went to theexclusive Marlborough Collegewith Kate; Earl Grosvenor, whois the son of the Duke of

Westminster; Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, a former privatesecretary to the couple; JuliaSamuel, described as a closefriend of the late Princess Diana;Zara Phillips, who is William’scousin, and William vanCutsem, a childhood friend ofWilliam.

Charles and Camilla plan tohost a private tea afterward attheir Clarence House residence.

George, who was born July 22and is third in line for the Britishthrone, will be christened byArchbishop of CanterburyJustin Welby.

Some royal watchers havecamped outside the palace formore than 24 hours to obtain agood vantage point for watchingthe guests arrive, but theceremony will be private.

William and Kate have hiredphotographer Jason Bell to takeofficial pictures of the events,which are expected to include ahistoric multi-generationalphotograph of the queen withthree future monarchs: her sonCharles, her grandson Williamand her great-grandson George.

ADDITION OF NAME

I, Imolore OmoleghoDeborah wish to bring forthe information of thegeneral public that I am thesame person as ImoloreDeobrah. Henceforth, I amnow properly known andaddressed as ImoloreOmolegho Deborah. Allformer documents remainvalid. University of Benin,concerned authorities andthe general public shouldplease take note.

LOSS OF CERTIFICATE

I, Okolie Chidimma Sandra of No. 23, SaliuLawani Street, Igando, Lagos State wish to bringfor the information of the general public that myoriginal Degree Certificate Issued to me by theUniversity of Benin has been declared missingsince on 2nd day of October 2013 in Benin City.All effort to trace the said certificate provedabortive. University of Benin and other concernedauthorities should please take note.

RECONCILIATION OF NAME

I, Omoba Omokhafe Puritywish to bring for theinformation of the generalpublic that I am the sameperson as Omoba OmokhafeEndurance as appeared in myvarious documents.Henceforth, I am nowproperly known andaddressed as OmobaOmokhafe Purity . Allformer documents remainvalid. Concerned authoritiesand Rapid Response Agency(RRA) Edo State shouldplease take note.


International 13 Jailed Syrian Women

Released - Activists

Foreign Foes Use Radical Islam To WeakenRussia - Putin

Iran Spares Life Of HangingSurvivorTEHRAN - Iran has decided

to spare the life of a convicteddrug trafficker who survived ahanging, media reportsyesterday quoted JusticeMinister Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi as saying.

The reports follow calls fromwithin Iran and appeals frominternational rights groups

UFA, Russia - PresidentVladimir Putin accused foreignrivals on Tuesday of usingradical Islam to weaken Russiaand appealed to Muslim clericsto help reduce tensions after adeadly suicide bombing andnationalist riots.

The comments, his first onthis month’s riots in Moscow,were delivered in the mainlyMuslim region ofBashkortostan and underlinedKremlin concerns that ethnic orreligious tensions couldthreaten the unity of theRussian state.

Monday’s suicide bombing,blamed on a Muslim womanfrom the North Caucasus,killed six people on a bus inVolgograd and raised fearsabout attacks as Russiaprepares for the 2014 WinterOlympics in Sochi.

“Some political forces useIslam, the radical currentswithin it ... to weaken our stateand create conflicts on Russiansoil that can be managed fromabroad,” Putin told Muslimclerics meeting in Ufa,Bashkortostan’s capital, insouthern Russia.

“Tensions between the Westand the Islamic world are risingtoday, and someone is trying togamble on that by pouring fuelon the fire,” he added.

Putin did not say whichforeign rivals could befostering Islamist separatism.But he has often accused othercountries, including the UnitedStates, of interfering inRussia’s affairs and sought todeflect blame for problemsonto other nations sincesecuring a six-year third termas president last year.

The Moscow rioting beganover suspicions that an ethnicSlav was stabbed to death byan Azeri national. Russian

government officials wouldnot comment.

The deal underscored theextent of how far Syria’s civilwar, now in its third year, hasspilled across the greaterMiddle East. It appeared torepresent one of the moreambitious negotiatedsettlements to come out of thewar, in which the rivalfactions remain largelyopposed to any barteredpeace.

The toll of the Syrian warhas been crushing. Almost athird of the population hasfled its homes to escape

police later responded byrounding up hundreds ofmigrants.

Putin urged the clerics to helpMuslim immigrants adapt tolife in Russia to reduce thelikelihood of such violence.

“They need to hear yourvoice,” he said. “Otherwisethey become the objects ofpropaganda by variousfundamentalist groups.”

ISLAMIST INSURGENCYThe former KGB officer

became president afterdirecting a war againstseparatist Muslims in power inthe Chechnya region of theNorth Caucasus in 1999 whenhe was prime minister.

But Russia is still strugglingto contain an Islamistinsurgency in the NorthCaucasus and the Kremlin isconcerned violence couldspread to other mainly Muslim

regions of Russia.A bomb was discovered and

safely detonated by Russiansecurity forces near a tradecenter on Tuesday inKhasavyurt in Dagestan, in theNorth Caucasus, lawenforcement officials said,underlining the daily threat ofviolence in the region.

Russia’s 20 million Muslimsmake up around 15 percent ofthe population of more than140 million, and the percentageis expected to grow.

The threat of violencespreading is a particularconcern for Putin becauseRussia hosts the WinterOlympics in February and thesoccer World Cup finals in2018.

He has staked his reputationon hosting a safe andsuccessful Olympics in Sochi,on the Black Sea, but has said

security there is improving tooslowly. Volgograd, where thefemale suicide bomber struck,is due to be a World Cup venue.

Attacks by insurgents fromthe North Caucasus include asuicide bombing at a Moscowairport that killed 37 people in2011 and subway bombingsthat killed 40 in 2010.

Putin deflected anyresponsibility for ethnic andreligious strife, putting theblame partly on local

authorities which turned “adeaf ear to the people”.

The president also depictedRussia as a force for peace inthe Middle East at what he saidwas a time of meddling byother countries.

The Kremlin takes pride in adiplomatic initiative brokeredwith Washington last month toeliminate Syrian chemicalarsenals following attacks oncivilians blamed by othercountries, but not Moscow, onPresident Bashar al-Assad.

violence or the resultingeconomic hardships. Of a pre-war population of 23 millionpeople, at least 2 millionSyrians have fled abroad,becoming refugees. Another4.6 million are internallydisplaced within Syria.Around 100,000 people havebeen killed, the economy is intatters, and the country’sdelicate community fabricwoven of different religioussects has been destroyed.

Even fleeing is noguarantee of safety. TheObservatory reportedyesterday that a Syrianwoman trying to escape toneighboring Jordan was rapedand killed, along with herdaughters aged one and three,allegedly by the man who wassupposed to take her acrossthe border. The Observatorysaid the incident occurred inthe Zizon valley on theJordanian-Syria border onMonday.

The man also stole all hercash: $87. Syrian residentsfound the bodies days later.The Observatory said Syrianrebels captured and killed asuspect who they saidconfessed to the crime.

against the man found alive ina morgue facing execution fora second time.

“The convict who survived(the death penalty) will not beexecuted again,” Pour-Mohammadi said late Tuesdayin remarks reported by theofficial IRNA news agency.

“After putting much effort toprevent the second execution ofthis convict, we have receiveda positive response,” he saidwithout elaborating.

All judicial affairs anddecisions in the Islamicrepublic rest with the judiciary,which constitutionally operatesindependently from thegovernment.

The convict, identified onlyas Alireza M., 37, waspronounced dead earlier thismonth by the attending doctorafter hanging for 12 minutesfrom a noose suspended froma crane at a jail in northeastIran.

But the next day, staff at themortuary in the city ofBojnourd where his shroudedbody was taken discovered hewas still breathing.

Media later reported that hehad fallen into a coma.

Pour-Mohammadi impliedthat a second execution wouldbe damaging for Iran’s image.“If he survives, it is notexpedient to hang him again,”said the minister.

The incident led to a heateddebate between jurists, withsome arguing against a repeathanging and others for.

According to the media, apetition signed by jurists andattorneys was sent to judiciarychief Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani,appealing for a stay in theexceptional case.

Amnesty International alsocalled for an immediate stay ofexecution for Alireza M.

Iran has one of the highestrates of execution in the world,with more than 500 cases lastyear and some 508 executionsso far this year, according toHuman Rights Watch.

Tehran says the death penaltyis essential to maintain law andorder, and that it is applied onlyafter exhaustive judicialproceedings.

Murder, rape, armed robbery,drug trafficking and adulteryare among the crimespunishable by death in Iran,based on its interpretation ofsharia law in force since its1979 Islamic revolution.

release nine Lebanese menheld for a year and a half.Lebanese gunmensimultaneously released twoTurkish pilots held sinceAugust.

Lebanese officials had saida number of imprisonedSyrian women were meant tobe released to meet thedemands of the Syrian rebels.They were not immediatelyavailable for commentyesterday.

It’s unclear how manywomen are held by Syria’sgovernment, nor how usual itis for 13 to be releasedsimultaneously. Syrian

DAMASCUS - The Syriangovernment has released 13jailed women, a right groupsaid yesterday - a move thatis likely part of an ambitiousregional prisoner exchange.

The Britain-based SyrianObservatory for HumanRights said the women werereleased Tuesday morningfrom the headquarters of theDamascus provincialgovernment, but said they hadnot been able to contact thewomen. The Observatoryrelies on a network ofactivists on ground for itsinformation.

The women may have beenreleased as part of a three-way exchange that began onOct. 18. It saw Syrian rebels

• Hassan Rouhani, Iran President

• Vladimir Putin


Hope For Syria Peace ConferenceFades

International FeaturesPROSPECTS of a Syria

Peace Conference inGeneva next month lookeddim yesterday after keyopposition leaders spurnedefforts by Western andArab powers to persuadethem to attend.

A meeting in Londonbetween the oppositionleaders and 11 keycountries of the so-calledFriends of Syria onTuesday produced littlemore than an accord thatSyrian President Bashar al-Assad should play nofuture role in government.

But leaders of theNational Coalition — themain opposition umbrellagroup — insisted theywould not take part in a

Syrian Minorities Keep Low ProfileIn Exile

conference in lateNovember if any regimemembers were there,sticking to their demandthat Assad’s departure wasessential.

But a defiant Assad hasshown no sign of backingdown after a two-and-a-half-year civil war that hasleft more than 115,000people dead, saying he wasready to run for re-electionin 2014.

Assad has systematicallyrefused to recognise theCoalition as a legitimatednegotiating partner and hasrejected its demand that hestep down.

British Foreign SecretaryWilliam Hague said theLondon meeting had urgedthe Coalition to “commititself fully” to the so-calledGeneva 2 talks.

He said the Friends ofSyria agreed that theywould put their “unitedand collective weight”behind efforts to form atransitional governmentand that “Assad wouldplay no role in that futuregovernment of Syria.”

US Secretary of StateJohn Kerry took a similarposition, saying Assad had“lost all legitimacy.”

But he too urged theopposition to go toGeneva, saying Syria wasat risk of “implosion” if thecivil war continued andsaid the only alternative toa negotiated settlementwas “continued if notincreased killing.”

The opposition is due tomeet at the start ofNovember to finalise itsposition on the Genevatalks, which would be afollow-up to a peaceconference held in theSwiss city in June 2012.

Coalition head AhmadJarba appeared to be in nomood to compromise onhis demands.

“There will not benegotiations at all withoutmaking sure that thismeeting, Geneva 2, isbasically to make surethere’s a transitional periodand for Assad to go,” saidJarba.

‘I don’t see why Ishouldn’t run in the nextelection’

The London talksgrouped Britain, Egypt,France, Germany, Italy,Jordan, Qatar, Saudi

Arabia, Turkey and theUnited Arab Emirates andthe United States, togetherwith Syrian oppositionleaders.

Notably absent from themeeting was key Syria allyRussia, which hasdismissed such gatheringsin the past, saying they donot represent all Syrianpeople.

Washington andMoscow have been tryingto organise the Genevaconference on the heels ofthe deal they reached forthe destruction of Syria’schemical weapons in thewake of a deadly poisongas attack in Augustwidely blamed onDamascus.

But Assad dealt an earlyblow to peace hopes,saying in an interviewMonday that the factorsare not in place for theconference to succeed.

“No time has been set,and the factors are not yetin place if we want(Geneva 2) to succeed,”Assad told Lebanon-basedsatellite channel Al-Mayadeen, adding thatthere was no guaranteeabout “which forces aretaking part.”

UN-Arab Leaguemediator Lakhdar Brahimiwill meet again onNovember 5 with US andRussian officials toprepare for the Genevatalks, the UN announcedTuesday.

That meeting will befollowed by one with theother three permanentmembers of the UNSecurity Council —Britain, China and France,according to UNspokesman MartinNesirky.

In other developments,prominent human rightsactivist Sema Nassar toldAFP Wednesday thatSyrian authorities havereleased 14 womendetainees as part of aweekend hostageexchange but that dozensof others are still beingheld.

Nine Lebanese Shiitehostages held for 17months by a rebel group innorthern Syria wereexchanged on Saturday fortwo Turkish pilots held inLebanon since August.

“Fourteen of the womenwhose names were on thelist” were freed lateTuesday, Nassar said.

IN a small park on the edgeof old Istanbul’s Eminonusquare, women sit begging,Syrian passports in theiroutstretched hands, “Please helpin the name of God” on sheetsof paper at their feet.

In this bustling city, wherefisherman line the shore of theGolden Horn and touristsmingle with traders in thealleyways of the spice bazaar,the war raging just overTurkey’s southern border feelsvery distant.

But as Syria’s conflict takeson an increasingly sectariandimension, a growing number ofthose fleeing to Turkey areshunning the refugee camps onits southern border andventuring instead to its majorcities, as far from the war aspossible.

“We can’t be comfortable atthe camps. Yes, they give themfood regularly, and conditionsare maybe better, but we hearthat they send all the men tofight at night,” said Tariq, 27,cradling his young son in hisarms, his wife at their side.

“We don’t want to fight. Iescaped the fighting, why wouldI go back again?” he asked,sitting in a cemevi - an assemblyhouse used by Alevis, Turkey’sbiggest religious minority - inIstanbul’s working-class Gazineighborhood.

Tariq and the roughly 40Syrian refugees he is shelteringwith are mostly Alawites, anoffshoot of Shi’ite Islam and thesame minority sect as SyrianPresident Bashar al-Assad.

It is not an identity theyreadily reveal.

Perceived, often wrongly, asdie-hard Assad supporters, theysay they fear retribution inTurkey’s refugee camps, whichare thronged by Sunni Muslimopposition supporters, includingrebel fighters and their families.

“I’d rather go and die in thewar in Syria than stay in a

camp,” said Miran, 29, smokinga cigarette on a shreddedmattress in a tent in thecourtyard of the cemevi.

“They don’t like Alawites inthe camps and they know we’reAlawites. We are neitheropposition members nor Assadsupporters. We are just citizens,”he said.

Syria’s civil war has killedmore than 100,000 people, sentmillions fleeing from theirhomes and divided the MiddleEast between Sunni Gulf statesand Turkey, which mostlysupport the rebels, and Shi’iteIran and Hezbollah, which backAssad.

Turkey has kept its bordersopen to refugees throughout the31-month-old conflict anddenies any sectarian agenda,insisting its camps are open toall. But its staunch support forthe opposition puts somerefugees in a difficult position.

“Turkey says it doesn’t makea distinction between Alawitesand Sunnis, but people do, andwe can feel it even here,” said aSyrian refugee in Eminonu,declining to give his name.

“We just want to work, makea living, but they don’t give us ajob,” he said, emphasizing thathe always told prospectiveemployers he was Sunni whenlooking for work.

SECTARIAN TENSIONSTurkey shelters more than a

quarter of the 2 million peoplewho have fled Syria’s war,200,000 of them in the officialcamps dotted along its 900 km(560 mile) border.

But twice that number liveoutside the camps, includingalmost all the refugees who havearrived over the past fewmonths. While many have themeans or family ties to findlodging, the numbers of thoseforced to sleep rough appear to

be growing in cities, includingIstanbul and Ankara.

Zeynal Odabas, head of thePirsultan Abdal Cemevi hostingthe refugees, said Turkey shouldconsider the diversity of Syria’spopulation and set up separatecamps for different groups.

He criticized the governmentfor allowing fighters from therebel Free Syrian Army andfactions such as the al Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra toshelter in the camps.

“While people from Nusra andthe Free Syrian Army are beinghosted in the camps, these poorpeople have been living on thestreet,” Odabas said, citing thefighters’ presence in the campsas a reason many refugeespreferred to go it alone.

Turkey has long championedmore robust backing for Syria’sfractious armed opposition,arguing it would bring a quickerend to Assad’s rule and givemoderate forces the authoritythey needed to keep more radicalIslamist elements in check.

But Ankara’s critics say thatits policy has in fact allowedIslamist militants, some of themaccused of committing atrocitiesagainst Alawite communities, togain ground in Syria.

Turkey denies arming therebels or facilitating the passageof foreign fighters who haveswollen the ranks of al Qaeda-linked factions, but the border isdifficult to police. Rebels,refugees and smugglers havebeen able to cross illegally.

BRACING FOR WINTERTurkey’s Disaster and

Emergency ManagementDirectorate (AFAD) says it isaware of the influx of Syrianswho bypass the camps, but thatit can do little for those whodecline its help.

“We do the best we can withinthe rules of a state of law, but

we can’t simply force people,”said spokesman MustafaAydogdu, adding that there wereAlawites living in the camps andthat there had been no reports ofdisputes.

“We haven’t received aspecific demand from Syrianscoming to Turkey to set up aseparate camp for any particulargroup. If there is such a demand,it may be considered,” he said.

The agency does not registerrefugees by their religiousaffiliation in the camps, he said.

With the United Nationsexpecting another 2 millionSyrians to become refugees in2014 and 2.25 million more tobe displaced inside Syria,Turkey’s open-door policymeans the numbers of destituteSyrians on its streets is onlylikely to rise.

“We can’t go back until thewar is over,” said Ahmed, 15,who has lived in a makeshift tentnear an Ankara shantytown withno access to water, electricityand heating for four months.

“We are more comfortablehere, we hear there are a lot ofdisputes, disagreements at thecamps. People complain, so wedon’t want to go,” he said.

He is among around 150largely Syrian Kurdish refugees,many of them barefoot children,living in tents on a muddyhillside, near where propertydevelopers are building high-rise blocks.

Temperatures are alreadydropping and will soon fall wellbelow freezing. When a caroccasionally drives by, thechildren run behind it, cheeringand hoping it is one of the localTurks who regularly bring foodand clothing.

“We are just holding up now,”said Samer, 31, who had workedas a keyboard player in Aleppobefore fleeing. “They say thefirst snow will fall in a coupleof months. God help us then.”

Arab and Western Foreign Ministers in London meeting of the friendsof Syria Core Group at Lancester House in London recently.


WithO.C. MADU

08056379608

Man AndNatureThe Law Of

Reciprocal Action Adamantine Is The Law ADAMANTINE stands thelaw. “What a man sows hewill reap many times over”.Thus, man bears spirituallythe responsibility foreverything he does. Thisresponsibility begins alreadywith the making of theresolution, not just with theaccomplished deed, which issimply a consequence of theresolution. And the resolutionis the awakening of an earnestvolition. Men speak of deserved andundserved fate, of reward andpunishment, retribution andkarma. All these are only part–designations of a law restingin Creation. “The Law ofReciprocal Action”. A law which lies in the entireCreation from its earliestbeginning, which has beeninseparably interwoven withthe great, never ceasingevolution as an essential partof creating itself and ofdevelopment. Like a giganticsystem of the finest nerve –strands, it supports andanimates the mighty Universeand promotes continualmovement an eternal givingand taking. But the law ofReciprocal Action also,stipulates that whatever aman sows, thus, where hecauses an effect orconsequence, he must also,reap. Only at the beginning ofevery matter is man free toresolve, free to decide wherethe omnipotent powerflowing through him is to beguided, in what direction. Hemust then bear theconsequences arising fromthe power that was set inmotion in the direction willedby him. Inspite of this, manypersist in assertaining thateven so man has no free willif he is subject to fate. This foolishness is onlymeant to serve as a narcoticor to be a grudgingsubmission to somethinginevitable, a discontentedresignation, but mainly a self–excuse, for each of theseconsequences falling back on

him had a beginning and atthis beginning the cause ofthe consequences effect lay ina previous decision by man. Therefore set to workwithout delay. The creator hasplaced everything in creationinto your hands. Make use ofthe time. Every momentholds disaster or gain for you. Among all creatures increation the human spirit isthe only one to have free will.His free will lies solely in thedecision, of which he maymake many every hour. In theindependent weaving of thelaws of creation however, heis unswervingly subject to theconsequences of every one ofhis responsibility, which isinseparably connected withthe gift of free will to makedecisions, which is peculiarto and an absolute part of thehuman spirit. Abd-ru-shin says its effectdoes not always takesaccount of the short span ofonly one earth-life for ahuman spirit, but here, thereare entirely differentconditions. The Divine Laws Abd-ru-shin says are true friends ineverything, they are helpfulblessings from the will ofGod, who thus, opens thepaths to salvation foreveryone who strives towardsit. The whole of Creation is thelanguage of God, which youshould earnestly strive to readand which is by no means asdifficult as you may think. You belong to this Creationas a part of it and therefore,you must swing with it, workin it and mature in learningfrom it and thus, throughgaining in understanding, youmust rise ever higher, fromstep to the next, drawingalong through the radiation inorder to ennople everythingthat comes in contact withyou on your way. There will thenspontaneously developaround you one beautifulmiracle after another, whichthrough reciprocal action will

raise you ever higher. Learn to recognize yourpath in Creation and you willalso, know the purpose ofyour existence, Then you willbe filled with gratefulrejoicing and greatesthappiness a human spirit isable to bear, which lies solelyin the recognition of God. The supreme bliss of truerecognition of God, however,can never grow out of anacquired blind faith, much

less come to flower, butconvinced knowledge,knowing conviction, alonegives to the spirit what isnecessary for this Abd-ru-shin says. You earthmen Abd-ru-shinsays are in this Creation tofind supreme happiness. Inthe living language whichGod speaks to you. And tounderstand this language, tolearn it, and to sense inwardlythe will of God in it, that isyour goal during yourjourney through creation, InCreation itself, to which youbelong, lies the explanationof the purpose of yourexistence and at thesametime, also, the

recognition of your goal. Inno other way can you findeither. The laws of God, thus thewill of God, do not concernthemselves with the opinionsof these earthmen, which theyhave laid down in theirmundane laws, even though,the whole world has nowconsidered them to be right.Whatever is not in harmonywith the Divine Laws, therealso, the blow of the sword

will now strike judging in theprocess of redemption. Only the man who lives inthe laws of God is free. Thusand not otherwise, does hestand unopprressed andunconstrained in thiscreation. Everything thenserves him instead ofobstructing his path it serveshim because he uses it in theright way. God’s Laws is Creation arein truth simply, all that everyman needs for a healthyhappy life in Creation. Theyare, as it were, nourishmentfor his well being. Only hewho knows the will of Godand lives accordingly is reallyfree. All the others must bind

themselves in many threads ofthe laws of this Creation,because they entanglethemselves. Creation originated only inthe will of God, in His laws.Working together, the threadsof these laws sink deeper anddeeper, everywhere enforcingmovement towardsdevelopment and inevitablybranching out more and morein the course of development,

while in the continuousmovement new creations areperpetually formed aroundthreads. Thus, these lawsprovide at the sametime thesupport, the possibility ofcontinued existence and thefurther expansion of creation. Nothing exists without thiswill of God, which alone givesmovement. Everything inCreation conforms to it. Abd-ru-shin says that only thehuman spirit has not adjusteditself to these threads. It hastangled them and thereby,entangle itself, because itwanted to follow new roadsaccording to its will anddisregarded those alreadyprepared in existence. You know that all creationswings in the word of the lord.Does this not make you thinkCreation vibrates in Him, asalso do you yourselves, whoare indeed part of Creation, forit arose out of Him and ismaintained through this word.It has been clearly proclaimed

to mankind. In thebeginning was the word.And the Word was withGod. And the word wasGod. The word came out ofGod. It was and is a part outof Him. Heed your word let yourspeech be simple and true.In accordance with the Holywill of God, it contains anability to form in anupbuilding or also, in a

destroying way, dependingon the nature of the wordsand of the speaker. Do not squander thosesublime gifts which God somercifully granted you, butseek to recognize themaright in their full value. Uptill now the power of speechhas been a curse to youthrough such people, who asLucifer’s stalellities havemisused it under the evilinfluence of the distortedand one –sidedly developedintellect. Therefore, beware ofpeople who talk much, forwith these goesdisintegration. You,however, are to becomeupbuilding ones in thisCreation not talkers.Therefore, guard your word.Pay careful attention to yourspeech, for the human wordis also, a deed whichhowever can only produceforms in the plane of fineGross matter, that into andhave an effect on everythingearthly.

“The whole of Creation is the language of God,which you should earnestly strive to read and whichis by no means as difficult as you may think.”


Torres Delighted With Double

Keane Hits Back At Fergie

Wenger Left ToRue BVB Defeat

Drogba WantsFour More Years

Arsene Wenger

Roy Keane

Didier Dragba

Mourinho ToAccept FA Charge

CHELSEA striker FernandoTorres has admitted his delightafter scoring a brace duringTuesday’s 3-0 win over Schalkein a Champions leagueencounter.

The former Liverpool strikercelebrated his 100th start for theBlues in style as he opened thescoring early in the first halfbefore completing his bracemidway through the second half.

Torres brace sinks Schalke.“I’m delighted with the win

and of course my two goals,’ he

told reporters.“The three points were

important after our openingdefeat by Basel.

“We’re first in the group nowand still have two home gamesto come, so you could say we’rewell on track.

“The result doesn’t reallyreflect the flow of the game.

It was a lot more even than thescoreline suggests and Schalkehad a lot of possession in the firsthalf.

“They just failed to score. In

the end I think it was ourindividual class that made thedifference.

“All teams in the group are stillin with a chance, which is bothgood and bad for us. It’s nice tohave beaten arguably ourstrongest rivals, though.”

The Spaniard has managed justtwo Premier League starts thisseason and will be hoping to beback in the starting lineup whenChelsea host Manchester City onSunday.

ARSENE Wenger was leftto rue a late lapse inconcentration as Arsenalwere undone on the counteragainst Borussia Dortmund.

The Gunners had hauledthemselves back into aneagerly-anticipated UEFAChampions League clash,with the scores locked at 1-1 as they pushed for awinner.

They were, however, toleave themselves open at theback and Dortmund sweptforward eight minutes fromtime, allowing KevinGrosskreutz to provide thedelivery for RobertLewandowski to volleyhome a dramatic clincher.

Wenger admittedafterwards that his side hadbecome too adventurous andwere left to pay the price.

He told Sky Sports: “It’s

difficult to take because Iwould agree that we weremaybe not at our most fluenttonight going forward, but atthat moment we were on top.

“We lost the game becausewe maybe wanted so much towin it that we forgot that ifyou cannot win it, don’t loseit.

That’s what is mostannoying because we put a lotof effort in.

“We started hesitant. At theend of the day, we went 1-0down and when you don’tstart well it is difficult to getback into the game.

But we did well and in thesecond half we were on topof it.

“We just forgot to becautious. We were notcautious enough and we paidfor it.”

FORMER Manchester United captain Roy Keane hashit back at Sir Alex Ferguson for certain revelations in hisnew autobiography.

Ferguson insists Keane wasliving in a world of fantasyand had lost the respect of histeam-mates when he wasforced out of ManchesterUnited.

The former manager hasused his new autobiographyto claim Keane, now a pundit,“thought he was Peter Pan”

by the time the pair fell outspectacularly in 2005 and thathis departure “was the bestthing that could havehappened” to United.

His animosity towardsKeane has shown no sign ofsubsiding in the eight yearssince their row erupted.

Their relationship began tofracture as the midfielder

became increasinglyoutspoken about his team-mates during a lengthy periodon the sidelines due to injuryand finally broke down whenhe gave an explosiveinterview to the club’s TVchannel.

The now infamous MUTVinterview has never beenaired on the channel butFerguson claims that EdwinVan der Sar, Paul Scholes andRuud van Nistelrooy wereamong the players whowalked out when they wereshown it privately.

The 71-year-old recallsKeane and Van Nistelrooyhaving to be pulled apart in aseparate incident: “His[Keane’s] eyes started tonarrow, almost to wee blackbeads. It was frightening towatch, and I’m fromGlasgow.”

But after the MUTVinterview, Ferguson says hecould not get Keane outquickly enough.

He told his assistant, CarlosQueiroz, at the time: “He

IVORY Coast hit-manDidier Drogba insists hewants to continue with hisprofessional career for atleast four more years.

The Ivory Coast captainwas awarded the prestigiousGolden Foot prize last weekin Monaco – an accoladegiven to football players aged29 and above who are stillactive and contribute to thedevelopment of the sport.

Upon receiving the prize,Drogba revealed he hopes to

continue to be active for thenext few years which wouldsee him equal the record ofCameroon’s Roger Milla whoretired from football at the ageof 39.

“I hope God will grant methe required health andconditions to be able to playfour more years,” said the 35-year-old.

Drogba earlier announcedhe would retire frominternational football after the2014 World Cup in Brazil.

CHELSEA manager JoseMourinho will not contesthis improper conductcharge and said he will“accept the fine”.

Mourinho was charged bythe Football Association asa result of his behaviourduring the 4-1 victory overCardiff on Saturday.

The Blues boss had beensent to the stands over adisagreement with theofficials, which appeared tobe sparked when refereeAnthony Taylor warnedBranislav Ivanovic againsttime-wasting when taking athrow-in.

At a news conference onMonday, Mourinho had

expressed his frustration atCardiff’s own time-wastingduring the match but, afterreading the referee’s report,he confirmed he will notdispute the charge.

He is now set to be givena fine rather than a touchlineban and expects to be on thetouchline for Sunday’smeeting with ManchesterCity at Stamford Bridge.

“What the referee wrote istrue,” Mourinho said afterTuesday night’s 3-0 winagainst Schalke. “I was notaggressive, I was notoffensive. I just had adisagreement. That in thegame is resolved with ‘shutup and sit down’. [You]don’t need to go to thestands.

“I accept the fine andagainst Manchester City Ican work.”

He said Taylor’s report is“honest and fair” andadded: “What he writes isexactly what happened andexactly why I didn’tunderstand why I went tothe stands, and it’s exactlywhy the punishment is justa fine.”

needs to go, Carlos. 100 percent. Get rid of him.”

Ferguson, in his book, said:“In one deep sense, himleaving was the best thingthat could have happened,because a lot of players wereintimidated by him.”

Keane responded on ITVon Tuesday night by saying:“I’m okay, quite relaxed. Iremember havingconversations about loyaltywhen I was at the club and Idon’t think he knows themeaning of the word.

“To constantly criticiseother players that broughthim success...I won’t belosing any sleep over it.

“I just don’t think themanager needs to do it. Idon’t know how many bookshe’s written now. A lot ofthese players helped win a lotof trophies. It’s just part ofmodern life.

People like to do books andcriticise ex-players.

“I’ll have to do anotherbook!”


Klopp Delighted WithArsenal Win

Lionel Messi ReadyFor Clasico - Martino

Michael Ballack Keen On Mgt

Sevilla’s Rakitic OutOf Slovan Clash

Agent SuggestsBalotelli Is Unsettled

FORMER Bayern Munichand Chelsea midfielderMichael Ballack says he couldmove into coaching in the nearfuture.

The ex-Germany captain, 37,retired a year ago this monthafter returning to his homelandfor a second spell at BayerLeverkusen.

The four-time Bundesligawinner told French radio stationRMC that he has been thinkingabout becoming a coach for along time.

“I’m still thinking about itafter having spoken to a lot of

Messi completed his first 90minutes in almost a month atthe San Siro and got on thescoresheet with a well-taken

AC Milan fans shouldcherish Mario Balotelli for aslong as they can, according tothe player ’s agent, whoclaims his client is unhappywith the bad press he isreceiving.

During Balotelli’s time atManchester City the strikerwas often the centre ofattention — and with thatfocus continuing at Milan,Raiola says the point has beenreached where he may decideenough is enough and leaveItaly.

“There is an exaggeratedamount of attention on him,”

SEVILLA captain IvanRakitic has been left out ofthe squad for Thursday’sEuropa League encounteragainst Slovan Liberec due toinjury.

The Croatian midfielderdid not feature duringSunday’s 2-2 La Liga drawagainst Real Valladolid afterreturning from national dutywith a thigh injury.

He resumed training latelast week but Unai Emeryhave decided not to rush himback into action and maylook to reintroduce himagainst Osasuna on Sunday.

German midfielder Piotr

JURGEN Klopp hasexpressed his jubilation atBorussia Dortmund’s 2-1win at Arsenal in Tuesday’sChampions League clash.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan’sopener was cancelled out byOlivier Giroud’s equaliserbefore RobertLewandowski sealed thethree points for BVB with alate winner. And Klopp,who was forced to watchfrom the stands due to asuspension, was thrilled thatthe Gunners were largelykept at bay.

“It was a greatperformance,” Klopp toldSky. “We won away atArsenal who are in asensational form.

“It was an open game wewon thanks to a fantasticattack which made it 2-1.Arsenal are too strong tokeep them away from ourgoal the whole time. Theydidn’t have that manychances.

“From up in the standsyou have a better view! A

Raiola told Mediaset prior toMilan’s 1-1 draw withBarcelona, in which Balotellicame on as a second-halfsubstitute. “It’s not on. I don’tknow if I’d be able to stand itall personally. We all need tocalm down and we’ll analysethings with Milan.

“Certainly Italy will not bethe final stage of his career,but we still have lots of yearson his contract here and wedon’t want to think that he hasto leave for this reason.”

Less than a year afterarriving, though, it is hard tosee Balotelli leaving Milanalready, and the club’sgeneral manager AdrianoGalliani has laughed off thesuggestion.

“Raiola’s a sly guy,” hesaid. “He likes to beprovocative. I’ve knownMino for many years so I’mnot worried.”

Galliani was not worriedabout finding out that Raiolahad been in the Barcelonadressing room after the gameeither.

“Then we can do a swap,”Galliani joked. “They’ve gottwo forwards [Lionel Messiand Neymar] who aren’t bad.They can chose — we’d takeeither the Brazilian or theArgentine.”

totally new perspective.”Lewandowski’s goal

ended Arsenal’s 100 percent streak in Europe thisseason and consigned themto their first defeat since theopening day of the seasonagainst Aston Villa, whichthe Pole believes could becrucial in qualifying from atough Group F.

“I ran many metres beforeI scored my goal andfinished it,” he said. “It is animportant goal and animportant win.”

strike from inside the area, butalso struggled at times to makean impact against the massedranks of Milan’s defence.

Nonetheless, Martino toldreporters after the game that theforward had played well and histhigh problem was now behindhim.

“[Messi] looked fine to me,”Martino said. “He got theequaliser for us. He played withspeed, intensity, looking forone-on-ones. With Cesc[Fabregas] on the pitch, heplayed on the wing and did itwell. I believe there is now nodoubt about his physicalcondition. He is over hisinjury.”

Following the 0-0 draw withOsasuna in La Liga, Barca havenow drawn twice in four daysafter having won their previousten games in all competitions— but Martino said he did notthink the team had started tostutter ahead of Saturday’sclash with Madrid at the Camp

Nou.“I always say you must

separate the result and theanalysis,” he said. “We arecoming into the game after twodraws, which is not the best, butI believe our performances arestill improving.

“We give few options to ouropponents. We are lacking afine touch and speed, butplaying against opponents whosit back 25 yards out is difficult.I am not concerned about thegroup’s performances, althoughI would have liked to win thelast two games.”

Blaugrana captain XaviHernandez told his club’sofficial website that, after aslow start against Milan, Barcahad dominated the game, andwere now set up well forSaturday’s clash with their bigdomestic rivals.

“With the exception of thefirst 15 minutes, when weconceded a goal, we dominatedand we created chances toscore, [but] we were lacking infront of goal,” he said. “We arein good shape coming into theClasico. We are playing well.”

Barca defender Gerard Pique,

who was outmuscled by Milanattacker Robinho for the game’sopening goal, added that hisside could make a huge steptowards retaining the leaguetitle should they win theweekend’s game.

“The Clasico is a differentkind of match, and even moreso this year, because the titlehas been between the two teamsover the last couple of seasons,”Pique said. “It can mark aturning point in the season. Ifwe win, we will be six pointsclear.”

BARCELONA coach Gerardo Martino feels LionelMessi’s performance in the 1-1 draw at AC Milan showshe is fit and ready for Saturday’s Clasico against RealMadrid.

Trochowski and Argnetinedefender Federico Faziohave also been excludedfrom the traveling 20-mansquad as they are nursingminor injuries.

Emery will take threegoalkeepers to the CzechRepublic with Julian Cuestabeing included alongsideBeto and Javi Varas.

Romanian striker RaulRusescu, who hasn’t featuredsince scoring a brace duringa Europa League playoffagainst Mladost Podgorica,has also been included in thesquad which will be trimmeddown to 18 on Thursday.

• Michael Ballack

• Lionel Messi

• Jurgen Klopp

managers throughout mycareer, but it’s a very differentjob and life,” he said. “I’vealways reflected on the game.To pass on your ideas and havean influence on a team reallyinterests me.

“Maybe next year I’ll becomea manager. I’m thinking aboutstarting to get my coachingbadges next year.”

Ballack, who won 98 caps forhis country, has not missedplaying as much as he thoughthe would.

But having been a runner upin the Champions League with

both Bayer Leverkusen andChelsea — as well as in theWorld Cup and EuropeanChampionship with Germany— he says it is only natural tothink about what might havebeen.

“I played at the highest levelthroughout my career and I’mhappy about that,” he said. “Iwas able to play for and captainmy country.

“There are always matchesthat you lost that would haveallowed you to win more titles.I never won the EuropeanChampionship or the World

Cup and they are competitionsthat I really would have likedto win. But that’s the way itgoes.”

As for the present, Ballackthinks that Bayern Munichmidfielder Franck Riberydeserves to be named the worldplayer of the year.

A shortlist for FIFA’s Ballond’Or award is set to be unveilednext week. Ribery, 30, is sureto feature after already beingvoted European Player of theYear ahead of CristianoRonaldo and Lionel Messi.


HFN Invites 20 Players ForCamping

Commissioner Promises ToReturn Kwara Utd To GPL

Aminu Maigari

Amun Hails NFA OverOgunjobi, Baribote Ban

Sacked VipersFC CoachRules OutLitigation

Taekwondo Scribe Assures Of BrightFuture FEMI Ajao, the

Secretary of the NigeriaTaekwondo Federation(NTF), has assured of abright future for the sportin the country.

Ajao told newsmen inLagos that everythingpossible would be doneto take the sport to thenext level.

The secretary spokeagainst the backdrop ofthe just-concludedsecond edition of ChikaChukwumerije SportsFoundation (CCSF)International Taekwondo

Open.The competition held from

Oct. 19 to Oct. 20 in Abuja.The two-day tournament

featured 302 fighters for theN2.8million prize.

Participants were drawnfrom Mali, Gabon and Coted’Ivoire and host Nigeria.

Ajao said the event was agraceful one that held muchpotential for the federationand the sport in Nigeria.

“We just had the secondedition of the CCSFtaekwondo open in Abuja and

I must say I am highlyimpressed by the event.

“It shows that taekwondohas so many prospects inNigeria. The turnout was veryimpressive; so we are goingsomewhere’’, he said.

The secretary also said themajor highpoints of thecompetition was theparticipation of 32 kids andthe discovery of remarkabletalents.

“Taekwondo is part of thefive major sports in Nigeriaand I know that we will liveup to expectations’’, Ajaosaid.

FANNY Amun, a former Secretary-General of the NigeriaFootball Association (NFA), on Tuesday commended the leadershipof the NFA over the ban imposed on two Nigerian footballadministrators. Taiwo Ogunjobi, a former

Secretary-General of the NFAand Victor Baribote, a formerChairman of the Nigeria PremierLeague (NPL) Board, werebanned by the association forindiscipline.

While the Chris Greeninvestigating Committeeslammed a 10-year ban onOgunjobi, the Committeeheaded by Emeka Inyama whichinvestigated Baribote, bannedhim for 15 years, from allfootball matters.

Amun told newsmen in aninterview in Abuja, that the banwas in order, considering the

level of offences committed by theindividuals.

According to Amun, the Maigarileadership should have extendedthe ban to 60 years, to serve as adeterrent to others who may wantto introduce indiscipline into thecountry’s football.

“If I was in Maigari shoes, Iwould have banned them for sixtyyears; you know what that means.It means banning them for life.

“Sometimes, it is good to takecertain actions that will serve as adeterrent to others.

“Who is involved does notmatter; after all, Amos Adamu, aformer CAF and FIFA executive

committee member, wasbanned by FIFA fromfootball related activities forthree years.

“So, if Adamu was banned,any other person can bebanned too. There is nopersonal attachment to it.

“One must be able to obeythe rules and regulations andmust strive to be upright atall times. I don’t supportIllegality at all,’’ Amun said.

He said the criticismtrailing the ban was uncalledfor, pointing out that the banimposed on the footballadministrators appeared tohave met FIFA standards.

Amun urged Nigerians toevaluate the matter which ledto their ban beforecondemning the NFA’saction.

The NFA had said that theindividuals had the right toappeal to FIFA or the Courtof Arbitration for Sports(CAS).

Meanwhile, Amun hascommended Amos Adamu

for serving out his three-yearFIFA ban from all football relatedactivities.

“If FIFA says the ban is ended,it is; it means he has served outthe punishment which he wasbanned for.

“Adamu should not be killedfor the ban because he is a humanbeing and anybody can go wrong.

“If the punishment is over, thenhe is free,’’ he said.

Amun, however said that theNFA had the right to clear Adamuthrough its congress. Adamu was banned from allfootball activities in 2010 by theFIFA Ethics Committee and waslater fined $10,000 for asking for$800,000 as gratification.

The bribe was in return forvoting on the 2018 and 2022World Cup hosting rightsawarded to Russia and Qatar,respectively.

The former CAF and FIFAexecutive member whose banended on Sunday, was caught onvideo by undercover reporters,while asking for the money.

He was subsequently notallowed to take part in the 2010voting.

SACKED coach of Vipers FC,Ambrose Duru Chukuma, hassaid although the club terminatedhis contract and did not pay hisbenefits, he will not sue them.

“They changed clauses in thecontract and they know that theydid that because they did not wantto pay me my entitlements,” saida bitter Chukuma before he leftthe country for Lagos on Tuesday.

The former coach said as perthe contract he would pay theteam US$40,000 if he terminatedthe contract, but the leaders of theteam made sure they do not payhim the remaining months in thecontract.

The ex-Nigerian international,who featured in only one match,said although he was earning verylittle money coaching Vipers FChis interest was to develop hiscareer as a young coach.

“I know I might come back toUganda or even in the EastAfrican region,” said Chukuma.

The coach said Vipers FC gavea very stupid reason for the sack,claiming that he was notperforming.

“They did not even invest in theteam for pre-season training andwe managed to play six gameslost two, won two and drew thesame number,” explainedChukuma.

He said it is a shame that thelikes of Lawrence Mulindwa, aformer FA president for eightyears and patron of Vipers SC,could refuse to pay him.

“We started poorly last seasonand after the first round we werefirst and eventually finished thirdin the league and were finalistsin the Kakungulu Cup,” he added.

Haruna Kyobe, the Vipers SCsecretary, said they fulfilled allthat was in the contract and evenbought Chukuma a return ticketback to Nigeria.

But Chukuma has called uponthe FA to become tough on clubsso that they hand in their contractswith coaches and also ask clubsto learn how to treat players andcoaches better.

Chukuma has been the onlyforeign coach handling a team inthe FUFA Super League.

NO fewer than 20 maleplayers and three officialshave been invited by theHandball Federation ofNigeria (HFN) forcamping, ahead of theIntercontinental HandballTrophy, slated forMexico.

Fidelis Obi, Head Coachof the team, told newsmenin Lagos that trainingwould commenceimmediately on Oct. 24 atthe Teslim BalogunStadium, Surulere.

The HFN junior maleteam would be flying thecountry’s flag at thenetball competition

organised by theInternational HandballFederation (IHF),scheduled to hold fromNov. 25 to Nov. 30.

He expressed delightover the commencementof the camping, addingthat: “I am very happy thatat last, we are going tobegin camping in Lagos“.

According to him, theplayers have beenundergoing routinetraining, as a buildup to theproper camping, which hesaid, will help the playersto be more committed.

“We have been eager to bein camp because thecompetition we are going foris highly demanding and wemust be adequately preparedto ensure that we can excel.

“Now that we are goinginto closed camping, playerswill be more focused andthere will not be room fordistraction, so we thetechnical officials will alsobe dedicated, “ he said.

The national junior teamclinched the ticket to theintercontinental event afterits victorious outing at thecontinental competition heldin Djibouti in March.

THE KwaraGovernment on Tuesdayassured the people of thestate that the relegatedKwara Utd FC of Ilorinwould return to the GloPremier League nextseason.

Hajia Ramat Abaya, thestate Commissioner forSports and YouthDevelopment, gave theassurance in an interviewwith newsmens in Ilorin.

Abaya said that it wassad to see the team thatwas contending for theleague title relegated atthe end of the season.

The commissionerthanked Gov. AbdulfatahAhmed and all thatsupported the team duringthe outgone season.

She urged thesupporters of the club tolearn from what happenedto their darling club, thisseason.

“I think part of our plansis to embark on theeducation of our fans,especially to let themknow that the game iseither you win or youlose,” Abaya said.

She called on the club’sfans to be calm duringmatches, to avoid a repeatof what happened inWeek 29.

Kwara Utd, until theWeek 29, was incontention for the leaguetitle, before their fansattacked an official in a

game involving the cluband Warri Wolves.

Consequently, theLeague ManagementCompany ruled that thematch be replayed inIlorin, a decision WarriWolves challenged beforethe Nigeria FootballFederation (NFF).

The NFF AppealCommittee ruled infavour of Warri Wolvesand gave the club thematch’s 3 points.

Kwara Utd wasrelegated when it failedagain to defeat Akwa Utdlast Saturday.

Abaya said that thegovernment would retainthe technical crew andmajority of the players, ifthey wished to stay.


CMYK

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This Is The Beginning;This Is The End

We shall be very lib-eral with the use ofnames in this essay,except in the very rarecase where anonym-ity would save thesubject some embar-rassment. In our politi-cal career, we haveseen politicians.There are organizersand there aredisorganizers.

Between the springof 1990 and the win-ter of 1992, this writerhad a wonderful in-ternship under ChiefTony Anenih. Refer-ence here to an intern-ship, as opposed toapprenticeship, is de-liberate as I was al-ready a successfulpolitician, having rep-resented the GreaterOrhionmwon FederalConstituency as anelected member of theConstituent Assembly,before I met the elderstatesman. Thoseyears further sharp-ened my life.

Anenih inculcated inme, the virtues of hardwork. In terms of partyorganization, he wasmost effective. Agreater workaholic,none could be! Hehardly slept. Duringthe organization forlate General ShehuYarí Adua, we wouldhold marathon meet-ings in Port Harcourtlasting from 6:00 p.m.to 4: 00 a.m. the fol-lowing day; we wouldbe in Uyo in thepresent Akwa IbomState at 10: 00 a.m. tobegin another meet-ing that would last farinto the night. Yet, wewould be in Warri foranother meeting thatwould start at 10:00p.m. and last till 5: 00a.m. the following day.In all this, we did notdisappoint the peopleat the home front whowere expected inBenin City for anothermarathon meetingscheduled to begin at10: 00 a.m.

On occasions,Anenih would aban-don the luxury of his

healthy cars, hop into myjalopy and say, “Joe, let’sgo”. We were heading forOkhoro Road area orUptown Ikpoba Hill, to seesome of thoseìTalakawasî, the typesome people would neverallow into their premises.This way, Anenih easilyagreed with members at

could produce the biggesttubers.

In the ill-fated Third Re-public, the meticulous se-lection of candidates su-pervised by Chief Anenih,which sometimes lastedall night, produced thefantastic results we sawfor the SDP everywhere.

Anenih also provides areminder of Thomas

Edison (1847-1931) whoremains a genius of tech-nology that held over1000 patents, includingpatents on the incandes-cent electric lamp andmotion picture projectors.

For Edison, ìGenius isone percent inspirationand ninety-nine percentperspirationÖ None of myinventions came by acci-dent. I see a worthwhileneed to be met and I

make trial after trial until itcomesî. For these men,work does not mix withwomen and wine.

On the debit side, ChiefAnenih has a kinsmanwho is disorganizing eve-rything in the opposite di-rection. To this kinsman,every season is harvest-ing season. He eats thetuber and the seed yams,

oblivious of the coming ofany planting season. Givehim N100 to organize. Hewould eat N99 and organ-ize with N1. To him, imme-diate personal gratifica-tion rather than organiza-tional group success isthe name of the game. Inlocal parlance, such iscalled “Tako-tako”.

Enter late Senator AkporPius Ewherido (1963-2013), a man who be-

lieved in hard work andcommanded tremendousfollowership wherever hewent; a man who on ashort notice, moved fromthe PDP to the DPP tocompete for the DeltaCentral Senatorial seat inthe April 2011 election;and in the end, he dustedan adept in political engi-neering, Chief AmoriIghoyota, securing102,313 votes toIghoyotaís 85,365.

Shortly before Ewheridodied, he moved to theAPC, bringing with him,an enviable asset in tre-mendous goodwill. All thatwe have now rubbished,no thanks to Tako-takomaster. As it were,Ewherido asked for rainand we gave him a rain-bow. We certainly owehim an apology whereverhe is.

Tako-tako believes thatpolitics is ninety-nine per-cent inspiration and onepercent perspiration. So,between poor or absolutenon-preparation and im-position of APCís candi-dature to the highest bid-der; at the recent by-elec-tion for Delta CentralSenatorial District, thePDP ran away with263,024 votes to APCísmiserable 29,077.

In our university days, astudent was usually quickto say, “I got an ‘A’ in thecourse” but if the resultwas otherwise, he would

say, “The lecturer gaveme a ‘D’” That explainswhy the APC must nowshout to the high heavensthat the election wasrigged. Let them tell thatto the Marines! Whoshould have least imag-ined that the APC mightbe dead on arrival to theSouth-South, no thanks toTako-tako? He still holdsthe empty chips to hischest and he is usingthem to ferment pocketsof divisiveness every-where. This essay shouldserve as the first point oforder on him before hefinds that he is left alonein that party, the party weall celebrated before itsbirth!

There is unity in disunity.On Election Day, mem-bers of opposing factionswould fight to the pollingstation but they would stillend up casting their votesfor the same candidate.They struggle to outwiteach other. Immediatelyafter votes are counted,factional heads rush toHeadquarters to impresson the winner that theywere responsible for theoutcome.

If morning shows theday and if this played outat the Delta Central elec-tion, it is also reasonableto expect a nationalspread of the same phe-nomenon. Where thathappens, this is the begin-ning; this is the end!

“Shortly before Ewherido died, he moved to the APC,bringing with him, an enviable asset in tremendousgoodwill. All that we have now rubbished, no thanksto Tako-tako master. As it were, Ewherido asked forrain and we gave him a rainbow. We certainly owe himan apology wherever he is.”

• Chief Tony Anenih

the general meeting thatthere was no reason tosee those lowly grass-roots people, unknown tothose members that hehad seen those ones theprevious night. In es-sence, everyone was irre-ducibly important. His wasa policy of separate butequal.

He did not eat seedmoney. In times of organi-zation, Anenih wouldrather add his own moneyto whatever was broughtto ensure victory. He pro-vided a quick reminder ofmy late father who wasone of the greatest farm-ers in Isi land of thenBenin East Division. Myfather could give you thebiggest tuber of yam buthe would not allow you gowith the smallest seedyam because in due sea-son, that small seed yam

Nigerian observer 24 10 2013

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Transcript of Nigerian observer 24 10 2013