Peoples Daily Newspaper, Tuesday 16, April, 2013

www.peoplesdailyng.com

Vol. 10 No. 77 Tuesday, April 16, 2013 Jimadal Akhir 6, 1434 AH N150 . . . putting the people first

Against the backdrop of thethreat by Movement forthe Emancipation of Niger

Delta (MEND) to attack mosquesand scholars in the North, theNorthern Elders Forum (NEF) haswarned that any attempt by anygroup from the southern part ofthe country against innocent

Northern elders warnon MEND’s attack

L-R: Spokesman, Northern Elders Forum, Professor Ango Abdullahi, President, Dirahm Groups, Alhaji Bahsir YusufIbrahim, and member Northern Elders Forum, Mr. Solomon Dalung, during a press briefing by the Northern EldersForum on the issue of amnesty for Boko Haram, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

CBN recovers N8.6bn fraudulent bank charges >> 2

Abuja court sacksRivers state PDPexco >> 2

northerners would not be takenlightly.

NFF issued the stern warningfollowing its special meeting inAbuja yesterday. Chairman ofthe group, Prof. Ango Abdullahi,said: "We are not hoping to reachthat situation… because of thesituation we found ourselves inthe north, some people from thesouthern part of the country willlaunch an attack on innocent

people in their homes and placesof worship simply because theycome from the north? We are nothoping for that, but if they allowit, they will see what we can do".

The Forum also endorsed callsfor the President GoodluckJonathan-led federalgovernment to establish aDialogue and ReconciliationCommission, which will be vestedwith full powers to facilitate the

process of resolving the lingeringinsecurity problem bedeviling thenation.

The Forum had convened itsmeeting to discuss the FederalGovernment's plan to grantamnesty to Boko Haraminsurgents. It also noted the needfor dialogue and achievement offull reconciliation in anatmosphere that encourages thebuilding of confidence in the

integrity of the process.According to the elder

statesmen, all Nigerians have aresponsibility to encourage thegovernment and the insurgentsto engage in honest andproductive dialogues.

Addressing newsmen,Chairman of the Forum, ProfessorAngo Abdullahi, said the meetingwhich featured retired senior

Contd on Page 2

EFCC arrestsex-Mint MD...over polymernote bribery mess

By Umar Muhammad Pumaand Stanley Onyekwere

Contd on Page 2

Former managing director of theNigerian Security Printing andMinting Company, Mr. Ehi

Okomoyon, has been nabbed by theEconomic and Financial CrimesCommission (EFCC).

The ex-Mint boss, who recently resignedhis appointment in the heat of allegationsover the disappearance of millions of N1000currency notes from the company, waspicked up in his private residence in Abuja.

Sources at the anti- graft agencyinformed that Okomoyon is being quizzedby investigators at the EFCC Abuja officein relation to the Australian polymerbanknotes bribery scam.

Government officials have been accusedof taking bribes in a printing contract forbanknotes by Securency, a note-printingfirm partly owned by the Reserve Bank ofAustralia.

Former Governor of the Central Bankof Nigeria, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, was

By Lambert Tyem

Defence Ministry has underdeveloped Nigerian Armed

Forces - CDS >> 26

CONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSNews 2-10

Editorial 12

Op.Ed 13

Letters 14

Opinion 15

Metro 16-18

Business 19-22

Stockwatch 23

S/Report 24-25

Defence 26-27

Agric 28-29

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Salisu Buhari: much Adoover UNN, Page 4

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Feature 30

Strange World 31

Revenue 32-33

Digest 36

Politics 37-40

Sports 41-45

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013PAGE 2

Contd from Page 1

Northern elders warnon MEND’s attackjudicial, security, andintelligence officers as well astechnocrats, sought to find a wayout of what may appear to belikely obstacles before thedialogue commences.

"In the meantime the meetingalso appeals to both thegovernment and insurgents toremain flexible to new ideas andsuggestions by people of goodwillfrom within and even outside thecountry, making genuine efforts

EFCC arrests ex-Mint bossalso quizzed by the same anti-graftagency in January in connectionwith the bribery mess.

The polymer notes briberyscandal which dogged the tenureof the then-CBN governor,occurred in 2006. It was firstreported by an Australiannewspaper 'The Age' .

The paper reported thatSecurency International, acompany that manufacturespolymer used in banknotes in over28 countries, paid kickbacks tosecure polymer note printingcontracts in some countries,including Nigeria. The sum ofN750 million was said to havebeen paid to bribe Nigerianofficials. Mrs. Umma Dutse

At the Nigerian end of theinternational swindle, thenewspaper reported thatSecurency International, asubsidiary of the Reserve Bank ofAustralia, paid millions of dollarsinto the offshore bank accounts oftwo British-based businessmen foronward transfer to some topNigerian governmentfunctionaries and CBN officials towin the 2006 polymer printingcontract.

Securency reportedlysupplied 1.9 billion banknotes tothe CBN between 2006 and 2008.Bribe payments for the contractwere reportedly deposited in theSeychelles and the Bahamas,listed by the Australian Tax Officeas tax havens known for their

Contd from Page 1

The intervention of theConsumer ProtectionDepartment of the Central

Bank, a department created onlyon May 29, 2012, has led to therecovery of N8.6bn from someNigerian banks.

The amount represents excessbank charges which Deposit MoneyBanks had fraudulently deductedfrom depositors.

The Deputy Director in chargeof the department, Mrs. UmmaDutse, confirmed the figureyesterday while speaking withJournalists in Abuja on theactivities of the department.

She said the staggeringamount was recovered betweenMay 29, 2012 when thedepartment was created to protectthe interest of bank customers, andMarch 31 this year.

About 2, 800 complaintsbodering on excess charges,conversion, and frauds wererecovered by the department, shesaid.

Some of the banks had beengiven the mandatory N2m fine.

The apex bank last yearcreated Consumer ProtectionDepartment with a view topromoting consumer confidencein the banking industry. Its rolealso includes advocacy,

By Abdulwahab Isa enlightenment, education andpromotion of awareness amongconsumers in the industry.

Speaking on the performancesof the department, Mrs. UmmaDutse said: "So far, the departmenthas received and treated over2,800 complaints fromconsumers against Deposit MoneyBanks as at end of first quarter of2013. We have also been to recovermore than N8.6bn in favour ofvarious consumers.

"This figures that I have justmentioned excludes complaintsthat have to do with AutomatedTeller Machine and electronicrelated complaints and alsocomplaints from other financial

institutions like theMicrofinance institutions, thePrimary Mortgage. It's justcomplaints against DepositMoney Banks."

she added that: "We have hadcourse to sanction some banks forbreach of regulatory violation thenormal N2m and another thing isthat the banks are compelled bythe regulation to indicate in theirannual financial statement allthese breaches.

"So I don't think banks wouldwant their shareholders to beseeing all these statistics that theyare not consumer friendly. I amsure with these we will see greatchanges very soon."

CBN recovers N8.6bn fraudulentcharges from banks

to achieve peace in the nation",the NEF stressed.

Among the elder statesmen inattendance at the meeting wereAlh. (Dr) Yusuf Maitama Sule;Hon. Justice Dahiru MohammedLawal Uwais (former Chief Justiceof Nigeria); and Air MarshalAlamin Daggash (rtd). Others areMicheal Aondoaka; Alhaji GidadoIdris, former SGF; Aliyu IbrahimAtta, ex-IGP ; Gen. Paul Tarfa; Sen.John Wash Pam; and Barr.Solomon Dalung among others.

The leadership crisis rockingthe Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP) in Rivers state

has assumed a fresh dimension asan Abuja High Court yesterdaysacked the Chief GodpowerUmejuru Ake-led State ExecutiveCommittee of the party in the state.

The duo of Felix Amechi Obuahand Walter Ibibia Opuene had in asuit sought an order that theyshould be sworn-in as Chairmanand Secretary respectively of theparty in Rivers state, having beenduly elected at the party’s statecongress held on 17th March,2012.

Joined as defendants in the suitare, PDP, the IndependentNational Electoral Commission(INEC), Chairman of the electoralpanel of the PDP in Rivers state,Chief Dan Orbih, Secretary of theelectoral panel, Steve Emeliezeand Chief Godpower UmejuruAke, for himself and on behalf ofother members of the StateExecutive Committee of PDP inRivers state.

The plaintiffs prayed the courtfor an order of perpetual injunctionrestraining PDP and the electoralbody from giving effect to anyaction by any person purportingto act on their behalf or claimingto derive any power from them

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin and to declare that PDP is obligedunder Article 12.40 of its extantconstitution to constitute the StateExecutive Committee of the partycomprising the 1st and 2ndPlaintiffs as Chairman andSecretary respectively and allothers duly elected into thecommittee at the authentic Statecongress of the party held onMarch 17, 2012.

They further want an order ofperpetual injunction restrainingthe PDP from nullifying orinvalidating the results of the pollsof March 17, 2012, which led tothe election of the plaintiffs aschairman and secretaryrespectively of the Rivers State

Executive Committee.The Court sitting before

Justice Ishaq Bello, in itsjudgment sacked the incumbentState Executive Committee on theground that their swearing-in wasunlawful as the election thatproduced the Executive wasconducted by persons notnominated by the nationalheadquarters of the party.

Consequently, Justice Bellodeclared the Plaintiffs asChairman and Secretaryrespectively of the PDP in Riversstate and ordered INEC to recogniseFelix Amechi and Walter IbibiaOpuene as Chairman andSecretary of the PDP in the state.

Abuja court sacks Rivers state PDP exco

secretive banking arrangements.Nigeria's contract wasSecurency's biggest in Africa.

The scandal was to force theAfrica manager at Securency,Peter Chapman to resign while thefirm's South African middleman,Donald McArthur, was fired.

The Australian FederalGovernment said it had referredall questions about Securency tothe Reserve Bank, while the RBAhas, so far, declined to answer

questions about Securency'sactivities in Nigeria.

Naira notes and coins areprinted/minted by the NigerianSecurity Printing and Minting Plcand other overseas printing/minting companies, and issued bythe CBN.

Spokesman of EFCC WilsonUwujaren has since confirmed thearrest of the former Mint MD. Hewas, however, reportedly releasedlast night.

Three people have beenreported dead and up to 60people have been injured

after two large explosions went offnear the finish line of the famousBoston Marathon yesterday,leaving behind a scene ofunimaginable carnage.

Eyewitnesses at the scene saidthere were two loud explosionsabout five seconds apart, andemergency vehicles crowded thescene. Up to 60 people have beenreported injured, dozens of themseriously.

Witness Dave Weigel said viaTwitter minutes after theexplosion: 'I saw people's legs blownoff. Horrific. Two explosions.Runners were coming in and sawunspeakable horror.'

A source told MailOnline thatthere were shotgun shells in the

3 dead and dozens injured as twoexplosions rock Boston Marathon

two bombs, which sprayedonlookers and runners withmassive amounts of shrapnel.

Competitors and raceorganizers were crying as they fledthe chaos. Bloody spectators werebeing carried to the medical tentthat had been set up to care forfatigued runners. A man waspictured with his lower leg blownoff.

'There are a lot of people down,'said one man, whose bib No. 17528identified him as Frank Deruyterof North Carolina. He was notinjured, but marathon workerswere carrying one woman, who didnot appear to be a runner, to themedical area as blood gushed fromher leg.

A Boston police officer waswheeled from the course with a leginjury that was bleeding.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013 PAGE 3

PDP plans to win 32 states in 2015 - TukurNational Chairman of the

Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) yesterday disclosed

that he had the mandate to win atleast 32 of the nation's 36 states atthe end of the 2015 governorshipelection.

Tukur, while receiving adelegation from the South West geo-political zone led by the formerSports Minister, Professor TaoheedAdedoja, said he had the mandateto expand the control of the partybeyond its current 23 states.

The PDP National Chairmantold his visitors that 2015 is a yearof serious battle which, he insists,the party must win in its desire tofast-track the process of changebeing catalysed by theTransformation Agenda of thepresent government.

He asked every member of theparty to brace up for the challengesof wining the next round ofelections in Nigeria, as accordingto him the PDP now had the

presidential mandate to widen itsgrip on power by winning not lessthan32 states by 2015.

According to him, theimmediate preparations for thecoming elections, which hereasoned is closer than imagined,would relieve the party of unduepressure ahead of the election periodeven as he added that such wouldgive a fillip to the ongoingreconciliation initiatives by theparty's leadership.

Tukur however assured the 15-man delegation that the PDPwould do everything possible tobrace the resolve by thegovernment of President GoodluckJonathan to conduct the freest,most open and transparentelections in 2015.

He said it was good to note thatsince the Independent NationalElectoral Commission (INEC)started conducting elections underPresident Jonathan, there have

By Lawrence Olaoye

been consistent reports of opennessand transparency which he saidhas been melting the knack forrigging by political parties andplayers.

PDP members, Tukur stressed,must close ranks by starting towork together for the purpose ofdelivering the presidentialmandate of winning more stateswithout cutting corners duringany election, just to prove to theworld that it has indeed, been theparty with the widest spread inNigeria.

The PDP boss said, “we need towork hard now because we have apresidential mandate to movebeyond 23 states in our controland win at least 32.

“We have to show electoralstrength this time. In doing it, wewill work hard and work well. Wewill move with the speed of jet andwe will deliver without any foulantics.

“I use this opportunity to appealto our members to bury thehatchet and cast away whateverforlorn hope they nurse about thefuture.

“I appeal to our members tobegin to invest in the future rightaway and doing so involves hardwork, diligence and dedication tothe cause of PDP.”

Meanwhile, the PDP BoTChairman, Tony Anenih, alongwith other national leaders of theparty yesterday met with formerPresident Olusegun Obasanjo inAbeokuta.

Anenih who spoke withjournalists after the over threehours meeting held at hilltopprivate residence of Obasanjo saidthe meeting centered on issuesaffecting the corporate existence ofNigeria, insecurity as well as issueswithin the party.

According to Anenih, “I amhere to see my leader. I am here to

pay my respect and indeed I amhere with my colleagues, somemembers of the BoT.

When asked speak on theoutcome of the meeting he simplysaid that it was successful.

Anenih said, “as you see, we areall smiling, don’t you see mesmiling? And my leader too issmiling. So, we are quite happyabout the outcome. For now, it isnot for public consumption.”

The PDP leader would also notcomment on the issue of amnestyfor Boko Haram; saying he wouldnot react publicly as it is a securitymatter.

“You want us to discuss theissue of amnesty in public here?That is a security matter,” hestated.

...As Anenih, others meet Obasanjo in Abeokuta

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo (front row middle), with PDP Board of Trustees members who visited him, yesterday inAbeokuta. Photo: NAN

An official of the NationalIntelligence Agency (NIA)yesterday told Justice

Gabriel Kolawole of the FederalHigh Court in Abuja that asuspected member of the BokoHaram, Mukhtar Ibrahim, washanded over to Nigeria by NigerRepublic security.

Ibrahim, 23, is at presentstanding trial on alleged terrorismcharges and other clandestine actsagainst the state.

Testifying before the court asthe first prosecuting witness, theNIA official Mr. Isaac Yahaya, saidhe came across the accused person

on December 7, 2011 at a bordertown in Sokoto.

According to Yahaya whospoke during a cross examination,“I first came across MukhtarIbrahim on December 7, 2011when the NIA asked a team led byme to go to Konne-Illela, a bordertown in Sokoto between Nigeriaand Niger republic.

“When we got to the bordertown, the Nigerien Republicsecurity handed over MukhtarIbrahim to us on that December 7,2011.

“As he was handed over to theNIA, we brought him to Abuja andhe was subsequently handed overto the Department of State Security

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin (SSS) on December 9, 2011. I wasnot part of the investigation.”

Upon cross examination byMuyosore Ahmed, lawyer to theaccused person, the NIA official toldthe court that the informationgiven to them by Niger Republicindicated that the suspect wasarrested on December 2, 2011 atMali/Niger Republic border.

Yahaya hinted that at the timethe suspect was handed over toNigeria, he was not in possession ofany weapon or ammunition.

“My office told me to go andbring a Boko Haram suspect; I didso, and there was a sealed envelopealongside the suspect's belongingsthat were handed over to the NIA

by the Nigerien authority,” hesaid.

He also responded to Muyosore'squestion by admitting that theaccused person did not have anyaccess to phones or laptop while incustody.

However, the inability of theprosecuting counsel to bring threeother key witnesses stalledproceedings as Justice Kolawole hadto adjourn to May 8 and 9 for thewitnesses to be in court andcautioned the prosecuting counselagainst any undue delay that wouldsubvert the accelerated hearing.

The judge ruled that thesuspect should still be remandedin prison custody.

How Niger Republic handed Boko Haram suspect to NIA

The Niger Delta RenaissanceOrganisation has hailed thecommitment of the Federal

Government regarding waterresource development whileurging the National Assembly torevisit the National DamCommission Bill before it.

The group made this known ina media briefing after its tour ofthe Kainji Dam site which it saidurgently needs strongintervention from thegovernment.

A press statement issued andsigned by its National Coordinator,Comrade Nwokoma Messiah, andNational Secretary, KingsleyFrank, said with the commitmentof the Federal Governmenttowards attracting better fundingfor the water sector as witnessed inthe last Presidential Summit onwater, Nigerians will soon begin towitness huge direct foreigninvestment in the sector which thegroup says holds a lot of promise asfar as developing the power andagricultural sectors is concerned.

It also urged the members of theNational Assembly to revisit theNational Dam Commission Bill soas to ensure that the country doesnot lag behind in meeting themillennium development goals onwater despite its enormouspotentials in the sector.

The group said its visit to theKainji Dam enlightened itsmembers on the problems mostdams in the country are facing dueto what it says is a result of serialneglect by previousadministrations.

The statement also urgedNigerians not to relent in itssupport for the presentadministration especially in itsefforts to develop a better andsustainable system of wateradministration and supply in thecountry.

Group urgesNASS to revisitNational DamCommissionBillBy Ikechukwu Okaforadi

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

Salisu Buhari: much Ado over UNN“People are often unreasonableand self-centered. Forgivethem anyway. If you are kind,people may accuse you ofulterior motives. Be kindanyway. If you are honest,people may cheat you. Behonest anyway. If you findhappiness, people may bejealous. Be happy anyway. Thegood you do today may beforgotten tomorrow. Do goodanyway.

Give the world the best youhave and it may never beenough. Give your bestanyway. For you see, in theend, it is between you and God.It was never between you andthem anyway."

-Mother Theresa

Ibrahim Salisu Buhari.Remember him? Not so longago the land had been

electrified when this relativelyyoung man breezed unto thescene in style. Within arelatively short time he hadcaptivated all and sundry indiverse ways….

When, therefore, his namepopped up in national discourserecently in respect of thatUniversity of Nigeriaappointment, not a few persons"stirred". We will come to thatshortly….

It is common place thesedays to wake up in the morning,catch the early morning newson television and leave for workdepressed. On your way to workyou tune on the radio, listen andarrive work depressed. Lunchtime, you read the newspapersand get back depressed. Ourdays are constantly filled withnews of wickedness. Man'sinhumanity to man. Wars,earthquakes, avoidableaccidents claiming lives andmaiming others, floods, rapes,murders, name them. Nothingis an aberration to modern man.

In the midst of all these weare often prompted to searchinwards for answers on how tothrive amidst such wickedness.The only solution seems to bewith us: Doing good, asadvocated by Mother Theresa.It is imperative for us toembody the change we want tosee in the world because no one,no being, will do it for us.

As a philosopher put it, "Weshould step out each day withthe mission of doing good. Lookfor someone to do good to,touch someone's life withgoodness. Our lives shouldnever be dictated by hurtful orpainful experiences we have hadover the years at the hands ofmany who might have taken usfor a ride. It should only makeus wiser. Good we must strivefor because our Creator, out ofgoodness, created us and our

lives must be a living exampleof our Creator who is good".

It is against this backdropthat the recent rumpus over theappointment of Hon. IbrahimSalisu Buhari as a member of theUniversity of Nigeria, Nsukka,Governing board has beenviewed with cynicism by some,even as others hailed it as a well-deserved appointment.

The various rantings andmud-slinging on the person ofBuhari, a former speaker of thefederal House ofRepresentatives, surprised nota few persons. According to apublic affairs commentator, theoutpouring of angst overBuhari's emergence "clearlyshows that we as a people preferto chase the shadows at theexpense of the substance. Whythe campaign of denigrationover his appointment as amember of the governing boardof the University?"

Many of those crying foulattributed their criticisms to hispast conviction for fraud andage falsification. This is despitethe fact that he wassubsequently granted statepardon. "We should not forgetthat it is on record that IbrahimSalisu Buhari is the first and onlypublic officer till date whopublicly apologized to millionsof Nigerians with tears in hiseyes over his actions which wasinimical to the nation in an erawhen public office holders seethemselves being above the law

and even subverting judicialprocesses with the powers,connections and funds at theirdisposal," Gideon Ameride,secretary of the Azare UnityForum, posited.

He added: "Some say he wasshedding crocodile tears andwere not fazed at all. That maybe so, but the fact remains thatthis compatriot had the courageto stoop, to eat humble pie, andabove all to turn a new leaf.Bearing all these in mind, Isincerely believe that SalisuBuhari merits whateverappointment he is given by thegovernment."

On her part, Hajia ZainabUmaru, a Katsina-basedattorney, asked rhetorically:"Having publicly expressed hisremorse, should the man inflicthimself with serious injuries andbleed on television in additionto the tears, or simply put a gunon his head and shoot himselfon national television for a

wrong action he took in his zealto serve his fatherland? Noindividual should be judgedbased on past mistakes orbehaviours as they can changeand make good choices oncethey get another chance in a freesociety. Success is not only forpious people who have neverbeen convicted or madeerroneous deeds. Success is foranyone who wants it".

Continuing, she added: "It isso sad that we live in anextremely judgmental societywere people have various sortsof prejudice. Prejudice is notjust racial or religiousdiscrimination, ageism, sexualpreference or against those whoare overweight, but aprejudiced person can judge aperson based on their past.Buhari should, in my opinion,be given as chance, rather thancondemned."

Little wonder, some haveexpressed surprise that many of

Main gate of University of Nigeria, Nsukka

“

As Chairman of the NERDC he had performed creditably well. Why then is Sulisu Buhari's recentappointment as a member of the University of Nigeria's Governing Board eliciting adverse reactions?Noel Adeniyi Decker mirrors the controversial Issue.

many of those criticizing hisappointment have conveniently

made no mention of Buhari'sachievements at the Nigerian

Educational Research andDevelopment Council [NERDC] in 2005where he held sway as the Chairman

those criticizing hisappointment haveconveniently made no mentionof Buhari's achievements at theNigerian Educational Researchand Development Council[NERDC] in 2005 where he heldsway as the Chairman during thetwilight of the Obasanjo era. Theuproar generated over hisrecent appointment did notarise then, so why the stormnow?.

Putting the matter inperspective, Ameride said: " Iwish to implore that wewelcome the former speaker ofthe Federal House ofRepresentatives with open armsin the tradition of the greathospitality which our brethrenat UNN are famo0us for, notforgetting that the NigerianEducational Research andDevelopment Council neverhad it so good during theChairmanship of the formerSpeaker who is not known tocourt media attention over hisaccomplishments in a societywhere silence is often seen as asign of weakness.

"In this period of holler forreformation andtransformation in the polity weshould never forget somesagacious sayings such as thatof Alexander Pope 1688-1744:to err is human; to forgive,divine and the saying of theGreat Rabbi 'he that is withoutsin, let him cast the first stone'".Source: [email protected]


R-L: Head of Federal Government delegation to the 2012 Hajj, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubarka; President GoodluckJonathan; Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo; and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Nurudeen Mohammed; during thesubmission of 2012 Hajj report to the president, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja. Photo Joe Oroye

Boko Haram’s alleged rejection of amnestyproposal temporary, says Dauda Birma

A former Minister ofEducation who is also achieftain of the People’s

Democratic Party (PDP), AlhajiDauda Birma, has urged theFederal Government to go aheadin its plan to grant amnesty tomembers of the Boko Haram sect.

Birma described the allegedrejection of the amnestyproposal by leaders of BokoHaram as a veritableopportunity for government tocontinue with the processes forthe amnesty.

He explained in an interviewat the weekend that, “once thereis an action and then reactions,then you know that there is away forward.

“When the FederalGovernment did not say theywere going to give amnesty tothe Boko Haram people, we didnot hear anything from them.

“But when the governmentsaid they were going to giveamnesty, the Boko haram peoplereplied.

“So, it means that thedialogue has started. The FederalGovernment took a positive step,but it is now left for it toconstitute the committee, drawthe terms of reference then getthe people who will get the BokoHaram people to talk.

“Once the talks begin, it willopen a window of opportunitiesbecause throughout history, noconflict ends without going to thenegotiating table.

“This is a conflict that has costseveral lives and it has virtuallydestroyed the economy of thenorth and it has brought a lot ofdoubt regarding thecohesiveness of the Nigeriastate.”

Birma urged Nigerians tostop looking up to the FederalGovernment for all solutions toall their problems noting thatthe state and local governmentsare closer to the people.

According to him, “we makethe mistake of believing that theonly government in Nigeria isthe Federal Government. “Weknow that Nigeria is a federationand the Federal Government.

“There are 36 independentstates, there are 774 localgovernments. All of these havegovernments and programmes

As part of activities tomark Nigerian Air Forceweek, National President,

Nigerian Air Force Officers’Wives Association (NAFOWA),Mrs. Mary Iyah Badeh, andmembers of her team havehelped 11 inmates of Kuje Prisonto regaine their freedom.

Badeh expressed shock whenshe called for the list of theinmates who are servingvarious jail terms for minorcrimes with an option of finewhich they could not afford.

The list given to her showedinmates who were in prison fortheir inability to pay fines thatranged from N4,000 toN8,000.

She asked the prisonauthorities to effect theimmediate release of 11 of themin this category.

NAFOWA facilitates release of 11 Kuje Prison inmatesThe beneficiaries of Badeh’s

gesture are Alfred Agimi,N6000 serving a three monthssentence, EmmanuelNathaniel, N5000, serving200 days; Mustapha Aliyu,N4000, serving two monthssentence; YohanahMohammed, N6000 with twomonths sentence, IbrahimAdam N5000, serving sixmonths sentence, MusaAhmed, N5000 serving sixmonths sentence, and VitalisNyieter, N8000, serving fourmonths sentence.

The others others includePeter Olorunfemi, N6000,serving seven months jailterm, Hassan Joseph, N6000,serving three months sentence,Zakare Tekura, N7000,serving six months jail termand Ale Mohammed, N4000with five months sentence.

All the freed inmates

thanked the NAFOWApresident and pledged to be ofgood behaviour henceforth likeshe urged them..

Badeh tasked the prisonauthorities to a find medium ofcommunicating with the publicof what goes on behind theprison walls with a view ofattracting philanthropists andN o n - G o v e r n m e n t a lOrganisations to the plight ofthe inmates with lightersentence in order to preventthem from mingling with otherhardened criminals.

The NAF week has thetheme, ‘‘Enhancing NAFcontribution to nationaldevelopment throughcommunity relations.’’

According to Badeh, ‘‘it iscertain that some of you arehere awaiting trial, some forthe offences they committedwhile others are here as victims

of circumstances.“However, whatever

reasons that brought you here,it is our earnest prayers thatyour stay will change you forgood.

“We also pray that whenyou are finally released, youwill contribute your own quotain making our great country abetter place for us all to enjoy.’’

In his remark, the DeputyController of the prisonexpressed appreciation to theleadership of NAFOWA andtasked other highly privilegedmembers of the society toalways find time for the lessprivileged in order to make thesociety worth living.

Badeh later led her team tothe NAF Base near the NnamdiAzikiwe International Airportwhere some widows wereprovided with food stuff andsowing machines.

The Federal Governmenthas earmarked 100 tonnesof improved seeds for

distribution to cotton farmers inJigawa and Kano States.

Alhaji Garba Taura, theChairman of the CottonFarmers Association in Jigawasaid this at a congress organisedby the All Farmers Associationof Nigeria (AFAN) in Dutse onMonday.

FG providescotton seeds forfarmers in Jigawa,Kano

and they are expected to addressthe yearnings of their people.

“We tend to forget that thereare local governments and wetend to forget what is being givento them and we look at the 36states and Abuja which makes3 7 .

“We tend to forget that thesepeople have the primaryresponsibility of creatingopportunities for better life fortheir people but we focus oureyes on the Federal Governmentand we look at its failings.

“Unless these units work in amanner in which the FederalGovernment complements theiractions, we shall keep on havingpoverty, insecurity andunemployment.

“Yes, it is good to talk aboutthe Federal Government but weshould also look at the variousstate governments.

“You come from a state, whathave you demanded from yourgovernment? What have youdemanded from the member

representing your area at theHouse of Assembly? “What haveyou demanded from yourgovernor? Everything youknow that affects the lives of thepeople of your state are theresponsibility of these people.

“Now, you go to the localgovernment. We do not eventhink of what they collect. Wedo not think of what they shoulddo and we blame the FederalGovernment.”

Birma also faulted theIndependent National Electoral

Commission over its recentreport that on the CentralWorking Committee of the party.

As he put it, “where was INECfor 12 months? INEC supervisedthe convention, INEC supportedthe results and suddenly, 12months after the convention,INEC wakes up and says thatthere were certain illegalities.

“That is to tell you that theNigerian factor is at playbecause the Nigerian factor ispeople looking for people to buyand people in positions look forpeople who will buy them.”

By Agaju Madugba

By Joy Baba


R-L: Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC), Eze Festus Odimegwu, with representative of the Secretary to the Governmentof the Federation, Dr. Jamila Shuara, during a retreat for members of National Population Commission, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Babangida Aliyu said that thestate placed much credence onvalue change addition as acatalyst towards boostingagricultural commodities forexport.

According to him, “ourcollaboration with relevantinternational developmentpartners such as GIZ, JICA andUNIDO has culminated intobuilding of Talba Shea buttervillages in Tsohon Kampani andGarin Gora in Bosso andKontagora local governmentareas respectively.”

Governor Aliyu who wasrepresented by his Deputy, Hon.Ahmed Musa Ibeto, alsoreiterated his commitmentstowards providing enablingenvironment for prospectiveinvestors wishing to do businessin Niger state.

Clark advocates more exportationof Nigerian goods

In a bid to promote thedevelopment of Nigeria’sexport trade, Chairman,

Board of Nigeria ExportPromotions Council (NEPC), Mrs.Grace Clark, has called on theFederal Government to have abreakaway from oil dependencyin the country.

Clark said she would ensurethat during her tenure there willbe more exportation of Nigerianproducts so as to spearhead thecreation of appropriate exportincentives.

According to her, “we haveto break the oil dependency inthe country because there areother products that can generatemore revenue in the country

than oil.”Clark however called for

financial assistance from stategovernments so as to ensure thatmajor exportation products inNiger, Kogi and Kwara areharnessed and exported.

She urged other stategovernments in the zone toemulate the Governor of Nigerstate in improving exportationproducts because according toher, “Niger state is fast becomingthe economic hub of the north.”

In his opening remarks, theExecutive Director of NigerianExport Promotion Council, Mr.David Adulugba, said Niger statewas chosen as a zonal officebecause of the abundance ofexport materials in the state.

Earlier, Governor Mu’azu

From Iliya Garba, Minna

The governor announced theretention of Yisa as the leader ofthe government pilgrims toJerusalem this year with theChristian Association of Nigeria,Niger state chapter, Rev. MusaDada, as his deputy while theNiger state council Chairman ofthe Nigeria Union of Journalists,Mr. Iliya Garba is also on thegovernment delegation.

Earlier, Yisa had told thegovernor that the committee didnot record any defection duringthe exercise and that theNational Pilgrims Commissionadjudged the state as one of thebest in the country.

forbids it from spending on thereligious purification of its peopleas long as the exercise is budgetedfor and approved by the stateHouse of Assembly.

“People’s funds must be usedto make people happy. It isnecessary for government tospend public money on peoplewho are knowledgeable abouttheir religion because they willassist to change the society.

“We must understand thebasic knowledge of our religion toremove animosity from theland.”

While commending theofficials for organizing a hitch free

pilgrimage to the Holy land, thegovernor assured that the stategovernment will continue tosponsor both Christians andMuslims to Mecca and Jerusalemfor the performance of theirreligious rites.

He disclosed however thatgovernment has categorized thesponsorship of Christian pilgrimsto Jerusalem for this year’spilgrimage into three adding thatgovernment will give fullsponsorship to 50 intendingpilgrims, pay 50 per cent of thefare for another 100 and 30 percent for yet another 100intending pilgrims.

In order to ensure that allparticipants going forpilgrimage get their

allowances, the Governor of Nigerstate, Dr. Mu’azu BabangidaAliyu, has advised Christians andMuslims pilgrims’ commissions toattend to pilgrims at the point ofdeparture for the Holy lands.

Governor Aliyu made thisstatement in Minna yesterdaywhen he received the report ofthe 2012 Christian pilgrimage toIsrael from the leader of theg o v e r n m e n tdelegation, Abraham Yisa, atGovernment House.

According to the Governor,“the commissions must ensurethat all pilgrims going to the Holylands must get their allowancesat the points of departure.

“Government’s position isinformed by the fact that no law

Aliyu tasks pilgrims’commissions on allowances

From Iliya Garba-Minna

Arewa Democratic Union haslauded the Nasarawa stateGovernor, Alhaji Umaru

Tanko Al-Makura, for carryingout what the group describedas people-oriented projects aimedat ensuring the speedydevelopment of the state.

Addressing a press conferencein Kaduna yesterday, the group’sCoordinator, Malam SalisuSuleiman Nagogo, named someof the projects to include,construction of urban and ruralroads, provision of portablewater, electrification projects,provision of agricultural toolsand fertilizer to farmers,empowerment of the youththrough training in crafts andother handwork, among others.

Meanwhile, the Governor haswarned those whose shanties,slums and makeshift shops weredemolished recently along theAbuja -Keffi dual carriage way todesist from re-erecting them.

The warning is contained in apress statement in Abujayesterday signed his SeniorSpecial Assistant on Media andPress Affairs, Sani Musa Mairiga.

He described the demolitionexercise as a continuous processuntil the greater Karu arearegains its beauty.

The statement said theexercise would also be extendedto some major towns in the stateto rid them of shanties, slums andmakeshift shops that oftencontribute to traffic gridlock alongmajor roads.

According to the statement,“government cannot fold its armsand watch some few individualsin the society build structuresthat violate laid downregulations.”

The Governor expressed hisdismay on the indiscriminatedumping of refused along theAbuja-Keffi dual carriage wayespecially in Maraba, Ado, NewNyanya ,Masaka and Kuchikau.

Group laudsAl-MakuraoverdevelopmentBy Umar Muhammad Puma

Heat: Dutse residentssleep outsideResidents of Dutse, the

Jigawa state capital,have resorted to sleeping

in the open because of thescorching heat in the town, theNews Agency of Nigeria (NAN)reports.

A NAN survey in Yarwawa,Takur-site and Fagoji quartersin the city showed that peoplewere laying their mattresses andmats outside of their houses atnight to sleep due to the hotweather.

A cross section of residents ofthe area told NAN that it hadbecome a tradition for them tosleep outside of their homesduring the hot season to preventoutbreak of diseases.

Malam Salihu Bello, a

resident of Takur-site, said hehad been sleeping in the openwith his family since Februarybecause of the heat, in order tohave some comfort and avoiddiseases associated with the hottemperature.

Another resident, AminuIliyasu, also expressed worryover the inclement weather,saying the heat had made lifedifficult for him.

Alhaji Adamu Shuaibu,another resident, described thesituation as “terrible,” addingthat sleeping outside exposedhim to mosquito bites that couldcause malaria.

Shuaibu said he was unableto sleep in his room because ofintense heat. (NAN)


L-R: Special Adviser to the President on Aviation, Captain Shuhu Iyal; Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Kabiru Taminu; and Alhaji Bello Sani, during a cocktail organised inhonour of the minister of Special Duties, recently in Abuja.

Alhaji Asari Dokubo (left) addressing journalists during his visit to President GoodluckJonathan, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

R-L: Amir/National President, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria, Dr.Mash-hudFashola, in a handshake with Hakinmi Dutse of Jigawa state, Alhaji Abubakar Bako,during the 2nd Northern Region Jalsa Tarbiyah conference on moral training, recentlyat Ahmadiyya Central Mosque, in Abuja. Photos: Joe Oroye& Mahmud Isa

L-R: Delta state Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, and his Deputy, Prof. Amos Utuama(SAN), during the 1st convocation ceremony of the Western Delta University, Oghara,Delta state recently.

L-R: Gombe state Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, receiving a giftfrom Managing Director, Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Cooperation (NAIC), Dr.Tijjani Grab, during the latter’s visit to the governor, yesterday in Gombe.


R-L: National President, Association of Medical Laboratory Scientist of Nigeria (AMLSN), Dr. Godswill Okara; 1st Vice-President of AMLSN,Alhaji Toyosi Raheem; and association National Secretary, Mr. Ashi Robert; during the media briefing on the World Biomedical LaboratoryScience Day, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

British Airways (BA)aborted its scheduled 8:30am flight to London

yesterday following a problemwith the aircraft’s right enginewhich was reported to havestopped working moments totake-off time.

The aircraft had to be towedfrom the runway to the tarmacas engineers were battled to fixthe problem.

The airport’s spokesperson,Henrietta Yakubu, confirmedthe incident but did not givedetails.

British Airways officials latertold the passengers that the flighthad been cancelled.

Faulty engineaborts BritishAirways flightin AbujaBy Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

‘NASS to solve Boko Haram crisis within three months’From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

The National Assembly atthe weekend assuredNigerians that the issue of

insecurity will soon becomething of the past as the Senatehas resolved to end all crisisrelating with aggrieved groupsin the country.

Deputy Senate Chief Whip,Senator Hosea Ayoola, disclosedthis at a media chat organisedby the Oyo state council ofNigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ).

According to him, as theSenate prepares to return fromthe Easter break, tacklinginsecurity intention will top theorder of its sittings.

Agboola noted that theproblem of Boko Haram is moreor less political adding thatNational Assembly is workingtirelessly to return normalcy inthe crisis part of the country.

“The National Assembly hasresolved to tackle Boko Harammenace with immediately afterEaster break,” he said.

While supporting drug testfor politicians as proposed by the

Governor of Central Bank,Malam Sanusi Lamido, theSenator added that such testshould be extended to heads ofgovernment establishmentsdown to career officers.

As he put it, “the way andmanner in which some peopleexpress their opinions in this

country shows that they need tobe tested for drugs and Sanusihimself should take the lead.”

He described his relationshipwith his former boss, OtunbaAdebayo Alao-Akala as cordialagainst reports that both were atloggerheads over who will returnto the Senate.

Agboola highlighted hisachievements for the people ofhis senatorial district such asbuilding of schools equipped withcomputers, primary health carecenters, and construction ofroads and facilitation of federalgovernment projects to his area.

The Juga community inToro local governmentarea of Bauchi state has

taken a Chinese firm, TongyiAllied Mining Limited, to courtfor allegedly taking over theirfarm lands for mining.

A motion on notice filed bycounsel to the plaintiff’s, Hassanel Yaqub at the Bauchi stateHigh Court, said that inDecember 2011, the Chinesefirm was introduced to thecommunity as internationalinvestors and that the firm took

over the community’s ancestrallands and farms and pledged tocompensate them.

When the case came upyesterday, the Presiding Judge,Justice Ibrahim MohammedZango, restrained the firm fromentering in to the community’sland for whatever purposepending the hearing of themotion on notice.

Zango also directed the firmin the interim to close itsbusiness premises and suspendany further operations andvacate communal land and

Bauchi community suesChinese firm over farm land

adjourned further hearing tillApril 19 2013.

The community had notedthat the firm cordoned off a very

large area of their landmeasuring about 371 cadastralunits and that in the process,economic trees, crops andcommunity ancestral graveswere destroyed.

They also claimed that thefirm equally prevented thecommunity from pursuingtheir legitimate daily grazingactivities in and around the area.

They further alleged that the

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi firm brought in large number ofChinese as their work force.

According to them, activitiesof the firm had polluted theirenvironment with dust, smokeand noise.

Hassan stated that all effortto get the firm to paycompensation to the affectedcommunities failed and prayedthe court to compel the firm topay the community the sum ofN250 million compensation andto declare that the communityhas right over their ancestrallands.

Minister, Security chiefs,brainstorm on rising insecurity

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

In the wake of the securitychallenges in the countryoccasioned by the activities of

various militant groups, theMinister of Interior, ComradeAbba Moro, security chiefs fromthe Army, Police, NigeriaSecurity and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC), Prisons and otherstakeholders have called for moresecurity measures other thanforce to curb the menace.

Making the call yesterday atthe NSCDC Academy in Sauka,Abuja, during the openingceremony of a 5-day technicaltraining on, Principles andpractice of Alternative DisputeResolution (ADR) for NSCDCpeace officers,” the speakersagreed that other measure shouldtake precedence over the use of

force.The Minister of Interior, who

was represented by thePermanent Secretary, AnesthesiaDaniel Nwaobia, noted varioussecurity challenges includingcommunal clashes, religious riots,among others have stretched theefforts of the security authorities.

According to him, “all handsneed to be on deck to curb theinsecurity in the country which isgiving us sleepless night.

“All Nigerians shouldcollaborate with the governmentand provide useful informationthat will help in resolving thesecurity situation.”

Similarly, MD Fakai whorepresented the Inspector Generalof police, Ibrahim Abubakar, saidthat dialogue and other peacefulmeasures should take centerstage.

Also on dialogue, the NSCDCCommandant General, AdeAbolurin, said the corps hadalready initiated a peaceful ideawhich is working in Kaduna andRivers state.

He said people at the grass rootswere the major focus of the peacecampaign, adding that thecommunity leaders andtraditional rulers should be moreengage in the peace process.

Kebbi torecover N1bannually fromworkers’verification,says ALGONchairman

The Kebbi Chapter ofAssociation of LocalGovernments in Nigeria

(ALGON) has estimated that N1billion will be recoveredannually from payment to ghostworkers after a staff verificationexercise.

Alhaji Musa Dan-Illela, thestate chairman of ALGON, saidthis in Birnin Kebbi on Mondayin an interview with the NewsAgency of Nigeria (NAN).

He explained that theexercise was conducted in eachcouncil as part of efforts to reducecost of administration in thecouncils.

NAN reports that theverification exercise wasconducted in the past fourmonths adding that workers hadstarted receiving their salaryarrears.

According to Dan-Illela,shortage of funds has hinderedthe improvement in theprovision of amenities to thepeople.

He said that in the past fouryears, each council hadconstructed 21kilometres ofrural roads, 1,480 hand pumpsand 480 motorised bore holes inrural areas to boost water supplyand ensured consumption ofhygienic water.

The chairman said theassociation was collaboratingwith the state Ministry of WaterResources to ensure adequatemaintenance and functioning ofthe bore holes.

Dan-Illela called on thecouncil chairmen to ensureprudent management ofresources and shun practicesthat could be detrimental to theirintegrity and dignity. (NAN)


The management and staff of theNigerian National PetroleumCorporation (NNPC) have

expressed deep condolences with itsGroup Managing Director, AndrewYakubu, over the demise of hisyounger brother, Yohanna Yakubu,on Sunday morning.

A statement signed by NNPC'sActing Group General Manager,Group Public Affairs Division,Tumini Green, said that the 47 yearsold Yohanna was the Chief Operatorat the Power Plant and UtilitiesDepartment of the Kaduna Refiningand Petrochemical Company(KRPC).

The statement explained thatYohanna was killed by men suspectedto be armed robbers at about 7 am onSunday at Idon village in Kachia localgovernment area of Kaduna state,some 110km from Kaduna townwhile travelling to his village,Ungwar Wakili, in Zangon-Kataf localgovernment area.

According to the statement,"while we await the outcome of thepolice investigation on this sad event,our prayers and commiserationsremain with the entire Yakubufamily and we implore the Almightyto give them the fortitude to bear thisgreat loss.

"The remains of the late Yohannawill be laid to rest on Friday, 19thApril, 2013 in his hometown. Hejoined the NNPC in July 1987."

NNPC condolesGMD over killing ofyounger brother

Prominent civil rightsactivist, Malam ShehuSani, has faulted reports

suggesting that some governorsfrom the north have madecontacts with members of theBoko Haram group over thegroup’s alleged refusal of FederalGovernment's amnestyproposal.

Describing government'samnesty initiative issue asfaulty, Sani ruled out thepossibility of leadership of BokoHaram accepting the proposedamnesty as, according to Sani,"the fundamental issue is you

Northern governors not in touchwith Boko Haram, says Shehu SaniFrom: Mohammed Ibrahim,Kaduna

An overloaded articulated vehicle on Kano-Babura-Babban-Mutum Federal highway, yesterday in Dutse. Photo: NAN

Muslim Pilgrims Board introducesguarantor forms for pilgrimsThe Plateau Muslim Pilgrims

Board has introduced aguarantor's form for all

intending pilgrims to checkdefection while in Saudi Arabia forthe pilgrimage.

Alhaji Salisu Musa, ExecutiveSecretary of the board, disclosedthis in Jos on Monday during aninterview with the News Agencyof Nigeria.

Musa explained that the formwas introduced to check pilgrims'excesses of vanishing after the Hajj.

He said that the guarantor'sform would entail the guarantor

filling a form with his photograph,his phone number and residentialaddress among others.

Other details includeattachment of copies of theinternational passport, driver'slicence and national identity card,he added.

According to him, the boarddecides to introduce the form todiscourage some pilgrims' habit ofdefecting during the Hajj.

The executive secretary saidthat should the pilgrims abscondin the holy land, the guarantorswould be handed over to the

security agents."'We are trying to avoid a

situation where not a single personwill even attempt to abscond whileon the contingent of Plateau in theholy land.

"This is to forestall last year'sexperience when a female pilgrimsold her passport to another womanwith the intent to abscond but wewere able to trace her to her hidingplace in Saudi Arabia.

"She was arrested and wereturned her to Nigeria to protectthe nation's image as the SaudiArabian Government has put a

NOA boss lamentsdecline in culturalvalues

cannot give amnesty to peoplethat do not want that amnesty,you want to give something andsomebody said he does not want,and so what happens?"

Sani who spoke yesterday atthe Center for Development andRights Advocacy (CEDRA)Kaduna, Sani said that, I thinkwe have failed in this amnestybecause of the wrong steps taken.

"First of all, they set up acommittee and nobody knowswho members of the committeeare.

"If you set up a committeewith people of high level and theydo not have access to theleadership of Boko Haram, you

are simply wasting your time.""I do not think it is true that

northern governors are in touchwith Boko Haram, if it is true,Boko Haram will acknowledgethat they are in touch withthem.

"But the leader of BokoHaram has made it very clearthat they are opposed toamnesty, so anybody who wantsto use amnesty for his ownpecuniary gain is quitedifferent."

Sani who is also President ofthe Kaduna-based Civil RightsCongress (CRC), cautioned theFederal Government overdangling money before Boko

By Etuka Sunday

Haram as he argued that,"money cannot solve theproblem of Boko Haram, theyhave not made financial requestand secondly they are notfighting because they needmoney.

"Those wanting to use of cashto quell this insurgency are thoseworking to profit from the case.

"If we think we can apply andadopt the amnesty that was usedin Niger Delta to what ishappening here, I think we havemisread the situation."

"I am using this opportunityto call on Nigerians that let nottax payers' money be used in thename of settling insurgents."

penalty for any board that allowsits member to defect while on Hajj,"he said.

Musa called on femaleintending pilgrims to make surethat they were not pregnant at thetime, and that they must be readyto produce male guardians whocould be their husbands or bloodrelations for the trip.

He said that a seriouspregnancy test would beconducted on all the women toavoid transporting pregnantwomen to the holy land. (NAN)

Director-General of NationalOrientation Agency (NOA),Mr. Mike Omeri, has blamed

decadence in the society on the loss ofthe nation's cultural values andtradition.

Omeri who spoke at the weekendduring the grand finale of Ogori Dayin Kogi state, noted that culture whichis a way of life of the people, enhancesthe capacity to do the right things forthat bind the people together. .

Omeri who was conferred withthe title of "Ghen Weda" (father of theyouth,), charged parents to inculcateright values in their children to fasttrack the transformation agenda ofthe Federal Government.

According to him,"Nigerian parents always have

high hopes for their children to succeedand we should strive to keep alive ourculture and tradition that define us asa people and I commend the Ogori forkeeping the Ovia Osese tradition" hesaid.

He noted that the Ovia Oseseprovides a window through which theoutside world sees the people as a great,peace loving and patriotic peopleadding that the celebration representsthe identity of Nigerians even as itpromotes tourism.

According to Omeri, NOAlaunched a campaign, "Do the rightthing, transform Nigeria" and urgedevery parent to be a role model fortheir children.

He promised to liaise with theNigeria Tourism DevelopmentCommission (NTDC) and the privatesector to make Ovia Osese a nationalcelebration.

In his remarks, Kogi stategovernor, Captain Idris Wada,assured the people of his support to keepalive the culture and tradition sayingthe government will bring in sponsors.

From Sam Egwu, Lokoja


How life is akin to investing in the stock market

A business has to be involving,it has to be fun, and it has toexercise your creative instincts.- Richard Branson

Remember that famousquote in "Forrest Gump"?Forrest said, "My momma

always said, 'Life was like a boxof chocolates. You never knowwhat you're going to get.'"

While I believe there's lots oftruth to that statement, I'mgoing to modify that quote to tryand get you to think differently.Here's my version - "Life is likeinvesting in the stock market.You'll go through your share ofups and downs. But as long asyou're able to persevere throughthem, in the long run you'll comeout on top."

Let's review some stockmarket history. There's no doubtthat investing in the stockmarket is risky. To illustrate,take a look at the returns fromthe Nigeria stock exchange overthe past 15 years:

As you can notice thedwindling fortunes, with someyears the stock marketrecording incredible closings,yet in others, it performedhorribly. How does this relate tolife?

I'm sure that in your own life,you've had your good days wheneverything seems to go right.But you've also had your baddays, where a lot of things seemto go wrong.

How do you get through thehard times? Before I try to

answer that, let's take a look atthe stock market's approach.

Don't put all your eggs in onebasket

The Nigeria stock exchangeis taken as the yardstick here forthe performing companies in thecountry have been active in themarket over the last couple ofdecades. As we invest in theindex, all of the companies worktogether to provide us with thewealth we seek.

But not all companiesperform at the same level.Companies that do well helpcarry the weight for othercompanies that perform poorly,so that the overall value of theindex has increased over time.

For instance, in September,2012, Dangote Sugar Refinerywhich had earlier nudged tosecond position of mostcapitalised company breastedthe tape to beat First Bank tobecome the most capitalisedcompany on the Exchange.

At the end of trading on thefloor of the Nigerian StockExchange (NSE) September10th, Dangote Sugar RefineryShares appreciated from theprevious price of N38.52 pershare to N40.44k

And with 10 billion units'share of the companyoutstanding, it has emerged asNigeria's most capitalisedcompany with marketcapitalisation of N404.4 billionas against the previous day'strading of N385.2 billion,gaining a record 5 percent at a

single day's trading whichaccording to Sola Oni, SeniorManager, Corp-orate Affairs of theNigerian Stock Exchange is "thehighest any company can gain ina single day's trading."

What's the point?Don't go through life alone.

Just as the S&P 500 can be seen asa community of 500 companies,you need to be a part of a largercommunity as well.

Life can get hard. When it does,sometimes we need someone to crywith us when we cry. We needfriends to help bear our burdens.

Other times, when life is good,we want others to celebrate withus in our victories. We want our

Yeah, I know. You know youneed one but who has thetime - or know how - to put

one together, right? That's whyI advocate writing a 2-pagemarketing plan. On the firstpage, list where you are now(gross and net income, numbersof new and repeat clients orcustomers, amount youcurrently work and earn, etc.).Then set goals for where you'dlike to be in a year for each ofthose.

On page two, choose threemarketing strategies you'regoing to use to achieve thosegoals (public speaking, emailmarketing, direct mail, etc.).Include an actual to-do list ofsteps you need to take toimplement each one, as well asdue dates for each step.

Money Tip:Developamarketingplan

Buying stocks… What you must do

I hear a lot of us saying….thismay be a great time to buystocks, now that many stocks

are still near historic lows.No doubt, this could be the

inference many investors drawas stock tips spill fromeverywhere: from analysts, ontelevision, at parties, in thegym, and even in clubs.

One of the true cornerstonesof real wealth creation has

always been based on notclimbing on bandwagons. Yes,you may be lucky to gain atfirst… for a while, but when theystart to sink, you sink along withthem.

But being a cyclical market,the past years of experience andhistory tend to prove otherwisebecause the market most timesproved stubborn for analysts topredict.

Share your Money Tip: do you have a business/money idea, and you want to share it with our dear readers? Then, send it to: [email protected] or (text it to 08091904890)

Quote

Trend has shown that evenmany wealth seekers email boxestoday are full of grounds for can't-miss moneymakers to buy rightnow. Even your own scouting canturn up stocks that look like solid-gold opportunities.

But the truth remains thatthere are questions you must askyourself before delving into thisform or investment because evenprofessional investors follow

many different methods to huntdown stocks to recommend, fromcomputerised screeningprograms to gumshoe field work.

Many personal financeexperts believe that when goinginto this kind of investment,there are key mistakes to avoid.First, you must be cautious abouthighflying stocks. They may becloser to the end of their run thanthe beginning, no matter howgood the company is.

Secondly, avoid hunches andheadlines: Leave impulse buyingfor the supermarket. Havepatience about selling. Time givesindividuals a rare edge becauselonger horizons make losses lesslikely.

Also, try to ignore pump-and-dump scams. This is becauseinternet chat rooms, bulletinboards, unsolicited emails,newsletters -even radio and TVadverts -can all be sources of stocktouting. Don't take theinducement.

Furthermore, many wealthmanagers believe that thoughyou may love a stock, it won't loveyou back. This is very simplebecause if losses start to mount,you have to know when to breakit off and sell. Best defense is to staydisciplined and diversified.

In addition, remember thatwhen climbing on bandwagons,you will almost always be too late.Instead, buy into companies witha history of superior earnings,barriers to entry in their field anda track record of wise investment.

friends by our side to thank themfor sticking with us through thickand thin.

Let's get back to the stockmarket. Looking at stock marketreturns year-by-year may causeyou to lose sleep at night. But ifyou invested for the long haul,you'd end up a winner.

This shows the power investingthrough thick and thin, andhaving a long-term perspective.

Your own growthSimilarly, you can experience

tremendous growth in your ownlife. If you're at a low point in liferight now, you can positionyourself for a brighter future.How?

Seek the help of friends andmentors. There are lots of peoplewho have been further along onthe road of life than you. They'vefaced the same challenges you'refacing. And the good news is thatmany of them are willing to offerguidance and help you get out ofyour rut.

I'm also a big advocate ofreading good books and learningvaluable skills. The Personal MBAreading list is a great place to start.If cost is a concern, you can alwaysborrow these books for free fromyour local library.

If you take action now, I'm surethat good things will come to youlater.


Will it be uhuru Kenya?On April 9, Uhuru Kenyatta

was inaugurated as Kenya'sfourth president after a

razor-thin victory in the generalelection held on March 4. Along withWilliam Ruto, their Jubilee Allianceswept to victory in the poll with 50.7percent of the votes, barely crossingthe threshold of 50 percent to avoida run-off. Their main challenger,Raila Odinga, Kenya's probably mostoutspoken politician, and who wasmost favoured by the West to win,came second with 43 percent.

Shortly after Kenyatta wasdeclared victorious, Odinga headedfor the Supreme Court - andthankfully Kenya is not Nigeria -Odinga got the ruling in about twoweeks, though his request to annualthe poll was dismissed by the court.He stoically accepted the verdict,and urged his supporters to staycalm. He, however, did not attendKenyatta's inauguration.

The victorious Jubilee Alliancewhose main campaign slogan was"We've got the numbers", did notdisguise the fact that they banked ona tribal matrix which pitchedKenya's largest ethnic group, theKikuyu, where Kenyatta hails from,and his running mate's tribal group,Kalenjin, Kenya's third largestgroup, against Odinga's Luo ethnicgroup, the second largest.Ultimately, the "numbers" worked.

However, at his inauguration,Kenyatta said all the right things. Butwe are aware that presidentialinaugural speeches in Africa hardlyare a political road-map for the new

“President Kenyattamust, in our view, attempt

to clear the air about"democracy-generatedmass poverty" in Africa

regime. Former President OlusegunObasanjo made an inspiring, rousingspeech at his first inauguration aselected president in 1999 but eightyears later he was literally hustled outof Aso Rock. But we urge that Kenyattashould be given the benefit of thedoubt. He has promised to bepresident for all Kenyans, includingthe 43 percent who voted for his mainpolitical opponent.

Democracy in Africa, in the last twodecades, is sounding more like a

trade-off whereby people seem to giveup basic economic life-lines for amere ritual of casting the ballot.Democracy has not raised the qualityof life for the majority of the people..

President Kenyatta must, in ourview, attempt to clear the air on"democracy-generated mass poverty"in Africa. He is the scion of theimmediate post-colonial Kenyanleader, the legendary Jomo Kenyatta.He is said to be one of Kenya'swealthiest men. Even his main

challenger, Odinga, son of thecountry's post-colonial vicepresident, the populist JaramugiOgenda Odinga, is also believed to beone the country's wealthiest. UhuruKenyatta must blur the lines thatmake political heirs economicoligarchs and potentates.

The fear that criminal chargesagainst Kenyatta and Vice PresidentRuto at the Hague-basedInternational Crimes Commission(ICC) would lead to internationalisolation of the leadership isexaggerated. Even though the Westsuffered a major political backlashfor openly supporting Odinga, theyhave come round to accept newleadership. Both the US and EUoffered congratulatory messages tothe Jubilee Alliance soon after theirvictory. Most of their diplomaticmissions were represented at theinauguration of Kenyatta.

We are confident that the JubileeAlliance coalition is starting off infull throttle and would have noexcuses for not delivering on theirpromises to Kenyans. Uhuru inSwahili, the dominant language inEast Africa, is freedom, and born inthe thick of Kenya's struggle forfreedom in early 1960s, the youthfulKenyatta was named Uhuru. Nearlysix decades after Uhuru wasproclaimed in Kenya and most ofAfrica, it is definitely "not yetUhuru." Would President Kenyatta,born in the aspiration to it and nowfiguratively in charge of procuring it,make any difference? Time wouldtell.

OUR MISSIONOUR MISSIONOUR MISSIONOUR MISSIONOUR MISSION OUR PEOPLEOUR PEOPLEOUR PEOPLEOUR PEOPLEOUR PEOPLECHAIRMAN

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MANAGER, ADMINISTRATION

HASSAN HAMMANYAJI

ACTING EDITOR, DAILY

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ACTING EDITOR, WEEKEND

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HEAD, ADVERT/MARKETING

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HEAD, LAGOS BUREAU

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industry by putting thepeople first, upholdingthe truth, maintaining

the highestprofessional andethical standards

while delivering valueto our stakeholders”

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EDITEDITEDITEDITEDITORIALORIALORIALORIALORIAL


On 23 February, thisyear, Premium Timesreported that "Governor

Adams Oshiomole of Edo state …rejected a multi million nairaproposal by the Minister ofInformation, Labaran Maku,asking him to bankroll the socalled Good Governance Tour(GGT) he is leading around thecountry". Speaking at a seminaron tax laws, the governor said: "itis not proper to use Edo state's taxpayer's money to finance afederal Governmentprogramme".

GGT is a perfect replica ofwhat Jerry Gana, theninformation minister, embarkedupon when there was criticismon the performance of theObasanjo administration almostin the same degree was what isbeing said of the Jonathanadministration today. Be that asit may, any newsman worth hisname knew that he had a goodstory and a readymade one, forthat matter. Accordingly, Thepopular Liberty FM RadioKaduna, felt it proper to feelpublic pulse on the issueespecially that the Kaduna StateGovernment was said to havepaid N150 million towards theproject. Assuming each statecontributed that much, GGTwould have netted home N5,850,000,000.00 or N5.85billion on tour alone and what ismore, a very unproductive one.For such a colossal sum to be sodedicated to wastage could notpossibly escape the attention of asocially concerned person,particularly at this time whenpoverty, unemployment andpoor governance, among others,have successfully pinned thenation down. As a sociallyconcerned media outfit,therefore, Liberty Radio Kaduna,

Dictator in the houseLRK, opened its lines for itsteeming Hausa listeners to airtheir views on the issue. Callerafter caller expressed seriousmisgivings and almost to a manshouted "foul".

This didn't go down well, withthe media- police, which someoperators have long branded as"the dictator in the house" i.e, theNigerian BroadcastingCommission, NBC. At least, notwhen Maku was the one in focusand also not when the station hasbeen put on the watch list, for avery long time for apparently noother reason than its readiness tostand by the people and two, itscapacity to speak truth to powerin the most professional manner,and third, its refusal to barcertain people, as beingdemanded, from access to itsmicrophone. We would bereturning to this soon. In themeantime, a letter wasdispatched at about the middle ofMarch this year demanding toknow why disciplinary actionwould not be taken against it forairing the programme INADALILI citing , as typical of lawand order officers, of yore, thatthe broadcast was capable ofinciting violence. Interestingly,since it was aired in mid March,no violence erupted in Kadunaand if any, as happened in theSouthern part of the state, mostcertainly not on its account.

Central to that broadcast wasthe very important issue ofaccountability as well as that of asenior a public officer set to solicitfor, apparently, unaccountedfunds from states for a purelyfederal government projectwithout taking into account thecompelling moral issue involved

and the need for due process inmaking such a demand. Andwho, by the way,if it may bepolitely asked, authorized theminister to seek for donationfrom the states for theconsumptive GGT projectconsidering its valueless nature.In accordance with ethicalstandard, the station madecontacts with the minister toappear on the same programme,or any other to respond to theissues raised.

This was done through itsAbuja correspondent. Theminister gladly accepted to do soand gave Tuesday the 18thApril as the date for theinterview. As its staff werepreparing to journey to Abuja, aletter purportedly written onthe 4th of the month wasdelivered to its Kaduna office onthe 12th instance, informingthat it was fined N2,000,000.00 for the "offensive"broadcast and the sum to be paidwithin two weeks, ending on18th of the month, or a higherpunishment, a possible shutdown, would be imposed.

In imposing this rather harshpunishment, NBC completelyignored some of its own codes, orrules while expecting "offensive"stations to go by them. Chapter13 of the NBC Code (2012) says,among others, "the name addressand signature of a complainantshould be forwarded to a stationagainst whom a complaint ismade. According to findings, nocomplaint signed by the ministerof information in either hisofficial or private capacity wasattached to the query letter sentto LRK before NBC embarked onthe measures listed above.

Furthermore, "The Commissionon receipt of complaint(s) shallinform and require thebroadcaster, in this case LRK, toprovide within 72 hours aresponse in writing - - " Thestation was given only24hours(as against 72) hourswithin which to respond toquery. Similarly, NBC isrequired to "arbitrate on thematter within a reasonableperiod after the receipt of aresponse". The regulatory bodyalso didn't do this, for reasons thatwould soon follow. The Code alsomakes it mandatory for "Thecommission (to) make theoutcome of (its) findings public'.To the best of information, thistoo has not been done.

The fine of N2, 000,000imposed on the station is thefinal or last action, which wouldeventually lead to a punitivemeasure of a shut down. Thosewho are familiar with the issuehave it that some stations,including Liberty Radio Kaduna,DITV also in Kaduna, FreedomRadio, Wazobia RADIO, all inKANO and Radio Gotel Yola. Areon the list of those in the blackbook. Indeed, the greater plot is,according to credible sources, todeny operational license to someselected areas until after 2019.

Meanwhile, anyone familiarwith the NBC Code would readilytestify that most of them violatethe Nigerian Constitution. Forexample, the Code has noprovision for appeal, whichseriously violates the basicprinciple of law. This is whybroadcast operators nicknamed it"The Dictator In The House",where decisi ons on broadcastmedia are taken sometimes

By Albashir according to whims, as in thiscase. What is more, it is thecomplainant, prosecutor andjudge in some instances, makingit truly an undemocratic outfit.Largely it regulates not to suitprofessionalism but to satisfy thedemands of those in power. 0fcourse it is not to blame, even inthis case but rather those whoare comfortable stifling seemingopposing voices, as their own ideaof democracy. Little are someaware that when it comes toparty matters the owner of thestation cannot be lectured onwhat the PDP is but neverthelessallows professional to pilot itsaffairs.

Consider how a citizen whowas found guilty of stealingabout N30 billion ended up witha mere N750,000 fine, asagainst N2,000,000 imposed ona station, providingemployment to many,preaching virtues of peace ,supporting worthy social causesetc being heavily punished inthe wrong belief that alegitimate public complaint,about wastages in high places,would cause public violence, theusual excuse officials give todeny citizens their rights, tofreedom of speech,within thelimits of the law. as provided forin the Constitution. It is notimproper to require publicofficers, who find heat in thekitchen to quickly walk out ifthey can't endure it.

Liberty Radio should dofavour to media stations in thecountry, which are constantlyand persistently harassed, to takethis matter to court. For as said,NBC cannot be the complainant,prosecutor and judge a at thesame time making it truly adictator inside the house of theNigerian Broadcasting Stations. Albashir is reachable [email protected]

Before the war machines are rolled outNigeria has been

undergoing lots of tumultsrecently. Shortly after the

advent of civilian rule in May1999, we have had all sorts ofethnic nationalities and militia:all threatening the peace in oneform or another. Virtually everypart of Nigeria has eitherexperienced, or is stillexperiencing, one form of armedagitations or another.

Enter the Jama'atu AhlisSunna Lidda'await Wal-Jihad,known as Boko Haram. Upontheir entry, all those ethnicmilitia agitations paled intoinsignificance. They haveengaged in incessant killing andwanton destructions of lives andproperties, sparing no one andmaking no coherent orintelligible demands. Thistreatise is not about the merits ordemerits of Boko Haram orothers, rather we wish to seekwhat the impact thesedrumbeats of war will have onNigerians.

Why are we at this point inour development beating thedrums of war? It is not too farfetched. Biting poverty in themidst of plenty, while elected andappointed Government officialsand top civil servant live inwalled opulence. The currentpopulation statistics put thepopulation of youths in Nigeria,under 30 years, at about 70%. Soif 70% are under 30 andunemployment is at another 50-

60% while the employed onescan barely make ends meet, it isclear that we have a huge armyof potential robbers, suicidebombers, killers and sundrycriminals. Nigeria is sitting on akeg of gunpowder, while playingwith a potent box of match by thecorner.

Many public and non publicfigures have come out to givetheir two cents, but in this entirecacophony, one thing is clear:most of those commentatorsappear not to understand whatthey are saying. Most people areapparently playing to thegallery, beating war drums orsimply self serving. I pity mostaverage people who don'tunderstand that war serves theupper class and destroys thepeople. War kills the poor andprofits the wealthy and theircorporations.

War is devastating anddestructive, as we are only sureof seeing the beginning of a war:no one can predict its outcome orending. War is often the effort ofthe rich and upper class, strivingto maintain control andrelevance while using the poor aspawn in their devastating andexpensive bloody game of chess.The American public can attestto the huge financial andmaterial losses the common manhas suffered in America's attemptat world dominance by engagingin senseless wars all over theglobe. Yet not one billionaireowner of War Corporation haslost his life or that of his family

member. Only the poor die andlose their income. It was reportedthat the Pentagon, in 2008,spent more money every fiveseconds than the averageAmerican earned in a year.

I was fortunate to haveinteracted with some old menwho were either part of theBiafran war or were alive duringthat period. I was also privilegedto have met the black scorpion,Major General BenjaminAdekunle, during one of myvisits home. I also saw a clip of thesuffering of the Igbos during theperiod of the Biafran war. I cantell you unequivocally that waris not pleasant. War is a destroyerand people are the sufferers.People are very complicated -they will make problems even ifthere aren't any. But most peoplemaking problems either do nothave an idea of the consequencesor have an alternative escapeplanned. People are so full of hatefor one another that they makestupid reasons to have war evenif they are very well aware ofwhat war is. It will cause damageto both sides and ruin the lives ofpeople.

Today there are many civilwars around the world, but forvery stupid reasons, you couldactually say for nothing. Butonce it starts, it is too late to stop.Many people die, or becomeinvalids, or have to find newplaces to live; the cities becomedestroyed and there are manyother complications. Families getseparated and in some cases most

don't ever unite again. I came incontact with lots of Liberianladies, many were little girls atthe outbreak of the Liberian civilwar, today they arepermanently separated fromtheir families, their dreams andeducation truncated, whileamong them are today living asprostitutes in Nigeria, Togo,Benin Republic, Ghana and othercountries along the west coast.

Somalia gave the world agreat champion but Britain tookin a war victim who arrivedtheir shores at the age of 8,couldn't speak a word of English,but toady, Mo Farah is a doubleOlympic champion. A loss toSomalia and Africa, but ablessing to a more organized andlife respecting society, GreatBritain. Note, if we allow the wardrummers to push us into anignominious bloodbath, only thepoor, the weak, the women andchildren will die and suffer theconsequence of the rich man'swar.

Those calling for war todaywill be nowhere to be found whenhostility break. Their childrenare in posh schools abroad andhave dual citizenship as none ofthe children of the elites arecurrently in Nigeria. The Igbosas we speak are yet to recoverfrom the devastating effect of theNigerian Civil war 42 years afterit ended. But Ojukwu whostarted the war not only got hisconfiscated properties returnedand his full benefits paid, his wifeis today rewarded with the post of

an Ambassador, while mostother Biafran war veterans haveeither died of hunger andpoverty or are living in abjectpoverty, forgotten and neglectedby the larger society.

Asari Dokubo, a confidant ofPresident Goodluck Jonathan,has been going around calling forwar, yet no one in government israising an eyebrow. He has beena loud and vociferous proponentof war, a man who has neverbeen known for any productivehuman venture or enterprise,his only skill and claim to famelies in subversive activitiestowards his country. He hasexcelled in kidnapping, killing,maiming, pipeline destructionand every other imaginablecriminal activity.

War is never a solution to anyproblem; the Nigeriangovernment will do well to addresslingering issues of perceivedmarginalization, devastatingpoverty and all other known casesof social injustices. If we allowanother civil war, many will diebut the real proponents of war willbecome wealthier and richer atthe expense of innocent blood.Schools should be encouraged toteach history of past wars and itsdevastating effects. There can beno peace in the absence of justice,equity and fairness. But under nocircumstance can we affordanother civil war. Nobody everwins in a war, everybody is aloser.Abayomi Oyalowo@Ayourb on twitter

By Ayobami Oyalowo


Dear Daddy, I know youmay not read this letterpersonally, but I believe

the angels who now stand guardover you will be able to tell youthat my tears have refused todry up six years after you left. Ihave refused to be comfortedbecause you did not leave anywords for us, even when youknew your time was up in thissinful world. Your actions in thefinal hours betrayed a seemingpremonition, but you did notconfide in anybody, neither didyou prepare us for orphanage.

April 18th is like any otherdate, except for those of us whohave a marked event for thedate. To me in particular,specifically in 2007; six yearsago; just a few days to a verycrucial election, fate played acruel trick, when deathsnatched you from us. Themanner of your exit was itselfsymbolic of your personality:peaceful. That dead smile at thecorner of your mouth was asconfusing as it did not give cluesof where the pain was before yousuccumbed. We were leftguessing, as to what may havekilled you.

It is six years already andmany people are still discussingyour passage, as if it happenedonly yesterday. The memoriesare still fresh with me, and veryoften, I look back at my daysunder your tutelage withnostalgia. Although notphysically around, you havewon many disciples, many ofwho missed the opportunity ofever meeting you physically.You do not have to turn in yourgrave anymore, as I have good

news for you:Borno, whichyou loved somuch, will soonbe at peace.This is thepromise of yourworthy son,KashimShettima; whotoday assumesthatuncompletedquest.

All thosewho madeBorno to standstill for you, inthe chokingheat of the April sun in 2007, inorder to give you that rousingfarewell, send their love. Manyof them no longer remember thepolitical differences of that era.All we remember today wereyour good works for the people ofBorno state, looking back withnostalgia, at the legacies you leftbehind, which are being carriedforward.

Last year, I lamented howevery time I pass by the Gwangecemetery, I look in all directions,

Mala Kachallah: Six years down memory laneBy Inuwa Bwala

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hopping that I will catch aglimpse of you. In the past sixyears, I traversed that road witha sense of loss; knowing thatyour tomb remains unmarkedamongst the multitude of tombsat that mighty cemetery inMaiduguri. I may never be ableto locate the exact spot, even tolay a wreath on your grave, buteach year I feel a deeper sense ofloss. I have asked for prayers,consistent with your faith, forthe repose of your soul. I have

turned aprayer warriormyself,believing thatyou were oneman whodeserves themercies of God;even for beingmerciful toothers.

I know thatmany peop[leare prayingtoday for thecontinuedrepose of yoursoul. Please donot take it on

Shema's scorecard in printOne of the expectations ofdemocracy is betteraccountability from

government and since Nigeriareturned to civil rule, electedofficials have been conceivingdifferent programmes to makethem accountable to thepeople. In presenting KatsinaState residents his scorecardand how he has managed theresources he had beenentrusted with, GovernorIbrahim Shehu Shemarecently released two volumesof brochure dubbed KatsinaState Projects 2007/2010 and2010/2012 on thedevelopment projects heembarked on for the state. Thebrochures were produced bythe Kaduna-based TimexCommunications (Nig) Ltd.

One striking idea about thetwo books is that in each sector,the numbers of projects thathad been executed were statedand the cost of these projects.This, no doubt, gives room forverification of not just thephysical projects but also theamount expended on theprojects, which is a hugedeparture from the norm. Mostgovernors in their scorecardsdo not state the cost of projects

executed.The books are testimonials

of his stewardship as governorof the state since 2007. Sincetaking over from the latePresident Umaru Yar' Adua asGovernor of Kastina, Shemahas devised new methods ofbringing development andaccountability to the people.

First of this is the introductionof Community DevelopmentCommittees (CDC) which hehas effectively used as means ofidentifying and executingrelevant projects in thestate.That strategy gavevarious communities in thestate the opportunity todetermine projects, which are

A census of projects undertaken by thestate government under the leadership of

Governor Shema since 2007 revealed about30 roads which have been newly built,

rehabilitated or dualised. If the completion ofthe Katsina Airport is added to the executed

projects, it will be clear that hisadministration has adequately attended tothe transportation and infrastructural needs

of the people of Kastina State

“

By Hassan Sirajo

some of us that seldomremember you or pray for you.No matter what we become inlife, we can never deny the factthat you were a benefactor, amentor and more importantlya role model to so many people.It is cheering, that, even theworst ingrates still discuss youbeyond Borno state withreverence. The fact remainsthat, we do not have todemonstrate it, for the world toknow that you were loved for

your simplicity, adored for yourhonesty, cherished for yourhumility and revered for yourGodliness. Everybody whoencountered you havesomething good to say of you. Iparticularly miss your fatherlydisposition towards me.

Every time I look around,and see the sad reminders ofyour legacies, I withdraw andcry. Sometimes I call my sonwhom I named after you andtake a good look at him. Veryoften I wait for the year to comeround so that I will outpour myvenoms. This is the first time Ihave to write to you, to protestthe lack of repentance of some ofus. It is true that many haveabandoned those things youstood for and adopted survivalisttendencies. On behalf of all of us,I want to plead with you to spareus, as the times have changed,and we need to swim with thenew tide.

Now that another year hascome round, it becomescompelling upon me to advocaterecourse to the virtues of peacewhich you stood for. We promiseto reflect on your virtues andwill work towards making aBorno of your dreams. While westrive to make up for failing tomeet your expectations, pleasedaddy, be rest assured, thateven when we fail to rememberyour any day, even the starsabove will acknowledge yourgoodness to us and to mankindgenerally. Continue to rest untilnext year, when I hope toresume mourning. I remainyour son.

Inuwa Bwala was the SAMedia to the late MalaKachallah([email protected])

needed by the people. Thisstrategy has also helped thegovernor to build projects thatwill add value to the people.Also, the method has enabledthe governor to provideresponsive leadership to theneeds of the people. Throughthis method, Shema hasdemonstrated that prudentmanagement of scare resourcescan bring succour to thepeople.

A census of projectsundertaken by the stategovernment under theleadership of Governor Shemasince 2007 revealed about 30roads which have been newlybuilt, rehabilitated ordualised. If the completion ofthe Katsina Airport is added tothe executed projects, it will beclear that his administrationhas adequately attended to thetransportation andinfrastructural needs of thepeople of Kastina State. Bybuilding of fertilizer blendingplants in Batsari, Bakori,Safana and Maiadua, thegovernor has set the stage forrevolution in agriculture in

the state. What is more? Hisintroduction of free educationin primary and secondaryschools in state has broughtenlightenment to the people.

Thus, the establishment offree education has opened theway for the spread ofprosperity; he has givenelectricity to more than 60towns and villages in thestate. He has built the YouthCraft Centre forEntrepreneurshipDevelopment in the state.Shema's strides indevelopment enabled theKatsina State Universal BasicEducation Commission to winlaurels in 2009 and 2010.Indeed, Katsina Motel has beenupgraded to a three-star hotelwith suites, chalets, rooms anda swimming pool. The Motel isalso equipped with anautomatic power generator.The list of accomplishment islong and inexhaustibletouching every aspect ofhuman life.Hassan Sirajo wrote infrom 2 Cibi Road, KurminMashi, Kaduna

Every time I look around, and see the sad reminders of yourlegacies, I withdraw and cry. Sometimes I call my son whom I

named after you and take a good look at him. Very often I wait forthe year to come round so that I will outpour my venoms. This is thefirst time I have to write to you, to protest the lack of repentance ofsome of us. Many have abandoned those things you stood for and

adopted survivalist tendencies

“


Born Again? No; Thank God I'm not (II)It is not right to judge men only

for one part of their attitude. If wedid so, we would be like thePharisees for whom Jesus wasbad, because he did not respecttheir rules about Sabbath. Theyclosed their eyes entirely to whatwould have been lovable in Jesus,even in their sight. - RichardWurmbrand in his book,TORTURED FOR CHRIST

As we were saying, a born-again Christian is not youraverage or typical

Christian. He/she is, byimplication, a class apart. He/sheis obliged to be a living examplefor the rest of us. That, of course,does not imply that he/she mustbe prefect, since "all have sinnedand fallen short of the glory ofGod", to quote the Bible.

But what do we have here?Some 2,000 years after theholier-than-thou Pharisees ofJesus' day demonised himbecause he reasoned and acted inways they didn't like, our worldhas become filled with suchcharacters. So-called born-againChristians who are as stiff-neckedas the Pharisees. In fact, many oftoday's born-again chaps aremore dogmatic, and moreunreasonable, than the "born-again" Pharisees of Jesus’ era.

For the avoidance of doubt, itis imperative to emphasis thatone is not claiming that everyborn-again Christian is animpostor. In fact, I personallyknow some born-again brethrenwho are truly exemplaryChristians. Their virtues such as

humility, reasonableness, andgodliness, are admirable andeven enviable. O, how one long tobe like such brethren! O, how Ienvy their discipline, self-control,selflessness, and perseverance!How I yearn to give my life toJesus like them! But I digress.

As pointed out in the bookquoted above, theproblem with ourstiff-necked religiouspeople is that theycan never see beyondtheir nose. You mustreason like them,think like them, andact like them;otherwise you wouldbe condemned toeternal damnationby them. Their self-righteousness is suchthat whenever their neck is bentin a particular direction, it wouldnever shift again, irrespective ofthe facts or evidence or proofmade available to them. Theywould close their eyes completelyto what would have been lovablein you, even in their own eyes.

In the first part of this piece, Irelated my experience with oneof such persons; a pastor whohates me so much. His hatred isrooted in a quarrel which he oncehad with someone close to me. Ithad absolutely nothing to do withme. But because he hated thesaid person, he found itconvenient to "transfer" hishatred to me too. Because theperson he hates is a "condemnedsinner" Sonde too must be, well, a"condemned sinner". To him, no

matter what the said person andI may do, even if it's the bestthing in the world to do, wewould remain "condemned"forever.

The said Pastor, mind you, isnot an exception. Rather, he ismore or less the rule inChristendom. So many Pastors

and born-again ladies andgentlemen are like him. Theirhubris knows no bounds. Theirself-righteousness stinks to thehigh heavens. Just because theycall themselves men of God orborn-again, they have thisillusion that they are moreCatholic than the Pope himself;more Christian than Christhimself.

Compare such people'sattitude with Jesus' own. John4:17-30 contains the refreshingstory of Jesus' memorableencounter with a certain lady.The sort of lady that some woulddismiss as a "condemned sinner."A woman who had married anddivorced five (5) husbands. Notonly was she a serial divorcee;the man with whom she was

living at that particular momenthappened to be her lover.

Did Jesus Christ dismiss her?No sir. Did he condemn her? Nomadam. Instead, he "embraced"her. Despite the fact that he knewall about her not-so-edifying past,Jesus did not reject her. Heappreciated her. So much so that,

according to theBible, his discipleswere surprisedwhen they saw himtalking with such a"useless" woman.

To some people,that woman was"useless","condemned", and"worthless". Not toJesus. To him, shewas as precious asgold. To Jesus, she

was as important as a jewel ofinestimable value.

In other words, Jesus lookedbeyond the surface. He saw thatalthough this lady had failedagain and again in marriage andin some other areas, she was not acomplete failure. He saw the goodin her. He looked beyond herweakness and saw her strength,her virtues and her heart of gold.So he "embraced" her the way theProdigal Son was embraced byhis Dad.

How many of our modernday Pharisees would do that?How many of our self-anointed"men of God" would stoop likeJesus did? How many of ourborn-again people wouldappreciate that "errors, upon thesurface flow; he who would

search for pearl must divebeneath", like Jesus did?

The point is obvious: Being aman of God is fantastic, andbeing a born-again is equallyfantastic. But, pray, whatmanner of man of God; whatmanner of born-again? Is beingself-anointed as a man of God orborn-again all that is required toenter the kingdom of God?

Listen to the radio or watchthe TV or read the newspapers;you would discover that asizeable chunk of the crimesbeing committed across thecountry are masterminded byso-called "anointed" Christians,born-again, pastors and their ilk,as well as their counterparts inother religions.

What irks one is not thatthese brethren are wayward orsinful. What makes one mad isthat despite their numerousshortcomings and sins, thosefolks keep pretending with astraight face. Their cant andhypocrisy defies comprehension.Their self-righteousness is soendemic that they gleefullypoint at the speck in others' eyeswhile ignoring the wood in theirown eyes.

With such nonsense holdingsway, honestly, I am veritablyproud of the fact that I'm notborn-again. If being born-againmeans reckless indulgence inlamentable conducts whilepretending to be holier thaneverybody, then one wouldrather remain a "condemnedsinner" till the end of thisworld.

SONDE’SSONDE’SSONDE’SSONDE’SSONDE’SDIARDIARDIARDIARDIARYYYYY

By Sonde [email protected]

0803-2159-249 (SMS only, pls)

Job creation in FCT: The challengesUnemployment

worldwide is known toruin the populace of

countries facing this problem:One of the glaring indications ofunemployment in Nigeria is thatthe percentage of the populaceliving in complete poverty, thatis those who could afford the bareessentials of life: food, shelter andclothing rose to 60.9 per cent in2010, from the 54.7 per cent itwas in 2004.There is thisestimation by National Bureaufor Statistics that the trend mayhave further increased in 2011 ifpotential positive impacts ofseveral anti poverty andemployment generationintervention programmes arenot robustly pursued.

Poverty andunderdevelopment are closelycorrelated with lack ofinfrastructure andunderemployment.Infrastructure, including socialand economic infrastructurehelps to build the conditions foreconomic growth and povertyreduction. It is against thisbackdrop and the pestilence posedby unemployment that the FCTMinister is using multi-facetedmethodologies to tackle thismenace of joblessness which isknown to escalate the rate ofcrime in any society.

Human resources are the setof individuals who make up theworkforce of an organization,business sector or an economy,basically we will be looking athuman resources as it portends tothe workforce of the economy,specifically the FCT. Owing to the

fact that Nigeria is faced with anunemployment problem;Senator Bala Mohammed hastargeted our enormous humanresources and consequently hehas fashioned avenues for jobcreation based on his innateability for innovation and todrastically depreciate the level ofunemployment.

The opening of new districtsand provision of infrastructureby the current FCTAdministration is presentlyrecognised as a way to promotepro-poor growth through jobcreation, transfer of income tothe unemployed by ensuringthat they are employed and theyearn wages, and creation ofuseful infrastructure. Othersecond round effects of SenatorBala Mohammed's employmentcreation includes incomemultipliers generated byspending of wages, impacts onlocal labour markets, micro-enterprises development,capacity building, as well asenhanced employability ofworkers.

Let’s take for instance, thelevel of employment the openingof districts will generate fromclearing of the land to the actualprocess of providing engineeringinfrastructures and building ofhouses on the plots of land bybeneficiaries; conservatively itwill take roughly 15 - 20 skilledand unskilled persons tocompletely build a house on a1000 square metres land; fromclearing of the land to a finishedbuilding. This number of personsmultiplied by the number ofhectares of land on the newdistricts (Jahi, Maitama

Extension, Kagini and Wuyedistricts) that are currentlybeing opened by Senator Bala'sadministration; this gives you anenormous number of individualsgainfully employed which is putat over 150,000. Also tackinginto cognizance the indirectindividuals that will also benefitfrom this glaring incomegeneration and financialempowerment; the truck driversthat will supply buildingmaterials, strings of localrestaurants that will spring up invarious construction sites,owners of building materialshops, cement factories and theirworkers et al, the list ofbeneficiaries of the current FCTAdministration's employmentcreation seems to be endless.

We also have the multipliereffects of the job creation, in thatit will create succour directly tothe recently employed andindirectly to their families anddependents that will also profitfrom this employment creationagenda of the FCT minister. Hehas already attractedinvestment from within andoutside the shores of Nigeria thatis put at an aggregate of $6.5billion from 2010 when heassumed office till date, this isinclusive of the investment fromthe US-based BalkanDevelopment Centre of Dallasfor the building of Abuja TownCentre at a Value of $2.6 billion,the construction of a WorldTrade Center by Church GateGroup which is valued at $1.2billion, various Mass HousingProjects by foreign and localcompanies and also theinvestment by Innoson Group

from Nnewi that is constructingan ultra-modern automobilemanufacturing and servicecenter in Abuja.

The list is endless with regardto facilitation of job opportunitiesby Senator Bala Mohammed. Italso goes to show that the FCT isfast becoming the best andbiggest investment hub inNigeria with a conducive andsecure atmosphere for doingbusiness courtesy of thefavourable and attractive policiesof the current FCTAdministration, this has alreadycreated more than 30,000 jobs.Similarly, the AbujaEnvironmental Protection Boardis another Department that isbeing used by Senator BalaMohammed as an avenue for Jobcreation; this has to do with theEnvironment task force unitwhich in the not too distant pastrecruited over 1500 unemployedpersons to enforce theenvironmental laws in theFederal Capital Territory.

Some of the beneficiaries ofthe FCT Minister's employmentcreation shared theirexperiences. One of them, ShehuMusa Garba narrated thecircumstances that brought himto Abuja "I was a student ofKwara Polytechnic but due tofinancial constraint I became adrop out. I lost my father in2005. I am 24 years old, anindigene of Kaduna State"; he hasbeen staying in Abuja jobless forover 5 years until Senator BalaMohammed created thisemployment opportunity thathas seen to his being employed asa labourer in one of the sites. Hethus further said, "I can now eat

By Mohammed Awwalu Ibro well, cloth well and housemyself. I have also started savingmoney with the singular hope ofreturning back to school".

The case is no different forAngela Sagbama, who had toresort to prostitution when shecould not get a job. She said "Icame to Abuja three years agobut had to resort to prostitutionas a means of survival when Icould not get a job". She addedthat "my life as a prostitute wasfull of danger and risks; mosttimes I get beleaguered by thugsand when the FCTAdministration imposed the banon prostitution, I was alwaysgetting arrested by the task forceon prostitution and the police".Now she no longer has to practiceprostitution that is verydemeaning and this is predicatedon the new FCT employmentopportunity, as she now operatesa local restaurant on one of thesites of the districts that wasrecently opened by the FederalCapital TerritoryAdministration; with about 5persons working for her, she cannow support herself, and hersiblings back home inBayelsasState.

The job creation effort is basedon the vision of PresidentGoodluck Jonathan'sTransformation Agenda whichstipulates a sturdy increase inthe creation of jobs for theteeming unemployed in thecountry whom are mostlyyouths; in light of the risingspate of crime and securitychallenges.Mohammed IbrahimAwwalu can be reached [email protected]


Abuja farmerscan startplanting, saysNIMET

Nigerian MeteorologicalAgency (NIMET) saysfarmers in Abuja and its

environs can now start plantingtheir crops as the quantity ofmoisture in the soil is adequate.

The General Manager, PublicWeather Services of NIMET, MrWilson Samson, who spoke withthe News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Abuja onMonday, however, advisedfarmers in the northern parts ofthe country to still hold on.

“The central North can startplating their crops but the extremenorth should wait for the onset ofthe rainy season and that isbetween May and June, in orderfor the ground to be wet enoughfor planting.

“This year’s rainfall patternwill favour farming, except in thosestates where we mentioned in ourSeasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP)that there would be excessiverainfall that may lead to flooding,’’Samson said.

According to the SRP, mostparts of the country are expectedto have normal onset with theexception of locations in Niger,Anambra, Delta, northern CrossRiver, parts of Ogun and OndoStates

NAN recalls that the agencyhad warned farmers in the northto wait for the proper onset of therainy season before planting.

NIMET Director-General,Anthony Anuforom, had told anews conference in Abuja that therains witnessed in the northernarea, especially in Abuja betweenJanuary and March weredeceptive.

Anuforom said: “The rainyseason has not started. Whathappened between Jan. 10 andJan. 24 was as a result of Inter-Tropical Discontinued (ITD) lines,whereby the cool air blowing fromthe Sahara Desert meets with thewet, warm air from the ocean.

“When the hot air and cold airmet, the processes of mixinggenerated a lot of convectionwhich caused a lot of moisture tobe swept into Nigeria and led to therains.’’

He explained that it was thesame system that resulted in thesevere winter in Europe, addingthat another causative factorwas the low pressure systemmoving from the west to the east.

NAN recalls that NIMET hadin this year’s report, predictedexcessive rainfall pattern in somestates, which might lead to floodingas experienced in 2012.

According to the report, mostparts are expected to have normalharmattan conditions which willprevail during the first two monthsof the year.

The agency also predictedabove normal amount of rainfallfor the northwest areas of Sokoto,Kebbi, Niger, Kwara and itsenvirons, compared to 2012.(NAN)

Street begging, destitution stilloutlawed in FCT, says MinisterThe FCT Administration

has said that all forms ofbegging and destitution

are still outlawed in the entireFCT.

According to the FCTminister, Senator BalaMohammed begging by anyperson or group of people, bethey young, old, sick orhealthy are forbidden on the

streets, roads,neighbourhoods, motor parks,junctions and other places inthe FCT.

He called on all residentsnot to do anythingwhatsoever to support orpromote these unlawful actsby some people.

In his words: “The FCTAdministration through itsSocial DevelopmentSecretariat and other related

organs has intensified itsactivities towardsapprehending all those who areengaging in such illegal acts”.

“While the two religions ofIslam and Christianity supportcharity and assistance to theneedy, such must be donethrough lawful channels andnot by people standing orloitering on the streets to solicitfor monetary or materialfavour”, he said..

theology.He enumerated that some of the

objectives of establishing theseminary include; training andequipping the students for effectiveChristian service, to train and equipmissionaries to reach out for theharvest and to carry out research inthe areas of interest to the Christianchurches and hold public seminars,workshops and symposia onChristian matters among otherthings.

Yusuf said that the managementof the seminary would not relent inits effort to train the students for thegood work of Jesus Christ andcharged the pastors to preach thewords of God to their followers all thetimes.

The ATS president, however,appealed to the general public tosupport the seminary financially inorder to build its permanent site andcalled for the provision of computersand other office equipment by the

Seminary school in Suleja matriculates 16 students

African Theological Seminary(ATS) in Suleja LocalGovernment Area of Niger

state has matriculated a total ofsixteen students this year.

President of the school, Prof YusufPeter, during the matriculationceremony in Rafinsanyi, said thatseminary, was geared towardstraining the church leaders, churchworkers and Christian educators in

well – wishers of the school.A guest speaker at the occasion,

Bishop Okeke Kelvins, urged thegraduates to face their studiessquarely.

He also advised the matriculatingstudents to be defenders of Jesus Christin anywhere they found themselves.

He further called on the wellmeaning Nigerians to support theseminary to carry out its laudableprojects, saying that God will rewardthose who donate to the work of God.

L-R: Managing Director, Brains and Hammers Ltd, Mr. Umar Abdulahi; Managing Director, Aso Savings and Loans Plc, Mr. HassanUsman; and Director, Cooperate Services Brains and Hammers Ltd, Mr. Abiodun Maciver, during the closing ceremony of 3rd AsoHousing Exhibition and Conference, at the weekend in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

By Adeola Tukuru “Once more, we state thatthere is no justificationwhatsoever for anybody to begon the streets of the FCT or toexpose wounds or deformities asa means of soliciting for alms”.

“ We also wish to state thatthe FCT Administration is verymuch alive to its responsibilitiesand we will leave no stoneunturned in ensuring that allforms of destitution arestamped out from theterritory”, he said.

The Federal CapitalT e r r i t o r yAdministration (FCTA) is

set to establish an EmergencyManagement Agency as part ofits efforts to tackle emergencysituations in the FCT.

FCT Minister, Senator BalaMohammed, has approved the

establishment of the Agency toeffectively respond to allemergency challenges in andaround the 8,000 squarekilometer of the Federal CapitalTerritory in line with theNational EmergencyManagement Agency (NEMA)Act that stipulates theestablishment of similarAgencies in the 36 States of the

Federation and Abuja.The Agency would be a one-

stop-shop for all emergency casesto provide basic infrastructureas well as immediate rescueservices to all affected residentsof the Federal Capital Territory.

This new Agency has beenwell packaged to deliver servicesin tune with the mission andvision of the Transformation

By Adeola Tukuru Agenda of President GoodluckJonathan.

Meanwhile, SenatorMohammed has also approvedthe constitution of the FCTEmergency ManagementCommittee in line with theNational EmergencyManagement Agency (NEMA)Act.

FCT to establish Emergency Management Agency

By Usman Shuaibu


112 Abuja residents convictedfor environmental offences

Sales girl in courtfor allegedbreach of trust,misappropriation

The police have arraigned a19-year-old sales girl, LucyOweh, of Ogbaje Street,

Garki Village, Abuja in an AbujaMagistrates Court for allegedbreach of trust andmisappropriation.

The Prosecutor, Mr AbuOkpanachi, told the court that oneMulikat Shuaib of SunnyVilleEstate, Abuja, reported thematter at the Area CommandMetro Office, Maitama, Abuja onApril 6.

Okpanachi said that theaccused, who was Shuaib’s staff,was entrusted with one millionnaira to deposit in the bank butdiverted the money to herpersonal use.

The prosecutor added thatOweh had claimed duringinvestigation that she was luredby a gang of fraudsters who tookthe money away from her, anoffence which contravened theprovisions of sections 314 and 309of the Penal Code.

The accused,however, accused pleaded notguilty to the charges.

Counsel to the accused Mr ObiBankong, prayed the court togrant his client bail, saying thatSection 36 of the Constitutionstated that an accused person wasinnocent until otherwise proven.

Bankong added that his clientwould not jump bail if granted bailand would not in any wayinterfere with policeinvestigation.

In her ruling, the Magistrate,Mrs Grace Adebayo, granted theaccused bail in the sum ofN500,000 and two sureties in likesum.

Adebayo said the suretiesmust be civil servants of anygrade level and must residewithin the jurisdiction of the courtas she adjourned the case to May7, 2013 for further hearing.(NAN)

to interact session with residentsto achieve the purpose of the law.

He explained that with theinteraction, the convicts wouldnot feel oppressed as they wereallowed to defend themselves before they were convicted.

The magistrate after listeningto different arguments, wentround the apartments toascertain the validity of theallegations.

I d i a h r i ,subsequently, sentenced the 112residents of the apartments to twomonth imprisonment with anoption for them to pay fines of fivethousand naira each.

One of theconvicts, Emmanuel Aris, toldNAN that the exercise wouldmake residents to sit up on issue ofenvironmental health.

According to him, residentshave lukewarm attitude onsanitation and environmentalissues.

Also, Hajiya AishatuMohammed, another convict saidthe exercise was a move in theright direction.

Mohammed, a retiree from theFederal Ministry of Defence, saidthat residents in theneighbourhood were alwaysnonchalant over environmentalhealth issues.

A Deputy Director in the AEPB,Mr Uche Agbanusi, advisedresidents of the FCT to clean theirenvironment or face sanctions.

Agbanusi said the board hadissued a seven-month warningnotice to occupants of the houses atArea 2 and Areain 7 in Garki.

He said that upon the issuance

of the notice, the occupants failedto comply, prompting the board toinvite a mobile court as the lastoption to enforce the law.

According to him, residentswho had been convicted had wouldhave messages to tell the publicthat the government was seriousabout enforcing environmentallaws.

He said that the boardwould make theexercise continuous as long asresidents refused to comply withthe laws. (NAN)

Gbagi cultural troupe performing at a function in Gwagwalada, Abuja, recently. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

A Mobile Court in theFCT over the weekendconvicted 112 residents of

Abuja for violatingenvironmental health laws, theNews Agency of Nigeria (NAN)reports.

A staff of theAbuja Environmental ProtectionBoard (AEPB), Mrs Lola Ibi, saidthe offences ranged from keepingover-grown grasses, dumping ofrefuse on unauthorised placesto keeping of leaking pipes.

She said the offences werecontrary to Section 17, 1b, 1a 1fand Section 29 (4) and Section 35sub-section 19b of the AEPB Act.1997.

The Magistrate, Mr SamuelIdiahri, while deliveringjudgement, said the essence of themobile court was established

One Onyemaechi Orji, 37,of Jikwoyi Phase 4, wasyesterday docked before

an Abuja Senior MagistratesCourt ,Wuse,Zone 2 for allegedbreach of trust.

Police prosecutor MondayAkor told the court that NasiruYusuf of Cairo Street, Wuse,Abuja reported the matter atthe Maitama Police Station onFeb. 25, 2013.

Akor said: “Yusuf reportedthe matter on behalf of hisbrother Bello Usman, who Orjidefrauded.’’

He said Usman, on Feb. 7,gave Orji N140,000 torefurbish five settees.

Akor said that Orji failed todo the job but instead,converted the money to hispersonal use.

“This contravenes theprovisions of Section 312 of thePenal Code.’’

Section 312 of the codestipulates that, “ whoevercommits criminal breach oftrust shall be punished withimprisonment for a termwhich may extend to seven

years or with a fine or withboth.’’

Orji pleaded not guilty to thecharge levelled against him.

Senior Magistrate NafisatIbrahim granted him bail in thesum of N200,000 with twocredible sureties in like sum,who should reside within thecourt’s jurisdiction.

Ibrahim said the prosecutorshould verify the addresses ofthe sureties before the accusedwas admitted to bail andadjourned the matter to May 6,2013 for hearing. (NAN)

Man, 37, arraigned overalleged breach of trust

The police in Abujayesterday arraigned a32-year-old cashier, Femi

Ajibaye, of Berger Quarry Road,Mpape before an Abuja MagistratesCourt for alleged criminal breach oftrust and cheating.

The police prosecutor, AbdullahiAlhassan, told the court that WahabToye, of No. 36, Panama Street,Maitama, Abuja, reported the matterat the Mabushi Police station on April3,2013.

Alhassan said the accused person,who is a staff of the complainant, wasentrusted with N3.4 million todeposit into the company’s account,but he diverted the said amount tohis personal use.

The prosecutor said that when hewas arrested by the police, theaccused claimed he was lured by agang of fraudsters who stole themoney from him.

He also said that afterinvestigations, the police discoveredthat Ajibaye’s story that he wasswindled by fraudsters, did not add

up.The prosecutor said that the

offence contravened the provisions ofsection 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.

After arraignment, the accused,pleaded not guilty to the charges.

If found guilty as provided forunder Section 312, the convict canbe sentenced to a prison term whichmay extend to seven years or withfine or both.

If one is convicted under Section322, he/she shall be punished withimprisonment for a term whichmay extend to three years or with afine or both.

Delivering a ruling on the bailapplication, Magistrate Tony Ubani,admitted Ajibaye to bail in the sumof N100,000 and a surety in like sum.

Ubani said the surety must havea fixed, reliable address and mustreside within the jurisdiction of thecourt.

He ordered the prosecution to getits witnesses ready and subsequentlyadjourned the case to April 23, 2013for hearing. (NAN)

Alleged criminal breach of trust,cheating lands cashier in court


The FCT Administrationinaugurated a TechnicalCommittee on the

Relocation of Jabi-YakubuCommunity to Shere-Galuyi inBwari Area Council of Abuja.

The Minister of State for FCT,Ms Olajumoke Akinjide, whoinaugurated the committee, said itwas in line with theadministration’s policy onresettlement.

She said the committee becameimperative as a result of thewillingness and desire of thecommunity to relocate to Shere-Galuyi town.

Akinjide said the communityhad in a letter written on March 5,requested to be moved to the newresettlement area earmarked forthem.

“The community has visited theBwari site and identifiedenvironmental hazards and theneed for expansion in their presentlocation as reasons for the relocationrequest,” she said.

She said that based on therequest, representatives of thecommunity and theadministration had visited the newarea.

Akinjide said that the outcomeof the visit necessitated theinauguration of the committee.

She said the administration hadbeen constructing the Shere-Galuyiresettlement site for a while, addingthat various factors, includingfunding, had delayed the project.

“The project has taken moretime than anticipated but at thesame time we need to be sensitiveto the desires of the community weare serving; government needs tobe responsive to the needs ofcommunities.

“The community needs morespace for expansion and theirpresent location is not conducive forthat due to their growingpopulation.

“Environmental hazard,culture, lifestyle and their agrarianskills have necessitated the requestto be resettled although the site isnot one hundred per centcomplete,” Akinjide said.

The minister said that theadministration would not lower thequality of the facilities that wouldbe provided for the community.

“We are not going to lower ourstandard in terms of the facilitieswe are going to provide to thiscommunity; what we are going todo is maybe to do modularmovement

“Instead of having everythingready at the same time, we canhave a modular approachwhereby we can move peoplecommunity by community.

“That way, the problem getssolved gradually instead of waitingfor years to solve it all at once,” shesaid.

She urged members of thecommittee to apply their wealth ofexperience for their assignment.

The minister reiterated thecommitment of the FCTadministration to proffering alasting solution to the problems thathad hindered the success of thescheme.

Committee torelocate Jabi-Yakubucommunity set up

FCT women farmers rue inadequate farmlandsSome smallholder women

farmers in the FederalCapital Territory (FCT)

yesterday expressed regretover the non-availability ofsufficient land for farming inthe territory.

Speaking to the NewsAgency of Nigeria (NAN) inseparate interviews, they saidif given enough land forfarming it would go a long wayto boost food production.

Mrs Asabe Dauda, agroundnut farmer at Jikwoyi,a sub-urban of Abuja, said ifwomen would be adequatelyencouraged the issue of foodscarcity in the country wouldbe a thing of the past.

‘’I could not wait for ahusband who stays out late,what I do to keep my family ofsix children was to engage insmall farming which growswith each year.

‘’Groundnuts take aboutthree months to mature I dorealise about 10 bags at the endof harvest and that is

encouraging.‘’On my own, I pay school

fees for my children since I didnot go to school I would likethem to be educated but theland available for me is small.

‘’I plead with thegovernment to provide moreland for women to farm,’’Dauda said.

Another farmer at Durumian area in the city centre, MrsRose Chima, whofarms vegetables, said that thelittle effort women put intofarming would yield moregains if they were providedwith more incentives.

‘’I farm on my own littlepiece of land, though it is notenough, but it keeps me busythroughout the year because itis located near a little streamthat never dries up even in theworst season.

‘’It is not sufficient for mydreams of a big farm, but thegovernment can make mydreams come to reality byproviding us with more lands

for farming, in my own case Ifarm round the year.

‘’I feel bad when people askfor my produce and cannot getit simply because I don’t haveenough land for farming.

“I can make my farmproduce available at least formy immediate environment,”Chima said.

Mrs Esther Agim ofNyanya, a resident of semi-urban area in the city, whofarms melon and maize,believed that urbandevelopment should bemoderated to help conservemore lands for farming andflower gardening.

‘’It looks as if putting upstructures is not checked,people would build on allavailable space around in spiteof what such an area isdesignated for.

‘’I can tell you that so manywomen would like to farm, butland is not available to do so.

“Since there are no whitecollar jobs, farming becomes an

alternative and a very good onefor that matter,” Agim said.

NAN recalls thatSmallholder Women FarmersAssociation of Nigeria(SHWFAN), had appealed tothe Minister, Federal CapitalTerritory (FCT), Sen. BalaMohammed, to providefarmlands for women farmersin the rural communities.

According to HajiyaAishatu Mohammed, Presidentof the Federal Capital Territorychapter of the association,women farmers in the FCTrural areas had suffered due toinadequate farm lands to planttheir crops.

NAN also reports thatMohammed praised theFederal Government’s Growthand Enhancement Scheme,which she said was helpingwomen farmers.

She, therefore, appealed tothe government to providemore incentives to womenfarmers to help them in theiragricultural activities. (NAN)

By Adeola Tukuru

By Adeola Tukuru

Men of Nasarawa State Urban Development Board (NUDB) evacuating refuse at Masaka, along Abuja- Keffi road, yesterday.Photo: Mahmud Isa

Kuje chair assures onworkers’ salary arrearsChairman of Kuje Area

Council in the FCT, MrDanladi Zhin, has

assured on payment of theoutstanding arrears of twomonths the council owned its

staff next week.Zhin gave the promise after

he held indoor meeting withthe members of staff of thecouncil and National UnionLocal Government Employees(NULGE) officials.

He said that the payment

would commence with threedepartments.

According to him, hisadministration has beenattending to staff mattersadding that the delay to paythe arrears does not call for astrike.

He added that plans were onto ensure that the welfare ofthe staff was adequately takencare of.

The Chairman of the unionin the council, Mr IbrahimAbdulahi, thanked the councilchairman for his effort.


Management Tip of the DayAct with care when someone cries at work

INSIDE

It’s natural to feel helpless or uncomfortable when someone cries in front of you inthe office. But remember thattears are a normal humanreaction, not a sign of weakness.If someone you work with startsto well up, here’s how to handleit:

NEITI queriesreport oncorruption

- Pg 20BBBBBUSINESSUSINESSUSINESSUSINESSUSINESSEmail: [email protected] Mob: 08033644990

Acknowledge the tears. Don’tignore them. Use the occasion toanalyze and assess what’s goingon, not judge the crier.

Offer a tissue. This gives theperson a chance to breathe andgather thoughts. It alsocommunicates that you’re payingattention.

Recognize a problem. Cryingmeans something needs to beaddressed: The person isoverworked, stressed, sick, orfrustrated. This is an opportunityto identify the underlying issueand move forward with claritySource: Harvard BusinessReview

rst quarter of 2012, which was65 percent.

“In spite of the fact that thebudget was dedicated to thecompletion of existing projects,and given the many variableslike inflation and the rest; I thinkwe are well on the mark. I amsatisfied with the performanceand I think the capacity willimprove in the second quarter;but then, that will be subject to

funding because that is themajor challenge we have had todeal with.

“But in terms of the impact,it all speaks for itself: Fitch ratingfor the state`s economy fromstable to positive, from improvedservice delivery extending toSaturdays and so on,” he said.

The governor said that thereis a total output for servicedelivery which is what a budget

should do to connect with reality,in terms projects Abdullahi thatare coming to completion, interms of housing, school projectsand so on.

“I am comforted that thingsare heading in the right directionand we remain committed toimproving upon the 2012overall performance of 89percent at the end the year,”, hesaid.

Lagos records 61% budget performance in first quarterFrom Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

Leading private equity realestate investor in sub-Saharan Africa, Actis, has

confirmed the development ofthe Jabi Lake Mall in Abuja, inpartnership with DuvalProperties.

The construction is expectedto commence in June 2013,pending receipt of the necessarygovernment approvals.

The retail centre will offer30,000 square metres of Grade-A shopping space from aprestigious location on the shoresof Jabi Lake.

The company said the mallis expected to be anchored byShoprite and Game, providing aone-stop leisure, restaurant andretail destination just tenminutes from the city’s businesscentre.

Jabi Lake Mall follows thesuccess of other Actis malls inNigeria including the Palms andIkeja City Mall in Lagos.

Actis Head of Real Estate,

David Morley said: “Actis isdelighted to partner with DuvalProperties and to move closer todelivering a top quality shoppingexperience to the citizens ofAbuja. The Nigerian capitalboasts strong population growthfundamentals, a robust

infrastructure, and a thrivingconsumer class; drawing on ourextensive track record in WestAfrica, we feel optimistic aboutwhat we can achieve here”.

The Chairman of DuvalProperties, Hakeem BeloOsagie said, “Duval’s vision for

Jabi Lake Mall set to berth in Abuja From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

NDIC tasks stockbrokers to spreadservice to nook and corners

Lagos state government hassaid that it had achieved 61per cent performance in

the fi rst quarter implementationof the state‘s budget.

Governor Babatunde Fashola,who disclosed this said thatalthough the performance wasslightly lower than the 65 percent recorded in thecorresponding 2012, it was stillwithin the mark of effectivebudget implementation.

Fashola noted that paucity offunds had affected theimplementation, but gave theassurance that governmentwould do its best to achieve aremarkably improvedperformance by the end of theyear.

“Yes, we have just receivedthe fi rst quarter report for 2013on the budget performance andthe result was a 61 per centbudget performance, slightlydown from performance in the fi

Fashola said that nodevelopment could be achieved inan atmosphere of disorder andinsecurity and urged residents torespect the laws to achieveprogress.The governor restatedthe commitment of the stategovernment to the improvementof lives of residents through thedelivery of meaningful projectsand services.

L-R: PastorCharlesAbraham, TheGroup ManagingDirector, LawsonThomas,ColleagueGroup; DirectorLT&C Mr. BillyLawson, DirectorLT&C, Mrs BolaThomas, andChairman Boardof Directors, LT&CGroup, Mr.BabatundeDabiri, at the 25yearsanniversary ofLT&C held atOriental HotelLagos, recently.

.....name FCT as new destination shopping centreJabi Lake is to create a vibrant,mixed-use waterfrontcommunity that is Abuja’s bestplace to live, work, and relax.Our partnership with Actis tobuild a waterfront mall is anexciting first step towardachieving this vision”.

Managing Director ofNigeria DepositInsurance Corporation

(NDIC) Alhaji Umaru Ibrahimhas said over concentration ofstock broking firms in a particularlocation of part of Nigeria is adisservice to promotion offinancial inclusion.

To correct the trend and deepenparticipation of majority in stockbusiness, Ibrahim thereforeadvised the Council of CharteredInstitute of Stockbrokers (CIS) tomobilise resources for securinglicenses to spread suchopportunities to all the nooks and

By Abdulwahab sa

corners of the country.He further suggested that in

line with Agent Banking modelby the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), the institute could engagethe services of some agents invarious parts of the country toreach out to small investors.

He made the observationswhen he hosted the ExecutiveCouncil of Chartered Institute ofStockbrokers (CIS) who paid hima courtesy call in his office.

A statement issued by Hadi S.Birchi, NDIC Head,

Communication& Public AfairsUnit quoted the MD as harping onneed for the establishment of anexplicit investor protectionscheme to protect the interest ofsmall investors in the capitalmarket and to boost publicconfidence among the investingpublic.

The creation of an explicitInvestor Insurance Scheme, hesuggested is imperative to thedevelopment of a stable capitalmarket, adding that theCorporation has been advocatingfor a framework for the Investorand Small Insurance PolicyHolder Protection Schemes, incollaboration with theInternational Association ofDeposit Insurers (IADI) studygroup.

Alh. Umaru also reiterated theneed for partnership with theInstitute in capacity building,particularly for the Corporation'sBank Examiners to acquire moreskills in capital market operationswhich would assist them inconducting consolidated risk-

Foreign capital inflow into thecountry in the last quarterof last year was 9.1 billion

dollars, the Central Bank ofNigeria (CBN) disclosed in its“External Sector DevelopmentReport” for the fourth quarter of2012 posted on its website.

According to the bank, thefigure represents an increase of6.53 per cent and 116.84 per centover the 6.6 billion dollars and3.4 billion dollars recorded inthird quarter of 2012 and fourthquarter of 2011, respectively.

The CBN said that theanalysis showed that both foreigndirect investment and portfolioinvestment inflow increased overtheir levels in third quarter of2012 by 110.9 per cent and 16.1per cent, respectively.

It further said that portfolioinvestment inflow remaineddominant in the aggregateforeign capital inflow, but itsshare declined from 78.1 per centin third quarter of 2012 to 66.2per cent.

“However, the outwardforeign capital flows increasedfrom 0.91 billion dollars in thirdquarter of 2012 to 1.08 billiondollars in fourth quarter of2012.

“This was due to theactivities of the subsidiaries ofdomestic money banks in theWest African sub-region, “itadded.

It said that the country’strade balance improved from10.93 billion dollars in thirdquarter to 11.42 billion dollarsin fourth quarter of 2012 Theapex bank said that aggregateexports rose by 3.5 per cent from23.39 billion dollars in fourthquarter 2011 to 24.21 billiondollars in fourth quarter 2012.

Foreign capitalinflow was$9.1bn in 2012 -CBN


COMPANYNEWS

UBA

United Bank for AfricaPlc rose for the firsttime in eight days

after Vetiva CapitalManagement Ltd. upgradedthe stock and said it wastrading at a discount to itsprice target.

The shares advanced 3.8percent to N6.85yesterday, set for thebiggest closing gain sinceApril 3.

UBA has gained 55percent this year,compared with the 17percent increase in theNigerian SE Banking Index(NGSEB10), which tracksthe nation’s 10 most-capitalized lenders.

NigeriaLNGNigeria and

Australia havebeen tipped to make

the largest exports amidfeelings that the lattercould upstage Qatar tobecome the World’s largestLiquefied Natural Gas(LNG) exporter by 2030,report by Britishmaritime classificationsociety, Lloyd’s Register,has said.

In the report titled‘Global Marine Trends2030’, the major seaborneLNG trade routes in 2030will be Australia to Japanand Australia to China,while Nigeria to Chinaand the United Kingdom(UK) will be one of theroutes with largeincreases.

Others are Egypt toIndia and the UK; CIS(Commonwealth ofIndependent States) toJapan; and Qatar to Indiaand the UK.

Etisalat

The Nigerianoperation of UnitedArab Emirates phone

operator, Etisalat plans toraise $500m in loans fromlocal banks to expand itsnetwork this year.

Wael Ammar,commercial officer,Etisalat told the ReutersAfrica InvestmentSummit that theinvestments will enablethe mobile phone carriergrow the market share ofEtisalat Nigeria, which is40 percent owned by itsparent company, to 17percent this year.

It aims to add fourmillion subscribers to itsexisting 15 million thisyear, he said.

Electricity consumers to payN50,000 for pre-paid metresFrom April 25 electricity

consumers may paybetween N25,000 and

N50,000 for pre-paid metres forthe single-phase and three phasemodels, under the new CreditedAdvance Pay for MeteringImplementation (CAPMI)scheme.

The new price tag is aimed atfast- tracking the deployment ofpre-paid metres to customersacross the country sequel to thefailed free metre scheme initiallyproposed by the FederalGovernment.

CAPMI became necessaryfollowing complaints byconsumers about poor electricityservice delivery in the face ofcontinued estimated billing byPower Holding Company ofNigeria (PHCN).

Under the new CAPMIarrangement, metres are still

regarded as free, but are facilitatedthrough advance payments,which are expected to be refundedthrough a rebate on a fixed chargeelement from customers’ bills.

Confirming the development,Chairman, Nigerian ElectricityRegulatory Commission (NERC),Dr. Sam Amadi, in a telephonechat said the single phase pre-paidmetres would be sold for N25,000,while three phase metres wouldgo for N50,000, adding that finalarrangement and announcementwill be made on April 25, whenCAPMI would be rolled out fully.

However, it appears thatnothing really has changed as thenew prices for the pre-paid metresare similar to what electricity

Stories by Etuka Sunday

consumers paid prior to June 1,2012, when government declaredthe metres free.

Under CAPMI, theCommission also disclosed that fiveDistribution Companies,(DISCOs), would be used for thepilot scheme. They include Eko,Ibadan, Benin, Kano and AbujaDISCOs.

Amadi explained that theCommission was currentlyevaluating tenders submitted bybidders, adding that the call fortenders had closed, while detailsof shortlisted vendors had beensent to the Bureau of PublicProcurement, BPP, for ratificationand eventual approval.

He said: “We are currently

L-R: Bayelsa state Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah, and Chairman of NavimorInternational Maritime Academy, Poland, Mr. Romauld Kinda, exchanging some signed documentsduring the Poland Nigeria Business Forum, recently at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, in Abuja.

evaluating the bids submitted byvarious vendors. We don’t have aspecific number of vendors to usebut the preferred bidders will beannounced.

“Nigerians should be patientwith us as we are working hard tocome out with a hitch-freeprogramme. The paymentprocess is also being looked into toensure that things aretransparent”, he further stated.

The Apapa Business Unit ofPHCN has appealed to customersin its network to pay up their debts,which it said had risen to N2billion.

In a bid to ensure fullcompliance with theelectricity codes and

standards, following theanticipated private sectorparticipation in the energysector, Nigeria ElectricityRegulatory Commission (NERC),has issued guidelines that willensure that operators do notbreach their license obligations,and at the same time are able totemporarily operate out ofcompliance, where the urgentneed arises.

These guidelines, according toNERC was also necessitated bythe undeniably weak state of theindustry that will be inherited bythe new players.

In a statement by its AssistantGeneral Manager, Media,Mariyam Yaya Abubakar, NERCsaid it discovered “many flaws,sub-standard equipment, amongothers in the system, which willmake it difficult for the newoperators to comply with all thestandards set by NERC to governgeneration, transmission,distribution and overallcustomer care” and that ittherefore became necessary.

The Commission said,“Operators will be able to applyto NERC seeking for time tocomply with codes and standards,and then submit detailed plansand timelines for eventualcompliance. The Commission willconsider these applications, andif found not to impinge on healthand safety issues, and arejustifiable, derogation may begranted.”

NERC also called for publiccomments on a draft health andsafety code to ensure the safety ofpersons during installation,operation or maintenance ofelectricity equipment. Membersof the general public interestedin accessing these documents andmaking their comments may doso by visiting the Commissionwebsite on www.nercng.org.

NERC issuesguidelines tocheck violationof electricitycodes,standards

Following the report bya national newspaper onTuesday 9th April,2013

credited to the NationalCoordinator of ProcurementObservationand AdvocacyInitiative (PRADIN) that theNigerian Extractive IndustriesTransparency Initiative (NEITI)is too weak to fight corruption,NEITI has faulted the report,saying that the writer clearlyexposed his very limitedunderstanding of the functions ofNEITI.

In a statement by its’ Directorof Communications, OrjiOgbonnayaOrji, NEITI said itsmajor responsibilities in theprocess is to conduct independentaudits to establish whatcompanies have paid togovernment in terms of royalty,taxes, levies, signature bonuses,andsales from equity crude etc.

The audits also establish whatgovernmentreceives as revenues,if government received what itought to receiveand if companiespaid what they ought to pay.

According to NEITI, it’sequally required by law to widelydisseminatethe vital information

and data on the findings andrecommendations andplace sameinformation and data in thepublic domain.

“It is importantto clarify thatit is the function of the civil societyorganisationslike PRADIN whichthe writer represents to use thisinformation anddata made publicby NEITI to hold government andcompanies to account.This hasbeen a huge challenge; Given thefact that the NEITI processrequires a multi-stakeholdersapproach to yield desired impacts,the role of the civil societybecomes a critical success factor.This is why NEITI has continuedto work with interested CSOs tobuild their capacity to assume thisstatutory role in the NEITIprocess.

“While appreciating thepassionate drive andcontributions of some CSOs whohave been working with NEITIin this direction, the comment byLeadership and PRADIN thatNEITI is too weak to fightcorruption is a distraction and afutile exercise at ‘buck-passing’.

It will add more value ifMohammed and his group canemulate other CSOsalreadyproviding support toNEITI in this complex task.

“On the Petroleum IndustryBill (PIB), NEITI carefully studiedthe Bill as soon as it was sent tothe National Assembly andconvened a national stakeholder’sforum on the draft legislation inLagos on the 20th-21stSeptember, 2012.

“The position of NEITI on thePIB, which is already beinganalysed inthe media wasforwarded to the NationalAssembly since the 21st ofMarch2013. NEITI is also ready andwilling to defend its position ifandwhen invited to do so by theNational Assembly, thestatement said.

The Forum, which wasattended by CSOs, companies,governments andlegislatorscollectively weighed the PIBprovisions on the scaleoftransparency, accountabilityand good governance andidentifiedseveral gaps.

NEITI queries report on corruption....says its process is multi-stakeholder driven


Samsung flags off pre-orderfor Galaxy S4 in NigeriaThe Samsung Galaxy S4will

be introduced to theNigerian market in Lagos

on May 10, 2013, at a fashion-themed show aimed atencouraging growth in the localfashion industry.

The company is alreadyaccepting pre-orders for the 5-inch, full HD display flagshipdevice on various online stores inthe country ahead of its Mayrelease date.

Customers who takeadvantage of the pre-order offerare entitled to a free leather flipcover. They also stand a chanceto win a ticket to the officiallaunch of the device.

The beauty of the SamsungGalaxy S4 lies in its highlycrafted design, encompassing alarger screen size, battery andminimized bezel, all housed in alight and slim shape. The deviceis slimmer yet stronger than itspredecessor, the Galaxy S3, withless to hold yet more to see andwill be available in two colouroptions at its launch – Black Mistand White Frost. Additionalcolour options are to follow laterin the year.

Describing the device as a “lifecompanion”, Managing Directorof Samsung Electronics WestAfrica, Mr. Brovo Kim said thatthe Galaxy S4 is a product ofSamsung’s commitment toredefining the way people livetowards maximizing theirfulfilment of life.

“With the Galaxy S4,Samsung is again going toenhance the way we live. All theinnovative features of Galaxy S4were developed based on theinsights and needs we found fromour consumers all around theworld.

“Following the successfulGalaxy S series, this phone is yet

another great proof point ofpeople-inspired innovation. AtSamsung we’ll never stoppursuing innovation conceivedby people, so we can inspire themin return,” he said.

The Galaxy S4 runs onGoogle’s latest Android 4.2.2Jelly Bean operating system andfeatures 2GB of RAM. The mostnotable improvement in theGalaxy S4 lies in its camera,which now features variousmodes to allow users to capturephotos from sporting events or in

Leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, Samsung Electronics West Africa, hasannounced a date for formally unveiling the fourth generation of its flagship Galaxy S series, the SamsungGalaxy S4, in Nigeria.

low-light conditions with just onetouch. Its dual-shot function willallow users to take pictures andvideos with both the 13-megapixel rear camera andfront-facing 2-megapixel cameraat the same time and combine theinput from both cameras into onefinal product.

Other features of the deviceinclude ‘Group Play’, which letsusers share music, photos,documents and games with thosearound them without requiringWi-Fi or cellular signal; ‘Smart

Pause’ which enables userscontrol the screen by where theylook and the Smart Scroll’feature, which lets users scrollthrough emails without touchingthe screen.

The ‘Air View’ feature on theGalaxy S4 also allows users tohover with their fingers topreview the content of an email,image gallery or video withouthaving to open it while with ‘AirGesture’, users can change musictracks, scroll up and down a webpage, or accept a call with a waveof their hand.

Apple board member’s remarks pique iWatch speculationApple is experimenting withwristwatch-like iOS devicesthat feature curved glass, andBloomberg reporting that thecompany has about 100 peopleworking on a smartwatchproject.

Apple has also filed patentapplications for watch-relevant flexible displays andfor a Glass-sounding “head-mounted display apparatus.”(Some have even said Applewill release an iTV product thisyear that will feature awearable “iRing” that acts asa kind of remote.

The same unnamed sourcewho told Bloomberg about anarrival date for the gadget,also said it could includefeatures that let its users makecalls, see the identity ofincoming callers, check mapcoordinates, use a pedometerfor counting steps, andmonitor their heart rate andother health data via sensors.

The NigerianC o m m u n i c a t i o n sCommission (NCC) at the

weekend in Abuja launched anew five-year StrategicManagement Plan (SMP) thatwould drive the telecomregulator’s mandate in the nextfive years.

Speaking at the meeting,Executive vice-chairman of theCommission, Dr. Eugene Juwahsaid the formal launch of the planby the commission is to allowstakeholders and staff of theCommission make inputs atvarious stages of its articulation.

Dr. Juwah, who presided overthe presentation of the details ofthe plan by Price WaterCompany (PWC) to the seniormanagement of the Commission,before handing over to Mr.Okechukwu Itanyi, executivecommissioner, StakeholderManagement, said in his speechthat the formal launch of the newMaster Plan will serve as aroadmap for the future, takinginto consideration the currentand emerging trends in theindustry and the numerousexpectations of the diversestakeholders.

He said the SMP document isa living document which mustbe consulted regularly, to ensurethat the Commission is on tracktowards achieving the objectiveswhich have been collectivelyarticulated.

NCC launches5-year StrategicManagementPlanStories by Chris Alu with agencyreports

Mark Elliot Zuckerberg,the founder of Facebook ,a social networking

service will visit Akwa Ibom statenext month.

According to Mr. Moses Siasia,chairman, Niger Delta YoungProfessionals, he has been invitedas one of the guest speakersduring the youth economicsummit scheduled to hold in Uyo,the state capital next monthMay 28 to May 29.

Siasia, who stated this duringa courtesy visit on Gov. GodswillAkpabio of Akwa Ibom also saidthat young professionals from theNiger Delta were comingtogether to promoteentrepreneurship, looking ateconomic challenges in the area.

Siasia commended Akpabiofor transforming the statethrough infrastructure such asgood roads, healthcare andeducation.

Responding, Akpabio told thegroup to put in their best in theirchosen professions, adding thatsuccess could only come withhard work. The governor pledgedhis support towards the hostingof the summit.

Facebook founder,Zuckerberg to visitAkwa Ibom nextmonth

Recent remarks from BillCampbell, an Appleboard member and close

friend of Steve Jobs, suggestthat rumors about an iWatch— or perhaps even an Applecompetitor to Google’s high-tech Glass specs — might beworth heeding.

Though Campbellreportedly said he couldn’toffer any specifics on futureApple products, he said wecould anticipate “a lot ofthings going on with theapplication of technology toreally intimate things.”

And, calling Google Glass a“phenomenal breakthrough,”he said, “When you start tothink about glasses or watches,they become as intimate as thecell phone was.”

Wearable computing, then,seems to be on the minds ofthose in the know inCupertino.Recently, The NewYork Times reporting that


Adapt to Nigeria’s changingbusiness environment

President Goodluck Jonathan

Nigeria is changing rapidly. The size of the economy may expand 40-60% overnight, new online sales channelsare booming, and the security situation is deteriorating, writes Anna Rosenberg, a senior analyst for sub-Saharan Africa at Frontier Strategy Group.

Alhaji Aliko Dangote

Rebased GDP figures,when they arereleased, are likely to

make Nigeria the largesteconomy in sub-SaharanAfrica, surpassing SouthAfrica.

While the increased sizeof the economy makes thecountry more attractiveon paper, performancetargets for companies maybecome harder to reach asgrowth rates slow becausethe economy is expandingfrom a larger base.

E-commerce is boomingon the back of Nigeria'slarge consumer baseincreasingly shoppingonline. Multinationalcompanies should tap intothis fast growing channelto reach consumers.

A new militant Islamistgroup emerged in thenorth of Nigeria, changingthe security situation formultinationals, asforeigners are now beingtargeted. Companiesoperating in the northhave to implementstrategies to mitigate risks.Companies operating inLagos and the south are notin danger from this group.

Nigeria will surpassSouth Africa as thecontinent's largesteconomy when GDP isrevised upwards between40-60%. It is unclearhowever, when the newfigures will be released. But

if GDP increases by 40%,Nigeria's economy wouldswell from US$275 billionto $385 billion. SouthAfrica's economic output is$378.9 billion. New GDPfigures will be calculatedby using prices of goods and

services from a 2008 baseyear.

Currently, Nigeria'sGDP is calculated by using1990 figures, which do notaccount for the rapiddevelopment of theservices, telecoms, and

entertainment industries.While the increased size

of the economy makes thecountry more attractiveon paper, performancetargets may becomeharder to reach if they arecalculated on a GDPmultiplier basis.Executives mustcommunicate changes inGDP forecasts to corporateto set expectations aboutperformance in theNigerian market.Companies should considerrevising growth targetsdown to reflect revised GDPgrowth.

Trend #2: E-commerceis growing - get ahead of thecurveNigeria's e-commerce market isexpanding rapidly. Onlinesales grew 25% in 2011 toN62.4 billion, up anadditional N12.5 billionfrom N49.9 billion in 2010.Total investment in thesector is estimated at N2.4billion, but this figure isexpected to double by 2014as Nigerian consumersshop more online.

The trend is fueled bydeepening internetpenetration and an uptickin purchases made withmobile phones. InMastercard's 2012 onlineshopping behavioursurvey, the share ofpurchases made withmobile phones increased to30.3% up from 8.0% in2011 .

E-commerce allowscompanies to reach a wideconsumer base, evenwithout having a localpresence in the market.Multinationals cancapitalise on growingonline sales by partneringwith local e-commerceproviders and by offeringinternet shoppers exclusive

deals and differentiatedproducts.

What you need to knowwhen building an e-commerce platform forNigeria:

Payment methods andcash-on-delivery: Despiteattempts to reduceNigeria's reliance on cash,the economy is still verymuch cash-based as creditcard penetration remainslimited. Allow customers topay cash on deliveryalongside other paymentmethods.

Human contact:Nigerians value humaninteraction whenshopping. They like totouch, feel, and speakabout the product. Havecustomer relationsmanagers call customersafter the item has beenreserved online to makesure the customer reallywants the product. Allowcustomers to touch and seethe product on delivery.

On-line deals: Offer goodonline deals to highlightthe appeal of onlineshopping and buildrecurring customers asNigerians are very pricesensitive and will compareprices.

Trust: Nigerians arevery suspicious of buyingonline considering highlevels of cybercrime. Oncetrust is establishedthrough the steps outlinedabove, customers will shopon-line for your productswith fewer reservations.

Challenges: Nigeria's e-commerce industry facesvarious challengesincluding poorinfrastructure, roadcongestions, powerblackouts, the high cost ofinternet, and cybercrime.

Trend #3: The security

situation in the North is athreat to multinationals

A new militantIslamist group calledAnsaru emerged in thenorth of Nigeria, changingthe security situation formultinationals in theregion for the worse.Companies operating inNigeria's commercialcentres including Lagosand the south are not indanger from this group.

Ansaru, a more radicalbreakaway group of BokoHaram, came to theforefront in 2012. Themovement is heavilyinfluenced by Al-Qaeda inthe Islamic Maghreb(AQIM) and motivated tofight French and Nigerianmilitary intervention inMali. Ansaru's agenda isfar more internationalthan Boko Haram's. It isbeing manifested for thefirst time with thesystematic kidnapping offoreigners.

Boko Haram'sgrievances are primarilylocal and come down tos k y r o c k e t i n gunemployment andpoverty in the north of thecountry (60-70+%). Itprimarily aims to weakenthe government, which itblames for the precariouseconomic situation.

But as security forcesvehemently cracked downon Boko Haram militants,weakening its leadership,the movementfractionalised, creating amore radical offshoot.Companies should monitorclosely whether attacksagainst foreigners areincreasing and prepare forinsecurity in hot spotregions.(Source: www.howwemadeitinafrica.com)

PEOSPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013 PAGE 23

Report as at Monday, April 15, 2013

PAGE 25PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

“Well, Nigeria hasplayed a constructiverole in peacekeepingin various parts ofWest Africa. Butunless and untilNigeria itself isdemocratic andrespects humanrights, it too may wellbe a source of muchgreater instability aspolitical repressionlimits the ability of thepeople of Nigeria toachieve their fullpotential”. - SusanRice

In the past two years, asexpected of a people,particularly an

underdeveloped societylike ours,Nigerians’clamour forbetter living conditions –health, job opportunitiesand power - has shifted tocalls for peace in the land.This administrationinherited the scourge ofBoko Haram, kidnap andbloody militant activitiesbut has worsened things,acording to analysts.

Recent activities fromthis regime depicts theunwillingness to take thebull by the horn inentrenching the rule of law– supremacy of the law,equality before the law.Instead all we have seen isthe diversification and

Under siege?

Minister of Information, Labara Maku NUJ National President, Comrade Mohammed Garba

Some recent incidents givethe impression that lack oftolerance for plurality ofviews is on the rise.Abdulkadir Isa chroniclesthe burning issue….

multiplication of ourcommon problems tounbearable heights,implication of governmentcronies and its’ so-called“STRONG MEN” thatperambulate the corridor’sof power depicting them asfrontrunners for the statusquo.

This is a regime ofsurprise’s particularly atnew calendar days and themonth of April 2013 is noexception. One of the firstin April came as fourLeadership reporters wereheld and grilled by policefor refusing to reveal thesource of their storyfingering the presidency asthe mastermind in

countering the registrationof the APC- merger ofleading political parties inNigeria.

Recently, two Al-Mizanjournalists were arrestedand detained for eight (8)days by men of the Joint

Task Force over a report ofextra-judicial killings inYobe. In February, theoperating license ofWazobia FM Kano wassuspended by the sameNBC for airing a programpolice describes as“triggering the killings ofnine female healthcareworkers in kano”.

The aftermath of theGestapo tactics deployedduring the Al-Mizan saga,must have forced the F.G.to resort to diplomatic-looking measures tosupress freedom ofexpression.

According to PremiumTimes, the National Filmand Video Censors Board ina letter to Mr. Bako,producer of thedocumentary – fuellingpoverty - a 30 minutesdocumentary on enormouspoverty in the in countrydescribing it as “highlyprovocative and likely toincite or encourage publicdisorder and underminenational security”. In theletter, the producer waseven intimidated saying,“all relevant national

security agencies are onthe alert”.

And last Friday,Liberty Radio FM Kadunawas slammed a fine of twomillion nairaN2,000,000 for airing aphone call condemningLabaranMaku’s “GoodGovernance Tour” MarkOjiah, secretary of theNational BroadcastingCommission (NBC)described the aired

program as “professionalmisconduct” and warned offurther severe sanctions.

Earlier in march, tworadio programs weresuspended, one of RadioGotel and the other onAdamawa BroadcastingCorporation station.

What we have seen is agovernment that cannottolerate its people, listen totheir heart and call them tosolutions. Does the Federal

Olusegun Obasanjo: Bayed for AIT’s blood?

Government call theaction of all these mediaorganisations “work of theopposition”? Is thegovernment disputing theclaims being presented asis in the case of thedocumentary? Perhaps so,because this samePresident on CNN told theworld Nigerians now havepower supply a statementmany describe as wickedand satanic. Trampling on

people’s right breedsnothing but hatred andunity among the electorateto seek better alternatives.

We have seen a regimethat is ready to empty itscoffers in disseminatinginformation ongovernment agendas andprograms, a governmentthat over packs its mediateam with verbalgymnasts, image sculptorstom help penetrate themind-set of Nigerianshome and abroad.

The minister ofinformation, presidentialspokesman, SpecialAdviser on Public Affairsand those withoutportfolio are always in themedia selling image asagainst the norm offacilitating life-touchingprograms. “This is thesame set of people we keeplistening to, that want ourvoices silenced”, lamenteda concerned Nigerian.

During his tenure,Olusegun Obasanjo who ismore of a military man,had the same idea, as inone case, maltreatedAfrica IndependentTelevision (AIT) over aplane crash report. Heretreated because therewas no option.

Power - drunkpoliticians must learnthat, the message is notcomplete if there is nofeedback. This providesthe best gauge for theirmessages sent.

It is inherent in mosthumans to stand by theoppressed, and theoppressed in Nigeria aregarnering support fromaround the globe in itsfavour.

Inevitably, this is

becoming the people’s war.Government has shownlack of tact in choosing its’battles, insensitive tohuman rights and ill willdirected at the pressingneeds of citizens. Themedia rottweilers of thisregime have no anti-Goodluck voiceunaddressed –adoptingrational and other suchmanoeuvres.

Someone must tell ourComrade-in-Crime aboutthe Tiananmen Square riotsin China, also the tenmillion man march led byan unemployed electrician,Lech Walensa at the Leninshipyard in Poland whichmade Walensa President.

The incumbentpresident is, in the view ofsome analysts, givingNigerians genuine reasonsto spurn him and his partycome 2015. Witness, forexample, the speciousexcuse purveyed byJonathan’s spokesman,Reuben Abati, followingthe unpopular anddraconian arrest of somejournalists recently.

Amidist this culture ofintolerance and impunity,these words of wisdom byex-USA secretary of State,Susan Rice, ring out:“Nigeria has played aconstructive role inpeacekeeping in variousparts of West Africa. Butunless and until Nigeriaitself is democratic andrespects human rights, ittoo may well be a sourceof much greater instabilityas political repressionlimits the ability of thepeople of Nigeria toachieve their fullpotential”.

Preisdent Goodluck Jonathan: Is he intolerant? Ex-USA Secretary of State, Susan Rice: Called for tolerance

“Amidist this culture of intolerance andimpunity, these words of wisdom by ex-USA

secretary of State, Susan Rice, ring out:“Nigeria has played a constructive role in

peacekeeping in various parts of West Africa.But unless and until Nigeria itself is democraticand respects human rights, it too may well be

a source of much greater instability


Chief of Air Air (CAS),Marshal Alex Badeh, hasassured Nigerians of safety

in Nigerian air space saying thattheir aircraft and personnel arein perfect shape.

Badeh gave the assurancerecently in Abuja at thelaunching of a commercial airline Boeing 737-500 by theNigerian Air Force noting thatthis newly acquired aircraft byUnited Airline is under a jointpartnership between theAeronautical Engineering andTechnical Services of NigerianAir Force Holding Company(NAFHC) and SolicomEngineering Nigeria Limited.

Boeing 737-500 CAS furthersaid is the first of the series ofaircraft that the force intendsfor carrying troops.

Earlier in her speech, theMinister of State for Defence,

The Chief of Defence Staff,(CDS) Admiral OlaIbrahim, has said that the

Ministry of Defence has underdeveloped the Armed Forces ofthe Federal Republic of Nigeriabecause of the classified natureof the place.

He said that some peoplehave stayed so long in theministry that that they haveeither come along with theattitudes or inherited thoseattitudes from theirpredecessors, to the detrimentof the Armed Forces.

The CDS stated this

yesterday in his office at theDefence Headquarters, Abujawhen the new permanentsecretary, Ministry of Defence,Alhaji Ismaila Aliyu paid him acourtesy call.

Ibrahim further said theissue of under development ofthe Armed Forces has to do withthe direct way thingsconcerning them are done andthe quality of staff involved.

According to him “it is likethe Ministry of Defencesystematically underdeveloped the Armed Forces ofthe Federal Republic ofNigeria.

“The Armed Forces can domore through the way you runthings as the quality of staff youhave will ultimately define thequality of Nigerian ArmedForces’’ anything

He also said they have aproject on transformation witha synergy within the ArmedForces wher everything willjust work smoothly to deliveron National security.

The CDS also urged thepermanent secretary to cleanthe ‘pile of mess’ he will inheritand give his all to the job andnot hold back adding that

Defence Ministry has under developedNigerian Armed Forces – CDS

L-R: Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Admiral Ola Ibrahim, and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence,Alhaji Aliyu Ismaila, in the CDS’ office at Defence Headquarters when the latter paid him a visit.

Photo: Joy Baba

Ministry of Defence is thenumber one ministry inNigeria.

In his response, AlhajiIsamila assured the CDS of hisfull support and cooperationwhile also soliciting for hissupport and cooperation toenable him carry out hisresponsibilities noting that itwill no longer be business asusual.

Ismaila further saidwhatever friction has existedbetween the ministry and theArmed Forces has become athing of the past as the quality

of staff and mode of response totheir finance, logistics andprocurement request willhence forth be treated withimmediacy.

He also said that theministry now has a “wheel ofchange” and all directors mustwork with the new speed orleave as whatever needs to bedone must be done properly.

The permanent secretaryalso paid courtesy visit the Chiefof Army Staff, Chief of NavalStaff and Chief of Air Staff toassure them of the support of theministry in any area of need.

Stories by Joy Baba

Badeh assures Nigeriansof safety in air space

Erelu Olushola Obada who wasrepresented by the permanentsecretary of the ministry, Alh.Aliyu Isamila said with thecoming on board of the Boeing737-500 series, it is hope thatthe Nigerian Air Force willbuild its airlift capability in upport of United Nations andAfrican Union Peace SupportMission.

Also speaking at the occasionthe Group Managing Director(NAFHC) Air Vice MarshalIbrahim Kure said the aircraftwill commence operation withinitial client base of mainly theArmed Forces, Police and otherpara - military force.

He also said that the aircraftwill be available for charteradding that this will contributetowards personnel motivationsince they will be airlifted toreduce fare.

50 Nigerian soldiers onpeace keeping promotedSome 50 soldiers of the

Nigerian Army on peacekeeping mission in Liberia

have been promoted anddecorated with their new badgesin Monrovia over the weekendfollowing a recent promotionexercise released byHeadquarters Nigerian Army inAbuja.

The Commanding Officer(CO) Nigerian Battalion(NIBATT) 31, Colonel ObinnaAjunwa, who with the assistanceof his officers, decorated thesoldiers at the Battalion’sHeadquarters, charged them towork harder and showjustification for the new ranks.

Ajunwa cautioned thatrather than use the rank tointimidate their subordinates,they should be fair, firm andexhibit other good leadershipqualities at all times to earn themrespect.

He further advised the soldiersnot to renege in the performanceof the duties that were assigned

to them based on their formerranks, pointing out that theMission Area was different insome ways from a normal unit.

The Second-in-Command ofthe NIBATT, Major AdamuAbdul, urged the soldiers to avoidthe temptation that trailssoldiers on mission areas andstrive hard to earn morepromotions in future.

Abdul also advised them toallow their family members tofeel the impact of their new status.

One soldier, Staff SergeantPatrick Idang, was promoted tothe rank of Warrant Officer,seven sergeants were elevated tostaff sergeant, three corporalsbecame sergeants, and 13 lancecorporals became corporals,while 26 privates were elevatedto lance corporals.

The high point of theceremony was the decoration ofCorporal Ndidi Nwandu, who hadmade mark in 2007 as the firstfemale tracker that NigerianArmy had ever produced.

L-R: Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh; Managing Director Solicom Engineering, Dr. ObioraOkonkwo; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Alhaji Aliyu Ismaila in the Boeing 737 CommerialAircraft launched by Nigeria Air Force recently in Abuja.


Troops on peace missioncharged on Nigeria’s imageNigerian troops on

Peacekeeping missionhave been charged on the

need to maintain a goodcorporate image for the country.

Commander of the NigerianContingent (NIGCON) andSector Alpha of the UnitedNations Mission in Liberia(UNMIL), Brigadier-GeneralKasimu Abdulkarim, gave thecharge recently in Monrovia

while addressing soldiers ofNigerian Battalion (NIBATT) 31newly inducted into the MissionArea.

According to him”Nigeria isbigger than all of us, so we mustkeep the flag flying.

“We must show that we aredisciplined people, and we haverespect for Rule of Law.”

He reminded thePeacekeepers that they areoperating in a multinationalenvironment where there are alot of contingents stressing that

all eyes are on every continent.The Commander further

advised the peacekeepers toensure they imbibe therudiments of the Rules ofEngagement which was issuedto them before their arrival, andapply them in the course of theiroperations in the mission area.

Abdulkarim maintained thatthe Nigerian Army and theUnited Nations as well as the hostcountry have zero tolerance forsexual exploitation and abuse;hence they must avoid every

temptation of getting indulgedin them.

He also cautioned them onthe use of UN vehicles notingthat they must maintain the 60kilometre per hour speed limitslated for driving within thecity.

Earlier, the Commander whowas received on arrival by theCommanding Officer, NIBATT31, Colonel Obinna Ajunwa,inspected the Quarter Guardmounted by soldiers of theNIBATT.

By Joy Baba

JTF interceptstrawlerwith stolen crude

The Joint Military Task Force(JTF) Operation Pulo Shieldhave interception an ocean

going fishing trawler identified asDallal that has been ingeniouslyconverted into an oil vessel.

The vessel was arrested alongthe waterways of Akassa inBayelsa state laden with crude oilsuspected to have been stolen.

Eighteen persons werearrested during the process whiletwo barges were impounded andover35 illegal refineries weredestroyed in Bayelsa and Riversstates.

The Media Coordinator of theJTF, Lt. Col. OnyenmaNwachukwu in a statement inYenagoa said that the arrest wasmade during a multiple anti oiltheft raid operations carried outbetween 1st and 10th April 2013.

“The Joint Task Force has inmultiple anti oil theft raidoperations carried out between1st and 10th April 2013, arresteda fishing trawler converted intoa bunkering vessel and used forconveying stolen petroleumproduct along Akassa water way.

“The fishing trawlerChristened DALLAL was arrestedladen with the said stolen productby operatives of NNS Delta, amaritime component of the JointTask Force. The trawler has beentowed to Brass Terminal andsecured pending furtherinvestigations.

“Two barges laden with stolenpetroleum products have alsobeen arrested by operatives ofSector 2 of the Joint Task Forcedeployed in Brass while on patrolalong Okpoma River, Fantua andOdioma Open River general areaof Bayelsa and Rivers statesrespectively. The barges, namedCOASTAL 22 PEACE RIVER andMUDIGBA 1 are now berthed atthe AGIP Brass terminal pendingtheir handover to prosecutingagencies at the completion ofpreliminary investigations.

“Apparatus used to carry outthe theft including 20 pumpingmachines, one Lister generatorand one cargo pumpinggenerator have also beenimpounded by the operatives.

“35 illegal oil distillery campsdiscovered along Bonny-Onne,Obolo, Bille and Toma generalarea of Rivers State; Monsonkiriand Mbikiba in Brass andSouthern Ijaw Local GovernmentAreas of Bayelsa State have beenscuttled in situ by the JTFoperatives in line with itsmandate.

“The operatives also scuttled150 large plastic tanks and 23pumping machines used by theoil thieves to perpetrate illegal oilbunkering activities in anothercamp located at Ogidigbemvillage in Escravos in Delta State.

“A total number of 18 suspectswere arrested in the various antioil theft operations. While 2 ofthem have been handed over tothe Rivers State Command of theNigerian Security and CivilDefence Corps for prosecution, 16of them are still undergoingpreliminary investigationsbefore they will be handed over.”

The Joint Task Force (JTF)in the Niger Delta Region,“Operation Pulo

Shield,’’ said it had traced the oilspill at Nembe Community inBayelsa to the activities of oilthieves.

Lt. Col. OnyemaNwachukwu, spokesman of theJTF, told the News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa thatoperatives of the task forcehad identified the source of thespill.

Nwachukwu also dismissedclaims by the Movement forEmancipation of Niger Delta(MEND) that its men attackedthe facilities belong to ShellPetroleum DevelopmentCompany (SPDC), in Nembe.

He described as false “theclaim by those criminals ofblowing up a well head”.

The spokesman said the JTF“troops on patrol along NembeCreek 1 Flow Station had earlierreported an incident of oil spillon the water around EwwelesuoCommunity in Nembe.

“The troops observed a freshdug out possibly for layingillegal pipeline and fresh footprints which were traced to asmall camp.

“Items such as hack saw forcutting pipelines, shovels, fooditems, cooking pots, sleepingmat, foot wears, bags of purewater and clothes were found inthe camp”.

Nwachukwu said that theaffected oil well operated by Shellin the Nembe axis had been shutdown to forestall furtherdamages to the environment.

NAN also gathered that thecamp used by the oil thieves inNembe area for the illicit tradehas been destroyed by the JTF.

The Public Affairs Official ofthe SPDC, Mr Tony Okonedo,declined comments on thereports of the oil spill when NANcorrespondent contacted them.

OkenTheedo did notalso respond to text messagessent to him on the issue. (NAN)

JTFattributesNembe spillin Bayelsato oil theft

L-R: Commander of the Nigerian Contingent (NIGCON) and Sector Alpha of the United Nations Missionin Liberia (UNMIL), Brigadier General Kasimu Abdulkarim and Commanding Officer, NIBATT 31, ColonelObinna Ajunwa in Moronvia, Liberia.

Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, in action shooting during a shooting range in 177 BattallionKeffi


My customer's satisfaction motivates me - Poultry farmerChallenges in the

business: Well, the challenges, it

depends on the aspect or angleyou are looking at it from.Finance can be a challengeand you know as a student ofEconomics, you know we havefactors of production; land,labor, capital andentrepreneurship, all thesecan be challenges when takingup a business, so also it is inpoultry business, if you don'thave a land, you cannot havea farm. Another thing is yourability to have adequate laborat least in some little areaslike management of thepoultry farm, waste disposal,but when you talk of thechallenge of challenges, theprincipal of them all is financebecause if you don't havemoney, you cannot set thebusiness up.

Let's say you even have themoney, if you do not have themanagerial ability, that is, theability to manage the businesswell, that will be another bigchallenge. One thing is to havethe money; another thing isthe ability to manage thebusiness. Even if you have themoney and set up thebusiness, the ability tomanage it successfully is achallenge. Environmentalchange can be anotherchallenge, there are highmortality rate during hotweather, when the weather ishot, there are lots of diseasethe fowls are exposed to, soenvironment, weather, and allthese are challenges. Thereare so many challenges onefaces in this business.

Benefits in the business:There are lots of benefits in

the poultry businessdepending on your ability tomanage it and how youchoose to go about it. I buy aday old chick, I brood thembetween three to four weeksand sell to other farmers whonow market it to otherfarmers but whatever levelyou are in the business, youhave benefits.

Successes achieved:Success in any business is

not measured by how muchyou have; you ought to havethe interest of your businessat heart first. You canmeasure success financiallybut success to me means myability to be able to satisfy mycustomers, that is what I callsuccess as long as thisbusiness is concerned andonce your clients are satisfied,you are making success.

Profit margin in thebusiness:

Over the years, I wouldn'tsay I have adequate record ofthat but at every period intime, I have made my profit.For instance, we have aboutthree types of these birds; wehave the layers, the broilersand the cockerel. In the familyof the layers, we have twotypes, the black andbrownish-white, in the familyof the cockerel, we have theblack and white and thebrownish-white, for instance,depending on the season, alayer at a day can come atN200 but presently, a day oldlayer is N190, a day oldbroiler is about N160-170, aday old cockerel is aboutN100-120. If I buy a broiler

at N160, I brood it for fourweeks which is about thirtydays, I spend N10 per day forfeeding and medication. I sella brooded fowl at four monthsold at N450-470. This isbecause I used my N10 in itsfeeding and medication andthe rest is for my labor.

Difference between agricfowls, layers and broilers:

We have the local fowls; wehave the agric fowls likepeople call them. The localfowls are those ones you seeon the streets roaming aboutand their mode of birth, thatis, the way they come to beingis local because the cockerelmeets the hen who gathers her

eggs and sleeps on it, that isthe local fowl but in agricfowls, the layers for instance,the mode of feeding themmakes them to grow. Youknow the local fowls just goabout the street and eatwhatever they see on the roadbut agric layers, the mode inwhich they lay eggs iscontained in the feed they eatand the medication theyreceive. For instance, a layerbegins to lay eggs at the age of20-22 weeks but prior to that,the feed (what the layer isgoing to take) and medication(there are injection also givento them) is given to the layerfor prepare it for egg-laying,so when they lay eggs,because of the way these eggswere hatched, it is called agricbecause it was mechanical,not natural. The eggs arecollected, there are somecertain processes we gothrough before they are putinto the incubator, from theincubator to the house, thatis where you have the chicks,that is, those small ones (ababy bird that is a day old) andimmediately they arehatched, there are othercertain things that need to bedone for them like vaccinationjust like when you give birthto a baby, so also we have inpoultry business, you do thesame to prevent them frompossible diseases; when theyare hatched, you give themthat initial vaccination whichis oral, not injection, throughwater.

The broilers are the

Prince Olumuyiwa Fadipe

Prince Olumuyiwa Fadipe owns OLFAD farm Feeds Ltd. a small poultryfarm located at Galadima, a suburb in the FCT. In this interview withGladys Kenneth, he relates his experience. Beginners, he adds, mustdevelop passion to achieve success in the business. Excerpts:

commonest ones we see, thosewhite fowls, within 2-3months, they are ready formarket and as at that period,you see them looking very bigand heavy but the layers arereared purposely to lay eggsfor home consumption andsales. Broilers don't lay eggs;they are only reared forconsumption.

I brood from day old tofour weeks and sell off. Thelayers do not grow as fast asthe broilers. These broilersstarted laying eggs when theywere exactly 22weeks old. Wehave some local fowls here sowe put the cockerel, which isthe male chicken, with thelocal fowls for cross-breedingto lay eggs. During this seasonin which the weather is usuallycold, the local fowls shieldtheir young ones by coveringthem with their wings unlikethe agric that use light to helpgenerate heat, but the localfowls usually sleep on its eggsto cuddle them and give themheat. When broiler cross-breeds with a cockerel, thechicks look like the cockerelbut in the case of the localfowls, they go about the streetand cross-breed with severalcockerels, for example if it laysabout ten eggs, probably youwill have four blacks, three arered and the remaining areblack.

I brood these birds in thebrooding house from day oldto about two weeks but whenthey grow, I take them out ofthe brooding house becausethey become to big to be keptthere. Initially, I could keephundred birds there but astime goes on, you will haveabout forty.

Recommendation forbeginners:

The business is veryfriendly. You know, theproblem people have thesedays, especially the youths, isthat they go into a businesswithout having knowledge andpassion for it; they go intobusiness because they thinkthe business is lucrative butanything that one does withoutinterest is sure to collapse.One gateway to success is tofirst of all develop your owninterest, the interest you putinto that business willdetermine your level ofsuccess, if your motive ofventuring into a business is forthe sole purpose of makingprofit, the business willeventually crumble becauseyou do not the interest andpassion you ought to have forthat business to be a success.The youths should developinterest in whatever they wantto do and have passion for it.


Kogi adopts FG's rice transformation agendaWhy we are into mas-

sive rice farming inKogi State:

We are in to rice because ofthe agricultural transformationagenda of the federal govern-ment. And, we are in rice becausewe were flooded badly last year.Also, we are in rice because I be-lieve agriculture is the shortestroute to wealth: I am talkingabout genuine wealth. We arealso in rice because it is possible.

When the minister said at theNational Economic Council thatNigeria imports one billion nairaworth of rice in a day, I was takenaback. We all eat rice, but wedon't know the quantum ofmoney that this country is los-ing every day by the rice that weare eating. We are adding valuesto other people's economies. Weare keeping people employed inother countries by eating ricewhich we don't produce.

So, these were the things thatmotivated me to look at how wecan contribute to rice. And then,with the efforts of the honourableminister and your ministry, thefederal government has an-nounced the plan to ban rice im-portation into Nigeria. They areencouraging by providing inputs,by providing extension services,by removing the corruption inagricultural sector and encour-aging people to go into agricul-ture.

The challenge is for us to pro-duce rice so that we will not im-port rice. For me, I am in politicsto serve: to try and improve thelives of our people. And I see thisas one of the ways we can do thatin a less complicated way. So, forme, motivation is very high. Thereasons are clear. We, as a state,our receipt from the federationaccount every month is meager.

Even though we have solidminerals, it takes years and verycomplicated processes to actualiseour solid mineral potentials intowealth. But, with agriculture,with rice in particular, in threemonths - after planting - you areharvesting. Apart from trading,there is no other way you canmake money like that. These arethe things that have directed mymind into rice as a way forwardfor our state.

Solving problems arising outof these solutions:

You said that every solutioncreates its own problem. That istrue. In fact, the problems thatare arising are problems that Iam welcoming because they aremotivating us to provide new so-lutions. And one of the mostpleasing developments on our se-lected rice programme is the wayour people have embraced theprogramme.

We are overwhelmed. Wecouldn't clear enough land forpeople. Everyday, we hearwomen crying: we want land, wewant land. We hear young peoplecrying for land. So, we had to hiremore earth-moving equipment toclear more land to allocate tothem.

Farm for the disabled people: I have always associated with

the disabled. I have a much bet-ter appreciation of them now af-ter my accident. When they sawwhat was going on, because theybelieved in my sincerity and

sense of purpose, they joined. Andthey were given the recognitionand treatment that they ex-pected: respect, facilitation andhonour.

Generally, the outlook in thesociety is to look down on disabledpeople. But, in Kogi State, I havealways recognised them. At thetime I was campaigning, theyhad a dedicated vehicle. They fol-lowed me into all the nooks andcrannies where I was campaign-ing. They trusted me. And I prom-ised that I was going to imple-ment the agricultural transfor-mation agenda of the federal gov-ernment at the level of KogiState. And I am doing that. Sothey said "this man said so. Let'sgo and follow him."

Vision for agriculture in KogiState:

In terms of my vision for KogiState, I see that, if we focus onagriculture - apart from provid-ing individual wealth, and apartfrom providing cheap food for ournation - we as a state, by themodel we are implementing, wewill be able to generate income,revenue in form of internallygenerated revenue for the stateto augment what we get from thefederation account, for the devel-opment of Kogi State.

That is the vision I have: thatagriculture will form part ofwealth generation for our citizensor residents of Kogi State, as wellas the state itself as means ofmoney for development.

Addressing the issue of risingdemand for land:

The story is spreading in allthe local governments on whatwe are doing. I then directed theleadership of each local govern-ment to clear 250 hectares ofland. We started by asking themto do an hundred. We were im-pressed by what they were doing,

and we increased it to 250. Andwe challenged them that any lo-cal government that is able toclear 250 hectares, the state willfund another 250, making 500hectares.

Our people are willingly pro-viding the land. We are acquir-ing it through a straightforwardsystem. We pay compensation.We bring land clearing equip-ment, clear the land and then wegive it to the smallholders to cul-tivate. We give them the inputsand then we guide them towardsharvest. So far, so good, it is work-ing in all the local governments.

We have nine local govern-ments that were flooded. Theflood came with devastation,damage and destruction of envi-ronment. We felt that, by plant-ing rice in flood-prone areas, wecan beautify the place. We canturn it into wealth by the ricethat is being produced. So, we aregetting multiple advantages byusing the areas that were floodedfor rice cultivation now.

Meeting the need for morefarm machineries:

Our plan is to buy additionalearth-moving and land-clearingequipment. We also want toprogress into mechanisation. Wehave used some level ofmechanisation such as tractors.We are buying harrows now. Weare buying planters. We arethinking of harvesters. We haveimported 10 containers ofmotorised agricultural equip-ment from China. They are al-ready here. We are waiting forthe Chinese manufacturers tocome and teach our people howto assemble them.

We are expecting 20 morecontainers of motorised equip-ment which individuals can use,to operate on their own farms. Ithink that is the first stage. Thenext stage is: as our people settle

in, we can now go into more au-tomatic and bigger equipment toclear larger sizes of land for them.If we progress withmechanisation, we will be able tomeet this kind of demand. Themost pleasing aspect is thewarmth with which our peopleare receiving this idea, that farm-ing is an honourable profession,a means of wealth creation and ameans of feeding themselves andthe rest of the society.

If, by this small effort, we areable to make some progress to-wards transforming from an im-porting nation to a nation thatcan feed itself, I think we haveachieved a large part of our ob-jectives. But I don't want to takea credit for what is happening inthe state. We are working as ateam. We have the commissionerfor agriculture, the ManagingDirector of Agricultural Develop-ment Programme.

We have my friend, Chief A.K. Mohammed, who has devotedhis time to help me implementthis, and everyone on our teamwho made contribution, and alsothe farmers, particularly thewomen. They are very excited.Every time I go there, they arevery happy to see me listen totheir problem to see what we cando. Also involved are all our citi-zens who have taken to agricul-ture.

Resolving social conflictsarising from the project:

I got a complaint that someyouth were causing problemsbecause they said that only theirown cooperative will control allthe land in Sarkin Noma area,and that anybody who is not amember of their cooperativeshould not be given land. And Isaid no: this land is for all citizensof Kogi State. The team thereasked me to provide security.

We went to the commissionerof police to provide security. Whenthe police got there, they asked:where is their own land? Insteadof providing security, they said:OK, we will provide security, butgive us our own land, we want tofarm rice. That shows you the kindof spirit in Kogi State now. I assureyou that we are determined tosucceed. We will not allow anyproblem to discourage us.

Let me thank the honourableminister who has always hadtime for us. I sent him a text twodays ago. He was in Brazil. He re-plied. Every time I call, he picksmy call. If I send him an e-mail, Iget almost an instant reply. Wehave never had a minister of ag-riculture like that. The ministeris part of the motivation for whatwe are trying to do here in KogiState.Rice milling as part ofindustrialisation process inKogi State:

On the issue of processing of therice, first of all, my immediateconcern was storage. I talked to

the honourable minister aboutusing some of the silos that we havein Kogi State. He has kindly con-sented to allowing me to use the si-los to store the rice while we addressthe issue of processing.

In the matter of processing, weare lucky that, immediately afterthe flood, the Korean governmentthrough their Korean DevelopmentAgency, donated five semi-auto-matic rice mills to Kogi State. Thesemills we are in the process of install-ing at strategic locations in the rice-growing areas of Kogi State.

In addition to that, I want tothank Mr. President and thehonourable minister for allocatingtwo of the giant rice mills, out of 40which the federal government isbringing into the country, to KogiState. We believe that, with the ca-pacity of the five which we alreadyhave on ground from Korea and thetwo giant mills being given to us bythe federal government, we willhave adequate processing capacityfor rice in Kogi State.

The other crop we are focusingon is cassava in Kogi State. We havea staple crop processing zone atAgbadu, in one of our local govern-ments. Chief James Awoniyi hasworked very hard on that projectalong with Cargill and the federalministry of agriculture to ensurethat the staple crop processing zoneis well established. So, in Kogi State,we have cassava staple crop process-ing zone as well as rice staple cropprocessing zone programmes. So,with these two, we believe we areon the platform to agriculturaltransformation agenda in Nigeria.

Bringing experience from pri-vate aviation industry intoagriculture in Kogi State:

I think there are a few elementsof my private sector involvementhere. In the private sector, you talkabout using what you have to getwhat you want. You are used tomanagement of very scarce re-sources to produce result. You aredriven by result. You want result.Whatever the challenges are onyour way, you want to leapfrogthem and come out with the resultsor the outcomes that you are ex-pecting.

In Kogi State, because of ourvery poor monthly income, andbecause of the pressure we have fordevelopment, for running of gov-ernment with very little resources,we have to look for ways of generat-ing additional revenue for the state.Tax is a federal thing in Nigeria.Therefore, as a state, I cannot justraise taxes, but improving on taxcollection. We need to give peoplewealth before you can even taxthem.

So, we thought what to do is togenerate employment, createwealth for the people and as a conse-quence raise money for the state todevelop the state. So my private sec-tor background has helped in driv-ing me to make possible what maylook impossible. It has helped me inmotivating those we are workingwith to produce results, to make theirown inputs and to harness what isavailable to do what we need to do inagriculture. So, I think, in thoseways, my private sector back-ground has helped me in the imple-mentation of agricultural transfor-mation agenda in Kogi State.

Dr. Oyeleye Olukayode is ofthe Federeal Ministry of Agricul-ture

Governor Idris Wada

Kogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada, in this interview, explains the involvement ofhis state in rice farming under the agricultural transformation agenda of the federalgovernment. He expresses optimism that from what the state is currently doing in ricefarming, a substantial part of the rice needed by Nigeria can be produced by his State,stressing that plans are currently being made and implemented towards ensuringsustainable production and storage while also providing commercial scale processingfacilities. He talked to OYELEYE OLUKAYODE


Salt: Looking beyond the taste enhancerMore than just a taste

enhancer, salt is vital partof every household,

serving functions that extendbeyond cooking.

Scientists have proved that salt,also known as sodium chloride, isused as a cleaning substance,essential ingredient in foodpreservation and disinfectant,among others.

Some scientists at DukeUniversity Medical Centre, U.S. saythat research shows that the bodycraves for salt in a similar way thataddicts crave for addictivesubstances such as heroin, cocaineand nicotine.

Dieticians note that people oftenadd more salt to their food untilthey get the desired taste withoutconsidering the effects.

But as useful as salt is, DrEmmanuel Agaba, a ConsultantNephrologist and Head, Renal Unit,University of Jos TeachingHospital, warns that when a diet ishigh in salt , i t can injure thekidneys.

``When a meal high in salt isconsumed, the kidneys workharder to f i lter an increasedvolume of blood.

`Ìf you cut back on yoursodium intake, you reduce yourkidneys' workload and lower yourblood pressure. This, in turn,decreases your risk for stroke,heart disease and kidney disease,''he says.

Apart from kidney failure,excessive salt is l inked toheartburn, hypertension, ulcersand gastric cancer, among otherrelated ailments.

Agaba insists that high intake ofsalt could increase blood pressurewhich, in turn, could damage thesmall blood vessels in the kidneys,making it difficult for the kidneysto filter wastes from the blood.

`Ìt is the job of kidneys toregulate blood, remove waste andalso to control the acid basebalance within the body.

``When they stop functioning,waste products and fluids wouldbuild up in the body and this canbe deadly

``The only options when akidney is damaged are dialysis or akidney transplant which is veryexpensive; and so, prevention isthe key,'' he warns.

Dr Dele Tajudeen, the Presidentof Association of Resident Doctors,University of Ilorin TeachingHospital (UITH), who listshypertension as one of the sideeffects of excessive salt intake;advises people to reduce their saltintake.

``Medical record shows that 4.3million Nigerians above 15 years ofage are suffering fromhypertension.

`Àvailable statistics also showthat high blood pressure is on the

Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu

By Olayemi Okeniyi

“The World Health Organisation (WHO)attributes hypertension among Nigerians to

high consumption of salt and fat, lowconsumption of fruits and vegetables and

lack of physical activity

rise in Nigeria and it is affectingmore of the urban folks than itaffects their rural counterparts.

`Ànd the World HealthOrganisation (WHO) attributes

hypertension among Nigerians tohigh consumption of salt and fat,low consumption of fruits andvegetables and lack of physicalactivity,'' he says.

Sharing similar sentiments,Prof. Dan Bauchi, a cardiologist atAhmadu Bello University TeachingHospital, Zaria, says: `Àlthoughsalt is good for the body, excessiveintake of it can be detrimental.''

He suggests that families,students and the public ought to beeducated on the recommendedquantity of salt which could beconsumed without any side effects.

``The National Heart, Lung andBlood Institute had recommendedthat salt intake should not exceed2.4 grammes per day, being aboutone teaspoon of table salt.

``But if you have high bloodpressure or other risk factors, youshould further limit your sodiumintake to 1.5 grammes per day,'' headvises.

Dr Femi Afolabi, a dietician withFederal Medical Centre, Lagos,insists that another way throughwhich people are exposed toexcessive salt intake is via theconsumption of readymade mealsand canned foods.

``People should avoid theseprocessed foods; a lot of sodiumhas been used in their preparationbecause salt helps to preserve foodby drawing out moisture andkeeping out bacteria,'' she says.

Afolabi, therefore, advisespeople to always strive to cooktheir foods to enable them tocontrol the quantity of salt theyconsume.

She stresses that people canconserve their food's flavour byexploring cooking methods likesteaming, roasting, baking, stir-frying, micro-waving orbarbecuing.

``Boiling foods can result in lossof potassium and flavour into theboiling water; this may entice youto add salt after cooking.

`Ìf fresh vegetables, meat,poultry, eggs and fish need moreflavour, preferably use dried herbs,spices and vinegars, not just salt, tocreate the flavour you desire.

``Besides, rinse canned foodsand meats to remove the excess saltand try to choose breakfast cerealsthat are lower in sodium,'' she says.

Analysts, however, argue thatignorance about the dangers of saltis one of the driving forces behindexcessive sodium consumption.

They cite a report by The SundayLeader, an English-language SriLankan newspaper, that people withhigh blood pressure whosignificantly reduced the amount ofsalt in their diet were able todecrease their chances ofdeveloping hypertension by 25 percent.

They, therefore, call for anaggressive public awarenesscampaign against excessiveconsumption of salt, insisting thatpeople ought to know therepercussions of their craving fortasty, salty meals.Source: NAN

Salt

“

PAGE 31PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

The truth about extreme global inequality

Today, on April 10, the UNGeneral Assembly (UNGA) is holding a thematic

debate on the role ofinternational justice inreconciliation processes. Thedebate was called by UN GAPresident VukJeremic, of Serbia,in the wake of the recentacquittal of Croatian GeneralAnte Gotovina by theInternational Criminal Tribunalfor the Former Yugoslavia(ICTY). Unfortunately, it hasbecome clear that the realpurpose of this debate is directedat undermining the ICTY, ratherthan to discuss an importantissue, not only in the Balkans, butin a growing number ofcountries.

Experience shows that byholding to account those whohave committed serious crimes,criminal justice processesdemonstrate that no one is abovethe law and mark a break with apast of abuse and horrendouscrimes. Through prosecutions, anumber of societies have shownthat human rights are to be takenseriously and victims can feelgenuinely protected.

However, the relationshipbetween criminal justicemechanisms, like the ICTY, andreconciliation has been blurredby loose discussion by courtofficials and others. Claims thatthese judicial institutions cancontribute in some ill-definedway to reconciliation are notalways anchored in a clearunderstanding of criminaljustice, nor do they have anormative basis.

While the UN SecurityCouncil did mandate the ICTY to"contribute to the establishmentand maintenance of a lastingpeace" in the former Yugoslavia,it never defined - how? How wasa court that was established as adeadly inter-ethnic conflictraged on (and was yet to see itsworst atrocities, including theSrebrenica genocide) to act as atool for reconciliation? And justas importantly, what conceptionof reconciliation did the SecurityCouncil have in mind? Thesequestions deserve seriousexamination, as we have seensimilar expectations set for otherinternational courts, includingthe International Criminal Court(ICC).

Reconciliation meansdifferent things to differentpeople. In Latin America,attempts to ensureaccountability for massivehuman rights abuses committedby right-wing militarydictatorships in the 1970s and1980sgave rise to a strong viewamong many civil societyorganisations that reconciliationwas a code word for impunity andamnesia, placing a burden offorgiveness on victims, whileletting torturers and killersescape justice.

A different approach was to

be taken in South Africa in theearly 1990s. There, the Truthand Reconciliation Commission,under the Chairmanship ofDesmond Tutu, promoted thevirtues of forgiveness andreconciliation, not only on apragmatic basis, but on the basisthat it reflected values ofparticular importance in Africa.

We should be clear that notonly is reconciliation understooddifferently by different people,but it makes little sense to thinkreconciliation can mean thesame thing in the context of a warbetween states and in theintimate violence betweencommunities driven apart bycivil war or repression.

The most powerful examplewe have today of inter-statereconciliation is almost certainlythat of France and Germany. Itis easy to forget that they werethe bitterest of enemies and thatFrance, in particular, hadsuffered humiliation in threewars over three quarters of acentury. How did thisreconciliation come about? Atleast partly, it was possiblebecause the German leadership,which was able to accept its fault

The World Bank and the IMF have the power to impose economic policies on developing countries even when voters and electedpoliticians in those countries unanimously reject them [AFP]

and enter into a commitment toradically reform Germany'srelationship with the Frenchstate. It was about a genuineacceptance of responsibility.France, however much pain andbitterness it still felt, also saw thata new path had to be found.

Despite some nominalapologies by former heads ofstate, such process neverunfolded in the formerYugoslavia. In fact, manyleading Serb politicians,including the current SerbiaPresident TomislavNikolic, arewell known for their refusal toacknowledge that genocide wasindeed committed by BosnianSerbs in Srebrenica. The ICTY didestablish facts about theSrebrenica genocide, and theInternational Court of Justiceruled on it, but this was clearlyinsufficient to catalyse anacknowledgement of the kindGermany offered to France.

This example may not evenbe entirely relevant to theYugoslav situation, in which aformerly unified country wasdivided up into independentstates. After conflicts that wethink of as civil wars and

repressive regimes, ourunderstanding of reconciliationneeds to be more realistic.Repression and internal strife tearapart the social contract.

What citizens had believedthey could legitimately expect ofeach other and their stateinstitutions is rendered worthless,as abuse and atrocity rips theheart out of the basis of trust. Inthese circumstances, so familiarto what used to be close knitcommunities of Bosnia andHerzegovina, for example,reconciliation should focus onwhat it takes to restore the trustof citizens in each other and,perhaps more importantly, in thestate itself.

That trust has to be earned. Itcannot be built on denial, and itcannot be built on relationshipsof power. It has to take seriouslythe dignity of the partiesinvolved. Recognising the truthof what happened is essential, butso is some degree of justice. Wecannot reasonably expect people,and victims in particular, totrust that their rights will beprotected under a new regimewhen no effort has been made tovindicate them in the aftermath

ANALYSIS

of the most egregious abuses.Can impartial national courts

help restore this trust bydemonstrating that the state willtake seriously the crimes of thepast? Possibly. Can internationalcourts be expected to do the sameon their own, by conductinglengthy, complicated trials, oftenremoved from the realities oftheir constituents, who are likelystill struggling with theunderlying causes of violence?Much less likely.

Criminal justice processes areimportant, but their principalobjective is to conduct fair trialsof often extremely complexfactual situations and commandstructures. We should be carefulabout assigning them objectivestied to complex and contestednotions like reconciliation,expecting that a limited numberof trials in The Hague willsomehow solve all ills in a post-conflict society. In this sense, theUN GA debate is entirely miscast.

The ICTY's record can beregarded as impressive when itcomes to the numbers of indictedpersons, as compared to otherinternational courts; the fact thatall fugitives have been capturedand brought to trial; and that ithas brought to justice some ofthose most responsible foratrocities committed in theformer Yugoslavia.

On the other hand, itscontribution to the process ofreconciliation in the region hasbeen severely limited. Insearching for the reasons whythis is so, we may need torecognise that internationalcourts may not be equipped tofulfill such expectations - andthat, as in the case of the ICTY,there is sometimes simply noexisting process of reconciliationfor them to contribute to.

Source: Al Jazeera

Recognising the truth of what happened is essential,but so is some degree of justice. We cannot

reasonably expect people, and victims in particular, totrust that their rights will be protected under a newregime when no effort has been made to vindicate

them in the aftermath of the most egregious abuses

By Jason Hickel


Somali militantsthreaten moreattacks afterkilling 30

Somali militants linked to alQaeda warned on Mondayof further attacks in the

capital, a day after killing at least30 people in a wave of coordinatedbombings and shootings thatexposed the fragility of securitygains in Mogadishu.

African peacekeeping troopsblocked off streets and searchedhouses across the city at dawn onMonday to flush out suspectedmembers of the Islamist militantgroup al Shabaab which claimedresponsibility for the strikes.

But the rebels warned offurther attacks and taunted theMogadishu government, whichthey brand a Western stooge, overits trouble securing the city at atime the country struggles toemerge from more than twodecades of conflict and anarchy.

Although a military offensiveunder an African Unionpeacekeeping banner has pushedal Shabaab from urbanstrongholds in central andsouthern Somalia, the attacksreinforce concerns the militantsremain a potent force.

"Yesterday's blasts eliminatedthe dreams of the puppetgovernment. More lethal attacksare coming," Sheikh Abdiasis AbuMusab, al Shabaab's spokesmanfor military operations, toldReuters by telephone.

At least one car bomb explodedand several suicide bombers blewthemselves at Mogadishu's lawcourts on Sunday. Gunmenstormed the court compound,spraying it with bullets. Twohours later, a car bomb wasdetonated near the city's fortifiedairport.

Prime Minister Abdi FarahShirdon said the attack would notstop the government's efforts torestore peace and security.

He said there were severalexperienced foreign fightersamong the attackers at the courts,showing that the fight against themilitants was not just a Somaliaffair.

"We are concerned about theforeign involvement in this attackand this is why we are working sohard with our internationalpartners on security andintelligence sharing," he said in astatement.

Al Shabaab said six of itsfighters were killed in the attack,but the government has not saidhow many militants died.

The law courts were asymbolic target. Somalia's newgovernment has made reformingthe judiciary a priority in itscampaign to shake off thecountry's "failed state" tag.

Court gives Hosni Mubarak custody decision

The Chadians have been instrumental in helping French troops in the mountains of the north Kidal region [EPA]

An Egyptian court has ruledthat ex-President HosniMubarak should no longer

be held over the killings ofprotesters during the revolutionthat toppled him.

However, he will remain incustody as he faces separatecorruption charges.

The former leader is awaitinga retrial for conspiring to killprotesters in early 2011.

His lawyer successfullyargued that he had spent themaximum time in prison undertemporary detention.

Last June, Mr Mubarak wassentenced to life in prison forkillings committed during the

2011 uprising that ended his rule,but in January a retrial wasordered.

There were chaotic scenes onSaturday as the judge presidingover the retrial, Mustafa HassanAbdullah, withdrew from thecase citing his "unease" inoverseeing the proceedings.

The case has been referred to adifferent court, which is expectedto appoint a new panel to hear theretrial.

About 850 people were killedin the 2011 crackdown during the2011 uprising that ended MrMubarak's rule.

He and former interiorminister Habib al-Adly were

sentenced to life in prison forconspiring to kill protesters.

But both will be re-tried afterthey successfully appealed againsttheir convictions, with Egypt'sCourt of Cassation citingprocedural failings.

Mr Al-Adly will also be re-triedfor corruption charges.

Mr Mubarak and his two sons,Gamal and Alaa, will also be re-tried for corruption charges, ofwhich they were found not guiltythe first time round.

The former leader has been inpoor health since his arrest andappeared on a stretcher during hisfirst trial and at Saturday'shearing.

Deaths during the uprisingwere largely blamed on the policeat the time, but last week a reportwas leaked which implicated thearmy in serious human rightsabuses, including the killing andtorture of protesters.

The leaked chapter, reportedlypresented to PresidentMohammed Morsi late last year,contains testimony relating tocivilians detained at militarycheckpoints who were never seenagain and reports that the armydelivered unidentified bodies tocoroners.

Egypt's Defence Minister AbdelFatah al-Sissi denied theaccusations, calling them abetrayal.

Chad army to leave MaliChad's army will be

withdrawing from the warin Mali, the country's

president has announced.The announcement of

Chadian forces' imminentwithdrawal comes three monthsafter the French-led mission to oustal-Qaeda-linked fighters innorthern Mali began, and justdays after a suicide bombing killedthree Chadian soldiers.

"Chad's army has no ability toface the kind of guerrilla fightingthat is emerging in northern Mali.Our soldiers are going to return toChad. They have accomplishedtheir mission,'' Chadian PresidentIdrissDeby said in an interviewwith French journalists that wasposted online on Monday.

Deby said Chad already hasbegun pulling out a battalion withthe rest of the 2,000 Chadiansoldiers to return progressively,according to the joint interviewwith France's Le Mondenewspaper, TV5 Monde and RFIradio.

France has said it also wants tohand over responsibility for themission to Malian and otherAfrican soldiers.

Chadian forces, trained in

desert combat, have backedFrench forces in some of theheaviest battles during the war innorthern Mali.

The Chadians have beenespecially instrumental in helpingFrench troops in the mountains ofthe north Kidal region whereelements of al-Qaeda in the Islamic

Maghreb (AQIM) and other rebelsare hiding out after being oustedfrom major towns.

Their efforts have not comewithout cost; at least 23 Chadiansoldiers were killed in one battlealone in February.Deby held outthe possibility that his country'stroops could take part in an

eventual UN force in Mali.French President Francois

Hollande has said that by July,about 2,000 French soldiers wouldstill be in the former French colony,down from 4,000 at the peakdeployment, and at the end of theyear 1,000 French soldiers willremain.

Bangui fighting between Selekaand residents 'kills 17'At least 17 people were

killed in weekend clashesin the Central African

Republic's capital, Bangui, theRed Cross says.

The fighting broke out afterformer rebels patrolling astronghold of ousted PresidentFrancois Bozize came underattack, a spokesman for the newgovernment said.

Rebel leader Michel Djotodiawas declared interim presidenton Saturday.

His Seleka rebel groupcaptured power more than threeweeks ago.

The fighting on Saturday andSunday was the most serious inBangui since Mr Bozize was

overthrown, correspondents say.A mortar fell on a Baptist

church on Sunday, killing threepeople, residents told BBCAfrique.

The pastor's arm wasamputated after he was woundedin the attack, residents added.

Interim governmentspokesman Gen MoussaDhaffanesaid fighting first erupted whenyouths attacked the former rebelforces in the area of Boy-Rabe,seen as a stronghold of Mr Bozize.

Local Red Cross officials said17 people were killed in clashesin different parts of Bangui.

The fighting led to someresidents fleeing the city, AFPnews agency reports.

Residents told BBC Afriquethat many youths werefrustrated with the insecurity inBangui.

Some accused Selekafighters of widespread looting.

The national transitionalcouncil, formed after Mr Bozizewas ousted, elected Mr Djotodiaas interim president onSaturday.

Mr Djotodia was the onlycandidate in the vote.

A statement signed by"President Francois Bozize'sdepartment of communication"and sent to AFP said he "firmlycondemns the coup".

"A large part of the CentralAfrican territory is left to

organised pillaging of itsmining resources, including bymultinational companies, asthe international communitylooks on complacently," it said.

Mr Bozize fled to Cameroonas the rebels advanced.

Mr Djotodia said he wouldhold elections within 18months.

Seleka, an alliance of armedgroups, seized power after apeace deal negotiated with MrBozize collapsed.

Mr Djotodia is a former civilservant who fell out with MrBozize and went into exile,before returning under thepeace deal in January asdefence minister.


UN court hears Thai-Cambodia dispute

Pro-Musharraf supporters

Mussallam al-Barrak

The International Court ofJustice (ICJ) in The Haguehas begun a week of

hearings on a territorial disputebetween Cambodia and Thailandover land around 11th-centurytemple PreahVihear temple which

Musharraf skipshearing in treason trialFormer Pakistani President

Pervez Musharraf has notattended his hearing at the

country's Supreme Court afterbeing ordered to face charges oftreason.

The hearing on Mondayarose from accusations thatMusharraf had illegallydismissed senior judges in 2007,after they had opposed extendinghis presidency.

Musharraf declaredemergency powers afterremoving the judges.

Al Jazeera's correspondentKamal Hyder, reporting fromIslamabad, said Musharraf wasrepresented by his lawyers afterbeing given the option by thecourt to appear in person, or

through his counsel.Musharraf's absence,

however, did not prevent thepetitioners from starting to arguetheir case against the retiredgeneral, which was an importantdevelopment, our correspondentsaid.

"But it appears that Musharrafhas chosen his timing verycarefully."

Lawyers are petitioning theSupreme Court to have the 69-year-old retired general put ontrial for treason for subverting theconstitution during his 1999-2008 rule.

The hearing was originallyscheduled last week, but the judgegranted Musharraf's lawyersmore time to answer the charges.

both sides claim.Cambodia has asked the United

Nations' highest court to clarify a50-year-old ruling on ownershipof the 1,000-year-old temple nearits border with Thailand, warningthat maintaining the status quowould be a threat to peace betweenthe Southeast Asian neighbours.

The ICJ ruled in 1962 that thePreahVihear temple stands inCambodia, but Thailand, whichcalls it KhaoPhraViharn, says it didnot draw definitive boundariesaround the World Heritage-listedsite, and the Southeast Asianneighbours' armies haverepeatedly clashed there in recent

years.In 2011, the court in The

Hague created a demilitarisedzone around the temple afterfighting left about 20 dead anddisplaced thousands of peoplefrom near the temple, butHorNamhong, Cambodianforeign minister, said talks about

withdrawing troops have gonenowhere.

The United NationsEducational, Scientific andCultural Organisation (UNESCO)put the temple, perched on arocky plateau overlookingThailand and Cambodia, on itsWorld Heritage list in 2008.

Kuwait jails formerMP for 'insulting emir'A Kuwaiti court has sentenced

the main opposition leaderand former MP Mussallam

al-Barrak to five years in prisonafter he was convicted of allegedlyinsulting the emir.Barrak, anationalist, was charged onMonday with making statementsdeemed offensive to the ruler ofthe Gulf state, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah.

At a public rally on October 15,he appealed to the emir to avoid"autocratic rule".

Criticising the emir is a crimethat carries a maximum of fiveyears in jail.

"The court has sentenced thedefendant Mussallam al-Barrakto five years in prison withimmediate effect," said judgeWael al-Atiqi in a half-packedcourtroom in the Palace of Justice

in the capital Kuwait City.One of Barrak's lawyers,

Abdullah al-Ahmad, said "theruling is null and void because itviolated the legal procedures andfor failing to provide the defenceteam with sufficient guarantees."

"We will appeal against theruling in the appeals court," hetold AFP news agency outside thecourtroom said.

Last week, Barrak's defenceteam walked out of court after thejudge refused requests to heardefence witnesses who includedthe Kuwaiti prime minister, twoformer opposition MPs and others.

Barrak had asked Atiqi topostpone the trial until he finds anew lawyer, but the judge refusedand insisted he would proceedwith the case on Monday.

Many dead in Iraq serial blastsvoters safe.

In Tuz, which lies 175km fromBaghdad, the three car bombs struckin the centre and east of the town atabout 8:00am local time, accordingto a provincial council member anda doctor.

And in Nasiriyah, 305km southof the capital, one of the car bombsdetonated in a market and the otherwent off in an area filled with vehiclerepair shops, police and a medicalsource said.

The credibility of the April 20vote has been drawn into questionas 14 election hopefuls have beenmurdered and just 12 of the

country's 18 provinces will be takingpart.

Soldiers and policemen cast theirballots for the provincial elections onSaturday, a week before the mainvote, the country's first since March2010 parliamentary polls.

More than 8,000 candidates arestanding in the elections, with 378seats on provincial councils up forgrabs.

An estimated 16.2 million Iraqisare eligible to vote, among themabout 650,000 members of thesecurity forces.

Although security hasmarkedly improved since theheight of Iraq's confessional conflictin 2006-2007, 271 people werekilled in March, making it thedeadliest month since August,according to AFP figures.

A wave of bombings across Iraqhave killed at least 22 peopleand wounded more than

100 others, officials said, just daysbefore the country's first electionssince US troops withdrew.

Most of the deadly attacks onMonday morning reported bypolice officials were bombings,which killed several people inBaghdad, in the western city ofFallujah, the contested northerncity of Kirkuk and towns south ofthe capital.

A total of 14 car bombs andthree roadside bombs struck sevencities including Baghdad,

security and medical officials saidon Monday, updating an earliertoll.

Hospital officials confirmed thecasualty tolls.

Al Jazeera's correspondent inBaghdad, Waleed Ibrahim, saidboth Shia and Sunnineighbourhoods were targeted inthe spate of attacks to hit the city.

Ibrahim said the attacks on acheckpoint close to the airport inthe capital was significantbecause it had never happenedbefore.

"This place has not beentargeted before and today there

was a car bomb at this checkpoint, according to a policesource".

Officials said that vehiclespacked with explosives weredetonated in the northerndisputed cities of Kirkuk andTuzKhurmatu, the central city ofSamarra, and the cities of Hillaand Nassriyah south of Baghdad.

The attacks come less than aweek before Iraqis in much of thecountry are scheduled to vote inthe country's first elections sincethe 2011 US troop withdrawal.The vote will be a key test ofsecurity forces' ability to keep

Asia andMiddle East


Frenchministers toreveal wealth

Canada's liberals elect Trudeau as new leaderEurope andAmericas

Liberal Party of Canada haschosen rising political starJustin Trudeau to lead the

party as it seeks to rebound from amajor defeat at the polls in 2011.

Forty-one-year-old Trudeau,the son of the former primeminister Pierre Elliott Trudeau,was on Sunday announced as thenew leader of the party at an eventin the capital city of Ottawa, with80 percent of the vote.

"Canadians want to be led, notruled. They are tired of thenegative and divisive politics of[Prime Minister] Stephen Harper,"he said in his victory speech,delivered in both French andEnglish.

"It's not my leadership that MrHarper fears, it is yours: engagedand informed Canadian citizens."

Within minutes of his victory,the Conservative Party released astatement that said Trudeau wasnot yet ready to govern.

"Justin Trudeau may have afamous last name, but in a time ofglobal economic uncertainty, hedoesn't have the judgement orexperience to be prime minister,"said Fred DeLorey, director ofcommunications of theConservative party.

Trudeau, a former teacher, waselected to the House of Commons,the lower house of parliament, in

French governmentministers are due to revealdetails of their personal

wealth as part of efforts byFrancois Hollande to regain publictrust.

The French president setMonday as the deadline forministers to declare their assetspublicly.

The move followed the scandalsurrounding former BudgetMinister Jerome Cahuzac, who ischarged with tax fraud over asecret bank account.

Mr Hollande's popularityratings have plummeted in thewake of the scandal.

Each of France's 37 ministersis required to publish details oftheir personal finances on theirgovernment websites.

The list of assets is expected toinclude details of bank accounts,property and other expensiveitems such as cars, art works andantiques.

The BBC's Hugh Schofield inParis says the exercise is designedto be eye-catching, and dispelsome of the publicdisenchantment with politics thathas developed in recent weeks.

Jerome Cahuzac caused shockearlier this month when headmitted he had hidden about600,000 euros (£509,000;$770,000) in a Swiss bankaccount, having repeatedlydenied it.

He resigned from hisgovernment position and is nowbeing investigated for tax fraud.

President Hollande has alsobeen embarrassed by revelationsthat his former Socialist Partytreasurer, Jean-Jacques Augier,held personal investments in twooffshore companies in theCayman Islands.

The scandals have furtherdamaged Mr Hollande'scredibility among the Frenchpublic.

But politicians from the left aswell as the right have derided thepresident's demand for ministersto reveal their wealth - details ofwhich emerged in the daysleading up to Monday's deadline.

Health and Social AffairsMinister Marisol Touraine, hassaid her declaration will showabout 1.4 million euros (£1.2m;$1.8 million) in assets, basedprimarily on several properties inParis.

Justin Trudeau

2008 and re-elected in 2011.Trudeau had imitated US

President Barack Obama incampaigning largely on amessage of hope. He said detailedpolicy pronouncements will comelater, ahead of a federal electiondue in 2015.

"What Justin Trudeau is

benefiting from is probablyhaving the right message at theright time in terms of a swing backto less hyperbole and negativism,"said Nik Nanos, of polling firmNanos Research.

After holding power for mostof the last century, the LiberalParty fell into third place for the

Venezuela's Capriles demands recount of votesVenezuelan opposition

leader Henrique Caprileshas refused to accept

ruling party candidate NicolasMaduro's narrow election victoryand demanded a recount.

"Today's loser is you," he tolda news conference on Monday,referring to Maduro, adding:"We won't recognise a resultuntil every vote has beencounted".

The National ElectoralCouncil said late on Sunday thatMaduro won 50.66 percent ofthe vote compared to 49.07percent for Capriles - a differenceof less than 300,000 ballots -allowing him to carry forwardthe policies of the late HugoChavez.

Venezuela uses electronicvoting machines that print apaper ballot as a backup for any

recounts."There should be no doubts

about the election results. Theinstitutions are functioning. If7,500,000 Venezuelans saidthat Nicolas Maduro should bethe president of the republicuntil 2019, this must berespected; the democracy andthe power of the majority,"Maduro said, addressing acrowd from the Miraflorespresidential palace.

But, he said he wouldwelcome an audit.

"We are calling for respect ofthe results. If they want do anaudit they are welcome to do it.They can do whatever auditthey want to do. We trust in theVenezuelan electoral system.We welcome an audit," saidMaduro.

After a brief and bitter

campaign, Venezuelans hadwaited anxiously for results intoSunday night with countingreportedly too close to call andboth sides expressing confidenceof victory .

Al Jazeera's Gabriel Elizondo,reporting from Caracas, said:"We're hearing that Maduro isgoing to try and take thepresidency today, Monday, and beinaugurated.

"We'll see how that plays outbecause I'm sure the opposition isgoing to try and step in and sayperhaps that they want a fullaudit before that happens. Thereis a long way for this to go still, thecoming days are going to be key."

Capriles said there wereattempts to let people vote afterpolling stations had alreadyclosed.

Turnout was 78 per cent,

down from just over 80 per centin the October election thatChavez won by a near 11-pointmargin.

"This result does not reflect thereality of what Venezuelans wantand aspire to," he said in Caracas."Mr Maduro, if you wereillegitimate before, now you aremore so.

"I tell you firmly, this struggleis not over. It will end whenVenezuela is a prosperous countrywhen people can livebetter,"Capriles said.

It was unclear when a recountmight start, and how long itwould last.

"We demand a detailedrecount in front of the world andthe country," Capriles said.

Earlier, Capriles accused thegovernment of pressuring civilservants to vote for Maduro.

Italy's Berlusconi 'ready to run for PM'Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's

former prime minister andleader of the centre-right

People of Liberty party, has saidhe would run for premier again ifa snap vote is called after centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani againrejected forming a governmentwith his rival.

Speaking to thousands ofsupporters gathered in a centralsquare in the southern city of Barion Saturday, Berlusconi, the four-time premier, repeated that he waswilling to join Bersani to form aright-left "grand coalition"government.

"Or there is an immediate

government, strong and stable, orelse the Italians should return tothe ballot boxes and vote in

June," Berlusconi said."We are ready for another vote,

and I will be present as leader ofthe People of Liberty (PDL) partyand candidate for

prime minister," Berlusconisaid to a roar from the crowd.

The February election leftparliament split between threehostile blocs, none of which cangovern alone, making an early

return to the polls a growingpossibility.

But for constitutional reasonsa new election cannot be called by

President Giorgio Napolitano, andso it will be his

successor who will haveanother chance to find a solutionthat allows the formation of agovernment, or else dissolve

parliament and call newelections.

Voting to pick a new presidentstarts on Thursday.

Berlusconi's centre right wouldwin a snap vote by a hair,overturning February's resultthat gave the PD control of the

lower house, but not theSenate, an ISPO poll published inSaturday's Corrieredella Seranewspaper showed. Berlusconi

first time, behind the right-wingConservatives and the left-wingNew Democrats.

"Today marks the beginningof the end of this Conservativegovernment," said former Liberalprime minister Jean Chretien,who won three straight majoritygovernments, at the event.

Former Budget Minister,Jerome Cahuzac.


Fart By Mail - a stinky mail service for the adventurousFart By Mail, a California-

based mail order servicestarted by Zach Friedberg,

offers people the chance to sendfriends or enemies stinkygreetings that actually "smelllike real poo".

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Strange weddingcustoms - thecrying ritual of thetujia people

Throughout history,various cultures have hadstrange requirements of

their women. But none perhapsas strange as the custom of cryingbefore marriage, as followed inSouthwest China's SichuanProvince. According to thecustom, it is mandatory for abride to cry at her own wedding,whether she likes it or not.

The crying marriage ritualwas at its peak during the early17th century and remained sountil the end of the Qing dynastyin 1911. It is said to haveoriginated during the WarringStates Period (475 to 221 BC),when historical records revealthat the princess of the Zhao Statewas to be married into the YanState. At the moment of theprincess' departure, her motheris said to have cried at her feet,asking her to return home as soonas possible. This is said to be thefirst crying marriage ever.Although the custom is not aspopular now as it used to be, thereare still a large number offamilies that practice it withgusto. In fact, it is a necessaryprocedure for marriage amongthe Tujia people, in China'sSichuan Province. The ritualitself is pretty simple - the bridehas got to shed tears. If she doesn'tor is unable to, her neighbors willlook down upon her as one of poorbreeding. Worse still, she couldeven become the laughing stock

of her village. In one extremecase, the bride was beaten by hermother for not crying at thewedding. Perhaps the girl was toohappy to be free from hermother?

The ritual is practiceddifferently in various regions ofthe Sichuan Province. In the west,for example, the custom is called'Zuo Tang' (sitting in the hall).Literally, this means that thebride is required to sit in a halland cry. For a whole month beforethe big day, the girl walks into alarge hall each night and weepsfor about an hour. After about 10days, her mother joins her and thetwo cry together. Another 10 dayslater, the grandmother joins theparty. A few days later, the bride'ssisters and aunts join in too, inwhat can only be called a cry-fest.But then the crying isn't just arandom shedding of tears. There'sa song involved as well. Aptlynamed the 'Crying MarriageSong', the exaggerated singing ofthe verses is said to set the weddingatmosphere quite nicely. Some ofthe other songs are centered onthemes of diligence, etiquette andfilial piety.

If you think this is bizarre, wellthere's more. Some enthusiasticbrides do not limit themselves tojust crying. They even swear atthe matchmaker. Since women ofthe olden days had no say in theirmarriage and were at the mercyof matchmakers, they had fullliberty to give the matchmakersa sound piece of their mind. But

Photo: Explore Zhangjiajie

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The bride and friends perform the crying ritual.

this isn't practiced as often as itused to be. The whole point behindthe crying marriage ritual is toset off a mood of happiness byusing sorrowful words that arefalse. However, so many bridesare unhappy with their lives andchoice of husband that they are

said to cry for real.A bunch of women crying at

a wedding, the bride included,does sound a tad melodramatic.However, when you come tothink of it, it does let all theboohoos out, so the bride canprobably let go of the pains of

her life up until that point.Perhaps it helps in making afresh start in life. But then I dofeel sorry for all those brides whoare unable to cry. I cansympathize with them. If askedto cry, I would probably onlylaugh harder.


You should go to work on an egg!By Joanna Blythman

Another week, anotherhumiliating blow for thehealthy eating lobby. Yet

again, their advice on nutrition,delivered in those familiarauthoritative, disapprovingtones, has proved to becompletely misleading.

For years, these self-styledexperts have warned us againsteating too many eggs. Despitethe fact our ancestors happilyconsumed this natural food forcenturies, not so long ago thefinger-wagging professionalssuddenly decided that they werepublic enemy number one.

Eggs promoted heart attacks,clogged arteries, caused highblood pressure and weight gain,they declared, adding that weshould eat a maximum of nomore than two or three a week.

Now, though, it turns outthat their advice is not only false,but even counter-productive.Just as these experts have beenshown to be wrong about thedangers of red meat, cheese, milkand butter, so they have beenhopelessly wrong about eggs.

Contrary to their grimadmonitions, this week,scientists have declared thateggs are, in fact, a health food,packed with nutrients andproteins. The more eggs we eat,the healthier we should feel.

This new research hascomprehensively demolishedthe claims that eggs are bad forthe heart and the circulatorysystem. Just the opposite is true.Scientists at the Jilin Universityin China have found that one ofthe key components of eggwhites can be just as powerful asspecialised medication inreducing blood pressure.

This component is a peptide -one of the building blocks ofprotein - which appears to havethe ability to inhibit the actionof substances in the body thatraise blood pressure.

'Our research suggests thatthere may be another reason tocall it the incredible, edible egg,'said Dr Zhipeng Yu, the scientistin charge of this project.

His findings back up a recentstudy from the University ofAlberta in Canada, whichrevealed that proteins in eggscan prevent the narrowing ofblood vessels in the body, whileresearchers at the University ofMissouri discovered that eggs arethe best way to control appetite.

The health promotion lobbyhas long maintained that eggsare dangerous because theycontain cholesterol, and highlevels of cholesterol in the bloodare supposed to be damaging tothe heart.

But this argument nowseems as dodgy as the rest of thetheories they have inflicted onus.

For cholesterol, far frombeing a threatening substance,is an enriching natural product,vital for the healthy functioningof our bodies. Cholesterol isessential for making hormones,building cell membranes anddigesting fats; that is why it is

foods'.Meanwhile, the portion on

the Eatwell Plate given to 'meat,fish, eggs and beans' is less thanhalf this size. Just asdisturbingly, the Eatwellcampaign also urges us to buylow-fat products, like skimmedmilk, rather than more natural,full-fat ones.

Such advice could hardly bemore wrong-headed. It is nowonder we are facing an obesityepidemic in this country. Intheir demonisation of meat anddairy products, along with theirenthusiasm for carbohydratesand so-called 'low-fat' items,health campaigners areactually encouraging us toconsume far more processed,unhealthy, high-sugar foods,with the disastrous consequencesvisible all around us.

Healthy eating is notcomplicated. The basic messageis that natural foods, includingfree-range eggs, full-fat milk andorganic meat, are good for us.

In contrast, foods that havebeen through the industrialised,high-tech, factory-farmedprocess have had all the goodnesstaken out, with their nourishingingredients replaced bychemicals.

But, of course, this messagenot does suit big producers andretailers, who make their moneyfrom processing. Driven by thisvested financial interest, theypretend that natural foods arefull of dangerous timebombs, likeheart-threatening fats andcholesterol, which they willdefuse for us. So we end up in theabsurd position where we areencouraged to eat more refinedbread, which has few real healthbenefits, and to ditch eggs,which are perhaps the mostnutritious of all foods.

Even more than meat, eggsare packed with the amino acids,minerals and high-qualityproteins that are essential to ourbodies' continual process ofregeneration. It is noexaggeration to say that everyegg is an Aladdin's cave of

nutrients.Indeed, except for Vitamin C,

they contain every singlevitamin that we need. They areespecially useful as a source ofVitamin D, of which Britishpeople are often deficient becauseof the lack of sunshine in ourclimate.

Vitamin D can be consumedthrough oily fish such asherrings and sardines, but manypeople are not keen on suchpungent dishes, so eggs are anattractive alternative.

Moreover, eggs also containseveral vital antioxidants,which are essential for theprevention of disease, as well asthe important nutrient choline,which helps with thedevelopment of the brain.

One of the many fallacies ofthe health promotion lobby isthat the yolk is particularlyunhealthy, a dogma that gaverise to the fashion for eating onlyegg whites.

The egg-white omelette, forinstance, became a faddishstatement of healthy eating inHollywood circles. But it is justmore nonsense. The yolk is thebest part of the egg, not onlydelicious but full of all the right,health-giving ingredients.

In truth, there is no food thatcan match the egg in itsnourishment, value and varietyof uses. It is tremendously cheap.A box of half-a-dozen free-rangeeggs usually costs less than £2,much less than a sugar-packed,microwavable ready meal.

The purveyors of junk fastfoods like to proclaim that theyare providing convenience inour busy lives, but there hasnever been a better instant mealthan a couple of eggs.

Indeed, the variety of disheswith eggs at their centre isalmost infinite, from thesophistication of Eggs Benedict tothat great Caledonian favouriteof my homeland, the Scotch egg,which is a far healthier snackthan any bag of crisps.

The only thing you need toworry about when buying youreggs is that they are free-range.Just as meat from organic andgrass-fed livestock is far betterthan the produce of factory-farmed animals, so eggs fromcaged battery hens are nothinglike free-range eggs.

If only the health lobby wasnot so blinded by dogma andcommercial influences, theywould recognise that eggs couldbe a vital weapon in the fightagainst obesity.

As I know from my ownexperience, an egg at breakfastwards off hunger pains rightthrough until lunchtime,something that is neverachieved by a couple of slices oftoast or a bowl of muesli.

Any food agency that reallycared about the nation's healthwould be embracing eggconsumption rather thanfrowning upon it. For, as we allknew before the arrival of thelobbyists and their commercialallies, we should all be going towork on an egg.Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Good for you: This new research has comprehensively demolished the claims that eggs are bad for theheart and the circulatory system. Just the opposite is true

found in large amounts inmothers' breast milk.

If cholesterol was really badfor us, then why would naturehave made it an integral part ofour biological composition in thefirst place?

This question goes to the heartof what is so wrong with thehealth promotion brigade. Thefrankly unscientific campaignagainst eggs reflects the widerpropaganda effort thatconstantly pumps out

misleading information aboutwhat we should eat.

So we have been led to believethat we should cut down on meatand dairy produce at the sametime as increasing our intake ofcarbohydrates. On the NHS's'Eatwell Plate' - a plate whichshows the proportions of foodgroups we should have and is akey tool of the food lobbyists'campaigning - by far the largestportion is given over to 'bread,rice, pasta and other starchy

New evidence: This week, scientists have declared that eggs are, infact, a health food, packed with nutrients and proteins


Stop unholy alliance with anti-democrats,swear Nwoye in, CNPP urges Tambuwal

Consequent upon the Courtof Appeal in Enugu’sdecision to dismiss the

appeal filed by Rep. ChriscartoAmeke for lack of merit, theConference of Nigerian politicalparties (CNPP) has urged theSpeaker of the House ofRepresentatives, Aminu WaziriTambuwal, to swear-in comradeTony Nwoye as a memberrepresenting Anambra East/West Federal Constituency.

In a press conference in Abuja

yesterday by the NationalPublicity Secretary of the CNPP,Mr.Osita Okechukwu, it saidTambuwal, whom a lot ofNigerians see as a true product ofdemocratic struggle, given theway he emerged Speaker of theHouse of Representatives, againstthe stiff opposition from thosewho, in error, believed that theyhave the right and authority todecide who gets what in Nigeria,should not be seen to be in theleague of anti-democrats whohave continued thrive in theculture in the culture of

impunity.The CNPP stated

“Otherwise, how come thehighly rated Rt. Hon.Tambuwal, against his oath ofoffice and at variance with theCode of Conduct, descended intothe arena, clinging to noneexisting Court Order, therebyblatantly subverting the laws ofthe land by refusing to swear-inComrade Tony Nwoye in theface of glaring evidences”.

“We challenge Rt. HonAminu Tambuwal to swear-inTony Nwoye forthwith; less his

rising profile will be tainted byunholy alliance with knownanti-democrats”, he said.

Recall that the Court of AppealEnugu Judicial Division, holdingat Enugu, had finally, on 28March 2013, dismissed theappeal filled by Hon ChriscartoAmeke for lack of merit, with costof N30,000, hence upholding thejudgment of the Federal HighCourt Awka, which issued theMandamus to INEC on the 13July 2012, the Rt. Hon. SpeakerAminu Tambuwal shouldforthwith swear-in Tony Nwoye.

The Niger DeltaR e n a i s s a n c eOrganisation has

hailed the commitment ofthe Federal Government asregards the Nigerian waterresource development whileurging the NationalAssembly to revisit theNational Dam CommissionBill before it.

The group made thisknown in a media briefingafter its tour of the KainjiDam site which it saidurgently needs strongintervention from thegovernment .

In a press statementissued and signed by itsNational Coordinator,Comrade Nwokoma Messiahand National Secretary,Kingsley Frank, the groupsaid with the commitment ofthe federal governmenttowards attracting betterfunding for the water sectoras witnessed in the lastPresidential Summit onWater, Nigerians wil l soonbegin to witness huge directforeign investment in thesector which, according tothe group, says holds a lot ofpromise as far as developingthe power and agriculturalsectors is concerned.

It also urged the membersof the National Assembly torevisit the National DamCommission Bil l so as toensure that the country doesnot lag behind in meetingthe Millenium DevelopmentGoals on water despite itsenormous potentials in thesector.

The group said its visit tothe Kainji dam hasenlightened its members onthe problems most dams inthe country are facing due towhat it says is a result ofserial neglect by previousadministrations. It alsostressed that the problems ofNigerian dams rest on theirmanagement which can bestbe tackled if there is a centralcoordinating body l ike theNational Dam Commissionthat wil l take care of themanagement of the dams.

The Niger DeltaRenaissance Organisationalso urged Nigerians not torelent in its support for thepresent administrationespecial ly in its efforts todevelop a better andsustainable system of wateradministration and supplyin the country.

Group urgesNASS to revisitNational DamCommission Bill..hails WaterResources MinisterBy Ikechukwu Okaforadi

APGA factional National Secretary, Dr. Sagir Maidoya (rght), addressing a town hall meeting, recently in Abuja. With him is thefaction's National Chairman, Chief Maxi Okwu (left). Photo: NAN

By Umar Muhammad Puma

APGA wants immunity clause expunged from Constitution

All Progressives GrandAlliance (APGA)yesterday reiterated its

position that the immunityclause in the nation’sconstitution be expunged asthe National Assemblycontinues in its task ofconstitution amendment.

According to the party,this is to checkmate theexcesses of the governors andcheck their antics againsttheir party’s leadership.

APGA NationalSecretary, Dr. Sani Shinkafi,who was in Bauchi to condolethe family of APGA statechairman, Alhaji DanjumaMusa over the death of his

mother, toldnewsmen that governors,

when elected, see themselves asAlmighty God.

“If a Governor is todayelected in his own state, he lookat himself as Almighty God,because of the immunity theyare exercising, so they seeothers as small goats, theydon’t see that this power cancome to an end, so they try tobehave anyhow”, Shinkafilamented.

Shinkafi recalled thatduring the second republic,governors seat at the backbench of political party leadersbut today they are the ones atthe front banner which, heattributed, to the monthlyfederation grant they are

collecting and administeringit as if it is theirprivate monies.

“Today, if Governor IsaYuguda want to give you N2billion, nobody will ask himwhy, unless he is removed orhis tenure expired, it is therethen that one is deem fit to takelegal action againstthe governor”, he fumed.

He noted that with theimmunity clause expungedfrom the constitution, anypublic office that commitscriminal offence will instantlybe tried in a court oflaw. ”Shinkafi also expresseddissatisfaction that many pastgovernors who have their fileswith the Economic andFinancial Crimes Commission

(EFCC) with criminal chargesare yet to be convicted bycourts of law.

The APGA’s chief scribecited the case of Anambra stateGovernor, Peter Obi whom, hesaid, had wanted to pocketeverybody in the partyto satisfy his whims andcaprices.

Shinkafi also unveiled planby APGA to revalidate itsm e m b e r s h i p n a t i o n w i d e ,adding, “We are trying torestructure, re-energize,and re-brand the party aheadof the 2015 generalelections”. Dr. Sani Shinkafithen expressed optimism thatAPGA will win Bauchigovernorship position by 2015.

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi


Tambuwal: Breaking the jinx ofobnoxious party supremacy

The recent publicoutburst by theSpeaker of the House of

Representatives, WaziriTambuwal, leaves much tobe desired, especially in theranks of Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP) stalwarts.

In defiance of partyexpectation and possiblesanctions, just few days ago,the Speaker was bold tocondemn President GoodluckJonathan, his party leader,for abusing state pardon.

According to reports,Tambuwal, in a veiledreference to the obviouslymisapplied state pardon, said,“A situation whereby youmisapply the law even togrant pardon or whatever itis, we need to really look atthat; because if you don’tunderstand the law you maytend to misapply the law.”

As if not satisfied that hisadvice will be understood bythe persons concerned, headded “So there is need for usat the high places to increaseour capacity ofunderstanding our legalsystem, and the laws thatrelated to issues of securityand fight against corruptionfor us to apply them in thebest interest of the citizenry.”

Tambuwal’s assertioncame on the heels of a decisionby the President, whoclaimed he sat with othermembers of the NationalExecutive Committee (NEC)and resolved to grant statepardon to ex governor ofBayelsa state, DiepreyeAlamieyeseigha, amongothers.

Before now, there had beenpublic commendations on theSpeaker over his popularityamong his colleagues,opposition and PDP lawmakeralike, owing to the leadershipstyle with which he stirslegislative activit ies in thelower chamber.

The reports flying aroundsay that the popularity of theSpeaker is more among theopposition lawmakers, who donot reckon with him as anoffspring of the ruling PDP,but a meritorious leader forthe House of Representativesmembers.

There are reports thatTambuwal’s popularitystems from his vey dynamicleadership style, whichinvolves carrying even theopposition lawmakers along,even when issues critical tohis party, PDP, are beingdealt with.

The Speaker has equallybeen commended for runninga transparent administrationin the House; a system that

observers say is in sharpcontrast to that of DimejiBankole, especial ly whenfinancial prudence is beingconsidered.

However, after the 2011general elections, theopposition parties had gainedmore prominence in the lowerHouse, with about 100membershipthereby givingthe opposition voice moreimpetus when there is anagitating issue on the floor.

Polit ical observers havevariously described thisimproved impetus for theopposition voice, as the onlyaddition in the nation’semerging democracy by the2011 general elections;hitherto PDP’s dominancewas strangulating theopposition before the lastgeneral elections.

Though arguments atsome quarters claim that theapparent unity of purposeand the obvious lack ofdissenting voices in the Houseare attributable to the senseof belonging which theSpeaker gave the oppositionlawmakers, the incontestablefact remains that nowTambuwal is neither PDP noropposition Speaker.

Bearing in mind thepolit ical circumstance,widely described as ‘palacecoup’, through whichTambuwal emerged theSpeaker, one will not expect

anything less from him otherthan his current style ofleadership. At the height ofthe contest for Speakership,the choice of Tambuwalagainst Mulikat Akande-Adeola, who was the anointedcandidate by the PDP’sleadership, was made possibleby the combined efforts ofboth PDP and oppositionlawmakers.

F u n d a m e n t a l l y , movements, attitude andactions of the Speaker havebeen such that leave politicalwatchers bewildered andconfused on whetherTambuwal still belongs to thePDP fold or not. Hiscomments have been suchthat directly attack even theparty that produced him,especial ly when issues

favourable to public interestare at stake.

It would be recalled thatwhile the subsidy crisisraged, Tambuwal, shovingaside party sentiments, wasquick to pass the Houseresolution that federalgovernment should reversethe fuel pump price toN65.00 per l i tter, againstN144.00 where PresidentGoodluck Jonathan hadleapfrogged it . Even whencorruption cases includingthe Security and ExchangeCommission (SEC) andSubsidy Probe by FaroukLawan were raised againstthe House over which hepresides, he was very matureto maintain transparencyand consistency over theissue, such that his name wasnever smeared in thecorruption.

These and many morehave endeared him to boththe opposition and PDPlawmakers, more soNigerians, who perceive himas a communist Speaker, whohas risen above partypolitics, tribal and religiouschauvinism to upholdcommon interest andwellbeing of Nigerians at alltimes.

From the records,Tambuwal appears not to beafraid of his party going bythe way he mingles with theopponents of the rulingparty. Recently, he wasspecial ly invited by theopposition governor of Edostate, Adams Oshomhole,who recently celebrated hisbirthday in Benin. Speakingat the event, Tambuwal didnot spare his party, as hehighlighted the shortcomingsof the PDP led federalgovernment, includingcorruption, poordevelopment strategy,among others.

Ordinarily, a PDP Speakerwould not attend an ACNfunction and therein,summon the courage to pointout the ills ravaging thegovernment led by the partythat produced him. Byimplication, these traitsexhibited by the Speaker

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

revealed that he does not careif the party rejects himafterwards.

The choice is clear thateven if PDP rejects Tambuwaltoday, he would definitely bewelcomed into the waitinghands of the oppositionparties, which goes a longway to indicate that whatguarantees the acceptabilityof any elected candidate liesvery far from impressingparty leadership. Rather her,It depends on the politician’sability to make an impressionamong the electorates.

Without being said, this isthe point at which polit icaloffice holders, especially thoseelected, should borrow a leaffrom Tambuwal’s polit icalideology. When this becomesthe norm among the politicalel ites, definitely thechanging point in theNigeria’s polit ical andeconomic emancipationwould have begun. Up ti l lnow, party loyalty hasbeclouded the view andideology of politicians, and assuch, has remained a clog inthe wheel of national progressin the country.

Study has shown thatmany advanced democraciessuch as United States ofAmerica, Britain, FranceGermany, among others,have outsmarted thecountries of Africancontinents in both polit icaland economic developmentowing to their resolve andability to shed the garb of partyextremism. Though this trendhas remained an expectationin Nigerian politics, in the realsense of it, popularity amongthe voters is what modernpoliticians should aspire forrather than party loyalty asbeing currently practiced bypublic office holders.

Often times, politicians incharge of sensitive publicoffices are seen subvertingpublic interests under partyinterests. Their argumentshad always been that theparty that produced acandidate is the f irstconstituency, even whenpublic interest is atsabotaged.

Another essentialparameter which thelawmakers should urgentlyput in place is a verytransparent electoral process.This has become expedientbearing in mind that partyleadership often controls therigging machines for all theircontestants. This has becomecommon with the PeoplesDemocratic Party over thetime. This is why candidateson the platformof the partyhave always endeavored tomaintain good relationshipwith the party even to thedetriment of the downtrodden electorates.

FEATURE

“Fundamentally, movements,attitude and actions of the

Speaker have been such thatleave political watchers

bewildered and confused onwhether Tambuwal still belongs

to the PDP fold or not

IGP Mohammed Abubakar


No viable opposition inNigeria, says Daniel RichardThe coalition of

opposition partieshave decided to merge

to form APC to challenge thePDP in the forthcomingelection, as a politicalanalyst, what in youropinion are their chances?

First of all, who is who isopposing who? We do not havepolitical parties, we only haveorganizations. There is nopolitical party that is formedbased on ideas; oppositionthrives where there is politicalideology. That is you see peoplemoving from one political partyto another and if people can justcross from one party to another,then where do you get theopposition. Ideally, politicalparties differ based on yourdifferent ideologies.

Secondly, opposition onlythrives where there is credibleelection. When election can beconcluded at the electoralcampaign level then you cannow say ok, I will do anopposition because you are sureyou have a more compellingreason why they should voteyou. In this country, there is nocredible election so how do youget opposition when there is nocredible election. As you know,from 1999 to date, every singleelection we conducted, morethan 95percent of everyelection end up in Supremecourt. So now if I know that atthe end of the day I will be goingto Supreme Court, then who isgoing to oppose me?. I will dowhat I can and go and get mymandate from the SupremeCourt, that’s all.

Supreme court has onlyseven voters there; if you lookat the situation you will haveto agree that you can as wellstop campaigning and go andbuy whatever you want. Thequestion I may ask is will therebe election?, if there is, thenPresident Jonathan willcomeback. And no one was ableto convince me that there is anyPresident or governor that theyknow that comes through theelectoral process, it all ended upin court so how are you going tostop them. So when I hear peopletalking about APC or opposition,who is opposing who? Is it notthe members of CPC and ACNthat voted for Tambuwal tobecome the speaker?. So if youare supporting a PDP agenda,then how far can you now pushfor opposition agenda. Sosometimes if people ask thisquestion I begin to wonder whois opposing who here.

The major opposition wehave in Nigeria today is in theSouthwest. They are large innumber and by extension theyshould have more votes andagain, the resources that will

fund these parties. And againlook at southwest politics, if yousay you are going to jont themnow from the other zones, theyhave been AD, they follow PDP,they latter went to ACN andthey are now going to APC.What manner of opposition dothey present to the PDP that hasbeen in power since 1999? Howcan the other parties believethat they are not going to jointanother party in 2019?.

Again in the emergence ofthis new APC, till today, nobodyhas talked about the leadershipof the party, so tell me how areyou going to form a politicalparty with a vacuumleadership? Is it after you winelection that you will say ok, Mr.A you are the leader of theparty? My advice to them isthat they should start fightingfor the leadership now. The bestway is when they all agree thatthis is our leader, then we starttalking about merger; becausean opposition that has a problemof leadership, what manner ofleadership do you expect themto present? So I don’t believe wehave any opposition, we neverhave one, and we are not likelyto get it.

Just look at the compositionof the APC now, about 80percent are from the PDP. Theydecided to go to APC becausethey couldn’t get what they arelooking for in the PDP, and ibelieve strongly If PDP offerssomething for them; they arelikely to dump the APC and jointhe PDP. So what manner ofopposition are you talkingabout?.

Even in the ruling PDPthere are series of crisis withthe leadership, where somegovernors are pushing forthe removal of the NationalChairman, how do youaccess the situation?

We are talking aboutdemocracy, where people haveto agree and disagree. If you lookat the PDP, in the first place theydon’t believe in real democracy,every leader of theirs isanointed to them. Tell me oneof the PDP chairman that waselected by the members of theparty, it always end throughsome kind of arrangement. Ithas always been like this, so is itnow that they said they wantto do practice democracy? PDPis just an organization with likeminds and it is the like mindthat is steering the leadershipof the party and like minds isnot democracy. It is just like agroup who will say we agree onthis and disagree an that so howdo we push it, this and that so

what do you expect from them,after all they said they are goingto rule for 50 years. So now ifthey decided to change theirleadership it is their problembecause they can do what theylike, they don’t believe in theelectoral process, they have notdone it, and I don’t think theywill ever do it.

That is why you can seepeople going to tribunal afterevery election. The electoralprocess is not part of theiragenda. There is bound to becrisis in the party and they willresolve it through their ownway of like minds.

Sometime they create thecrisis so that they can getsympathy. You all know howthe current chairman of theparty emerges. Is it now thatyou will entrench democracy inthe party, how? All theirpositions are zoned and if theywant to remove somebody fromcertain position they will go tothe same zone where he camefrom and chose another one.That’s all, PDP doesn’t practicezoning, and it is a game theyplay in people’s psyche. Whenthey zone a position to one place,they have already knownwhom they want in that zoneand that is exactly what ishappening

Recently the Niger stategovernor revealed what heclaimed a secret pact theyhad with President Jonathanthat he is only going to servea single term in office. From

both political and moralangle, is it right for thePresident to insist oncontesting again, the actnotwithstanding?

Did you see the agreement? Has anybody seen theagreement? Let’s be realistic,since the day the governor saidsomething about theagreement, did anybody seeit.So, if we have not seen it thenhow can we join the argument.He has never mentioned thepeople that were there and whosigned the agreement. So weshould not get involved in thiskind of mind game. I have neverheard somebody said yes I wasthere when they made theagreement. So, this is just astory that has no basis. Anagreement is always in awritten form, if he has suchagreement as a politician heshould produce it for all to see. Ifyou said is a political gimmick Iwill agree with you.

But the President hasneither confirmed nor deniedthe allegation and this hasraised concerns in certainquarters.

There is nothing to confirmor deny. For example, you say Ihave an agreement with youand then you went to the mediaand said that there is anagreement with me then youare the one that complains. Ifyou now say to the public thatthere is an agreement, it’s nowleft for you to show the publicthe agreement; that is a normal

Mr. Daniel Richard

INTERVIEW Mr. Daniel Richard is a political analyst and public commentator; in this interview with Lawrence Olaoyeand Mohammed Umaru Puma, he appraises the nation’s political milieu and submits that the country is indire need of virile opposition, just as he maintains that the Federal Government ought to utilize the fundsannually earmarked for security, for job creation to stem the menace of insurgency in Nigeria

thing to do, so why should thePresident react to it?

Only recently, INEC put upits report on the PDPNational Convention whichindicted some members ofthe party’s NationalWorking Committee becausetheir election did not followthe requisite due process.Can this lead to theireventual removal?

Let me tell you this: INECitself is part of the PDP. As far asI’m concerned, INEC is clearlypart of the PDP, so whateverINEC says, whether rightly orwrongly, doesn’t mean it’s aPDP position, and I can tell youall elections conducted by INECfrom 1999to date end of incourts. So the NWC membersare still there, who has thepower to remove the NWCmembers? They are still there,so what are they looking for, isit from the Nigerian people orPDP as a political party. So, Idon’t believe that the INEC hasauthority over political partiesor formation of political parties.

One of the issue that hasgenerated controversyrecently is the state pardongranted to Aleimeseigha,former governor of Bayelsastate and (Shettima), is itmorally right for Mr.President to have done that,especially now that theBritish Government has saidthat the man Aleimesaighahas a case to answer in theircountry, visa vis the positionof the government on thefight against corruption?

I don’t know why people keeptalking about what theyalready know. The answer, thiscorruption has become part ofthis country; we don’t treatcorruption in isolation. For mecorruption is part of us. Even meat my old age, I grow up withcorruption. The electoralprocess is corrupt; the judiciary,it is all the system, it is a thewhole system. In any case, ifAleimesaigha is wanted in theUK for corruption, we aredealing with the situation inNigeria, let’s just not think it isa joke. We have a largerproblems, corruption is justpart of our daily lives, so we don’thave to isolate Alamieyeseigha’scase. For now we are not readyto fight corruption, even thecitizens are not ready to fightcorruption, In Nigeria, wecelebrate corruption, so whyshould Aleimesaigha case betreated in isolation, pardoninghim will not stop corruption in

Contiuned on page 40


INEC can’treject ourcandidates,says PDP

L-R: Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, and INEC National Commissioner, ProfessorAbdulqadir Oniyangi, during the chairman's meeting with commissioners and directors, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Prove you’re better thanPDP, group challenges APCA civil society group,

Alliance for CredibleElection has challenged

the All Progressive Congress(APC) to use its manifestos toaddress the abnormality ofdisproportionate distribution ofnational resources especially asregards to the alarming levels ofpoverty, unemployment, socialservice crisis, infrastructaraldecay and insecurity in Nigeria.

The group in a pressconference in Abuja by itsNational Secretary, EmmaEzeazu, said APC must

demonstrate convincingly toNigerians that it is not justinterested in grabbing powerfrom the PDP but that it isdetermined to effect realtransformation in the quality oflives of the ordinary Nigerians.

“Nigerians are not interestedin replacing one behemoth withanother hydra headed moster,the APC must therefore show thatit is not only offering superiorvalues but that its idea ofprogressive Politicsunambiguously cuts an imagedistance from the currentdysfunction in Nigerian politics”.

He stressed that the

constitution of the merging APCmust provide a clear departurefrom the exclusivediscriminatory, non-issue based,non-ideological and clientelepolitics which it accuses the PDPof.

According to him, this canonly happen when the APC’sinstrument, constitution andmanifesto, sufficientlyaccommodate the concerns of thevulnerable, women, youth andpersons living with disabilities,because they constitute thebiggest catchment of voting ofpopulations in Nigeria.

He reveals that the

emergence of the APC would bedecisive in determining publicperception of claims toprogressive ideas by APC.”Witha progressive, credible andpatriotic party leadership, theAPC would not only generateappreciable public goodwill butwill also insulate itself from animage crisis that that wouldleave its reputation in tatters”.

He called on the mergingAPC to as quickly as possibleconvene a multi- stakeholderssummit of progressives anddifferent segment of Nigeriansociety to address the democraticexpectation of Nigerians.

By Umar Muhammad Puma

The People’s DemocraticParty (PDP) yesterdaydenied the report that the

Independent National ElectoralCommission (INEC) had resolvedneither to accept any candidatesponsored by its current NationalWorking Committee (NWC) nordeal with the party ExecutiveCouncil.

The party, in a release signedby its National PublicitySecretary, Chief Olisa Metuh,stated “The attention of theleadership of the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) has beendrawn to a sponsored report in asection of the media suggestingthat the Independent NationalElectoral Commission (INEC) hasdecided not to have any dealingwith the National WorkingCommittee (NWC) of our greatparty and not to acceptcandidates from the party.

“This report is totally falseand is clearly part of theorchestrated media attack on ourparty, aimed at causingconfusion and undermining thepsyche of our members.

“Our investigations revealedthat the said report did not in anyway emanate from theIndependent National ElectoralCommission (INEC) or any of itsofficials.

“INEC as a law abidingorganization could not havereached such a decision aspurported. Also we are aware thatno INEC official spoke to themedia house as claimed in thereport,” he clarified.

It would be recalled that theINEC recently made public it’sreports disapproving of heelection of 8 of the members ofthe PDP NWC on the ground thattheir election at the party’s 2011Convention did not follow the dueprocess and thus null and void.

By Lawrence Olaoye

No viable opposition in Nigeria, says Daniel Richardnobody should cry about it.

Last week, northern eldersmet with President Jonathaninsisting that he must grantamnesty to Boko Haram. ThePresident because of theirinsistence set up a committee,and suddenly Boko Haramannounced that they haverejected the offer. What isyour take on this?

First and foremost, how didwe arrive at where we are now?In the past we have what we callArewa Consultative Forum(ACF), so initially we thoughtthose are the people that willcheckmate any insurgency intheir capacity as northernleaders. As a northerner, I usedto believe that the ACF wasstanding in for me; that ifanything happens, they are the

people that will protect myinterest. But,with what ishappening, it is clear that theACF is not representing me.This issue of Boko Haram startedsmall by small, OPC startedtheir own, then MEND too, sothe Boko haram too want tohave their own share of zoning.If you cut deal with MEND andthe OPC, then why not cut a dealwith Boko Haram.

The problem with thiscountry is the sharing formulathat we have developed for quitesome times. If every other youthfrom different zones have gottentheir own deal with thegovernment, what is wrongwith the northern youth gettingtheir own small piece of thecage, call it Boko Haram orwhatever.

Initially the original bodythat we expect to protect ourinterest are not doing what it’sexpected of them to do, becausewhen the issue of Boko haramcame out, they couldn’t doanything. Just recently thegroup rejected the amnesty, theleader of the group Shekau haveissued a statement that theydon’t know what this peoplewant to discuss with thePresident, which means theBoko Haram does not have acommanding structure.

If you say you are going tobring them to the negotiatingtable, who are you going tobring? The big question is howdid we even arrive at thissituation in the first place? Weshould begin to find out whatwould have pushed

a young man to commitsuicide. Initially most of themhave western education, someas far as degrees without anyjob at hand, that was thebeginning of the whole matter.Instead of the FederalGovernment to say ok, stateand local government let us sitdown and look at this issuesthese people raised. Instead ofspending one trillion Naira onsecurity, let us use this moneyfor job creation. Instead thegovernment has refused to lookat that side. All these moniespaid to Joint Task Force, use itto create job opportunities forour teeming youth. Let’saddress the core issue; the coreissue is that they (insurgents)cannot find jobs with theircertificates.

Contiuned from page 39

this country.You see the politics here is for

Mr. President to just allowAleimesaigha to go free, he hasto just attach with theNortherner so that the cry willbe minimized. So that is theissue he has done the Nigerianthing by doing the zoningthing. Even in corruption, weare zoning it. One from thenorth and one from the south,so the equation is balanced. Forme, the President has done theright thing by zoning thepardon, so everybody should behappy and me I’m happy. If hehad pardoned Aleimesaighaalone I will have said what ofmy northern brother. It is anacceptable norms to all of us, so

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

Coach Manu Garba has named Golden Eaglets’ four-goal heroagainst Black Starlets of Ghana, Isaac Success the team’svice-captain.

Success was picked as the deputy to Musa Muhammed for hisexemplary conduct both on and off the pitch in recent time, coachGarba said after Sunday’s mauling of the Black Starlets.

“I wanted to make a formal announcement to the players thathe’s now the team’s vice captain but I held back because of someother factors but he has convinced us of his leadership qualities.”

“Success has the attributes of a good striker. He’s strong on theball, very effective and always ready to learn,” Garba said stressingthat Success had grown in stature since he strolled into uninvitedinto the team’s practice pitch at U.J Esuene Sports Stadium ayear ago.

With his four goals against Ghana on Sunday, Success is nowthe team’s second highest goal scorer with 21 goals behind KelechiIheanacho who has 22 goals as the Golden Eaglets extended theirunbeaten run to 28-both in competitive and friendly matches.

“I’m not thinking about the goals against Ghana because thatmatch is gone,” said the Edo State-born striker at the Mixed-Zone.Of course, I want to score more goals at this tournament and I’mready to work hard along with my teammates to achieve success”,he said.

The hitch-free seven weeks ofpremier league action hasbeen attributed to the

determination of all stakeholdersto uplift the game throughcareful planning and focus.

This was the conclusion ofTunji Babalola, ExecutiveSecretary of the Nigeria PremierLeague (NPL) who said yesterdaythat the successes recorded thusfar should not be attributed toany particular group.

Also, he dismissed thecontroversy surrounding namechange or issues on who shouldmanage the league and theagitation of club owners asunimportant because all areworking for the improvement ofthe league.

“I cannot ascribe the successesto NPL or anybody; it should goto the entire stakeholders, eventhe media. We cannot attributethe success to a particularsector. We have to appreciate allthe stakeholders, including thefans, because if a fan goes to amatch venue and takes law intohis hands, it will bring disreputeto the game.

“So, we have to appreciateeverybody in the game; themedia, the match officials whohave been doing very well. Wehave been recording series ofgood officiating. We have to givekudos to everybody involved inthe league, not just the NPL or

LMC (League managementC o m p a n y ) . ’ ’

Babalola attributed thesuccesses to the improvedfacility put in place by somestate governments for thedevelopment of the league in thecountry and said that Nigeriacan boast of 18 standard stadiafor the 20 premier league clubs.

“If you go to other countrieswhere premier league matchesare being played, you see themusing only four or three stadia

for the league on rotationalbasis. It’s not the case in Nigeria.

“We may have only two clubsusing the same facility. Even inPort Harcourt, Sharks has itsown separate stadium, likewiseDolphins. If you go to Ilorin, ABSFC and Kwara United are usingthe same facility and thestadium is okay.’’

He added that the LMC couldnot operate in isolation as itneeded the NPL and otherstakeholders to run the league.

Both hosts Morocco andNorth Africanneighbours Tunisia will

hope to consolidate theiropening games victories asthey return to the pitch todayagainst opponents who weremade mince meat of.

Morocco that crushed Gabon4-1 will tackle Botswana wholost to Tunisia 3-1. However, itis most unlikely that the loserswould succumb easily todaybecause that would simplymean returning home rathertoo early from the fiesta.

However, going by the form

Gov. Peter Obi

NPL lauds successes recorded in elite league

and determination andpurposeful display by Morocco,one doubt whether there ismuch Gabon would do to haltthe Cubs Atlas Lions.

A win for Tunisia andMorocco though would handthem the semi-finals ticketsand thus places in the FIFA U-17 fiesta in the United EmirateRepublic in September.

CAF U-17: Tunisia, Moroccolook to consolidate

TODAY’S MATCHES

Gabon vs TunisiaBotswana vs Morocco

Political intrigues involvingGovernor Peter Obi and hisgubernatorial rival, Chief

Ifeanyi Ubah, the ManagingDirector of Capital Oil Plc, havestalled Flying Eagles plannedresumption of camping at theBeverly Hills Hotel, Nnewi,Anambra state.

The junior Eagles, who will becompeting for honours at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Championship, were tokick-start camping and preparationsyesterday in Nnewi , ahead of thetournament. But it was not to be.

That was because barely 72 hoursafter Chief Ubah, the recipient ofNigeria Football Federation’s NigeriaYouth Football Ambassador,signaled his intentions to bankrollthe camping and preparations of theFlying Eagles at his Beverly HillsHotel, the Anambra stategovernment reacted sharplyagainst the NFF’s decision to concedethe privilege to Ubah.

Hitherto, the Anambra state

government which had beenapproached to assist in the campingand preparations of the teamthrough sponsorship but hadspurned the offer using the complaintof cash crunch suddenly came aliveand insisted on taking it up.

Peoples Daily Sports learntyesterday that the governmentreacted angrily following mediareports same day of Ubah’s lifelinefor the team and insisted that anindividual cannot bear thecollective responsibility of the state.

“It’s obvious the hands of theNFF have been forced and thecamping of the Flying Eagles hasbeen stalled. Already, thegovernment sees politicalundertones in Ubah’s generosityand wants to nip it in the bud.

“Of course, the NFF is cut in thecross fire and for its political safetyhas to act on the side of caution bykowtowing to the wishes of thegovernment which could dulymake damaging politicalallegations against the leadershipof the executive committee,” asource said recalling whattranspired in 2004 when AlhajiIbrahim Galadima was allegedlyaccused of working against theinterest of the ruling party.

Ubah is of the ruling PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) whileGovernor Obi is of All ProgressiveGrand Alliance (APGA), the partycontrolling state machinery inA n a m b r a .

Also, some members of the NFFexecutive committee havesympathy for the ruling party atthe centre and in their respective

states, a situation the governmentof Anambra may have intrepretedto mean veiled support for theambition of Ubah.

Reacting to the development, theAssistant Director, Media, DemolaOlajire, dismissed politicalundertones in the stalledresumption of camping at theexpense of Ubah and opted to say:“it’s not important who sponsorsthe team’s camping.

“What is important is that theteam will resume preparation forthe U-20 FIFA World CupChampionship scheduled forTurkey in June. In fact, the matter(between Ubah and Obi’ssponsorship of the team) is beingsorted out,” he said adding that thejunior Eagles will resume campingby the end of the week.

Peoples Daily Sports recalls thatCoach John Sam Obuh had plannedto kick-start preparations for theJune World Cup on April 15 but thefootball federation had, because ofcash problem, opted for April 23.

Besides, the NFF had approachedseveral states among which wasAnambra to come to its rescue justlike Cross River state did to SuperEagles and the Golden Eagles, butthe Obi government had objectedon account of want of funds toprosecute the preparations.

The NFF has been in financialmorass following the pruning of itsbudgetary allocations fromN162m to about N72m, accordingto its director, technical, Dr.Emmanuel Ikpeme, who wasmonitored on national television.

As a result, the footballfederation reduced the staffstrength of Super Eagles’ backroomfrom 17 to nine and said it wouldbe across board.

Intrigues stall Flying Eagles’camping in NnewiBy Patrick Andrew

Success namedEaglets’ vice-captain

Success with match ball after scoring a hat-trick plus one inSunday’s 6-1 trouncing of the Black Starlets of Ghana


Yelwa Utd will leadseven other footballclubs to play the

quarter-finals of the 2013Federation Cupcompetition in Kebbi.

Yelwa Utd of Yauri LocalGovernment Area will face

A national seniorhandball team player,Samuel Samora, has

appealed to the National SportsCommission (NSC) andcorporate bodies to reward thetriumphant U-20 nationalteams for winning theChallenge Trophy.

It would be recalled that themale team had won gold medaland the female that got silvermedal at the competition heldfrom April 7 through April 11in Djibouti.

According to him, rewardingthem with cash andscholarships would furtherginger them to commit their allin subsequent competitionaware that an appreciativenation would always rallybehind them.

The National U-19 and U-21male and female beachvolleyball teams will

participate in the forthcomingWorld Youth Beach VolleyballChampionships in Canada inJune.

Also, the U-21 male andfemale teams will equally jointheir counterparts across theglobe in another cadet fiesta: theWorld Youth Championships inCyprus in July.

This was disclosed yesterdayby beach volleyball coach,Ismail Charkuna, whilespeaking on the recent successesof the teams at continentaltournaments.

It would be recalled that theU-19 female team won gold,while their male counterpartssecured a bronze, to qualify forthe competition at the AfricaVolleyball Tournament in SierraLeone, which ended last Friday.

The coach also said that the U-21 teams qualified for the worldevent after winning in bothcategories at the continentalcompetition held in Cote d’Ivoiresame Friday, adding that theyperformed well.

“They are living up toexpectation and deserved to becommended and given allnecessary support to enablethem to excel at the worldchampionships,” he said.

He added that the continentalcompetitions will continue fromApril 19 to April 22 in Coted’Ivoire, when the U-23 teamsfrom eight countries will lockhorns to qualify for worldtournaments.

“I have a team already incamp now and we will join theothers in Abidjan. The teamswill do well and also pick ticketsto the global championships,’’Charkuna added.

Chief Adegboye Onigbinde,a former Head Coach of theSuper Eagles, yesterday

applauded the performance ofthe Golden Eaglets in theiropening game of the CAF U-17Championship in Casablanca,Morocco.

The Eaglets stunned Nigeria’sperennial West African rivalsStarlets of Ghana 6-1 in a gamein which they did little to hidetheir title ambition.

Former Super Eaglesgoalkeeper and now assistanttrainer, Ike Shorunmu,expressed delight with the squadand urged the coaches to sustain

the tempo by remaining focusedin subsequent matches.

“I’m very happy and I thinkthat was a very good beginning.I think that will spur them toperform better. For them tomaintain their winning streakdepends on the coach, I mean thetechnical crew. It is just for themto sit down and analyse.

“Because in football there is adifference between performanceand result, the result as we haveseen is very good, and theirperformance is also important.

“That’s a good start for theEaglets, and for the country. Ihope they will continue on this

note, their victory will boosttheir confidence, which isnecessary for the team.

“I just hope they get to the finalof the competition and come backhome with the trophy. 2013 is ayear of trophies for the country’sfootball,” Shorunmu predicted.

Similarly, CAF Instructor,Chief Adegboyega Onigbinde,urged the handlers led by ManuGarba to ensure that theymaintain and instill discipline inthe squad, for better results.

“They should maintaindiscipline in the team and ensurethat they build on the success ofthe opening match; they shouldnot rest on their oars,” Onigbindesaid.

The Eaglets will be playing

their next group match ontomorrow against Cote d’Ivoire.Nigeria, currently, has thehighest number of goals in thetournament so far.

Nduka Ugbade, AssistantCoach, Eaglets

Onigbinde, Shorunmu, praiseEaglets, urge discipline

Fadama FC of Argungu,according to the FootballAssociation (FA) Secretary,Atiku Magaji,whoconfirmed yesterday inBirnin Kebbi that Yauri Utdwill also square up againstGaladima Utd of Birnin

Kebbi.The Dangirmace FC of

Zuru will take on Gamji Utdof Birnin Kebbi, whileSakaba Links FC will playagainst Baiti Boys FC ofBirnin Kebbi.

“The competition has been

smooth so far and we willensure that the best teamwins, Magaji said.

It would be recalled thatthe Baiti FC of Birnin Kebbiknocked out the defendingchampions, Yauri Utd FC 2-1 by a goal margin.

Yelwa Utd, 7 others clash in Kebbi Federation Cup quarter-finals

The Chairman of EnyimbaFC of Aba, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, has given the

team’s coaches and players anultimatum to win their nextthree games or face stiffsanctions.

Anyansi-Agwu gave the orderin an interview with the NewsAgency of Nigeria (NAN), afterthe team drew for the secondconsecutive time at home onSunday against Kwara United ofIlorin.

He said that the club’smanagement was disappointedwith the team’s poor showing sofar in the Nigeria PremierFootball League (NPFL), now inits seventh week.

The chairman described the

goalless draws with KwaraUnited in Week 7 and WarriWolves in Week 5 as “totallyunacceptable’ results’’.

He demanded that swiftactions be carried out to ensurethe team got maximum pointsin their next three games.

“We have viewed with seriousconcern the two consecutivehome draws recorded by theteam. We are disappointed bythese results and find themtotally unacceptable. We are aclub with a philosophy of winningand the results do not reflect thehigh standard of our club.

We believe the team has noexcuse for these disappointingresults after the strong supportof the Abia Government. Sign-

on fees, salaries, match bonusesand other allowances have allbeen paid and so, we expect theresults to reflect this,’’ Anyansi-Agwu said.

He said the management wasdeeply worried that the string ofunsatisfactory results wouldhamper the club’s title ambitionsstressing that swift and decisiveactions must be taken to preventfurther slip from the set target.

“You are therefore mandatedto win your next three games,home or away. You mustimplement whatever actions arenecessary to ensure you scoregoals and win these games.

“The management of the clubwill come down hard anddecisively should you fail toobtain nine points from yournext three fixtures. Our resolveis to bring success to our club andwe will remain committed untilour objectives are achieved,’’ hesaid without specifying on thesanctions to be meted out.

U-19, U-21beachvolleyballteams forworldtourneys

Anyansi-Agwu gives Enyimbacoaches, players ultimatum

With reference to thePresidential Reception andrewards accorded the SuperEagles for winning the 29thAfrican Cup of Nations, theplayer insisted that the teamsdeserved reward for lifting thetrophy against all odds at thetournament.

“The brilliant performance ofthe junior teams calls forcompensation because as goodsoldiers, they have fought todefend the country’s image.

“The teams’ glorious outingis like that of the Super Eaglesat the Africa Cup of Nations andso, the NSC should show itsappreciation to them.

“This same teams went toGhana for the first phase of thecompetition and both won thegold medals in their categories

and came back with the trophies,they deserve it,’’ he said.

Samora said that suchrecognition would help to

boost the teams’ performancesin subsequent internationalcompetitions.

Nigeria’s male team, as

champions of the tournament,will represent Africa at theHandball World Cup in Augustat country yet-to-be decided.

Player urges NSC, corporate bodies to reward victorious handball teamsFelix Anyansi-Agwu

Nigeria’s male handball team that won theChallenge Trophy in Djibouti


Mikel San Jose

Joel ObiDavid Moyes

Sergio Aguero

Athletic Bilbao’s Mikel SanJose has reacted toCristiano Ronaldo’s

constant complaint during RealMadrid’s feisty 3-0win at SanMames on Sunday by saying hewould have had more respect forthe attacker if he justconcentrated on playingfootball.

Ronaldo was the centre ofattention throughout, openingthe scoring with a superb earlyfree-kick, powering in a headedsecond goal and laying on the

third for substitute GonzaloHiguain.

The Portugal internationalalso spent much of the gamecomplaining about over-physical attention from Athleticplayers and abuse from the homefans, which San Jose suggestedhe had deserved for some over-the-top histrionics.

“I think it, and so do themajority of people in football,”he said. “If he just concentratedon playing football, and not onother things, he would be thesame or an even better player,but I would have more respectfor him.

Los Blancos assistant coachsaid “Football is for men and evenmore in San Mames,” Karankasaid.

“He played the match he didand scored twice. Athletic’splayers did what they needed todo. Cristiano did well in a toughatmosphere and has once againshown the type of player he is.He scored two goals that won usthe match.”

Ronaldo was not motivated byopposition fans’ abuse, but byscoring goals and winninggames, according to JoseMourinho’s assistant.

Madrid were deservedwinners on their last visit to theold stadium, which is beingdemolished in the summer, withAthletic moving to a new groundnearby for next season.

Jose condemnRonaldo attitude

David Moyes believes thatEverton’s chances ofChampions League

qualification will stand or fall ontheir result at Arsenal today.

S a t u r d a y ’ s 2 - 0 P r e m i e rLeague win over Queens ParkRangers has left Moyes’ sidethree points outside the top-four.

And a win at Arsenal, who isthird, would draw the Toffeeslevel on points with fourth-placed Chelsea - although theywill have played two gamesmore than Rafa Benitez’s team.

Everton’s European hopeshave been revived by a runwhich has seen them collect 13points from the last 15 available.

They must contend, though,with an awkward series of games

that includes trips to Liverpooland to Stamford Bridge followingTuesday’s match at theEmirates Stadium.

Moyes said: “If we beatArsenal, you would talk aboutEverton having a real chance ofgetting into the ChampionsLeague.

“If we lose, you might talkabout Everton having a chanceof getting into the EuropaLeague.

“That is what it is comingdown to. The games arewhittling away and it is gettingmuch tighter.

“To have a chance of reachingthe Champions League, we haveto go there and attempt to winthe game.”

Everton, Arsenal clashis vital, says Moyes

Inter Milan could struggle to name a recognizablestarting XI for tomorrow night’s Coppa Italia semi-final meeting with Roma after Walter Gargano and

Yuto Nagatamo joined a crippling injury list at San Siro.Uruguayan midfielder Gargano and Japanese defender

Nagatomo were both withdrawn in the second half ofyesterday’s 2-0 Serie A defeat at Cagliari, with medicalexaminations confirming leg injuries for the duo.

Inter must overturn Roma’s 2-1 first-leg advantage inMilan to reach May’s final against Lazio, but head coachAndrea Stramaccioni will be without Joel Obi, GabyMudingayi, Diego Milito, Luca Castellazzi, Cristian Chivu,Dejan Stankovic, Rodrigo Palacio, Antonio Cassano,Ibrahim M’Baye, Gargano and Nagatomo.

A statement published on inter.it read: “Medicalexaminations carried out after yesterday’s match againstCagliari have confirmed damage to Yuto Nagatomo’s leftmeniscus (knee joint).

For Walter Gargano, who left the field after eightminutes of the second half, there is second-to-third degreedamage to the rectus femoris muscle of his left thigh.

No prognosis for recovery was issued but the injuriesshould rule the pair out of Wednesday’s game andforthcoming league ties against Palermo, Napoli andLazio. The absence of Palacio, Milito and Cassano has beenparticularly damaging to Inter’s league form, with 35-year-old Tommaso Rocchi currently operating as theclub’s only fit senior striker alongside attacking midfielderRicky Alvarez.

Yesterday’s defeat to Cagliari at the Stadio Nereo Roccoin Trieste leaves Inter seventh in the Serie A table withthird-placed AC Milan and the final Champions Leaguespot nine points away with six games remaining.

It follows confirmation thatreferee Chris Foy had at least seenpart of the incident and acted onit during the match Chelseawere awarded a free-kick.

Chelsea interim managerRafa Benitez called on theFootball Association to look at theincident, while Luiz himselfforgave the Argentinian strikerbut asked for an apology.

”Luis said, when asked aboutthe challenge. I didn’t see if it wasa bad tackle because it was in myback and even though I don’t liketo think about bad things, heneeds to be honest with himself.Sometimes you can be angry forfive seconds and do bad thingsand you have to say thissometimes.

“I forgive everyone in my life.People are happy when Aguerois scoring goals, doing things inthe game. Many people havesaid to me this is not me and notgood for the football. Many kids

see the game, watch the gameand want to see good things andnot bad things.Manchester City striker

Sergio Aguero will faceno further action for a

challenge on David Luiz inSunday’s FA Cup semi-final.

Aguero, 24, scored the goalwhich booked City’s place in theFA Cup final at the expense ofChelsea shortly after half time.

But he was criticised for achallenge on Luiz eight minutesfrom the end of the game whichwent unpunished by refereeChris Foy.

Both of Aguero’s boots madecontact with the upper part ofLuiz’s left leg but under currentFA rules only off-the-ballincidents or those viewed as“exceptional” which would, forexample, warrant more than athree-match ban are dealt withretrospectively.

The Football Association hasconfirmed that the Argentinastriker will not be chargedretrospectively for the incident.

Aguero escape FA hammer after Luiz attack

Harry Redknapp hasfinally cracked asQueens Park Rangers

head for the Premier Leaguetrapdoor, questioning the playerswho have failed to lift the clubout of relegation trouble.

He fears QPR will be unable tooffload the highly paid stars thathave stacked up on their booksthrough the tenures of formerboss Mark Hughes andRedknapp himself.

QPR have won only five ofRedknapp’s 23 games in charge,one of those coming in the FA Cup.

“You have some experienced

players but what you need is agood group of characters, a goodgroup of people together and youhave not got any problems whenyou have that.

“They won’t go. How are yougoing to get rid of them? That’syour biggest problem. They allhave contracts. I wish you wereright, and you could say (theplayers would leave) but it ain’tgoing to happen here.

QPR have received 12 redcards in less than two seasonswith the next worst in thedivision, Arsenal andManchester City, with eight. But

the 108 yellow cards they havepicked up are around theaverage among all teams to haveplayed both seasons.

“If you look at QPR’s recordover the last two years they haveprobably had more players sentoff than anyone else in history.That’s lack of discipline,”Redknapp fumed.

Redknapp also would not bedrawn on his future at LoftusRoad, despite previouslyclaiming he would love to stayin charge and owner TonyFernandes stating his desire tokeep his manager in place.

Redknapp slams players after latest loss

Inter Milan facemultiple injures


Rafael Nadal

The French Open’s totalprize money for 2013 hasbeen increased by more

than three million euros to 22million euros ($28.77 million),organisers said yesterday.

The winners of the men’s andwomen’s singles titles will eachearn 1.5 million euros, up 250000 euros from last year.

Organisers added that themove was part of plans to boostthe total prize money by afurther 10 million euros to 32million euros by 2016.

In comparison, US Open prizemoney will reach $33.6 millionthis year and rise to $50 millionby 2017, while Wimbledon prizemoney was more than 16 millionpounds ($24.61 million) in 2012.

This year’s Australian Openprize money was A$30 million($31.31 million).

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal hasadmitted that his incredible 42-match, 10-year unbeaten run atMonte Carlo will end one day,but said he is in no hurry to

relinquish victory.The 26-year-old Spaniard,

who last lost on the clay of MonteCarlo as a fresh-faced 16-year-old when then-clay court kingGuillermo Coria defeated him instraight sets in the third round,also claimed he is not the clearfavourite he has been in the past.

Nadal is bidding for anunprecedented ninth straighttitle at the Masters event in theheart of the Cote d’Azur but sayshis recent seven-month injurylay-off means he cannot betreated as the all-conqueringclay Cesar of old.

“I cannot say I’m the biggestfavourite to win here again.Everything in life finishessometime. Someday thewinning will stop, noteverything is forever,” he saidyesterday as he prepared for hissecond-round start after a bye.

Nadal, who won the IndianWells hard-court Masters 1000crown three weeks ago and thenrested his troublesome knees on

the advice of doctors, remainsquietly confident of his abilitieson clay, where he has dominatedfor a decade.

While missing seven monthsof ATP play during the last halfof 2012 and well into 2013, the26-year-old knows that he hasthe skills to step right back intohis role as clay court master.

Nadal, now fifth in the worldsaid he is happy to play at theMonte Carlo Masters once againand would not complain abouthis present ranking.

Nadal’s unknown compatriotRoberto Bautista Agut earned afirst-round upset win as he putout French 11th seed GillesSimon 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) whileFrenchman Benoit Paire beatCroatian Ivan Dodig 6-4, 6-4.

Qualifier Edouard Roger-Vasselin added a French victoryas he beat Dutch qualifier RobinHaase 6-3, 6-2.

Finn Jarkko Nieminendefeated slumping Serb ViktorTroicki 6-1, 6-2 while Russian

veteran Nikolay Davydenkodispatched German qualifierDaniel Brands 6-3, 6-4.

World No 1 Novak Djokovicwas testing his injured ankle foranother day after vowing to tryand regain fitness in time for aWednesday start at the event

which begins the European clayseason.

Djokovic hurt the ankle lastweekend in a Davis Cup win buthas made faster progress than hemight have deemed possible andholds out hopes of taking his spotin the draw.

French Open: Prize money up by $4m as Nadalsees end to winning streak

Two more players have beenadded to Plateau Rocksbasketball team to

strengthen the squad ahead of theforthcoming second phase of the9th Zenith Bank female basketballtournament scheduled for Asaba,Delta.

This was disclosed yesterday inJos, the capital of Plateau state by

Alex Guwan, the head coach of theteam, who said that the femaleteam needed to beef up because ofthe lapses observed during the lastchampionship held in Abuja.

“We have signed on two playersto strengthen our team inpreparations for the 9th ZenithBank female basketballtournament holding in Asaba.

“We will recruit more playersif time permits. Besides, some ofthe players who were in schoolhave returned. We will continueto reorganise the team until weget a perfect team to prosecute thetournament,’’ he said.

The chief coach said theexperience of his team during thefirst phase of the tournament held

in Abuja in March necessitated thesigning on of the players.

Guwan added:“Although we didwell in the first phase by emergingthird out of the eight teams inGroup B, I believe with the newblood that is injected in the team,we will emerge victorious inAsaba.

“The phase two is very

Plateau Rocks signs on new playersimportant to us because if wesucceed, we will be among theeight teams that will emerge fromGroups A and B to participate inthe finals in Lagos.’’

He commended the StateDirector of Sports and themanagement of Plateau SportsCouncil for the support given tothe team.

Secretary of the NigeriaAthletics Masters (NAM),Uruemu Adu, says more

than 200 former African athleteshave registered for theforthcoming second AfricaAthletics Masters (AAM) in Lagos.

According to the scribe, Nigeriaand Africa’s former leading lightsChidi Imoh, Mary Onyali, HenryAmike and Falilat Ogunkoya-Osheku, have indicatedparticipation in the fiesta byregistering, while several others

including Frankie Fredericks, theformer 100m and 200mCommonwealth and Worldrecord holder from Namibia, wasalso being expected at the event.

The AAM would holdsimultaneously at the NationalStadium and the Teslim BalogunStadium, both in Lagos from May30 to June 1 and Adu believes thatno fewer than 300 formerinternationals will grace theoccasion.

“As at today, we have 200 of

them that had registered but Iknow that a lot of them willparticipate because the forms areout and registration is stillongoing.

“The track events will hold atthe Teslim Balogun Stadium,while the field events will takeplace at the National Stadium ,’’he said.

According to Adu, Nigeria wasgiven the right to host the secondedition by the World AthleticsMasters, due to Nigeria’s

performance at the maidenedition held last year in SouthAfrica.

“The competition is an avenuefor former athletes to relive theirglorious days and also socialisewith former rivals.

“I am so excited about thisevent because Nigeria’s culturewill also be showcased to those ofthem that have not been toNigeria before.

“It is an avenue for them todiscuss about their past glory,

how the sport can be improvedand once again compete with oneanother, but in a less competitiveway.

“I said less competitive becauseit has nothing to do with worldranking, but to tell the world thatsports is good, because itimproves longevity,’’ Adu said.

Adu said the athletes would begrouped into the different agecategories of 35 to 39, 40 to 44,45 to 49 and 50 to 54 andupwards.

Onyali, Imo, Amike, 200 others registerfor 2nd Africa Athletics Masters

Frankie Fredericks Mary Onyali-Omagbemi Chidi Imoh Henry Amike

1] Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero will face no further action for achallenge on Chelsea defender David Luiz in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final.

2] Favourite Battle of Marengo wins the Ballysax Stakes atLeopardstown - the first Derby trial of the flat season.

3] Athletic Bilbao's Mikel San Jose reacted to Cristiano Ronaldo'sconstant complaining during Real Madrid's 3-0 win at San Mames onSunday by saying he would have more respect for the attacker if he justconcentrated on playing football.

4] Six-time Olympic track cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy is expected toannounce his retirement on Thursday.

5] Kell Brook's world welterweight title fight with Devon Alexander, dueto take place in Atlantic City on 18 May, has been postponed for a thirdtime.

6] Phil Ball of Deportivo's lauded Lazarus performance in La Liga, andSan Mames new-found place in La Liga history.

PAGE 45PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

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Malam Tijjani Umar, president ofNBBF

Gbade Olatona, the Coordinatorof Youth Alive CommunityBasketball League has praised

participantsat the Youth Alive BasketballLeague for exhibiting in-depth skills at thefiesta.

Olatona applauded them for theirdemonstrating promising capabilities ina competitive atmosphere in thecompetition, which is in its 10th week isaimed at discovering talents in the U-12,U-16, and U-20 male and femalescategories.

Olatona said that the participants haveshown incisive knowledge of the game byexhibiting techniques that are suitablefor their various categories.

“I am proud of the quality of play theyoung players have exhibited. They havefully understood the hard work beingapplied when they engage each other onthe competitive level,’’ he said.

According to Olatona, the youth cameinto the competition with very little skills,most especially the U-12 boys and girls.“We teach them as they play and weencourage them to try to apply what theyhave learnt,’’ Olatona said.

In the week 10 results for U-12, CampDavid defeated Zion Academy 16-6, andD/Bond defeated Dell BBA 10-8.

While in the U-16 boys’ category,Raptor defeated Warlords 40-37, while intheir second game of the weekend, Raptorfell 21-26 to Zion Academy.

In the U-20 girls matches, EstherAcademy defeated Amazing 15-9, whileVirtuous Academy thumped Deborah 10-5, while in the only U-20 boys’ matchplayed, Warlord Academy thrashed ZionAcademy 32-16.

The basketball challenge will go onbreak from April 14 to April 19, but thedesignated venue remains the MobolajiJohnson Sports Centre, Yaba.

Coordinatorlauds YouthAlive BasketballLeagueparticipants

Simphiwe Vetyeka has won the IBOfeatherweight title by beating DaudCino Yordan in Jakarta to become

the 71st South Africans to have won 120“world” titles, including 36 IBO belts.

The South African stopped thechampion in the twelfth round after beingoutboxed for most of the fight on Sunday.

Fighting on the undercard of thetournament in which Chris John retainedhis WBA featherweight title, Vetyekacaused a sensation when he beat the 26-year-old Indonesian, who had gone intothe fight with a big reputation and arecord of 30-2, with 23 knockouts.

Yordan, who was well ahead on points,went down twice in the final round beforethe referee stopped the bout shortly beforethe final bell.

Vetyeka, a former IBO bantamweightchampion, improved his record to 25-2,including 15 knockouts.

In 2009 when he outpunched theexperienced Eric Barcelona to win thevacant IBO bantamweight belt, butnever defended the title. He had only twofights in the next two years, beatingRoberto Leyva and Giovanni Caro andpicking up the WBC international super-

bantamweight title.At the age of 32 last year he seemed to

be approaching the end of career afterlosing Klaas Mboyane and in low-keyperformance stopped Sibusio Khumalo.

But under the guidance of trainer NickDurandt he got back into tiptop conditionand was offered a chance to meet Yordan,a veteran with a record of 30-3,including 23 short-cut wins.

It was only Vetyeka’s sixth fight in thepast four years but took it to improved onhis record to 25-2; 14 and seems capableof staying in top shape.

In the main bout, in which Johndefended his title against Satoshi Hosonoof Japan, ended in a technical draw afterJohn was badly cut in a clash of heads inthe third round.

American referee Rafael Ramosstopped the scheduled 12-round bout afterthe 32-year-old John suffered two cuts,one on the right forehead and the otheron the left temple.

Because the bout ended before the endof the fourth round, the scorecards did notcome into play and John, the undefeatedWBA featherweight “super” champion,retained his belt.

It was John’s 18th title defence sincehe won the belt in 2003 by defeatingOscar Leon of Columbia. The victoryextended his record to 48-0-3. Hosono’sfell to 23-2-1.

The 29-year-old Hosono was trying forthe third time to win the WBAfeatherweight title.

Simphiwe Vetyeka

Vetyeka KOs Yordan for IBO crown, isSouth Africa’s 71st World title holder

Ibrahim Yahuza, a coach with the KanoState Taekwondo Association (KSTA),over the weekend urged upcoming

athletes to take advantage of the newelectronic scoring devices in the sport toperfect their act.

Yahuza said yesterday in Lagos that theintroduction of the gadgets haddrastically reduced the incidence ofinjuries during competitions.

“The introduction of the currentgadgets has drastically reduced the fearof injury among athletes because we nowtrain our taekwondoists to fightaccording to the subsisting rules.

“Fighting techniques must be in linewith the stipulated guidelines, so no

amount of kicks or blows are directlyabsorbed by a fighter because he or she isprotected with the gadgets,’’ he said.

He also urged state governments toassist their associations to procure thegadgets, in order to familiarise theirtaekwondoists with the scoring devices.

“It is necessary for all states to havetheir own complete and proper devices,to enable their technical officials to havethe equipment to train their athletes.

“We cannot all have direct access to thegadgets, which were made available bythe National Sports Commission (NSC) in2011, but the States should endeavour tohave theirs,’’ he said.

Yahuza noted that the new scoring

system makes competitions to be devoidof controversies, citing that the 2012National Sports Festival was onetaekwondo competition that was incident-free.

The coach also urged the States toorganise competitions on a regular basis,to popularise the sport.

“Taekwondo involves more of theyouths, so there should be music,entertainment and other side attraction,to add life to championships and makethem outstanding,’’ he added.

Yahuza also prevailed on corporatebodies to support the development of thesport through financial support andcompetitions.

Coach tasks taekwondoists on electronic scoring gadgets

the task was not impossible.“Ensuring Nigerian polo pitches

compare favourably with thoseobtained in the developed nations isnot an impossible mission,’’ he said.

Ogboro said, for example, work hadcommenced on the Kaduna polo pitchwith a view to ensuring that it attainsan international standard.”We wantpolo facilities to be in good shape, andnot only in Kaduna but across thecountry,” he said.

The NPF president praised the levelof performance of participants at thejust-concluded polo tournament inZaria, saying “I see Zaria growingsteadily in polo”. On challenges facingthe federation, Ogboro assured that thefederation had none for now.

“Anytime we present our requests,our donors never turn us down. Wehave no problem assembling playersanytime to play at home or abroad forany polo tournament,’’ he said.

Federation plans world-class Nigerian polo pitchesThe Nigerian Polo Federation

(NPF) has expressed the desireto ensure that polo pitches in

Nigeria are transformed to world-class

standard.NPF’s National President, Mr Francis

Ogboro, told the News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) in Zaria on Sunday that

El Amin Polo team in action


Pedal power:Villagers inKediri,Indonesia,have built a44ft bicycleout of scrapmetal. It seatsjust one rider

Source:Dailymail.co.uk

Say what?•Ralph WaldoEmerson's worksalone can teach youeverything you needto know about livingwith grace andhappiness.•People embellisheverything, as arule.•Anger revealsweakness ofcharacter, violenceeven moreso.•Humans cannotdestroy the planet,but we can destroyits capacity to keepus alive. And weare.•When people areuncomfortable withthe present moment,they fidget withtheir hands or theirminds. Watch andsee.•Those whocomplain the most,accomplish theleast.•Putting somethingoff makes itinstantly harder andscarier.•Credit card debtdevours souls.•Nobody knows morethan a minusculefraction of what'sgoing on in theworld. It's just waytoo big for any oneperson to know itwell.•Most of what wesee is only what wethink about what wesee.•A person who isunafraid to present

a candid version ofherself to the worldis as rare asdiamonds.•The most commonaddiction in theworld is the draw ofcomfort. It wrecksdreams and breakspeople.•If what you're doingfeels perfectly safe,there is probably abetter course ofaction.•The greatestinnovation in thehistory of humankindis language.•Blame is thefavorite pastime ofthose who dislikeresponsibility.•Everyone you meetis better than you atsomething.•Proof is nothing buta collection ofopinions that matchyour own.•Knowledge isbelief, nothingmore.•Indulging yourdesires is not self-love.•What makes humanbeings differentfrom animals is thatanimals can bethemselves withease.•Self-examination isthe only path out ofmisery.•Whoever you are,you will die. To knowand understand thatmeans you are alive.•Revenge is for thepetty and

PHOTO OF THE DAY

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irresponsible.•Getting trulyorganized can vastlyimprove anyone's life.•Almost every clichécontains a truth soprofound thatpeople have beencompelled to repeatit until it makes youroll your eyes. Butthe wisdom is still inthere.•People causesuffering when theyare sufferingthemselves.

Alleviating theirsuffering will helpthem not hurtothers.•High quality isworth any quantity,in possessions,friends andexperiences.•The world would bea better place ifeveryone readNational Geographic.•If you aren't happysingle, you won't behappy in arelationship.

•Even if it costs nomoney, nothing isfree if it takes time.•Emotions exist tomake us stronglybiased towards oragainst something.This hinders as oftenas it helps.•Addiction is a muchgreater problem insociety than it's madeout to be. It's presentin every person invarious forms, butusually we call itsomething else.

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Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako,Abuja. Kano office: Plot 3, Zaria Road, Opposite Kano State House of Assembly. Lagos Office:No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: +234-09-8734478. Cell: +234 805 727 9862.e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] ISSN: 2141– 6141

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

QQQQQUOUOUOUOUOTTTTTABLE QABLE QABLE QABLE QABLE QUOUOUOUOUOTETETETETEIt’s the criminal Boko Haram members that areresponding to say that they don’t want amnesty

because they have a different intention.— Gov. Isa Yuguda of Baucchi state on Boko

Haram’s reported rejection of amnesty

Two men were shot dead asthey walked to a match ata stadium that will be used

for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.Police sources, reported by

Globo, said the men had beennear the Arena Castelao stadiumin Fortaleza when the shootinghappened on Sunday.

The reports said the victims,who were fans of Ceara, wereshot from a passing vehicle thatwas allegedly carrying twoFortaleza supporters.

They said the shootinghappened after fighting brokeout when Ceara fans threwstones at their rivals. A man hasbeen arrested in connection withthe deaths.

Ceara beat Fortaleza 1-0 in aCearense state championshipmatch, with the game beingconsidered a first rehearsal forthe summer Confederations Cup.

www.peoplesdailyng.com

. . . putting the people first

Two shot deadnear 2014 FIFAWorld Cupstadium in Brazil

If we want to be honest thenwe cannot but admit thatAkwa Ibom state Governor,

Godswill Akpabio, is not the onlyleading political figure in Nigeriaindictable of manipulating theelectoral process in his party andin the country. All our majorpolitical parties, from ACN toAPGA from CPC to PDP and theirleaders, have had to deal with thesuspicions and even outrightaccusations of conductingirregular primaries and rigging ofelections. When it comes to theelectoral process, the cleanest of ourruling parties is a leper.

Given such a reality, a questionarises: Should we just accept thingsthe way they are and try to adapt?Some people say yes because theytruly feel overwhelmed by a senseof helplessness and all they can dois hope for a miracle to change thesystem. Some people say yesbecause they are cunningly andferociously waiting for their ownturn to do the same (like senior boysdo to junior ones in school) or tohave some one from or friendly totheir ethnic or political tribe inpower to manoeuvre things intheir favour. I say no. That willturn us into a S.T.A.D (So They AllDo) nation; we must resist such atrajectory. When confronted withthe mess in the country, many ofthose in positions of authority orresponsibility seem not to knowwhere to start. With his nownotorious exuberant mode ofoperating and lately speaking,Governor Akpabio has done us alla favour by giving a possibility anda challenge to those who reallyunderstand what democracy andcommonwealth mean and careabout these ideals to stand up andact in their defence.

With Akpabio's self-incriminating declaration andconsequent clumsy attempt todeny that he personallyoverturned the results of partyprimary Senatorial elections in hisAkwa Ibom state, many now havethe opportunity to explore theessence of our democracy, and fixsome essential far from perfectcomponents within the system. Foranyone that missed it, and just tobe clear for all, we now haveGovernor Akpabio, on record(audio and video), saying: "I usedmy own hand to strike out thename of the person who has wonbefore, and I said it is important forme to give that [Ikono and Ini localgovernment areas] region asenator in 2007, and I producedSenator Aloysius Etuk for you;that's where he comes from."

Thanks to Governor Akpabio,activists, analysts, publiccommentators and teachers, ifworthy of such designations, now

involved in or compromised bycorruption disguised as generosityor servilisim misconstrued asloyalty.

It is not by accident that underthe Electoral Act that governspolitical parties and with whichINEC functions, the regulator'smonitoring powers over politicalparties allows the commission toobserve primaries and as it deemsfit, either to accept or reject theoutcomes. The deafening silence ofINEC on this issue is to say the leastunbearable.

In a normal country, theorganisation officially chargedwith regulating electoral mattersshould by now be investigating an

have the opportunity and duty toexplain to Nigerians theimportance of primary electionsand how they should be conductedin the country. Contrary to thenonsense some are saying eitherout of sheer ignorance or with aconscious effort to deceive manyinto believing that primaryelections are just mere internalparty rituals, the whole process ofrepresentative democracyactually starts from and dependsa lot on primary elections andcaucuses. These processes are infact the essential condition withoutwhich we cannot have theemergence of a capable andcommitted political class that is not

The favour Gov. Akpabiodid us all election about which someone in

the position of the Akwa Ibomgovernor has made suchstatements. Governor GodswillAkpabio has done us all favour bygiving a possibility and a challengeto examine the role and function ofINEC in our democracy and seehow fit it is for purpose.

Where do the judiciary and oursecurity forces stand on thismatter? Don't they read thepapers? Where is the press? AfterGovernor Akpabio reportedhimself, we should be now havefeature stories on whose name hestruck off that list, how did suchcandidate react, and what is hedoing now and intends to do? Itmust be said that in making theseincriminating declaration, theGovernor's intent was todemonstrate his fairness andgenerosity to the people of Ikono andIni Local Government Areas byrighting a wrong and putting oneof their own into power.

Now let us for a momentblindly and dangerously assumethat Governor Akpabio is acompletely righteous andexceptionally competent politicianwhose actions are solely dictatedby the good of his state and that hegenuinely meant well, even insuch scenario, what he shouldhave done is to openly canvass forand make a case for the candidatehe deems best for the post. Electedofficials ought to remember thattheir tenure in office is only for alimited period of time. They oughtto bear in mind that after them, aself-serving scoundrel or a luckyimbecile might just come intopower and consequently, it is theirduty, today, to create precedentsand discontinue patterns that, forany reason in the world, mightallow others to abusepower.Governor Akpabio has doneus all the favour of reminding us ofthe need to remind them of thisduty.

Anthony A. Kila is reachableon www.linkedin.com

“Thanks to Governor Akpabio, activists, analysts, publiccommentators and teachers, if worthy of such designations, now

have the opportunity and duty to explain to Nigerians the importanceof primary elections and how they should be conducted in the

country. Contrary to the nonsense some are saying either out ofsheer ignorance or with a conscious effort to deceive many into

believing that primary elections are just mere internal party rituals,the whole process of representative democracy actually starts from

and depends a lot on primary elections and caucuses

Anthony A. Kila

GUEST COLUMNIST

Governor Godswill Akpabio

Super Eagles Head Coach,Stephen Keshi, has assuredPresident Goodluck

Jonathan that his latestpurported resignation threat is afigment of imagination ofmischief makers who profit fromstirring unnecessarycontroversy.

Keshi gave the assurance ina statement issued by SpecialAssistant, Emmanuel Ado,yesterday in which he refutedreports that he might again beforced to resign because of themisunderstanding over his tripto the United States withoutreceiving official approval.

"I want to assure mostespecially the President, FederalRepublic of Nigeria, DR. GoodluckJonathan that I have nointention whatsoever to resignmy job with the federation."

The statement reads: Mediareports to the effect, is the work ofpersons who enjoy and profit fromcrisis. The intention of thesemerchants of lies is to continue tocause disaffection between meand the federation... and paint thefederation and myself in bad light.

"I want to restate that thepresident (of NFF) Alhaji AminuMaigari, remains the father ofthe team and that he has been apartner in progress. What wehave achieved so far is due to hissupport. We appreciate this hugesupport and we continue to counton his Support."

Keshi refutesresigning again

Peoples Daily Newspaper, Tuesday 16, April, 2013

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Transcript of Peoples Daily Newspaper, Tuesday 16, April, 2013