Peoples Daily Newspaper, Monday, May 28, 2012

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Vol. 8 No. 46 Monday, May 28, 2012 Rajab 7, 1433 AH N150. . . putting the people first

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62 soldiers expelledfrom Sudan forindiscipline

Politiciansresponsible for Tiv/Fulani clash

Abuja satellitetowns to gulpN37 billion

PPPRA scrutinises 2foreign, probes 2indigenous firms

...As gunmen kill 4 in Kano

24 groups sueJTFNigeria won’tbreak up,assuresJonathan

L-R: Bayelsa state Governor, Mr. Henry Seriake Dickson, President Goodluck Jonathan, First Lady, Mrs .Patience Jonathan, and Kaduna state Governor, Mr. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa during the 2012 DemocracyDay Church service yesterday at the National Christian Centre, Abuja. Photo: Joe OroyeContd on Page 2

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

Contd on Page 2

From Lawal Sadiq Sanusi andEdwin Olofu, Kano

A coalition of civil societyorganizations (CSOs) inKano has said preparations

have reached an advanced stageto commence legal action againstthe Joint Task Force, (JTF),drafted to the ancient city to

maintain law and order, overextrajudicial killings anddestruction of property of thecitizens.

Already, one case was filed lastweek at the High Court of JusticeZoo Road, Kano, while others areunderway to seek legal redress forvictims of alleged JTF personnel’sabuses.

Late Head of State, GeneralSani Abacha’s legal adviser, Prof.Auwalu Yadudu, told Peoples Dailyin a telephone interview yesterdaythat 24 civil society organizationsin Kano have concluded plans totake the JTF to court to seek redressfor “victims of unwarrantedkillings and destruction of propertyin the state”.

Yadudu, who is in the lead “toprosecute all the trigger happymembers of the JTF”, recalled thatthe CSOs issued a statement whenthe armed personnel were draftedto the state, urging governmentto avail them with the rules ofengagement to forestall excessiveuse of force by security agentsagainst the people.

A s Nigeria marks 13 years ofdemocratic governance, nowthreatened by security and other

challenges, President Goodluck Jonathanhas said that a strong foundation for itscontinued existence as one indivisible entityis intact.

The President, in an apparent reactionto concerns expressed by many Nigeriansabout the country’s ability to come outunscathed from the 2015 general elections,insisted that the founding fathers of thenation had done enough to erect a solidfoundation that no one individual or groupcould wreck along ethnic or religious lines.

Speaking yesterday at a specialDemocracy Day Church service at theNational Christian Centre, Abuja, PresidentJonathan noted that “terrorism which cameinto the country like a thief in the night willbe tackled and defeated.

“I don’t intend to say so much today sinceI will address the nation on Tuesday but one

He said: “We issued a statementat the beginning about ourapprehensions; we said that if wedon’t know the rules ofengagement, the police and armedforces can use excessive force; ourfears have been confirmed as on adaily basis there are allegations ofextrajudicial killings, killing of

Extra-judicial killings:

CONTENTSNews 2-11Editorial 12Op.Ed 13Letters 14Opinion 15Metro 16-17Business 19-22S/Exchange 23S/Report 24Education 27-28Health 29-30

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PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 28, 2012

Extra-judicial killings: 24 groups sue JTFContd from Page 1

people and destruction of property.“In fact, we made a statement

over that and we are going to takelegal action. The legal action willbe under the auspices of a coalitionof civil society organizations inKano, about 24 of them”.

The CSOs that have cometogether to seek justice, accordingto Yadudu, include Network forJustice, African Research andDevelopment Agency (ARADA),Kwandala Foundation, Widowsand Orphans,and Democracy andGood Governance.

Others are Muslim SistersOrganization, Civil SocietyLegislation Advocacy Group(CISLAG), Coalition of BudgetTransparency Advocates, RightsBased Advancement Coalition(RIBAC) and SustainableDevelopment Network (SUDNET).

On how many victims of extra-judicial killing they have been ableto identify, Yadudu said: “I cannotgive you a number now; the latestvictim was killed on Thursday last

week and we are compiling the listof those affected”.

Asked about his views on thegovernment’s response or lack ofit to the extrajudicial killingsreported, he said thegovernment’s silence has beenexpected but “we’re doingeverything possible to help thevictims get justice; we hold thegovernment responsible”.

Yadudu described life forcivilians in Kano was veryprecarious “as currently they aretrying to avoid angering thesecurity men; sometimes it isdifficult to avoid, but we have toldpeople to be law-abiding; we havebeen telling them to avoidanything that can make themcome under fire.”

A neighbour of the latest victimof the JTF killings, who spoke oncondition of anonymity, said,“extra-judicial killings by the JTFare daily occurrences in Kano andMaiduguri.

“When I said more people havebeen killed by JTF than by Boko

Haram, I mean every word. “Nota single day goes by in Kanowithout at least three cases likethis. The challenge has been toidentify the victims and theirfamilies and to convince them tojoin in the effort to bring theperpetrators to book.

“However, I can assure youfrom what I've seen that we are allgoing to pay a heavy price for thisbecause nothing pushes recruitsinto the arms of Boko Haram likethese extra judicial killings”.

He observed: “If Kano becomesthe main theatre of conflict, theauthorities are certain to lose thefight because there are more thantwo million young people on Kanostreets looking for a reason to bringthis whole system down. An urbanand asymmetric conflict ofmonumental proportions is lookingus straight in the eye.”

Meanwhile, unidentifiedgunmen on Saturday night shotand killed four persons at a GidanHamisu Gurgu relaxation spot atGaida quarters of Kano

Nigeria won’t break up, assures JonathanContd from Page 1

thing I have to say is this, eventhough some people are busypredicting the disintegration ofNigeria, let me re-assure Nigeriansthat Nigeria will neverdisintegrate.”

The President continued: “Noindividual or group no mattertheir ambition or selfish purposewill be able to divide this nation.Nigeria will never disintegrate.”

He added that the country’ssecurity agencies have “stepped uptheir gadgets and equipment” tobring the menace of terrorism inthe country to an end.

“We have done a lot andcommitted resources to advanceour security architecture in orderto tackle terrorism and Godwilling, we shall overcome,” thePresident said.

Jonathan believes that Nigeria

is a powerful nation that is verywell respected in the comity ofnations because of its population,size, geography and the ability ofits leaders to sustain democracy forthe past 13 years.

While thanking Nigerians fortheir consistent prayers andsupport, the President reservedspecial praises for the armedforces for their professionalismand for not taking advantage ofthe crisis in 2007 to interruptdemocracy.

“We have to specially thankour armed forces for beingprofessional all through the periodof the crisis we have had to facesince 2007,” he said.

“It is our own ability to sustainour democracy that gives us themoral right to approach anyAfrican nation at a time of anymilitary interruption to demand

a return to the status quo.“That is why our Chief of

Defence Staff commands therespect of his colleagues whosometimes take over power in theircountries, anytime he goes there.”

In a sermon titled "Know thetruth and the truth shall set youfree", former Primate of theAnglican Communion, PeterAkinola, said that there were noclear signs of genuine nationalunity in the country as leaderswere interested in feathering theirown nests, not national identity.

On Boko Haram, he said the sectis not the only group that isdisenchanted with the rest of thesociety.

“Many other stakeholders aredisenchanted but waiting for theirtime”, Akinola said.

Clearly not inclined to talkswith the sect, he said: "You open

PAGE 2

yourself to ridicule if you opendialogue to a group that has madethe country ungovernable.

“Don't treat them with kidgloves. You don't dialogue withcrime.”

Akinola described the countryas bloodthirsty. "We’re abloodthirsty and bloodlettingsociety with no regard for thesanctity of life. “Nigeria is at waragainst itself. Selfish politicians aredoing all things on the basis ofpolitical exigency”.

On how Nigeria came intobeing, he said there was “noconsent from the South and North.It was done for the political andeconomic gains of the colonials.

“Our leaders failed to gather theauthentic representatives ofNigerians to seek the kind ofindependent Nigeria theywanted.”

municipality.An eyewitness account said the

gunmen arrived on a motorcycleand began shooting into anovercrowded spot patronised bymainly pokers.

The report said the shootingoccurred at about 6 pm, an hourafter visiting Vice-PresidentNamadi Sambo left the city.

It was a visit that was markedby an unusually visible thatwitnessed security presence on thestreets.

The attack that lasted just tenminutes killed three persons on thespot while the other died in hospitalfrom bullet wounds.

No group has yet claimedresponsibility for Saturday’sshooting, confirmed by Kano PoliceCommand’s Public RelationsOfficer, Tanimu Rilwan Dutse.

“We learnt that three peoplewere shot dead by unknowngunmen Saturday evening atFilin Kashu relaxation spot atGaida, and that one other personsustained injury”.

N ational leader of ActionCongress of Nigeria (ACN)and former Lagos state

Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,yesterday in Lagos, accusedPresident Goodluck Jonathan oflaunching “a compound coup”against the rule of law and judicialintegrity by not reinstatingJustice Ayo Salami, the suspendedPresident of the Court of Appeal inspite of the decision andrecommendation of the NationalJudicial Council (NJC).

“The first is the subtleassumption of power thePresidency does not properlywield”, he said.

Tinubu, in a reaction to thedecision of the NJC to reinstateJustice Salami and the apparentfoot- dragging by the government,said “this type of executive high-handedness does not bode well forthe administration of justice and

our nascent democracy”.He warned against a gradual

descent into judicial anarchy withall the dangers it portends forindividual rights and liberties ofcitizens.

The ACN leader argued that“under the years of brutal militarydictatorship, laws were beingobeyed and the judiciary was nothamstrung. At least, those of usthat were in detention got somereprieve by the order of the courts.”

Tinubu described the non-re-instatement of Justice Salami asthe second coup. “This goes directlyto the independence of the courts,”he said.

He added: “Justice Salami is inthis predicament not because hedid anything legally improper. Heis in the soup because his objective,high quality legal work was seenas a grievous political sin by thosein power.

“Justice Salami is in troublebecause he served his conscience

and refused to be part of the gangup to perverse justice. He had thetemerity to decide cases accordingto applicable law and fact and thiswas unacceptable to the rulingparty. He let verdicts fall wherelegality led them.

“This means some verdictswent against the ruling party. Thiswas enough to make them conspireagainst him. Now, the PDP hasdeveloped a script to intimidateother judges.”

Tinubu called on all jurists,lawyers and civil society,particularly the media, to standfor justice and demand thereinstatement of Justice Salami.

“The violation of the rule of lawand constitutional checks andbalances has to stop now before itgathers a momentum that bringsirreparable harm,” he said.

“By standing with JusticeSalami today, we also take a standfor ourselves and the promise of abetter future for the nation that

we love.“Now, Nigerians know this is

part of a larger script to end thecareer of a courageous judge andamputate justice and subvert therule of law.

“Here the Presidency and PDPare culprits. The facts favourJustice Salami, but those who holdpower in trust for millions ofNigeria will not let justice prevail.

“The NJC and the consensusneutral opinion of the country’smost eminent jurists and legalscholars agree that the law pointsto only one proper course: Salami’sre-instatement.”

“These people hold no partisanpolitical brief. Their care is topromote legality. On the other side,stand only the PDP and their legalmercenaries.

“I ask: who is behaving moredangerously partisan in thismatter, the ruling party thatignores the great weight of consideredlegal opinion or the opposition that iswilling to live by and under the law?I rest my case and say no more onthis specific point.”

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

Salami: It’s Jonathan’s coup againstrule of law, says Tinubu

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 28, 2012 PAGE 3

L-R: Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero and Kano stateGovernor, Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, during the VP’s condolence visit to the emir over thedeath of Sheikh Mudi Salga, at the weekend in Kano.

The United States has accusedboth the Economic andFinancial Crimes

Commission (EFCC), and theNigeria Police Force (NPF) oframpant corruption.

A recent report on human rightspractices compiled by the UnitedStates Bureau of Democracy,

Human Rights and Labor, saidcorruption in the Nigerian Policeremained rampant, particularly athighway checkpoints.

It said, despite all efforts by theInspector General of Police tostrengthen the Police MonitoringUnit, charged with visiting policestations to search for bribe-takingofficers, the unit made no arrestsby years’ end.

It further alleged authorities of

EFCC, police arecorrupt – US reportFrom Ayodele Samuel &Ojebola Matthew, Lagos

2 policemen electrocuted in Birnin Kebbi

T ragedy occured at theAdamu Aliero estateyesterday when the dead

bodies of two policemen were foundalong the road.

According to an eyewitnesswho spoke to our reporteryesterday, the two policemen wereelectrocuted by Power HoldingCompany of Nigeria 11 KV wire.

The two cops, according tothe witness, met their waterlooas they rode on a motorcyclealong an untarred road justbeside INEC headquarters. Theduo had tried to dodge the sandyroad and ran over the powercable.

The eye witness, Usman BalaShehu, a resident of the AlieroEstate, narrated how the incidentoccurred thus: “Yesterday, at

about 4 15 pm, I noticed that myhouse had no light but all myneighbors had. So, I went to theNEPA (PHCN) office atGwadangwaji to report the case sothat my light will be restored . Asthe NEPA staff is recording mycase, suddenly two vehicles came,one a Peugeot and the other a policeHilux van, they said please switchoff the light, two police men aredead”, he said.

M ember, representingGwaram constituencyin the Federal House of

Representatives, Yusuf ShittuGalambi, has described FormerPresident Olusegun Obasanjo asconfused, unbalanced in mind andsoul while making ambiguous andconfused.

Galambi made the remarkwhile reacting on the formerPresident Obasanjo’s commentdescribing members of theNational Assembly as “robbersand rogues”. He said, “Obasanjois a confused old man that is loosing

his political relevance… (inaddition to) his past records ofirresponsible approach to mattersof national interests that aresupposed to be treated withdecorum and respect on the futureof our nation”.

He said, “it was on record thatObasanjo can be worse than anarmed robber giving the way heauctioned many governmentassets without clearly defining theirmarket value. His singular actionof auctioning four oil refineries,NITEL and Ajaokuta SteelCompany among others withouttheir real valuation, where theywere sold at 30 percent of their realvalue is part of the major crisesbedeviling our economy andnation’s stability today”.

From Sadeeq Aliyu, Sokoto

Obasanjo is confused,says Rep

must deposit their sales daily in thebank and bring the tellers to thecompany. That Tuesday, he wassupposed to depositN3,750,720.00, proceeds of thesales he made but when he cameto the office that day. I thought hehad come to submit his tellers buthe left without anybody’sawareness”.

“We waited for him to resumeduty the next day but he did notshow up. I kept calling his line buthe refused to pick. Later that day,his friend called him and he pickedup his call telling him that he hasabsconded with the company’sfund and we should not look forhim,” Ali added.

The state police spokespersonMr. Jayeioba Joseph stated thatMr. Idowu was later arrestedthrough his referee.

Police arrests Guinnesssalesman over N3.7m

From Ahmed Idris, Brinin KebbiFrom Ahmed Idris, Brinin Kebbi

not holding the police accountablefor the use of excessive deadly forceand the deaths of persons incustody.

“Police generally operated withimpunity in the illegalapprehension, detention, andsometimes execution of criminalsuspects. The reports of state orfederal panels of inquiryinvestigating suspicious deathsremained unpublished.

From Ojebola Matthew, Lagos

T he Lagos state PoliceCommand has arrested avan salesman of Guinness

Distribution Company atShomolu, Lagos, Mr. Wale Idowufor allegedly disappearing withsum of N3,750,720 on May 5,2012.

Mr. Idowu was arrestedthrough his referees while heapplied for the job.

According to Wale Ali,Manager of the Guinnessdistribution company, Mr. Idowucame to the office that day andpretended as if the cash had beendeposited in the bank but luck ranout on him when the bank alertdid not reflect the cash deposit.

“It is the tradition of thecompany, that every sales man

62 soldiers repatriated from Sudanfor indiscipline, says GOC 1 Div

G eneral OfficerCommanding (GOC) 1Division, Nigerian Army,

Kaduna, Maj. Gen. Garba Wahab,said that 62 soldiers wererepatriated from the mission inSudan for acts of indiscipline.

Wahab made the remarks atthe graduation ceremony of 26Battalion pre-deployment trainingcourse 1 at the Nigerian ArmyPeacekeeping Centre, Jaji, nearKaduna yesterday.

He warned troops of the 26Battalion against similar acts,adding that the army would notaccept a repeat of such acts in

mission assignments.The GOC also urged them to

remain focused and highlyprofessional in the discharge oftheir duties.

He said, “The Nigerian Armywill not accept any situation,where its troops are disarmed,hence, the need for effectiveleadership at all levels”.

The GOC said that thoserepatriated were beinginvestigated to ascertain theirculpability in the acts and wouldbe punished if found wanting inthe discharge of their duty, whilein the mission area. (NAN)

The Federal Government hasdenied any round-trippingin the alleged N176 billion

scandal involving presidentialaides, two multinational oilcompanies and Malabu Oil & GasLimited, a company owned byformer petroleum minister, DanEtete , over oil block 245.

According to statement issuedyesterday by the office of theAttorney-General of theFederation and Minister of Justice,

Mohammed Bello Adoke, “The roleplayed by the FederalGovernment, its agencies andofficials in relation to Block 245 wasessentially that of facilitator of theresolution of a long standingdispute between Malabu and Shellover the ownership and right tooperate Block 245.”

Peoples Daily had on Fridayreported how the Jonathanadministration, Agip ExplorationLimited (Agip) and Shell NigeriaExploration and ProductionCompany Limited (Shell) entered

into a secret deal in which the oilcompanies paid $1.1bn (N176 bn)to the Federal Government whichwas then transferred to Malabu.

Subsequent investigationsshowed how the AGF, and theMinister of State for FinanceYerima Ngama allegedlytransferred the funds a day beforeNgozi Okonjo-Iweala, the financeminister, was to resume office. Themoney was subsequentlytransferred to accounts of variousNigerian companies who arebelieved to be fronts for senior

By Aminu Imam

‘N176 bn oil deal: FG’s role was that of facilitator of dispute resolution’government officials.

However, the governmentyesterday alleged“misrepresentations and obviousmischief” in the reporting of therole of the Federal Government, itsagencies and officials in thesettlement of the dispute.

Adoke explained: “In 2010,when this administration came topower, Malabu again, petitionedthe Federal Government toimplement the terms of the out-of-court settlement of 30thNovember 2006 on the basis of

which they had discontinued theirappeal.

“Government also tookcognisance of the pending casesinstituted by Shell against FederalGovernment of Nigeria (FGN)and/or Malabu to enforce Shell’srights to exclusively operate Block245 as contractor on the basis ofthe 2003 Production SharingContract between NNPC and Shelland the financial implications ofdefending these actions on thepublic purse and opted foramicable resolution of the dispute.”

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 28, 2012PAGE 4

Public hearingon CBNautonomy holdstoday as expertscall for restraint

L-R: Gombe state deputy governor, Mr. Tha'anda Rubainu, welcoming the state governor, AlhajiIbrahim Dankwambo, at the weekend, after his return from Saudi Arabia where he performed Umarah.

A public hearing that seeksto effect an amendment tothe 2007 CBN Act holds

today at National Assemblycomplex, Abuja.

The public hearing is comingafter a Bill for an Act to amendthe Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) Act of 2007 passed secondreading.

The bill sponsored by Sen. ItaEnang (PDP-Akwa Ibom), seeks toamend the Act to compel CBN tosubmit its budget to the NationalAssembly for approval everyfinancial year as expected by law.It also seeks to replace CBNGovernor as chairman of CBNboard while also proposing thedropping of deputy governors asmembers of board.

However, the step hasgenerated reactions from bothlocal and international scene. TheInternational Monetary Fund(IMF) has cautioned against themove as according to it, anyattempt to tamper with theindependence is wrong.

Former governor of the CBN,Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has alsocalled for restraint on move by theNational Assembly to whittledown the autonomy of the CBNas guaranteed by the CBN Act2007.

Soludo who spoke recentlydeclared that “the survival of thatinstitution, CBN, is at the heart ofthe survival of the Nigerianeconomy”, adding that suchattempt could hamper theeffectiveness of monetary policyand the management of themacroeconomic framework ofNigeria.

Abuja satellite towns development projects to gulp N37bn

An estimated N37.463billion will be required thisyear for the development

and opening up of the satellitetowns by the Federal CapitalTerritory Administration(FCTA).

The Minister of State for FCT,Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, handedthe figure in a statement, throughher Special Assistant on Media &Publicity, Oluyinka Akintunde.

According to the statement,ongoing satellite towns’development projects, accountedfor N18.793 billion of the total costwhile new projects in the satellitetowns are valued at N16.670billion.

She said the sum of N2 billionhas also been provided for theSatellite Town DevelopmentAgency (STDA) to take off.

Akinjide listed the ongoingprojects to include provision ofengineering infrastructure toKubwa Satellite Town (Districts 4& 5) valued at N4 billion; provisionof engineering infrastructure toKarshi Satellite Town Districts 1& 2 (N4 billion).

The statement further mademention of provision ofengineering infrastructure toBwari Satellite Town Districts 1 &2 (N3.5 billion); construction oftownship roads in the six areacouncils of FCT (N1.248 billion);construction of Bwari-Karu Road(N1 billion); and extension ofKarshi – Apo road (N750 million).

Also included are: constructionof Karshi-Ara road (N630million); provision of roads, waterand electricity supplies inresettlement site of Galuwyi/Shere (N600 million);rehabilitation of road toGwagwalada – Dobi – Izom(N500m); construction of Onex –Bwari Road (N400 million);construction of 11km Mpape-Galuwyi/Shere Road (N400m);provision of 13km road to Kuje-

Gaube; and construction/rehabilitation of roads, drainages,flood control in Abaji,Gwagwalada, Kuje and othersatellite towns (N230.5 million).

The statement indicated thatthe new projects being executedby the FCTA include provision ofinfrastructure and constructionof 5,000 units of affordable

housing in satellite towns (N4billion); urban renewal andupgrading of Nyanya LabourCamp (N3.72 billion);construction of Kuje-Kwaku-Gwargwarda-Rubochi road, Wasa-Takushara-Burum road, Pandagi-Rimba Mamagi road.

In the list, are also theUniversity of Abuja Hostel Road

Gwagwalada and Kwali Bridge(N2.70 billion); purchase ofheavy duty sanitation equipment(N1.50 billion); development ofmarkets in four satellite towns(N511 million); andestablishment of youthdevelopment & vocational centresin satellite towns (N489 million),the statement added.

2015 controversy: CPClawmakers back Buhari

The Congress for ProgressiveChange (CPC) legislators atthe National Assembly and

Katsina state House of Assemblyrose from a meeting in Kadunayesterday and expressed supportfor the recent proclamation of theparty’s presidential candidate inthe 2011 general elections, Major-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari,concerning the scheduled 2015general elections.

Buhari had two weeks agoaffirmed that the 2015 electionsmay be bloody if the rulingPeople’s Democratic Party (PDP)rigs the polls.

Addressing a press conferenceafter the meeting, leader of theCPC lawmakers who is also theSenate Minority Leader, SenatorAbu Ibrahim, explained that,“electoral victory that resultsfrom rigging is always a stolenmandate which in turn results ina government that isundemocratic and anti-people.”

He described as false

insinuations that the nationalexecutive committee of the partypurportedly expelled some of itsmembers.

Ibrahim accused the PDP ofsponsoring some “renegade”members of the CPC to circulatethe “mischievous” informationarguing that it was designed todiscredit Buhari over his positionon 2015.

As he put it, “we know that thisis the handiwork of the PDP-sponsored detractors of theprogress of the great party.

“We, the Federal and statelegislators from Katsina state onthe platform of the CPC are solidlybehind the leader of our party,Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, andthe legally constituted nationalexecutive leadership of the party.

“We view the action of thisrenegade CPC group as malicious,mischievous and ultimatelytargeted at our leader, Gen.Muhammadu Buhari and wetherefore condemn their action asabhorrent, illegal and of noconsequence whatsoever.

From Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

By Abdulwahab Isa

By Josephine Ella

Sultan blamespoliticians for Tiv/Fulani violenceFrom Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

The Sultan of Sokoto HisEminence Sa’ad Abubakar,has accused politicians of

fueling the Tiv farmers/Fulaniherdsmen crisis that has led thedeath of hundreds of persons anddestruction of properties.

The Sultan, who made thisaccusation at the weekend duringa peace meeting held in Makurdito resolve the feud, maintainedthat there are political issues andundertones about the crisis.

He noted that it requiresproactive steps and political willin tackling the impasse which hasraged for many decades.

His eminence warned againstblame trading over the issues thatoften sparked off the crisis advisingthat focus should be on how toresolve the crisis.

The meeting which wasattended by the leadership of theMiyetti Allah Cattle BreedersAssociation, the Tor TivOchivirgh Dr. Alfred AkaweTorkula, Tiv Cultural Associationin Taraba state, the catholicchurch, and the Anglican

Communion later went into aclosed-door session that lasted forover eight hours.

At the end, it was resolved thatboth groups should henceforthcease fire and demobilise theirmilitias at the bordercommunities and desist fromcarrying arms while securityagencies from both Benue andNasarawa states are to undertakea fact-finding operation to identifypossible camps of militia with theview to dislodging same and tohenceforth be proactive in theiroperations to avoid thereoccurrence of conflict.

The Communiqué which wasjointly signed by the secretaries tothe governments of Benue andNasarawa states, Dr. David Salifuand Hamza Elayo Mohammed,called on the Federal Governmentand the National Assembly to as amatter of urgency provide grazingareas for cattle as well as animaltracks to reduce the incidence ofconflict between herdsmen andfarmers.

Themeeting emphasized theneed for dialogue by all the politicaland traditional leaders to create

better understanding of the issues.During the meeting, a

committee of three traditionalrulers from the bordercommunities in Benue andNasarawa respectively, includingTer Nagi, Ter Guma and TerMakurdi (Benue) and the chiefs ofKwandare, Adudu and Akpanajawas constituted and directed tomeet soon to work out details ofimplementing the resolutionsreached at the meeting.

It called on Governors of Benueand Nasarawa states to receive thereport of an earlier committee setup on the crisis on Wednesday30th May, 2012 at Yelewat evenas the Sultan’s Committee onfarmers’ clashes with Fulaniherdsmen was urged to resumesitting and submit its report to theSultan as soon as possible.

Both groups agreed that cattlerustling by Tiv youths shallhenceforth be considered acriminal offence and treated assuch. Similarly, Fulani herdsmenwere told to desist from taking lawsinto their hands but should reporttheir grievances to their hosttraditional rulers.


Senate moves to help Nigerians in trouble abroad

Reprieve may be underwayfor thousands of Nigerianslanguishing in jails abroad

as the Senate Committee onForeign Affairs has initiated high-level discussions with foreignmissions with the view to securethe freedom of those found to beinnocent.

Chairman of the committee,Senator Mathew Nwagwu, whodisclosed this at the weekend,however asked Nigerians abroadto steer clear of trouble as thecountry will not back any citizeninvolved in criminal activitiesabroad.

Nwagwu said the committeewas holding talks with the foreignmissions to help

innocent Nigerians that arealready in trouble in foreigncountries.

"Every Nigerian should be anambassador of the country. Wewill find a way of helping thosewho are innocent. We shouldnot travel abroad purposely toengage in drug or otherrelated offences", he said.

Already, the committee, is

By Richard Ihediwa

Governor Abiola Ajimobi ofOyo state has praisedtraditional rulers in the

state for their support to hisadministration, pledging toaccord them respect andrecognition.

The governor gave the pledgeat the weekend while speaking atthe formal presentation of a bookcommemorating the 86thbirthday of the Soun of Ogbomoso,Oba Jimoh Oladunni Oyewumi,Ajagungbade III in Ogbomoso.

The book - "The MerchantPrince and the Monarch'', tracesthe historical development ofOgbomoso from its earlybeginning in the second half of theseventh century to the modernperiod.

He said that the monarchssupport and cooperation hadhelped tremendously in thedischarge of his duties, fulfilmentof his electioneering promises.

The governor described theSoun as a quintessential monarch,an accomplish Nigerian and anexceptional entrepreneur as wellas an epitome of royalty.

"I find him to be not only ahardworking individual but alsoa perfectionist,'' he remarked.

I'll continue torespect traditionalinstitution -Ajimobi

Ogun state Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun (middle) presenting free school bag to one of the students of public school in the statein commemoration of the 2012 Children's Day, yesterdayat the M.K.O Abiola International Stadium, in Abeokuta.

working with the Nigerianambassadors abroad to holdregular discussions withNigerians with a view toencouraging them to engagein lawful ventures ratherthan drugs or other relatedvices.

The intervention is in keepingwith renewed governmentcampaign to shore up the negative

image of the country abroad. Nwagwu spoke to reporters

at the reception and awardceremony organised by theOkigwe zonal meeting, Abuja tohonour of him and other selectdignitaries from the area.

Others honoured at the eventinclude a member of the House ofRepresentatives, Rep ChudiUwazurike.

5 students arrested with charms on Children’s Day

Ogun state command ofNational Security and CivilDefence Corps (NSCDC),

yesterday arrested five secondaryschool students at the MoshoodAbiola International Stadium,Abeokuta, venue of the Children'sDay celebration for possessingcharms and other dangerousweapons including assorted wines.

The arrested culprits adornedin school uniforms were caught bythe operatives just as studentswere trooping into the stadium in

preparation for the annual event.Their ages range between 14 and17 years.

Peoples Daily reports furtherthat, four of the deviants are saidto be students of Rev KutiGrammar School while one isfrom Lantoro High School inAbeokuta.

The culprits could not offerconvincing explanation on thecharms and other items uponinterrogation and had to bewhisked away for more drillingat the NSCDC headquarters atOke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

When contacted, Public

Relations Officer of NSCDC,Olanrewaju Kareem, confirmedthe crime and arrest of thestudents, pointing out that theywere being interrogated at thetime of filing this reports.

His words: "One of them isfrom Lantoro High School, whilethe other four are from Rev KutiGrammar School, Abeokuta.From investigations conductedso far, they may likely becultists, but investigation is stillon going and we are equallyworking in conjunction withMinistry of Education to get ridof crimes from students".

From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

The chairman, SenateCommittee on Security,Senator Muhammadu

Magoro, has identified traditionalrulers as the best solution to theinsecurity facing some parts of thecountry.

He stated this at the weekend inBirnin Kebbi at the public presentationand book on ''Traditional Titles inNorthern Nigeria'' written by SaniSami, the Emir of Zuru. N29.3millionwas realised at the occasion.

He noted that the roles played bythe traditional rulers in the past werebeen disregarded, saying '' traditionalrulers were the vanguards of thesociety, they gave village headdirectives to perform some of thegovernment activities, they were justlike policemen then''.

Magoro who was the chairman ofthe occasion, said there was need toreturn to the values of our formerleaders who had good intensions inmoving the country forward,lamenting over the level of insecurityin the country most especially in thenorth.

He said members of the NationalAssembly are working had to ensurepeace and harmony in the country. ''Ipromise you that the perpetrators willbe fished out very soon and the truthof the matter have started coming out'',he said.

Also speaking at the occasion, theformer Minister of Federal CapitalTerritory, Senator Adamu Alierowho donated N2.7 million,commended the emir for writingthe historical book.

Senator Aliero said, for the pastfour years, he has not beenattending any public functions dueto some circumstances butpromised to grace more functions.'' The past has gone, let us join handstogether and move the stateforward, I'm back for good'', he said.

In his speech, the author andEmir of Zuru, said that he wouldbe happy whenever the roles andinnumerable contributions oftraditional rulers are recognizedand appreciated by thegovernment and the public.However, he said, "at peace times,their roles and palaces seem to beforgotten'' .

The emir lamented thatmonarchs "are only relevant whenthe peace and stability of the nationwas threatened or when members ofthe public want traditionalappointments or titles to add to theircurriculum vitae".

Traditional rulershave solution toinsecurity inNigeria, saysMagoroFrom Ahmed Idris Brinin Kebbi

The Nasarawa statecommand of the NigeriaSecurity and Civil Defence

Corps (NSCDC), has arrested afather and his son for allegedlyheading a car snatching syndicate,with six other suspects still at large.

Revealing this to journalistsyesterday in Lafia, Soji Alabi, PublicRelations Officer of the command,who stood in for the commandant,Nweze Emmanuel Okemini, statedthat the corps effected the arrest inKarshi development area, stressingthat the suspects specialise insnatching cars in the Federal CapitalTerritory (FCT) and its environs.

The two suspects, BalaMohammed and his son, BalaMohammed (Jnr.) confessed that

between January to date, they havebought about 30 stolen cars.

Throwing more light over thearrest, he said, "One of the suspects,Mohammed Bala (son) was arrestedon the 22nd of May 2012 at about1200 hours while trying todismember an already stolen NissanSunny car with Lagos registrationnumber DP 362 LND. The arrestwas made possible by the vigilantintelligence officers of the Corps."

The commandant said thearrest of the son led to the arrest ofthe father, Bala Mohammed, amiddle aged man from Kware localgovernment area of Sokoto stateand "six others now at large for theirinvolvement in car snatching andother related crimes in the FCT andits environ."

Okemini further said, "The

suspect also confessed to the crimethat he has bought more than 30of such stolen vehicles this year atprices ranging from N20, 000 toN30, 000 for a complete vehicle.

According to him, "theyusually go for cars that are in highdemand like Toyota Camry andHonda cars"

"Preliminary investigationsrevealed that the principalsuspect Bala Mohammedspecialises in buying stolenvehicles from vehicle snatchers inAbuja and its environs. He willthen break the vehicles into piecesand sell the parts so that no traceof the vehicle can be found", heexplained.

He disclosed that the syndicateleader runs a warehouse inKuchinkawo in Karu LGA.

Civil Defence arrests two car snatchers, six others at largeFrom Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

From Dimeji Kayode-AdedejiAbeokuta


Democracy Day: NASS Clerk demandsstrict compliance with legislation

Ahead of Tuesday’sDemocracy Dayanniversary, the Clerk

of the National Assembly,

Salisu Maikasuwa, has urgedthe legislature at the federaland state levels to set upprocesses that will ensurestrict compliance tolegislations so as to guarantee

the delivery of democracydividends to Nigerians acrossthe country.

Maikasuwa who stated thiswhile delivering an address atthe Conference on Democracy

By Richard Ihediwa

Bar indicted Senators, Reps fromsittings – Tapgun

Former Plateau stategovernor, FidelisTapgun, has said National

Assembly members facingcorruption charges should not beallowed to attend sittings of theSenate and the House ofRepresentatives.

“One note the constitutionalprovision that deems an accusedas innocent until proven guilty,but senators and members of theHouse of Representatives withcorrupt charges on their necksshould first clear them.

“It is the only way to prove tothe world, especially theirconstituencies, that they arerespectable and honourablemembers that can make lawsthat will rid the nation ofcorruption which we all agree isthe nation’s worst vice”, Tapgunsaid in Jos.

“It is nauseating when yousee a senator in the morningsweating in court for allegedlyembezzling billions of naira whileserving as governor, and laterin the afternoon you see the same

man sitting with other senatorsin the chambers.

“Once that fellow raises hishand to speak, you get a feelingthat he is a common criminaland cannot have anythinguseful to contribute,’’ he told theNews Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Tapgun, who at varioustimes served as minister ofindustries and Nigeria’sambassador to Kenya, describedcorruption and greed asNigeria’s worst problems, andcalled on leaders to “demonstrateseriousness”, in tackling them.

“Governments at all levelsshould do more to fight the twinmenace. People caught should bedealt with severely. We havebeen too mild with corrupt peopleand that is why the situation isgetting worse every day.

“A lot of former governorshave been charged with massivetheft and embezzlement, butthey keep buying their waythrough.

“They are normally so surethey can find their way and even

and Development, organisedby Nasarawa state University,Keffi, noted that there is anexus between democracy anddevelopment adding that thiscan be achieved when there areinstitutionalised processes thatensures inclusion,transparency andaccountability in governance.

He said democracy musttend towards development andthat this can only beguaranteed if there is atransparent system in whicheveryone in the society is given

brag daily about the helplessnessof the law”.

He said these vices had keptNigeria perpetually on its knees,and declared that corruptionand greed were the main threatto the nation’s democracy.

Tapgun called for thestrengthening ofexisting structures to effectivelytackle the challenges in thenation’s development processes,noting that most institutionswere too weak to respond to thechallenges.

The former governor,however, said that Nigeria’sdemocracy was on track in spiteof the noticeable shortcomings.

“Nigeria’s democracy is onthe right path in spite ofdistractions here and there. Theissues we are facing now arephases that will give way togreatness.

“We must note that themodel we are copying did notattain its height in just 13 yearsof democracy. I am optimisticthat we shall get there if weremain focus and committed togrowth, stability anddevelopment”. (NAN)

Acting Secretary General ofthe Nigeria LabourCongress (NLC) Comrade

Owei Lakemfa has been removedfrom his position; no officialstatement has been made on thisdevelopment.

However, investigationsrevealed that Lakemfa has beenreplaced by Chris Uyot who isexpected to serve as actingsecretary general pendingfurther instructions.

It would be recalled thatLakemfa became acting secretarygeneral on the heels of thecontroversial sacking of JohnOdah as secretary general. Odahis in court seeking redress.

By Muhammad Nasir

L-R: Former Minister of State for Education, Hajiya Aishatu Dukku, presenting Best Legislator Award onFemale Agenda to chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Education, Hon. Farouk Lawan,during Tozali Magazine’s 5th anniversary and awards night, at the weekend in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Lakemfa may have run intotrouble over a recent statementhe issued which some insiders saidwas beyond his brief.

In what appears to confirmreports of disquiet over Lakemfa’sstatement, NLC presidentAbdulwaheed Omar in astatement on Saturday which didnot mention Lakemfa, said arecent media war emerged as areaction to a statement purportedto be issued by the congress.

Omar added, “Congress notedthat at no time was there a decisionto engage any of the affiliateunions of the NLC, including greatunions like NASU and (NUHPSW)in unnecessary media exchangesand war of attrition over issuesthat are purely internal and

Lakemfa dropped as NLC actingsecretary general, Uyot takes over

the opportunity to partake indecision making as well as topartake in the consummationof such choice, a situationwhich, he said can only beachieved through strictadherence to the rule of law.

Stating that the legislaturemust do all it takes to ensurestrict compliance tolegislations, Maikasuwa said:“Our legislature should (as itincreasingly does), not onlyenact legislations but to ensurestrict compliances with thespirit and letters of suchenactments in an openinclusive and accountablemanner. From this perspective,we will further our effortstowards establishing the nexusbetween democracy anddevelopment.”

The Director-General of theNational OrientationAgency, Mr. Mike Omeri has

called on highly placed Nigeriansto pay more attentionto the mentoring ofthe youthalong productive lines, stressingthat if the nation must have asecure future, there is noalternative to proper up bringing.

Omeri, made this call whileaddressing students of the FederalGovernment Boys College (FGBC),Garki, Abuja, where he was a guestspeaker at the yearly mentoringforum of the school. He charged theyouth to identify and adoptresponsible roles models as amotivation towards the realisationof their dreams.

A statement issued by the Chief

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam Press Secretary in the agency, PaulOdenyi, advised the youth todisabuse their minds fromdependence on godfathers, notingthat the era of such was over inNigeria. “The choices we make inlife will shape our future. As youngpeople, don’t ever say something isnot possible”.

On his part, the principal of theschool, Mr. Stephen Chega said thementoring programme organisedby the Explorers Book and ReadersClubs of the school in partnershipwith the NOA, was aimed atrestoring, sustaining andpromoting good culture and valuesamong the youth. He said thepartnership became necessaryconsidering the direct relevance ofNOA as an attitude moldingagency to the task of raising futureleaders for the nation.

NOA boss tasks leaders onyouth mentoring

A Federal High Court sittingin Ikoyi, Lagos, presidedover by Justice Charles

Achibong, has fixed June15,2012, for hearing of the N5bill ion suit instituted againstthe Lagos state government bythree suspects discharged bycourt over complicity in themurder of Pa Alfred Rewane in19 95 .

The plaintiffs, LuckyIgbinovia, Effiong Elemu andElvis Erenuwa, dragged thestate government and the policeto court asking forcompensation over their allegedincarceration before the court

From Francis Iwuchukwu, Lagos set them free last year.The trio of Igbinovia, Elemu

and Erenuwa were arrested in1995 and charged alongsideothers in 1996 for allegedcomplicity in the killing of elderstatesman, Pa Alfred Rewane.

They were howeverdischarged by the state HighCourt last year due to lack ofdiligent prosecution.

After regaining theirfreedom, they (plaintiffs)approached the court prayingit to declare that “the rolesplayed by the government forover 15 years were oppressive,wicked, malicious and an abuseof powers and outrageousdisregard of the law”.

Pa Rewane: Freed suspectsdemand N5 billion compensation

clearly surmountable...”Efforts to reach the labour

leaders over the controversyyesterday were aborted as theNLC boss told our reporter he wasin a meeting, while comradeLakemfa could not be reached forhis reaction over thedevelopment.


Former Inspector-General ofPolice, Mr. SundayEhindero, says the creation

of state police will lead toeventual disintegration ofNigeria.

He said this in a lecture at aretreat of the House ofRepresentatives' Ad HocCommittee on the review of the

1999 constitution in PortHarcourt.

Ehindero said that allowingthe states to control the policewould lead to anarchy because ofexisting issues among some statesand regions in the country.

He said states would betempted to use the police underits control to address their

interests instead of nationalinterests.

"It will take us back to the daysof ethnic militia, some issues havebeen handled with dialoguebecause the police is seen as thatof all Nigerians".

The former police boss saidthat security was more likedevelopment and should be the job

From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

of everybody and not just physicalprotection as offered by the police.

"Security is development,issues such as education,healthcare and other servicesmust be tackled as a way of havingsecurity".

Also, a Senior Lecturer atBayero University, Kano, Dr.Mohammed Umar, said thatsecurity meant a lot more thanprovision of arms andammunitions to the police.

He said the problem with thepolice in Nigeria was borne out of

State police an invitation to secession, says Ehindero

Socio-Economic Rights andAccountability Project(SERAP), yesterday,

charged the Attorney General ofthe Federation and JusticeMinister, Mohammed Adoke, toensure that the FederalGovernment complies with thejudgment delivered by theECOWAS Court of Justice on theright of Nigerian children to free,qualitative and compulsory basiceducation without further delay.

SERAP threatened that:"Should the government fail orneglect to fully and effectivelyimplement the judgment withintwo weeks of the receipt and/orpublication of this letter, we willseek sanctions against thegovernment pursuant to Article24 of the SupplementaryProtocol of the ECOWAS Court ofJustice, and Article 77 of theECOWAS Treaty."

The group in a letter dated,May 25, 2012 and signed by itssolicitors, Femi Falana reads inpart: "Since the judgment wasdelivered in November 2010, thegovernment has neither

acknowledged the judgment nortaken steps to implement theletter and spirit of the judgment.

"Since the judgment wasdelivered, more than 12 millionNigerian children of school agestill roam the streets and haveno access to primary education;115 million adults are illiterate.

"The UBEC also confirmedthat several states have failed toprovide the counterpart fundsto access over N30 billion ofthe UBEC funds, whichremain unspent to date.

"While senior governmentofficials send their children toschools abroad, poor childrencontinue to be denied access toquality primary education inthe country.

"The lack of real tools forpoor children to fight the cyclethat plagues their familiesand villages, make themmore susceptib le tomanipulation andvictimisation by pol iticalleaders who seek publ icpositions at all costs forpersonal enrichment.

"Without access to qualityeducation, our chi ldrencannot have the chance to endthe cycle of poverty, disease,abuse, manipulation,victimization, and violence.

"We believe that by thejudgment, the government isrequired to review theeffect iveness of the ex istingdomest ic legal and

From Francis Iwuchukwu, Lagos

Children’s Day: SERAP threatenssanction against FG over judgment

the view to resolving the crisesin the country.

Dankwambo, who stated thiswhile speaking with journalistsin Gombe, shortly after thegrand reception organised by thepeople of the state to welcomehim back from the Lesser Hajj(Umrah) in Saudi Arabia, saidthat only dialogue with

Jama'atul Ahalu SunnahLiddawa'ati wal Jihad known asBoko Haram and other militantgroups would ensure peace anddevelopment in the country.

He pointed out that dialogueis best option for the resolutionof any crisis, adding that "anyperson who engages in any acthas a reason for doing so. It is

good to always know the grudgesof somebody before you takemeasures to resolve it".

He said that any group thathave problem, with governmentit is good to know what theproblem is so that the issue canbe resolved and leader hasresponsibility to ensure justiceby listening to all complaints.

Dankwambo wants FG to dialogue with all militant groups

The proper academicpursuit envisaged by thefounding fathers and

stakeholders of Kogi StateUniversity, Anyigba, may havebeen thwarted by theencroachment of admissionirregularities which havecropped up in the institution.

Many said the worst was thelast admission execise wherethose who qualified were droppedfor those who had godfathers, apractice which they noted wasnot obtainable under immediatepast Vice Chancellor, Prof.Francis Idachaba.

It was gathered that theadmission policy into thevarsity has now glaringly beenreduced to negotiation, whilethose qualified but who havenobody to back them up missout.

One victim, Innocent Adanu,

told our correspondent atAnyigba that it was not like thisunder Prof Idachaba who wasvery strict and did not allowpoliticians to pollute theacademic standard, by bringingin those who were not qualified.

A senior lecturer with theuniversity, who cravedanonymity, told our reporter inLokoja that most academic staffmembers of the school were fedup of the situation created in theacademic environment by theVC, Prof Hassan Isah, notingthat things have changed for theworst.

He further stated that despiteall the complaints about theirregularities going on in theschool, the VC prefers listeningto the sycophants thanaddressing the issue, stressingthat some would collect anundisclosed amount and offeradmission to non qualifiedcandidates.

Admission controversyrocks Kogi varsity

Air Commodore Sulaiman Dambo (right), receiving his graduation certificate from Air War College,Maxwell Air Force Base, recently in Montgomery, Alabama, United States of America (USA).

const itut ional remedies forthe enforcement of thehuman right to education,and to take steps to addressstructura l or generaldeficiencies in national law orpractice .

"We note that Article 15(4)of the ECOWAS Treaty makesthe judgment of the courtbinding on member states,including Nigeria.

"Also, Article 19(2) of the1991 Protocol provides thatthe decisions of the court shallbe final and immediate lyenforceable.

The organisation thereforeasked the FederalGovernment to among others,"Publicly acknowledge and

welcome the ECOWAS courtright to education judgment,and to express yourgovernment's commitment tocomplying fully and effectivelywith the judgment.

It would be recalled thatfollowing a case institutedagainst the Federal Government,the ECOWAS Community Courtof Justice in November 2010delivered a landmark judgmentrequiring the government toprovide as of right, free, quality,and compulsory basic educationto every Nigerian child.

The suit had alleged violationof the right to quality education,the right to dignity, the right ofpeoples to their wealth andnatural resources and toeconomic and social developmentguaranteed by Articles 1, 2, 17,21 and 22 of the African Charteron Human and Peoples' Rights.

The court ordered the FG tomake adequate provisions for thecompulsory and free education ofevery child forthwith.

From Auwal Ahmad, Gombe

Gombe state governor,Alhaji IbrahimDankwambo has called

on the Federal Government todialogue with the Jama'atulAhalis Sunnah Liddawa'ati walJihad, known as Boko Haramand other militant groups with

system failure and did notrequire constitutionalamendment to correct.

"Everything cannot beachieved throughconstitutional review, morearms is not the issue, moreintelligence is, more effectiveoversight of the system is".

Umar urged the House ofRepresentatives to be careful inundertaking the on-goingreview exercise, adding that"any mistake could mean aproblem". (NAN)


Part-time programmes contribute tofalling standard of education, says NUC

giving us a bad name; we havestudents who go through the back-door to earn certificates ofuniversities that have reputation.

"If the University of Benin has25,000 students as regularstudents and 23,000 as part-timestudents. You can't possibly putyour eyes on those 23,000; it is notgoing to happen".

Okojie stated that thereputations of universities had beentainted because of the part-timeprogrammes, usually run forfinancial benefits.

He said, however, that a

mechanism was being put in placeto upgrade such programmes andto allow for effective monitoring ofthe courses offered throughdistance learning.

According to him, the NUC hasalready accredited the first 42programmes, under the DistanceLearning programme.

"We have been moderatingthem; they started with all sortsof programmes with theundergraduates, but they couldnot cope with the study centres",he said.

Okojie also told NAN that the

rationale behind the setting ofnine new federal universities wasto make varsity education moreaccessible.

It would also help indeveloping the states in which theinstitutions were sited, he added.

"The nine planned institutionsare in the states where we do nothave any federal university.

For instance, we have yet toestablish universities in Yobe,Zamfara and other states".

The NUC executive secretarysaid the idea of setting up moreuniversities was in line with

President Goodluck Jonathan'stransformation agenda as it wasthe first time in many yearsthat brand new universitieswere being established.

"This is the first time thatgovernment is thinking ofestablishing new universitieswhich is a deviation from theusual way of convertingcolleges of education touniversities".

Okojie, however, agreed that alot of effort was needed to improveand build a stronger institutionalframework in the sector. (NAN)

A former chairman of theNigeria Bar Association(NBA), Kwara state chapter,

Barrister Salma Jawondo, has advisedPresident Goodluck Jonathan andother eminent members of the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) not ot playpolitics with the reinstatement of thesupended President of the Court ofAppeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami,

noting that they would be consumedif care was not taken.

Jawonko, who stated this inIlorin in an interview with ourreporter, said that the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation,Mohammed Bello Adoke was notsincere on the matter by not counselingthe presidency on the right thing. Healleged that the AGF was behavinglike a "PDP lawyer".

"The case of Justice Ayo Salami is

a disgrace to Nigerians. He wassuspended despite that he had filed acase in competent court. Yet he wassuspended by President Jonathan.The same NJC realised its mistake andtook another decision by reinstatinghim. But few member of the rulingpower were asked to go to court tochallenge him. Then, the presidency,through the AGF says a responsiblegovernment would not implementsuch recommendation while a case

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin has been filed against hisreinstatement.

"He is saying that the samegovernment was not responsible whenhe suspended him despite Justice AyoSalami had filed a case in the courtthat the Presidency lack power tosuspend him? The question now iswhat was the AGF doing when thesame government went ahead tosuspend Justice Salami while therewas case in the court"?

While warning presidency on theimplication of prolonging thereinstatement of Justice Salami,Jawondo said those involved wouldbe consumed.

"My advice to those people whobelieve they have attained the heightsis that if they believe that when theyfinish destroying Nigeria, they wouldgo scot free is that they are playingwith fire. Nigerians will rise and dealwith them, they will be consumed.

Those obstructing Salami’s reinstatement will be consumed - ex NBA boss

Jigawa police to deploy 800 officersfor Democracy Day celebrations

The National Association ofResident Doctors (NARD),has directed all its

members nationwide toembark on a three-daywarning strike to sympathisewith their colleagues recentlysacked by the Lagos stategovernment.

NARD, an association ofmedical doctors in all theUniversity Teaching Hospitalsacross Nigeria after a congressmeeting at the weekendplanned to embark on awarning strike this week shouldthe crisis between the Lagosstate government and thesacked doctors not be resolved.

NARD president, Dr. T.J.Achonwa said the warningstrike shall begin on Thursdayand last till Saturday.

Achonwa directed all theresident doctors to stay off theirjobs in the teaching hospitals allover Nigeria in those three daysif the crisis in Lagos state healthsector continues till Thursday.

President of the associationat the Lagos State UniversityTeaching Hospital, Dr. SaheedBabajide, said the associationalso concluded that if the crisisis not resolved after thewarning strike, it will triggeran indefinite strike by allresident doctors.


Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Most Reverend John Onaiyekan (right), administering sacrament of confirmation to Catholic faithful,yesterday to mark Pentecost Sunday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Poor quality of graduates ofpart-time programmes inuniversities is partly

responsible for the decay in Nigeria'seducation sector, says Prof. JuliusOkojie, Executive Secretary of theNational Universities Commission.

Okojie told the News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abujathat activities of institutions offeringpart-time programmes weregiving the education sector a badimage and raising questions on thequality of graduates produced.

"I have hope for this educationin this system here, but what isspoiling it; we have to rationalise.

"The part-time programme is

Doctors plannationwidesympathy strikewith sackedLagoscolleagues

The Jigawa stateCommissioner of Police,Mr. Kayode Theophilus,

said the command has concludedarrangements to deploy over 800combat ready police officers toman the Aminu Kano Triangle,venue of tomorrow's DemocracyDay celebration.

The commissioner statedthat the police amongst itsconstitutional responsibilitymust ensure that the celebrationis carried out without any

From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse circumstance of infringementsupon the rights of the people thatwould grace the occasion.

Mr. Theophilus declared thatthe police would collaborate withother security operatives toensure that no one gets hurt orabused while the exercise lasts.

The commissioner whostated this over the weekendwhile speaking to newsmen inDutse, the state capital, notedthat his actions are in line withthe effort of the Inspector Generalof Police to restore the image ofthe police.

A Chief Magistrate Court inBenue state headed by DanOgo has discharged and

acquitted a kindred head, ChiefJoseph Toko Zumbe of MbagurMbadede council ward of Vandeikyalocal government who is alleged tohave killed a young man for sleepingwith his wife.

It was gathered that ChiefZumbe in conspiracy with his son,Toryila, murdered one TerhembaAkighir whom he caught makinglove with one of his six wives and

dumped his body behind his house.The chief was said to have

reported to the police that he found acorpse behind his house though policeinvestigation later revealed that heactually killed the young man.

But when the matter came up,counsel to Chief Zumbe, Barr. TimDim brought a motion that the casebe struck out for want of diligentprosecution which the legal adviserto the Ministry of Justice did notoppose.

Consequently, the presidingmagistrate struck out the case onthe same grounds.

Magistrate’s court acquits kindredhead over murder chargeFrom Uche Nnorom, Makurdi


The election tribunal Nigerians wantThe federal government last

Wednesday announced thata special tribunal would be

set up to try those who inciteviolence during and after elections.The decision was taken at theweekly meeting of the FederalExecutive Council, usually presidedover by President GoodluckJonathan.

The setting up of the tribunal isthe first step taken by thegovernment to implement its whitepaper on the recommendation ofthe Sheik Lemu Committee thatinvestigated last year’s post-election violence in some northernstates. Making the announcement,the Minister of Information, Mr.Labaran Maku said: “The FederalExecutive Council, in reviewingwhat happened and indeed themerit of this recommendation,accepted this proposition toestablish a special tribunal to tryelection offences in the country.This, we believe, will make itpossible for speedy dispensation ofjustice.

“It will also ensure that all thosewho take liberty to spread violence,to cause mayhem in elections inthis country are not only brought tobook but that the judicial process totry them should be such that will bequick and orderly in thedispensation of justice.’’

Maku also said that the Councilapproved the banning of youthgroups set up by political officeholders and used as militiasduring elections. According to him,

“A special court to tryestablished cases of

electoral fraud, in our view,makes more sense than the

one the government hasopted for. Violence occurringduring voting, and especiallyafter results are announced,is a reaction to vote rigging

as the 2011 debacle showed

the Attorney-General of theFederation and Minister of Justicehas been directed to liaise with theInspector-General of Police to workout modalities to stamp out suchgroups.

No doubt, the physical destructionand killings that followed the April2011 presidential elections were themost widespread in the history of

elections in the country. Thespontaneity of the violence reflectedthe extent of dissatisfaction with theconduct and outcome of the poll.The federal government’s responsewas the setting up of the LemuPanel, which investigated the“remote and immediate causes” ofthe unprecedented violence andsubmitted its report in record time.But it took the government a longtime to come out with a white paper

and still more time to take aconcrete action. Even then, thegovernment’s somewhat tardyresponse falls far short of theexpectation of the majority ofNigerians, which explains why onlythe President’s party, the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP), foundanything to cheer about.

What most Nigerians want andexpect to see in place is a specialtribunal to try people who rigelections, thereby stealing themandate of Nigerians. This was oneof the cardinal recommendations ofthe Justice Mohammed UwaisElectoral Reform Committee set upby late President Umaru MusaYar’adua. Even the IndependentNational Electoral Commission(INEC), the government-appointedelection umpire, is well in supportof that recommendation.

A special court to try establishedcases of electoral fraud, in our view,makes more sense than the one thegovernment has opted for. Violenceoccurring during voting, andespecially after results areannounced, is a reaction to voterigging as the 2011 debacle showed.Preventing a repeat means takingmeasures to ensure that people’svotes count; it means the outcomemust clearly reflect the people’s will.We fear that the government’sproposed special tribunal to trythose suspected of inciting violencecannot achieve this goal. It is simplyplacing the cart before the horse orlike a doctor treating symptomsrather than the disease.

OUR MISSION OUR PEOPLECHAIRMAN

MALAM WADA MAIDA, OON, FNGE

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

ALI M. ALI

GM PUBLICATIONS

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industry by putting thepeople first, upholdingthe truth, maintaining

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while delivering valueto our stakeholders”

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EDITORIAL


I doubt if President GoodluckJonathan ever bothered toread his inaugural speech after

May 29, 2011. Jonathan, likemost before him, and Governorstoo, probably considers theinaugural speech an academicexercise that should soon bediscarded as soon as it is over.

I doubt, and I am willing to betmy salary on this, whether someof them even keep a copy(ies) oftheir inaugural speech.

I have read several inauguralspeeches by Nigerian governorsand presidents (forgive thesickening way some of thespeeches were crafted) thatovertime I have come to believestrongly that is either they don’tbother to read it once in a whileafterwards or that the pressureand responsibilities of the jobbecome too complicated for theirbrains. If not, how did we findourselves in this situation? Whywould GEJ endlessly bungle thepresidency? We all know, as hesaid, that the problems of Nigeriadid not all start in his time, butwe also know that Osama BinLaden was already a menace tothe US before the Obamapresidency and yet Obama saw tohis crushing. But who am Ikidding? Why should I compareAmerica with Nigeria? One’sleaders apparently lack sense ofduty, the leaders of the other donot. So what is the basis forcomparison? NONE!!!

Despite their no-longer-newsincapabilities, should theNigerian leaders flip throughtheir inaugural speeches once ina while, maybe, just maybethings would have been different?If President Jonathan does it, hewould have by now known that

he has expressly failed Nigeriansand that at the rate he is going, hedoesn’t seem to have any clue asto how to proceed. The so-calledprogress his government dailycelebrates and vociferates aboutthrough Labaran Maku is at bestdescribed as moving round incircles, which is worse thatretrogression (backwardmovement), for in retrogressionthere seems to be a destination, butsustained movement in circleswill certainly, someday, along theline, result in spinning whichcould set us off-balance and makeus collide with unforeseen objects.I doubt if even we are not alreadyin that state. Was Boko Haram’smenace foreseen by our leaders?Clearly, their responses to the sectand their inability to stop it bearall the markings of being caughtoff-guard, like a child who gets tooengrossed in spinning, forgettingthat at the end of it (if he is notcaught by strong arms) a fallawaits him.

Today, I can boldly challengePresident Jonathan to tell me ifhe has any workable blue-print toturn Nigeria around! I know hewill begin to sell histransformational agenda; weknow about that one and it doesn’tseem to be working. GEJ shouldcome out boldly, without theprodding of Ngozi Iweala or Abati’sno-longer-credible words, toexplain if he has any clue about

how to steer Nigeria towardsprogress or if he has the balls tosee it through. We know for a factthat he is not a general as he says,but he cuts the figure of a manoverwhelmed by events aroundhim. Also, his tendency tovacillate makes him appear likea poor and incompetent leader. Ichallenge him to prove to me thatthe decision of my aged grand-father to vote for the once-shoelessOtuoke boy would not be ahistorical mistake! As a Nigerianwho is well aware of his rights andthe provisions of the Freedom ofInformation Act, I challengeJonathan to explain to me if hereally understands thecomplexities of the various policieshe is being spoon-fed with bypeople like Okonjo Iweala!

Towards the end of last year,Labaran Maku, Diezani Madueke,Okonjo Iweala, Sanusi Lamido(just to mention a few) flooded ourpublic life with reasons the fuelsubsidy has to give way. They toldus it was for our own good. Well,as it turned out, it was for theirown good. Almost N3 trillion,according to the House ofRepresentatives probe, wasexpended right under Jonathan’snose as fuel subsidy. Why then thelie that it was only N1.3 trillion?While a waste managementcompany and other money-sucking companies were taskedwith the importation of PMS and

were smiling to the banks,Nigerians like me were groaningunder this Jonathan policy (or isit Iweala’s policy?) Yet, inparagraph 30 of his inauguralspeech, GEJ said: “Fellow citizens,in every decision, I shall alwaysplace the common good before allelse.” Was removal of fuel subsidy,as we now see, for common good?How does punishing the poor forthe greed of the rich amount to acommon good?

He went on: “The bane ofcorruption shall be met by theoverwhelming force of ourcollective determination, to ridour nation of this scourge. Thefight against corruption is a warin which we must all enlist, so thatthe limited resources of this nationwill be used for the growth of ourcommonwealth.” Well, MrPresident, most of the masses havealready enlisted in the war, buthave you? Have members of yourcabinet enlisted in the war? WithAdoke’s initial dilly-dallyingabout the subsidy probe and withyour handing it over to the EFCC,it would seem you also believe, likeyour Attorney-General, that itwas all a fact-finding mission.

Besides my aged maternalgrand-father who voted for you,there was a 103 year old man whoparticipated in the election and acertain Emmanuel BamideleOrevba (mentioned in yourspeech) who, though not a

politician, campaignedvigorously for you and later diedfrom celebrating your victory, avictory he probably thoughtwould bring succour to hischildren and children’s children.But how would he feel in his gravenow? Happy? Disappointed? Whatabout the corps members whoworked tirelessly during theelection only for some of them tolose their lives in the aftermath?We know the surviving ones havebeen repaid with delayedpayment of their allowances.What about the dead ones?Shouldn’t President Jonathanhonour them with a sterlingperformance so that they wouldn’tdie in vain? Was the death of theNigerians who lost their livesduring the fuel subsidy protestsfor a common good? Were thoseprevented from protesting at theGani Fawehinmi Freedom Parktreated so for the Jonathan-implied common good?

Going through Jonathan’sinaugural speech again, I couldnot but conclude that he hasnothing to celebrate in his oneyear in office. Ignore all those on-the-paper achievements beingreeled out by his ministers;Nigerians are not fooled! Except ifthose achievements happenedsomewhere else or all Nigerianstook a vacation and did not knowJonathan has done so much for

Mr. President, pick upyour inaugural speech!

By Dimeji Daniels

Kidnapping: What isOkorocha doing in Imo?

By S.O.C. Okenwa

In Igbo land, kidnapping formoney has become a multi-billion Naira business with

well-organized network. Whenpeople from other ethnic groupsin Nigeria often accuse the Igbosof being too materialistic we oftenrise in defense of our people andtribe but the truth remains thatwith the advent of kidnappingthe Igbos have taken it to anotherterrible level confirming thelong-held view that Igbos lovemaking money by hook or bycrook! When it comes to moneyissues and how to make moneythe average Igboman is notlacking in ideas! Withoutconscience some go to any lenght(including right inside thechurch premises) to either kill formoney or kidnap for same!

Kidnappers and killers havetaken over Imo state and Gov.Okorocha seemed powerless to doanything about it. There is no daythat passes by without horribletale of kidnappers snatchingsomeone especially in Owerri.And the hinterland is worse; withlittle or no security and porousentry and exit points, these weirddrugged boys are going about the‘business’ as if it is now a legal wayof making money. Not long agothese kidnappers had terrorisedAbia state forcing some Abaresidents to flee the city for fearof falling victim of this abhorenttrend. Now people of Imo arerelocating en masse to avoid

being hit by these dangerouscriminals. Yet all we hear fromthe Owerri government house isstoic silence!

The upsurge in kidnapping ofprominent indigenes in the 27local councils that make up thestate raises crucial questionswhich the Imo government is notanswering. Questions like: whoare the brains behind theseabductions? What is thegovernment and police doing tonip it in the bud? Are politiciansin the state using this strategy tointimidate their opponents andrun them out of town?

According to recent reportsmany affluent families haveeither gone into hiding orrelocated to either Lagos orAbuja, far away from home, inorder to be off the radar of themobile hitmen usingsophisticated technologies andweapons that are difficult to traceor arrest!

The tragic case of one PastorAnslem Iwuala is instructivehere. Just recently the man ofGod was nabbed by kidnappers onhis way home in EgberedeNguru, Aboh Mbaise local council

area of Imo State. And afterholding him captive for somedays with his family paying thenegotiated ransom of N500,000the abductors still went aheadand gruesomely killed thepastor/businessman dropping offhis lifeless body somewhere intown for the family to pick up!Who did he offend? Whichbusiness ‘deal’ went wrong?

Dropping off on my way toNigeria (for a weekend) in LomeTogo early last year my goodfriend based there had asked meto accompany him near theborder to see a man of God. Whilethere inside the pastor’s office Imade it known to my friend thatthat part of the city of Lome wasvery cool; you could hear and seeGhanaians (especially littlechildren) playing from the otherside of the barbed-wired fenceborder which is Ghanaianterritory! As the Pastor saidprayers after a brief encounterwe were about to leave when thecar suddenly developed a littlemechanical problem and wedecided to fix it immediatelysince there was a mechanicworkshop very close.

While the mechanic was on itI asked my friend to take mesomewhere for somerefreshment. As a car dealer inLome he knew the city inside out.We took a brief walk down thestreet and saw a provision store.There we ordered for somebuscuits and canned beer.Munching away the buscuit andsipping beer in a cool evening wesoon struck a conversation withan old woman sittingcomfortably close by whom weimagined onwed the shop. Shetold us, as we introducedourselves as Nigerians, that shewas Nigerian too from theYoruba extraction. Another gazeinside the shop and the bigportrait of the footballerEmmanuel Adebayor caught myattention.

Upon inquiry the womandeclared without equivocationthat that was her son playingfootball abroad! It dawned on usthen that we were withAdebayor’s mother! Perhaps toconvince us further she called upAdebayor and spoke with himoffering to pass the phone on tous. We declined of course

convinced she was real. She saidher son Adebayor opened theshop for her and whenever he wasin town he always came there torelax and entertain some friends.Wonders shall never end!

As we drove away from thevicinity towards another part oftown I told my friend that Togowas indeed peaceful and theTogolese less money conscious.International footballerAdebayor’s mother sellingsomewhere in town withoutkidnappers visiting her? If it wereback home, like they did to MikelObi’s father, Adebayor must havepaid millions to free his motherfrom captivity and perhaps hecould have decided that closingthe shop or ‘hiding’ his dearmother away from the publicwas the solution! In my villagein Anambra state that wasexactly what one of my brothersdid when kidnappers nabbed hismother and from Lagos he had tocough out millions of Naira! Theold man and woman are now‘exiled’ in Port Harcourt!

Does Gov. Rochas Okorochaknows something about

Continued on page 15

Continued on page 15


Why increase electricity tariff?

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WRITE TO US

The Nigerian ElectricityPower RegulatoryCommission (NERC)

proposal to increase electricitytariffs from June 1, 2012 hasgenerated hostile receptionfrom stakeholders and consumeradvocacy groups. For some, it isa move to further impoverishthe indigent in our society.With the combined effect of thefuel subsidy probe, oil subsidyremoval and continued powershortages, Nigerians are rightto once again be anxious aboutelectricity tariff increase.

NERC has argued that aboutfifty private independentpower projects have beenlicensed to produce about20,000 megawatts of power inthe near future and that - ifthese plants are not cost-effective - the ultimateinvestors will not invest asexpected.

In as much as Nigerianshave the right to ask the hardquestions, we must not remainoblivious to the underlying

reasons behind the increases.The debate and discussions onthis issue should be devoid ofemotions and legalese.Presently, electricity is sold toconsumers below the short-runand long-runm a r g i n a lcost ofp r o d u c t i o n ;and even them o s trudimentaryunderstandingof basice c o n o m i c sand commonsense dictatesthat this isnot as u s t a i n a b l eb u s i n e s smodel. Quitesimply, ther e f o r mprocess will be a failure ifpotential investors cannot getfair return of their investment,as no investor will be willing toinvest in the sector.

In addition to its economicimpact, under-pricing

electricity precipitates thewasteful usage of electricityand critically impairs theoperating revenues of utilitiescompanies, forcing them toreduce efficiencies and capital

investment, forego essentialmaintenance and to seekgovernment subsidies. Theunwillingness of governmentsto raise tariffs in line with costsdue to the political pressure haslead to power reform failures in

many economies of the world.It should be noted however,that recent tariff increases inmost developing countrieshave been granted on ahaphazard basis to overcome

i m m e d i a t ed i f f i c u l t i e s ,rather than toensure theirl o n g - t e r mf i n a n c i a lequilibrium. Itis my belief thatthe presentincrease isintended toensure long-term financialbalance.

Governmentis faced with thed i c h o t o m o u sdilemma offormulating a

tariff structure to incentivizepower generation anddistribution, on the one hand;and social engineering of themarket through subsidies forthe benefit of the economicallydisadvantaged, on the other.

The crucial question thatstakeholders and consumeradvocates should be askingtherefore is who exactly is a“low-income” consumer? Thisis a difficult question, butexperiential answers may befound in the Brazilian model,which offers important lessonson the impact of energy reformon the electricity consumptionlevels of the poor urban andrural households.

Retaining a degree ofsubsidy to improve access toelectricity service for the pooris justified, in part because ofthe lack of social welfareinfrastructure for distributingincome support to the poor. Theissue therefore is electricitysubsidies or cross subsidies andnot tariff increase per se. Acost-effective tariff system iscritical to the success of powersector reform; as such, NERC’sproposed tariff increasedeserves a chance to succeed.Felix Ayanruoh is a USenergy attorney, licensed inthe state of New York stateand District of Columbia.

The NJC vs Salami – ThePresident’s dilemma (II)

By Ibraheem Abdulmajeed

By Felix Ayanruoh

I would want to believe that theNJC has similar complaint ordispute resolution procedure,

which Justice Salami could havefollowed to raise his grievance, buthe failed to do this. Rather, hepreferred to take his grievanceabout an employment relations tothe press and the public and madeit an all comers affair, for even the‘butcher’ or mechanic (nodisrespect to these professions), whoknow absolutely nothing aboutemployment relations oradministration and the niceties ofthe Law, to comment. I don’t knowmany employers that wouldsupport or be happy for issuesrelating to their company’sbusiness or workplace to be madepublic, like Justice Salami did? Thisis SIN number four.

By now the NJC decided to wadeinto the matter, and wronglytreating it like an issue between twopersonalities, rather than see it asa disciplinary issue of an errantemployee or member. Even afterfinding that he was guilty of GROSSMISCONDUCT, in their ‘wisdom’the NJC tried to give JusticeSalami a soft landing, instead ofwielding the big stick at him. Inemployment parlance, there isonly one verdict for GROSSMISCONDUCT, and that isDISMISSAL. Instead, they offeredhim the opportunity to ‘apologise’,and forget or bury the matter. (Myadvice to anyone coming to the UKor already in the UK, who treatsissues of gross misconduct lightly,should note that it could lead todismissal if proved or found guilty).The stubborn Justice Salami chosein his own ‘wisdom’ to reject theopportunity offered. I believed thatsome people or his sympathisers inthe NJC offered him thisopportunity to give him a ‘softlanding’ and bury the wholematter, in a ‘paddy-paddy way’,like it never happened. They wereseeking to apply the usual

‘Nigerian way’ of covering thingsup.

Justice Salami’s rejection of thissoft landing put the NJC in aprecarious position. They, therefore,had no choice but to write to thePresident to DISMISS HIM(reluctantly, I would add). TheNJC’s action, in my view, wasdishonourable, by seeking to coverup and bury all the SINS of JusticeSalami. What standards were theyseeking to set by trying to give hima soft landing, after finding that heLIED, he committed PERJURY andbrought the Judiciary intoDISREPUTE and OPPROBRIUM? ALIE was enough to dismiss JusticeSalami. But they wanted a ‘paddy-paddy’ or ‘settlement’ approach.

I frown at double-standards ormultiple-standards or the bendingof standards to suit individuals. Ifrown at the Law looking at facesbefore it is administered. I frown atpeople giving preferentialtreatment or treating peopledifferently. I believe in one commonstandard for dealing with people orissues. I would have held this sameposition if Justice Musdapher hadsided with Justice Salami andconfirmed that the former CJN wasguilty of undue influence and forcompromising over the Sokoto StateElection Tribunal matter, whichwas the genesis of the entireimbroglio. I would have called forthe head (figuratively speaking) ofthe former CJN and called for hisdismissal, even before he was dueto retire, and his prosecution. Butthat was not the case. Justice Salamiwas found to be the erring one. TheNJC tried to cover up for him and‘settle’ or bury the matter.

I have reserved Justice Salami’s

greatest SIN to last. More thananything else, his role in the OSUN/EKITI States Election Tribunal issueis what irks me the most about allhis SINS. This comes top for me. Thehallmark of Justice is the ability toget fair hearing. The ability forparties to have equal footing orstanding. This is why if a Judge hasany interest whatsoever, whetherpecuniary or otherwise, in a matterbefore his court, he must first discloseit and recuse himself. The Justice orJudge must not hear such a matteror be involved, either directly orremotely, where he has an interest.The Latin maxim, nemo judex incausa sua, which means that noJudge shall be a judge in his ownmatter (cause) or judge a matter inwhich he is a party or has aninterest, is very apt.

In the Osun/Ekiti States ElectionTribunal matter, Justice Salamiwas accused of engaging inclandestine telephonecommunication with the ACNparty chieftains up to the dead ofthe night or the wee hours of themorning before the verdict. The‘Call logs’ were presented in support.The logs showed telephonecommunication exchangesbetween Justice Salami and some‘Partymen’ of the ACN (one of theparties to the case that the ElectionTribunal pronounced a lifechanging decision). The eventualdecision or verdict of the Tribunalwas absurd as it cancelled votes forwhole communities, thusdisenfranchising thosecommunities, and pronounced theACN Party as the winner of theelections. The proper decision wouldhave been to call for a re-run.Anyway, this is besides the point,

and not what this piece is about.The NJC initially indicted

Justice Salami over this issue,when they found him culpable orguilty of gross misconduct, as thiswas one of the issues considered bythe NJC during theirinvestigation. And despite thisvery serious allegation, yet the NJCsought to give Justice Salami a softlanding. This was the height ofcorruption and corrupting theinstitution of the NJC. In any case,and as I stated before, JusticeSalami refused the soft landing,and the NJC had no choice or werenow forced to recommend hisdismissal to the President. ThePresident, quite rightly, andrather than effect the dismissal,chose to suspend Justice Salamiinstead, against therecommendation of the NJC todismiss him, until after all thematters in court have beenexhausted.

The matters are still in thecourts, and they include,hilariously, Justice Salami’schallenge of the authority of theNJC to dismiss him or recommendhis dismissal, claiming that theywere not his employer, eventhough the provisions of theConstitution are clear about theduties, functions and powers of theNJC. If they are not his employer,who then is? If they cannotinvestigate acts of misconductagainst him and discipline him,who can? The contradiction in thisassertion is that if Justice Salamiclaims the NJC is not his employerand therefore, cannot recommendhis dismissal, it means then thatthe same NJC cannot recommendhis reinstatement. The NJC cannot

reprobate and approbate. JusticeSalami cannot also claim that theNJC cannot recommend hisremoval and yet benefit from thedecision of the same NJC to reinstatehim. And until the dispute isresolved in court about who trulyis Justice Salami’s employer, theNJC cannot go back and pronounceor make decisions aboutREINSTATING a person that isdisputing their authority toDISMISS or REINSTATE him. Thisis the dilemma of the President.

Another dilemma of thePresident is what to make of thedecisions by the NJC, which areeffectively two decisions. The firstwas the recommendation made tohim last year, which he haseffected, but instead of dismissJustice Salami, he commuted it tosuspension until the court cases areheard and disposed off or the matterresolved through the courts. Thesecond decision, is the present one,where the same NJC, despite acompetent court of Law being seizedof the matter, disregarded the court(for the second time) and voted‘unanimously’, or rather ‘biasedly’or compromisingly to reinstate thedishonourable Justice. Some peoplewill argue that if the NJC coulddisregard a court’s order to stayproceedings when it recommendedhis sack about a year ago, then theNJC was RIGHT to disregard acourt’s order not to recommend hisreinstatement. Two WRONGShave never and can never make aRIGHT! This is a problem of the NJCand a burden they will continue tocarry.Osi Okponobi, A.R.M can bereached [email protected]


Suswam’s certificate forgery saga andChief Magistrate Hafsat’s connectionThe case of alleged certificate

forgery involving Benuestate Governor, Gabriel

Torwua Suswam, has taken yetanother twist. This time, themagistrate handling one of thenumerous cases in the saga,Hajiya Hafsat Soso Sadiq of ChiefMagistrate’s Court 2, Wuse Zone2, Abuja, has been placed underinvestigation and ordered tohands off the case by Nigeria’sChief Justice Justice, DahiruMusdapher.

The new twist, coming at thebehest of Nigeria’s number onejudicial officer, follows a petition,written against the magistrateby Barrister Alexander Oketa. Inthe petition dated April 23, 2012,and addressed to the Chairman,National Judicial Council,Barrister Oketa raised seriousissues of professional misconductagainst Hajia Hafsat, the trialMagistrate.

It is a case full of ironic anddramatic twists. The Magistratewho had docked Chidozie Ukpabiand three others for allegedcriminal defamation and forgeryis now ‘docked’ by the ChiefJustice of Nigeria. What broughtabout her present travails is heralleged involvement in thespirited efforts by agents ofGabriel Suswam - who took thecase to court in the first instance-to get the same case settled out ofcourt.

In his petition to theChairman, National JudicialCouncil, Barrister Oketa, who isa solicitor for Chidozie Ukpabi,alleged that Hasfat had formedthe unusual habit of phoning hisclient at odd hours, urging himto accept a job and a N20 millionbribe from Suswam so that thecharges against him will bedropped. Ukpabi was alsoallegedly urged to issue a pressstatement saying that hisallegations of certificate forgeryagainst Suswam were promptedby Senator George Akume toblackmail Suswam as part of thedeal to get him out of trouble.

“She told our client that themoney was to be paid to himthrough her and that our clientneeded not worry about beingdouble-crossed. She assured ourclient that she would hand overthe money which she claimedwas already in her possession assoon as our client appends hissignature to the affidavit andmakes the aforesaid pressstatement”, Barrister Oketaalleged.

The petition also features therole played by one Jonah Onche,said to be a close associate ofSuswam. He is said to be afrequent visitor to MagistrateHafsat’s chambers and has beenseen driving out of the court’scomplex. He is alleged to have alsophoned Chidozie with the samemessage as that given byMagistrate Hafsat, between May,

June and July, 2011.“The said Jonah Onche sent

N100,000 to our client’s UnitedBank for Africa bank account no:03920520017593 on the 12thday of July 2011 and instructedhim to meet with him in Abujabut our client sensed danger andrefused to meet him”, the petitionalleged.

To support his allegation thatthe Magistrate was engaged insome unethical conducts inphoning an accused person whowas standing trial before her,Barrister Oketa cited a pressinterview granted to twojournalists of the National Mail bythe Magistrate. In the saidinterview, she is reported to haveadmitted calling Chidozie. Shehowever denied ever making anoffer of N20 million to the accusedperson.

“Because our client refused tocomply, the Chief Magistrate isat the verge of sending him toprison by every conceivablemeans. The Chief magistrate hasengaged herself in severalirregularities and arbitrary,prejudicial and unconstitutionalconducts aimed at jailing theaccused persons”, Oketacontinued.

Attached to the petition is anaffidavit in support of a motionexparte sworn to by Chidozie. Inthe affidavit, Chidozie allegedamong other things that theMagistrate had refused to releaseto him records of proceedings in

her court to enable himchallenge her grotesque rulingsin the case at a superior court.

“Since January 2011, weapplied for records of proceedingsand paid the sum of N15,000 toenable us process our said appealand to furnish His LordshipJustice O.O Goodluck (Mrs) whohad requested for it to enable himdecide on our application for thestay of proceeding….Our Counselhad complained severally inopen court and pleaded with HisWorship to enhance the releaseof the records but she refused todo so”, Chidozie swore.

According to the affidavit,one of the issues they had hopedto appeal against was theunilateral decision by theMagistrate to create anomaliesin the case, by changing theposition of the parties in the case.

“The name and position of theparties in the case was changedfrom Rt. Hon Gabriel Suswam vPower Steering and three othersto COP V Chodozie Ukpabi andthree others,and later to IGP VChidozie Ukpabi and three othersby the learned Chief Magistratewithout an application fromanybody.”

The affidavit also contains acomplaint over the role of apolice officer, Mr. Simon Lough,in the case. He is alleged to havebeen engaged by GabrielSuswam to prosecute the case.The role of this police officer waschallenged by the defense counsel

Kidnapping: What is Okorocha doing in Imo?

since he is a serving officer.Chidozie averred in his affidavitthat the unilateral decision bythe Magistrate to change theparticulars of the case was as aresult of this challenge.

He further swore that a letterfrom The West AfricanExaminations Council dated 9thJune 2011 in response to a policeinvestigation letter confirmed hisallegations of forgery againstSuswam. As a result of thisconfirmation, he swore that“Gabriel Suswam devised severalmeans to perpetually silence andor kill me and prevent me fromdisclosing the secret that henever passed his English andMathematics and did not securehis LLB and BL with any genuineresult.”

The allegations are said tohave sent shock waves to theChief Justice of Nigeria, JusticeDahiru Musdapha. In hiscomments on the allegations, heis reported to have been disturbedabout the avalanche of petitionsagainst Chief Magistrate HafsatSoso. He is also reported to havedemanded an immediateinvestigation of the allegationsraised against her in this case ofcertificate forgery case and manyothers.

Nigeria and the world eagerlyawait the results of thisinvestigation which is said tohave been completed last week.Terfa Tega can be reached [email protected]

kidnapping in Imo state that wedon’t? No one can answer withcertainty in the affirmative fornow, for, there is no concreteevidence linking him to any ofsuch heinous activity. But wemay re-consider our position soon(if he does not declare a state ofemergency and open war on thekidnapping syndicate terrorisingthe state as the chief security

officer of the state) by labellinghim officially as an executivekidnapper masquerading as aChief Executive Officer of thestate.

Nothing is indeed impossibleright now in Nigeria! Not whenthe ‘transformation agenda’ ofthe present politicaldispensation has only succeededin ‘transforming’ Nigeria into ahaven for criminals in high

Mr. President, pick up your inaugural speech!

Continued from page 13

Continued from page 14

places. Not even when ‘Baba’himself, ‘fired’ a salvo fromLagos recently, describing theNational Assembly as populatedby “rogues and armed robbers”!Not when internet scammersand spammers have beenreplaced officially bygovernment functionaries andofficials with everyone trying tooutdo each other in terms of whosteals more and goes free or gets

caught!The present terrifying

situation in Imo state (in whichthe people are being held captiveby roaming gun-toting assassinsand kidnappers) calls into seriousquestion Governor Okorocha’scapacity to continue occupyingthe State House. Owelle RochasAnayo Okorocha’s credibility isat stake here; he risks losing thegoodwill through which he rode

them. Electricity is still bad!Potable water remains a dream!Insecurity is sky-high! What is itthat the Jonathan administrationwould be celebrating? The scoreskilled by Boko Haram? Thedisoriented, hungry and willingbut unemployed Nigerianyouths? The pension scam or itstwin, the subsidy probe roguery?The un-motorable roads?

Oh! We know he didn’t causeall the problems, but he didpromise to fix them! It’s his job tofix them! “The time forlamentation is over. This is theera of transformation. This is thetime for action... Let us all believein a new Nigeria. Let us worktogether to build a great countrythat we will all be proud of. This

is our hour. Fellow Compatriots,lift your gaze towards thehorizon. Look ahead and you willsee a great future that we cansecure with unity, hard work andcollective sacrifice. Join me nowas we begin the journey oftransforming Nigeria. I willcontinue to fight, for your future,because I am one of you. I willcontinue to fight, for improvedmedical care for all our citizens. Iwill continue to fight for allcitizens to have access to firstclass education. I will continue tofight for electricity to be availableto all our citizens. I will continueto fight for an efficient andaffordable public transportsystem for all our people. I willcontinue to fight for jobs to becreated through productive

partnerships. You have trustedme with your mandate,and I willnever, never let you down. I knowyour pain, because I have beenthere. Look beyond the hardshipyou have endured. See a newbeginning;a new direction;a newspirit. Nigerians, I want you tostart to dream again. What yousee in your dreams, we canachieve together,” so he declaredin his inaugural speech, only thatwe don’t see him fighting. Oh yes!We believe in a new Nigeria, butMr President has not given usmuch to believe in. Just ficklepromises! Those are wearing usoff!!! And Nigerians have risenfrom their dreams. Never againwill they be sent to the dreamlandof lies and clueless leadership! Webelieve in dreams, but not here,

not now. And we believe in Godalso, but Mr President shouldstop pushing everything to God.If he fails, only he and he alone(not God) would be blamed. Godhas brought him from Otuokevillage to Aso Rock in Abuja; it’stime for him to impress God!

Rather than work to makeNigeria better, his supporterskeep disturbing us in a mosquitosound-like way with his eligibilityto contest in 2015 and this isalready tearing the countryapart contrary to another of hispromises in his inaugural speech.He declared: “We will not allowanyone exploit differences increed or tongue, to set us oneagainst another.” Well, MrPresident, your campaigners anddefenders (whether self-

appointed or not) are alreadytearing us apart andunnecessarily hitting up thepolity, all for an irrelevantambition that may never see thelight of day.

Wake up, GEJ! Wake up, MrPresident!!! Time waits not foryou. Soon your administrationwill become history. What willhistory and Nigerians rememberyou for? Pick up a copy of yourinaugural speech and read itagain! You would discover thatyour government is not evencrawling; it is dragging itsbuttocks on the ground like acrippled. Pick up your inauguralspeech and get on the righttrack!!!Dimeji Daniels writes fromAdo in Ekiti State.

By Terfa Tega

to power, unless he lives up to hisresponsibility and finds urgentsolution to the Imo security crisis.The Imo people never had it sobad even in the scandalous yearsof Ohakim. And the grim realityof harbouring professionalkidnappers and killers in theirmidst must rankle every sanemind!Okenwa can be reached [email protected]


Children’s Day: FCT pupils, teachers appealfor safe drinking water, sanitation facilitiesSome pupils and teachers in

the Federal CapitalTerritory on Sunday

appealed to the local educationauthorities, area councils andthe FCT Administrationto provide adequate water andsanitation facilities in schools.

They made the call in aninterview with the NewsAgency of Nigeria (NAN) whilecommemorating the 2012Children’s Day Celebration inAbuja.

A cross section of the pupilsfrom Garki, Durumi andKubwa, told NAN that lack ofwater facilities affectedlearning in schools.

Master John Artom, a pupilof Model Science Primary SchoolGarki II, said most pupils knewabout good hygienic practices,but lack of the facilities inschools and access to water athome made the practice of thesehabits difficult.

“Water is a problem in myschool, sometimes we get waterand sometimes the tap will notrun, if there is no water, thereis no way we can flush the toilet

and we cannot wash our handsafter using the toilet.

“We have learnt that wemust not do anything with dirtyhands, we must wash our handsafter touching money and cleanour environment, so we needwater.’’

Also, Joseph Zachari anotherpupil advised children that hadaccess to water to desist fromwastage and engage in goodhygienic practices.

“I will like to advise myfriends that they should notwaste water but should be cleanalways by washing theiruniforms and hands properly,as we have been taught inschool.’’

Sharing the samesentiments, teachers in theseschools urged the localeducation authorities to providefacilities that would encourageschool attendance, especiallythat of the female child.

Mrs Sani Abu, aMathematics teacher at theDurumi Primary School, saidunhygienic practices and lackof good water sources had

resulted in sicknesses,absenteeism and failure inschools.

“Water is life; if we havewater running in schools itmakes their brain cool andmakes the children strong andhealthy to learn better.

“But without taking goodwater you see many pupilsabsent from school due tostomach ache, cholera, anddysentery; when children areadmitted in the hospital, theymiss tests and this affects theirscore at the end of the term.’’

She decried a situationwhere a large population of thepupils had to depend onuntreated water sources whichaffected their health adversely.

“Actually we don’t havewater running in many schoolsso we need the government tocome to our aid.

“If these pupils have cleantap water, we will notice achange in their health; insteadof them getting water from thewell, ‘mairuwa’ (watervendors) and streams, qualitywater will boost both the health

Children rendering songs of praise to mark this year Children’s Day during church service yesterdayat Faith Baptist Church Lugbe, Airport Road, in Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye

of pupils and teachers.’’Also, Miss Patience

Aghoghobiar of the LocalEducation Authority Kubwa 11Primary School saidinaccessibility to water in theKubwa area was not onlyaffecting the pupils but also,businesses in the area.

“In Kubwa particularly, notonly in my school, water is aproblem. Many at times tapsare not rushing so you see peoplefetching dirty water even fromthe well because that is the onlysource of water readilyavailable.

“So government shouldassist not only schools buteverybody with water that iseasily accessible.’’

She noted that sanitationclubs were relevant in schoolsto help behavioural change andinculcate good hygienicpractices in children.

Mr Bala Oha, a Frenchteacher and Coordinator,Sanitation Club at the ModelScience Primary School, Garki2 said the clubs taught pupilsthe importance of water, handwashing and sustaining ahealthy environment.

“Apart from the childrenlearning about hygiene inPhysical and Health Educationlessons, the sanitation clubs inschools drive home the pointand ensure that these habits areinculcated both at home and inthe school.’’ (NAN)

Police kill member of robberygang terrorising FCT suburb

between the robbers and theteam.

The officer told NAN oncondition of anonymity that oneof the robbers was shot dead onthe spot by the patrol team, whilethe remaining three escaped.

A NAN correspondent whowas at the station reports that thebody of the robber was displayedand a large crowd of peoplegathered to watch.

Items recovered fromthe robbers were also displayedby the police at the station.

Some of the itemsinclude laptops, different brands

of cell phones, differentdenominations of Nigeriancurrency as well as a locally-made pistol.

Some of the victims were seentrooping to the station to claimtheir stolen items.

One of the victims, MrAnthony John, said he wasbeaten by the robbers, who cameto his house at about 2.40 a.m.before they made away with hisvaluables.

When contacted on phone, thestation’s officer, AssistantSuperintendent of Police OfemOfem, confirmed the incident.

Ofem said the corpse of therobber had been moved to theDivisional Headquarters atLugbe for further investigation.(NAN)

The police have shot dead amember of an armedrobbery gang that has been

terrorising Galadimawacommunity, a suburb in theFederal Capital Territory (FCT)on Friday.

An officer at the GaladimawaPolice Station told the NewsAgency of Nigeria (NAN) that thedeceased was a member of a four-man gang, which attacked thecommunity at about 2.30 a.m.

He said the station received adistressed call and the police onpatrol were drafted to the area,where a gun battle ensued

Councilorfaults FCTAplan toresettle fivevillages

The Councilor representingGarki Ward in the AbujaMunicipal Area Council,

AMAC, Hon. Bala Iya, has faultedthe proposed plan by the FederalCapital Territory Authority(FCTA), to resettle five villagesin the capital city.

Speaking to news men inAbuja, Iya said there was needto correct the FCTA on the issueof resettlement of indigenes inorder to put an end to thecontroversy surrounding it. Hesaid the development made theindigenes to feel uncomfortableabout the lack o0f due process inthe resettlement exercise.

He said that the FCTAadministration should notconcentrate on hunting for landin the Capital city, but shouldexecute the policy ofresettlement with humanfeelings in order to properlyresettled indigenes of Abuja.

“We are not saying that theyshould not resettle FCT originalinhabitants, but we want themto be careful in relocating landto people who do not have anyother state to call their own”, hesaid.

Gwagwalada PDP Chairman warnsparty’s Executives, Members

The Chairman of the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) inGwagwalada Area Council

of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Hon. Mohammed UsmanGiri, has warned the newlyelected Party’s Officials and itsmembers against anti partycampaign in the 2013 AreaCouncil election.

Giri, who gave the warningwhile speaking to Peoples Daily,urged the party’s Executives towork tirelessly to ensure PDP’ssuccess during the poll.

He further appealed to theentire supporters of the ruling

By Adeola Tukuru

PDP in the FCT to remain loyaland committed to enable thePDP’s flag bearers to win anelections in 2013 across the sixArea Councils.

He advised the members ofthe PDP to be united and to desistfrom anything that will causedivision among them,expressing regret over theirinability to produce agovernment in GwagwaladaArea Council for the past sixyears.

Giri, however, called on thePDP state officials to mobilizetheir supporters to come out enmass and give the party victoryin the six Area Councils.

By Usman Shuaibu

Two cars in mid-day crash onConstitution road Abuja

Two cars were involved ina mid-day accident onConstitution Road,

between the Church gateJunction and the NNPC megastation on Sunday in Abuja.

The numbers of casualties asat the time of the report wereunknown but the cars thatcollided were badly damaged.

According to an eyewitness, who did not want hisname mentioned, the accidentwas as a result of impatience onthe T-junction.

He said that the accidentwould not have happened if theHonda car which hit a streetlight pole, had exerciseda ”little” patience to give wayto the occupant of the Mazdacar.

When NAN sought to findout about the occupants of thetwo cars, the eyewitness saidthat they had been takento the hospital.

He, however, said he didnot know where they weretaken to. (NAN)


Plans to set up ear, nose centrein Maitama hospital underway

alleviating the challenges thosein the FCT are facing.

He said that the specialisedcentre in the offing was one ofsuch efforts of the administrationto ameliorate the challenges ofdeaf people in the territory.

According to him, “the desireof the FCT administration underthe leadership of Senator BalaMohammed to providequalitative health care servicesto the residents gave birth to theidea of creating the centre whichwill assist patients with hearingimpairment”.

Dr. Demola further disclosedthat efforts would be made toprocure hearing aids andpossibly a specialised clinic forthe deaf in the nearest future.

In a remark earlier, thechairman of the AbujaAssociation of Deaf, Mr.Abdulwasiu Mabawonkuappreciated the secretary for

Arrangement is ongoing forestablishment of an earand nose centre at

Maitama District Hospital, tocater for persons with hearingimpairment, the Federal CapitalTerritory (FCT) Health andHuman Services Secretariat(HHSS) has revealed.

The Secretary, HHSS, Dr.Demola Onakomaiya, whodropped the hint, when membersof the Abuja Association of Deafpaid him a courtesy call in hisoffice said the centre, whichwould be comparable to whatobtains in developed countrieswould be man by experts.

Onakomaiya, said thechallenges facing deaf and dumbpeople in the society is enormous,hence the FCT administrationthrough the secretariat, has putin place programmes aimed at

honouring their request for avisit.

Mabawonku, who observedthat among group of personswith disabilities, the deaf peopleare the most marginalised,lamented the neglect of the deafin the campaign for theeradication of HIV/AIDS.

He therefore, asked for theapproval of the secretary toenable the association present aproposal for HIV/AIDSawareness for all the deaf in theFCT, saying, “we are humanbeings with sexual drive and canalso be infected”.

The group also demanded forthe appointment of a deaf as adesk officer for persons withdisabilities in the FCT healthdepartment from whominformation or other areas ofhealth can easily flow for optimalbenefit of all persons withdisabilities in the territory.

FCTA to involve communities in environmental sanitation

By Josephine Ella

A man and his wife escaped death when he lost control of his vehicle and ran against a tree along, yesterday Utako-Arab Contractor yard,in Abuja as recorded here. Photo: Joe Oroye

The Federal CapitalTerritory Administration(FCTA) says communities

in the FCT will now be activelyinvolved in environmentalsanitation.

The FCT Minister of State, MsOlajumoke Akinjide, made thestatement in GwakoCommunity, Gwagwalada AreaCouncil, on Friday at theinaugural ceremony of theCommunity SanitationInitiative of FCTA.

Akinjide, who wasrepresented by herEnvironmental Consultant/

Advisor, Mr. Ayo Sotinrin, saidthe initiative was to teach,encourage and actively involvecommunities in environmentalsanitation issues.

She said the initiativebecame necessary followingpersistent outbreak of epidemicsin rural communities in the FCT,especially at the area councils.

“This initiative is designed toteach and sensitise communitymembers on the need to keeptheir environments cleanbecause it is clear that theoutbreak of the epidemics weredue to poor sanitation.

“The initiativewill not end with cleaning of thestreets but will extend toensuring that every householdhas a toilet,’’ Akinjide said.

She said plans hadbeen concluded to engagesanitation officers on house-to-house inspection to ensure thatevery household had toilets.

In her remark, HajiyaMaimunat Abubakar, the Headof Environmental SanitationDepartment, Gwagwalada AreaCouncil, said the initiativewould no doubt reduceincidences of epidemic outbreaks

in rural communities.She attributed the

nonchalant attitude ofcommunity members toenvironmental sanitation to thefact that government had solelybeen involved in the exercise.

According toher, communities will now haveregard for their personalhygiene since they will beinvolved in waste gathering andevacuation to dump sites.

Abubakar added that thechoice of Gwako as focal point forthe initiative followed high casesof epidemics in the community.

She said that the people hadremained adamant in their poorattitude to sanitation issues inspite of efforts of the council toencourage them to change.

Alhaji Halidu Pada, the Sarki(leader) ofthe community, commendedthe minister for the initiativeand pledged to mobiliseresidents to embrace it.

Items, such as wheelbarrows, hand gloves, brooms,polythene bags, shovels andhead pans, were donated to thecommunity under theinitiative. (NAN)

The leadership of CityCollege of EducationMararaba Gurku in

Nasarawa State, hasmatriculated a total of 400students undergoing NCE/Diploma programs in theInstitution.

The provost of the Institution,Dr.Yakubu Aruwa, disclosedthis in a chat with Nigerianjournalists in his office, sayingthat his administration willcontinue to provide a conduciveenvironment for the students tolearn.

While presenting his speech,Aruwa noted that the CityCollege of Education is a placewhere academic excellence canbe achieved; pointing out thatthe management of the schoolwill continue to producequalified teachers across the

country.He advised the students to be

good ambassadors of the schooland Nigeria at large.

City College of Educationmatriculates 400By Usman Shuaibu

An Abuja Chief Magistrates’Court on Friday sentencedthree unemployed men of

no fixed address to 30 daysimprisonment each forconstituting “public nuisance’’.

The convicts are EmmanuelAdamu, 32; Nnaji Valantine,28; and Jamilu Umar, 25.

The convicts pleaded guiltyto the offence, while Elisha, thefourth accused, pleaded notguil ty.

Delivering judgment, ChiefMagistrate Zainab Bashir gavethe three convicts, who pleadedguilty an option to pay N2, 000fine each.

Bashir granted Elisha, whopleaded not guilty, bail in thesum of N50,000 with twosureties in like sum.

She said the sureties musthave reasonable means oflivelihood and must residewithin the jurisdiction of thecourt.

Police prosecutor SimonEmmanuel had told the courtthat some policemen attached tothe Life Camp Police Division,Abuja, arrested the convicts andaccused on May 17.

Emmanuel said the convictsand the accused were found at a`criminal hideout’ within theLife Camp area, disturbingpublic peace.

He added that the convictsand accused could not give asatisfactory account ofthemselves when they werearrested and that the offencecontravened Section 198 of thePenal Code.

Bashir adjourned Elisha’scase to June 5 for furtherhearing. (NAN)

Courtsentences 3men to 30 daysimprisonmentfor disturbingpublic peace


Management Tip of the DayHire for passion, not just talent

the people you want on yourteam.

Get to know potential hires asthoroughly as possible, evenbefore you have an opening forthem. Ask them why they dowhat they do, whatdisappointments they’ve had,what their dream jobs would be.Look for fire in their eyes as they

talk about the work itself, andlisten for a deep desire to dosomething that hasn’t been donebefore.

When you talk to theirreferences, listen for mentions ofpassion.Source: Harvard BusinessReview

INSIDE

Flight schedule

LOS-ABJ: 07.15, 11.40, 14.00,16.30, 17.00, 17.20, 18.30.

ABJ-LOS: 07.00, 09.30, 10.30,11.15, 16.15, 19.15, 19.35

ABJ-KANO: 18.40

KANO-ABJ: 08.35

ABJ-SOK (MON): 09.35

SOK-ABJ (MON): 11.35

LOS-ABJ: 06.50, 13.30, 19.45

ABU-LOS: 07.30, 13.00, 14.00, 19.00

LOS-ABJ: 07.02, 08.10, 12.06,15.30, 17.10

ABJ-LOS: 07.20, 09.36, 13.05, 14.40

LOS-ABJ: 9.45, 11.45, 2.45IRS AIRLINES

AIR NIGERIA (MONDAY - SUNDAY)

DANA AIRLINES (MON - SUN)

AEROCONTRACTORS (MON - SUN)

ABJ-SOK (FRI): 10.10ABJ-SOK (WED/SUN): 11.20

SOK-ABJ (FRI): 12.00SOK-ABJ (WED/SUN): 13.20

LOS-ABJ (SUN): 12.30LOS-ABJ (SAT): 16.45

ABU-LOS (SUN): 10.30, 14.30, 19.30

ABU-LOS (SAT): 18.30

ABJ-LOS (SAT/SUN): 13.05, 18.00

LOS-KANO: 08.10KANO-LOS: 11.25KANO-ABUJA: 11.25ABUJA-KANO: 10.08

ABJ-LOS: 11.30, 3.45, 4.45

LOS-KANO: 6.15LOS-KANO (SAT/SUN): 16.30KANO-LOS: 07.30KANO-LOS (SUN/SUN): 10.30

People are more creativewhen they feel passionateabout their work. Whether

they are driven by interest,enjoyment, satisfaction, or asense of personal challenge, theyare more likely to take risks, lookfor multiple solutions to aproblem, and seek out the best onerather than the easiest. These are

CBN 22nd May, 2012EXCHANGE RATES

PARALLEL RATES

BUYING SELLING£ 243 257RIYAL 43 45$ 154 159

FCMB recordsN9.9bn loss

after tax

- Pg 20

Email: [email protected] Mob: 08033644990

BUSINESSChinese investment in Nigeriahits N1.34 trillion – Official

In its determination to enforcetransparency and probity inthe petroleum downstream,

the Petroleum Pricing RegulatoryAgency (PPRA) has ordered twointernational oil tradingcompanies to submit theirmother-vessel load outdocumentations for scrutiny.

The two companies areMercuria Energy Trading NV ofNetherlands Antilles and ArcadiaEnergy of Switzerland.

Similarly, First DeepwaterLtd, an indigenous oil marketingcompany, has been suspendedfrom further Premium MotorSpirit (PMS) import, pendingcompletion of an on-goinginvestigation on irregulardocumentation which the

company presented to the PPPRA.The Executive Secretary of

the PPPRA, Mr Reginald Stanley,confirmed the

development in Abuja onSunday, affirming that a directivehad been issued

to the two foreign companiesand that First Deepwater Ltd hadbeen suspended.

He recalled that the PPPRAhad, three weeks ago, sanctioneda Swiss oil trading firm, NIMEXfor infraction, in what was seenin the energy industry as thecommencement of a new regimeof transparency and probity.

Stanley said the scrutiny ofthe load outs of the companies wasaimed at ensuring totaltransparency and probity, in linewith the policy trust of the newmanagement of the PPPRA.

PPPRA probes 2 foreign firms,suspends First Deepwater

relations between both countries,adding that China had simplifiedits visa procedure to facilitatetrade for Nigerian businessmen.

“Those who meet thenecessary requirement areissued visa within a week; theseare part of measures to boosteconomic cooperation betweenboth nations”.

Nigeria and China establisheddiplomatic relations in 1971.Both nations signed theInvestment Promotion andProtection Agreement andAvoidance of Double TaxationAgreement in 2001 and 2002respectively.

between both countries hadreached the $10.7 billion mark,a 40 per cent increase over thefigure for 2010.

He said that the bulk of thetrade was recorded in thewholesale and retail sectors.

The envoy said the balance oftrade is in China’s favour becauseNigeria’s main export was oilwhich accounts for only 1 percent of the trade.

“China is interested inagriculture and solid mineralproducts, we hope to explore theseareas and have more exportsfrom Nigeria.”

He commended the cordial

Chinese investment inNigeria has hit the $8.4billion mark (N1.344

trillion), says the Head of thePolitical and Press Section at theChinese Embassy, YonghuaDing.

Mr. Ding, who stated this inAbuja on Thursday, noted thatthe investments are int e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s ,agriculture, oil and gas andpower, among others.

He said the figure wasrecorded in 2011.

Mr. Ding also said that trade

L-R: Regional General Manager, North, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Ali Nock, Speaker,House Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and Hon. Bashir Adamu, inspecting the newlyrenovated international terminal of Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, yesterday in Kano.

Nigeria may reduce reserves of Euros to minimise risk – CBNwebsite.

The bank held $2.5 billionworth of Euros as of the end of 2011out of its total reserves of $32.6billion, with the U.S. dollaraccounting for 82 percent, it said.

Nigeria started adding theChinese Yuan in the fourthquarter, which reached $101million equivalent by the endof the period, according to thereport.

The euro has come underpressure as the prospect of

Greece leaving the 17-nationeuro region increased afterparties opposed to the terms ofthe country’s second bailout bythe European Union and theInternational Monetary Fundwon most of the votes in May 6elections. A fresh round of votingwill be held June 17 afterpoliticians failed to form agovernment.

The euro touched its lowestlevel since July 2010 against thedollar amid concern Spain’s

regional governments may loseaccess to capital markets. Theshared currency fell 0.1 percentto $1.2525 at 11:33 a.m.

New York time after touching$1.2496, the least since July 6,2010. It was little changed at99.73 yen.

The yen traded at 79.64 perdollar.

The foreign currency reservesof Nigeria rose 14 percent this yearto $37.5 billion as of May 23,according to the bank’s data.

Angon said this on Friday inKaduna stating that the aim wasto promote economic activities inthe state. He said that theministry had received a directivefrom the Federal Ministry ofTrade and Investment to compileall registered businesses andowners in the state.

“The ministry is alreadymaking arrangements to have acomprehensive data, which willinclude addresses and contacts ofbusiness operators in the state.The business directorywill on completion build strongerbusiness ties amongst thebusiness community in thecountry,’’ he said.

The director said that thedirectory would make it easier forinvestors to explore theopportunities available in thestate. (NAN)

Kaduna plans directory to boost commerce

By Aminu Imam

The Director,Administration andFinance in the Kaduna

state Ministry of Commerce andIndustry,Gabriel Angon, hassaid that the government willsoon produce a business directoryfor the state.

Nigeria may reduce theportion of its foreignreserves kept in euros to

minimise risk amid the Europeandebt crisis, the central bank said.

“The euro component at 7.8percent needs to be monitoredclosely and if necessary furtherreduced to minimize thecurrency and exchange raterisks associated with euroholdings occasioned by the euro-zone debt crisis,” the CentralBank of Nigeria (CBN) said in areport published Friday on its

BUYING SELLINGCFA 0.2817 0.3017€ 197.5055 198.7822£ 244.5343 246.115RIYAL 41.2489 41.5156$ 154.7 155.7

By Muhammad Nasir


COMPANYNEWS

Africacontributes lessthan 1 % worldmanufacturedgoods - Aganga

The Minister of Trade andInvestment, Dr OlusegunAganga, on Friday, said

that Africa’s contribution toglobal manufactured goods isless than one percent.

Indomiemakers outwith Powerpasta spaghetti

Dufil Prima Foods Plc,makers of IndomieInstant Noodles have

introduced another qualityproduct named Power PastaSpaghetti into the pastasegment of the market,through their subsidiary PureFlour Mills Limited.

Enterprise Banklaunches stress-free salary ‘plus’

Enterprise Bank haslaunched a product,Enterprise Salary ‘Plus’,

which puts additional value onthe corporate electronic payelement of the cashliteinitiative.

Siemens todiscuss road mapto sustainabledevelopment inAfrica at SCT

Siemens has announcedthat its Sustainable CitiesTour will visit Lagos on

the 30th and 31st of May. Thetour, according to thecompany is a worldwidetravelling exhibition that isnow making its way aroundAfrica, stopping in differentcities to promote discussionaround sustainableinfrastructure development.

PHCN says powersupply wouldimprove by July

Eko ElectricityDistribution Companyhas assured customers

within the zone of sustainableelectricity supply in the nexttwo months with the ongoingpower sector reforms.Chief executive officer of thecompany, Oladele Amoda,gave the assurance at acustomer’s parliamentorganised by the EKEDC, aspart of moves by the companyto engender a vibrantrelationship amongstcustomers, on Tuesday inLagos.

Earnings Report for Banks

Inflation rates from May, 2011 to Apr, 2012Max = 12.9%, Min = 9.3% for period in display.Current Inflation rate = 12.9% Source:CBN

Source:Pro-share Nigeria

Skye Bank declares N3.3 bn total dividendMr. Olatunde Ayeni whileaddressing the shareholders atmeeting stated that the bank wasable to record good performancein spite the tough economiccondition.

Gross earnings accordinghim, grew by 25 per cent fromN83.9 billion in 2010 to N104.8billion in the period under reviewwhile total asset increased by 31per cent, from N705.9 billionwritten in the comparable periodof 2010 to N927.1 billion in the2011 financial year.

However, profit before tax

Interbank rates tumble 4 percentage pointsNigeria’s interbank lending

rates tumbled this weekto an average of 10.41

percent, compared with 14.66percent last week, after large cashflows from budgetary allocationsto government agencies boostedliquidity in the market, traderssaid on Friday.

Nigeria last week distributed563.09 billion naira ($3.53billion) to its three tiers ofgovernment in April, down from613.70 billion in March.

The proceeds hit the marketon Thursday, raising theliquidity level and forcing downthe cost of bank borrowing.

Africa’s top energy producerdistributes oil revenues among itsthree tiers of governments -federal, state and local - fromcentral accounts on monthlybasis and this provides banksfunding for their operations.

The secured Open Buy Back(OBB) fell to 10.25 percent,compared with 14 percent lastweek, 175 basis points lower thanthe central bank’s 12 percentbenchmark rate, and 0.25percentage points above theStanding Deposit Facility (SDF)rate.

Overnight placement andcall money fell to 10.50 percent

each, compared with 15 percenteach last week.

“The market is liquid and costof borrowing is coming down,”one dealer said. “The centralbank has not been aggressivelymopping-up liquidity in thesystem as it used to do and thishas helped the market to retainbulk of the cash inflow.”

Traders said about 278 billionnaira, a portion of the budgetaryallocations for states and localgovernments hit the market onThursday.

The market opened on Fridaywith a cash balance of 387 billionnaira, compared with 32 billion

naira last week Friday.“We see rates stabilising at

this level or inching up a littlenext week because we still see thesystem retaining much of theliquidity unless the central bankresumes aggressive mopping upof liquidity,” another dealersaid.

Traders said matured billshad boosted liquidity andauctions of new treasury billshad failed to match it.

Nigeria sold a total of 126.32billion naira ($791.35 million)in treasury bills ranging fromthree months to one year at itsbi-monthly auction, with higheryields on the paper than at theprevious auction. Source:Proshare

FCMB records N9.9 bn loss after taxFrom Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

First City Monument BankPlc has incurred a loss aftertax of N9.9 billion for the

financial year ended, 31stDecember, 2011, against profitof N7.9 billion written in 2010.

This loss was attributed to thesignificant risk asset write downby the bank within the period.

This is contained in the bank’sannual report and accountwhich was unveiled at the firm’s29th annual general meeting inLagos.

Speaking on this, the bank’sGroup Managing Director/ ChiefExecutive Officer, Mr LadiBalogun stated that the uglysituation is a temporal setbackadding that the details of thebanks result demonstrated astrong business fundamentals.He further noted that the bankis looking forward for a reversalof the present condition in the2012 financial year.

Balogun equally assuredthat the bank recorded animproved financial performance

in key areas as its gross earningsgrew to N80.3 billion fromN62.6 billion written in thecomparable period of 2010.

Net interest revenueincreased by 35 per cent fromN40 billion recorded in theprevious year, to N54 billionrecorded in the period under

review, this he said was drivenby the 46 per cent and 21 percent growth in interest incomeand non-interest incomerespectively.

The Chairman of the bank,Mr. Jonathan Long stated thatin the light of the bank’s overallperformance, it has not been

Nigeria’s non-store shoppingup 25% to N62bn in 2011

possible for it to pay dividend forthe period rather the board istherefore recommended insteada bonus of 2.4 billion units ofordinary shares by meansof capitalization of N1.2 billionwhich was unanimouslyapproved by the bank’sshareholders.

Skye Bank Plc has declared atotal dividend of N3.3billion for the year ended 1st

December, 2011.Shareholders of the bank at

the firm’s annual generalmeeting in Lagos approved adividend payout of 25 kobo perordinary share held by theinvestors whose names weredetailed in the bank’s register,and this translated to N3.3billion.

The Chairman of the bank,

From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos declined by 49 per cent, fromN12.7 billion recorded in theprevious year to N6.5 billionwritten in 2011, which thechairman attributed to the dropin the significant assetprovisioning by the bank.

Total bank deposits increasedfrom N507.6 billion to N658.1billion thereby recording 30 percent growth. This growthperformance was achieved inspite of fluctuations in the ratesand pervasive pressure onpricing of various depositproducts and services, he said.

The continuous growth ofthe formal retail sector inNigeria, along with

increasing internet penetration,have given rise to a buddingretail trend done outside thephysical stores, the non-storeretailing.

This retail trend, according

to a recent report byEuromonitor International, aglobal market researchorganisation, recorded a25percent growth in 2011valued at N62.4billion, whichis an additional N12.5billion tothe N49.9billion recorded in2010.

Pushing this retail segmentmost is internet retailing, whichrecorded 25percent growthduring the period under review,while other non-store methodslike direct selling and vendingtrailed behind. “Non-storeretailing’s growth of 25percentis boosted particularly by the fastgrowth, over the last five years,of internet retailing, which alsosaw 25percent value growth in2011. Computer and internetuse is growing fast in Nigeriafrom a very low base.

In particular, trust, whichhas been a challenge for internetretailing, is improving amongthe populace, who have beenintroduced to electronicpayment methods in shoppingthrough their banks, and so havestarted to believe they would notlose their money if they shopelectronically,” the reportstated. (NAN)


Transcorpheads forhighest in 8months onprofit

Transnational Corp. ofNigeria Plc, which hasinterests in hotels,

agriculture and oil, gained foran 11th day on Friday, headingfor the highest in more thaneight months, as first-quarterprofit surged.

CBN sellsN126.32bn T-bills

Nigeria sold a total ofN126.32 billion($791.35 million) in

treasury bills ranging fromthree months to one year at itsbi-monthly auction, withhigher yields on the paper thanat the previous auction, thecentral bank said on Friday.

Oando Q1 2012net income slides5% Y-o-Y

Oando Plc has released itsQ1, 2012 results to theNigerian Stock

Exchange. Revenue increasedto N 158 billion, up 38% fromthe N 115 billion it made in Q1,201 1 .

ETI informsinvestors ondividendpaymentscheduleEcobank Transnational

Incorporated (ETI) hasformally informed the

Exchange that the closure dateof register of the company willbe Monday, July 2, 2012 whilethe dividend payment date willJuly 17, 2012.

Lafarge CementWAPCO recordsN8.5 bn profitafter tax

Foremost cementmanufacturing andmarketing company,

Lafarge Cement WAPCONigeria Plc on Wednesdayannounced that it recorded aprofit after tax of N8.5 billionin the 2011 financial year,compared to N4.8 billion forthe year ended 31st December2010.

INVESTORSNEWS BEAT

Source:Pro-share Nigeria

Equity market dips by -0.66%as bearish sentiments persistTrading activities on the

Nigerian bourse remainedbearish for the third

consecutive week due tounrelenting bargain huntingwitnessed in most trading days ofthe week while the Central Bankof Nigeria (CBN) kept its monetarypolicy rate on hold at 12% for thefourth time in a row citing the needto balance inflationary concernswith slowing growth as the basisfor retention.

Furthermore, Equity Marketsustained downwards movementto open the first trading day of theweek pessimistic due to continuousspeculative trading as envisagedin our Sentiments Analysis Reportwith NSE Index sliding by -0.32%while the bulls re-surfaced on the

bourse in the second session as thekey market indicator closednorthwards by +0.15% due torenewed and weak bargainactivities witnessed in some sectorson the main board.

Market resumed downtrend inthe third session after closing greenpreviously as sell pressureoutweighed bargain hunting torecord -0.12% loss while similaroutlook was recorded in the fourthsession as the key market indicatorslides further by -0.43%.

Conversely, trading activitieson Friday closed northwardsmarginally as sentiments turnedpositive. Consequently, the keybenchmark indices inched up by+0.06% while market closed theweek with aggregate loss of -0.66%.

Further analysis on acquiringbanks since transaction dateshowed that the share price ofAccess Bank Plc has recorded34.55% gain, followed by FCMBwith 8.97% gain while Union BankPlc leads the chart with 69.86%gain. However, Sterling Bankrecorded -6.30% loss while ETI alsoclosed negative with -2.49% lossrecorded.

However, the All-Share Indexin the week under review moveddown by -0.66% to closeat22,232.36 as against a declineby -1.07% recorded last week toclose at22,381.11.

In the same vein, the marketcapitalisation in the weekdepreciated by N47.43 billion(US$316.25 million) to close at

N7.09 trillion (US$47.25 billion)as against depreciation by N76.96billion (US$513.08 million)recorded last week to close at N7.13trillion (US$ 47.56billion).

The total volume traded in theweek closed at 1.73 billion unitsvalued at N15.10 billion(US$100.68 million) comparedwith 1.84 billion units valued atN13.86 billion (US$92.38 million)exchanged in 20,421 deals lastweek. The volume transaction inthe week when compared with theprevious week data moved downby -5.85% as against downwardsmovement by -17.63% recordedlast week. Weekly value went upby +8.98% as against negativeposition of -28.39% recorded lastweek.

Yields on FederalGovernment bonds fell onWednesday after the

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)held rates at 12 percent, with aboost to liquidity from maturingdebts and oil revenues expectedto push yields down further,dealers said.

CBN left its benchmarkinterest rate on hold on Tuesdayfor the fourth time in a row at itsby-monthly meeting, citingslowing economic growth andrising inflation, which spurreddemand for bonds at currentyields.

Traders said investors hadbeen holding off from taking aposition pending the ratedecision.

Financial markets wereclosed on Tuesday when the ratedecision was made. OnWednesday, yields on theshortest three-year bond, whichhas less than two years tomaturity, fell to 14.75 percent,from Tuesday’s close of 15.1percent.

“The reaction is (also) on theback of bond maturities on May22nd and another expected onthe 25th totaling N295 billion,”said, head of rates and credittrading at Standard CharteredBank, Ayodeji Adelagun.

Bond prices were moving up,as proceeds from the May 22

Bond yields fall after rates held

Dangote Flour FY 2011 profitsslide, declares 10k dividend

maturity and expected flowsfrom the May 25 one arereinvested, he added.

Dealers said the decision tohold rates lifted a layer of doubtover what steps the central bankmight take to stabilise risingprice levels in Africa’s secondbiggest economy, after Aprilinflation rose to 12.9 percent.

The five-year bond wastrading at 15.18 percent onWednesday, compared with15.25 percent before the ratedecision.

Federal Government willretire N295 billion worth ofmaturing three- and five-year

by 15%.An exceptional charge of N

1.48 billion caused profits toslump.

Profit before tax came in at N396 million, down 92% from theN4.9 billion it made in 2010.

A tax credit of N 281 millionhelped boost Net Income to N677 million, yet thisperformance was down 75%from the N 2.7 billion it made in2010.

Company management hasproposed a 10 kobo dividend.

debt issued at 10.5 percent nextweek, boosting bond liquidity.The central bank will auctionN126.33 billion in T-bills to soakup some of it.

“We expect yields to drop upto 50 basis points, acrossmaturities next week, with thelower end of the yield curve theworse-hit,” a dealer at a mid-tierNigerian lender told Reuters.

The central bank hasfavoured positive real interestrates in Nigeria to encourageforeign participation in the bondmarket and support the naira.

It had hiked rates six timeslast year to fight inflation,pushing yields up. Dealers saygreater liquidity is preservingthat trend.

Dangote Flour released its2011 FY earningsfinancial statements on

Thursday.The Flour, Noodles and

Spaghetti maker reported salesof N 66.3 billion, down 2% whencompared to the N 67.6 billionit made in 2010.

Manufacturing costsescalated by 4% to N 56 billionwhilst Distribution andAdministrative Costs improved

From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

Oando posts N586 bn earningsin 2011, profit plummets

N 378 billion in the previousy e a r .

However an increase inOando’s debt by about 60%or over N180 bi l l ion ledaffected the company’sprofi tabi li ty.

Prof i t before tax arrivedat N 15 billion, a decrease of38.6% over the N 24 bill ionit made in FY 2010.

Net income following thetrend, also shed 76% from N14 bi l l ion in 2010 to N 3.4billion at the end of last year.

O ando, Ni geria ’sleading indigenousoil and gas company

reported i ts audited 2011f inancia l s tatements to theNigerian Sto ck Exchange(NSE) on Friday.Prof i tabi l i ty metricsdisappointed the company’sshareholders especially sinceno dividend was declared.

The mul t inat ionalcompany reported a growthin revenue of 54.8%, as salestopped N 586 billion; up from


Omotosho power plant ready for operation

The Omotosho power plantPhase 2 is ready tocontribute 120 megawatts

to the national grid, the NigerDelta Power Holding Company(NDPHC) Limited has said.

The Managing Director of thecompany, owners of the NationalIntegrated Power Project (NIPP),James Olotu made thisdisclosure on Thursday in Lagos,after an inspection exercise tosome NIPP power plants in theSouth-West.

Olotu said Unit 2 of the fourunits in Omotosho was ready tocontribute 120 megawatts intothe national grid while the otherthree units would come onstream soonest.

He said on-going successesrecorded in the NIPP power

project was in line with thetransformation and power sectorreform agenda of PresidentGoodluck Jonathanadministration.

“One of the units in theOmotosho power plant phase 2now contributes 120 megawattsto the national grid.

“We are working seriously toensure all power plants underthe NIPP commence operationsbefore the end of the year,’’ Olotu

said.The NDPHC boss said the

NIPP would ensure that all powerprojects were completed withinthe stipulated time frame.

He said Nigerians should berest assured that the days of totaldarkness were getting shorterand shorter.

“Light is here and everysingle month we will ensureeffective power delivery toNigerians in all NIPP projects

Dangote’s 6 million metric tonnes Calabar cement plant takes off JulyBy Aminu Imam

The quest by the DangoteCement Plc to hit 60million metric tons per

annum cement production fromall its plants within the nextthree years has received a boostwith the coming on stream ofanother six million metric tonsper annum capacity plant inCalabar, Cross-River state.

Chairman of the CementCompany, Alhaji AlikoDangote who made thisdisclosure at the weekend duringthis year’s Annual GeneralMeeting (AGM) of the Companyin Lagos said the Calabar plant

will be ready within the next 60days.

Fielding questions fromnewsmen after the meeting,Dangote explained that theCalabar plant was almostcompleted and that the locationwas very strategic as it wasmeant to serve the consumerslocally and in Central Africanstates like Cameroon and Gabon.

He assured that Dangotecement would continue to leadin more investment in thecement industry whileexplaining that additionalinvestments by themanagement would onlyincrease the value of the shares

of the organisation and remaininvestors delight.

Dangote pointed out thatwith the planned expansion ofIbese plant by another two linesof three million mtpa each, theJune 11 commissioning of theObajana Plant line 3 and theground breaking of the line 4 aswell as other operations in 14other African countries, Dangotecement will hit 60 million mtpawithin the next three years.

He disclosed that Ibese plantwould be expanded with theaddition of 6 million mtpa line 3and 4 within the next 26 months,noting that all the expansionworks were meant to achieve the

From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos across the country,’’ the NDPHCManaging Director said.

He assured Nigerians thatthere would be something tomake Nigerians smilehenceforth and till December interms of power distribution andcommissioning.

Speaking on other powerplants, Olotu assured that theplants coming up on streamwere in Sapele, Geregu, Alogi,among others.

Mr. Liu Zhao-Long,Managing Director of ChinaMachinery EngineeringCorporation, lauded theNigerian government supportand promised to ensure thatNigerians are the majorworkforce in the company.

He said the companycurrently has a workforce ofabout 1,000 personnel, of whichthe Nigerian workforce is about70 0.

Sub-Saharan fund attains USD 50 m mark for its 2nd anniversaryBy Aminu Imam

target of Dangote cement of beingthe largest cement producer inthe world.

By the Dangote Cementcalculation, of the 60 millionmtpa, 55 per cent would be localconsumption while the rest 45per cent will be for export to othersub-Saharan African countries.

He stated that much as theDangote cement management isproducing more, so also it is notcompromising quality of theproduct. He explained thatDangote cement uses the latesttechnologies in its plants andchallenged anyone to comeforward to disprove his claimthat Dangote cement quality is

one of the best in the wholeworld.

On the price of cement, theindustrialist explained thatcontrary to the widely held viewsthat the piece of cement has beenon the increase, the price ofDangote cement has remainedsame over the years despite thefluctuation of the foreignexchange and the increasing costof energy.

The leading cementmanufacturer had during theAGM announced a profit of N125billion and declared a bonus ofone for every ten shares held byits investors and endorsed adividend pay-out of N1.25.

The Regional MSMEInvestment Fund for Sub-Saharan Africa (REGMIFA)

has successfully attained the USD50 million mark reaching morethan 112,000 borrowers, 91% ofwhich micro-, small and mediumenterprises (MSMEs).

REGMIFA celebrates its secondanniversary with goodperformance results in 2011 andpromising prospects for 2012.

Development Finance Institution(DFI) investors have created asuccessful track record forcrowding in private sectorinvestors in Africanmicrofinance.

This May, REGMIFAcelebrated its second anniversarysince its inception as a funddedicated to fostering growththrough the support of micro- upto middle-sized entrepreneurialactivity in Sub-Saharan Africa.

On this occasion, Chairman of

the Board of Directors ofREGMIFA, Mr. Wolfgang Krohand CEO of Symbiotics, Mr.Roland Dominicé the Fund’sInvestment Manager, presentedan overview of REGMIFA’sachievements during 2011 and itsprospects for 2012.

The Board of Directors and theInvestment Manager announcedthat at the end of 2011, and despitethe unfavourable marketconditions, the Fund was able toclose the year with strong

investment activity, whichbrought the portfolio to a levelabove USD 43m, and achieved asatisfactory financialperformance, fully in line withthe development andsustainability return goals set upby the Fund’s stakeholders.

As of 31.12.2011, the Fundhad a gross asset value of USD60.8m, positive financial targetsand no loss in its portfolio. As oftoday, it has reached a portfoliolevel of USD 51.3m.

The National President of theRoad Transport EmployersAssociation of Nigeria

(RTEAN), Mr. Olufemi Ajewole hassaid that existence of too manytransport managers and levieswere threatening commercial busoperation nationwide.

Ajewole told the News Agencyof Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos onSaturday that indiscriminatearrest and enforcement ofsanctions by the managers weremaking transport businessuninteresting.

He said that members of theunion were being forced to paynumerous levies, including uniondues and local government levies.

The RTEAN president said thatthese levies were eating deep intothe pockets of members.

He said that the partialremoval of petrol subsidy by theFederal Government had raisedthe cost of the business.

Ajewole said that the FederalRoad Safety Commission alsointroduced expensive driver’slicence and vehicle number plates,while operators were still countingtheir losses to the fuel priceincrease.(NAN)

RTEAN decrieshigh turn-outtransportmanagers

L-R: Chairman of the House of Reps. Committee on Industry, Hon. Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo, listening to the Group Executive Director ofDangote Group, Alhaji Sada Ladan-Baki during the facility tour of Dangote Cement Ibeshe plant by the committee memebers, wekeend.


This administration isone year old; howwill you rate the

performance of PresidentGoodluck Jonathan?

I don't think thisadministration has lived up tothe expectation of Nigerians whoelected it into office. Let me startwith security challenges; thisadministration has failed tosecure the lives of ordinaryNigerians. Everywhere in thecountry there is one form ofviolence or another. Frominsurgency in the North, tomilitancy in the South-south, toKidnapping in the South east andthe government has not doneenough to curtail the situation.Then there is the issue ofcorruption which is on theincrease every day. The cost ofliving has become unbearable asa result of corruption. The costof food items is beyond the reachof ordinary Nigerian, the cost ofpublic transportation has risenup as a result of increase in theprices of petrol product by thefederal government. The littleamount public workers get assalary at the end of the month isno longer forthcoming, in somecases the money hardly meet thebasic needs for which theworkers have toiled. For the past13 years that PDP has ruled thiscountry, they were unable toprovide basic need of ordinaryNigerians. No good roads acrossthe country, no potable water todrink, no good healthcarefacilities, in view of the highlevel of insufficiency ofelectricity in the country andyet, the Government is planningto increase the electricity tariff.This my party has rejected intotality and I believe every wellmeaning Nigerian would rejectit. So, as far as ANPP isconcerned, this administrationhas failed to meet up to itsexpectations.

There have been allianceor merger talks by theprominent oppositionparties, including CPC and

2015: ANPP ’ll go into alliancewith CPC, ACN - Tumsah

constitution of the federalrepublic. It is also a challenge toour police, the army and all theparamilitary to ensure that theright things are done. Laws aremeant to be obeyed by all.Finally, I challenge the Nigerianpeople, especially theelectorates, to ensure that no onewould take away their rights tofreely elect those who would leadthem, as well as the basic rightof free, fair and credible electionby INEC.

What is the position ofANPP on the planned increaseon electricity tariff by thePower Holding Company ofNigeria (PHCN)?

The issue of electricity tariff,our Chairman has spokenagainst it. We at the ANPPbelieve that it would onlyfurther inflict untold hardshipon Nigerians whose livingcondition has deterioratedbecause of the prevailingeconomic situation in thecountry. Our economy is in badshape, the value of Naira hasdepreciate such that most peoplethat are using their legitimateincome can no longer feed theirfamilies well, let alone savemoney to buy their own housesto shelter their families. ManyNigerians now groan under theagony of pains due to the recentincrease in prices of petrol. Ithink what the governmentshould do is to encourageprivatization in order to attractinvestors. The demand forelectricity is huge and remain

untapped; what investors needis the conducive environmentwhere they can secure theirinvestment and remainprofitable through the forces ofdemand and supply. In view ofthe high level of insufficiency ofpower in the system, we shouldfirst allow privatization to takeplace and then the forces ofcompetition can determine theprice the consumers would pay.

There was a reportcredited to former PresidentOlusegun Obasanjo, in whichhe referred to the country’slawmakers as rogues. ANPPhas considerable number oflegislators. What is your takeon that comment?

We are certain that ourlegislators in the NationalAssembly are not rogues andcriminals, in fact, our legislatorsare occupying sensitivepositions and are headingsensitive committees in theNational Assembly and aredoing better. The ANPP is proudof what they are doing. For thiskind of statement to be comingfrom somebody like Obasanjo,who was once the president ofthis country for such a longtime, it is rather unfortunate. Ithink he should be summonedby the National Assembly toexplain what he meant by that.But for us here, we are certainthat our legislators are notrogues and criminals. That canbe verified by theirperformances in their variouslegislative duties.

INTERVIEWTijjani Musa Tumsah is the NationalSecretary of All Nigeria People’s Party

(ANPP). In this Interview with UmarMohammed Puma, he speaks on the

one-year-old administration ofPresident Goodluck Jonathan, the

party’s alliance talks with otheropposition parties. Excerpts:

ACN, what is the stand ofANPP on the discussion?

The ANPP is willing toworking with other oppositionparties to form a formidableopposition that would be strongenough to challenge the rulingPeoples Democratic Party (PDP);weather by alliance or merger.In whatever form, as a matter offact, our National chairman hasinitiated a meeting with otherchairmen of opposition politicalparties in order to discuss areasof cooperation and possiblyalliance, so that we can come upwith formidable opposition partythat would not only checkmatethe ruling party, but wrest

I don't think what Buhari saidwas different from the clamourof ANPP in a democraticenvironment. What he said wasthat in 2015 elections, it has tobe free and fair. We in the ANPPbelieve in the same line ofthought with him, that everyvote must be counted. The ANPPbelieves that there is the need forall elections into every politicalposition to be held on the sameday. This would save cost forboth INEC and the politicalparties. It would also save theelectorates' time in selecting theleaders of their choices fordifferent elective offices. It wouldalso go a long way in improvingvoter participation. Note thatthe higher participation ofvoters, the increased tendencyto check and prevent electoralfrauds. We believe with greatercommitment, this can beachieved. We also believe that iftribunal cases are disposed ofbefore the inauguration ofelected officials, this would go along way to improve ourelections. So, any comment thatwould help in strengthening ourdemocracy should beencouraged, even if thatcomment came from theopposition. What he said is notsomething new. I suggest thePDP should give it a thought, not

Tijjani Musa Tumsah

“Our National chairman has initiateda meeting with other chairmen ofopposition political parties in order

to discuss areas of cooperationand possibly alliance, so that we

can come up with formidableopposition party.

power from it come 2015. Webelieve Nigerians are tired of thePDP and its failed promises.What Nigerians want at thismaterial time is a new dawn; anew crop of people that wouldchange this country positively.As a political party, we believethat the happiness of allNigerians should be paramountin the formulation of policies andprogrammes that would affectthe daily lives of the citizenry.

The comment made byMuhammadu Buhari on thelikely consequences of flawedelection in 2015 has generatedcontroversies across thecountry, what is the positionof ANPP in this regard?

outright criticism. This hasshown that what Buhari said istrue. It is a challenge for alldemocrats across the country, tomake sure our democracy worksand also a challenge to ensurethat there is social justice andpeaceful conduct of elections. Itis also a challenge to theIndependent National ElectoralCommission (INEC) to ensurethat they conduct free, fair andcredible elections, and to respectour existing electoral laws andbe fair to all concerned at alltimes. It is also a challenge to allpolitical parties, including theANPP to ensure that we educateand mobilized all Nigerians toknow their rights and exercisesuch rights according to the


Jonathan’s first year a taleof incompetence, says CPCCongress for Progressive

Change (CPC), hasdescribed the first year of

President Goodluck Jonathan,as a failure, pointing out that asincere examination of theadministration indicates anegative impact of thegovernment on the lives ofordinary Nigerian.

In a statement issuedyesterday in Abuja by thePublicity Secretary of theparty, Rotimi Fashakin, CPCinsisted that Jonathan's

government is known forgrandstanding and abundantrhetoric, without commensuratepolicies and actions to improvethe infrastructural development,education, road, electricity,security and economy of thecountry.

"The poor results of Nigerianstudents in NECO, WASC andJAMB Examinations really typifythe sordid decadence ofEducational standard under theJonathan Administration." CPCstated.

Speaking further, the partyregretted that the regime has

proven to be adept in makingvain electoral promises,emphasizing that it is stillbeyond reason that anadministration that has notprovided good funding for theexisting universities found itexpedient to set up new ones.

While noting that the newuniversities have not taken off dueto poor funding, CPC lamentedthe comatose state of the Nation'sinfrastructure, adding that thepresent administration has noplans to improve it.

According to the statement,"The policy summersault in the

economic management is enoughindication of the confusion at thetop echelon of the Nation'sgovernance. The leadership-induced sleazy tendency is stillnightmarish, as the like had neverbeen seen in the Nation's history."

In addition, the partyattributed the current insecurityin the country to what it called'symptomatic of the pervasiveineptitude of the Leadership',stating that there is equally anadded ethno-religiousdivisiveness, alleging that thisis supervised by the leadershipfor vain political advantage.

A frontline politician in Katsina state, Alhaji Umar Abdullahi Tsauri (middle), inspecting the four bridges he constructed at Kahutu village inDanja Local Government Area, at the weekend.

PDP says Salami is victim of confused loyalty

The South West chapter ofthe Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP) has asked the

suspended President of the Court ofAppeal, Justice Ayo Salami, to calmdown and decide if he is answerableto the National Judicial Council(NJC) or President GoodluckJonathan, describing his stands asunstable.

The PDP, in a statement by itsZonal Publicity Secretary, KayodeBabade, said the call became

necessary following reports quotingSalami as saying that the Presidenthad no power over his job, even afterhe (Salami) had deposed to anaffidavit where he said the Presidentand not the NJC wasconstitutionally empowered tosanction him.

The party said Salami'sunstable position on who hisemployer is between PresidentJonathan and the NJC had exposedthe reason why the Court of Appealunder him, gave conflictingjudgements on cases of similar facts.

"On Monday, February 13, 2012;in a motion on notice broughtpursuant to section 295(2) of the1999 Constitution, Salami, throughhis counsel, Chief Akinlolu Olujinmi,SAN, claimed that NJC had no powerto appoint, suspend or reinstate him,since he was not an employee of thecouncil.

"He noted that NJC'sinvolvement in his appointment wassimply to recommend, adding thatthe salary paid to him was governedby an Act of the National Assembly.

"He asked the Court of Appeal to

determine, among other issues,'whether having regard to theprovisions of Section 238, 318 andparagraphs 13 and 21 of Part 1 ofthe Third Schedule to the 1999Constitution, the plaintiff, who wasappointed to a judicial office asPresident of the Court of Appealunder extant constitutionalarrangements designed to secure theindependence of the holder of ajudicial office is subject of employer-employee relationship with the 1stdefendant (NJC."

The PDP added that it was

The Independent NationalElectoral Commission(INEC) has disqualified the

governorship candidate ofAction Alliance (AA), IshakaPaul Ofemile, in thegovernorship race slated for July14th by the commission in Edostate.

Ofemile, who was

Edo gober poll: INEC disqualifies Action Alliance candidatedisqualified for late submission offorms CF 001B and CF 002B,however, attributed his inabilityto submit the forms early enoughto logistic problem.

The victim who was at theNigeria Union of Journalist(NUJ) Press Centre in Benin,however, admitted that the formsgot to INEC Headquarters inAbuja 24 hours later thansupposed.

He regretted that his partyhad already wasted huge fundsfor campaigns and rallies, inpreparation for the election,before his attention was drawnto the sad news about hisdisqualification on NigerianTelevision Authority (NTA), lastweek Thursday.

Ofemile, however, urgedINEC to consider him on thegrounds that the postponed

Continuous voter Registration byINEC, scheduled to begin on the18th of May 2012, was postponeduntil after the polls, following thepressure from ruling ActionCongress of Nigeria (CAN)candidate, Adams Oshiomhole.

He added that hence thedecision of INEC is at variancewith the provisions of theElectoral Act 2010 (asamended), he deserves a waiver.

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

comical and utterly embarrassingto note that the same Salami thatrepudiated the NJC just threemonths ago, is saying through hislawyer that the NJC is his employer.

"On Friday, May 25, 2012,Justice Salami declared that it wasonly the NJC which suspended himthat could reinstate him to the office.

"He said that the letter writtento President Jonathan by NJCreinstating him was only to informhim of its fresh position since theearlier decision to suspend him wasalso communicated to him.


Author beginscampaignagainst Obamasame sexmarriage

An Author with 53 publishedliterary works, OyemireRaphael, has stated that he

will use a yet to-be published book,'The mistakes of Barack Obama' tocampaign against PresidentBarack Obama's endorsement ofsame sex marriage.

Apostle, Oyemire Raphael, whodisclosed at the weekend in BeninCity, the Edo State Capital shortlyafter he launched five booksincluding: The power of focus, 20Secrets of billionaires and Povertyof the mind and the way out, saidthat Obama's lackluster agreementto gay marriage informed his idea.

According to him, "The fact thatmen make mistakes of aidingcorruption or stealing from peoplefrom where they ought not to steal,the worst mistake is BarrackObama's public acceptance to gaymarriage.

"Gay marriage is worst. Godcondemns it, the Society condemnsit. No matter his quest for re-election as US President, it doesn'tmake him give his support to that.God is seriously against Gaymarriage."

Speaking on the Bill ProhibitingNigerians from same sexmarriage, which was recentlypassed by the Senate, he assuredthat President GoodluckJonathan is antithetical to Gaymarriage, stating that the Billwill soon be signed sign into law.

'Look at his body language,may be speeches in variousorganisations portray that he isagainst it'.

He urged young writers,particularly victims of piracy,not to let down their guards intheir literary pursuit, sayingthat he prefers to launch hisbooks in Peoples house and officesinstead of the conventional way.

'A lot of people give up easily.The fact that people pirate yourbook doesn't mean they havepirated your destiny. All youneed to do as a writer is tocontinue to write…I want to sayto you that book has given memoney. People say, 'book don'tsell, it's a lie. Most launchersprefer to donate privately. ..Godis behind it and when God is behinda project, that project will never fail,he said.

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin


L-R: Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, Speaker, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Rivers state GovernorChibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais, during a Ad-hoc Committee on theReview of the1999 Constitution retreat, recently in Port Harcourt.

CPC state chairmen appointcaretakers to run party

Garba pledges to promote welfare, professionalism

The re-elected President ofthe Nigeria Union ofJournalists (NUJ)

Mohammed Garba, has statedthat the new executivecommittee of the union willimprove the welfare andprofessionalism of the membershis second term.

He stated this in Abuja inhis address after theinauguration of the union'snew executive committee.

He promised that the issueof training would be given

priority attention by the newadministration so as to enablejournalists improve on thequality of their reportage,adding that the union wouldensure that the membersdemonstrate the highest levelof professionalism in their day-to-day journalism practice.

Besides, Garba said that theunion would concludenegotiations with mediaproprietors on the initiation ofinsurance policies forjournalists working in theirestablishments.

He said that the union

would also pursue theimplementation of good welfarepackages for journalists acrossthe country.

``I want to assure alljournalists in the country thatthis executive council will takethe issue of welfare seriously.

``We will particularlypursue the issue of insurancecover for journalists.

``I want to assure ourcolleagues in the private mediathat they will be carried alongby their respectiveproprietors," he said.

Garba pledged that he

Against the backdrop oflingening crisis in theCongress for Progressive

Change (CPC), which led to thepurported dissolution of theNational Executive Council(NEC) of the party by its statechairmen, a caretaker committeehas been appointed to preventvacuum in the leadership of theparty.

According to the statementissued yesterday in Abuja, by theSecretary of the Chairmen,

Emeka Okafor, the new nationalcaretaker committee, which willbe inaugurated soonest, willimmediately constitute a publichearing committee to probe theaffairs of the last regime andappropriately makerecommendations.

He said a meeting of anenlarged NEC of the party, whichcomprises the State Chairmen,the National CaretakerCommittee and the Stakeholders,will be convened next week,adding that the NationalCaretaker Committee will

approach the Protem NEC to seehow the pending court cases canbe resolved outside the court.

"On the activities of the ElRufai Renewal Committee, weshall continue to give them all thenecessary support. More doorswill also be opened for discussionson any form of collaboration withpolitical parties that are willingto go into alliance with us." Thestatement pointed out.

The state CPC chairmenrefuted the allegation of bribemade against them by thePublicity secretary of the party,

would complete the newpermanent secretariat for theunion and the InternationalInstitute of Journalism (IIJ)before the end of his tenure.

He said that his team wouldalso push for an amendment ofthe union's constitution toincorporate past NUJ leadersin the running of the union'saffairs.

He said that the formerleaders would become trusteesof the union via the proposedamendment .

Garba, however, called oncandidates who lost in the NUJelections to join his team inefforts to take the union togreater heights.

Garba got 670 votes todefeat his closest rival, MrsOlufunke Fadugba, whosecured 150 votes at the polls.

Mr Rotimi Obamuwagunscored 508 votes to emerge asthe Deputy NationalPresident; Mr AdolphusOkonkwo garnered 193 votesto emerge as FinancialSecretary, while HajiyaFatima Abdulkareem polled409 votes to win the post ofNational Treasurer.

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

By Umar Muhammed Puma

Prince Tony Momoh, theChairman of Congress forProgressive Change (CPC),

has called on the FederalGovernment to guarantee thesecurity and welfare of the citizensas provided for in the Constitution.

Momoh stated this on Sundayin an interview with the NewsAgency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

He said there was nothing likegood governance in the countrybecause the security, welfare andall that could be called social justicewere very deficient.

"There is no welfare in Nigeriabecause the roads are bad, there isno power, education is decayed, thehospitals and consultative clinicsare inadequate, jobs andinfrastructures are lacking.

"So, where is the welfare in theNigeria polity? Our democracyhas not given us that democracythe world knows and so had nothelped the governance.

``Things have gone entirelywrong in Nigeria because we arenot practising democracy in thiscountry. " (NAN)

CPC tasks FGon citizens’welfare

Rotimi Fashakin, arguing thatthey are not so poor to be bribedwith N100, 000 each by the PDP,adding that N100, 000 is notenough to take care of their billsfor the 2 weeks they spent inAbuja .

"He should rather ask hispurported former NationalSecretary what was hismission at the VILLA on theday of the last PresidentialElection. Rotimi Fashakin shouldalso revisit the authentic CPCconstitution and tell the wholeworld if the emergence of their

purported NEC met the basicconstitutional requirements ofour party and the Electoral Act."The statement read in part.

Meanwhile, those appointedinclude: Shehu Barau Ningi,Chairman (North East),Mohammed Tukur Abba Sada,National Assembly LiaisonOfficer, Hajara Okara, WomanLeader, Ibrahim Musa, YouthLeader, Chris Agha Oko,Secretary (South East).

Sokoto CNPP Chairman advises FG on poverty eradication

Chairman of theConference of NigerianPolitical Parties (CNPP)

in Sokoto State, Abba Sidi,yesterday advised the FederalGovernment to introducevibrant policies to tacklepoverty in the country.

Sidi said in Sokoto thatpoverty was partly responsiblefor the increasing violence inthe country, adding that thegovernment must evolveworkable policies to address the

problem.He said that the

government needed to tacklethe pervasive problems ofpoverty and unemploymentwhich had resulted in serioussocial and economicdislocations especially amongthe youth.

“We are in dire need ofprogrammes that wouldimprove the well being ofNigerians for peace, progressand political growth of our

country." Sidi urged Nigerians to assist

security agencies withinformation that would lead tothe arrest and prosecution ofcriminals.

He said that security mattersshould not be left in the hands ofsecurity agencies alone; addingthat information on dubiouscharacters would enable thesecurity agencies to dischargetheir primary assignmentwithout stress. (NAN)

Tight security inLagos ahead ofDemocracy Dayfestivities

Security is being beefed up inLagos ahead of the DemocracyDay celebration, Joseph Jaiyeoba,

spokesman for the Lagos State PoliceCommand, has said.

Jaiyeoba said in Lagos yesterdaythat the development was in compliancewith a directive from the ActingInspector-General of Police, MohamedAbubakar.

He said that the Lagos StateCommissioner of Police, Umar Manko,had directed Area Commanders andDivisional Police Officers to beef upsecurity within their jurisdictions toavoid any ugly situation.

According to him, security menhave been deployed to man strategicplaces across the state in line with thedirective.

Jaiyeoba said that operatives of theSpecial Anti-Robbery Squad and theRapid Response Squad had also beenmobilised to work with the regular patrolteams. (NAN)


Victor Moses Vincent Enyeama Gege Soriola

W igan Athletic’s VictorMoses, was the first ofthe 14 foreign based

players to hit the Super Eaglescamp in Calabar as the teambegins intensive preparations forthe qualifiers for the Nations Cupand World Cup 2014.

Moses breezed into the team’stemporary abode at Excel Orientalin Lagos, on time for the team’sdeparture for Calabar, where it willprosecute its home games againstNamibia and Rwanda.

The Wigan Athletics want-outplayer reaffirmed his desire toremain in the English Premier Leaguebut would not say which offer hehas accepted out of the severalbeing dangled before him.

Peoples Daily Sports recalls thatthe player is being courted byArsenal, Liverpool and Tottenhammwho want to strengthen their depthbefore next season begins in August.

Meanwhile, newly appointedCamp Commandant of the nationalteam, Lt Col Rabiu Yandoto, haspromised Nigerians that he wouldcarry out his duties to the best ofhis abilities by ensuring campdiscipline.

Yandoto, whose first officialassignment was the trip to Peru,said he has made observationsabout the workings of the teamand has been able to study thephilosophy of Head Coach StephenKeshi, and is certain that disciplineunder him will not becompromised.

Eagles Media Officer, Ben Alaiyaquotes Yandoto as saying “At alltimes, I will liaise with the HeadCoach and all other necessaryfunctionaries of the national team,to ensure that we up the level ofdiscipline in the national camp soas to be able to achieve the resultwe want to in the team”, he said.

...Victor Moses is earlybird in Eagles camp

Keshi drops 5 home-based Eagles,retains 12 as team hit Calabar

It was a mixed grill of resultsfor Nigeria yesterday followingthe Super Falcons’s on-the-

road victory over theirZimbabwean counterparts whilethe Flying Eagles lost for thesecond consecutive times at-the-8-nation Invitational Tournamentin Cape Town, South Africa.

The Flying Eagles were beatenby their South American archrivalsArgentina 1-0 in a match thejunior Eagles had hoped theywould use to redeem their imageand rekindle hope of securing asemi-final ticket in thetournament they are defending

champions.In yesterday’s match at the

2010 World Cup stadium, the CapeTown Stadium, John Obuh’s ladsbarely held out against the SouthAmericans until the 42nd minutewhen Franco Fragapaneexploited a defensive slip to slothome past an exposedgoalkeeper Samuel Okani.

Unlike their game against theBlack Satellites, the Flying Eaglesfailed to create real chances atgoal and had to pull out centre-forward Alhaji Gero, who wasclayfooted in the 37th minute forSikiru Alimi.

Kaduna United centraldefender Ikechukwu Okorie wasthe pillar of the Flying Eagles backfour and he and later KingsleyPatrick had to head away goal-bound shots on the goal line.

Argentina, on the other hand,enjoyed the ball possession andhad at least three chances theyhave put away to furtherunderline their superiority.

The game was marred bycountless stoppages as bothteams fought out a physicalcombat in which at least threeArgentina players were booked.

However, the Eagles could still

advance to the semi-finals if theybeat South Africa on Tuesday andArgentina beat Ghana. The SouthAmericans had beaten SouthAfrica 3-1 in the opening gamewhile the hosts down Ghana 2-0yesterday.

Meanwhile, two goals in thesecond half was all the Falconsneedced to beat theirZimbabwean counterparts in thefirst leg of the Africa WomenChampionship qualifier in Harare.

The two goals scorers wereEvelyn Nwabuiku and StellaMbachu second leg comes up inAbeokuta in a fortnight.

Enyimba in the 23rd minutethrough a diving header off a freekick.

Enyimba were the better sidein the first half with two shots ontarget to none from Rangers inthe first 45minutes.

Ugwu Uwadiegwu’s 20-yard freekick in the 51st minutes took the

game beyond ‘The FlyingAntelopes’ but got the marchingorders in the 53rd minute fromreferee Sani Mohammed forpulling off his shirt to celebratethe goal for a second bookableoffence.

It was sweet revenge forUwadiegwu who was put in the

cooler last season by rangers formissing a penalty against KanoPillars at home.

Enyimba coach Abdul Maikabasaid that it was a good match andthat they deserved their victory.

“It was a good victory for us asit has put us in pole position towin the league. This was a game

that we needed to win, and wedid it. We are on course for thetitle. Our boys played toinstructions and it worked.”

Lobi Stars capitalised on thebanishment of Ocean Boys toBenin City and recorded an awaywin.

Lobi were trailing host 1-0 in thefirst half, but second half goalsfrom Chimaobi Nwogbo and TonyOkpotu eventually saw them carrythe day.

Speaking after game, Lobi coachJohn Zaki said, “We went for afavourable result knowing fullywell that this game was on aneutral venue. Our ambition ofcontinental ticket is still there.”

In Port Harcourt, championsDolphin beat ABS FC 2-0 with goalsfrom Emeka Atuloma and EmmaNwachi in the first and 79thminutes, respectively.

Enyimba intensified its questfor the Nigeria PremierLeague title by defeating

current leaders of the pack,Rangers, 2-0 and thus pilepressure on them and other rivalsfor the league.

Both teams now have 46 pointsapiece, but Rangers still lead thestandings courtesy of a bettergoals difference.

Ex-Rangers player RazaqAdegbite opened scoring for

Enyimba down Rangers in oriental war

Super Falcons beat Zimbabwe, as Flying Eagles lose again

RESULTSDolphins 2 ABS FCEnyimba 2 Rangers

Ocean Boys 1 Lobi Stars 2

The Chief Coach of the SuperEagles, Stephen Keshi, onhas dropped five of the 17

domestic league he had initiallyretained for the 2014 World Cup and2013 African Nations Cup qualifiers.

The former Togo and Malimanager dropped the fiveyesterday while giving nod to 12others to team up with the other14 foreign-based players whom hehad equally invited to join the campin Calabar.

A statement released by theteam’s Media Officer, Ben Alaiya, saidKeshi made the announcementduring dinner at the Excel OrientalHotel in Lagos, before theydeparted for Calabar yesterday.

Those dropped were listed asUgonna Uzochukwu of Rangers,Gbolahan Salami of Enyimba, Warri

Wolves’ Ossai Uche, Heartland’s DanAkpeyi and Okemuteh Odah ofSharks FC of Port Harcourt.

According to Alaiya, thosedropped yesterday had featured inthe Super Eagles’ narrow loss totheir Peruvian counterparts in Limaon Thursday.

Peoples Daily Sports recalls thatKeshi though had expressedappreciation with the team forlifting the quality of play in thesecond of the game, but had equallybeen disappointed few players whocould respond to the challenges ofthe big stage.

It said the 12 home-based playerswould be joined by Ekigho Ehiosunto compliment the 14 players earlierannounced to bring the number ofplayers in the Calabar camp to 27.

“If I have my way, all of us will bein camp, but we have reached acrucial bend and only the best of

the best will be needed.“That does not mean you are not

good enough, and that is why I canassure that sooner than later, wewill again call on you.

“Go and ensure that you alwaysplay regularly for your clubs and verywell too because that will form thebasis of your recall.”

The 12 home-based professionals,who made the list, are: ChigozieAgbim, Azubuike Egwueke, SundayMba, Ejike Uzoenyi, JuwonOshaniwa, Izu Azuka and GodfreyOboabona.

Others include: Henry Uche,Kalu Uche, Papa Idris, GabrielReuben, Obinna Nwachukwu andTurkey-based Ekigho Ehiosun.

Keshi also urged Nigerians andthose in authority with specialreference to the media, to supportthe team with prayers and positivewords rather than causing

unnecessary distractions.“Nigeria is blessed with thousands

of players all over the world andnot all of them can be invited atthe same time.

“So, we must be careful whenwe start insisting that A or B, mustbe invited and the media has acrucial role to play here, otherwisewe will divide the team and that isnot good for us at this time.” Nnamdi Oduamadi

Stories by Patrick Andrew


Mr Aondowase Chia, the BenueCommissioner for Sports, says thatAstro turf would soon be laid at the

main bowl of the Aper Aku Stadium.Chia made the statement in Makurdi on

Saturday at a media briefing on the activitiesof the State Ministry of Sports.

He said the contract for the laying ofthe turf at the stadium was awarded in 2010,adding that the project had not beencompleted due to the difficulties in shippingthe equipment.

The commissioner said the contractor-Monimichelle Sports Management-hadstarted bringing the equipment to site fromEurope.

Chia said the pitch had been excavated,while the actual laying of the turf wouldsoon commence.

The renovation of the stadium had beenthe reason Makurdi-based Lobi Stars FC areplaying its league matches outside the state. Carl Froch

Former world heptathlon championJessica Ennis gave her hopes ofwinning Olympic gold in London a

timely boost on Sunday by winning acombined events meeting here in a newBritish record points tally.

The 26-year-old recorded a newpersonal best of 6,906 points to replacein the record books Britain’s 2000 Olympicchampion Denise Lewis whose previousbest was at 6,831.

Russia’s Tatyana Chernova, who tookEnnis’ world title in Daegu last year, was132 points behind in second, with Olympicchampion Nataliya Dobrynska a distantninth almost 600 points adrift.

C arl Froch stopped LucianBute in the fifth round inNottingham on Saturday

night to claim the IBF super-middleweight title.

The 34-year-old Briton’scomfortable victory over theunbeaten Romanian made him athree-time world champion afterhis two WBC title wins.

Froch, whose record is now 29-2, including 21 knockouts, startedbrightly and had the 32-year-oldBute in trouble in the third roundand again late in the fourth, roaredon by a raucous home crowd.

Bute, who came into the fightwith a 30-0 record, including 24knockouts, was caught by a righthand in the fifth before a flurry ofpunches from Froch culminated inanother right that forced Bute tohang on to the ropes.

Referee Earl Brown started astanding count but Bute’s cornercame into the ring to save theCanada-based fighter from furtherpunishment.

Froch was fighting for the firsttime since losing in the final of the

Super Six tournament against Andre Wardin December. Froch had lost his WBC titleto Andre Ward in the Super Six series lastDecember.

The 32-year-old Bute had held the IBFtitle since he beat Colombia’s AlejandroBerrio in 2007.

Both boxers had traded jabs in thefourth round before Froch delivered apowerful right, followed by a flurry ofpunches. Bute was saved by the bell asFroch landed a fierce left hook to endthe round.

The Canadian looked timid andunsteady as the fifth round got underway. Froch then connected with a rightthat rocked Bute’s head back and severalmore punches that pushed Bute againstthe ropes, prompting referee Earl Brownto start counting.

The popular Nottingham resident wasregarded as the underdog against Bute,who was fighting his first bout outsideNorth America and Romania.

Bute had never really been extendedsince making his professional debut inNovember 2003.

He had beaten two South Africans,Dingaan Thobela and Andre Thysse. Hewon the vacant WBC super-middleweighttitle in June 2008 when he beat JeanPascal over 12 rounds.

He retained the belt against JermainTaylor and Andre Dirrrell before losing itto Mikkel Kessler in April 2010.

Froch also beat Arthur Abraham inNovember 2010 in a clash for the vacantWBC belt. He retained it against GlenJohnson before losing the title to WBA“super” super-middleweight championAndre Ward in December last year.

On the undercard, Carl Frampton beatRaul Hirales by 119-109 on two cards and120-108 over twelve rounds to take thevacant IBF intercontinental super-bantamweight belt.

The undefeated Frampton improved hisrecord to 14-0, with nine knockouts.Hirales lost for the first time and nowstands at 16-1-1; 8. Junior welterweightPier Olivier Cote moved to 19-0; 13 whenhe stopped Mark Lloyd (15-6; 3) in thefifth round.

In Brentwood, England, formerheavyweight hope Audley Harrisonstopped Ali Adams in the fourth round.

Making a comeback after adisappointing professional career, theformer Olympic Games championimproved his record to 28-5; 21. Adams,who was knocked down in the fourthround, has now dropped to 13-4-1; 5.

Synthetic turfon Aper AkuStadium soon,says Chia

Froch stops Bute in fifth to win IBF crown

Ennis setsnew Britishheptathlonrecord

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga struggled under the weightof expectations while Juan Martin Del Potroshrugged off an injury scare in yesterday’s

opening games at Roland Garros.Fifth-seeded Tsonga, the highest-ranked

player in action, overcame a worrying first setwobble to beat Russian qualifier AndreyKuznetsov 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Tsonga, who sparked controversy on the eveof the tournament, by claiming that Frenchplayers had no chance of winning their homeGrand Slam, next faces Germany’s Cedrik-MarcelStebbe.

Ninth seed Del Potro, the Argentine who wonthe 2009 US Open, having made the semifinals

here in the same year, saw off Spanish veteranAlbert Montanes 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-1 in ashade over three hours.

He will tackle France’s Edouard Roger-Vasselin for a place in the last 32.

Del Potro, a potential quarterfinal opponentof Roger Federer, had beaten Montanes instraight sets on his way to the Estoril title inApril.

But he endured a bumpy ride on PhilippeChatrier Court when his troublesome left knee,which had already been taped, required furtherstrapping at the end of the marathon secondset.

The 23-year-old, the only man outside ofNovak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Federer towin a Grand Slam title in the last seven years,also needed a doctor three games into thesecond set as the soaring temperaturesthreatened to take their toll.

Andy Roddick slumped to a fifth French Openfirst round defeat when the injury-plaguedAmerican lost 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 to France’sNicolas Mahut.

Former US Open champion Roddick, who hasnever got beyond the third round in Paris in 10visits, came into Roland Garros having made hisseason’s European claycourt bow only inDusseldorf last week where he lost all threematches.

Roland Garros: Tsonga, Del Potro take hard road

Luxembourg’s boxing federation hasbeen stripped of government subsidiesover the proposed fight between David

Haye and Dereck Chisora.The country’s sports minister reacted to

the federation’s decision to sanction aheavyweight bout between the unlicensedBritish fighters. They are scheduled tomeet in London in July.

“ T h eminister wasnot amused bythis initiative,”an official atthe ministrysaid onThursday. “Thisdoes nothingto further thevalue of sportor the image ofLuxembourg ingeneral.”

He addedthat the

subsidies were about 3 000 to 4 000 eurosper year and acknowledged they would notmake a huge difference to the sportingbody. “The gesture is more symbolic,” hesaid.

Haye and Chisora were involved in a brawlat a news conference after Chisora’s defeatagainst WBC champion Vitali Klitschko inFebruary.

Chisora had his licence withdrawn by theBritish Boxing Board of Control (BBBC) andformer champion Haye relinquished hiswhen he announced his retirement inOctober after losing to Wladimir Klitschkolast July.

Zimbabwe-born Chisora was also bannedindefinitely by the World Boxing Council.

Luxembourg’s boxing federation agreedto sanction the fight at West Ham United’sUpton Park stadium on July 14; a movecondemned by the BBBC.

The board said earlier this month anyoneinvolved in the proposed fight would bestripped of their licence.

The Luxembourg Boxing Federation

agreed to give both fighters licences andis set to have Haye medically tested.Chisora has already passed his tests.

“Chisora had his licence withdrawn, buthe hasn’t been suspended so he is entitledto seek a licence elsewhere,” said ToniTiberi, the federation’s secretary-general.

He added that the pair were far fromthe only boxers to have misbehaved. “Yousaw thei n c i d e n t swith Frazierand Foreman.Tyson bit [hisopponent ’sear] ear andwas stillallowed tobox,” he said.

“This fightwill be a realmatch andnot one justput on forshow.”

DavidHayeDereck Chisora

Now ranked at 29 in the world, Roddick hasbeen battling hamstring problems for most ofthe year.

World 88 Mahut has now equalled his bestFrench Open performance having also made thesecond round in 2010.

The 30-year-old will tackle either Canada’sFrank Dancevic or Martin Klizan of Slovakia fora place in the last 32.

Also making the last 64 was 2003 championJuan Carlos Ferrero, who defeated Frenchwildcard Jonathan Dasnieres de Veigy 6-1, 6-4,6-3.

Ferrero, playing in his 12th Roland Garros,next meets Croatian 21st seed Maran Cilic.

Govt withdraws subsidy to boxing federation over fightHaye vs Chisora

Juan MartinDel Potro


David Moyes has sent scoutsto watch Senegalese strikerDame N’Doye but may have

to sell before he can buyEverton boss David Moyes is

chasing FC Copenhagen’s£6million-rated Senegalese strikerDame N’Doye but will have to sellto bid.

This week Moyes sent two topspies to watch the 27-year-oldhitman score against Silkeborg asCopenhagen played their last gameof the campaign.

N’Doye will be up for sale in thesummer and the Goodison chiefis looking closely at him as he triesto bring in more firepower. N’Doyehas been a prolific goalscorer fortwo years and looks made for thePremier League.

However, Moyes has been toldhe will have to raise funds beforehe can buy, with a full-time dealfor Tottenham’s Steve Pienaar alsoin his sights.

Manchester United is set tomake an improved offer of£13m for Shinji Kagawa.

The Borussia Dortmundmidfielder has one year left on hiscontract but Sir Alex Fergusonwants to land him.

United are also confident EdenHazard will choose to move OldTrafford this summer.

Manchester City and Chelseaare also fighting for Hazard’ssignature but the Belgian wingerhas confirmed that his choice willultimately be governed byregularly he will be a starter.

Manchester City, Manchester

Shinji Kagawa

Spurs has reportedly had a £14milliontransfer bid for Internacionalstriker Leandro Damiao rejected,

as Harry Redknapp steps up his effortsto strengthen his forward line.

Tottenham is keen to turn EmmanuelAdebayor’s loan spell from ManchesterCity into a permanent deal and havealso held talks with Marseille’s LoicRemy about a potential £20million move.

Redknapp has not restricted hisefforts to those two players and hasalso investigated the possibility of a dealfor Brazil international Damiao, who hefirst tried to sign last summer.

Juventus, AC Milan, Roma and ParisSaint-Germain are also keen on Damiaoand the Brazilian club is confident atleast one of the teams will match theirvaluation.

Robin van Persie

Arsenal is set to open thebidding for Montpellierstriker Olivier Giroud, by

offering £6.4million plus theservices of Marouane Chamakh,according to French reports.

The Gunners are long-termadmirers of 25-year-old Giroud,who enjoyed his best season in

Parma president Tommaso Ghirardibelieves striker SebastianGiovinco is worth at least €40

million.Giovinco, 25, is part-owned by

Juventus and has been strongly linkedwith a move away from Parma thissummer.

It has been suggested the Italyinternational could return toJuventus while he is also a reportedtarget of Barcelona, Manchester Cityand Inter Milan.

The market dictates prices, but Ihave no fear in saying that Giovincois worth as much as Javier Pastore,”Ghirardi said “I think he is betterthan the Argentinian and he is as goodas Alexis Sanchez.’’

Pastore joined Paris Saint-Germainfrom Palermo last summer for €43mill ion, while Barcelona signedSanchez from Udinese for €37.5million.

There will be plenty of time forother scenarios. But I think that hewill either stay here with us

Giovinco scored 15 goals in Serie Athis season and has been named inItaly’s Euro 2012 provisional squad.

SebastianGiovinco

Vincent Kompany

Leandro Damiao

Champions are poised with a £20m bid for the Arsenalstriker who only has one year left on his contractManchester City is firmly at the front of the queue

to land Robin van Persie if Arsenal is forced to sell theirstar striker.

City’s greatest competition could come from Real Madridor Barcelona if either Spanish club decides to enter thebidding. City are poised with an opening bid of £20millionfor Van Persie, who has just a year left on his Arsenalcontract, with Manchester United, Juventus and AnzhiMakhachkala also expressing an interest.

Already lost Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Adebayor, Gael Clichyand Samir Nasri to City in recent years, Arsenal is desperateto do all they can to stop Van Persie following his formerteam-mates to the Etihad Stadium.

Anzhi are prepared to offer Van Persie a staggering£300,000-a-week deal, but the Dutchman has no wish tofinish his career in Russia and is motivated by top-classtrophies rather than money.

Spain could provide a solution to all parties as Van Persieis understood to be keen on the prospect of Madrid orBarca and Arsenal would rather sell their captain abroad ifthey have to let him go.

Madrid has shown an interest in Van Persie, but is yet tomake a move while Barca has given little indication theywill enter the bidding.

professional football last term,scoring 21 goals in 36 matches asMontpellier secured their firstever Ligue 1 title.

Aston Villa, Liverpool andNewcastle have also made checkson the powerful hitman, butArsenal remain in pole position,especially after German sideBayern Munich dropped theirfleeting interest over theweekend.

Giroud is currently contractedto Montpellier until 2014, anddespite seeing his £10.4millionbuyout clause rise to £12.8millionfollowing his side’s title success,the France international stillrepresents good value.

Arsenal are hoping to dobusiness on the cheap, with RMCreporting that the offer is justover £6million in cash, plus areadymade replacement inChamakh.

Djourou, 25, made just 14Premier League starts in 2011-12and was often criticised when hedid play, with his display in the 8-2defeat to Manchester Unitedstanding out as a particularly abject

showing.The Swiss defender’s form has

also been a concern for hisinternational boss, though Hitzfeldis convinced Djourou’sinconsistency is down to a lack of

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has pledged his long-termfuture to the club and outlined his desire to help Roberto Mancini’s sidewin the Champions League.

Kompany, 26, was instrumental in City’s maiden Premier League title triumph,with his imperious displays at the heart of their defence earning him widespreadacclaim. The Belgium international, who replaced Carols Tevez as skipper lastyear, is thought to have atracted the attention of a number of Europe’s topclubs - but he insists there is no chance of him leaving Eastlands any time soon.

Kompany said. “The project is to take the club back to its former gloriesbut people won’t see this for perhaps another 10 years. I’m happy to be partof all that. “It’s not a three-year project but rather one for 10, 15, 20 years.It’s exciting to think I can be part of taking the club where it wants to go.”

United close onKagawa deal

United and Chelsea are fighting tosign the highly rated striker.

Hazard’s compatriot JanVertonghen remains focused on amove to Tottenham from Ajax.

Switzerland coach OttmarHitzfeld has urged centre-back Johan Djourou to

consider his Arsenal future if hewants to continue to be a part ofthe national team set-up.

regular playing time at EmiratesStadium.

Despite his struggles, Djourousigned a contract extension inFebruary that keeps him at Arsenaluntil 2015 and looks set to continuebattling out with Thomas Vermaelen,Laurent Koscielny and PerMertesacker for a starting berth.

Switzerland coach advises Djourou to quit Gunners

The season is over. Clubs are counting their blessing as well as losses and would like to make amends and even beef uptheir squads where noticeable lapses exist. And the transfer market is agog barely 24 hours after major Europeanleagues dropped the curtain.And so to keep abreast with latest rumours, we begin daily doses of movements within the market both for players andcoaches like.

Transfer

No chance of City exit— Kompany

Parma slap highprice on Giovinco

Arsenal offer £6.4m plus Chamakhfor Giroud

Everton table£6m forCopenhagenstriker

Real, Barca, United, Juve,Anzhi in race for Van Persie

Olivier Giroud

Spurs fail £14mDamiao transfer bid


Geoffrey KipsangHelah Kiprop

Luke Donald

finished in fourth position on 280.Donald, who retained the PGA

title he won for the first time lastyear in a playoff with LeeWestwood, became only the thirdplayer to win the trophy in back-to-back years after Nick Faldo(1980-81) and Colin Montgomerie(1998-1999-2000).

The anticipated head-to-head“Duel in the Sun” with Rose never

Donald retains PGA titleLuke Donald returned to the

top of the world rankings forthe fourth time within a year

after strolling to a seeminglyeffortless four-stroke victory inthe PGA Championship atWentworth yesterday.

The Briton took over fromNorthern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy atthe summit after shooting a four-under 68 for a 15-under tally of273 at the European Tour’s flagshipevent.

World number 10 Justin Rose

(70), who partnered countrymanDonald in the final round, misseda succession of birdie chancesand had to settle for a share ofsecond place with 1999 BritishOpen champion Paul Lawrie (66)on 277. Ireland’s Peter Lawrie (71)

materialized as the latter failed toconvert half a dozen birdiechances while Donald plotted hisway round in typically steadyfashion in light winds on theoutskirts of London.

Rose smashed his club into theturf in frustration at the 15th holeafter a wayward approach landedin a greenside bunker.

While his partner was bogeyingthat hole, Donald tapped histummy and heaved a visible sighof relief after knocking in a knee-trembling par-saving effort fromfour feet.

Rose also found a greensidebunker at the 16th and his titlerival effectively sealed the firstprize of 750,000 euros ($938,400)by sinking his putt for a birdiethree from 10 feet.

The unflappable Donald, whowent to world number one for thefirst time after winning here lastyear, was asked if he was in asmuch control as he appeared tobe in yesterday’s final round.

Donald has won a host ofglittering prizes around the world,and last year became the firstplayer to top the orders of meriton both sides of the Atlantic.

However, it is next month’s U.S.Open, the British Open in Julyand the U.S. PGA Championship inAugust that he has his eye on.

Haile Gebrselassie

Ethiopian athletics legend, Haile Gebrselassie, yesterday failedto qualify for the London Olympics as he could only finishseventh in the 10,000 metres.

The 39-year-old two-time Olympic 10,000m champion who hadalready failed to post a qualifying time for the marathon admittedhis hopes had been dashed after his disappointing performanceagainst 12 of his compatriots.

Ethiopia were using this as a qualifier for the Olympics. “TheGames in London, is over for me. I ran a good race till the last lap.I felt good but I manifestly didn’t have the speed to compete againstmy rivals,” he told.

“That’s life. I am not disappointed,” added Gebrselassie, whoseepic defeat of Kenyan great Paul Tergat at the 2000 Olympics inSydney, his second Olympic title, is one of the great finishes of alltime.

Tariku Bekele and Leleisa Desisa Benti finished first and secondrespectively - with the former posting the best time in the worldthis year of 27min 11.70sec - to book their tickets for London.

The third spot is being kept for Bekele’s older brother and worldrecord holder Kenenisa, who has been struggling for several monthswith a calf muscle problem.

Gebrselassie, a four-time world 10,000m champion, had come intothe race boosted by his victory in the 10km Great Manchester Runin northwest England last week in 27min 39secs.

Duo lead Kenya’s lead double podium sweep in Bangalore

London Games:Gebrselassie’sOlympics dreamends in flames

CHANGE OF NAMEI, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AMINAABDULLAHI, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN ANDADDRESSED AS AMINA ABDULLAHIABDULKDIR. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAINVALID. FIRST BANK NIGERIA PLC AND GENERALPUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAMEI, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS DR. (MISS)IBIWOWE OLUBUNMI ABAYOMI, NOW WISH TO BEKNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS DR. (MRS.) IBIWOWE-JAIYEOLA OLUBUNMI ABAYOMI . ALL FORMERDOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLICPLEASE TAKE NOTE.

An early morning shower which leftthe course wet coupled with a stretchnarrowed by prolonged metro railconstruction work left the courserecords undisturbed. Thus a pre-raceprediction of a world lead in the men’srace became unrealistic at thisjuncture. About 15 runners were inthe lead group when they reachedthe first kilometre. The group beganto split in two, while eight remain inlead bunch when they wereapproached the third kilometre mark.Before the next km arrived the leadersbecome visible.

Dennis Kipruto Kimetto, who set aWorld record for 25Km earlier thismonth, did the front running alongwith Ethiopian Feyisa Lelisa and Moses

Reigning World junior CrossCountry champion,GeoffreyKipsang, and Helah Kiprop led

Kenyan podium sweeps at the fifthedition of TCS World 10K, an IAAF GoldLabel Road Race yesterday.

Kipsiro from Uganda, before hestarted trailing after the 14.08 km.But Kipsiro continued in the lead alongwith Kenyans Bernard Koech and AlexKorir during the third quarter of therace.

Two other Kenyans, GeoffreyKipsang and Victor Kipchirchir, surgedpast the trio at the eight kilometremark when the race entered CubbonPark and remained at the helm ofaffairs thereafter. With just onekilometre to go, Korir was once againon the core group and began chargingafter the other two for the top spot.

Kipsang entered the stadium first,with teammate Korir 50 metresbehind and Kipchirchir on their tail.

here in 2008 intact. It was indeedthe fourth fastest time in this race.

Pre-race favourite Kimetto finishedwell back in 27th in 30:51 while 2009winner Deriba Merga from Ethiopiafailed in his bid to recapture the title,ending well behind in 51st placeclocking 32:28.

But unlike in the men’s race whichsaw changes in the lead throughoutthe contest, the women’s race wasstraight business between threeKenyans: Helah Kiprop, EstherChemutai and Doris Changeiywo.

Ethiopian Fatuma Sado, runner-upin this year’s Mumbai Marathon whowent on to conquer the title in LosAngeles thereafter, did make achallenge to the trio in the middle ofthe race along with compatriot SelamAbere. However the Kenyansthwarted the challenge as theyshifted the pace between themselves.

Kiprop, who came second behindteammate Fyles Ongori in the BerlinHalf Marathon earlier this year, kickedaway in the last kilometer to win in32:22. “I could have easily broken thecourse record had there been anyoneto charge me in the final stages ofthe race,” she said.

Grace Momanyi, the joint winnerof the inaugural women’s race in 2008finished sixth in her third appearancethis year. Momanyi was aCommonwealth Games gold medallist

He went onto win theUSD 21,000prize pursec l o c k i n ge x a c t l y2 8 : 0 0 ,leaving thec o u r s erecord of27:51 setby EritreanZ e r s e n a yTadese int h ein aug u r a le d i t i o n

for this distance on the track in Delhitwo years ago. However herteammate and Delhi runner-upChangeiywo made it to podium todaywith a 32:44 clocking while Chemutaifinished second, 10 seconds faster.


ABritain's Jessica Ennis

sets a new nationalheptathlon record in

winning the Hypo eventin Gotzis, Austria.

BChelsea defender

Branislav Ivanovic hasclaimed Real Madrid is

"tracking" him butstressed that he is

happy with the newlycrowned European

champions.

CElena Baltacha loses to

Sam Stosur on day one ofthe French Open, but

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga winsand Venus Williams is

also in action.

DCarl Froch stops Lucian

Bute in round five totake the IBF super-

middleweight title andbecome a three-time

world champion.

ELuke Donald regains his

world number one statusfrom Rory McIlroy withvictory in the BMW PGA

Championship atWentworth.

FChelsea striker

Fernando Torres is indefending champions

Spain's 23-man squad forEuro 2012 but theinjured David Villa

misses out.

GBarcelona forward Pedro

has been named inSpain's final 23-man

squad for the EuropeanChampionship, but therewas no place for AtleticoMadrid's Adrian Lopez or

Valencia's RobertoSoldado.

A B

C D

E F

G

SPORTS LATEST

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MONDAY, MAY 28, 2012

QUOTABLE QUOTEBy all means marry; if you get a

good wife, you’ll be happy. Ifyou get a bad one, you’llbecome a philosopher

— Socrates

Venus advancesto 2nd round atFrench Open

Don't pay any attention tothe critics; don't even ignorethem — Sam Goldwyn

E ven President Jonathanwill be forgiven if he is notsure whether his cup, at

the end of his first year aspresident elected on his own, ishalf full, or half empty. To saythe least, it has been an eventfulyear; and it will not be anexaggeration to say it may yetbe his easiest year of the four hehas been sworn to serve. If thishas downed on him, it will be asober President Jonathan whowill be celebrating the firstanniversary of his ownPresidency tomorrow. If it downson the people with whom heshares responsibility of runningthe nation, we should hear less ofachievements, and more of astronger commitment to fix thegaping holes in theadministration's record.

Two developments in the lastweek both define the character ofJonathan's administration so far,and appear to be the basic issueswhich will determine his agendain the future. The first is theemerging story about how $1.1billion belonging to the Nigerianpeople from the sale of an oil blockwhich belonged to Malibu oil wasshared by private companiesowned by people close to thepresidency. The second is thestatement credited to Chief C.KClark, the President's politicalgodfather, that PresidentJonathan will run for thePresidency again in 2015.

The emerging story about themanner over N150 billion wasshared out by private companieson instructions from topgovernment officials will cast apall on festivities andcelebrations. In a nation whosecitizens have been shockedbeyond belief by scams andoutright theft of incredibleamounts, these last revelationswill cap it all. It will be explainedor rationalized, of course, andthere may even be a tokencommitment to investigate. ButNigerians will not believe it.Instead, people are likely to cryonce again to the high heavensfor heads to roll. The same waythey are demanding that headsroll from the fuel subsidy scam.The same way they want headsto roll over the pensions scam.The same way they want all therevelations from theinvestigations of the NationalAssembly to be followed upfaithfully and culprits brought tobook. The first year of Jonathan'sfull-bloodied presidency may berecorded in history as the year ofhuge resistance against anti-people policies, and of

basic areas, this administrationhas failed very badly. These arein the areas of securing lives andproperty of citizens andpromoting their welfare; the twobasic functions of anygovernment. The manifestationof organized violence andrampant violent crimes haverendered life for all Nigeriansmore precarious. The nationalassembly has moved into thevacuum created byincompetence and weak politicalwill of the administration toexpose how improvements incitizens' welfare have beenhijacked by rampant andentrenched corruption. ThePresident lost much of his turf toorganized violence and crimes,and the opportunism ofpoliticians in the legislative arms.He will find it increasinglydifficult to put out policies whichinvolve additional hardships forthe public, such as theforthcoming review on electricitytariff, if Nigerians hear only ofstolen billions.

The second element which hasdefined the character of PresidentJonathan's presidency, and islikely to define his agenda, is hispolitical future beyond 2015. Bynow, when old man Clark speaks,the wise listen with rapt

PHEW!

Venus Williams bouncedback from a poor start atthe French Open

yesterday, beating 19-year-oldPaula Ormaechea 4-6, 6-1, 6-3in her first Grand Slam matchsince revealing she has beendiagnosed with anautoimmune disease.

The seven-time majorchampion seemed taken abackby her opponent's earlyaggressive play, but stillmanaged to turn the match herway and reach the secondround.

The 31-year-old Williams,a former top-ranked player whois now No. 53, is 12-4 this season.

Williams pulled out of theU.S. Open last August before hersecond-round match, sayingshe had Sjogren's syndrome, anautoimmune disease that cancause fatigue and joint pain.She returned to the tour inMarch.

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

. . . putting the people first

attention. When old man Clarkand Pastor Oritsejafor say thesame thing only the most foolishwill be indifferent. And both saythe only obstacle betweenJonathan and another term from2015 is a stubborn northernresistance, but it will besuccessfully challenged.Jonathan will run again in 2015as it is his right to do, and in hisinterest to do. Others have doneit before him, and those opposedto him are only doing so becausehe is from where he comes from.Nothing about competence, trackrecord, ability or proven capacityto govern an increasinglydifficult nation.

So Jonathan's presidency willhave one eye on managing aneconomy under assault fromlarge scale corruption, and apolity threatened by organizedviolence and debilitating crimes;and the other eye on consumingmaneuvers for 2015. How doeshe intend to handle these twosimultaneously? Or, moresignificantly, what does he havethat will enable him do thissuccessfully? He certainlycannot rely on his public serviceto shore up deficiencies inintegrity, competence andcourage, when it is beingroutinely assaulted byarbitrariness, impunity andcorruption. His entire arsenal ofinstitutions and mechanismsintended to prevent the types ofoutright theft and fraud we seehave been rendered laughableby the public stunts of thelegislature which uses itsoversight powers to show how apoor manager PresidentJonathan is. He will find itdifficult to rely on the nation'ssecurity asset to put an end tothe insurgency which iscrippling the north andthreatening the rest of thenation, because it is more a partof the problem, than its solution.And though the brand new PDPleadership he has just helpedinstall may give him somecomfort, his party's strangleholdon the nation's political terrainis by no means guaranteed.

The problem for PresidentJonathan is that Nigerians arenot sure who he is, or what hecan do. If what they have seen ofhim in terms of managing crises,the economy or corruption is theJonathan who wanted so badlyto become President this time lastyear, they won't be impressed. Ifthere is more to PresidentJonathan than what ReubenAbati, C.K Clark or PastorOritsejafor say, he should showhimself to Nigerians. The nationmust not be run all the way to2015, the way PresidentJonathan has run it so far.

monumental theft. A cynicalcitizenry will become even moredistrusting as the administrationsubjects finding, reports andinvestigations to furtherscrutiny, which will allowsuspects regain composure andconfidence, and cover tracks withgood lawyers and bureaucraticlethargy. Between theinsurgency of the Jamaatu AhlisSunnah Lid da'awati Wal Jihad(Boko Haram) and corruption ofunspeakable proportions carriedout with chilling impunity,there will be little left forNigerians to cheer in thisanniversary.

It may have been noted by thePresident and his close advisers,but it needs restating that in two

President Goodluck Jonathan

“Jonathan's presidency will have oneeye on managing an economy under

assault from large scale corruption, anda polity threatened by organized

violence and debilitating crimes; andthe other eye on consuming maneuversfor 2015. How does he intend to handle

these two simultaneously? Or, moresignificantly, what does he have that will

enable him do this successfully?

FIFTEENMINUTES

[email protected]

withDr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed

T itle holders, Heartlandcame from behind todefeat hard-fighting

Mbaise Lions 3-1 in the state FACup final at the Dan AnyiamStadium, Owerri yesterday.

Uche Agino put his sideforward in the 21st minutewhile Kabiru Umar broughtscore level after he converted apenalty in the 42nd minute toend first term one goal apiece.

Umar grabbed the secondgoal in the 78th minute afterhis shot was headed into his ownnet by Boniface Junior andsubstitute, Abdul Harunascored the winner in the 80thminute.

Heartland coach, NdukaNdubuise said after the matchthat the victory was significantboth to him and his wards.

"I am happy leadingHeartland to win their firsttrophy of the season as well asretain the trophy they won lastyear. I'm proud to win my firsttrophy at the saddle and I'mconfident Heartland will defendthe title at the national level.

"Lions are good side butexperience won the trophy forus," said Ndubuise who leftMbaise Lions to take charge ofHeartland.

Both teams will representthe state at the national finals.

Heartlanddismantle Lions

Peoples Daily Newspaper, Monday, May 28, 2012

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Transcript of Peoples Daily Newspaper, Monday, May 28, 2012