www.peoplesdailyng.com Vol. 10 No. 18 Wednesday, January 23, 2013 Rabiul Awwal 11, 1434 AH N150 . . . putting the people first Oyinlola is still PDP scribe, says INEC >> PAGE 2 >> PAGE 5 >> PAGE 5 Kano bans Okada to stem gun attacks Shettima ‘relocates’ to secondary school L-R: Governors Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Gabriel Suswam of Benue, Sullivan Chime of Enugu, and Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers, during a visit of the governors' forum delegation to Governor Chime, yesterday in London. Photo: NAN T he Senate President, Senator David Mark, yesterday ordered that the government should not spend public funds on its planned Centenary celebration slated for January next year. Mark, who after listening to briefing on the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, said the Upper Chamber had no control over the event since it was supposed to be funded exclusively by the private sector. The Senate President said the National Assembly would not tolerate extra-budgetary spending in the name of Centenary celebration just as he pointed out that such funds were not approved in the 2013 budget. Meanwhile, the SGF told the House of Representatives that the government intended to construct a 100, 000 residential capacity Centenary City capable of generating 15,000 jobs in Abuja. Briefing lawmakers on government’s plan to celebrate 100 years of the nation’s amalgamation, Anyim said the proposed estate would also accommodate at least 500,000 No public funds for centenary celebration By Lawrence Olaoye and Ikechukwu Okaforadi BUYING SELLING $ 154.72 155.73 £ 24576 24735 EURO 205.99 207.32 CFA 0.2953 0.3153 RIYAL 41.25 41.52 BUYING SELLING EURO 208 210 £ 254.50 257.50 RIYAL 42 43 $ 157 158 CBN RATES PD INDEX 22nd Jan., 2013 PARALLEL RATES Contd on Page 2 From Mustapha I. Kwaru, Maiduguri, Uche Nnorom, Makurdi & Edwin Olofu, Kano Gunmen kill 18 hunters in Borno, 5 in Kano U nknown gunmen on Monday evening stormed a local market in Damboa town, in Damboa local government area of Borno state, killing 18 hunters, who specialised in hunting wild pigs and monkeys for sale at the market. This is just as another set of gunmen descended on Dakata area of Kano metropolis, killing at least five persons in an attack that left residents now living in fear. The hunters slain in the Damboa attack were said to have been warned by unknown persons to abandon their businesses allegedly on the ground that it contravened the Islamic principles, which forbids the consumption of pig and monkey flesh. Damboa is about 87 kilometers from Maiduguri, the state capital and the incident occurred on the market day when traders were busy conducting their businesses. Eyewitnesses said the assailants, who were in large numbers, stormed the market in Volkswagen Golf cars and immediately opened fire at the hunters resulting in the death of Contd on Page 2 ...As lunatic hacks 5 brothers to death in Makurdi — Senate orders FG
Transcript
www.peoplesdailyng.com
Vol. 10 No. 18 Wednesday, January 23, 2013 Rabiul Awwal 11, 1434 AH N150 . . . putting the people first
Oyinlola is stillPDP scribe, says
INEC>> PAGE 2 >> PAGE 5 >> PAGE 5
Kano bans Okadato stem gun
attacks
Shettima ‘relocates’to secondary school
L-R: Governors Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Gabriel Suswam of Benue, Sullivan Chime of Enugu, and ChibuikeAmaechi of Rivers, during a visit of the governors' forum delegation to Governor Chime, yesterday in London. Photo: NAN
The Senate President,Senator David Mark,yesterday ordered that the
government should not spendpublic funds on its plannedCentenary celebration slated forJanuary next year.
Mark, who after listening tobriefing on the event by theSecretary to the Government ofthe Federation (SGF), SenatorAnyim Pius Anyim, said theUpper Chamber had no controlover the event since it wassupposed to be funded exclusivelyby the private sector.
The Senate President said theNational Assembly would nottolerate extra-budgetaryspending in the name ofCentenary celebration just as hepointed out that such funds werenot approved in the 2013 budget.
Meanwhile, the SGF told theHouse of Representatives that thegovernment intended to constructa 100, 000 residential capacityCentenary City capable ofgenerating 15,000 jobs in Abuja.
Briefing lawmakers ongovernment’s plan to celebrate100 years of the nation’samalgamation, Anyim said theproposed estate would alsoaccommodate at least 500,000
No public funds forcentenary celebrationBy Lawrence Olaoye andIkechukwu Okaforadi
From Mustapha I. Kwaru,Maiduguri, Uche Nnorom,Makurdi & Edwin Olofu, Kano
Gunmen kill 18 hunters in Borno, 5 in Kano
Unknown gunmen onMonday eveningstormed a local market in
Damboa town, in Damboa localgovernment area of Borno state,killing 18 hunters, who
specialised in hunting wild pigsand monkeys for sale at themarket.
This is just as another set ofgunmen descended on Dakataarea of Kano metropolis, killing atleast five persons in an attack thatleft residents now living in fear.
The hunters slain in theDamboa attack were said to have
been warned by unknown personsto abandon their businessesallegedly on the ground that itcontravened the Islamicprinciples, which forbids theconsumption of pig and monkeyflesh.
Damboa is about 87kilometers from Maiduguri, thestate capital and the incident
occurred on the market day whentraders were busy conductingtheir businesses.
Eyewitnesses said theassailants, who were in largenumbers, stormed the market inVolkswagen Golf cars andimmediately opened fire at thehunters resulting in the death of
Contd on Page 2
...As lunatic hacks 5 brothers to death in Makurdi
— Senate orders FG
CONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSNews 2-10
Editorial 12
Op.Ed 13
Letters 14
Opinion 15
Metro 16-18
Business 19-22
S/Exchange 23
Property 24-27
Motoring 28
The Peoples Daily wants tohear from you with any news
Following last Saturday’sattack on the Emir of Kano,Alhaji Ado Bayero and other
gun attacks using motorbikes, theKano state government has bannedmotorcyclists from carrying anyform of passengers within the eightmetropolitan local governments inthe state with effect fromtomorrow.
In a special radio and televisionbroadcast to the people of the stateyesterday afternoon, the ActingGovernor of the state Dr. AbdullahiUmar Ganduje said the decisionbecame imperative because of theactivities of gunmen using
motorcycles to launch attack oninnocent people in the city.
Bayero was attacked bygunmen on motorcycles onSaturday resulting in the death ofthree of his aides and three others.Also yesterday unknown gunmenopened fire on residents in Dakataarea of the metropolis killing fivepersons.
Ganduje, who particularlypointed at the recent attack onthe Emir said the decision wastaken after the State SecurityCouncil reviewed the securitysituation in the state and
decided to ban motorcycles fromcarrying passengers in the eightmetropolitan localgovernments.
The deputy governor furtherrevealed that the ban would takeeffect from Thursday 24, January,2012, urging motorcycle ridersand owners to comply with theorder and also ensure that theirmotorcycles were registered.
He appealed to the people of thestate to comply with the order,explaining that though it was ahard decision the government wasleft with no option but to do so in
From Edwin Olofu, Kano the interest of the security of thepeople.
Meanwhile, the NationalPresident of the AmalgamatedCommercial Motorcycle Owners/Riders Association (ACOMORA)has appealed to the governmentto rescind its decision, stating thatover one million five hundredthousand of its members wouldlose their jobs as a result of theban.
He said already the executiveof the association have embarkedon registration of their membersto weed out bad eggs among themand as such called on the stategovernment to review thedirective.
market for sale and that prior tothe attack, have received threatwarnings from unknownpersons”.
Ahmed also said that therewere indications that theassailants came from another areato launch the attack, as they hadreportedly fled the areaimmediately after the incident.
Stating that the area hasnever witnessed such cruelkillings, the district head called onthe government to expediteurgent action to stem recurrencee of the ugly incident.
Responding, the deputygovernor, expressed shock andurged residents to report anysuspicious movements to thenearest security outfit.
He equally cautionedoperatives of the Joint MilitaryTask Force, (JTF), deployed to thearea against harassing residentsand cooperate with them ingetting useful information thatcan lead to the arrest of the fleeinggunmen.
Spokesman of the JTF, Lt-Col.Sagir Musa could not be reachedas at press time for comments on
13 of them on the spot. Theremaining five died on their wayto the hospital, residents said.
The attack, which led tostampede in the area also resultedin the disruption of social andcommercial activities in themarket and the entire town.Already some resident have fledthe town for fear of further attackby the assailants who leftimmediately after the attack.
The state Deputy Governor,Zanna Umar Mustapha, whovisited the area expressed shockover the killings and urged thefleeing residents to return asnormalcy has been restored to thearea and report any suspiciousmovements to the nearestsecurity outfit.
The district head of the area,Alhaji Abba Ahmed, who receivedthe deputy governor confirmedthat the attackers came inVolkswagen cars and opened fireat the hunters.
According to him, “Thehunters were engaged in thekillings of wild pigs and monkey,which they also brings to the
the attack.In the Kano attack which saw
the death of five persons,eyewitnesses said the assailantswho were on motorbikes stormedan area which is about 100 metersaway from Dakata bus stop andstarted shooting indiscrimi-nately.
It was gathered that thegunmen opened fire on somepersons playing checkers andkilled five of them on the spot whiletwo others sustained variousdegrees of injuries and wererushed to an undisclosed hospitalin the city.
The gunmen were said tohave escaped before operatives ofthe Joint Military Task Force(JTF) arrived the scene andcordoned off the place. Kano statePolice Public Relation Officer ASPMagaji Musa Majjia confirmedthe attack but said he cannotascertain the number ofcasualties as at the time of fillingthis report.
The state government hadhours before the attack bannedmotorcycles from carryingpassengers in the metropolis.
In a related development, asuspected lunatic in Gwer area ofBenue state has hacked fivepersons to death at Naka EarthDam, Gwer West LocalGovernment Area of the stateafter which he was beaten to deathby residents.
The culprit Edwin Jatopopularly known as Torjor wasallegedly treated at the FederalMedical center, Makurdi forinsanity after which he becamesane until last Sunday eveningwhen the madness resurfaced.
Jato was said to have invitedhis brothers to accompany him tothe dam where he allegedlyhacked them to death and fled.
Secretary to the localgovernment, Mr. Mike Torkumasaid the culprit was howevercaught by the people and beatento death.
Police Public Relations’ OfficerDSP Daniel Ezeala who confirmedthe incident, decried the use ofjungle justice by the community,intimating that the police isinvestigating the matter toascertain if the man was actuallyinsane.
Contd from Page 1
No public funds for centenary celebrationpeople who would be transactingbusinesses daily at the place.
According to the SGF, theestate would be modeled insuch a way as to maketravelling abroad for goods andproducts unattractive becausegoods and services to beprovided at the place would bebasically foreign.
Anyim who told thelawmakers that the centenarycelebration would be privatesector driven added that the
planning committee wouldappoint commercial marketerswho would involve investors inthe celebration especially in theconstruction of the proposedCentenary Estate to be locatedalong the Airport Road in Abuja.
He also disclosed that thegovernment proposes to build anew City Gate in Abuja,Information and CommunicationTechnology (ICT) centres; modernlibraries in the six geo-politicalzones of the country and wouldequally uplift all the nation’s
Contd from Page 1 historical sites.On the need to celebrate the
nation’s 100 years of existence,Anyim told the lawmakers thatit is necessary to celebrateNigeria’s success story just as hedisagreed with some people whodescribe the country as ‘meregeographical expression.’
He stressed that thepluralistic nature of the countryshould be seen as an advantagesince there is no big country inthe world that is monolithic innature.
Anyim also assured that thecentenary celebration would notbe used to celebrate theachievement of the incumbentPeoples Democratic Party (PDP)led government but to celebrateall achievements recorded by thenation’s leaders since 1914.
The lawmakers, led by theDeputy Speaker, EmekaIhedioha, who stood in for theSpeaker, told the SGF that theHouse would study the proposaland forward its input to hisoffice.
Riders appeal to Kwakwanso
The Nigerian Army hasdismissed four soldiers forallegedly raping some
women and extorting valuablesfrom them.
The four suspects were paradedby the Guards Brigade yesterdayin Abuja and were all found guiltyof the charges against them.
While addressing journalists,Major Peter Elayo, on behalf of theCommander of the Guards
Brigade, said a Board of Inquiry setup to investigate the allegationsindicted the dismissed soldiers.
A panel set up by theCommander of the Brigade ofGuards, Brigadier GeneralEmmanuel Atewe, investigatedsix soldiers who were on duty whenthe incident occurred, only fourwere found guilty and dismissed.
Elayo also said the boarddiscovered that the soldiers abandonedtheir duty post for an unknowndestination contrary to directives.
According to him “TheCommander of Guards Brigade,immediately convened a Board ofInquiry to investigate thecircumstances surrounding thisgrave allegation with a view totaking punitive action to preventa future occurrence.
“The Board whose report hasalready been submitted was ableto establish that four soldiersduring the period abandoned theirduty post to an unauthoriseddestination,” Elayo added.
Army dismisses alleged rapistsBy Joy Baba
The wife of the President, Mrs.Patience Jonathan returnedto the country yesterday
night from a medical trip toGermany.
Mrs. Jonathan is scheduled tojoin President Goodluck Jonathanin Addis Ababa on Friday.
When contacted, her SpecialAssistant on Media, Ayo Osiluconfirmed her return.
Mrs. Jonathanreturns to AbujaBy Abdulrahman Abdulraheem
PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013 PAGE 3
state on January 13, 2013.He said that Agarwal who is the
director of the firm and Shema,security manager, admitted toreceiving the product fromvandals due to the shortfall insupply from the Nigerian NationalPetroleum Corporation.
According to the ACP, hereceived an anonymous tip from apatriotic Nigerian that somevandals siphoned crude oil fromNNPC pipeline at Amomon villagenear Okene, Kogi state and hadloaded about five trucks.
He said: "on January 15, twotrucks with registration numbersLagos XQ 522 APP and Lagos XC102 KSF were trailed to thepremises of Prism Steel Mill trans-loading the product intounderground tanks of the company
and the arrest of the suspects wasmade and the product and trucksrecovered as exhibits".
Ibadin explained thatinvestigation indicated Igbokweand Mohammed were drivers ofthe impounded trucks, adding thatthe duo confessed that they loadedthe product from Okene/Okpelaaxis of NNPC crude line on thenight of January 13, 2013.
The ACP also said the secondgroup of vandals comprising IsholaGaniyi, Ishola Omopariola, MorufAremosiola; Kayode Ajose;Aramide Solomon; KumuyiGbenga and Bello Ishaq weretrailed to Anu Oluwapo FillingStation, Ibafon, Ogun state wherethey were apprehended with atruck load of petroleum productwhich they illegally siphoned from
The Anti-pipeline VandalismUnit of the Nigeria Policeyesterday arrested two
Indians, Ashok Agarwal, 66,Kamal Shema, 32, and 10Nigerians for bunkering andpipeline vandalism.
The men who were arrestedduring different operations wereparaded at the ForceHeadquarters, Abuja.
The Commander of Anti-pipelineVandalism Task Force, ACP FridayIbadin, who briefed journalists, statedthat Fatai Afolabi, 52, EmmanuelIgbokwe, 32, and TukurMohammed, 27, were arrested alongwith Agarwal and Shema whiledischarging crude oil at the premisesof Prism Steel Mill in Ikirun, Osun
By Lambert Tyem
Two Indians, 10 others paradedfor bunkering, pipeline vandalism
NNPC pipeline.Ibadin stated that Ganiyu, the
manager of the filling station,confessed that he has been receivingproduct from his accomplices.
Ganiyu in an interviewexplained that he was at his fillingstation when Omopariola broughtthe tanker and asked him to buythe petroleum product, addingthat he demanded for the waybillwhich he found to be phony.
"I was standing by the truckand checking the waybill whenpolicemen drove into the station,arrested us and started beatingme; they tore my clothes andparaded me naked as a pipelinevandal without listening to myexplanations that I don't knowanything about the source of theproduct," he said.
gathered to be connected with therecent expose on the rot at IkejaPolice College and came a dayafter the minister had paid asimilar visit to the office of theChief of Staff to the President andVice President Namadi Sambo atthe State House.
The ministry and the policehigh command came undersevere tongue lashing fromNigerians for the unsightly
images of the police college shownon television.
The documentary on thecollege which elicited a prompt visitby President Goodluck Jonathanalso provoked the call for a probe ofthe funds appropriated for thecollege and other institutions of thepolice over the years.
The minister while reacting tothe purpose of his visit to the forceheadquarters said: “I am here to
The Minister for Police Affairs,Navy Capt Caleb Oluboladeand Inspector General of
Police, Mohammed Abubakar,yesterday held a marathon andsecret meeting which lasted for thebetter part of the morning andafternoon hours.
The meeting which held at theForce Headquarters, was
By Sunday Ejike Benjamin
Police College saga: Minister, IG in closed-door meetingfollow up on what I have justspoken about. To interact with theIG and his management team, tolook at lapses and how we willsurmount them, because it’s a jointeffort and I think it’s critical to dothat…
"Some of the discussions we hadwere not only on Police College, buthow to address fighting crimes,kidnapping, terrorism and allthose kind of things...
"On the other hand, welooked at training and traininginstitutions not only of policecolleges because solving thepolice college alone is notenough; we will solve policecolleges and traininginstitutions including the PoliceAcademy in Kano as well as theStaff College in Jos. Once weaddress those issues we'll bemaking better progress…
President Namadi Sambo,chairman, technical committee ofthe council, Atedo Peterside,emphasised that the date would befor the expression of interest,stating that by 5pm that day thecouncil would know thoseinterested before thecommencement of a biddingprocess.
Peterside added that during themeeting, a work plan for 2013 was
submitted to the council by theBureau for Public Entreprises(BPE).
He however failed to reveal thedetails of the work plan, saying itis subject to discussion andmodification.
During the briefing, Ministerof Mines and Steel, MusaMohammed Sada, disclosed thatthe council would commence theprocess of abiding by the recent
The National Council onPrivatisation (NCP),yesterday, fixed January
31, 2013 as deadline for expressionof interest from all pre-qualifiedbidders for Afam generating andKaduna distribution companies.
Briefing State Housecorrespondents after yesterday'sNCP meeting chaired by Vice
By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem judgement of the Supreme Courton the Aluminum SmelterCompany of Nigeria (ALSCON)located in Ikot-Ibasi, Akwa Ibomstate.
According to him, in line withthe judgement, the council wouldenter into an agreement with theBFIG on the modalities for handingover the company, the amount tobe paid, how to pay and otherdetails.
Kaduna/Afam: NCP fixes Jan 31 as deadline for expression of interest
The media have been calledupon to play objective rolesin conflict resolution by the
restructuring patterns of reportingconflict situations.
This was the focus of adiscussion forum organised by theUFUK Dialogue Foundation inconjunction with the NigerianTurkish Nile University (NTNU),in Abuja yesterday.
Speaking on the subject:“Reportism in Conflict and the Roleof Media in Conflict Resolution”, thepanelists, including AbdulhamitBilici, the General Manager, CihanNews Agency, Turkey; Dr. ChigozieEnwere, Head, Department ofPolitical Science of NTNU; and Prof.Umaru Pate, Vice Chancellor of theUniversity of Maiduguri whomoderated the discussion,respectively implored the media,political authorities and society atlarge to adopt models which tendtowards encouraging dialogue,tolerance and peaceful coexistencein the management of conflictsituations.
The forum which held at theNTNU Conference Room, hadmedia professionals, academics,politicians, students amongstothers in attendance.
Stakeholdersadvocatedialogue inconflictresolutionBy Julius Ogar
In a bid to create a conduciveatmosphere for thousands ofinternally displaced persons
(IDPs), who fled their homesfollowing communal skirmishesin Bassa and other communitiesin Kokona local governmentcouncil of Nasarawa state,Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura, yesterday, led adetachment of military personnelthat will be stationed for weeks inBassa to provide security forreturning IDPs.
Al-makura, in company of topsecurity operatives, elected andappointed officials from Kokona,as well as representatives of thedisplaced persons, took a tour ofthe areas affected by the recentcommunal clash, which led to thedeath of more than eight persons,including an army officer, withthe governor appealing toresidents to eschew violence andbe their brother’s keepers.
Nasarawaprovides securityas IDPs returnFrom Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia
L-R: Representative of IFAD President, Dr. Ides Willebois, Chairman, Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. Mr. Mohammed Abu-Ghazaleh, representative of Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation, Mr. Jeff Raikes, Minister of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President Goodluck Jonathan, former UN Secretary General, Dr. Kofi Annan, andPresident, African Development Bank, Dr. Donald Kaberuka, after the inaugural meeting of Presidential Eminent PersonsGroup on Agriculture, yesterday in Geneva.
PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
Ahmed Imam's crimeseemed despicable andclear enough one recent
afternoon. In violation of whatseems an unwritten code in histroubled city, he attempted whatappeared unacceptable: runninga shop too close to the scene of adeadly bomb blast.
Such an infraction shouldpossibly bestow on him a dutifulright to knowing theperpetrators of the act, orpersonally bearing theculpability-as the security forcesfighting Islamist insurgency,launched by the Boko Haramsect, seemed to believe.
So as the dead and thewounded were evacuated fromthe bloody spot in what hasbecome Nigeria's hotbed ofreligious militancy, armedsoldiers rounded up dozens ofmen within the vicinity of theattack in Maiduguri, and herdedthem into vans that laterdelivered them to a cell.
"Over 50 of us were arrestedand we were bundled into themilitary vehicle the same waypeople transport firewood fromthe bush to the city centre," Mr.Imam, who asked that his realnames not be revealed for hissafety, said recently.
At the facility, named GiwaBarracks-a vast unit withmultiple cells- the men werehandcuffed from the rear arounda pillar, and their bodiesstretched intermittently whilethey were flogged.
Some only left months laterafter paying huge "bail" sums.
The treatmentThe detention, and the
punishment, which humanrights groups have branded"torture," and have urged theirimmediate end, has redefinedthe federal government'smilitary operations against thesect which burrows itself withinthe civilian population, fromwhere it delivers devastatingblows, providing a platform forthe Joint Task Force to get backat the perpetrators, and oftentimes, the innocents.
A recent report by theAmnesty International titled"Trapped in the cycle of violence"documents stories analogous towhat Mr. Imam told PREMIUMTIMES.
In the report, one suspect whowas also detained at GiwaBarracks painted a grim pictureof events military authoritiesoften deny as non-existent.
He said detainees caughtduring raids- not confrontationswith the forces-are entitled toalmost no rights. They are givenfood once in two days and aredenied access to water andelectricity.
"Many of us were infectedwith a lot of diseases. In fact, it isa place one will become moreradical and prefer to be amember of the Boko Haram even
How Nigeria military arrest, torture,exploit innocents at Giwa Barracks
if you are not one," the suspectquoted by the report said.
He said many detainees werecrammed into drums andinflamed from beneath. "Manyof us didn't survive it. That iswhy as you can see every part ofmy body isburnt," he said,before warningthat "if they didnot incapacitateme, I will joinBoko Haram freeof charge andfight back. Don'tforget the soldierskilled my fatherand elder brotherand set our houseablaze."
Months afterthe damningreport by theA m n e s t yI n t e r n a t i o n a land the US-basedHuman RightsWatch, residentssaid the illegaldetention andt o r t u r econtinued. Insome cases, thosedetained onlyregained theirfreedom afterparting withhundreds ofthousands ofnaira, they said.
Almost more than anybefore, the unrest in mainlyBorno and Yobe States, and otherparts of the north, linked largelyto the Boko Haram sect, hasproved the deadliest, with morethan a thousand people killed inbomb and gun attacks since2009.
Indiscriminate arrestsAs the insurgents sustain
their assault, so has the federalgovernment which has hit backforcefully with groundingmilitary operations that oftenviolate basic conflict rulesrecognized internationally, withmany innocents killed andseveral thousand displaced.
Allegations are rife of soldiersfiring indiscriminately intocrowd in retaliation for thekilling of a personnel, and vestedinterest using the JTF to get backat perceived enemies who theylabel as members of the sect.
Military authorities haveconstantly denied any of suchexist, vowing to sanction errantofficers involved in untowardpractices.
Spokesperson for the JTF,Sagir Musa, denied residentswere arrested randomly anddetained at the Barracks. He saidsuspects are only taken to GiwaBarracks if there is a strongsuspicion that they aremembers of Boko Haram.
If investigations determinethat a suspect is innocent or notculpable, he said, a centralintelligence committee willwrite to the overall commander
of JTF recommending for therelease of the suspect and theyare allowed to go.
Mr. Musa also denied thatsuspects taken to the barracks aretortured.
"Some of them may feel they
are tortured because in the firstinstance they are beingbarricaded in one place and thatis torture to anyone who valueshis freedom, but to say we areusing any form of equipment orphysical torture is absolutely nottrue," he said.
But such steadfast tonewould seem hardly sufficient inscaling down the stream ofallegations of abuse circulatingaround Maiduguri and environs.
According to formerdetainees freed recently fromGiwa Barracks, the tragicnarratives heard outside arehardly fabricated or fairytales.
Mr. Imam, the shop owner,said some of those arrested withhim after the explosion, werelined up to face the sun for hours."They don't even talk to you orask you anything, once theybring you there they just starttreating you first before the
questions will come later," hesaid.
He said he counted threemain cells at the barracks withone larger than the remainingtwo.
"In my cell alone, there werethree hundred andfifty suspects, thesame number in theone close to us, whilethe bigger cell hasover six hundredsuspects inside," hetold PREMIUM TIMES."You hardly get fourhours of sleep eachday because there aretoo many people withvery little space".
With the shortageof space, meals(mostly rice) wereserved twice a day, herecalled. "You cannotget more than five tosix spoons from boththe morning andevening meals."
The bribesMr. Imam was
recently releasedafter spending fourmonths and ten daysat the barracks. Hesaid he stayed thatlong because hisfamily could notafford to raise themoney they wereasked to pay as "bail".
Mr. Imam's brother, whoidentified himself as Umaru, saidwhen he visited the barracks toenquire about the brother'swhereabouts shortly after hisarrest, he was asked to pay a"bail" of N300 thousand. Heclaimed that relatives of thosereleased paid the amount.
Another victim's accountturned out more disconcerting.At Gwange, in Maiduguri, thefamily paid N200, 000.00 tohave the victim, who refused tobe named, released, after hisfather and brother had beentorture and killed.
Many of those who spoke withus refused to be named, fearingretributions.
A civil rights activist, ShehuSani, who has been involved incampaigns against the allegedhighhandedness, said hisorganization, the Civil RightsCongress, was aware of serious
By Sani Tukur
“
allegations of gross abuse ofpowers not just in Borno, butneighbouring Yobe, Kano andKaduna states.
"JTF's incessant invasion ofpeople's homes in the name ofsearching for weapons; no lawgave the military a blankcheque to invade people'shomes," Mr. Sani said.
Mr. Sani's organization hasissued several statements andurged international attentionon the allegations.
He said he needed to make itclear that "under a democraticsystem the JTF has no right toengage in any act ofarbitrariness, disproportionateuse of force, unlawful arrest anddetention and violation ofprivacy."
Frame-upsAlongside the range of tales
about how residents anddetainees are treated by theforces, one of the mostworrisome seemed thatinvolving residents themselves,often business associates,exploiting rogue officers to getat fellow residents who theyframe as insurgents.
One resident narrated howan acquaintance, who excelledin mobile phones sales, wasallegedly "setup" by a rival as aBoko Haram member.
One night, troops raided thetrader's family house andarrested his brothers since hehad travelled. After complaintswere laid, authorities realizedthe JTF team that carried outthe raid, was in the wronglocation, raising suspicion andprompting investigation.
A military source soon hintedthat another phone trader hadalerted the group, accusing thephone trader of dispensing SIMcards to Boko Haram members.
Spokesperson for the JTF,Mr. Musa, said the team wascommitted to "decisively andappropriately" respond wherethere are violations.
"Whoever has reason tocomplain of torture or extortionor any other serious misconductshould forward his complain tothe JTF headquarters or call theTask Force Hot Lines (which arewidely circulated)," he said.
"We will surely investigateand punish confirmed offendersand where necessary we do briefthe complainants accordingly."
Just this week, reports saidthe JTF had effected large scalerelease of many of its detainees,particularly those at GiwaBarracks.
But Mr. Imam said there wasnothing really to celebrate aboutthe news.
"Even while I was there, theywere releasing people, especiallythose who pay for their bail, butthe thing is if they release tenpersons in the morning, you canbe sure that twenty or thirtymore will be brought before theday runs out."
Source: Premium times
Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Azubuike Ihejirika
As the insurgents sustain their assault, so
has the federal government which has hit back
forcefully with grounding military operations
that often violate basic conflict rules
recognized internationally, with many innocents
killed and several thousand displaced.
PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013PAGE 6
Power ministry denies scramblefor N3.5bn unspent fundsThe Federal Ministry of Power
has denied the allegation thatthe ministry is scrambling to
spend N3.5 billion from its 2012appropriation, in a desperateattempt to avoid returning unspentfunds into the FederalGovernment's treasury.
Peoples Daily had lastWednesday carried a front pagestory that a whooping sum of N3.5billion meant for some powerprojects in the Year 2012 had beendiverted and misappropriated onfringe activities such as training,seminars and workshops.
However, in a statement issuedby the ministry and signed by itsAssistant Director, Press, HarunaIbrahim, yesterday, the ministrydenied the allegation. Thestatement read in part: "Theattention of the Federal Ministry ofPower has been drawn to the leadstory of your newspaper ofWednesday, January 16, 2013,
with the above caption, whichaccused the Federal Ministry ofPower of "Scrambling to spend N3.5billion from its 2012 appropriation,in a desperate attempt to avoidreturning unspent funds" into theFederal Government's treasury.
"That report was not only false,unsubstantiated and misleading,
From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi
but also mischievously crafted forreasons best known to yournewspaper. To set the recordsstraight, we wish to inform you thatthe entire budget of the FederalMinistry of Power for Training inthe Year 2012 was N94,120,333only.
"Besides, it is also important for
By Udenna Orji
Bauchi farmersurged to engagein dry seasonfarming
Farmers in Bauchi statehave been implored toembark on dry season
farming to boost food production inthe state.
The chairman, state Committeeon Assessment and Distribution ofRelief, Ambassador Adamu Aliyu,gave the indication yesterday whenthe committee visited all the floodaffected areas across the state.
The chairman of the committeewho was represented by his deputy,Alhaji Ibrahim Saidu Jahun, saidthe committee was in the area toassess the level of damage andsympathised with the victims.
He however, called on the peopleto embarked on dry season farmingto boost food production, sources ofincome and to avoid being idle duringthe season.
FERMA fundamental to good roads, says Perm Secrelationship with the staff.
He observed that FERMA wasa household name in the countrywhich underscores the mandateof the agency and its importancein the provision of goodinfrastructure.
Dr. Mohammad said thatinfrastructural developmentattracts investors into thecountry, and that FERMA wascontributing immensely to theTransformation Agenda of theGoodluck Jonathanadministration, and emphasisedon the recent innovation of Zero
Pothole Programme as anexcellent move for themaintenance of the nation's roads.
Earlier FERMA ManagingDirector, Engr. Gabriel Amuchiwho received the PermanentSecretary and his entourage,thanked them for the visit andused the opportunity to highlightmajor activities of the agencywhich includes the recentacquisition of cold asphalt potholepatcher vehicles which wererecently distributed to the sixgeo-political zones of thecountry.
The Permanent Secretary,Federal Ministry of Works,Dr. Abubakar Koro
Mohammed, has described theFederal Roads MaintenanceAgency (FERMA), asfundamental in the delivery ofgood roads in the country.
Mohammed who was at theFERMA headquarters, Abujaexpressed delight at being thevery first Permanent Secretaryto visit the agency saying his aimwas to establish a good working
300,000 persons affected byflood in North-east- NEMA
The National EmergencyManagement Agency(NEMA), yesterday, said
about 300,000 people wereaffected by last year's flood in theNorth-east zone of the country.
Speaking in Maidugurishortly after returning fromGombe where he attended aworkshop on BuildingCommunity Resilience inDisaster Management, theNorth-east coordination ofNEMA, Alhaji MohammedKanar, said a total of 283, 208people were affected by flooddisaster within the zone last year.
From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos
L-R: Solicitor General , Ministry of Justice, Alhaji Abdullahi Yola, Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Ngama, and Vice-PresidentMohammed Namadi Sambo, during meeting on National Council on Privatisation (NCP), yesterday at the State House, Abuja.
Photo: NAN
you to know that the accounts ofthe Federal Ministry of Power wereclosed as at December 31, 2012,after the Ministry had evacuatedthe sum of N1.38k andN313,600.14 kobo for Capital andRecurrent Accounts respectively, tothe Office of Accountant-General ofthe Federation", the statement said.
From Mustapha Isah Kwaru,Maiduguri
Channels postponesforum on Police College
The Management of ChannelsTelevision has denied beenpressurised by the Federal
Government to stop its forum onrebuilding the Police College, Ikeja.
The station's management saidthe forum has been postponed toenhance the participation of allstakeholders involved in revampingthe 70-year-old college.
The General ManagerOperations (GMO) of ChannelsTelevision, Kayode Akintemi,speaking on Channels TVbreakfastprogramme, Sunrise Dailyyesterday, explained that thepostponement was in order to ensure
the involvement of every stakeholderthat is essential in the rebuilding ofthe police academy.
"We have had an unforeseencircumstance that has led to asituation where the management ofChannels Television has to be veryresponsible in the way they handlethings." stated Akintemi.
The Police Project is geared torebuild the police academy and it isplanned to involve stakeholders suchas Nigerian Police Force, the Nigeriangovernment, the civil society andChannels Television along withcorporate Nigeria.
All of these stakeholders must becarried along for a definite grasp ofwhat is needed to be done, he clarified.
From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos
The Coalition Against CorruptLeaders (CACOL) has backedthe call by the chairman,
Senate Committee on the FederalCapital Territory, Smart Adeyemifor the establishment of special anti-graft agency for corrupt politicians.
Corroborating the submissionsof the legislator, the executivechairman of CACOL, DeboAdeniran, noted that establishinganother anti-graft agency thatwould be free from the influence ofthe Ministry of Justice that whittlesdown the power of the existing anti-graft agencies is the only way out ofthe corruption bedeviling thenation.
"It is a good thing this is comingfrom a serving legislator. Our standis vindicated because the Senatorwas talking from an informed pointof view. Most corruption casesrevolve round politicians, so the callfor an anti-graft agency to monitorthe financial activities of politicaloffice holders at all levels ofgovernment is welcome.
"The more, the merrier", theysay, but there should be differentagencies with specific missions e.g.Fraud, Stealing of Public Funds,Money Laundering etc, so that ifsomeone escapes justice with oneagency, he could be prosecuted forother charges with another.
The human rights crusaderalso called for the strengthening ofthe existing agencies to achievemore.
"The existing anti-graft agenciesi.e. the Code of Conduct Bureau,Economic and Financial CrimesCommission (EFCC) and theIndependent Corrupt Practices andother related offences Commission(ICPC), have become toothless dogsthat cannot bite. These anti-graftagencies are not achieving muchin recent times because ofinterference from the Ministry ofJustice. Nothing is heard of manyhigh profile corrupt cases chargedto court by the EFCC last year.
He also disclosed that out ofthis number a total of 105, 811were camped and catered for in81 internally displaced peoples'camps (IDPS) managed by theagency in collaboration withStates Emergency ManagementAgencies (SEMAs) and otherstakeholders like the Red Crossscattered across the six stateswithin the geopolitical zone.
Kanar, who disclosed that theGombe's workshop was organisedin conjunction with ZaranatGlobal Resources, a consultancyfirm, said the zonal office has alsodispatched relief materials tovictims of communal clashes inIbbi local government area ofTaraba state.
PAGE 7PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
The Northern YouthAssembly of Nigeria(NYAN), an umbrella
organisation for youths fromacross the 19 northern states,has condemned the recent
Youths condemn attack on Kano emirFrom Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia
L-R: Chairman, Advisory Board of Ufuk Dialogue Foundation, Prof. Kyari Mohammed, Vice-Chancellor, Nigerian Turkish Nile University(NTNU), Prof. Huseyin Sert , Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Ali Rifat Koksal, and General Manager, Cihan News AgencyTurkey, Prof. Abdulhamit Bilici, during the conference on the role of the media in conflict resolution organised by Ufuk Dialogue Foundation,and the Nigerian Turkish Nile University yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa
assassination attempt on theEmir of Kano, Alhaji AdoBayero, which led to the deathof six persons.
In a statement issued by theSpeaker of the body, ObandeGideon, the assembly decriedthe spate of violence across the
North stressing however thatthe degree of violencepresently being experiencedhas not reached the levelwhere youths will resort toattacking leaders.
NYAN called on thesecurity agencies, as well as all
well meaning Nigerians, not torest on their oars until theperpetrators of such dastardlyact are arrested and made toface the law, while urgingyouths from across thecountry to eschew violence andbe law abiding.
Governor Rauf Aregbesolaof Osun state hascondemned in its entirety
the attack on the Emir of Kano,Alhaji Ado Bayero, describingthe assassination attempt asunconscionable and sacrilegious.
The governor advocated fora conscious youth employmentpolicy to be jointly powered bythe Federal Government and the36 states of the federation as amajor strategy towards solvingthe rising insurgency in thecountry.
Lamenting what hedescribed as a total paralysis of
the social and economicactivities caused by the activitiesof the insurgents, the governorsaid a palpable atmosphere offear pervades the nation now asfallout of the unending spate ofviolence unleashed on thepeople.
“We condemn thisunconscionable attack on anoctogenarian who is also atraditional ruler in very strongterms. It is un-African andagainst all known religiousdoctrines. It should call for theconcern of all patriots.
“While condoling with theEmir, the entire people of Kanoand Nigerians in general on the
cruel assassination of the personalguards of the Emir, his driver,interim chairman of Kumbotsolocal government area, AlhajiSalisu Abdullahi Kura, and othervictims of the sad and unfortunateattacks, it is important for allpatriots to reflect on theatmosphere of insecurity thatpervades the nation now”.
Saying that he is veryconscious of the FederalGovernment’s containmentprogramme, GovernorAregbesola said “we must be frankwith ourselves to admit thatcontainment alone of whatevernature and degree cannot solvethese challenges”.
He added, “A situation wherethe generality of Nigerians andeminent people live in fear, whereeconomic and social activitieshave been totally paralysed, callsfor the concern of all and sundry.It will amount to false confidenceto assume that these crises arelimited to a section of Nigeria.
“The duration of thisinsurgency and the intensity ofits operations coupled with somemanifestations all over Nigeria ofsome other forms of threats tonational security such askidnapping, require a review oftactics and strategy in dealingwith this abnormal condition”,he stated.
From Inumidun Ojelade, Osogbo
The Minister for Education,Prof. Ruqayyatu Ru’fai, hasrated the Counseling Centre
of the University of Ilorin as the best
in the North-central zone ofNigeria.
The minister who stated this atthe NUC office in Abuja, said therewas a need to provide
supportive services to students
in Nigerian universities in order topromote teaching and learningand enhance students’ growth anddevelopment.
The event marked the formalpresentation of BenchmarkStatements on Student SupportServices and Facilities andGuidelines for the Establishment ofCounseling and HumanDevelopment Centres in NigerianUniversities.
The Deputy Director ofInformation of UNILORIN, AlhajiTunde Akogun, who made thisknow in a statement issued inIlorin, said the minister notedthat the Transformation Agendaof the Federal Government canonly succeed if effective andcredible education was providedto the populace.
Prof. Rufa’i. According to thestatement, stressed the need to“produce a crop of graduates whoare well-equipped to face the
challenges of nation building andnot statistics that only serves toincrease the number ofunemployed graduates in theever-growing labour market.”
She warned that the practiceof providing counseling servicesthrough the Faculties ofEducation should stop and thathenceforth every universityshould have a Counseling andHuman Development Centre.
The Counselling Centresrated to be best include:University of Ilorin, North-central; Bayero University,North-west; University ofMaiduguri, North-east; NnamdiAzikiwe University, South-east;University of Benin, South-south; and University of Lagos,South-west.
In his remarks, the ExecutiveSecretary of NUC, Prof. JuliusOkojie, stressed the need to ensurequality education.
UNILORIN counseling centre best in the North-central zoneFrom Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin
The chairman of Suleja localgovernment area in Nigerstate, Alhaji Yunusa Adamu
London, has commissionedvarious projects to mark 100 daysof his administration.
In his remark during thecommissioning ceremony,London said his administrationwould continue to focus on thepeople’s oriented projects in thearea.
He further said his leadershipwould provide the gains ofdemocracy for the people of Suleja,urging the residents to besupportive to his administration.
He emphasised that he waselected to provide a purposefulleadership for the people of Sulejaand its environs, saying that hewould carry the people along inthe scheme of things.
Speaking to newsmen at theoccasion, the Banagan of Zazzau,Alhaji Adamu Usman and aformer member of Niger StateHouse of Assembly, Hon. AhmedTanko Lokoja, commended thechairman for his developmentalstrides.
They called on the FederalGovernment to complement theeffort of the chairman byexecuting capital projects in thearea.
The chairman, Guma localgovernment area of Benuestate, Hon. Frank Usa Adi
has lamented the poor revenuebase of the council, noting thatonly N273, 000.00 was generatedin four months.
Hon. Adi told journalists thaton assumption of office, he hasshored up the revenue from themarket to over N1 million,regretting that other sectors of thecouncil like works and agricultureare unproductive.
He also frowned at the over-bloated figure of 400 staff in theRevenue Department who areredundant, intimating that hewill contract the revenue sectionas it is done by the stategovernment to ensure acommensurate increase in theLG’s internally generatedrevenue.
“The staff too will work oncontract and be paid according totheir performance. It is not goingto be business as usual. We willalso ensure strict supervision of ourprimary schools to ensure thatthey function well”, Adi said.
The LG boss further expressedworry at the infrastructuraldevelopment of the area,promising that before the end ofthe first quarter of 2013,structures will be put in placeincluding grading of the Uniagric-Gbajimba road as well as the localgovernment round about whichis an eye sore.
LG boss lamentspoor IGRFrom Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
A member of Katsina stateHouse of Assembly,representing Kurfi local
government, Alhaji DanlamiKurfi, has offset fines imposed on 30prisoners serving various jail termsin Katsina Prisons.
The lawmaker made thegesture during a visit to Katsina andDutsin-ma prisons, yesterday inKatsina.
Kurfi said: “I decided to visit andsee their conditions. These are ourbrothers and sisters who findthemselves in an unfortunatesituation. It is our duty to assist
them”.He noted that most of those he
assisted were those who weresentenced with the option of a finebut could not pay, adding, “some ofthese fines range between N5, 000to N10,000”.
Kurfi advised those whose fineswere paid to be of good behaviour ifthey return home as according tohim, walking as a free citizen is morehonourable than being in prison.
Similarly, the lawmaker calledfor the rehabilitation of prisons tomake them more comfortable forinmates, adding that “anyone of uscan find himself in this situation”.
ENGR. RABI`U MUSA KWANKWASOExecutive Governor, Kano State
On Wednesday 16th January, 2013 (4th Rabi'ulAwwal, 1434AH) Council Sitting was presided over by theGovernor Engr. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso fnse during
which 32 memoranda were submitted by 10 MDAs for deliberation. Anexpenditure of N2,383,821,303.89 covering 23 projects was approvedfor execution by the Council. Thus;
1. Ministry of Higher EducationThree (3) memoranda were submitted by this Ministry for
deliberation by the Council as follows;(a)Presentation of Information memorandum on the
Commencement of Degree Programme in Qur'anic Scienceat Aminu Kano College of Islamic Legal Studies (AKCILS),Kano:-
Contents of this memorandum amply reminded the Council of theCommencement of Degree Program in Qur'anic Science at AminuKano College of Islamic Legal Studies. Development on the issue is atadvanced stage whereby an accreditation visiting team from Universityof Qur'anic Science, OM- Durman, Sudan had conveyed an approvalthe affiliation of the Qur'anic Science Degree Programme offered at theCollege. Meanwhile, the necessary contact with the National UniversitiesCommission for accreditation and approval for the commencement andcontinuation of the Programme remains to be made. Again, the KanoState Ministry of Justice will be contacted to effect necessary amendmentof the Law establishing the Institution to reflect the change in the statusof the College.
Council noted, considered, appreciated the contents of the Informationmemorandum presented and directed the authorities concerned tocontinue with all actions necessary in order to actualize the envisagedendeavour.
(b)Request for funds to enable provision of Double-decker Beds/Mattresses, Water and Electricity Suppliesand perimeter wall fencing at Kwankwasiyya Hostel-KanoState University of Science and Technology, Wudil (KUST):-
Qualitative provision for education at all levels and in all ramificationsis among the priority considerations of the present administration underthe leadership of the incumbent Governor Engr. Rabi'u MusaKwankwaso. The physical/infrastructural, material/consumables,manpower, etc. requirements are continuously being provided frominception of the second tenure of this administration as promised. Manynew Primary/Junior (Basic Education) Schools, Senior SecondarySchools have been established along with the construction of additionalnumber of classrooms in existing ones. Activities of the CommunityReorientation Committees (CRC) ensure the execution of repairs wherenecessary, feeding primary School pupils across the 44 LGCs and theprovision of uniforms for new intakes. The newly establishedGovernor's College tops the list of the established Senior SecondarySchools in the State. At tertiary or post Secondary level, thisadministration's performance is impeccable. One additional University(i.e Northwest University, Kano) has been established along with twenty(20) skill acquisition Schools/Centers.
In any case, the Kano State University of Science and Technology,Wudil (KUST) requires some effort in order to address the accommodationproblems caused by the growing number of students admitted into theSchool. The Ministry of Higher Education requested for approval bythe Council for the release of the sum of N20,065,846.50 in orderto provide for the referred purposes.
Council approved the release of the sum of N20,065,846.50 tothe Ministry of Higher Education to expedite action on the stated issuessince the endeavor is congruent with the laudable policies of the presentadministration.
(c) Request for funds to facilitate for the constructionof a thirty (30)-room hostel block at Audu Bako College ofAgriculture Dambatta:-
N30,722,927.00 was approved for release by the Council asrequested through contents of this memorandum to enable the Ministryof Higher Education undertake the construction of one additional blockof 30-rooms hostel at Audu Bako College of Agriculture Dambatta.Two (2) of such hostels were approved for construction by theCouncil on 12th December, 2012, which improved and reduced theaccommodation problems experienced in the College. Nevertheless,one additional 30-rooms block hostel is anticipated to solve theaccommodation problem. The quality of provision for education attertiary level will generally improve as envisaged by the presentadministration.
2. Ministry of EnvironmentRequest for the release of funds to facilitate for the
monthly (January-December, 2013) execution of the re-introduced Environmental Sanitation Exercise:-
Reports on the historical details involving the re-introduction of thelaudable policy on the monthly-executed environmental sanitationexercise were presented by contents of this memorandum. Notably,Council approved for the monthly release of the sum ofN3,220,000.00 to cater for the exercise via Council ExecutiveExtract NO SSCA/CA/EX/8/1/2. This was when the multi-Stakeholders Committee constituted to ensure continuous and successfulconduct of the exercise comprised only eleven (11) members, one (1)Monitoring Team, Twenty five (25) Police Officers and three (3) MobileCourts. The Committee is currently expanded to comprise thirty (30)members, two (2) monitoring team, ninety (90) Police Officers and ten(10) mobile Courts, which ensure appreciable improvement in complianceand participation of the public. The Ministry of Environment requestedfor an augmentation of the approved Standing Order on the monthlyrelease of funds from N3,220,000.00 to N4,230,000.00 withan upward difference of N1,010,000.00 which was fully explained bythe contents of this memorandum.
After due deliberation, Council approved the continuation of therelease of the sum of N3,220,000.00 for the monthly sanitationexercise.
3. MINISTRY OF HEALTHRequest for Funds to Facilitate for the Renovation
Works required at the Eye Clinic of Murtala MuhammadSpecialist Hospital Kano:-
Attention of the Council was drawn, by the contents of thismemorandum, to the delightful fact that Murtala Muhammad Specialist
Hospital is currently benefitting total reinvigoration by the presentadministration in areas of structural refurbishing and supply of specializedmedical instruments/equipment to improve the healthcare delivery servicesprovided in this premier hospital and the State in general. Nevertheless,the Eye Clinic at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital still requiresprovision in areas of structures and equipment necessary for the onlyGovernment owned Ophthalmic referral Center. As such, the Ministry ofHealth requested for the release of the aggregate sum ofN21,950,807.72 by the Council to facilitate for the execution of therehabilitation of the Consulting and Theatre, Paediatric and Female/MaleWards and construction of overhead tank and reticulation in the section.
MINISTRY OF WORKS, HOUSING AND TRANSPORTSeven (7) memoranda were submitted by the Ministry of
Works, Housing and Transport for deliberation and approvedby the Council. Thus;
a. Request for Funds to facilitate for the provision ofInfrastructure for the take-off of the Corporate SecurityInstitute:-
The Corporate Security Institute is among the 20 skill acquisitioninstitutes established by the incumbent administration. It is a fact thatmany of such institutes have already taken-off and graduated manybeneficiaries of the employable, beneficial and generally gainful skills forwhich take-off packages were donated by the Government. Fewexamples are;
i. The Animal Traction Institute at Gwarzoii. The Poultry Institute at Tukwaiiii. The Hospitality and Tourism Institute at Kanoiv. The Fisheries Institute at Bagaudav. The Informatics Institute at KuraSo, the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport requested for the
release of the sum of N33,859,417.61 to enable the provision ofrequested infrastructure such as furniture and other facilities for propertake-off of the Corporate Security Institute at Gabasawa Town inGabasawa Local Government Council Area.
Council noted, considered and approved for the release of the requestedsum of money to enable the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport toexpedite action on the stated project so as to ensure speedy and successfultake-off of the referred Institute since it is congruent with the laudablepolicies of the incumbent administration.
b. Request for Funds to Facilitate for the Constructionof a Business Center/Canteen at the Temporary Site ofNorthwest University (Gidan Ado Bayero) Kofar Nassarawa:-
To ensure welfare of the student and provide convenient cafeteria forthe students, Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport proposed, throughthe contents of this memorandum, to construct a Business Center/Canteenat the referred site to provide restaurant service for the students.
Considering, Council approved the release of the requested sum ofN9,839,336.10 to the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport to enablethe construction of the Business Center/Canteen at the referred site dueto its dual significance of providing the required services.
c. Request for Funds to facilitate for the Constructionof a new Gate at Government House, Kano:-
Council was reminded, by the contents of this memorandum, of thework in progress at the Government House in the course of which anaddition of one gate becomes imperative. The sum of N9,470,000.00was requested for release by the Council to enable the Ministry of Works,Housing and Transport facilitate for the referred, which is in line with thelaudable policies of the present administration. The Council consideringthe fact that bringing the Government House to a befitting standard isamong the priorities of the present administration granted the approval.
d. Request for Funds to Facilitate for the constructionof 2-Bedrooms Prototype Houses for the Settlement of FloodVictims at Token Village, Warawa LGCA, Kano:-
The need to resettle the victims of the recent flood disaster at TokenVillage and vast area of Warawa L G C A is paramount as substantiatedto the Council by the contents of this memorandum. Relocating thevillagers to an alternative place is the answer. The Project is proposed tobe executed in phases with phase one covering a total number of 586 2-bedrooms prototype houses in the total sum of N441,458,060.40 at
the rate of N753,341.40 per unit house measuring 50x50 plot size.So, the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport requested for the
release of the sum of N441,458,060.40 by the Council to enablethe execution of the stated project. Council approved the execution ofthe project for the relocation of the village to high land.
e. Request for Funds to effect required generalrenovation works at Gidan Murtala Office Complex, Kano:-
The Gidan Murtala Office Complex is an edifice and prestigiouslegacy of the accomplished Audu Bako regime/tenure which serves asoffice Accommodation to Ministries and parastatals. As such, the Ministryof Works, Housing and Transport alerted the Council of the need toupgrade the property to continue providing offices to the Ministries ofEducation and Water Resources, Office of the Auditor General LocalGovernment Audits, and Courts.
Council approved the release of the requested sum ofN297,923,708.93 to the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transportto undertake the referred general renovation works at Gidan MurtalaOffice Complex.
f. Request for Funds to Facilitate for the Executionof Phase (1) Rehabilitation and Conversion Works for theEstablishment of Kano Hospitality and Tourism Instituteat Daula Hotel, Kano:-
Daula Hotel Complex is the permanent Site for the established KanoHospitality and Tourism Institute, which currently operates at atemporary (transit) site (i.e the Tourist Camp). However, the Hotel ispresently unutilized and requires reactivation, conversion, and supplyof suitable infrastructural facilities to actualize proper location of theInstitute to its permanent site.
The Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport in collaboration withthe Committee on the establishment of the Kano Hospitality Instituteprepared drawings and Bills of Quantities in the sum ofN220,198,156.38 for the extent of work for the phase (1) ofthe rehabilitation and conversion work. This informed the Ministry torequest for the release of the sum of N220,198,156.38 by theCouncil to enable execution of the project.
Council noted, considered and approved the release of the requestedsum of money to enable the execution of the stated project so as toactualize the existence of Kano Hospitality and Tourism Institute at itspermanent site as envisaged by the present administration.
g. Presentation of contractors handling projects atKwankwasiyya, Amana and Bandirawo Cities:-
Contents of this memorandum substantiated to the Council thatcompetent Contractors have been identified and were awarded contractsfor the execution of the projects at the cities mentioned. So, theMinistry of Works, Housing and Transport requested Council to ratifythe projects as awarded, so far, and allow it in conjunction with the two(2) relevant Agencies to continue identifying and awarding the buildingcontracts to such competent contractors for the execution of the work,which is expected to become self-financing in due course.
Council approved the prayer of the Ministry of Works, Housing andTransport in its entirety.
4. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY TO THE STATEGOVERNMENT
The Office of the Secretary to the State Governmentsubmitted eleven (11) memoranda on behalf of other MDAsfor deliberation by the Council; thus:
a. Request for Funds to facilitate for the training of10,000 Butchers across the 44 LGCAs in the State:-
Contents of this memorandum reminded the Council of havingdirected the Special Adviser Metropolitan Affairs on Wednesday 5thDecember, 2012 during its sitting to submit a Comprehensive Strategyfor the Implementation of the proposal he presented on the referredissue. The Special Adviser on Metropolitan Affairs did his homeworkand presented a Comprehensive Strategy for the successfulImplementation of the Training Program for 10,000 Butchers across the44 LGCAs.
The crux of the Strategy is that the training program has to befunded jointly by the State Government and the 44 Local GovernmentCouncils across the State whereby aggregate sum of money to berespectively contributed is 201,110,000.00-thus;
i. 44 LGCAs. N. 1,110,000.00ii. State Government N200,000,000.00iii. Total N201,110,000.00Nevertheless, the Special Adviser forwarded four (4) Options for
the training exercise for the Council to choose the most feasible foradoption. However, proximity of the training centers to be located ineach of the three Senatorial Districts to the targeted participants alongwith the availability of the necessary logistics has to be prioritized.
Importantly, the 10,000 beneficiaries are to be drawn from acrossthe 44 L G C As in the State in the following order;
i. North Central Senatorial District = 4,200ii. Kano South Senatorial District = 3,200iii. Kano North Senatorial District = 2,600iv. Total = 10,000Considering, Council approved, in principle, for the release of the
requested Counterpart Contribution of the State Government to thetune of N200,000,000.00 and mandated the Office of the DeputyGovernor/Hon. Commissioner for Local Governments to generate therecommended Counterpart Contribution of the 44 LGCAs to the tuneof N1,110,000.00. Finally, the total sum of N201,110,000.00is to be paid to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government toenable the conduct of the training of 10,000 Butchers across the State.
b. Request for Funds to facilitate for the Training ofFirst Batch of 250 Drivers Engaged in the New TaxiScheme:-
The sum of N17,500,000.00 was approved for release by theCouncil to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government toenable the conduct of the training exercise of the 1st Batch of 250Drivers engaged in the new Taxi Scheme. The Nigerian Institute ofTransport Technology, Zaria (NITT) will offer the training exercise.
The training will certainly ensure safety for the users, drivers andcertainty of the return of the investment and provide the necessary
www.kn.gov.ng/new/
expertise and specialization, which will empower the beneficiaries.c. Presentation on the Outcome of the Visits by
Honorable Commissioners Projects Monitoring andEvaluation and Agriculture and Natural Resources to theFrench Development Agency and French Embassy inAbuja:-
The visit to French Embassy by the two Commissioners had openedup cooperative relationship between Kano State and French. Discussionswere held on the establishment of French Schools in Kano, support onartificial insemination and other agricultural assistance. The Embassyhad agreed to issue visas to the officials of the Ministry of Education tovisit France to acquaint them with how Craft/Vocational Schools operatein their country. The Committee promised submitting a report to FrenchGovernment with a view to obtaining assistance in the area of teacher/instructor training.
Agreement was reached for the setting up of a Committee comprisingrepresentatives from the Kano State Government and the Embassy tobe meeting once every three (3) months in order to ginger the cooperation.
d) Request for the release of takeoff Grant for theNorthwest University, Kano:-
Council was informed, by contents of this memorandum, that theVice Chancellor and other Principal Officers engaged for the NorthwestUniversity, Kano, had already assumed duty on the 2nd January,2013. To facilitate for the smooth takeoff of the University, theManagement requested for the release of the sum ofN36,689,220.00 as takeoff Grant to cater for expenses on somebasic materials and services as was presented in detail.
Council noted, considered and approved the release of the requestedsum of N36,689,220.00 to the Office of the Secretary to the StateGovernment for onward payment to Northwest University, Kano forthe purpose stated.
a. Request for Funds to Facilitate for the Execution ofPhase II of Developing Website for the State's MDAs:-
Council was notified of the completion of the 1st phase of developingWebsites for MDAs in which 31 of them were covered. As such, theMinistry of Science and Technology requested, through the Office ofthe Secretary to the State Government, for the release of the sum ofN8,599,500.00 by the Council to enable the continuation of the2nd Phase of the project which is to cover 30 more MDAs from amongthe remaining 50.
Council approved the release of the requested sum ofN8,599,500.00 to the Office of the Secretary to the StateGovernment for onward payment to the Ministry of Science andTechnology to execute the stated project due to its relevance to research.
(f) Request for Funds to procure and allocate one 18-Seater Toyota Hiace Bus and one Double Cabin ToyotaHilux Pick up as Government Support to the FederalCharacter Commission:-
The sum of N6,950,000.00 was approved to the Office of theSecretary to the State Government to purchase and allocate onedouble-Cabin Toyota Hilux pick up to the Federal Character Commissionas support extended by the State Government to improve their abilityto carry out their responsibilities efficiently. The gesture was in positiveresponse to Executive request from the Commission.
(g) Request for Funds to enable members of theImplementation Committee on the establishment of theNorthwest University undertake a 3-weeks trip to Egypt,India and Malaysia for recruitment of Qualified SeniorAcademic Staff in Sciences:-
Shortage of qualified personnel to occupy the senior academic positionsin the field of science to meet the National Universities standards promptedthe implementation committee for the Northwest University to opt forthe "search option " to fill the existing vacancies in Physics, Mathematics,Chemistry, Biology and Biochemistry. As such, a committee was setupto undertake the trip to Egypt, Malaysia and Singapore.
(h) Presentation of a Letter of commendation fromthe Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria to Governor Engr.Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso FNSE;-
Council acknowledged receipt of a commendation letter by theGovernor Engr. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso from the PharmaceuticalSociety of Nigeria. Contents of the letter appreciated the successfulpermanent closure of the obnoxious Abubakar Rimi (Sabon Gari) DrugMarket in Kano. The firm stand of the Governor on the issue defyingthe usual dangerous manoeuvres of these 'drug peddlers' wasappreciated and applauded by the confederation of Nigerian Pharmacistsand every person of good will. Council reiterated Governmentcommitment to implement this policy in order to sanitize the business ofdispensing drugs in the State. There is no going back because nosensible Government will fold its arms and watch its youths beingturned into drugs addicts. Dispensing of drugs should not be a businessof the unqualified and unregistered businessmen. Kano State must bea drug free society.
(i) Presentation of a proposal for EnterpriseDevelopment partnership with Kano State:-
Office of the Secretary to the State Government intimated theCouncil through contents of this Memorandum, that the Bank of Industry(BOI) expressed the desire to collaborate with the Kano StateGovernment on Enterprise Development to establish N2Billion Micro,Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund. Details of theentire arrangement were presented.
Nevertheless, taking cognizance of the present administration'sdevelopment initiative targeted for youths and Women at the grassroots,the Bank of industry (BOI) advanced value added prepositions todeepen the development impact on the initiative. In essence, the Fundwill concentrate on financing industrial development through theestablishment of resource based enterprise clusters; provide support forCo-operative lending and other related development initiatives of theGovernment. Again, the Fund would establish Industrial Parks tocluster the entrepreneurs currently being created in the State as well asthose to be promoted by MSME Development Fund.
Council approved the establishment of N2billion Micro, Small andMedium Enterprises Development Fund in partnership with Bank ofIndustry (BOI) as well as counterpart contribution of N1billion.
a. Presentation of Interim Report on airlifting of 501Kano State Indigenous Students sponsored for PostGraduate Studies Abroad;-
Contents of this memorandum reminded Council of its approval forthe release of the sum of N1,348,942,087.80 to cater for therequirements of the 501 sponsored students for post Graduate Studiesin eleven (11) Countries abroad. The interim report presented wascondensed and summarized as cost per every item was presentedthrough contents of this memorandum.
So far, 346 postgraduate students have been airlifted to variouscountries while 155 students admitted into various Universities in Ukraineare to be airlifted when their visas, which are currently being processed,are ready.
Council noted and appreciated contents of the interim report presented.k. Request for the release of funds from Kano State
Scholarship Board to enable the Payment of 2nd Quarterfeeding allowance to 161 Students Studying at variousUniversities abroad:-
The Ministry of Higher Education profusely applauded the Council forhaving approved the release of funds for the first quarter feeding allowance(October-December, 2012) for 161 Students. Now, the second quarterrequirement for the release of the sum of $463,800.00 (equivalent toN74,208,000.00) is expected and requested for Six (6) Countriesand One hundred and Sixty eight (168) Students are involved. TheCountries are China, India, Jordan, Malaysia, Poland and U.A.E (Dubai).
Council noted, considered and approved the release of the requestedsum of N74,208,000.00 to the Ministry of Higher Education toenable the Kano State Scholarship Board effect payment of the 2ndQuarter Feeding Allowance referred as it is in line with the laudablepolicies of the present administration.
5. MINISTRY OF FINANCEThe Ministry of Finance submitted two (2) memoranda
for consideration and approval by the Council as follows;a. Presentation on the Proposal for Due Diligence
Exercise on Dala Building Society Plc (DBS Plc) and requestfor Funds to pay for the Due Diligence Services:-
Council was reminded by contents of this memorandum of its decisionto divest the Kano State Government Shares holding at Dala BuildingSociety Plc, on which an Executive Committee was constituted withHon. Commissioner for Finance as Chairman and the Hon. CommissionersPlanning and Budget and Commerce, Industry, Co-operatives and Tourismas members.
Advertisements seeking for Institutional Investors that would mergeor acquire the DBS Plc were placed in two (2) National Dailies (i.e DailyTrust and Triumph) on 3rd August, 2012. Three reputable investorssubmitted proposals, which were carefully analyzed and appraised afterwhich each were screened on 13th October, 2012.
Ultimately, the Technical Committee recommended Messrs AminuIbrahim and Company to conduct the Due Diligence Exercise on DalaBuilding Society Plc because the Company has a comparatively reasonablecumulative working experience with sufficient and considerable knowledgeon DBS Plc.
Council approved the release of the sum of N20,000,000.00 tothe Ministry of Finance to enable Messrs. Aminu Ibrahim and Companyconduct the Due Diligence Exercise on DBS Plc and Suntrust Savingsand Loans Limited respectively so as to conform with due process andstandard procedures governing the process of merger/acquisition offinancial/mortgage Institutions
6. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURALRESOURCES
Request for funds to enable conduct of 1st quarter 2013Animal Traction Programme:-
The Animal Traction Programme was initiated in September 2011among the activities of the Farm Mechanization institute established bythe incumbent administration. The program was introduced to promoteand increase agricultural productivity, reduce hardship for farmers andempower as well as provide employment opportunities for the youthsand alleviate poverty.
So far, the Farm Mechanization Institute had graduated 1,300 youthsin the field of Animal Traction and Tractor operation with each of thegraduated youths benefitting the post training empowerment package ofa pair of work bulls and plough. Monitoring and Evaluation follow-upexercise conducted by KNARDA as the implementing Agency of theprogram presented encouraging report that the program impacts positivelyon the livelihood of the beneficiaries and their respective families.
Importantly, the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources maintainsthat 1,600 youths will be trained annually in four batches of 400 perquarter. This made the Ministry to request for the release of the sum ofN69,287,100.00 to facilitate for the conduct of the first quarterAnimal Traction training programme for the year 2013.
Council approved for the release of the requested sum ofN69,287,100.00 to the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resourcesto enable the conduct of the 1st quarter Animal Traction Program for theyear 2013.
7. OFFICE OF THE HEAD OF CIVIL SERVICETwo (2) memoranda were submitted by the Office of the
Head of Civil Service for consideration and approval by theCouncil Thus;
a. Presentation of a submission on the reinstatement of an AcademicStaff at Aminu Kano College of Islamic Legal Studies :-
The case of Malam Aminu Ismai'l Sagagi was presented throughcontents of this memorandum, which maintained that the discrepancyand anomaly claimed by the present management of the College on theofficer's resumption and subsequent appointment/re-assignment to hisacademic duties are invalid. Council was notified that Academic Staff ofTertiary Institutions are allowed to undertake political appointment(s)and eventually return to their duties in consideration of the exigency oftheir service in our school. So, Council was requested, by the Office ofthe Head of Civil Service, to kindly consider and approve thereinstatement of Malam Aminu Isma'il Sagagi into the service of AminuKano College of Islamic Legal Studies with effect from the date heresumed duty thereby restoring his salary.
Council approved for the reinstatement of Malam Aminu Isma'il Sagagiinto the service of Aminu Kano College of Legal Studies and the restorationof his salary as applied to other staffs in tertiary institutions who tookappointments and after serving, return to their duty posts.
a. Request for approval for the re-engagement of theContract Appointment of Some Staff at Sports Council Kano:-
Twenty five (25) staff not indigenous to Kano State were approvedfor re-engagement on contract appointment by the Council as wasrequested by the Office of the Head of Civil Service through contents ofthis Memorandum.
Importantly, retention of contract officers non-indigenous to KanoState by MDAs avails the opportunity to such persons, especially incritical areas of need (such as the Health, Education, etc sectors). Theofficers concerned were confirmed to have performed creditably in theirprevious engagement(s) with the Sports Council.
8. MINISTRY OF INFORMATION, INTERNALAFFAIRS, YOUTHS, SPORTS AND CULTURE
This Ministry presented two (2) memoranda forconsideration and approval by the Council Thus;
a. Request for the Release of Funds to enable theStaging of Kano Film Week organized by the Kano State FilmCensorship Board Scheduled for (3rd - 7th January , 2013):-
The Ministry of Information, Internal Affairs, Youths, Sports andCulture requested, through the Office of the Secretary to the StateGovernment, for the release of the sum of N8,800.000.00 to enable thestaging of Kano Film Week organized by the Kano Censorship Board.The ceremony will entail discussions to sensitize stakeholders on thefunction of the Censorship Board along with the presentation of papers ontopical issues regarding the film Industry. An award tag - named"Kwankwasiyya Film Award" will be presented on the final day of theceremony, which the Governor Engr. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso is expectedto host at a convenient location.
Council approved the request.a. Request for the Appointment of Heads for the
remaining seven (7) Training Institutes established by thepresent administration:-
Council was notified of the fact that seven of the newly established
training institutes established by the administration are yet to be headedby Chief Executives. The Ministry of Information, Internal Affairs,Youths, Sports and Culture forwarded the following shortlist asrecommended for Council's consideration and approval.
Council approved the appointment of the forwarded respectivepersons as Executive Heads of the commensurate Institutions asrecommended so as to ensure the smooth take-off of their operations.
9. MINISTRY OF RURAL AND COMMUNITYDEVELOPMENT
This Ministry presented two (2) memoranda forconsideration and approval by the Council Thus;
a. Request for Funds to enable the Provision of a300KVA, 33/0.415KV Relief Transformer and LTExtension at Sabon Garin Durbunde:-
Qualitative provision of infrastructural requirements and that ofvital public utilities are among the cardinal resolutions of the incumbentadministration for which it has continuously provided right from inceptionof its second tenure. Electricity supply is among them. This vital publicutility is being installed and maintained at all locations spanning theState from urban, semi-urban to rural area(s). So, the Ministry requested,through the contents of this memorandum for the release of the sum ofN11,917,576.00 to facilitate for the provision of 300KVA ,333/0.415KVrelief transformer and extend a low tension electricity network to SabonGarin Durbunde Town in Takai Local Government. This town is in direneed of electricity supply.
Council approved the release of the requested sum of money to theMinistry of Rural and Community Development to expedite action inthe execution of the stated project so as to transform the social, economicand otherwise status of Sabon Garin Durbunde town and its people.
b. Request for funds to enable the replacement of 500KVA, 33/0.415KV and 500KVA Relief Transformer at Kabo Local GovernmentCouncil Area:-
The sum of N14,685,966.00 was approved for release by theCouncil to the Ministry of Rural and Community Development tofacilitate the replacement of 500KVA, 33/0.415KV and 500KVA ReliefTransformer at Kabo Local Government Area, which have been causingpower outages (failure) for a long period at Kabo town and itssurroundings. The gesture was to bring to an end the pathetic situationof the people in the town brought about by the near absence ofelectricity supply.
UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES OF THE 81ST KANO STATEEXECUTIVE COUNCIL SITTING
1.POLIO ERADICATION CAMPAIGNCouncil noted with appreciation the successful conduct of yet another
round of polio eradication exercise across the State. Accordingly, Councilextends its appreciation to all stakeholders such as the traditionalinstitution, security agent and the citizens involved towards fruitfulaccomplishment of the programme.
2. ASSUMPTION OF DUTY OF THE VICE CHANCELLOROF THE NORTHWEST UNIVERSITY KANO
Council noted the assumption of duty of the vice Chancellor for thenewly established Northwest University, Kano, Professor Dato M.Razali bin Agus. Similarly, Council noted the progress of the constructionworks at both the permanent & temporary sites of the University andalso wished that the first 1000 newly admitted students would startlectures by early February, 2013.
3. OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE STATE BY THE DELEGATIONOF FATEH UNIVERSITY TURKEY
Council noted with delight the recent visit by a delegation of FatehUniversity Turkey and their commendation on the efforts of theGovernment in the educational development of the State by sponsoringof 138 Students to study in Turkey.
4. LAUNCHING OF STATE COMMITTEE ON POLLUTIONCONTROL
Council noted the successful launching of the State Committee onPollution Control by Governor Engr. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso andcalled on members of the Committee to recommend possible solutionfor the effluent and otherwise waste products from major Industriesacross the State.
5. NAFDAC COMMENDS KANO STATE GOVERNMENT'SWAR AGAINST FAKE DRUGS
Council noted the commendation from NAFDAC over the closureof the open Drug market at Sabon Gari Market and other efforts beingmade by the present administration under the leadership of Governor,Engr. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso to fight the menace of counterfeit drugsand other unwholesome regulated products in the State. Similarly, thePharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, and other stakeholders have indicatedtheir support to the Government of ensuring that good quality andregistered medicines are sold only in approved and appropriateenvironment rather than the open market.
6. HANDING OVER OF BLOCKS OF CLASSROOMSDONATED BY THE JAPANESE INTERNATIONALCOOPERATION AGENCY (JICA) TO THE PEOPLE OF KANOSTATE
Council noted with commendation, donation of 317 Classrooms bythe Japanese International Agency (JICA) spread across 21 LocalGovernment Areas of the State. Similarly, this kind gesture from thegood people of Japan will complement the determination of Kano StateGovernment to the improvement of the Educational sector especiallyat the primary school level.
a. KANO ROAD TRANSPORT AUTHORITY(KAROTA) USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS
Contact KAROTA for:Breakdown Vehicles blocking roadsTraffic CongestionAccidentIllegal/Wrong ParkingCall Karota on - 08091626747b.For security call the Police on the following numbers; 08032419754, 08123821575,08099831808,064-977004 064-9770511- For Fire Service call the following numbers 064-895435,07051246833,08191778888,08190548888 08190548888,08107888878For further information on Government activities visit us atwww.kano.gov.ng/new
Signed:Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Information, Internal
Affairs, Youth, Sports and Culture
SN Institute Name Post
i. Driving School Alhaji Muhammad Wudil Deputy Director
ii. Qur’anic Institute Barr, Gwani Muktar A Koki Deputy Director
iii. College of Nursing and Midwifery Sa’idu Muhd Fagge Deputy Director
iv. Informatics Institute Garba Abdullahi Ali Deputy Director
v. Sports Institute Dr Tarzan Amadu Deputy Director
vi. Poultry Institute Dr Yahuza Shehu Deputy Director
vii. Irrigation Institute Engr. Ibrahim Abubakar Deputy Director
PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013PAGE 10
Mali: ECOWAS parliament to holdextraordinary session February
L-R: Guest Preacher, Malam Abdullahi Lamido, National President, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade MichaelAlogba, Bishop Edem Bassey, and Evangelist Albert Osijo, during the NUT 2013 National Solemn Assembly, yesterday inAbuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo
The Speaker of the Parliamentof the Economic Communityof West African States
(ECOWAS Parliament), SenatorIke Ekwerenmadu, has disclosedthat the parliament will hold anextraordinary session in Februaryto appraise the situation of thecrisis in Mali.
By Ikechukwu Okaforadi Briefing newsmen after ameeting of the Conference ofBureau of the ECOWASParliament on the Mali crises inAbuja, Ekwerenmadu alsodisclosed that the ECOWASParliament has set up an Ad-HocCommittee to review thesituation in Mali and GuineaBissau and report developmentsin both countries.
He said this will help theparliament to make necessaryinterventions as might benecessary, urging that special careshould be taken to ensure thatwomen and children were notharmed in the mission, while anyuse of child soldiers is avoided byplayers in the Mali crises.
While commending thegovernment of France for coming
to the aid of the sub-region,especially for halting theincursion of the terrorists intoBamako and other parts of Mali,Ekwerenmadu also expressedspecial gratitude to Chad, notingthat though it is not part of thesub-region, it has sent 2, 000members of its armed forces to helpin the struggle to save Mali.
In addition, the Speaker
declared support for the militaryoperations by the ECOWAS andthe international community inMali, saying terrorism is not onlyin Mali, but in other parts of thesub-region, adding that sameconcerted efforts being made inMali should also be made to fightterrorism in other countrieswhere there is terrorism.
Worried by the number ofdeaths recorded last yearby Niger state command
of the Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC), the Sector Commander inthe state, David Usman hassolicited the collaboration of theNigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ) in reducing accidents onhighways.
Speaking when he paid acourtesy call on the NUJchairman, Comrade Illya Garbaat the IBB Pen House yesterday,Usman said the commission isworking towards ensuring thatroad crashes in the year 2013reduce by at least 20 percent andfatality by 30percent.
Usman explained that theFRSC has the mandate ofenforcing road safety rules in linewith its resolve to reduce roadtraffic crashes to 50 percent by theyear 2020.
“The FRSC”, he said, “hascome to seek collaboration withNUJ to ensure proper sensitisationof traffic rules to people; journalistscan go a long way to educate andinform people so that death ratesin our high ways will be reducedto the barest minimum”.
The commander said 36offences established by the FRSCare purely for safety of lives andcalled on all stakeholders to joinhands in sensitising road users toavoid unnecessary mishaps.
Responding, the chairman ofNiger state council of NUJ, IllyaGarba, commended the efforts ofthe sector commander andassured him that NUJ will workwith his organisation to informand educate people on theimportance of traffic rules andregulations.
FRSC seeks mediasupport in curtailingroad crashesFrom Illya Garba, Minna
Governor Abiola Ajimobi ofOyo state, has inaugurateda total of 34 ambulances,
as well as doctors, nurses andemergency medical techniciansdrawn from the state youthempowerment scheme (YES-O) tokick-start the free ambulanceservices in the state.
Speaking at the official flag-off of the scheme in Ibadan, thegovernor said emergency roadpoints had also been provided forthe ambulances, whilearrangements had also beenmade with a network provider for
Ajimobi kick-starts free emergencymedical services with 34 ambulances
From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan
a toll-free number. He also disclosed that a 24-
hour Control Room had beenopened at the state Ministry ofHealth, complete with a 30-feetmast and a dedicated E-1 directline, coupled with a GIS-basedtracking system, to know thelocation of every ambulance atany point in time so as to ensurethe fastest possible response time.
The governor said thembulance service was borne out
of the need to reduce mortalitybeing recorded from road trafficaccidents, home accidents,disasters, child births and all othertypes of emergencies.
“It is well known that peoplein these situations do not knowwhat to do, where to turn to orwhom to call. With the flag-off ofthis programme, help is now just'a call away”, he said.
According to the governor, itis only in a primitive society that
accident victims are carried to thehospital in open pickup trucks,commercial taxis or okada, adding“such accident victims often dieneedlessly through lack ofapplication of basic first-aidinterventions.
“It is our belief that anymodern society must be able torespond promptly to emergencysituations, whether on thehighways or in the homes”.
Right to Know: NOA trains officers on FOI ActIn a bid to encourage public
participation ingovernance in the
country, the NationalOrientation Agency (NOA),has organised training for itsstaff on the task ofimplementing the ‘Right toKnow’ of Nigerian citizensthrough the properunderstanding of the Freedomof Information (FOI) Act, inorder to ensure that the law is
By Stanley Onyekwere given effect by the citizens,especially at the grassroots.
The training, which isdesigned for chief orientationand mobilisation officers andfield officers, among otherthings, focuses onpainstakingly putting the footsoldiers of the agency throughthe Act; and at the end ofwhich, they would beempowered with relevanttools to plot the appropriatestrategies to effectivelycommunicate the Act to the
citizens so as to be able todemand information fromtheir elected officers.
It would be recalled thatthe FOI Act was passed intolaw in 2011 by the NationalAssembly, with the aim ofgranting Nigeriansunfettered access toinformation required frompublic institutions in thecountry, as a way of ensuringthat transparency andaccountability in governanceare intitutionalised , and
corruption is stemmed. Speaking yesterday at the
training tagged FOI and NOAAct Workshop, in Abuja, theState Director, NOA, FederalCapital Territory (FCT), MosesD. Aba, said Nigeria citizensdeserve to understand theprovisions of the FOI Act andexercise their rights toactively participate inshaping their destiny.
Aba, who stressed that inorder to achieve the objectivesof the FOI Act, the provisions
of the law must first be clearlyunderstood and given effect bythe citizens, also noted it isvery important to ensure thatthe Act does not remaindormant but come to life bygiving its provisions effect.
He therefore, urged thetrainees to give their best, soas to understand what isrequired to transmit themessages even as thedirectorate steps down thetraining to FCT area councils.
PAGE 11PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
Surviving a failure gives you moreself-confidence. Failures are greatlearning tools... But they must bekept to a minimum - JeffreyImmelt
Quote
Planning long-term financialsecurity saves you from regrets
Many people have had toregret their past whenindeed what is currently
facing them or that lies ahead ofthem is much more challenging.
It is common to hear people say"had I known" when life becomesdifficult as a result of financialdifficulties. It is not strange afterall, particularly when someonerefuses to take into cognisance thattomorrow will come with itschallenges.
Analysts say the best way totackle future challenges, whichare inevitable, is to ensure thatthere is financial security, one, forthe bread winner and two, forthose who may depend on him fortheir education, housing, medicaland other necessities.
According to analysts,financial security is not makingor having a certain amount ofmoney, because there are many
people who have made millions ofnaira and dollars but are notfinancially secure.
Stories about musicians,superstars, athletes and multi-million-dollar lottery winnerswho end up in bankruptcy are socommon that they've become acliché.
Like a foreign market analystputs it, "financial security also isnot limited to beingindependently wealthy, havingservants bring you martinis bythe pool, and flying your privatejet to Monaco to party with heirs,
super-models, and rock stars.""Instead, it is consistently
increasing your savings, assets,and net-worth on a monthly basisor taking up a life Assurancepolicy that will be there to supportyou and your family when youmay not be there to carry yourburdens."
For instance, the RoyalExchange Prudential Life"Heritage Plan" is a welfarepackage that ensures financialsecurity for the policyholder andhis immediate family.
The product, according to the
company, has multiple benefits,which include maturity benefits;guaranteed children's school feesin the event of death of the policyholder; personal accident benefitsin the event of an accidentresulting in permanentdisability; medical expensesbenefits in the event of anaccident, as well as guaranteedhouse rent in the event of death ofthe policy holder.
Larry Ademeso, managingdirector, Royal ExchangePrudential Life, said to make itmore accessible, the scheme hasbeen made available through the
group's GSM-based scratch cardsystem.
"You can buy a starter pack forany product you want, scratchyour card, get the pin number,upload the pin number into yourphone and send it.
You will even get a responsetelling you that it has beenactivated for you.
Then subsequently, you areable to buy top up cards," Ademesosaid.
He emphasised the need forpeople to embrace life insurancebecause, according to him, itsessence is beyond deathsettlement.
How to cope with financial stress, emergencyIt is not uncommon to find
people break down, fall sickand even die because of
financial stress and crises, whichperhaps must have come byemergency. But it's obvious thatsome forms of crises must comeonce in a while no matter how richone is. Don't think it is the problemof the poor, rich people sometimesalso face some kinds of problemsand when they come, they are intorrents.
Have you forgotten the crisesof bank borrowing that hit manyborrowers in the country aboutyear ago, when the CBN startedits reform? Then, many top shotsin the country got entangled andsome ended in the police andEconomic and Financial CrimesCommission (EFCC) net. So, it'sreal no matter your level. Whatshould you do when it comes?Whether it's a job loss, medicalexpenses, or an emergency homerepair, an unexpected change inyour financial situation, it can beincredibly stressful.
Evaluate the situationTake a moment and carefully
evaluate your situation. Running
around in a panic won't solveanything and only lead toadditional stress.Understandably, you probablyhave a million things runningthrough your mind and being cooland collected is the last thing onyour mind, but the ability tocarefully evaluate your situationwill ensure you make the rightchoices.
First, determine what causedthe financial emergency. Beforeyou can look at ways to resolvethe situation, you need to
understand the cause. Is it asudden loss of income? Mountingexpenses that you can't keep upwith? Or a natural disaster? Whileeach situation can lead to similarburdens, your plan of attack willlikely need to address the root ofthe problem to be effective in thelong run.
Prioritise expensesNot all expenses are created
equal. There are certain bills thatneed to be paid before others. Someof the most important items to putat the top of your list should be
food and shelter. So, carefullyexamine all of your expenses anddetermine which are the mostimportant. It isn't worth payingsomething that will put you injeopardy of being unable to payfor a necessity.
Once you're established whichbills are the most important, youcan begin looking for expenses tocut out of your budget. While itmight not be much fun to cut outsome of the things you're used to,it might be what's necessary tokeep you from slipping into aneven deeper financial hole.
Look for ways to cut back oreliminate things completely.
Negotiate with lendersIf you're having trouble with
credit cards, medical bills, or evenyour mortgage, the first thing youshould do is call your lender.Believe it or not, it's in their bestinterest to help you make yourpayments, even if it means alower interest rate or extendingthe terms. People so often waituntil they already get severelydelinquent before contacting theirlenders, and by then they aren'tas willing to work with you. If you
know that money is getting tightand you might need help, callthem before you get behind.
Find extra moneyideally, you want to have some
money set aside in an emergencyfund to help pay for anyunexpected expenses, but this isn'talways possible. Where do youturn when you've exhausted yoursavings account?
An option could be to checkwith friends and family
Nobody likes to ask for money,but a little bit of help from a lovedone might be all that you need toget through the rough patch. Ofcourse, this can also put a strainon some relationships, so proceedwith caution.
And finally, you may havesome money available viainvestments or in retirementaccounts.
Generally speaking,withdrawing money from yourretirement accounts is a bad ideaas it can put your retirementsecurity in jeopardy, but it couldalso be enough to keep you fromgoing into even further financialtrouble.
Rising price of gold offers you opportunity to earn more incomeIn recent times, there
has been noticeable rise inthe price of gold- one of the
precious metals- offering youan opportunity to invest in andmake valued returns.
For instance, the price of100 Troy Oz. Comex of gold asof Thursday last week wastraded at the rate of $1,491.This is about N228, 123 whenconverted to local currencyusing official rate of N153. Thisrepresents 41.3 percentincrease when compared to$1,449.70 traded the previousday (Wednesday), aboutN221, 804.
Gold has been a symbol of
wealth and has been used ascurrency for many years. It isthe only asset that historicallyhas maintained a relativelyhigh value in good and badtimes.
Major centres of goldacquisition in the country areKaduna and Kano. There arealso in Accra and Kumasi,Ghana.
Experts say you can investin gold as a good store of valuebecause the value stays up.They regard it as goodsubstitute for equities.
According to Goddy Ikeh,chief executive officer ofFortworth CommunicationsAgency, investment in gold inNigeria is not a commonpractice. However, those whoindulge in such savings aremostly women. It is difficult tosay how lucrative such aninvestment is, but one thingthat is obvious for the investoris that the individual is able to
save the money instead ofspending it on unnecessarygoods.
Most people who indulge insuch investment areencouraged by the fact that theprice of gold is not volatile likeother commodities and that theproduct is within their reachand custody as against theinvestment that they havelittle or no control over.However, big investors in goldoften keep their gold in banksand other security vaults forsafekeeping.
To him, investment in goldis popular in some big cities inthe country and there is anexisting large market for goldin these cities. The fact thatinvestment in gold thrives uptill today shows that it is quiteprofitable, especially now thatthe investment climate in thecountry is not attractive duemainly to insecurity andunfavourable financial
policies.Analysts say gold has
always been seen as a goodinvestment. It is a permanentcurrency, non-perishable anddurable and its value hasalways been recognised,especially in times of economiccrisis, such as during the greatdepression.
Explaining reasons why youcan invest in gold, they say, forone thing, "gold is a protectionagainst a falling exchangerate," adding that "we are in anera of record trade and budgetdeficits, both of which mustultimately lead to a decline inthe value currencies, and alikely corresponding increasein the value of gold."
According to Iain Manson, awriter, most people especiallyin Nigeria are probably notthinking of acquiring gold,except in the form of jewellery.But he admits that the goldprice index has been rocketing
of late, the gold mutual fundhas become more popular thanever, and people have beenbuying gold coins inunprecedented quantities.
He explains that since theshock to the world's bankingsystem in 2008, low interestlevels have made bankaccounts unattractive, whilethe credit squeeze, inthreatening the liquidity ofmany companies, has madeinvestment in the stock marketlook risky. In suchcircumstances, gold shineswith unusual brightness.
The importance of gold, hefurthers says, is based on a tacitinternational agreement as toits unique status. Although itis of course a commodity, itoperates as something akin toa reserve currency - ayardstick against which othercurrencies and commodities arevalued. Source:www.monyning.com
PAGE 12 PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
Governors: Their agendas,their forum, our worries
Even while people in many quarterscomplain about what they see as astrong, overbearing centre in our
federal set-up and canvass for devolution ofpowers, serious concerns have also alwaysbeen expressed about the extent to whichthe state governors, both individually andcollectively, have been wielding enormouspowers, exerting themselves andmanipulating events in their favour in thesystem.
Such concerns have been climbing inrecent weeks - especially in the light of theon-going crisis in the ruling PDP. In fact, thegovernors have now become the favouritewhipping boys of most Nigerians for all thatis wrong with the system today: the highlevel of corruption, underachievement,abuse and misuse of power, impunity, wasteand financial profligacy, lack ofcommitment and direction, godfatherism,etc.
The various fora under which thegovernors meet have also increasinglybecome subject of attack, with loud calls fortheir ban from many groups, interests andprominent personalities. Only about afortnight ago, Professor Jibril Aminu, one-time Senator and former minister ofpetroleum raised alarm about the NigeriaGovernors' Forum, wondering how it cameabout and arguing that it has constituteditself into such a powerful force that itintimidates and dictates to constitutedauthorities and institutions, including thePresidency itself.
The concerns being expressed are notbaseless. The on-going crisis within theruling PDP serves as just one but a goodexample of how awesomely powerful thegovernors, acting as a block, really are, andhow far they can go in flexing their musclesand manipulating things - without anyqualms about right and wrong or any careabout democracy - to protect one of theirown and thereby promote their collectiveinterests. There is something reallydisturbing, even frightening, in the way thePDP's 27 governors have been playing theirhands in this crisis. Their conduct in office isanother serious cause of concern. Most ofthe country's 36 governors are corrupt,
“Most of the country's 36governors are, corrupt, visionless,
lacking in commitment to anydefined or definite principles,
wasteful of their states' resources,autocratic, arrogant
visionless, lacking in commitment to anydefined or definite principles, wasteful of theirstates' resources, autocratic, arrogant andwith neither a score card of performance tospeak about nor a record of conduct in officethat can stand up to any serious scrutiny.
In a way, given the state and nature of oursocio-economy and politics, it is onlyinevitable that the governors will be powerful.They control the second tier of governmentin the country, with huge resources undertheir control. In a country where the vastmajority are economically and politicallypowerless and too unorganized to hold theirleaders to account, where there are nopolitical institutions developed enough to
serve as checks to the excesses of those inpower, and where politics is not tethered tolaw, it is inevitable that the governors will betin gods in their states. Most of them are in fulland almost total control of all three arms ofgovernment and the entire processes ofgovernance in their states.
Given all this, it is understandable that thegovernors' various fora - Nigeria Governors'Forum, Northern Governors' Forum, South-South Governors' Forum, South-EastGovernors' Forum - have become a source ofworry to many. The fora are viewed withsuspicion here, and dread there, asinstitutions where the governors meet to planevil and conspiracies that often endanger andsubvert the country's democratic institutionsand processes.
But we should be careful not to mistakethe form for the substance. The governors'various fora are not in themselves aproblem, or the problem. In fact, the idea ofthe Nigeria Governors' Forum, which bringall the governors elected under differentpolitical party platforms together, is good forthe country. And Nigeria is not the onlyfederal set-up with such a forum. It isdesigned to bring the governors togetherunder one roof to discuss, in a bipartisanmanner, the common problems ofgovernance in the country and takedecisions aimed at improving things, tointervene as a body in times of nationalcrises, to engage in peer group review, toforge a higher level of unity andunderstanding among themselves, and toadvise the federal government on matters ofnational importance, among others.
Of course, there is evidence, and weshould worry that the present set ofgovernors are not using the forum forexactly these purposes, and that, on manyoccasions, they spend most of their time attheir meetings attending to their own selfishcollective agendas of how to enhance theirpower and undermine other authorities andinstitutions in the system. But this is noreason or excuse for disbanding the forum.We have no reason to think that things willalways be so, that the governors will alwaysbe as self-centred and little concerned aboutthe country's collective good as the presentset are. In any case, if they don't have thisformal forum under which to meet, theywill invent countless other ways of meetingfor planning and executing their agendas.
We are one with other concernedNigerians in condemning the excesses, lackof commitment, shortsightedness,arrogance, impunity and the generallyautocratic attitude and conduct of ourgovernors and other leaders. And we wishthat our governors, especially those of thepoorer northern states, will have a change ofheart and begin to use their offices and theirvarious fora for planning and craftingagendas and programmes for thebetterment and progress of their states. Butwe say no to the call for the disbandment oftheir forum.
PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013 PAGE 13
On January 14, 2013, theTransportation Secretariatof the Federal Capital
Territory Administration (FCTA)commenced the implementationof routes delineation for mini andhigh capacity buses in the FederalCapital Territory. The measureentails a restriction of operation ofmini-buses (popularly known asdanfo) to certain routes and thehigh capacity ones to the others inthe City. The mini-buses are thosethat have seat provision for 18passengers or less while the highcapacity ones are the ones withsitting provision for 30 passengersand above.
The measure was necessitatedby the need to curb congestion,engender sanity and reduceaccidents on the roads of thenation's capital city. Studies andexperience have also shown thatthe current mixed use of the routesby tricycles, mini and mega busesdo not augur well for thecommuters and other motorists.The mini buses had often used theirlarge numbers to harass and chasethe high capacity buses out ofspace. The situation has beenblamed for the perennial failure ofmega bus operations in the FCT inthe past decades.
Prior to the take-off of the policy,the FCT Administration throughits Transport Secretariat hadpainstakingly engaged thetransport stakeholders on the newpolicy through several meetingsthroughout 2011and 2012. Manyof the stakeholders' meetings werecovered by journalists with theiroutcomes widely publicized in theprint and the electronic media.
The agenda of the meetings
centered mainly on fine-tuning theroutes delineation by the FCTA fororderly and seamless roadtransportation in the FCT withparticular attention to the capitalcity. But it soon became obvious,in the course of the sensitizationmeetings, that a section of the mini-bus operators was bent on scuttlingthe very lofty new policy on routesdelineation based on selfish reasonswithout considering its numerousadvantages as it concerns thegenerality of commuters and roadusers in the FCT.
The delineated routes weredistributed in such a way that themini-buses had 15 routes assignedto them and the high capacity busesallotted seven routes to ply. Amongthe routes allocated to the mini-buses are the following: Mombassa -Michael Okpara - OlusegunObasanjo - Moshood Abiola Area 1;Area 1 - Gudu - Apo MechanicVillage; Area 1 - Cement Market -Apo Mechanic Village; Jabi - Mbora- Kaura - Gudu Market; Jabi - Mbora- Suncity - Apo Mechanic; Jabi -Mbora - Lugbe; Gwarinpa - LifeCamp entrance - 1st Gate; BwariTown - Dutse Alhaji - ONEXExpressway; Kubwa 2nd Gate -Gado Nasko Road - Kubwa 1st Gate;Mpape - Murtala MuhammedExpressway Junction.
The mini-buses are barred fromplying the following routes whichhave been allocated to high-capacity buses: Wuse Market -Eagle Square - Asokoro - AYA -Nyanya; Area 3 Junction - TafawaBalewa - Herbert Macauly Way -Berger Junction - Jabi; GuduMarket - Apo Quarters - AhmaduBello Way - Federal Secretariat -Gwarinpa; AYA - Shehu Shagari -Federal Secretariat - Transcorp -NICON Junction. Under the policy,
the services of tricycles (Keke)have been restricted to GwarinpaEstate; Life Camp; Kado and insideall large estates and the satellitetowns.
But motivated by theirimmediate business profits, asection of the danfo operatorsopposed the routes delineationwholesale and insisted that theymust continue to ply all routesnotwithstanding theoverwhelming odds such as theattendant auto accidents, thepersistent traffic gridlocks andchaos on the major roads andintersections in Abuja as a resultof mixed use of the routes bycommercial vehicles of differentcapacities and sizes.
It was this fraction of the minibus operators that mobilized toutsand urchins to stagedemonstrations when the routesdelineation came on stream onJanuary 14, 2013. It is on recordthat a preponderance of the mini-bus operators complied with thepolicy by restricting theiroperations to the routes assigned tothem. It is on record that the AbujaMasterplan never allowed such achaotic format where all mannerof buses should ply all routes. ThePlan prescribes delineation of routesfor mini and high capacity buses.
Being a listening leader, theFCT Minister, Senator BalaAbdulkadir Mohammed,nevertheless, directed that theimplementation of the new routepolicy be deferred for three weeks.He directed that furthersensitization be undertaken inorder to carry the commuters andthe general public along in theimplementation of the policy. Hewas however unambiguous thatthe routes delineation policy was a
good one for all. He therefore statedclearly that the suspension of itysimplementation was for threeweeks only and that it wouldresume in full force after period.
The Minister directed that thethree weeks period be used to carryout enough engagement andmedia enlightenment of thestakeholders and the public on thewell intended policy. The periodwould equally be used by the FCTAand the stakeholders of thetransport sector to fine-tune theimplementation of the new policy.
It is instructive that SenatorBala Mohammed gave thisdirective after meeting with a widespectrum of stakeholders in thetransport sector and othersincluding officials of the mini-busoperators' Union, the FCT chaptersof the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) and the Trade UnionCongress (TUC) respectively as wellas the FCT Police Commissioner,Director, Department of StateSecurity Services (SSS), Director,Department of Road TrafficServices (RTS) on Wednesday,January 16, 2013.
With the development, theMinister has since set up a broad-based Committee headed by theFCT Permanent Secretary, Engr.Anthony Zikora Ozodinobi to fine-tune its implementation strategy.In approving the above measures,Senator Mohammed clarified thatthere is no going back on the routesdelineation policy as it is for thegood of all the residents of theFederal Capital Territory.
The Minister made it clear thatthe enforcement of the routesdelineation together with othertransport-related measuresremain the best panacea to theproblems bedeviling the
By Nosike Ogbuenyi
The mobile phone scheme is agreat thing. The agricultureminister, Prof Adesina's plan
has a lot of merit. He knows if thefarmers have access to cell phones,they can call the government andtell them the roads are bad, theyneed fertilizers, they need silos andthey need someone to negotiatebetter prices for their products.
I had been so caught up in theLance Armstrong confession that Iwas beginning to think everycelebrity and authority figure wasa fraud. You see, I was so moved bythe tale of the man with one testiclethat dominated every dual-testicledman in cycling that I bought theyellow Livestrong wristband andwore it for a long time.
I wanted some of thatArmstrong unbeatable mojo. Ofcourse, I could have gone machoand had a testicle removed too.But, I am lily-livered and I knowit. I decided I could be invinciblelike Armstrong by wearing thewristband. I was until my twelve-year-old niece beat me silly intennis. It was the first time Isuspected Armstrong was a fraud.Now, with his own mouth, he hasadmitted to it.
I turned to Nigeria to look for anew hero and discovered that theusual band of critics who hasnothing to do with their time whereattacking the one minister theyneeded to roll out the drums in
support of. This is a man that theeminent secretary general of theUnited Nations called "an eminentpersonality". And, we're not talkingabout the Ota farmer. We'retalking a professor who used to sitin an air-conditioned office inAmerica and tell African farmershow to farm.
The critics, most of whom callthemselves columnists, weregetting their panties up in a bunbecause of the proposed N6b mobilephones for farmers. I knew theywere all wrong and the ministerwas right. Just to prove that Idecided to do what any logicalperson would do. I called a couple ofmy uncles who are rural farmersto find out how mobile phoneswould put more food on my table.
I could not get through to myuncles - one in a rural farm in Oyostate, the other up north. That gotme worried. I feared the mobilecarriers had gone anti-governmentand were blocking calls to ruralfarmers.
When I finally got through tothem via other relatives, I wasinformed my uncles couldn'tanswer their phones because theirbatteries were dead, they ran outof credit and they were broke onaccount of poor harvest. Iimmediately became a convert inthe mobile phone scam, sorry -scheme.
I tried calling the federalministry of agriculture to registermyself as the number one
supporter of the mobile phonescheme. Turns out the federalministry of Agriculture and ruraldevelopment does not have awebsite or a website you can pullup through Google. And, theirFacebook page lists them as acompany with 31 likes, attributesthat makes me wonder what thetwo people talking about themwere talking about.
I thought it's a cool thing thatthe head of a ministry whosedepartment is stuck in the previouscentury is doing his best to bringNigerian farmers into the newcentury. That for me is the verydefinition of selflessness. Onceevery Nigerian farmer has a cellphone and starts 'friending'themselves on Facebook, theminister can go back to thepresident for a billion naira todevelop a website for the ministry
The farmers have cell phonesof Nigerian farmers.
Anyone who does not think thehonourable minister is a genius forcoming up with this schemedeserves to be denied food for a year.If the minister is guilty of one thing,it's insubordination. His boss,President Goodluck Jonathan,knows Nigerian farmers still thinkthe world stay in touch viatelegram. So, in his 2013 budgetpresentation, he said, "theMinistry of Agriculture, forexample, will work with theMinistry of CommunicationTechnology to ensure that 5million farmers and agriculturalentrepreneurs receive mobilephones to be able to accessinformation about agro inputsthrough an e-wallet scheme."
But, when Adesina claimed thegovernment only has plans for 2million farmers. I would never hold
By Ose Oyamendan
Why routes delineation is desirable in Abujatransportation sector in the FederalCapital Territory. He listed otherchallenges to be tackled headlongto include stamping out of illegalsecond hand car mart,unauthorized car wash centresand illegal motor parks in andaround the Federal Capital City.
All in all, it is crystal clear thatthe FCT Administration's newpolicy on routes delineation formini and high capacity buses ismeant to enthrone sanity andorderliness on the capital cityroads. For so long, such places asthe major roads around Wusemarket, Berger Junction, AreaOne bus stop, Ahmadu Bello wayflyover by National Assemblyresidential quarters and the LadokeAkintola Boulevard by Garkimarket to mention but a few, hadbeen scenes of huge traffic confusionand frequent accidents due tonotorious activities of danfo, kekeand taxi drivers.
Senator Bala Mohammedclearly meant well to haveapproved the new policy which isin tandem with the Abuja MasterPlan and what is obtainable in mostmodern cities of the world wherehigh capacity buses ply the majorroutes while smaller ones operateon the feeder routes. Such moderncities include Johannesburg,Dubai, London, Cairo, London,Islamabad, Kuala Lumpur,Washington, New York, New Delhiand many others. What theMinister deserves from all wellmeaning Nigerians, especiallyresidents of FCT at this time arekudos, support and encouragementrather than criticisms.Nosike Ogbuenyi, the SpecialAssistant on Media to the FCTminister, can be reached [email protected]
an agricultural man responsiblefor simple arithmetic except whenhe messes with my yams. But, I'mconfused about his assertion thatthe government will not buy thephones from "China or anywhereelse". That struck me as odd becauseI think he's forgotten that the Vision2010 thing has been moved to2050. Someone needs to send a textto remind him that as at today,the only things we produce arescandals.
If anyone knows the minister'sphone number, please, get intouch. I have an excellent idea onhow I can help the ministerprocure or subsidize the N6b mobilephone scheme. Even though it'sstill January, I can promise his topstaff big Christmas hampers if hesigns off on my deal. If you haveany problems with me giving thetop agricultural ministry staffhampers next December, send meyour address too. I will include youin the hamper list.
Frankly, I think the so-calledcritics and columnists miss thepoint. The mobile phone scheme isa great thing. Adesina's plan has alot of merit. He knows if thefarmers have access to cell phones,they can call the government tosay the roads are bad, they needfertilizers, they need silos and theyneed someone to negotiate betterprices for their products. Then thepresident can go to the NationalAssembly every quarter and askfor budgetary supplement onbehalf of the Nigerian farmer.Ose Oyamenda is a Nigerianfilmmaker based in LosAngeles, California, USA.
“The mobile phone scheme is a greatthing. Adesina's plan has a lot of merit. Heknows if the farmers have access to cell
phones, they can call the government to saythe roads are bad, they need fertilizers, they
need silos and they need someone tonegotiate better prices for their products
PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013PAGE 14
Managing Nigeria's monetary policyPeoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text
messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All writtencontributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name anda valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed
Again, the Central Bank ofNigeria's (CBN) rate-settingcommittee (the Monetary
Policy Committee ? MPC) meetsthis morning. In a markeddeparture from practice, themeeting this January (the MPCmeets every other month) isscheduled to run for just one day(all through last year, themeetings lasted the better part oftwo days). In addition, the pressconference by the governor atwhich he makes public thecommittee's decision, earlierscheduled for 5.00pm was (onFriday, last week) brought forwardto 4.45pm. Auguries of a slimmeragenda than usual?
Headline inflation forDecember 2012 was 12%, downfrom 12.3% in November. Thus,all through last year, inflationstayed stuck around 12%, despitethe central bank's restrictivemoney policies. Clearly, therefore,there might be problems with theeconomy, which make furthersoftening of inflation difficult, if notimpossible. However one callsthese impediments, "structural", or"fiscal" (there is no doubt that weare in need of further reforms tothe organisation of the state),"stubborn" inflation figures inviteconsideration of their interest rateimplications. Of late, much of thepopular attention paid to theworkings of the MPC has arisen onthe back of concern with theoutput-dampening effects of a highinterest rate environment.
Thus, as the clamour for theCBN to lower the policy rate
becomes evermore strident, itbears reflectingon whether weare, indeed, a lowinterest rateeconomy. Onone hand, thosewho wouldhave interestrates loweredreference thestate of affairs acouple of yearsback, when thecentral bankstrongly easedm o n e t a r ypolicy to helpbuoy banks that were treadingwater at the deep end of the pool (asthe aftershocks from the globalfinancial and economic crisisthreatened). Then, there is theworry over the quantum of lendingfrom the formal financial servicessector to the real sector, and the roleinterest rates play in this.
The key question here iswhether the problems withdomestic private credit growth areof a supply or demand side nature.In other words, are there"bankable" projects in this economyin want of credit? The structuralflaws that put a floor on how lowinflation may drop do not makethis discussion any easy, but a fairanswer to the last question is a huge"NO"! There are just too manyconstraints to doing business in thiscountry for there to be that many
On January 10, 2013 whiledriving to work with mycolleague, I stopped at my
usual newspaper vendor for mydailies. The vendor handed me myusual papers, and my colleaguewho sat in the front seat took themfrom me and placed them on hislap. Then he picked up TheGuardian and hurriedly flippedthrough its pages. Suddenly anamused expression started playingon his face. I was no longer in a hurryto restart the ignition soon, as mycuriosity had gotten the better ofme. My colleague lowered the paperfor me to have a look, and I noticedhe had dwelt on page 10. The pagehad the pictures of PresidentGoodluck Jonathan and that of theSecretary to the Government of theFederation, Anyim Pius Anyim. Istill did not get it. Then he pointedat Jonathan's nose, and said "see hisnose o."
I took one good look at what hewas talking about. Perhaps it wasa badly taken picture, or theproblem was with the printing, butthe picture showed Jonathan witha nose accentuated by a lightshade, making it somewhatbigger, longer?and amusing. Iblurted out: "Pinocchio!"
In case you have forgotten,Pinocchio is an Americananimated film done in 1940 andproduced by Walt Disney.Pinocchio was a wooden puppetwhich was brought to life. But thething about it was that any time
Pinocchio lied his nose grew longer,and longer, with each succeedinglie.
Jonathan has been seen to bekeeping people guessing onwhether he will run for presidentin 2015. Guessing? Anyway, justinto the new year, campaignposters for Jonathan's presidencyin 2015 started spreading in thestreets of Abuja. But the presidenthas denied having anything to dowith the posters. His SpecialAdviser on Media and Publicity,Dr Reuben Abati said those whowere behind the posters didn't seekthe president's permission. Hiswords: 'Those pasting the postersare trying to express their ownview. The president had statedthat he will talk about thepresidency from 2014. Those doingthese do not have the consent ofthe president. What is most
important now is for the presidentto deliver on his electioneeringpromise to Nigerians and not toembark on the pasting of posters.It has not come from the president.Nigerians should take thepresident for his word and ignoreany other information to thecontrary."
But many think otherwise.They believe he must have had ahand in those posters, in fact thatthe whole thing was Jonathan.Why is it so hard to believe thepresident? If people cannot take thepresident for his word, does it meanthey think he has a credibility gap?
Looking back now, there aremany things Jonathan said toNigerians, many promises hemade to get their votes, whichtoday he has denied ever saying.To some people, perhaps for thoseposters he had hidden behind the
Does GEF have a credibility gap?
businesses that can make profitableuse of bank lending. Conversely,given that the market responds todemand and not need, there maywell be a zillion commercialconcerns out there in "need" of bankloans but which will not receive adime, because those effectively"demanding" bank loans arealready getting it.
Still, none of these argumentsis pro-low interest rates. And evenless in favour of single digit rates.Of course, we may wonder whybanks with their huge balancesheets, faced with a small universeof borrowers have not seen the priceof their asset portfolios fall? andhave remained obscenelyprofitable. After all, every othervariable remaining unchanged, ifsupply exceeds demand, pricedrops to a new equilibrium where
scene, only using his foot soldiersto fly a kite. Just a little gimmickto test the waters shouldn't hurt,should it? But aren't politiciansknown to be liars? Perhaps it is nobig deal if the people are fed loads oflies. Who will know? And if they doknow, what can they do? They willalways get us to vote for them theytell themselves. Empty promisesand a few naira notes and our votesare assured. They would not evenneed to plead our emotionsanymore with having had noshoes growing up.
I might not have bothered ifJonathan had a credibility gap ornot until I heard he said that therehas been an improvement inpower supply?which should becelebrated. Jonathan'sgovernment said Nigeria's powergeneration had reached an all-timehigh of 4,502 megawatts, up from4,349.7MW. He also boasted thatwith his administration Nigerianswill no longer be dependent ongenerators
I have not heard anythingmore galling. As I typed this piece Iwas sweating, as my generatingset had used up all the fuel. And Idid not want to add any more fuelinto it until the next day because ifI opened the doors I might let inmosquitoes. It was our light off. Weusually had two days on, and oneday off. This arrangement hasbeen on for about 2 years now. Thelast time we had an improvementwas during the time of Prof BarthNnaji as power minister. Now,even on the days we are to have
higher costplayers can nolonger compete.It would appeart h a tgovernments 'r a v e n o u sappetite forborrowing is thenew tide that iskeeping thef i n a n c i a ls e r v i c e sindustry's boatsafloat.
Thus, thepolicy need is forlevels ofinflation/rates
compatible with the economy'sneed to invest in businesses thatsupport higher levels ofemployment than are currentlyavailable. While these levels neednot necessarily lie below 10%, andmay actually be no higher thanthey currently are, it is important
By Cosmas Odoemena
that they do not go up and downlike a yoyo. For price/ratevolatility is far more deleterious tothe planning that precedesinvestment decisions thanrelatively high, but stable, rates.
The central bank can thereforenot afford to ease monetaryconditions just yet. For in theabsence of the private creditcreation route, any easing of banks'current liquidity conditions willflow into demand pressures at theforeign exchange market. And thisis where anxiety over theapproximately US$10bn (indiscussions with industry experts,it is obvious that we just may notknow how big this inflow has been)that have flowed into fixed incomesecurities in the last couple ofmonths matter. For, of the manyshocks that could spook this hotmoney, the biggest is investoruncertainty over exit terms.Ifeanyi Uddin is reachable onwww.Twitter.com
light, in 24 hours it is rare to have2 hours of light uninterrupted. Wedo not sleep with the generator on.One particular night in this newyear was so terrible. My new bornbaby sweated and could not sleep.My wife, sweat all over her bodytoo, cursed. And after that, therehave been more of those nights.
It was the same Jonathan whoduring a Presidential media chatlast November said the combinedaverage power generationcapacity from all the power plantsin the country had moved fromless than 3,000 MW to above 5,000MW. But thankfully themisinformation was immediatelyrefuted by the TransmissionCompany of Nigeria, TCN, whichsaid Nigeria has never reached apeak of 5,000 MW.
Credibility confers on a leadermoral garland. If a leader has losttheir credibility they become likedry wood, dry leaves in theharmattan, there is no life in theirleadership, their legacy if any sooneasily blown away. A leaderwithout credibility is not doingterm, but doing time; credibilitygives a leader freedom to lead,while the lack thereof makes theleader a prisoner. Credibility is themost important aspect of effectiveleadership. Leaders withoutcredibility are at best waiting ontime, they will still be rememberedno doubt, but only as blotches inthe delicate canvas of history.Dr. Cosmas Odoemena,medical practitioner, lives inLagos
“Looking back now, there are many thingsJonathan said to Nigerians, many promiseshe made to get their votes, which today hehas denied ever saying. To some people,perhaps for those posters he had hidden
behind the scene, only using his footsoldiers to fly a kite. Just a little gimmick to
test the waters shouldn't hurt, should it?
“Conversely, given that the market respondsto demand and not need, there may well be a
zillion commercial concerns out there in"need" of bank loans but which will not
receive a dime, because those effectively"demanding" bank loans are already getting it
PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013 PAGE 15
A few years back, onWednesday July 7, 2010,to be precise, on the occasion
of the public presentation of hisbook: Colonialism in Africa: Ancientand Modern, published in twovolumes, Ben Nwabueze, eruditescholar and Emeritus Professor ofConstitutional Law, openlyadvocated for a bloody revolutionin Nigeria. Just how acute andunbearable the deficits in ournational circumstance havebecome if such a notablepersonality who at the time hemade the call was a member of thePresidential Advisory Council(PAC), could go to that extreme?But a revolution is a historicalimperative; an abrupt change notwithin the contemplation of anyexisting social order. It will surelycome whether we like it or not. Yet,Prof. Nwabueze was instantlyopposed by his colleague on the PAC,Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, whodisagreed with him on the way outof Nigeria's socio-political andeconomic quagmire.
Alarmed at the unspeakablerate of corruption in the Nigeriansystem, Nwabueze, an elderstatesman and pioneer Dean of theLaw Faculty of University of Lagos,who is also a leading member of"The Patriots", a group of eminentNigerians crusading for anenduring change in the country,argued that only a bloodyrevolution can halt theembarrassing decadence ingovernance. Prof. Nwabuezeexpressed shock at what he called"the looting spree" at the NationalAssembly "where lawmakers votebillions of naira to themselves whilethose who voted them into theHouse live in abject poverty".According to him, "people who
were voted to serve the country gothere to loot - you need to knowwhat we (members of PAC) nowknow". Circulating that thedeterioration in the state of affairswas such that the country hadbeen listed amongst the 11 failedstates in Africa and amongst the17 failed and most corruptcountries in the world, he arguedthat only a violent revolution likethe one that took place in Francein 1789 could change Nigeria.
“I don't believe in small changes;we've had ad hoc arrangements;Nigeria needs a revolutionarychange, and it has to be bloody.Those who survive it will pick upthe pieces. I cannot see Nigeriasurvive any other way,” declaredProf. Nwabueze. On his part,Danjuma who chaired the occasioncountered that “a bloodyrevolution is not the best solutionsince such revolutions becomeuntamable and consume
everybody.” Danjuma, a retiredArmy General who only recentlymade a public declaration that hemade over $1 billion from an oilwell allocated to him which he didn'tknow how to spend, said:"Revolution devours its scions; itknows no friends or enemies; it isan exceedingly dangerous meansof transformation. I am anoptimist. I believe that one rightman in position of authority cantransform the entire country. Wehave not been lucky to have such aman but we shall muddlethrough."
When Nwabueze made his callmore than two years ago, a sectionof the media commended him forthe courage to confront the matterhead on, and vilified Danjuma forhis cunning approach to the realityof the Nigerian condition.Thereafter, Olusegun Obasanjo,former President and one of thedefenders of entrenched
reactionary interests in Nigeriawent on air warning against arevolution. Obasanjo said that therate of unemployment in thecountry and its concomitantapathy was bound to trigger arevolution. Shame on him! Howmany jobs did he create in theeight years two-terms tenure inwhich he wasted over N37trillion? This revolution of a thingis no joking matter. The nation istruly in injury time. The Nigeriansystem is already bursting at theseams. The political class isrecolonising Nigeria and we canno longer muddle through.
It is indeed regrettable thatbasic infrastructure and internalsecurity, the key ingredients forproductivity, economicperformance and socio-politicalstability, are in their worst states,and that the seeming hopelessnessas to solution, is such as wouldcompel true patriots such asNwabueze to openly express theiranxieties. Government has donepractically little, from 1999 todate, to address these issues andprovide the necessaryenvironment for citizens andcorporate organisations to bepositively engaged in oneenterprise or another. ThatNigeria, with proven gas reservesof 192 trillion standards cubic feet(scf) and appreciable endowmentin quality coal and other resources,including foreign reserves inexcess of $50 billion , cannotgenerate enough electricity tomeet local demand, is a realshame. The political class shouldconsider itself as unproductive anda liability to the country.
Top government functionaries
A revolution postponed have been very unhelpful whenthey constantly indulge inunremitting sloganeering orwillfully play down the gravity ofthe crises plaguing the nation. Justhow much longer the Nigeriangoverning elite would persist inwillful miss-government andperversion of democratic normsremains uncertain; yet one thingis sure: disenchantment haspeaked among the people of thiscountry and the clouds arethickening. Since 1999, Nigerianshave unequivocally expressedtheir resentment at the severalanti-people policies and criminalmanipulation of the electoralprocess which undermines thecapacity of the citizens to effectivelyinfluence political developmentsand governance through the ballotbox. To say therefore that, giventhe escalating wave of insecurityin the country, Nigeria is not byany means better than any of thewar-torn countries amounts tobegging the issue.
If political unrest, turmoil,violence, conflicts and dislocationsare the criteria that qualifycitizens of a given country to seekasylum elsewhere as Nigerians arecurrently doing in large numbers,then there is a revolution in theland. It is shameful that more thanfourteen years into a so-calleddemocratic dispensation things areso bad that Nigerians are desperateto abandon their fatherland evento some less endowed countries.What is apparent is that Nigerianshave lost faith in their government- due largely to leadership failure,as government has proved utterlyincapable of redemptive action; itis understandable that Nigeriansare craving for change. But it is arevolution deferred, writ large!Dan Amor can be reached onwww.Twitter.com
The show at Douglas HouseIn August 2011, while
assessing Gov. RochasOkorocha administration's
first 100 days in office, I wrote awidely published article titled"Rescue Mission for Rochas" inwhich I stated that "The euphoriathat greeted the expulsion of IkediOhakim from and the election ofRochas Okorocha to the DouglasHouse Owerri, Imo State, on May29, 2011, has quickly fizzled out.Replaced with bewilderment,astonishment and disbelief, asImolites watch Rochas self-destruct. I was unable to find anyrecord of any leader that has sunkso precipitously in popularity, inso short a time - Not even by thestandards of the dictatorships heappears to mimic!"
Most defenders of Gov.Okorocha cried foul saying it wastoo soon to judge him, even withthe very early obvious blindingclueless neon-signs showing himheaded in the wrong direction.Some of my observations thenincluded, his wrong decisions torescind those 10,000 jobs createdby his predecessor intended torefresh the State's aging civilservice with young graduates;firing of those "elected" localgovernment chairmen; brazeninterference with management
of educational, town unions andtraditional rulers' institutions;creation of unconstitutionaladministrative structures andappointing his minions"otimkpus" (praise singers) asadvisers for everything thatexists; and the daily drumbeatand unending campaign againsthis predecessor Gov. IkediOhakim's legacy, at a timecritical for him to firmlyestablish a governing doctrine.
I, also, described hisperformance then as "visible withlittle substance". Fast forward totoday, has anything changed? Yes.They have not only gotten worse,but we now also know he is sadly aclown! A clueless clown! How elsewould you characterize a governorwho governs by weekly paidadvertorial on AIT television, oftotally irrelevant and obscenelywasteful events, such as birthday,daughter's wedding, social eventsthat add no value to the quality oflife of Imolites? How else would youcharacterize a governor whoseidea of development is the non-strategic proliferation of hotels andbrothels, pronouncement of policyinitiatives without follow up, suchas his hollow free education,haphazard construction of roads,hospitals, and schools? How elsewould you characterize a governorwho fraudulently recruited
contractors without mobilizationand payment, in violation of theProcurement Act thus financiallyincapacitating the contractors,and the commuters who findplying the roads now worse thanever? How else would youcharacterize a governor of ImoState who secretly concessionedout public hospitals in Imo State toa Kaduna based company(Lantech Solutions Ltd., reportedlyrun by a friend of his Dr. Ibrahim)?How else would you characterize agovernor who is lawless, whodespite several court verdictsdirecting him to allow "elected"(although flawed) localgovernment council chairmen to
run the affairs of the councils, Gov.Okorocha refused to cooperate, hecontinued cornering andappropriating their resources thuscrippling activities of the 27 LGAs?
How else would youcharacterize a governor of Imostate who thinks it is a great idea tointroduce a non-Igbo culture ofdoling out free money, not earned,such as the doling out of free N100monthly to primary school pupilsrather than make them earn itthrough various forms ofcompetition, creative projects orother productive endeavors? Howelse would you characterize agovernor who within one year, haschanged the Vice-Chancellor of Imo
State University three times,thereby impeding scholarship,academic freedom and discipline?How else would you characterize agovernor whose news worthinessare when he is fraudulentlygrabbing lands, selfishlyrelocating commercial and publicfacilities and creating confusion atlocal levels with his ill-advised socalled 4th tier of government? Howelse would you characterize agovernor who comingles affairs ofhis questionable RochasFoundation with Imo State Affairs?How else would you characterize agovernor who unilaterallydeclared a 2 week paid Christmasholidays for civil servants with theconsequential impact onproductivity? How else would youcharacterize a governor whoseglaring accomplishments,halfway through his first term, arelack of governing vision, chaos,planlessness, bogus projects andconverting the State into RochasInc.? Finally, how else would youcharacterize a governor whorecently made a circus show out ofa legitimate effort to probe hispredecessor, by prejudicing hisinvestigation by politicallydeclaring his target guilty beforeconstituting the panel of inquiry?Well you know my generousopinion already- a Clown is incharge at the Douglas House, butno one seems to be laughing. Godhelp us!Prof. Edward Oparaoji wrotein from Philadelphia, USA.
By Edward Oparaoji
By Dan Amor
“How else would you characterize agovernor who governs by weekly paidadvertorial on AIT television, of totally
irrelevant and obscenely wastefulevents, such as birthday, daughter'swedding, social events that add no
value to the quality of life of Imolites?
“What is apparent is that Nigerianshave lost faith in their government - due
largely to leadership failure, asgovernment has proved utterly incapable
of redemptive action; it isunderstandable that Nigerians are
craving for change. But it is a revolutiondeferred, writ large!
PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013PAGE 16
Residentswarned againstpurchasingillegal plots
Residents of the FederalCapital Territory (FCT)have been warned to beware
of fraudulent activities of landspeculators and agents whospecialises in selling fake plots of landto unsuspecting members of thepublic.
The Director, Department ofDevelopment Control of the Metropolitan Management Council(AMMC) Tpl. Yahaya Yusuf , whogave the warning while addressingmedia men during a site visit, reiterated the importance ofacquiring land titles from therelevant departments of the FCTAdministration to avoid fallingvictim to fraudsters.
Yusuf emphasised that landacquisition without titleddocuments approved by theauthorities concerned is void, notingthat the Abuja GeographicInformation System (AGIS) is theonly agency charged with duty ofallocation of lands in the FederalCapital Territory.
He also advised that titleddocuments should be submitted tothe Department of DevelopmentControl for proper scrutiny ‘vetting’before development commences onthe plot.
“Failure to obtain a building planapproval can lead to loads ofproblems in the future, includingcollapse of structure. Thedepartment has introducedelectronic vetting for enhancingquick and flexible procedures. Andin time, documents will besubmitted electronically,” headded.
The director appealed todevelopers and the general public tocooperate with the department in2013 in other not to be victimized.
According to him, quit noticesare served frequently to occupantsof illegal structures from foundationlevel but that developersdeliberately ignore such noticeshoping that buildings will not beremoved when they are ‘rushed’ tolintel level.
He said where there is noillegality, demolition will not takeplace saying “Nigerians shouldsacrifice being law abiding so as tohave a city that we all can be proudof”.
He also advised residents to takeadvantage of infrastructure beingput in place by the Minister, SenatorBala Mohammed and develop in linewith the provisions of the masterplan.
Police arrest cobbler,35, for defiling six kids
The source said the suspectlured the boys into the act atdifferent occasions, paying themN300 each.
“Sometimes, he will repairtheir shoes free of charge beforeperpetrating the act,” he said.
The source who pleaded for
The Police in Abuja has arrested a shoe maker,Haruna Ibrahim, 35, of
Ajata, Jikwoyi in the FederalCapital Territory(FCT) forallegedly, indulging in sodomywith six male minors whose agesrange from eight to 14 years.
A source at the Jikwoyi PoliceStation told the News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) that all theaffected boys had confessed to theact to their parents.
“Their parents then alertedthe police who arrested thesuspect,” the source said.
Young Fulani men chatting, yesterday in Kuje, Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo
A supervisor in charge ofGwagwa Main Market inAbuja Municipal Area
Council (AMAC) of the FederalCapital Territory (FCT), MrOmale Usman, has called on theFederal Capital TerritoryAdministration, (FCTA) andAMAC to fence the Gwagwa MainMarket to curb the securitysituation faced by it.
He also urged the minister torehabilitate roads within themarket in order to pave way formarketers to transport theirgoods to the market easily.
Usman, who made this callin an interview with PeoplesDaily in Gwagwa, alleged thatthere was no governmentstructure being put in place inthe market.
He further appealed to theminister to construct boreholes,as well as toilets in the market,noting that the market lackedsocial amenities.
He urged the authority ofAMAC to fix Wednesday andSaturday as the market day, so
that more revenue could begenerated for the area council.
The supervisor advised marketers to carry out theirlawful businesses in the market,while warning the marketers toshun any act capable of fuellingcrisis in the market place.
anonymity because he was notauthorised to speak on thematter said that Ibrahim haddenied the allegation but“investigation is still on togather evidence after which thematter will be charge to court’’.(NAN)
By Josephine Ella Ejeh
Inhabitants of Kagini villagein Abuja Municipal AreaCouncil (AMAC) of the
Federal Capital Territory (FCT)have appealed to the PowerHolding Company of Nigeria(PHNC) and the FCT Minister,Senator Bala Mohammed toprovide them with electricity to
boost economic activities in thearea.
The spokesman of theresidents, Mr John Emmanuel,who spoke to Peoples Daily inKagini, also urged the FCTminister to rehabilitate thedilapidated roads in Kaginilamenting that thecommunity had been neglectedin the area of basic amenities.
He charged the residents to
Kagini community appeals for electricitybe united for the upliftment ofthe community, appealing also to the village head of Kagini,Alhaji Isah J. Gbegbe to use hisposition to liaise with thegovernment of the day to bringrapid development to the community.
This was as he accused thechairman of AMAC of failing tofocus on the infrastructuraldevelopment of Kagini.
By Usman Shuaibu
Usman said that themanagement of the marketwould continue to provide anenabling environment for thetraders in the market and urgedthem to cooperate with theauthority of the market at allthe times.
The Chairman of AbujaMunicipal Area council(AMAC), Hon. Micah Jiba
has condemned the call forsuspension of the six electedcouncil chairmen in Federal
Capital Territory(FCT) andtheir replacement with care-taker chairmen, saying this would be injurious to the grassroot.
Jiba, who spoke to journalistsin Abuja during a town hallmeeting said the decision isunconstitutional, adding that
some of the gigantic projectscarried out by AMAC aresometimes misunderstood asproject of FCT Administration.
“In most of the communitiesvisited during our recent mediaproject tour, you journalistscould see for yourself the ruralelectrification project, water
Scrapping of area councils unconstitutional, says AMACproject, health care project androad project in 12 communitiesof the council.
“All this projects are todecongest the city and they arestandard and still functional. Iwant to assure you that if otherarea councils are not doing theirjob we are doing our own job,”
By Usman Shuaibu he said. He, therefore, advised the
Minister of FCT, Senator BalaMohammed to continue with hisdevelopmental projects in thenation’s capital and resist anyadvice that is capable ofdestroying the good work he hasdone in the territory
PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013 PAGE 17
Landlord, community at loggerheadover installation of PHCN transformer
Street was chosen by PHCN withthe approval of the KubwaDevelopment Control office as theappropriate site for the newlyapproved transformer was said tohave stood vehemently againstthe project.
Having filed a complaintbefore the Divisional Police Officerin Kubwa, Dr. Owoh was advisedto take up his case with the PHCNwho had surveyed the area andchosen the spot outside his fenceas a service area as the appropriatespot. This was also confirmed bythe Development Control office inKubwa.
“We met the CEO of PHCN andlaid our complaint before him thatsomebody is trying to override thepublic interest. The people thatcame, along with the BusinessManager of Kubwa, surveyed theplace, and decided that wherethey were going to fix thetransformer, the high-tensionwires would pass over manypeople’s roofs and that one is moredangerous. In the event of itcutting off, many people could beaffected. We felt it is better thatthe cable run over the road, wherewe put it, so that if it ever fell off, itwill fall on the road and will nothurt anybody.
“But the landlord is insistingthat we should remove it from hisfence. He is also enjoying atransformer that is by somebody’sfence where he lives. But PHCNCEO said that he has investigatedit and that we should go ahead.There and then, he called theKubwa Business Manager aboutthe state of the whole thing andconfirmed that he checked withthe inspectorate and that it is inorder to fix the transformerthere”, Prince Omojowolo said.
The aggrieved landlord, who
Ben Omojowolo.Investigations by our reporter
also revealed that security of livesand property is also at its lowestebb in Agbo community owing toits location, and no thanks to theconstant power outage, whichhas provided a fertile ground forcriminals to perpetrate theirnefarious activities.
Mr. Joe Chukwu, anImmigration officer who moved to the area with his new wife in2002, abruptly packed out someeight months later.
”The compound was robbedtwice within the period. Otherneighbours had their own storiesto tell. I just had to pack out”, hetold our reporter.
Having moved into thecommunity in 2010 as a tenant,Prince Ben Omojowolo whobecame chairman of thecommunity when the formerchairman had relocated,instantly mobilized members ofthe community to reconnect thewater supply which had beendisrupted for almost three yearsas a result of the construction ofthe then Bauchi road leading fromKubwa to Dutse Alhaji.
Within two and a half months,water supply was restored and thecommunity presently enjoyspotable water like other areas inKubwa.
Along with other leaders of thecommunity, the chairman alsoseriously took up the issue ofsecurity and tackled it headlong.This they did by engaging youngmen as vigilante groups in liaisonwith the police. With blockadesmounted at each entry point,movement in and out of the areais restricted at odd hours, loweringthe crime rate. The communitypresently enjoys relative peaceand security.
Having effectively handledthese issues, leaders of thecommunity thought it was timeto resolve the problem of powersupply once and for all, alsothrough communal efforts.
They approached the Chief
Executive Officer of AbujaElectricity DistributionCompany, a subsidiary of thePower Holding Company ofNigeria, PHCN, Engineer AbdulGaniyu Umar, who approved a500KVA transformer for thecommunity after nearly twoyears of intensive efforts.
The news of the newtransformer and the prospects ofenjoying uninterrupted powersupply at last got members of thecommunity highly ecstatic.They all rallied round theirleaders to fast track theinstallment of the transformerwhich was approved sometime inSeptember 2012.
However, Dr. Godwin Owoh,the landlord whose fence at Plot138; Cardinal John Onaiyekan
resides outside of the Agbocommunity, was said to havefurther laid a petition before theFCT Commissioner of Policealleging among other things,threat to his life by the chairmanof the community as well as themembers.
He also included the DPO ofKubwa police station in thepetition alleging that the DPO istaking sides with the communityagainst his own interest.
The controversy has lingeredwithout an end in sight. Thecommunity is said to have lost thefirst transformer approved byPHCN.
An anonymous source toldour reporter that Dr. Owoh hadcalled the PHCN BusinessManager and threatened to arrestand detain him if he went aheadto execute the project.
The transformer was said tohave been allocated to anothercommunity which was ready atthe time.
A meeting has been scheduledfor today, Wednesday, January23, 2013 at the command whereDr. Owoh is expected to amongother things; bring along theCertificate of Occupancy inrespect to the land in dispute.
But in a telephone chat withour reporter on Monday eveningDr. Godwin Owoh described theaction of the community asillegal.
He said it was criminal to installa 500KVA transformer atresidential premises.
”Why can’t they install it attheir own houses?” he queried, andwondered if it was the communitywho ought to be installing thetransformer or PHCN.
He also asked the reporter howshe got his contact number, sayingit was an invasion of his privacy.
Meanwhile on a visit to PeoplesMedia Limited office yesterday, DrOwoh told one of our reporter that he had reported the matter tothe National ElectricityRegulatory Commission, NERCand PHCN who claimed that theinstallation was not authorizedby them.
In a telephone chat with ourreporter yesterday, PHCNBusiness Manager for Kubwadistrict, Engineer UsmanUsman confirmed that bothPHCN and Development Controlhad approved the spot as aservice area for utilities and wasonly awaiting the arrival of thetransformer.
“When the transformerarrives, we are going to installit there. If he likes, let him goahead and remove it,” EngineerUsman said.
The community chairmanand members have said theyare helpless in this situation andtherefore, called on the FCTMinister, Senator BalaMohammed, the DevelopmentControl and PHCN to wade into thematter to ensure an amicableresolution of the situation which isat best, a jigsaw puzzle.
By Miriam Humbe
On Friday January 18, 2013 Dr. GodwinOwoh, who is the landlord
of Plot 138, Cardinal JohnOnaiyekan Street on one hand,and the chairman and membersof the Agbo community inKubwa were guests of the FederalCapital Territory(FCT)Commissioner of Police, CPAderenle Shinaba at theCommand Headquarters in Garki2, Abuja.
Issues were raised which alsoincluded allegations and counterallegations of threat to life by boththe landlord on one hand, thechairman and members of hiscommunity on the other hand.
The Agbo community inPhase 2 site 1, Kubwa locatedalong Cardinal John OnaiyekanStreet, formerly called Bauchiroad is one settlement that hasbeen deprived of the basicamenities that make lifecomfortable such as potable watersupply and electricity supply forclose to a decade.
Water supply had been cut offfrom the community for nearlythree years. Residents were forcedto depend on untreated sources ofwater like well water, boreholesand water from vendors on cartspopularly called ‘mai ruwa’.
For electricity, supply hadbeen and is still epileptic to saythe least. Low shading has beenthe order of the day as powersupply is one day off and two dayson.
On the designated days, thecommunity still lack powersupply due to technical problems,a development which promptedthe community to seek for help.
“We decided to come togetheras a community and see if we canshow our interest to governmentto provide us a transformer. Whenwe went to PHCN headquarters,they agreed to help us. They saidthat we should apply”, saidcommunity chairman, Prince
The disputed site Photo: Miriam Humbe
CP Adenrele Shinaba
PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013PAGE 18
A businessman, MarshallWilliams, 27, residing at64, Nsukka Street, Garki,
Abuja, appeared at an Upper AreaCourt in Mararaba, NasarawaState, on Monday, charged withbreach of trust and cheating.
The Police Prosecutor, MrSteven Kwaza, said the matter wasreported at the Sani Abacha RoadPolice Station by one Bibot Kevinof the Federal Capital DevelopmentAuthority on December 13, 2012.
Kwaza added that Kevinhanded over his Peugeot 406 saloncar, valued at N950,000, toWilliams in October 2012 to sellfor him.
“He said he was a car dealer, sohe gave him the car to sell forN900,000 but he remitted onlyN570,000 to him’’.
The prosecutor said theaccused converted the remainingmoney to his personal use.
The accused pleaded not guiltyto the charges against him.
The Senior Magistrate, MrVincent Gwahemba, granted himbail in the sum of N500,000 witha surety in like sum.
He ordered that the suretymust submit two passport-sizephotographs and must residewithin the court’s jurisdiction.
He adjourned the case toFebruary 19, 2013 for hearing.(NAN)
Car dealercharged forcheating
Canal knowledge of herdaughter who is ten years.
Garba further noted that theoffence contravenes theprovisions of section sections 285of the Penal Code.
However, the accused
A Upper Area Court in Karuyesterday ordered theremand of Mr. Francis,
38, of NEPA junction Apovillage for raping a minor.
Police Prosecutor,Mohammed Garba told thecourt that on December, 23,2012 one Mary Sunday of thesame address came to the policestation and reported that theaccused on the same date had
Court remands man, 38, for raping 10-year-old girl
The accused pleaded guilty to thecharge, saying: “I was coming backfrom the farm when I heard that thesome people were planning to kill me.
“I then ran to the police stationfor safety. I confessed all thathappened. I have witchcraft. It wasone Fulani woman who gave me thepowers.
“I was able to kill one Danjuma. I
The Karu SeniorMagistrates Court,Abuja has convicted one Auta
Yako, 50, of Kugbo Market, for beinga wizard and inciting publicdisturbance.
Prosecutor, Francis Udofia, apolice corporal, had told the courtthat Yako confessed openly to havethe power of witchcraft on January
12, 2013.“With the power, he was able to
kill one Emma Danjuma at Kugbo.He said other people will also die,” theprosecutor told the court.
Udofia said the claims causeddisturbance and a breakdown of peacein the area.
He said the offence contravenes Section 114 of the Penal Code.
Man, 50, confesses involvement in witchcraftwas planning to kill another personwhen the news of my initial deedcame to the notice of the people,” headmitted, pleading however forleniency.
The magistrate, Mr BashiruAlkali, convicted Yako and orderedhim to be remanded in Keffi Prisonuntil January 28, 2013 forsentencing. (NAN)
The local nail cutter attending to his client, yesterday in Area 2, Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo
By Beauty Amaike pleaded not guilty to the charge.Meanwhile, the presiding
Judge Umar Yusuf Kagarkoremanded the accused in prisoncustody.
He adjourned the casemarch, 13, 2013 for hearing.
An Abuja SeniorMagistrates Court has sentenced a driver, Kingsley
Chigozie of Tudunwada, Lugbe,Abuja to one month imprisonmentfor stealing.
Senior Magistrate MimiKatsina-Alu said the sentencewould serve as a deterrent to otheroffenders of like minds.
The Prosecutor, Mr PaulAnigbo, had told the court that oneSandra Oboh of Tudunwada,Lugbe, reported the case at theLugbe Police Station on January10, 2013.
Anigbo said that on January 9,Oboh locked up her shop for the dayand went home and on her returnon January 10, she discovered thatthe shop was bugled.
He said that Chigozie broke intoOboh’s shop through the windowand stole a DSTV decoder, CDplayer and 16 bottles of red wine.
The prosecutor said that duringinvestigation, Chigozie admittedcommitting the offence whichcontravened Sections 288 and 347of the Penal Code.
Chigozie, however, pleadedguilty to the allegation and beggedfor mercy.
Katsina-Alu sentenced theconvict without an option of fine.(NAN)
When brought to the policestation he was said to have alsoslapped the said police officer in thepresent of C.R.O.
Investigations was also said tohave shown that the accused is ahabitual criminal also havingvarious criminal records atNyanya police station.
Nanpan said that thecharges were contrary to
A carpenter, YusufAbubakar, 25, ofNyanya market was
yesterday charged before anUpper Area Court in Karu forunlawful possession of dry leavessuspected to be Indian hemp and for resisting of arrest.
Police Prosecutor, Silas
Nanpan told the court that onJanuary, 1, 2013, a team ofdetectives led by Corporal JinanNummyel and three others wereon surveillance patrol alongNyanya market, Abuja and sawthe accused smoking Indian hemp.
He further stated that whenthey were trying to arrest him; heresisted the arrest and woundedPC Ajape Olayonka on his mouth.
Carpenter charged for unlawful possession of Indian hempSections 172 and 240 of thePenal Code.
The accused pleaded notguilty to the charges.
The presiding Judge, UmarYusuf Kagarko granted theaccused bail win the sum of N10,000 and one surety within thejurisdiction.
He adjourned the case toMarch, 8, 2013 for hearing.
By Beauty Amaike
days in the custody of the SulejaPrison,’’ Masanawa said.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) recalls that Masanawa hadin a judgment in December 2012ordered Nal to pay Alhaji Isa Jibrinof Lugbe Village N200,000.
Jibrin had dragged Nal tocourt for the destruction of hisfarm produce by the latter’s cows.
The defendant had agreed incourt to pay Jibrin the money but
A 70-year-old Fulanileader, AhmaduMohammed, of Lugbe
Village, Abuja has been sentencedto seven days imprisonment by aLugbe Area Court, Abuja, forcontempt of court.
The Judge, HarunaMasanawa, said the court had totake the decision in order to pass amessage, especially to the convictthat the authority of the court
should never be taken for granted.Masanawa said the convict
disobeyed the court by runningaway from the village after bailingone Arbu Nal of Lugbe Village.
He said Mohammed did notshow up in court or produced thesuspect until the court ordered forhis arrest.
“For disrespecting theauthority of the court this way,you have to spend the next seven
Lugbe Fulani leader gets seven days imprisonment for contemptnever fulfilled the promise.
When Nal was arrested,Mohammed stood surety for him,but could not produce him incourt when he was needed.Mohammed himself deserted thevillage until he was apprehended.
Meanwhile, Masanawa hasadjourned the case to January28, 2013 for Nal to fulfil hispromise to pay Jibrin his money.(NAN)
INSIDE FCTCOURTS
PAGE 19PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
Management Tip of the DayJob seekers: Social media is your friend
INSIDE
People may go online to goofoff but before long, theytalk shop. Social media sites
such as Twitter, Facebook,YouTube, Quora, and evenPinterest can be valuable job-hunting tools. Here are twothings social media can do to aidyour job search:
· Build a better contact list.Lots of recruiters, hiringmanagers, and industry
networkers are swapping jobleads and industry updates onTwitter. Follow decision makersin your field. Publish links tointeresting articles. Some of thepeople you follow may start toreciprocate.
· Share your work portfolio.High-traffic sites such asYouTube and Pinterest canshowcase great work in anyfield. Recruiters are
increasingly prowling thesenetworks for the bestcandidates — even if it meanspoaching people from theircurrent jobs. By displaying astrong internet portfolio of yourwork, you increase yourchances of getting noticed andhired.
Source: Harvard BusinessReview
Jaiz Bank, the country’s firstand only non-interest bank,which started operations in
2011 has grown its asset base toN11 billion, the ManagingDirector of bank, Alh. MustaphaBintube, has disclosed in Abuja.
Bintube said the bank isplanning to increase its branchnetwork from the present 10branches to 25 before the end ofthe year, adding that with thebank’s current asset base, itwould not be difficult for the bankto meet the requirements for anational banking licence. Bystatutory provision, a bank inNigeria needs to have aminimum capital base of N25
Jaiz Bank asset base hits N11bnBy Abdulwahab Isa
billion to become a national bank.The MD said when Jaiz
becomes a national bank, it wouldeventually have branches in allstates of the federation, addingthat though it is an Islamic bank,the first customers who got loansfrom the bank were christians.
Bintube observed that theoutlook for non-interest bankingacross the world was verypositive. ”Non-interest banksworldwide grew at about 19 per
cent over the last four-yearperiod”, he said.
He adding that: “If you takethe overall growth in thebanking sector globally, Islamicbanking grew 50 per cent morethan the conventional bankingin terms of deposits and assets. So,in terms of market growth, itgrew at about 19 percent but ifyou compare it to theconventional banks, it grew by50 per cent. So, if the
conventional banks grew to let ussay $10 billion, Islamic banksmust have grown relatively, toabout $20 billion.”
According to him, non-interest banking globally, whichposted a total assets base of about$1.3 trillion at the end of 2012would overtake the conventionalbanks with assets projected to riseto $2 trillion by 2014.
With this growth rate,Bintube, said, the non-interest
L-R: Executive Director, African Centre for Leadership Strategy and Development, Dr Otive Igbuzor ,Executive Director, Women Advocate Research and Policy Centre (WARDC), Mrs Abiola Akiyode,and National Convener, United Action for Democracy (UAD), Mr. Jaiye Gaskia, during a workshop ontransparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria, yesterday in Abuja.
Photo: Justin Imo-Owo
The Monetary PolicyCommittee (MPC) decidedto leave the Monetary
Policy Rate unchanged at 12%when they met in Abujayesterday.
The Monetary Policy Rate isthe key interest rate which theCentral Bank of Nigeria (CBN)lends money to commercialbanks.
The decision makers are of theopinion that the $79 oilbenchmark poses an inflationarythreat to the economy, and areduction in the key lending ratewould have amplified the damageto the economy if implemented.
Head, Africa Research,Standard Chartered Bank Group,Ms. Razia Khan said, “In all, webelieve this was a good andmeasured decision, weighing upthe differing economic risks facedby the Nigerian economy.
“The Naira should continueto receive support from thecurrent level of interest rates,while issuance plans and offshoreappetite for Nigerian debt willremain key drivers of bondyields.”
Also speaking on thedevelopment, the ManagingDirector of Financial DerivativesCompany, Mr. Bismarck Rewanesaid, “The MPC behaved true totype and left the benchmarkinterest rate at 12 per cent afterthe first meeting of 2013. TheCBN has adopted a monetarypolicy framework of implicitinflation targeting, with theinterest rate as its nominalanchor.
“It has also implemented itsstrategy using the discretionaryrule. This means the CBN isproactive and is more aggressivein the execution of its strategy ofmaintaining price stability. Eventhough it talks of inflationtargeting, the CBN’s bodylanguage reveals a nearobsession with maintaining astrong naira with a tendencytowards overvaluation.”
Analystsapplaud MPCsdecision onratesBy Abdulwahab Isa
Most of the oil marketersin the country are goingthrough very tough
time as the ease with which theyused to acquire loans from Banksis fast dwindling with a twist ofevents, as banks have becomedifficult to approach in thatregards.
It will be recalled that therewas a delay in the payment ofsubsidy claims to the marketersin 2012, because of the variousprobes carried out on thepetroleum sector and the issue ofsubsidy payments by the House
of Representatives and the Aig-Imokhuede Committees.
But after the reports had beensubmitted by the variouscommittees concerned, theFederal Ministry of Finance hassince resumed full payments of thesubsidy claims to the petroleummarketers.
With the recent developmentin the petroleum sector, only fewof the marketers have access tocredit facilities from the banks,which could affect the importationof the products, considering the factthat local production has come upto full capacity.
However, giving further
clarifications on the issue of subsidypayments to marketers last week,the Finance and CoordinatingMinister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala have said that her Ministryhad since released about N161.6billion approved by the NationalAssembly for Subsidy Payments.
There is now a twist in theongoing business relationshipbetween the marketers and thebankers as the trend has changedfrom the banks chasing themarketers, to the marketersnow chasing the banks,pleading for credit, a veryunfortunate situation for themarketers.
banks are now growing at a fasterrate than the conventionalbanks. He said Jaiz Bank wascourting customers withattractive products includinginterest- free loans “since wecannot put our money in theinterest bearing treasury bills.”
Marketers yet to receive credit from banksBy Muhammad Nasir
GTBank changesthe game withMobile Money…introduces cardlessATM WithdrawalsBy Aminu Imam
Forget cashless banking,cardless banking is the newIT. GTBank launched a new
mobile money service earlier thisweek. The mobile moneyapplication allows you to use anATM without a Card, andGTBank ATMs have thetechnology which allows you towithdraw money from an ATMwithout an ATM card.
Another even cool feature isthe transaction limits. Mostmiddle-income Nigerians fallinto the category of the semi-banked, this means that thereare daily transaction limits ofN100,000 set by the CBN. Inother words even on those Fridaynights out with the crew, youwon’t be able to buy out the bar.
The CBN built theseregulations into its cashlesspolicy in order to serve as asecurity feature amongst otherreasons. There are threecategories of mobile moneyaccounts: First is the Unbanked,which refers to Nigerians who donot have a physical bank account,the transaction limit here isN30,000 daily; then the Semi-banked, which refers to Nigerianswho have a savings account, thetransaction limit for this categoryis N100,000 daily and the FullyBanked, which refers to Nigerianswho have a current account, thiscategory allows for transactionsof N1 million daily;
Another awesome featureabout GTBank’s mobile money isthat it comes in the form of anapplication that is free todownload from the BlackBerryApp World, Apple iTunes, GooglePlay or Nokia Ovi store.
Also, the service does notdiscriminate on those left out ofthe high-end smartphonedemographic. Even if you use aNokia 3310, people can still sendyou money which you canreceive. The GTBank MobileMoney service is also available onEtisalat SIMs.
Receiving money fromGTBank’s mobile money is all tooeasy. The sender just needs yourphone number. The cash thenhits your phone in the form of acode in an SMS, and you can takeit to the nearest GTBank ATM andcash out without using an ATMcard.
PAGE 20 PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
COMPANYNEWS
BondsAt the Nigerian Stock
Exchange (NSE), themarket capitalisation of
bonds soared by 55.61percent last year to N5.82trillion ($37.44 billion).
There were seven newstate and corporate bondissues, and three FederalGovernment bond issues lastyear.
Oscar Onyeama, chiefexecutive officer, NigerianStock Exchange said at aworld press briefing recentlythat: “The value of cashtransactions for governmentbonds, fell for the thirdconsecutive year by 11.14percent, to N7.10 trillion($45.68 billion),” adding thatthere was increased focus onTreasury Bills in 2012 as cashtransactions were valued atN13.92 trillion ($89.55 billion),a 28.75 percent increase overthe previous year.
IHSNigerian telecoms
infrastructurecompany, IHS, hopes
to agree up to threetransmitter tower deals inAfrica this year and increasethe size of its portfolio nearlyseven-fold within the nextfour years.
Lagos-listed IHS ownsabout 3 100 base stations, ortowers that transmit mobilephone signals, and managesa further 2 000 sites fortelecoms operators in Africaincluding South Africa’sMTN, India’s Bharti Airteland Etisalat Nigeria.
Operators in Africa,which often struggle withhigher running costs andlower revenue per user thanother regions, try to reduceexpenditure by pooling orselling their transmittertowers.
CEED
Christian EvangelisticEconomic Development(CEED), a United
States-based small andmedium-scale businessesdeveloper and promoter hasfacilitated a trade missionbetween a group of 300buyers from the UnitedStates of America and smallmedium operators in threestates in Nigeria.
The states, whose SMEoperators will benefit about$450,000 or N702 millionare Ogun, Osun and Lagosstates.
The facilitator, RufusIdris, the executive directorof CEED said in Abeokutathat CEED had finalisedagreement with the NigerianAssociation of Chambers ofCommerce, Industry, Minesand Agriculture (NACCIMA)to host the trade mission inM a y .
What informed theaction of theagency to carry this
exercise since these aircrafthas been here for a number ofyears?
It will interest you to know thatfor a long time we have been askingthe owners of these abandonedairplanes that litter our airportsall over the country to comeforward and remove them; someof them have been here for five,ten years. As you can see, none ofthese airplanes can fly anymore.In fact, most of the companies thatown them are moribund but thepeople have refused to do the rightthing. So, in the spirit of thetransformation agenda of thisadministration, these types ofthings are what we don’t need; weneed enough space to develop; wewant them out of the place, forobvious reasons.
Which airlines own theseabandoned airplanes?
We have Spaceworld, Capitalairlines, Fresh Air, one belong toIRS, but they are still operating andhas cannibalise that particularaircraft you are seeing there,NICON airways, we have Dasabairline, Bellview airline, Albarka,Okada and many others scatteredacross Nigeria.
Any implication of leavingthem here since the ownerssaid they will come for them?
The greatest implication ofhaving these aircrafts here is thatthey pose a very serious securityrisk to the country; look at aviationsectors around the world, theairports are places that adequatesecurity precautionary measuresare put in place.
What duration have yougiven to the owners to comeand remove them?
We have decided to take actionwithin one week; in fact, thecontractors removing theseplanes, you can see them clearingthe whole place to start working.We have given notices, carried outadverts in various medium yetnobody has done anything, so wecannot continue like this. Theseplanes, like l said, are littered allover the country and the FederalGovernment has expressed itsdispleasure at the sight of themclose to our runways.
If you look at thetransformation agenda of thecurrent administration, we wantto make a mark in the aviationsector. Our leaders wants to makea mark so this is what we are doing;so that we can point our hands atsomething and say, yes, we wereable to achieve this; so, we areclearing this mess and we arestarting immediately.
FAAN have some legalissues to settle with some ofthe owners; have you looked atthe legal implications?
Like the Director of Legal
services has said, the statutorynotices have been issued a longtime, people have been notified andit seems the owners don’t needthem anymore; As you can see, theplace they occupied are close to thetarmac and servicing aircraft thatare moving and that is verydangerous to those in service. Wewill not allow them any longer tooccupy these sensitive locations ofthe airports. We have similarthing in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano,Owerri, Benin and Enugu. We arestarting with Lagos; by next weekwe will go to Abuja and move toother places. Those who haveabandoned aircrafts at our airportsshould simply take advantage ofthe one week grace to remove theirproperties before they begin tocomplain that they havemerchandise in those dead snake-breeding aircraft.
But sometime ago, FAANalluded in a statement thatsome of the legal issuessurrounding most of themhave been resolved whileothers are yet to be dispose of,
Why we are removing abandoned aircraftsin our airports - Capt Henry Omeogu
with this action, don’t itamount to contempt of court?
Again, the legal service directorhas made it clear that none of themhas any order stopping us fromremoving them from the airports,we are neither selling them norclaiming ownership, and we aresimply removing them fromwhere they posed danger to thelarger society. There is no personalinterest that will be allowed tooverride the interest of the wholenation. When you leave anabandoned aircraft near thetarmac or runway, you areendangering the lives of moreNigerians and foreigners who usethe airport. So, we cannot allowyour interest maybe you havegiven the aircraft as collateral to abank, that is your business; if youthink you still need it to safeguardyour economic interest, we aresaying come and take it away.
These are notices we haveissued since 2010; perhaps it couldamount to a typical fashion ofNigerians that say ‘wetin dem fitdo self ?’; now, we are assuring
people that we have somethingthat we will do and we are going todo it.
Where are you evacuatingthe aircrafts to?
Firstly, there are several thateven the owners has asked us topieces them, affirming that theyare not interested, so we are goingto start with those ones. The otherone is that if they eventually comemaybe we can talk to them andwherever we are taking them toperhaps a graveyard orsomething, but the bottom line isthat these carcasses have to leavethese places. We may now givethem time within which theyhave to remove them from eventhe graveyards.
Some of the operators havecalled on your organisation togive them a graveyard toenable them dump theaircrafts; are you promisingthem one?
Initially, these planes you seewere on the other side of the airportand we asked them to move themfrom the extended apron, theyrefuse to remove them, so wemoved them down here, this placeis not safe to keep this materials,we have now asked them to comeand take them away. The issue ofgraveyard is not our priority. Weare going to try to dismantle themand throw them away, whatever;let them simply come and takethem away themselves. I am notpromising any graveyard becausewe don’t even have the space.
Those we have legal tussle withare not actually contestingwhether the aircrafts shouldremain here; we are contestingthe outstanding fees, some of themoperated and went defunct withoutpaying FAAN the statutory fees,so we will not be held back by suchconsiderations; safety and safetycomes first and not the economicinterest of anybody. Right now, weare in the process of certifying mostof our airports, and you know whenthe team of inspectors comearound, such things as these mustnot be found anywhere around theairport environment.
Are these part of thecertification exercise theministry is embarking on?
I will say you got it spot on; weare going to certify Abuja andLagos airports before the end of thefirst quarter. We mean businessand once these facilities get theICAO standard requirement, youwill marvel at the way investorswill flood this whole place. Just asthey unbound the power sector, weare doing same for the aviationsector and investors are optimisticnow that we have environment forinvestment with newinfrastructure being put in place,very soon you will notice thechange. We are running with thetransformation agenda of thisadministration.
Capt. Henry Omeogu
Last week, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), said it will commence the removal of abandonedaircrafts across the airports in the country; Suleiman Idris caught up with the Chairman of the Task Force onAbandoned Aircraft, Capt. Henry Omeogu, who is the Director of Airports Operations of the agency during atour of abandoned aircrafts in Lagos and asked him the reasons behind the exercise. Excerpts:
....the contractors removing theseplanes, you can see them clearingthe whole place to start working.
We have given notices, carried outadverts in various medium yet no-
body has done anything....
“
PAGE 21PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
The Minister of Agricultureand Rural Development,Dr Akinwunmi Adesina
announced recently in Abuja,plan by the ministry to give out10 million cell phones tosmallholder farmers.
Adesina explained that theplan would suffice for thepurpose of intimating thebeneficiaries with update onclimatic conditions, marketprices of farm produce and howthey could access agriculturalfunds.
He explained that fivemillion of the phones would begiven to women farmers, as theFederal Government ismodernising agriculture frombeing a developmentprogramme to a business, usingnew tools to reach farmers.
He added that the cell phoneinitiative would be rolled intothe second phase of the GrowthEnhancement Support (GES)scheme in agriculture sector.
He said GES was a FederalGovernment initiative aimedat subsidising the cost of majoragricultural inputs, such asfertilisers and seeds.
According to the minister,the direct procurement anddistribution of farm inputs tofarmers is discontinued andsupplies are expected to be donethrough an electronicdistribution channel known asthe e-wallet.
The e-wallet schemestipulates that a farmer,registered under the scheme, isexpected to pay 50 per cent ofthe cost of farm inputs, whilethe federal and stategovernments are expected topay 25 per cent each.
Adesina said: ``With the useof these phones, farmers can getinformation on plantingseasons; we cannot do that bynewspapers, we need to havesomething they can relate within local languages.''
But the question beingasked by some stakeholders,some out of ignorance, andothers out of genuine concerns,has been: Do farmers reallywant mobile phones and whatis the relationship of phonewith farming? Can the moneyfor the phone be more useful inother farming areas?
In response to this, theminister said modernagriculture was intense inwhich case, farmers should bearmed with adequateknowledge and moderninformation systems.
``Whether small, mediumor large farmers, they all needinformation andcommunication systems.
“Connecting tosupermarkets andinternational markets requirethat farmers know and meetstringent consumer-drivengrades and standards.
“In today's supply chains,the flow of information from
buyers to farmers should beinstant, to meet rapidlychanging demands.
“Unless farmers haveinformation at their finger tips,they will lose out on marketopportunities; this is theessence of equipping them withcell phones,'' he explained.
Adesina observed that thegoal of the ministry was toempower every farmer andensure that no farmer would beleft out.
According to him, theministry has planned to reachthe farmers in their locallanguages on developments inagriculture and the use of cell
phones.He said such would trigger
a revolution in agriculture, theemployer of 70 per cent of thecountry’s population.
“In today's world, the mostpowerful tool is a mobile phone;I want the entire farmers in thecountry to be included in thisrevolution,'' Adesina said.
The minister said that thedistribution of the phoneswould be financed through anagreement among theMinistries of Finance,Communications Technology,Agriculture and RuralDevelopment as well as WomenAffairs.
Boosting farming through cell phones
He noted that the UniversalService Provision Fund wouldsupport the initiative inpartnership with his ministry.
He said also that thepartnership would work withexisting mobile operators in thecountry through a public-private- partnership.
Listing the advantages ofthe use of cell phones infarming, the minister cites theexample of Kenya, wherefarmers use phones to increasetheir yields.
“More than 20,000 Kenyanfarmers say they haveincreased yields by up to 30 percent due to simple textmessages that were providingthem with advice on cropmanagement and fertiliserusage.
“When registering, farmersare able to indicate their cropof interest and whether theywant information on soils,fertiliser application,agronomy, markets orpesticide use.
“Farmers also have theoption to send separate textmessages requesting specificinformation on individualbasis,'' he said.
Assessing the GES scheme,a Lagos-based banana farmer,Mrs Christiana Alozie, said thatthe introduction of the mobilephones was a welcomedevelopment.
She said that theinformation to redeem herfarm inputs in the first phaseof the scheme came throughher mobile phone.
``So, if government issaying that they want to giveus phones, then we will accept
it and show gratitude for it,''she said.
Alozie added thatgovernment should provideelectricity to charge thephones, insisting that it was“only when the phone is alivethat farmers could receivetext messages.''
Another farmer, Mr LasisTaofeek, an Osogbo-basedmaize farmer, said cell phoneswere very important tofarming activities.
``When governmentintroduced this GES and wewere told that we will use atext message from our phonesto get farm inputs, I neverbelieved it could work.
``I was surprised when Ireceived the message on myphone and I went to theredemption centre to collectthe inputs,'' Taofeek said.
He called on thegovernment to ensure thesustainability of the initiativeas a tool for achieving thetarget of the government inagriculture towards theMillennium DevelopmentGoals.
Observers are of the viewthat although the governmenthas good intentions, adequatemonitoring should be made toensure that the project is oncourse.
They also suggest that thefelt needs of farmers shouldfirst be taken intoconsideration in the course ofproject execution.
A case where farmers willhave their preference shouldbe noted as they are the oneswho should tell where theirshoes pinch. (NAN)
Nigeria farmers have been empowered through the e-wallet scheme
Minister of Agriculure, Dr. Adeshina Adewunmi
PAGE 22 PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
Major cement distributorsat the weekend in Lagosurged the Federal
Government to encourageindigenous entrepreneurs bybanning import of items likecement which are now producedin sufficient quantities in thecountry.
The distributors, rising froma day retreat with themanagement of DangoteCement commended the cementcompany for creating massiveemployment in the economy.
Chairman, Giwa DynamicVentures Ltd, Alhaji Bala
M u h a m m a dGetso, while speaking at theretreat said that entrepreneurslike Aliko Dangote are neededto drive the economy as theycreate massive employmentopportunities.
Alhaji Getso, who describedDangote Industries Ltd as thebiggest employer of labour afterthe Federal Government, urgedgovernment to ban importingof cement in any form so as toencourage domesticmanufacturing.
He said, “Dangote is the
Distributors canvass total banon imported cementBy Abdulwahab Isa
biggest employer of labour afterthe government. We need suchpeople who establish industriesthat build the economy. Icommend him for venturinginto manufacturing andkeeping people gainfullyemployed. The distributors aregainfully employed, builders aregainfully employed. People in theconstruction industry aregainfully employed.”
Getso who is also the biggestdistributor of Dangote Cementnationwide urged government toban out rightly the importation
…commends Dangote on job creationof cement in any form describingcontinuous cement import aspolicy inconsistent.
Mrs. Chinwe Nwosu, anAwka, Anambra state-baseddistributor, in her contributioncommended Dangote Cement increating employmentopportunities throughemploying people in the factoriesand indirect employmentthrough people who earn a livingin cement industry relatedactivities.
According to her, thedistributors employ people who
work for them while blockmakers, brick layers, masons andothers in the building industryalso earn a living within theindustry. Dangote she said,should be encouraged to investmore in other sectors of theeconomy.
Sango Ota-based distributor,Aremu Kazeem Babatunde notedthat Dangote Cement has thecapacity to meet local demandfor cement and wondered whyGovernment should still importof cement in any form. He opinedthat local investors should beencouraged and protected so thattheir investments will thrive andcreate the necessary linkageslacking in the domesticeconomy.
President DangoteGroup, Aliko Dangoteaddressing the distributorsthanked them for their massivesupport for Dangote Cement. Hesaid that management ofDangote Cement is moredetermined to drive thecompany to higher levels for thebenefit of all stakeholders. Heurged the distributors to see thebusiness as a partnership withDangote Cement and pledged tosupport them in their dreams ofbuilding their businesses.
The Management of theAbuja DistributionCompany (DISCO) of
PHCN on Monday says it hasintroduced mobile recharge of thePrepayment Metres.
Mr. Yahaya Komo, thePrincipal Manager,Procurement, Abuja DISCO,made this known in an interviewwith the News Agency of Nigeriain Abuja.
“There are some problemsfaced by customers of PHCN usingcredit cards to recharge theirprepayment metres.
“Administrative problemsarise due to non-availability ofthe cards,’’ he said.
Komo listed Otis Carpets,Wuse 2, British village, Wuse 2,and Airport/Lugbe Office of PHCNas points in Abuja city forcustomers to recharge theirmetres.
He said that customers inMararaba and Nyanya shouldbuy credits at Nyanaya Area ‘A’Extension, Karu PHCN ServiceCentre, Jikwoyi/Orozo PHCNOffice, Aso Fada and NyanayaPower Plaza.
He stressed that the vendingand use of cell phone to rechargeprepayment metres had nolimitation on the amount ofmoney a customer couldrecharge as against the use ofcredit cards.
“With this mobile phonesystem, customers can rechargefrom any part of the country asdone in the U. S. Britain orCanada.’’
Komo assured customers thatthe challenge of reloading creditswould be eliminated by this newmeasure. (NAN)
L-R: Managing Director of Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, Mr. Rumundaka Wonodi; Chairman of Nigerian Electricity RegulatoryCommission, Dr. Sam Amadi; acting Director-General of Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr. Benjamin Dikki; Managing Director of NigerianElectricity Liability Management Company, Dr. Sam Agbogun, and Mrs Mary Awolokun, a Commissioner at NERC at BPE's pre-negotiationmeeting with preferred bidders of PHCN successor companies which held in Abuja...recently
PHCNintroducesmobilerecharge
By Ibrahim Kabiru Sule Metal products association petition FGover deplorable state of ALSCON plantThe Metal Products Senior
Staff Association of Nigeria,(MEPRSSAN) have
petitioned the FederalGovernment over the deplorablestate of the only smelter plant inNigeria (ALSCON) due to theunprecedented lack of majorspare parts for the maintenanceof the existing machines andequipment for the continuedproduction of aluminum in theplant.
According to the petition,which was addressed to the officeof the Vice-President through theBureau of Public Enterprise(BPE) and signed by theMEPROSSAN Chairman,Stanley S. A Inyang andChairman, SEWUN, ComradeLinus Usen, was necessitated bythe fact that all efforts by bothunions to prevail on themanagement to replace parts ofthe equipment in the plantespecially the production areasmeet with brick walls.Theassociation said all the spare parts
inherited have been used up'adding: "The reduction facilitywhich is the major engine roomfor the production of aluminumhas been grounded due to theabsence of any functional cranefor operations. Nine cranes wereinherited in 2007 but vas attoday, not even one is working.This has resulted in the lost of over30 pots. An automated plant, aswas designed' has become amanually operated plant withsome equipment scraped toservice others instead ofprocuring spare parts.
"As at today, themanagement of Rusal has notinvested enough money in theplant that it is claiming theownership.RUSAL managementmet four rectifier units (11-14)in good condition in 2007 witheach delivering an average of 84(KA) amperes current, to
plotlines. Rectifier 11 and 13 wereshut down in 2010 due to lack ofspare part and scraped tomaintained Rectifier 12 and 14.
"Sadly today, rectifier 12cannot supply the full loadcurrent due to defective contact,so only rectifier 14 is working.Instead of 169 KA current thatwas supposed to be supplied toplotlines, only about 98 KA isbeing supplied due to the poorstate of the rectifiers."The banalarrogance and callousinsensitivity of the managementtowards addressing theseproblems has reached analarming crescendo and theunions thought it necessary toalert the Federal Government ofNigeria through the supervisingagency BPE."Additionally, wewish to remind you that it isnearly six years now after theprivatization of ALSCON was
completed and the plant handedover to the new investor, RUSAL.But contrary to the laborprovisions in the privatizationguidelines of the National Councilon Privatization (NCP) regardingthe settlements and liabilities inprivatised companies beforehanding over to the core investor,these liabilities was not settledand has not been settled andtherefore it has to be settled beforethe Supreme Court judgment isimplemented. The total liabilityfor one thousand eight hundredstaff as you are aware is about2.7 billion naira only.
The association further said ifthis status quo does not chancenow in order to enable the ailingparts of the plants receive thenecessary attention, theimmediate future of this enviablenational edifice is certainlypredictable.
PEOSPLES DAILY, WEDNESNDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013 PAGE 23
Report as at Tuesday, January 22, 2013
PAGE 24 PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013 PAGE 25
Colour ambience in bedroomsBedrooms come in all styles, shapes, and sizes, so how do you design your own? We've got bedroom decorating inspiration here. Wepresent two masterfully designed bedrooms (and styles) to inspire the creativity in you. Go ahead. Get thinking. See what you can do aboutthose bedrooms in your home. There's great creativity in you. And you will find out if you will only try.
A Twist on TraditionalIn this master bedroom, the designer Kathryn M. Ireland decided to use pattern onpattern with fabrics from her own line.
A Coastal BedroomDesigner Tom Stringer gave this antique chandelier a makeover with white paint. Thefour-poster bed's headboard is in Ralph Lauren's Coastal Stripe.
Decorating your children's roomThrill Those Kids with ColourTherapy!
Colours affect the mood,character and overalldevelopment of your kids. Thosefrowns, hearty grins, joyfullaughter and, yes, even thosesigns that suggest your kids mighthave leadership or academicabilities are probably beingnurtured by the dominant colourin your kids' rooms.
Here are priceless tips on howyou can use colour in wallpaperto influence the mood andcharacter of those little darlings.
Colour is the first thing toconsider when thinking ofredecorating your child's room. Ithas been proven that colourregulates and has a great effecton the mood and character ofindividuals, children inclusive.
Wallpaper offers a wide rangeof colours that paints and otherwall-coverings and treatmentcannot achieve. The unique blendof colours and design offered bywallpapers cannot be over-emphasized. We have thereforetaken out time to bring you somevery priceless hints on the colourto consider the next time you arethinking of redecorating yourchild's room and maybe attempt
to move you from the traditionalPink and Blue.
RED - Forms friendliness andcreates stimulation.
Red is the symbol of beinghealthy and active. It is the colourthat helps Kids build active andsocial personality.
Tip: Red easily goes with black
and it creates sporty image if usedwith white.
YELLOW - Stimulates brainactivity.
Yellow colour stimulates creedfor rapport and parasympathicnerve that stimulates kids' brainactivity and it greatly improvesacademic ability. It also eases kids
from being sad or nervous.Tip: Yellow coloured kitchen
may increase kids' appetite.ORANGE - Inspires pride and
leadershipOrange is full of energies and
therefore gives imagination andpride. Also, it is known to help kidsbuild more active personality.
BLUE - Blue colouredwallpapers may be helpful for kidswho need more concentration orwho are nervous. Blue createscomfortable atmosphere. Blue isthe colour that controls emotionand good for relaxation. Plaincolours with kids or own pictureor maps may be suggested ratherthan wallpapers with lots ofprinted pictures.
PURPLE & PINK - Encouragecreativity and sensitivity
Purple has the shortest lightwave length and it stimulates freeimagination. Pink colour givescomfort and calmness andstimulates sensitivity. Pasteltoned purple or pink coloured bedclothes or wallpapers help kidsdevelop creativity and it is alsogood for deep sleep.
Tip: Purple bedclothes mayhelp deep and comfortable sleep.
PAGE 26 PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
Why Nigeria may not meet the MillenniumDevelopment Goals on HousingUnless concerted efforts are
made to reverse thecurrent state of affairs,
Nigerians nationwide will haveto wait much longer than othernations before they can enjoythe benefits of the MillenniumDevelopment Goals on Housing.Millennium Development Goalson housing are a global pact toensure that citizens of nationshave access to affordable anddecent housing by the year2020.
The Millennium Declarationwas adopted by Member Statesof the United Nations inSeptember 2000. It containseight Millennium DevelopmentGoals (MDG’s) ranging fromeradicating extreme poverty tocombating HIV/AIDS, malariaand other diseases. The MDGsdetail out 18 specificdevelopment targets, each witha time-frame and indicatorsdesigned to monitor the extentto which the target has beenachieved.
Specifically, MillenniumDevelopment Goal 7, Target 11assigned the UN-HABITAT theresponsibility of assistingMember States to monitor andgradually attain the “CitiesWithout Slums” target alsoknown as Target 11, which is oneof the three targets of Goal 7: ToEnsure EnvironmentalSustainability”. Target 11 aimsto achieve a significantimprovement in the lives of atleast 100 million slum dwellersby 2020.
By UN-HABITAT definition,a slum household is a householdthat lacks any one of thefollowing five elements:
Access to improved water:(Access to sufficient amount ofwater for family use, at anaffordable price, available tohousehold members withoutbeing subject to extreme effort).
Access to Improved
By Udenna Orji
President Goodluck Jonathan
Sanitation: (Access to an excretadisposal system either in theform of a private toilet or a publictoilet shared with a reasonablenumber of people).
Security of Tenure:(Evidence of documentation toprove secure tenure status or defacto or perceived protectionfrom evictions).
Durability of Housing:(Permanent and adequatestructure in non-hazardouslocation).
Sufficient Living Area: (Notmore than two people sharingthe same room).
But the increasing growth ofslums in Nigeria, borne out of thenation’s estimated deficit of 16
million housing units is causingunease in government circlesand among industry operators.While commending the federalgovernment for the newlyapproved housing and urbandevelopment policies, expertssay bills on Land Tenure (theproposed amendments/repeal ofthe Land Use Decree),Foreclosures, Tax Incentives forHousing and Mortgage relatedtransactions still pending at theNational Assembly constitutemajor impediments to therealization of the United Nation’sMillennium Development Goalson Housing in Nigeria.
According to mortgagebanker, Muhammed Jibrin,
Housing and Urban Development Minister, Amal Pepple
Chief Executive Officer of SunTrust Savings and Loans Ltd, “Ifyou look at the Nigerianeconomy generally, it is clearthat minimum attention hasbeen paid to the housing sector…Every body in this countryknows that the land tenuresystem confers the right of titleto the governor of the state,making ownership and transferof title cumbersome. The bankscannot easily foreclose onproperties that mortgages havebeen created on. The foreclosurelaw has to be passed. The Lawconcerning tax incentives forhousing and mortgage relatedtransactions should also bepassed. Unless the NationalAssembly passes theselegislations, the expectedMillennium Development Goalsin terms of providing decentaffordable housing will not beachieved. Government needs tomove forward and make surethose bills are passed into law.”
Explaining further, he said“the second thing is that youbring in private sectorparticipation. Nigeria today hasan estimated shortage of 16million houses based on FederalMortgage Bank of Nigeriafigures. Assuming a decent homein the country will cost aminimum of N10 million, tomeet 10 million housing units,it will sum up to 100 trillion. Sogovernment must provide aholistic policy framework andthe necessary environment totackle this shortage. Only thencan the needed long-termprivate sector funds to developthe sector be attracted.”
A recent World Bank reportsays Nigeria has the potential to
become Africa’s foremosteconomic power, with anaverage GDP of six per cent perannum, buoyed by a young andgrowing population of 160million. Morgan Stanley, aninvestment banking institution,also predicted that Nigeria’seconomy would outperformSouth Africa’s by 2025 to becomethe biggest in Africa. Themacroeconomic outlook isfavourable. With an expectedstable inflation rate, five percent rural to urbanimmigration, and three per centpopulation growth, experts sayNigeria is a huge real estatemarket by all standards.
Concurring with thestatistics, the Jibrin noted that“in the highly developedeconomies, the averagecontribution of the real estateand housing sectors to the GDPis 40 per cent. In every economy,there is an engine room for thateconomy. The Nigerian housingsector can serve as that engineroom as we seek to diversify oureconomic base. The sector hasthe potential to generate andcreate huge economic activities.The housing sector needs toconsume other buildingmaterials and products such aselectrical equipment, furniture,paints, roofing, cement, etc. Thesector can help in developingsmall and large scale productionof these key inputs therebygenerating employment andincreasing the level of nationalincome. Addressing the housingsector problem is the same asaddressing the unemploymentproblem and one avenue todiversify the economy awayfrom dependence on the oilsector”.
PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013 PAGE 27
U D Bond extends sales discount on properties
By Udenna Orji
The nation’s shortfallof over 16 millionhouses has been
attributed to thedeficient structures ofthe mortgage industryin Nigeria.
Mr. Elias Ovesuor aFellow of the NigerianInstitute of EstateSurveyors and Valuers(NIESV) and ManagingPartner, U.K. Ovesuor &Partners who made thisknown said “mortgagefinancing as aninstrument for homefinancing for now, I cansay we are havingproblems with it becausethe Federal Governmentis trying to inject fundsinto the FederalMortgage Bank ofNigeria (FMBN) which islike a CBN to the primaryMortgage Institutions(PMIs). But thestructures are stilldeficient and the peopleare not well organized,because of that, what theFMBN is supposed to do,it is not doing. So, as weare talking now, thethings that are supposed
to be happening in themortgage sector are nothappening. Mortgagefinance as far as I amconcerned, is notfunctioning effectivelyin the country. Only afew people are benefitingfrom it as opposed to thespirit of the institutionwhich makes itmandatory for a lotpeople to benefit. Thehousing shortage in thecountry is about 16million housing units,but in the last ten years,we have not provided upto half a million housingunits. So, to get the 16million housing unitsthat are in shortage, youwill then appreciate theproblem at hand inrespect of housingprovision. Mortgage inNigeria, to be candid toyou, is still as its infancy”.
In anotherdevelopment, the reasonfor the overcrowding andsqualor in which manyNigerians lives wasbrought to the fore whenthe House ofR e p r e s e n t a t i v e scommittee onEnvironment and
Habitat revealed thatNigeria was in urgentneed of 23:33 millionmore houses to be able toaccommodate the nation’s140 million people byUnited Nations (UN)standard. Estimate showNigeria has only 6.33million houses presentlyaccommodating thenation’s 140 millionpeople. But U.N. standardsays there should be 6people per house, whichmeans Nigeria needs morethan three times theestimated 6.33 millionhouses standing in thecountry today.
“If we must maintainthe United Nation’sstandard of 6 persons perhouse, then if youconsider a population of140 million people, weactually need about23:33 million morehouses in addition to the6:33 million that wehave today. It is wrongfor a former minister tohave said we have shortfall of only 17 millionhouses,” committeemember Hon.Mohammed Sani (PDPBauchi) said.
Poor mortgage financecause of Nigeria’s i6 miliionunits housing deficit
Property company, UD Bond ShelterServices Limited has
extended its Christmasand New Year SalesDiscount on properties.The company hasannounced that it isextending the discountsales to enable moreNigerians becomehomeowners.
The General Managerof the company, Mrs.Priscilla Ugochukwucalled on intendinghomeowners to seize theopportunity of the ongoingsales discount on propertiesto own their own homes,adding that the companywas committed toensuring that majority ofNigerians becomehomeowners.
The company has onoffer various house typesincluding flats,bungalows, terrace houses,duplexes and others indifferent districts of Abuja.There are variouspayment optionsincluding mortgageassistance from reputablemortgage institutions.Also available for sale bythe company areundeveloped and servicedplots of land for homes,plazas, factories and hotels.
PAGE 28 PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
The history of the autobusiness is rife withexamples of cars that made
serious functionalitycompromises in the name of riskystyling. To that list you can add the2013 Acura ZDX.
Acura starts in a good placewith its ZDX, borrowing amplyfrom the worthwhile genes of itsMDX midsize crossover. Fromthat crossover you get a 3.7-literV6 and an advanced all-wheel-drive system that helps sharpenhandling. The MDX-mimickinginterior is also well assembled andbrims with the besttechnology featuresyou'll find in anyluxury vehicle.
B u tf r o mthereit's
l a r g e l ydownhill forthe ZDX. Mostly, itscoupelike styling causesfunctional drawbacks. The rearseats are cramped andclaustrophobic (dark leatherupholstery magnifies the effect)and the pinched rear styling andsharply rear-sloping roof combinewith a high floor to make the cargoarea under the rear hatch almostlaughably skimpy. Drop the rearseats and there's at least morelength with which to work, but thedeeply slanting roof preventsloading anything of much heightunless it can be laid on its side.
It's worth noting that the ZDXisn't the only vehicle out there thatsacrifices functionality on the altarof style. BMW has done a similarthing with its X6, although the X6is markedly more expensive. Styleis prioritized over utility for thesmallish Range Rover Evoque aswell, right down to it being offeredwith just two doors as well as four.
There are countlessconventional luxury crossoversthat are viable alternatives to the2013 Acura ZDX, but if keepingwith a more carlike profile is yourpreference, some of the morestylish wagons might catch youreye, including the all-wheel-drive2013 Audi Allroad or Volvo's XC60.
The 2013 Acura ZDX is amidsize hatchback offered in asingle trim level that seats five.Standard features include 19-inchwheels, automatic xenonheadlights, front and rear parkingsensors, a power liftgate, foglights,power-folding heated outsidemirrors and a panoramic sunroof.
Inside there is keyless ignition/entry, an auto-dimming rearviewmirror, leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, a
2013 Acura ZDX comes with best technology featurespower tilt-and-telescopingsteering wheel, driver memorysettings and eight-way powerfront seats with heating andventilation. Electronic featuresinclude a rearview camera,Bluetooth, a navigation system,voice controls and a 10-speakeraudio system with a CD player,satellite radio, an auxiliary audiojack and a USB/iPod interface.
The 2013 Acura ZDX ispowered by a 3.7-liter V6
that produces 300 horsepowerand 270 pound-feet of torque. Asix-speed automatic with manualshift control is the only availabletransmission.
In recent Edmunds testing,the ZDX accelerated from zero to60 mph in 7.3 seconds, which isabout a second slower than theBMW X5 or X6. EPA-estimatedfuel economy stands at 16 mpg
city/23 mpg highway and 19 mpgcombined.Safety
Standard safety equipment forthe 2013 Acura ZDX includesantilock disc brakes, stability andtraction control, front-seat sideairbags, full-length side curtainairbags and active front headrestraints. Also standard areforward-collision warning and
lane-departure warnings y s t e m s ,
although theZ D X ' s
former blind-spot monitoring andcollision-mitigation functions aregone, as is the adaptive cruisecontrol that enabled the collision-mitigation system.
In government crash tests, theAcura ZDX received a top overallscore of five out of five stars, withfour stars for overall front crashprotection and five stars foroverall side-impact protection.The Insurance Institute forHighway Safety awarded the ZDXits highest score of "Good" in itsfrontal-offset, side-impact androof-strength crash tests.
In Edmunds brake testing, theZDX came to a stop from
60 mph in 130f e e t ,
whichis longer than average for
cars in this class.Interior Design and SpecialFeatures
Acura maintains a strongreputation for interior materialsquality and assembly, and the2013 ZDX is a prime example ofwhy: The ZDX's interior is anexcellent blend of cool, softsurfaces and tech-orientedmaterials, all meticulouslyassembled. The overall look is notof traditional luxury cars butnonetheless exudes deep quality.The center console housing thegear selector sharply divides thefront seats into two cocooningcockpit-shaped areas. The upper-dash bulge containing thenavigation/audio controls appearsa little dated and thus seems out ofsync with the rest of the ZDX'shigh-tech interior aura.
Those in the front have a greatview, and comfort from the ZDX'ssupportive front seats abounds,but thanks to the raked roof line,those in the rear -- and it reallyshould be two occupants at most -- are less fortunate. Headroom andlegroom are in short supply,despite seat cushions that are lowto the floor and not particularlycomfortable. The outward viewalso is cramped by the sloping roof,which compresses the rear windowarea.
Despite its hatchback body andcrossover orientation, the 2013ZDX doesn't deliver the utility youmight expect of a conventionalcrossover. With the rear seats up,there's a relatively meager 26 cubicfeet of available cargo space; onceagain, blame the sharply rakedroof. Drop the rear seats to makethe ZDX a two-seater andmaximum cargo space improves toa still-modest 56 cubic feet, muchless than conventional midsizeluxury SUVs.Source: Edmunds.com
PAGE 29PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
A/Ibom Commissioner putscost of Tropicanna at N32 bn
I an upbeat about the 7th JosFestival of Theatre 2013. Thefact is that festivals rejuvenate
the community. Festivals renewthe community and the individualspirit. Festivals create jobs.Festivals create economic wellbeing. Festivals lift the humanspirit. The very idea of peoplegathering positively in a festivalmode lifts them higher than theycan dare to dream. Festivalsrejuvenate the spirit. And aboveall festivals renew the spirit.Festivals make people happy!The 7th Jos festival of Theatre2013 will open in the city of Josfrom Saturday 23rd February -Friday March 1st 2013 with thevery active support of the USMission, Nigeria. It is a festivalof seven days and five playsranging from the best Americanto the best Nigerian plays alongwith a Czech play, Audiencewritten by the literary iconicformer late President VaclavHavel. It is indeed a very excitingprogram that we wish could havebeen extended to other parts ofthis nation not simply because Iam involved but simply becauseof the sense of community thatfestivals encourage.There is Tennessee Williams'Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. One ofthe leading lights of Americantheatre, his plays are rays of lightinto the human psyche and soul.Take a look at the play we areoffering in the festival - Big Daddyowns the biggest plantation buthe is terminally ill with cancer.He is however told that he doesnot have cancer but a minorcase of spastic colon. The manhad given up but this particularnews rejuvenates his spirit andhe sets about re-planning hislife. On the other hand, the realnews is that the cancer hasspread and has already affectedsome vital organs. This piece ofnews is kept away while his twosons and daughters in law battlethemselves on who will controlthe big plantation when he dies.Big Mama the matriarch of thefamily is making all attempts toassert herself as being incontrol. Brick favoured to takeover the plantation is analcoholic while the first sonGooper, a corporation lawyerwho has already drawn up adummy trusteeship is despisedin the family. Gooper's wife hasfive children and the sixth is onthe way while Brick and his wifehave no children. How does thisstory of the utmost in humangreed play out?
August Wilson's Jitney is also onstage. Jitney is the story of ayoung man whose father, a taxidriver decides that his son willhave the best of education. Heworks extra hard to achieve this.When the son gets to theUniversity, he starts an affair witha white girl whose father is therichest man in the town. Herfather finds out and in thosedays of segregation and racism,he gets the young man arrestedfor rape when what happenedbetween the two young adultswas consensual. His fatherhires the best of lawyers todefend his son who is let out onbail. On getting bail, he picks upa gun and kills his girlfriend foraccording to him, she does notdeserve to live. He iscondemned to die but thesentence is later commuted tolife. He comes out of prison amiddle aged man and meets hisfather alive still driving taxis.Things are not the same. Fatherdisowns son and son begs forforgiveness but he is not forgivenuntil his father dies!The play of one of the mostvibrant story tellers in theNigerian theatre, Prof. FemiOsofisan is also on stage. Theplay, Midnight Hotel examinesthe foibles of our leaders andmakes fun of those who havestored their loot in Swiss banks.A veritable metaphor on theNigerian state! This is closelyfollowed by Wale Ogunyemi'sQueen Amina of Zazzau, whichlately had a playing tour of Abujato good acclaim.With the theme 'ChallengePerceptions' the festival seeksto take a look at ourselves andwhy we do the things that we do.It is our hope that by the time wefinish the festival we would allgo away talking to each other asfreely and intimately as if we hadknown ourselves all our lives. Itis a tall order and cannot beachieved overnight consideringall that has happened in Jos butat least let us try.Festivals are used to raise andanswer questions about ourcommon humanity. Laughter,love and happiness arecommon to all human beingsirrespective of religion, creedand ethnic grouping. Festivalsequally and most importantlyenergize the people. It is hopedthat our modest efforts will giverise to other efforts that will raisea tribe of people who believe anddelight in each other.
Festivals
FRFRFRFRFROM OM OM OM OM THETHETHETHETHELIVE STLIVE STLIVE STLIVE STLIVE STAAAAAGEGEGEGEGE
with
Patrick-Jude Oteh
0803 700 0496, 0805 953 5215
(SMS only)
The Akwa IbomCommissioner for SpecialDuties, Mr Austin Mbeh,
says the Ibom Tropicanna wouldcost N32 billion when completedand not N72 billion as beingspeculated in some quarters.
Mbeh, who made theclarification while fieldingquestions from newsmen in Uyo,said the speculation wasmischievous as it purported todiscredit the administration of
Gov. Godswill Akpabio.He said the administration's
commitment to develop the stateshould not be taken for granted asit seeks all avenues to reduce costsof projects.
"The cost of the Tropicanna isN32 billion. What you arehearing from me is the authenticinformation. Anyone who saidanything contrary must belying."
The commissioner, who
conducted newsmen around thefacilities, said most of the projectslike the Ibom Hilton Hotel, UyoConvention Centre, shoppingmalls, among others, would becompleted this year.
On the Ibom InternationalAirport, the commissioner saidthat the government expected theair traffic to hit 210,000 asagainst 187,000 passengersrecorded in 2012.
He said the taxi way in theairport as well as hanger forrepair, maintenance, andoverhauling of aircraft would beready for use before the end of theyear.(NAN)
Lagos state Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (Middle), with theWinners of the 5th primary and secondary School essay competition at the 6th Lagos state taxationstakeholders' conference, recently in Lagos. Photo: NAN
Tourism, key to growth,economy in FCT - AkinjideThe Minister of State for FCT,
Ms Olajumoke Akinjide,says tourism is a vital key
to the growth and economicdevelopment of the FCT.
Akinjide said this when theExecutive members of Federationof Tourism Association of Nigeria(FTAN) paid her a courtesy visitrecently.
She said the FCT had manyattributes, including peacefulenvironment and greatinfrastructure that made the
territory a naturaldestination for tourism.
She said that theadministration would optimisethe territory’s huge potential forconference tourism, sportstourism, medical tourism,ecological tourism, educationtourism and culture tourism todevelop the FCT.
Akinjide said that tourismwas a handy fruit for Nigeriabecause it employs large numberof people; ‘unlike some othersectors, it is an employer oflabour’’.
“Tourism serves as a mainhandy fruit for Nigeria, theattributes to tourism is positive,it is a people industry; it is anemployer
of labour unlike othersectors.”
Akinjide said that theMinister of FCT, Sen. BalaMohammed, had approved threeparks for the Social DevelopmentSecretariats (SDS) namely;sculpture park, Festival Park andHorticulture Park.
The Minister said theadministration would partnerwith FTAN to achieve the fulltourism potential of the territory.
“Tourism is very importantto the FCT and Nigeria in general.
“The Federal Government,through the Federal Ministry ofTourism, Culture and NationalOrientation, has initiatedprogrammes to developtourism,” Akinjide said.
Earlier, the NationalPresident of FTAN, Chief SamuelAlabi, urged the Government toutilise tourism for the nation’sbuilding and physical growth.
“Tourism helps preserve theenvironment rather thandestroy it, it opens up the ruralareas to development, supportgood image
building and general povertyalleviation.
“It triggers rapiddevelopment and sustainability
of basic infrastructure such aselectricity, water and roads,among others,” Alabi said.
He hinted that FTAN wasplanning an investors’ forum andexhibition in the FCT to showcasethe potential of tourism sector tothe economic development ofNigeria.
“The forum is aimed atstrengthening the relationshipbetween tourism investors andtheir service providers as well asbuilding new tourism frontiersthrough the creation of accessiblefunds,” Alabi said.
The Director-General of theNigerian Institute for Hospitalityand Tourism (NIHOTOUR), DrMunzali Dantata, presented thepreliminary report on the AbujaTourism Master-plan.
He said that FCT was endowedwith rich human, capital andnatural resources which couldmake it the preferred tourismdestination when fully utilised.
Dantata explained that thereport provided a comprehensiveoverview of the tourism industryin the FCT and also laid out thestrengths, weaknesses,opportunities and threats(SWOT) to the industry in theterritory. (NAN)
PAGE 30 PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
PEOPLESPEOPLESPEOPLESPEOPLESPEOPLESPOEM OFPOEM OFPOEM OFPOEM OFPOEM OF
THE WEEKTHE WEEKTHE WEEKTHE WEEKTHE WEEK
QQQQQUOUOUOUOUOTETETETETEOne never can tell from thesidewalk just what the view is tosomeone on the inside, lookingout.George Ade
All the contributors to thisbook come from differentparts of the world and
different backgrounds. An upcoming biologist, a 15-
year old secondary school student,various award-winning poets,and scholars are just a fewexamples of the diversity this bookwas created from.
This diversity is what makesthis book an unforgettable read.The essence of post-colonialism isalso very apparent.
This book grabs the reader andignites one's own desire to wakeup and feel what is happening inthe world.
The concept that issues andconcerns are universal and shouldnever be limited to specificcontinents is what is expressed.
All the poets have madeimpressionable contributions tothe memory of Okogbule Wonodi.
His work in life itself has beenmulticultural and diverse.
In the poem "An address to theelders" by Lupenga Mphande, theconcept of religious views and theafterlife is shown.
Bury me in the byre to surveyherds return from pastureReminisces of my youth, bury mestanding upright with your spearso that I meet Chiuta and ourancestors on my feet, ready to bowor fight, bury me in the river tobefriend water nymphs And livewith the torrents (8)
The very idea of being
Songs for Wonodiprepared tocontinue the fight,to continuee s t a b l i s h i n grelationships-evenwith waternymphs-, and to beable to haverecollections ofone's life afterdeath is endearing.
It shows thatnot only in life wasthe fight for basich u m a n i t ypresent, but thateven in death onecan continue to dotheir part for thecommunity as awhole.
one persondies and many getto reap the benefitsfrom theexperience andstruggle that theperson had toendure. It showshow even in death one still has theability to teach and learn fromwherever they end up.
This concept shows the hopeand the willingness to be a part ofsomething that everyone takesfor granted and to never let thatdie.
As the book progresses, thepoem "Port Harcourt" by PiousOkoro, makes one aware of theeffects of the everyday lifeexperienced. The poem embodiespast, children, hope, presentreality, and the truth that isunbearable.
Words as "love," "lured,""dreamed," "milked," "bitter pills"and "reek" allow the reader to seethe shift of emotions that thepeople are facing.
Walk your streets of old againSerene-we dared play Streetfootball as boys the pride andprized gem of a people still asleep
By Jessica Bastidas
BOOK REVIEWBOOK REVIEWBOOK REVIEWBOOK REVIEWBOOK REVIEW
Title: In the naturalbackyard of poets
By Abigail George
the lie we believed (45)What pains we must bear for
being the phantom of boombewailed (46)
The devastation is palpableand the that everything thatthey thought they could fight forwas falling apart.
The hope that was instilled andthen taken away shows thedesperation for the suffering toend. Pious let's us see the internaland external exile, talks about thechildhood , discusses future hopes,and shows migration.
All the emptiness that was ,they never stopped believing andnever stopped loving.
Although many other poemsdescribed the love for one'scountry, Nnorom Azuonyereveals that insatiable love in "Myhomeland".
They lie like bitter, twisted
ruins battered by wind, age, andrain because once in them, theyexude a generosity of spirit, secondto none. poverty, sickness, anddiseases I do not deny Thetantalizing taste of uziza Thetingling sensation of suya Are allwitnesses to my secret deal WithAfrica, my beautiful homeland.(68)
Words as "bleak," "corruption,""deceptive," "awe," and "allure" alldescribe what is seen that the eyescannot behold.
Azuonye uses these words todescribe the overall physical andemotional devastation.
Even though only remnantsremain of what once were there,the memories that live in thoseremnants, no matter how small,are never forgotten.
That force to never letting go,no matter what ails them, isvivid.
Songs for Wonodi, as diverse asit is, is just a small piece of whatthe real situation is.
With the magnitude ofaward-winning poets/accomplished poets/writers suchas Tanure Ojaide, Elechi Amadi,Frank Chipasula, Uche Nduka,Timothy Wangusa, AmatoritseroEde, its not hard to see how theyhave expressed themselves.
The collective work that wasbrought together is inspirationaland innovative.
Along with all the issues thatsurround the people, this bookenables the reader to get a pictureand thought into their head.
When reading this book, thepossibility that everything beingdescribed can be held relevant toeveryday life is important.
A mutual moralunderstanding needs to takeplace.
All the reader has to do isabsorb it and let oneself feel themessage intended.
This book allows for thatoverall feeling to occur.
Without feeling, one cannotappreciate the complexity thatthis book holds true.
Source: Africanwriter.com
Here you will find goldenpauses between acts;Ends of affairs, pangs
of love and where an achewi l l not subs ide Here, thecl inging, useful comfort ofstrangers
Tucked away in the wellsof loneliness in the thick ofthings;
Butterfl ies whose paper-thin wings melt in the air
Here, patches of beadsare worked intr icately at asnail 's pace,
As white horses in playingfields, prayers in temples, ahome for words
God's litt le selves; othersFor those of us who like
p o e t r y a n d t h e i r m i r r o rimages - There is strengthhere underneath this web ofsmoke
The strength of an army, as w a r m , a n e x i t , h u m a nbodies
Only later you will realiset h a t t h e r e a r e l i m i t s a n dboundaries
Bars a t the windows tokeep the ghosts out
W e b s c a r r y l i s p s o fsubstance, wounds that areslow to heal -
W h e r e b r o k e n l i n k ss u r f a c e l i k e Yo r u b a g i r l sdancing barefoot in the
R a i n ; i t f e e l s l i k e t h eGestapo
T h e r e i s a l i g h t a n dwarmth tha t beckons w i thwords like
Memoir and futurist - theyfeed the poet's soul
As if I have drawn a zero -a m o u t h o p e n i n g a n dshutting
S l i c i ng th rough the a i rw h e r e i t s h o u l d n o t b e -interpret is as you will;
This abacus, this alphabetH o w d o c h i l d r e n g r o w
when they do not play is l ikeasking
H o w d o p o e t s f i l lthemselves up cogn i t i ve lywhen their minds
A r e a b l a c k , a l l u r i n ghabitat
Until glory is all yoursA smal l , loosed hunger
giving you grief inside yourbelly
That not even a mad mancan cure
Mine for the takingShe appeared before me
as if she came on the wingsof an angel
N u r s i n g m e b a c k t oheal th ; she never le t go -mother kind.
The National Coordinator,Deaf Supporters Group, MrOkikiade Adeyemi, has
called for more sign languageinterpreters to make it easier tocommunicate with the deaf.
Adeyemi made the call in aninterview with the News Agencyof Nigeria (NAN in Lagos). .
He said the training of moreinterpreters in special schools andinstitutions of higher learningwould reduce the friction andambiguities arising fromcommunicating with the deaf.
"There is a dearth of signlanguage interpreters in thecountry; it is a big challenge tothose that are disabled in the ear.
"We are like any other personin the society; we need tocommunicate and be understood;having interpreters readilyavailable will help.
"Our situation is specialbecause you will not know wehave a disability, except when youtalk to us and we do not respond.
"Due to the limited number ofinterpreters, it costs us a lot to hire
Deaf group calls for more signlanguage interpreters
25 hotels, tourismestablishmentsdragged to court byLASG for alleged nonregistration
them when we go out."So, if more people are trained
as interpreters, it will not onlyreduce our financial burden butalso make communication easier,"he said.
Adeyemi said that the servicesof sign language interpreterswere effectively needed in areas,such as hospitals, schools and otherorganisations, especially wherepeople were not literate.
Also, Mr Afolabi Dahunsi,President, Deaf Supporters Groupof Nigeria, said that more couldstill be done to reduce thechallenges of the deaf.
He said "the average deafperson in his effort to widen hisgifted social skills often approachesthe hearing world withtrepidation.
"Unemployment is higheramong the deaf. We want theFederal Government and well-meaning individuals to interveneand encourage us in schools andat work.
"Despite our hearinglimitations, we need
employment. Establish skillsacquisition centres where we canlearn hairdressing, computer,shoe-making and sewing.".
Mr Tunde Oloja, legal adviserof the group, said thatcommunication was the greatestchallenge the deaf people had andtheir ability to overcome it.
He said, "the deaf people feelmore frustrated when they try tocommunicate and are notunderstood.
"We can help them to live withthe challenges, or better still,improve the quality ofcommunication and life by givingthem enlightenment andexposing them to things that willbring succour.
"Technology has made thingseasier. Put in place things that willhelp to improve communicationand lives.
"They should be assisted in thepursuit of their personal andcorporate goals." (NAN)
Operators of 25 hotels andtourism establishments inLagos State have been
charged to court by the stategovernment for allegedlyoperating without registration.
The Public Relations Officer ofthe Ministry of Tourism andIntergovernmental Relations, MrAdebankole Adu, disclosed this inan interview with the NewsAgency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos. Adu said that the operators werecharged to various magistrates'courts in the state for carrying outhotel and tourism businesseswithout licences granted by theappropriate authority.
He said that such act was aviolation of the provisions of theState's Hotel Licensing Law 2003,as amended in 2010.
Registration of hotels andtourism- related outfits was aninternationally accepted controlmechanism evolved by the WorldTourism Organisation.
``It is mandatory that allhospitality and tourismestablishments operating withinLagos State be registered,'' he said.
He advised other operators ofhotels and tourism establishmentsin the state that had not fullycomplied with the provisions of thelaw to register with the authorityor be blacklisted. (NAN)
Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Azubuike Ihejirika
PAGE 31PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
Energy: U.S., Nigeriadiscuss reform
Investor's perception ofcorruption, bureaucraticstability and investor's
confidence on governmentcommitment to honourlegitimate agreements willdetermine the future ofNigeria's on-going privatizationexercise on the energy sector.
Those were some of theobservations made when theAdministrator, United StatesAgency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID) RajivShah met with major regulatorsof Nigeria's energy industry and
USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah (left) in discussion with Nigeria Electricity Regulatory CommissionChairman Dr. Sam Amadi (right).
DIPLOMATIC CIRCUIT
representatives of the Bureau forPublic Enterprise (BPE) in Abujaon January 17.
The meeting was attended byDr. Sam Amadi, ChairmanNigeria Electricity RegulatoryCommission (NERC),O r u m u n d a k a W o n o d i ,Managing Director, NigeriaBulk Trading Company andObaroOsauzo, Head IDA, BPE.Others in the meeting includedthe U.S. Embassy Deputy Chiefof Mission Jim McAnulty, andUSAID Nigeria Director DanaMansuri.
A major framework ofPresident Obama's new StrategyToward Sub-Saharan Africaelevates two efforts that arecritical to the future of Africa:strengthening democraticinstitutions and boosting broad-based economic growth, throughtrade and investment. Nigeria-like any other growing economy,needs adequate energy supply todrive economic growth anddevelopment.
In his contribution, DrAmadi assured that the on-goingprivatization process on the
energy sector has beentransparent, and free fromexternal influence and will leadto a conclusive end. "If we stayour present course, we willsurely see successful bidders takefull possession of some ofelectricity companies by the endof June or July this year," Dr.Amadi said.
He pointed out that whathappened in 2009 when latePresident Yar' Adua cancelledthe process mid-way cannothappen this time around."Investor's confidence is growingbecause President Jonathan hasbeen consistent and committedto the process and he had had toask a former Minister of Power toleave when issues lackingtransparency were raised."
ObaroOsauzo howevercautioned that there were stillbottle-necks along the waytowards the full realization of theprivatization process. Forinstance, he said N397.8 billionNaira is needed to settle laborrelated issues such as pensionsand gratuity with staff of PowerHolding Company of Nigeria(PHCN) who would be separated.
He also added that politicalleadership and bureaucraticstability were importantelements needed to buildinvestor's confidence and to drivethe privatization process forward.
Shah is on a two-day visit toNigeria where he is expected tomeet with representatives of theFederal Government, youthleaders and members of civilsociety groups on a number ofissues. He will visit Lagos beforeheading back to Washington,D.C.
Dr Andrew Pocock,
British HighCommissionerpresentscredentials toPresidentJonathan, speakson UK priorities
NIS partners ForeignAffairs on new Visa policy
Mr Tam Freeman speaking with journalists at the event.
The Nigerian ImmigrationService in collaborationwith the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs has organiseda workshop to sensitizemembers of the public on theglobal best practices onsuperlative passengerfacilitation and publicrelations at the Nigerianports.
The two day event whichwas held at the auditorium ofthe Ministry of Foreign AffairsAbuja, provided a platform forsecurity agencies anddiplomats to share ideas on thechallenges of plaguing thenation as regards Visa and thecountry's image in general.
Speaking at the event,Minister of Interiorrepresented by Dep.
grounds for Visa acquisition fortourists and potential investorto Nigeria. Mr Malonge alsoreiterated that the securitythreats that accomplish thenew Visa policy has beenextended to the all securityagencies for proactivemeasures to be taken.
Declaring the workshopopen, the representative of theminister of foreign affairsexpressed the willingness of theministry to help see throughthe actualisation of this projectas it pertain the image of thenation, which is the primaryconstituency of foreign affairs.
The workshop will elapsetoday with two lectures to bedelivered by resource personsfrom the ministry of foreignaffairs.
Comptroller general in chargeof ECOWAS, Mr Tam Freeman
Malonge said the workshop isaimed at providing smoother
The UK's new HighCommissioner to Nigeria, DrAndrew Pocock, presented
his credentials to PresidentJonathan allowing him to take onhis full duties as HighCommissioner.
At a press conference, the HighCommissioner said that he wasdelighted to be returning toNigeria, having previously servedin Lagos from 1983 - 1986.
Speaking at the pressconference at his Residence theHigh Commissioner said:
"On Thursday (yesterday), Ipresented my credentials toPresident Jonathan. It was anhonour to do so, and to representBritish interests in Nigeria, wherewe have such deep historicconnections, close personal ties andgood economic prospects.
Nigeria matters to the UK - itssize, resources, importance in WestAfrica, the wider continent andincreasingly internationally. It'simportant that we strengthen andextend our partnership.
This is my second time inNigeria. Someone said my secondcoming. I was in Lagos from 1983-1986, when Abuja was still thebiggest building site in the world.So I'm fascinated to see the city: stilla work in progress, but aremarkable achievement already.
Much has changed. When I leftNigeria in 1986, democracyseemed a distant prospect to mostNigerians. But it's now been areality for 14 years, and its rootsare going deeper into Nigeriansoil. We very much welcome this.Lagos continues to power ahead.The size of the economy in LagosState alone would make it thefourth largest economy in Africa.We are committed to doublingtrade between the UK and Nigeria,and Lagos is evidence that the oilsector is not the only game intown.
Sadly, terrorism in the northhas taken many lives and isdamaging economic anddevelopment prospects; andincreasing the daily struggle of toomany poor people. And issues ofcorruption and a lack oftransparency and accountabilitydamage not only Nigeria'sreputation, but add to the cost ofbusiness, deter investors andundermine the capacity of theState to deliver vital services.
PAGE 32 PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
DR Congo Government doubtsM23 Commitment to truceThe DRC government has
expressed doubt about theM23 rebel commitment to
its unilateral ceasefire, saying therebels have not respected theregional Heads of State directiveto withdraw 20 kilometers outsideGoma city.
Recently, the rebelsannounced a unilateral ceasefire,but the DRC governmentpreferred the matter be addressedby the military chiefs under theregional Joint VerificationMechanism.
The M23 rebels capturedGoma on November 20 last year,but withdrew from Goma twoweeks later after the interventionof the International Conference ofthe Great Lakes Region (ICGLR)headed by President Museveni.
Rev. Fr. Apollinaire MaluMalu,the deputy chief negotiator for theDRC government said, "Those arefalse statements. The M23 does notrespect fully the decision of Headsof State. They have not gone 20kilometers outside Goma. At themoment they are one kilometerand not 20 kilometers."
MaluMalu told journalists,"The M23 has no respect for therelevant decision of the Summit ofHeads of State that it shouldwithdraw at 20 kms north ofGoma, which M23 has not done." President Museveni
Calm returns to Eritrea after siege ends
UK to considerboostingFrench Malioperationsupport
The UK government is to discussoffering more help to Frenchforces fighting Islamist rebels in
Mali.Two military aircraft have
already been lent and DavidCameron has said there could befurther assistance with transport andsurveillance.
But the Ministry of Defence saysthere are no plans for a groundcombat role.
Following British deaths in anattack on a gas plant in Algeria byIslamist militants, Mr Cameron saidNorth Africa was becoming a"magnet for jihadists".
Foreign Secretary WilliamHague will answer questions fromMPs from 11:30 GMT, and is alsoexpected to give a written ministerialstatement on the situation in Mali.
Concerns about the growinginfluence of al-Qaeda in north Africahave grown following the deploymentof French troops to tackle militantgroups linked to the network in Maliand the Algerian hostage crisis.
Militants behind the Algeriaattack, in which at least 48 foreignhostages died, have called on Franceto end their intervention in Mali.
Speaking in the House ofCommons on Monday, the UK primeminister said: "Together with ourpartners in the region, we are in themidst of a generational struggleagainst an ideology which is anextreme distortion of the Islamic faith,and which holds that mass murderand terror are not only acceptablebut necessary."
The response of the internationalcommunity to this threat would topthe agenda during the UK'spresidency of the G8 group of leadingindustrialised nations, Mr Cameronsaid.
"We must frustrate the terroristswith our security. We must beatthem militarily. We must address thepoisonous narrative they feed on. Wemust close down the ungovernedspace in which they thrive and wemust deal with the grievances theyuse to garner support."
Remarks by Egyptian PresidentMohammed Mursi condemning thehostage-taking in Algeria, butsuggesting military intervention inMali would inflame conflict in theregion, were a "sign of thecomplexities of building consensus",our correspondent added.
UK Foreign Secretary WilliamHague said the West must balanceits military, political andhumanitarian role, and it should bean Africa-led response to the region'sproblems.
Liberia's Charles Taylor appeals at The HagueLiberia's jailed ex-President
Charles Taylor has startedhis appeal at a UN-backed
special court in The Hague.Last May, the court sentenced
him to 50 years in prison for aidingand abetting rebels in neighbouringSierra Leone during the 1991-2002civil war.
Defence lawyers have called theverdict a "miscarriage of justice" andwant the conviction to be quashed.
The prosecution, however,wants the sentence extended to 80years, saying he also gave orders tothe rebels.
In the court's originaljudgement, he was acquitted onthese charges, with the judgefinding that the prosecution hadfailed to prove its claims.
Taylor became the first formerhead of state to be convicted of warcrimes by an international courtsince the Nuremberg trials of Nazis
The Congolese governmentdelegation also scoffed at the rebeldemands for cancellation of resultsof November 2011 presidentialelection, dissolution of the Senate,Provincial Assemblies, andresignation of Governors andestablishment of a National
Transitional Council to managethe transitional period.
MaluMalu also questioned howthe procedure to grant amnesty tothe rebels will be initiated if therebels want the concerned Stateinstitutions such as the NationalAssembly, Senate and Presidency
to be dissolved.MaluMalu who is also the head
of the expert group of thegovernment delegation said thatthe Government is not ready tocompromise with what willundermine the Constitution andinstitutional order of DR Congo.
Charles Taylor
after World War II.Throughout his trial, the former
Liberian leader, who was arrestedin 2006, maintained his innocence.
Eritrean President IssaiasAfeworki
Eritrea's government hassaid the capital Asmara is"calm" a day after armed
mutineers seized the informationministry, with opposition sitessaying the stand-off was settled.
"All is calm today, as it wasindeed yesterday," YemaneGebremeskel, the director ofEritrean President IssaiasAfeworki'soffice, said on Tuesday.
A group of dissident Eritreansoldiers laid siege to the informationministry on Monday, forcing statemedia to announce a call for therelease of political prisoners.
The renegade soldiers forced thedirector of state television to makean announcement, a seniorEritrean intelligence official said.
"The soldiers have forced him tospeak on state TV, to say theEritrean government shouldrelease all political prisoners," thesource said on condition ofanonymity.
Reports from Eritrea are difficultto independently verify, as thecountry restricts access to foreignmedia.
Selam Kidane, an Eritreanhuman rights activist and directorof human rights organisation,Release Eritrea, told AlJazeera thatdetails of what had happened werestill unclear.
"After those announcementswere made, the state TV and radiowere taken off air for about fourhours," Kidane said.
Last week Taylor, 64, reportedlywrote to MPs demanding apresidential pension of $25,000(£15,600) in Liberia.
Describing the withholding of hisstate presidential pension as a"mammoth injustice", Taylor wasquoted in the letter as saying thathe was entitled to consular accessand diplomatic services at TheHague, but he had been "denied thatright".
'Heinous crimes'The prosecution addressed the
court first on Tuesday, reports theAFP news agency.
The court should "holdresponsible not only those whoperpetrate the crimes but also thosewho promote them", said prosecutorNicholas Koumjian.
PAGE 34 PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
Europe andAmericas
Planes sentto evacuateRussiansfrom Syria
France, Germany markElysee 50th anniversary
France and Germany aremarking the 50thanniversary of a treaty
that helped to reconcile the twoformer foes.
The German and Frenchleaders have been holding talksin Berlin and there will also be a
Mr Hollande and Mrs Merkel posed in front of the Brandenburg Gate.
Hugo Chavez joking and laughing, says Venezuela minister
Hugo Chavez is joking andlaughing again, a seniorofficial has said - the latest
positive comment about the health ofthe Venezuelan president.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister EliasJaua was tweeting after meeting MrChavez in Cuba on Monday.
On Sunday, another Venezuelanofficial said the president was "gainingstrength" following complicationsafter cancer surgery on 11 December.
President Chavez has not beenheard or seen in public since thesurgery.
"Comrades, I'm coming out of themeeting with our commanderpresident, Hugo Chavez," Mr Jauawrote. "We shared jokes and laughed.""Viva Chavez!" the twitter messageadded.
The foreign minister also said thatMr Chavez had given instructionsover Venezuela's participation in aforthcoming Latin American
Summit.However, Mr Jaua declined to
provide any further details abouttheir meeting.
His comments came a day afterVice-President Nicolas Maduro saidMr Chavez had finished "the post-operative period".
Mr Maduro said the leader wasentering a new phase of treatment,after having suffered respiratorycomplications following theoperation.
He also said he was optimisticabout the president soon returningto Venezuela.
Before leaving Venezuela fortreatment in Cuba, PresidentChavez, who has been in office since1999, named Mr Maduro as hischoice to replace him shouldanything happen.
Last week, Mr Maduro stepped infor Mr Chavez and delivered theannual state of the union address in
his stead.The opposition has demanded
clarity about who is running thecountry after the president missedhis own inauguration for a fourthpresidential term on 10 January.
The Venezuelan Supreme Court
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua
Russia is sending two planes toLebanon to evacuate morethan 100 of its citizens from
Syria, the Emergencies Ministrysaid, in the clearest sign yet thatMoscow may be preparing forPresident Bashar al-Assad's possibledefeat.
"On orders from the leadershipof the Russian Federation, theEmergencies Ministry is sendingtwo airplanes to Beirut (onTuesday) so that all Russians whowant can leave Syria," ministryspokeswoman Irina Rossius said. "Itis planned that more that 100Russians will leave Syria (on theseplanes)," she told Interfax newsagency.
It was unclear whether theflights were the beginning of alonger evacuation operation.
Russia has been Assad's mainforeign protector during a 22-monthuprising against his rule, but adiplomat conceded last month thegovernment had lost territory andthe rebels fighting Assad could winthe war.
Moscow is also carrying outwhat has been called the largestnaval exercises since the 1991 fallof the Soviet Union in theMediterranean and Black Sea,including off Syria's coast, whichanalysts say are meant tounderscore its interest in the region.
Preparing to fly out its citizens isthe clearest signal yet that Moscowbelieves Assad's fall may be possible,though it has made no indicationthat it will abandon its position thatAssad's exit must not be aprecondition for a peace deal.
Moscow leases a navalmaintenance and supply facility atthe Syrian port of Tartous and hashad a large presence of employeesfrom Rosoboronexport, Russia's statearms exporting monopoly.
A number of citizens fromRussian companies that also havea presence in Syria still live theretoo. Russian officials say there aretens of thousands of Russian citizensin Syria, many of them alsoRussian women married to Syrianmen.
Meanwhile, around 5,900Syrian refugees crossed into Jordanin the last 24 hours, according toborder police, the Petra state newsagency reported on Tuesdaymorning.
Around 200,000 Syrians haveentered Jordan legally since thestart of the revolution and haverented homes or moved in withrelatives.
Jordan is concerned about thislarge influx in light of little assistanceprovided from the internationalcommunity to host them.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UN-ArabLeague mediator LakhdarBrahimi"deep disappointment and anguish"by the continued bloodshed inSyria, the UN press office said.
ruled that Mr Chavez could be swornin at a later date.
But the opposition argues that inthe continuing absence of PresidentChavez, the speaker of the NationalAssembly should take over andelections called within 30 days.
UK unveils third round of Army job cuts
The Ministry of Defence hasannounced a third roundof Army redundancies.
Up to 5,300 job losses wereoutlined by the government.These are part of cuts alreadyannounced to reduce Armynumbers from 102,000 to82,000 by 2017,
Defence minister MarkFrancois said the MoD wouldensure it retained thecapabilities the Armed Forcesrequired "in order to meet thechallenges of the future".
The overall aim is to help
plug a £38bn hole in the defencebudget.
Labour has questioneddefence cuts in the wake of therecent hostage crisis in Algeriaand concerns that the UK facesa growing battle with Islamistextremism in North Africa.
But Norman Smith saysthe government was "veryunlikely to back off from theseredundancies" because it saysthe only support likely to beoffered in that region will belogistically, rather thantroops.
joint session of the two countries'parliaments.
The Elysee Treaty was signedby Charles de Gaulle of Franceand Germany's KonradAdenauer on 22 January 1963.
Despite ups and downs in therelationship, Berlin and Paris
Defence Minister MarkFrancois
have been key shapers of theEuropean Union.
De Gaulle described Europe as"a coach and horses, withGermany the horse and Francethe coachman", and the co-operation between the twonations has been the foundation
stone of the European project, theBBC's Europe editor Gavin Hewittsays.
German Chancellor AngelaMerkel and French PresidentFrancois Hollande met figuresfrom the arts world at the Frenchembassy in Berlin on Tuesday.
WimWenders, the Germanfilm director, recalled his links toFrance: "I am a child of thisfriendship even if it was moreexciting when I was young.
"My first car was a [Citroen]2CV and I studied in Paris."
Today, the 67-year-old added,"there is a certain indifferencebut that doesn't surprise me after50 years of marriage".
Mrs Merkel said earlier thatshe felt "a very great closeness"with Germany's neighbour."When we have come together,then mostly a good new solutionhas come out of it," she added.
To celebrate what has beendescribed as a festival offriendship, France and Germanyare issuing stamps, coins andother items of memorabilia.
French flags will be flyingbeside those of Germany inBerlin.
However, the two countriesremain at odds on several issues,including how to deal with theeurozone crisis.
President Hollande - who ispushing for fresh spending tobolster growth - believes that theGermans are wrong to place suchemphasis on austerity and cuttingdeficits.
On Mr Hollande's side there isalso still bitterness that ChancellorMerkel backed Nicolas Sarkozy soopenly during last year's Frenchpresidential elections, our editorsays. The ongoing crisis in Mali isalso likely to test the two countries'relationship.
While Paris has deployed troopsin the West African nation to haltthe advance of Islamistinsurgents, Berlin has beenreluctant to be drawn deeply intothe conflict.
PAGE 36 PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
Fast-food 'linked to childhoodasthma and eczema'
Fast food often contains high levels of "unhealthy" fat
of severe asthma.Six- and seven-year-olds
had a 27% increased risk.Eating three or more
portions of fruit a week cut therisk of severe asthma, eczema
and rhinoconjunctivitis bybetween 11% and 14%.
The study authors, ProfInnes Asher, from theUniversity of Auckland in NewZealand, and Prof Hywel
Williams, from the Universityof Nottingham in the UK, said:"If the associations betweenfast foods and the symptomprevalence of asthma,rhinoconjunctivitis and
Children 'may grow out of autism'
Calming: Mindfulness can be practised both when walking and sitting
children in their classes at school.On tests - cognitive and
observational, as well as reports fromthe children's parents and school - theywere indistinguishable from theirclassroom peers. They now showed nosign of problems with language, facerecognition, communication or socialinteraction.
For comparison, the researchersalso studied another 44 children of thesame age, sex and non-verbal IQ levelwho had had a diagnosis of "high-functioning" autism - meaning theywere deemed to be less severely affectedby their condition.
It became clear that the childrenin the optimal outcome group - theones who no longer had recognisablesigns of autism - had had milder socialdeficits than the high-functioningautism group in early childhood,although they did have other autismsymptoms, like repetitive behavioursand communication problems, that
were as severe.The researchers went back and
checked the accuracy of the children'soriginal diagnosis, but found no reasonto suspect that they had beeninaccurate.
The researchers say there are anumber of possible explanations fortheir findings.
It might be that some childrengenuinely outgrow their condition. Orperhaps some can compensate forautism-related difficulties.
Dr Thomas Insel, director of theNational Institute of Mental Health,said: "Although the diagnosis of autismis not usually lost over time, thefindings suggest that there is a verywide range of possible outcomes.
"Subsequent reports from thisstudy should tell us more about thenature of autism and the role oftherapy and other factors in the longterm outcome for these children."
It could be that autism cannot
Eating fast food threetimes a week may leadto asthma and eczema
in children, say researcherswho have looked at globaldisease and dietary patterns.
Data from more than500,000 children in morethan 50 countries suggests poordiet may be to blame for risinglevels of these allergy-relatedconditions.
Those who ate fast food,such as take-away burgers,risked severe asthma, eczemaand itchy, watery eyes.
Eating plenty of fruitappears to be protective,Thorax journal reports.
Fast food often containshigh levels of saturated- andtrans-fatty acids, which areknown to affect immunity,while fruit is rich inantioxidants and otherbeneficial compounds, say theresearchers.
In the study, children intheir early teens who ate threeor more weekly servings of fastfood had a 39% increased risk
Some young childrenaccurately diagnosed asautistic lose their symptoms
and their diagnosis as they get older,say US researchers.
The findings of the NationalInstitutes of Health study of 112children appears to challenge thewidely held belief that autism is alifelong condition.
While not conclusive, the study,in the Journal of Child Psychology andPsychiatry, suggests some childrenmight possibly outgrow autism.
But experts urge caution.Much more work is needed to find
out what might explain the findings.Dr Deborah Fein and her team at
the University of Connecticut studied34 children who had been diagnosedwith autism in early childhood butwent on to function as well as 34 other
eczema is causal, then thefindings have major publichealth significance owing tothe rising consumption of fastfoods globally."
Generally, people withasthma do not have to follow aspecial diet.
In some cases, certain foods,such as cow's milk, eggs, fish,shellfish, yeast products, nuts,and some food colourings andpreservatives, can makesymptoms worse.
Malayka Rahman ofAsthma UK, said researchsuggests that a person's dietmay contribute to their risk ofdeveloping asthma and thateating healthily may have abeneficial effect.
"Evidence suggests that thevitamins and antioxidantsfound in fresh fruit andvegetables have a beneficialeffect on asthma thereforeAsthma UK advises people withasthma to eat a healthy,balanced diet including fiveportions of fruit or vegetablesevery day, fish more thantwice a week, and pulses morethan once a week."
Source: BBNews.com
By Michelle Roberts Healtheditor, BBC News online
always be accurately defined ordiagnosed, particularly since thecondition affects people in differentways.
Indeed, experts have disagreedabout what autism is.
The American PsychiatricAssociation is currently revising itsdiagnostic manual - the "bible" fordoctors that lists every psychiatricdisorder and their symptoms.
Its new version proposes changeshe UK's National Autistic Society sayscould affect the way diagnoses will begiven to people on the autismspectrum.
Instead of using the current termsof autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder,childhood disintegrative disorder andPDD-NOS (pervasive developmentaldisorder not otherwise specified),people will be given an umbrelladiagnosis of "autism spectrumdisorder".
And their impairments will bereduced to two main areas - socialcommunication/interaction andrestricted, repetitive patterns ofbehaviour, interests, or activities.
Most diagnoses in the UK are basedon the International Classification ofDiseases (ICD), published by the WorldHealth Organization, which is up forrevision in 2015.
Symptoms may be masked as they learn how to adapt to theircondition
According to the National AutisticSociety, more than one in every 100people, more than 500,000 people inall, in the UK have autism.
About a fifth, an estimated106,000, are school-aged children.
Dr Judith Gould, director of theNational Autistic Society's Lorna WingCentre for Autism, said: "Autism is alifelong disability affecting the waythat people communicate andinteract with others.
"This study is looking at a smallsample of high functioning peoplewith autism and we would urgepeople not to jump to conclusionsabout the nature and complexityof autism, as well its longevity.
"This research acknowledgesthat a diagnosis of autism is notusually lost over time and it isimportant to recognise thesupport that people with autism needin order to live the lives of theirchoosing."
She said getting a diagnosis couldbe a critical milestone for children withautism and their families, oftenhelping parents to understand theirchildren better and helping them tosupport their children in reachingtheir full potential.
Source: BBCNews.com
PAGE 37PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2012
About two weeks after aFederal High Court inAbuja reinstated sacked 10
Congress for Progressive Change(CPC) lawmakers from Kastina atthe National Assembly, theIndependent Electoral Commission(INEC) is yet to comply with thecourt’s directive.
The court presided over by theHon. Justice G.K Olutu had onJanuary 11, ordered that thelegislators be reinstated to theirseats.
According to the court, “the
Kastina legislators: INEC, NASSyet to enforce court’s order
sealed certificates of return issued tothe plaintiffs upon their winningelection into the National Assemblyto represent their various federalconstituencies and senatorialdistricts of Kastina state are stillvalid and that the plaintiffs areentitled to immediately reposestheir seats at the National Assemblyto represent their respective federalconstituencies and senatorialdistricts without let or hindrancefrom the Independent NationalElectoral Commission INEC and theleadership of the NationalAssembly.”
By Lawrence Olaoye Senator Abdu Umar Yandoma andSenator Ahmed Sani Stores alongwith members of the House ofRepresentatives, Musa Salisu,Aminu Ashiru, Murtala Isah,Muntari Dandutse, Umar K, UmarAbdu Dankama, Tasiu Doguruand Mohammed Tukur.
Counsel to the plaintiffs,Yahaya Mohammed (SAN), hadwritten to the INEC and theleadership of the NASS urgingthem to enforce the court’sdirectives.
The legislators hadapproached the court, challengingthe decision of INEC to withdraw
their certificates of return whichled to the loss of their seats at theNational Assembly.
Speaking with reporters inAbuja yesterday, SenatorYandoma said they were worriedover the flouting of the court’sruling.
As he put it, “as lawmakers, weshould live by example as we shouldnot be seen as a lawless arm ofgovernment.
“To the best of our knowledge,no appeal has been made on thematter and it is a declaratoryjudgment which should be enforcedimmediately.”
Prof. Daniel Omoweh, aPolitical Scientist, at theCovenant University, Ota in
Ogun yesterday advocated theinvolvement of the political partiesin domestic resource management.
Omoweh made the call at theadvocacy training onTransparency and Accountably inthe Oil and Gas sector in Nigeriaorganised by the African Centre forLeadership Strategy andDevelopment.
He said, “A key politicalinstitution that has to bedemocratised is the political party,because it is a microcosm of thegovernment of the day.
“Therefore, political partiesmust be engaged in internaldemocratisation and goodgovernance of the economy.’’
The professor called on theFederal Government to ensuretransparency in the managementof the petroleum resources byempowering the citizens to exercisetheir rights over natural resources.
“This will enable the people tohave a decisive say in the variousstages of operation in the industry,’’Omoweh said.
According to him, poorgovernance of the country’spetroleum resources, among itsnumerous natural resources, isbasically political, rooted as it is inthe policy and politics of the state.
Omoweh urged the civil societygroups to facilitate the formation ofcommunity-based resource groupsthat would document naturalresources found in theircommunities and its exploration.
In his speech, the ExecutiveDirector of the Centre, Dr OtiveIgbuzor, said that the objective ofthe training was to increase citizens’understanding of operations in theoil and gas sector.
Igbuzor said that the trainingwould help the centre to map outconcrete advocacy plans for thepassage of Petroleum Industry Billand to address transparency andaccountability issues.
“Our goal is to strengthencitizen’s voice for the accountabilityand reforms in the oil and gassector,’’ he said. (NAN)
Don advocatesinclusion ofpolitical parties inmanagement ofthe economy
The Bayelsa governmenthas accused somepoliticians in the state of
sponsoring kidnappings to create astate of insecurity.
The government’s position wascontained in a statement issued onMonday in Yenagoa by Mr DanielIworis-Markson, Chief PressSecretary to Gov. Seriake Dickson.
He accused some ‘disgruntledpoliticians’ who he said were benton halting the transformationagenda of the governor of being
Bayelsa govt. accuses politicians of sponsoring kidnappingbehind acts of kidnappings on thestate.
“From the facts at our disposal,it is clear that some failed politicianswho have lost out in the powerequation in the state are workingbehind the scene with some forcesoutside the state to sponsorkidnapping of innocent citizens inBayelsa.
“Their aim is not only to scareaway investors and stalldevelopment, but also to make thestate ungovernable.
“Their intention is to give theimpression that the governmentof the day is incapable of securingthe lives and property of citizens,”he said.
Iworis-Markson said thatDickson’s administration had notonly given priority to security, buthad also shown political will toprotect lives and property in thestate.
He said that the administrationhad succeeded in turning aroundthe state from a haven of cultism,
violence and criminality into apeaceful and prosperous state.
He said that the passage of theSecret Cult, Kidnapping andSimilar Offences Prohibition Law2012, had made it possible toprosecute criminals who ran foul ofthe law.
He warned mischief makers stayclear of the state, adding that thegovernment would prosecuteanyone who did not obey the law.
“Let it be stated for the umpteenthtime that there will be no sacred cows
Chairman of Bauchi StateIndependent ElectoralCommission (BASIEC),
Alhaji Abdulmumuni Kundak,charged the newly electoral officersand administrative secretaries tobe steadfast, fair and just while
BASIEC charges officers on justice, fairnessFrom Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi performing their duties
Speaking yesterday at theinauguration of new electoral officersand administrative secretaries forthe of the 20 local government areasin the state, Kundak warned that thecommission will not hesitate toterminate the appointment of any ofthem found wanting noting that
BASIEC was determined to conductthe most credible local governmentpolls in the state
According to him, ”theappointments were based on meritthrough your performance in thejust concluded aptitude test.
“I urge you not to betray theconfidence and trust bestowed on
you as you must be fair and just inthe discharge of your duties anddealing with the political parties inthe state.
“If anybody or political partymember comes to you seekingclarification on any issue, pleaselisten to him and answer him to thebest of your understanding.”
in the enforcement of law and order.“The era of playing politics with
security matters are gone for goodand shall remain so,’’ the CPS said.
He urged youths in the state toredirect their energies towardmeaningful ventures.
He also urged them to takeadvantage of the free andcompulsory education policy of thegovernment to acquire educationinstead of allowing themselves tobe used as tools for criminality.(NAN)
PAGE 38 PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2012
Opposition mergerencouraging, says ANPPThe All Nigeria Peoples
Party (ANPP hasdeclared that the merger
moves currently between threeopposition political parties in thecountry is encouraging.
The ANPP NationalRebuilding and Inter PartyCommittee Secretary, Chief
George Moghalu, made theassertion in Bauchi saying thatthe merger talks would addressthe challenges beingencountered in the process.
He said that the Congress forProgressive Change (CPC),Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN) and the All NigeriaPeoples Party (ANPP) arecurrently in a merger talks
Group hails Suswam over UN awardmade available to this reporteryesterday described the UnitedNation’s award conferred onSuswam by the MLK Foundationas another reward for thecountless efforts of hisadministration in providingdrinking water in the state.
Agbese pointed out that theaward which received positiveapplause amongst Benue peopleacross the world, particularlythose in the Diaspora, was welldeserved considering theintegrity of the giver and thegovernor’s visible achievementsin the grassroots.
From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi
Amalgamationof Nigeria was adivine plan, saysformer governor
Former Governor ofAnambra, ChiefChukwuemeka Ezeife, has
described the amalgamation ofNorthern and Southernprotectorates of Nigeria as God’splan for the country to developinto a world power.
Ezeife told the News Agencyof Nigeria (NAN) in Abujayesterday that Nigeria wasendowed with human andnatural resources capable ofmaking it a rallying point forother countries.
He said, “The colonial masterswere only implementing thedesires of God. God wants us to betogether,’’ the former governorsaid, referring to the 1914unification of the twoprotectorates by the Britishcolonialist to form Nigeria.
The former governor also said,“Black men need a rallying pointand a big brother.
“They need someone todevelop into a super power toraise the prestige and respect ofblack people anywhere they are,and that is the role of Nigeria.
“That is Nigeria’s destinywhich we are running awayfrom.’’
He called on Nigerians toharness their potentials towardsdeveloping the country, addingthat the clamour for the countryto divide would not be in theinterest of peace and harmony.
“We have competed withwhites in several ways and wehave proved beyond reasonabledoubt that Nigeria is richlyblessed, but how do we show theworld what we are made of if wekeep developing backward.
“There is the need for us toharness our potentials so that thecountry can compete favourablywith other countries of the world,’’he said.
The former governor called onpoliticians to emulate theAmerican election to enhancedevelopment.
He described Republicancandidate Mitt Romney’sacceptance of defeat in the U.S.Presidential election as a wakeupcall for Nigerian politicians toavoid unnecessary bickering inthe interest of the country.
“We should give peace achance in Nigeria.
“There were lots of problembetween Romney and Obama butthey had to tolerate each other.
“At the end it was what theycould do for America thatmattered,” he said. (NAN)
The statement furthercommended Suswam forbringing glory and honour toBenue State through his tirelessefforts in huge capitalinvestment in life savingventures, adding that thepresent administration hasindeed served as a bunch ofdivine blessing in every facet ofhuman development in Benuestate.
While eulogising the qualityof awards won so far by thegovernor since his assumption ofoffice in 2007, Agbese arguedthat the world has come to the
inevitable conclusion thatSuswam has boldly written hisname in gold in the areas of peaceand security, infrastructure,education, health care andprovision of portable water.
He therefore chargedSuswam never to relent in hiscommitment to build on theseachievements for the futuregeneration and those who wouldcome after him to sustain.”Weat the Benue Youths in DiasporaAssociation are not surprised tosee our amiable governor, Rt.Hon Gabriel Suswam CON infaraway Atlanta Georgia beingdecorated with the UnitedNations Children’s Fund awardin the provision of portable waterand primary health caredevelopment. His numerousachievements in these capitalintensive areas are quitecommendable and what theorganizers have done is toelectrify our joy in Benue Statethat the whole world has come torecognize and celebrate the goodwork which Governor Suswamhas continue to do for the peopleparticularly at the grassroots”.
ahead of the 2015 generalelections as a prelude to forminga formidable party to oust theruling People’s DemocraticParty (PDP) in the elections.
“If you check properly at thehistory of politics in this country,most times have always beenalignments of talks; but now it isa merger and more so we havetime unlike before, when you
have alignments, its only two orthree weeks issue; but this time,we have clearly one year to geteverything fused together” hesaid.
“Therefore the merger talksare wonderful, veryencouraging and I’m quiteoptimistic that we will overcomeall challenges and problems.After all, life is about problemsand solving them, so I believe somuch that when you get to abridge then you talk aboutcrossing it,” he added.
The ANPP CommitteeSecretary explained that theparty is open and sincere aboutthe merger as it is going to thetalks without any conditionbecause the party expected thatany other team, be it a politicalparty, civil society group orassociation, will also be open andsincere.
“We are coming straightopen and sincere, we have noconditionality, and we are notgoing into negotiations of mergerwith any condition attached”,Moghalu said.
He also reiterated thereadiness of the ANPP to acceptany likely change in the processof the merger talks should theneed arise disclosing that theparty will not be rigid but ratherflexible.
“If in the process there is theneed for total change ofeverything why not? ANPP is notrigid, it is being more flexible.What we are saying is that weare open, we are talking of amerger, we are not coming to tellyou we have so number ofgovernors, we don’t want that”,he declared.
The Benue Youths inDiaspora Association hascommended the Executive
Governor of Benue State, Rt. HonGabriel Suswam, over his UnitedNations Children’s Fund Awardorganized by the Luther King(jnr) Foundation in AtlantaGeorgia, United States.
Suswam was reconised for hisnumerous projects in primaryhealth care and water supply.
The President General of theAssociation, Comrade PhilipAgbese, in a press statement
Expert advocates fiscal federalism to develop abundant resourcesvarious states of the federation.
He added that fiscal federalismwould enable states to exploreresources for their development.
Quadri said that it would alsoreduce the “work load” on the FederalGovernment and enable it focus onthe development of infrastructure.
“One state can say it will produceelectricity with whatever it isproducing, the other can say it will
improve on security; by this, therewill be innovations and competitions.
“We have great potential in thecountry and the only way to harnessthem is to use the avenue of fiscalfederalism.
“Let states explore the resourcesin their domains and remit somepercentages to the FederalGovernment
“In that wise, the Federal
Government will be able to focus onthe development of the key sectors totransform the economy,” he said.
Quadri said that the number ofstates in the country did not matter,so long as they were viable.
“I am not an advocate for thereduction of the number of states. Ifwe have 50 states, no problem, butthose states must be financiallyviable.” (NAN)
Kunle Quadri, formerPresident, CharteredInstitute of Taxation of
Nigeria (CITN), yesterday,advocated fiscal federalism toeffectively harness the abundantresources of the country.
In an interview with the NewsAgency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos,Quadri said the gesture wouldencourage innovations among the
L-R: Resident Coordinator, UN System in Nigeria, Ibrahima Fall, Country Director, UNDP, Ms. AdeMamonyane-Lekoetje, and Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. MikeOmeri, during the joint presentation of the UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF country programme document,yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo
By Aminu Augustine
PAGE 39PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2012
The Coalition AgainstCorrupt Leaders(CACOL) has berated the
Lagos state governor, MrBabatunde Raji Fashola, SANfor barring political officeholders in the state fromgranting interviews orspeaking to journalists onbehalf of his government.
Reacting to the news, theExecutive Chairman of theCoalition, Debo Adeniran,noted that the step taken by theLagos State Government was
CACOL berates Fashola oversecretive style of administration
tantamount to suppression ofpublic information and denyingthe public and civil servantstheir fundamental humanrights.
“How can a governor whorode on the wings of democracyand the rule of law, a supposedexpert at law for that matter,order public servants not togrant interviews or issue pressreleases without theconcurrence of the Ministry ofInformation? This is gaggingpublic and civil servants anddenying them freedom ofexpression, which is an
infringement on theirfundamental human rights,making them subhuman.
“Gagging public and civilservants is antithetical to thespirit of transparency andaccountability that are majorfactors of participatorygovernment in any country.Lagosians are entitled to thetrue position of situation all thetime. Why should theInformation Ministry censorthe information to be passed tothe general public? Has theLagos government ceased to beaccountable to the people that
From Ayodele Samuel,Lagos
The Campaign forDemocracy (CD), South-East region, has rated
Governors Rochas Okorocha, PeterObi and Sullivan Chime high ininfrastructure and human capitaldevelopment.
This is contained in a statementissued to newsmen by CD in Onitsha, Anambra yesterday.
The statement was signed by MrUzor Uzor and Dr. JerryChukwuokolo, chairman andsecretary of the group respectively.
The statement said within twoyears of Gov. Okorochaadministration he had tarred closeto 500 kilometres of roads, most ofwhich were in the rural areas of thethree senatorial zones of the state.
“Apart from road, theOkorocha’s administration haderected monumental buildings andalso erected a central gate-way ineach of the senatorial districts of Imo.
“As well as the current buildingof the ultra-modern generalhospitals in the 27 council areas ofthe state and running a functionalfree education system from theprimary school level to tertiaryinstitution in the state.
“However, apart from therecent N500 million given tosecurity agencies as a motivationalmeasure; the governor had notdone so well in terms of security.
“Imo is still fraught with a lot ofcriminality and making the stateunfavourable for investors,’’ it said.
CD said Anambra scored secondin ranking in the zone; adding thatGov. Obi had tarred over 500kilometres of roads within his sixyears in office.
“Obi renovated and revitalisedsecretariat complexes of 21 councilareas of the state; built new civilservants’ secretariat headquarters,new teaching hospital, ultra-modern electronic library and builttwo stadia in Onitsha .
“Constructed over 50 bridgesacross communities in Anambraespecially those at the grassroots;gave security agencies over 400operational and equipped vehicles;and paid salaries, pension andentitlement of its workerspromptly.
“But Obi had failed to providewater for the teeming populationin Onitsha and its environs; nonconduct of local council elections.
“No investment in job creation,which had led to high incidences ofcommercial motorcycle riding aswell as high crime rate,’’ it said.
The statement also noted thatEnugu State Government wasanother administration that hadshown commitment to thedevelopment of its people.
“Gov. Chime embarked onmassive development of urbanareas and through this uplifted thestatus of Enugu from a colonial cityto a modern mega city with firstclass amenities.
“The governor had alsoconducted local council election,which had eluded other states andrestored grassroots politicalparticipation and economicdevelopment. (NAN)
CD ratesOkorocha, Obihigh amongSouth-Eastgovernors
The Alliance for Democracy(AD) has commended theurban renewal efforts of
the Oyo state governor,SenatorAbiola Ajimobi, saying that ithad succeeded in changing theface of the state.
The party gave thecommendation in a letteraddressed to the governor andsigned by its NationalSecretary, Mr. Rafiu Salau.
Salau, in the letter datedJanuary 14, 2013, lamentedthat the people of the state had
lived in “the most awfulenvironment for a long time’’,adding that they were forced toadapt to the odd and dirtyenvironment as a normal wayof life.
“It is a good idea to get thepeople out of the currentcondition of the environmentand take them to where life isworth living. The outlook of anenvironment has a great impacton the culture of the people.Therefore, it is one of the policiesthat can change the people,’’ theparty scribe said.
He also commended the
administrative style of thegovernor saying that it was inthe right direction ofdevelopment.
“I salute you for yourboldness to move the people toan environment that will makethe state a role model to others.Amazingly, those who resistchange at the beginningbecome the protectors of itwhen they start benefittingfrom the proceeds of thechange,’’ Salau said.
He expressed the concernthat the environment hadbecome a market for display
AD hails Ajimobi over urban renewal programmeFrom Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan
L-R: Lagos state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Lateef Ibirogba, his counterparts in Finance, Mr Tokunbo Abiru, andEconomic Planning and Budget, Mr Ben Akabueze, during the 2013 budget analysis, yesterday in Lagos. Photo: NAN
put them there? Why shouldthey run the government likea cult group? It is only cultgroups that operate in secret.
“If Fashola does not haveanything to hide, he shouldrescind his decision on thisissue. He is responsible andaccountable to every Lagosianand the Nigerian masses as awhole,” Adeniran submitted.
He however called on theLagos State House of Assemblyto address this seemingaberration in the state andcurb the excessive of thegovernor
of goods, refuse and abandonedor obsolete equipment,pointing out that with the freestreets and improvement inthe aesthetics, Oyo was set tobecome one of the neatest statesin the country that wouldattract tourists and investors.
The National Secretaryurged Ajimobi to continue withthe “excellent programme’’without submission to theresistance of “those who benefitfrom bad environment’’,stressing that hisadministration was a pride tothe progressives.
Ashiru Toheeb, has described therecent attack on the Emir of Kano,Alhaji Ado Bayero, by gunmen asruthless and unfortunate.
Toheeb told the News Agencyof Nigeria (NAN) in Abeokuta onTuesday that the current securitysituation in the country suggestedthat no one was safe in the hands
of the terrorists’ groups.“The Federal Government
should intensify its efforts inwaging war against persistentsecurity challenges in the countryto enhance a stable polity.
The chief Imam said that thesecurity situation in the countrycould lead to economic instabilityin the long run if the challengeswere not properly handled.
He called on the authorities
concerned to carry out asystematic investigation inorder to arrest the perpetratorsof the crimes.
“I am challenging thegovernment of the day to carryout a systematic investigationand also apply new methods intackling the challenges.”
The cleric urged allmuslims to intensify prayers toAlmighty Allah to bring to an
Cleric condemns attack on Emir of Kanoend the security challengesfacing the country.
NAN reports that Bayerohad escaped unhurt whengunmen attacked his convoyon Jan.19 shortly afterattending an Islamic functionin Kano.
The incident resulted in theloss of some lives and injuriesamong members of the emir’sentourage.(NAN)
PAGE 40 PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2012
Suntai: Ex governorship candidate callson Taraba Assembly to invoke removal
July 14, 2012 election.The supreme court had on
January 11, 2013 upturned thedecision of the Court of Appeal, BeninDivision which ordered that apetition challenging the educationalqualification of the governor beheard by the tribunal.
Meanwhile, the Edo state PDP hasexpelled its Director of Publicity,Okharedia Ihimekpen, overallegation of unguarded statement.
Edo governorship election: Tribunal deliversjudgment as PDP expels Information Director
Alhaji MohammedMustapha, formerGovernorship Candidate of
the African Democratic Congress(ADC) in Taraba, yesterday urgedthe State Assembly to commencethe process to remove the ailinggovernor, Danbaba Suntai, fromoffice.
Mustapha, who contested thegovernorship seat in 2007, said theSpeaker of the House of Assemblywas under obligation toimmediately invoke Section 189 (1)(2) of the 1999 Constitution in thecircumstance.
He told newsmen in Abuja thatSection 189 of the 1999Constitution mandates the Speakerto set up machinery in motion toscrutinise the prolonged poor healthof the governor.
Mustapha explained thatSection 189 of the constitutionmandated the Speaker to set upmachinery in motion to scrutinizethe prolonged poor health of thegovernor.
“The thrust of that provision isthat Governors and DeputyGovernors shall remain unfit tocontinue with their functions in aninstance of incapacitation.
“The Speaker of the House ofAssembly is compelled to invoke
Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim (left), exchanging pleasantries with Senate President DavidMark (right), after briefing the Senate on the Centenary Project; Consent Document, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja. Withthem is Senator Gbenga Ashafa (middle). Photo: Mahmud Isa
that section if not an impeachmentproceeding would be broughtagainst him.
“The People of Taraba are indarkness on the true position ofthings as the government hasrefused to tell the truth,’’ he said.
NAN reports that In line withthe provisions of section 190(2) ofthe 1999 constitution (asamended), the Taraba State Houseof Assembly on Nov 15, 2012mandated the Deputy Governor ofthe state, Alhaji Garba Umar, to act
as governor pending the return ofSuntai.
The pronouncementmomentarily lay to rest thecontroversy occasioned by theabsence of the governor, who iscurrently undergoing treatment ina German hospital following injurieshe sustained in a plane crash onThursday, October 25.
Sub-section 2 of the constitutionreads: “In the event that theGovernor is unable or fails totransmit the written declaration
Ihimekpen had in a statementexpressed the party’s decision toboycott the forthcoming localgovernment elections in the statealleging that ACN government hadalready written the results.
However, in a press statementyesterday terminating Ihimekpen’sappointment, the party’s stateSecretary, Hon FelixUtubor, explained that thedevelopment was due to a re-
organization currently going on atthe state secretariat of the party.”
But a reliable PDP source hintedthat Ihimekpen’s “unguardedstatement” embarrassed the partyand was capable of misinforming itsteeming supporters regarding thelocal council polls.
According to the source, “we aregoing to contest the council electionsand who is Ihimekpen to say PDP isgoing to boycott the elections?
mentioned in sub-section (1) of thissection within 21 days, the House ofAssembly shall, by a resolutionmade by a simple majority of thevote of the House, mandate theDeputy Governor to perform thefunctions of the office of theGovernor as Acting Governor,until the Governor transmits aletter to the Speaker that he isnow available to resume hisfunctions as Governor.”
Mustapha said the StateAssembly must not hide behind the
provision of Section 190 to violateSection 189 of the same constitution.
He urged the Cross River andEnugu Houses of the Assembly toadopt similar measure byupholding the provision of theconstitution to swear in their deputygovernors as substantive governorsof the states.
NAN reports that governorsLiyel Imoke and Chime Sullivanhave been away for medicalattention in abroad for about 90days each. (NAN)
INEC preparesfor councilpolls in FCT
The FCT IndependentNational ElectoralCommission has said that
preparation is on top gear for the areacouncil elections scheduled for March16.
Mr Okezie Nwankwo, Head,Department, Public Affairs, PoliticalParty Monitoring and Liaison of thecommission, dropped the hint in aninterview with the News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday.
He said, “We have started holdingmeetings with various stakeholders;we have held inter-agencyconsultative committee meeting onelection securities which the FCTResident Electoral Commissioner co-chaired with the policecommissioner.
“The meeting was also held withthe Nigeria Security and CivilDefence, Federal Road Safety,Immigration, the State SecurityService and other relevant securityagencies .
“We are also training and re-training staff of the commission, therewill be workshops on voter educationin all the six area councils of the FCT,which will include the electoralofficers.
“The workshop will also involveAssistant Electoral Officers andofficials of the National OrientationAgency (NOA).”
Nwankwo said the aim of themeeting was to ensure security of theelectoral process and avoid violenceduring election.
He said that the commissionwould hold meetings with thetraditional institutions at the grass-roots level on the rudiments ofelections. (NAN)
The Election PetitionsTribunal sitting in Beninwill today rule on the petition
filed by the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) gubernatorial candidate,Major-Gen. Charles Airhiavbvere(rtd), challenging the election ofComrade Adams Oshiomhole of theAction Congress of Nigeria (A C N)during the governorship election of
From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin
national discourse and anintellectual fountain of knowledgewhich people could draw from.
“Island Club is one of the bestclubs in Nigeria and only few clubscan rival it.
“ It has been contributing to thesocio-economic growth of thiscountry.
“The club sets pace for nationaldevelopment.
“ The calibre of members of the
Social clubs, agents of socio-economic growth – Amosunclub has continued to make it aformidable one and that is why I’ma part of it,” he said.
He advised the club to do morein the area of development andcommended its zeal anddetermination to make adifference.
The governor pledged support toits administration and expressedreadiness to embrace its ideals.
Dada, in his remarks, said the
club under his leadership decided topay a courtesy call on the governorto acquaint him with its activities.
The chairman, an indigene ofOgun, said the club, which would be70 years old this year, wascommitted to contributing its quotato the development of the country.
He later conferred on thegovernor full membership of theclub and presented him a letter ofconferment. (NAN)
Gov. Ibikunle Amosun ofOgun yesterdaydescribed social clubs in the
country as agents of socio-culturaland economic development.
He said this in Abeokuta whenmembers of the Island Club of Lagosled by its Chairman, Mr AdemolaDada, paid him a courtesy visit inhis office.
Amosun said the club was averitable and vibrant platform for
PAGE 41PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
South Africa go into theirsecond 2013 Africa Cup ofN a t i o n s G r o u p
A e n c o u n t e rwith Angola under immensepressure to perform even asCape Verde Islands the hithertodark horses seek their firstNations Cup win againstMorocco.
The Bafana, Palenca Negrasmatch at the Moses MabhidaStadium could be a decisive onefor the sides with both openingmatches in the pool finishinggoalless. Defeat for any teamwould put their participationin the quarterfinals in seriousdoubt.
South Africa’s displayagainst Cape Verde in theirfirst match last Saturday wasinept, with no rhythm or teamcohesion. Coach GordonIgesund has promised a betterdisplay from his team inDurban, and is also likely topick a more offensive side forthe game.
Strikers Guilherme Afonsoand Manucho both missed aseries of gilt-edged chances asAngola put on a strong displayparticularly in the second halfagainst Morocco and would re-knack similar running andenterprising spirit mixed witha tough physical approach thatmay prove tricky for BafanaBafana to deal with.
Coach Gustavo Ferrin islikely to have midfielderDjalma Campos fit again afterhe missed the Morocco matchand he will add some furthersteel to the centre of the park.
they play tournamentfavourites Ivory Coast at RoyalBafokeng Stadium.
Despite admitting that theyhave a big task at hand, Six saysthey will fight to reach the nextphase of the competition.
Former Super Eaglesskipper, Sunday Oliseh,and business man Aminu
Kurfi have urged the Eagleshead coach Stephen Keshi to stepup his game plan in subsequentmatches or risk being hauntedby the 1-1 draw againstStallions of Burkina Faso.
Oliseh, who was on livecommentary for Supersport,said the Eagles showed gut butlacked the final bite in the thirdquarter and hoped the draw do
not later haunt them.Also, Aminu Kurfi urged
Keshi to be wary of his changesand wondered why hesubstituted EmmanuelEmenike and Brown Ideye evenwhen it was obvious AhmedMusa had lost steam.
“We lost the maximum pointsI think because of some poordecisions from Keshi who optedto replace Emenike, thebulldozer in the team even whenone could see that Ahmed Musa
had drifted off and was finding itdifficult to contribute effectivelyas he did in the first half andshould have been substituted.
“Also, one needs to cautionkeshi against being physicalbecause I think the Eagles arebetter off when playing theirusual free-flowing passes thanresort to robust system. It doesn’tsuit them, that’s why they pickup cards against Burkina Fasoas was the case against CapeVerde Islands,” Kurfi said.
Oliseh, Aminu caution Eagles’ technical crew
Kurfi
tough group.The Hawks will play Ivory
Coast, Tunisia and Algeria inGroup D of Africa’s flagship footballcompetition in South Africa.
Togo will open their groupcampaign on Tuesday when
Didier Six says it will bedifficult for TogoTogocoach Didier Six admits
that they face an arduous taskof reaching the knock-outstages of the 2013 Africa Cupof Nations because of their
“The Ivory Coast is thefavourite. They have a highlevel of experience, andexperienced players like DidierDrogba who wants to dosomething because it isprobably their last AFCON,”
Six said.“But we will play to our
strengths. There are two placesfor qualification for the nextphase of the competition. Ourgoal is to qualify for the nextphase.”
Togo coach, Six, admits Group D difficulty
Kolo Toure battling against Emmanuel Adebayor for ball possession in yesterday’s cracker thatCote d’ Ivoire eventually ran away with the three points courtesy Gervinho’s goal.
”The Africa Cup of Nations hasalways been an exciting andimportant sports event for us inNigeria and other Africancountries. However, this editionof 2013 even holds a greatersignificance for us as a nation.
Next year 2014, our dearcountry will be one hundredyears old. As we look back andcelebrate our achievements as astrong, united nation, we cannotunderstate the role that sports,especially football played in ournational life. “Football remainsone enduring unifying factor inour country which transcendsour diversity.”
The Eagles were forced to 1-1draw on Monday night and areto play the next game againstZambia on Friday.
The Nigeria FootballFederation (NFF)yesterday held a closed
door meeting with the technicalcrew of the Super Eagles followingthe team’s 1-1 draw with theStallions of Burkina Faso onMonday night.
President of the footballfederation, Aminu Maigari, whoconfirmed this said that Keshi hasbeen told to re-jig and enliven thesquad to ensure that it improvesin the next game againstdefending champions, theChipolopolo of Zambia.
“We have told them to go andmake Nigerians proud. We stillhave confidence in the team butthey need to do better in the nextgame. We know this is football andsometimes this kind of resultscome. But we have told the coachthat millions of Nigerians arehoping on this team and we mustnot fail them,” Maigari disclosed.
Coach Stephen Keshi declinedany comments after the meeting.
Bafana,Angola inintensematch-up
NFF holdstalks withKeshi
Jonathan will inspireEagles, says YoboThe Super Eagles will draw
inspiration from PresidentGoodluck Jonathan’s letter
urging them to lay thegroundwork for Nigeria’scentenary celebration next yearby winning the 2013 Africa Cupof Nations.
Skipper of the Eagles, Joseph
Yobo said the emotionencapsulated in the motivationalletter was overwhelming andinspirational adding that theresolve of the team is not to letdown the president.
“A successful outing at theAfrica Cup of Nations will offer agreat opportunity to furtherinspire pride, faith and hope in are-energised new Nigeria in thecourse of our centennial
celebrations,” Jonathan hadwritten in the letter delivered bySports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahito the team.
“I will like to on behalf of myteammates assure Mr Presidentthat we will not let him down. Allwe need is for him to continue to sayhis fatherly prayers for us all andwe shall surely deliver”, Yobo said.
Part of the content of PresidentJonathan’s letter reads:
By Patrick Andrew
PAGE 42 PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
Chinedu Efuh, the Captain of Heartland FC ofOwerri, has hailed the resolution of the sponsorshipconcerns that dogged the title sponsorship of the
Nigeria Premier League (NPL).He describing as a welcome development, the
resolution of sponsorship in favour of Globacomtelecommunication.
Efuh said in Lagos on Sunday that some players in theleague were delighted that title sponsorship issue thathad dragged on for far too long had finally been resolved.
The league was without a title sponsor for two seasonsthe 2010/2011 and the 2011/2012 seasons.
“I feel very happy that this problem has been resolved.We thank God for that; it wasn’t easy on clubs. And Ibelieve that all the parties involved must have learnt alesson or two that when two elephants fight, it is onlythe grass that suffers,’’ he said.
Efuh disclosed that Heartland are ready for the 2012/2013 season, and used the just concluded Super- Fourtournament in Kano where the team emerged championsare evidence of their preparedness.
Further, he said that the club’s new players weregradually settling into the style of play at Heartland.“Heartland are fully prepared; at least with the SuperFour in Kano, you can see that Heartland is a team tobeat.
Heartland won the Super Four competition in Kano,which had top four clubs in the league Lobi Stars ofMakurdi, Rangers of Enugu and Kano Pillars.
John Obuh, Coach of the national under-20 team,yesterday commended Alhaji Shuaibu Chindo, theChairman of Wikki Tourists FC, for successfully
organising a friendly match between the two teams atthe weekend.
Obuh commended Chindo for his interest anddedication in promoting the game of football in thecountry and noted that he decided to take his players ontour of the country to enable them gain more experiencebecause he was not satisfied with their performance.
“Friendly matches are good eye openers. Some of theplayers have yet to be groomed, but I am not in a hurryto discard any of them.I have to give them more time tofeature in more games in the hope that they will improveon their skills,’’ he said.
Obuh said he would invite and groom younger playersthat would serve as the feeder to the senior nationalteam.
He said that his team would be travelling to the South-East to play friendly matches with teams like the EnuguRangers FC and others.
Wikki beat Flying Eagles by a lone goal, while theFlying Eagles won the second friendly match with aselect team 2-1.
Roller skating coaches yesterday appealed to theFederal Government to provide an arena forskaters in National Stadia across the country,
especially in Lagos.They said that a part of the stadium could be tarred or
cemented exclusively for practicing the sport, to reducethe rate at which skaters roll on the highways andprevent accidents.
The coaches said in Lagos in separate interviews thatthe provision of an arena would popularise the sport,which has existed in the country since in 2001 whenthe Gliders Club and later metamorphosed into theRoller Sports Association.
In 2006, the stakeholders formed the Big HeartSkaters Club which was registered by the CorporateAffairs Commission. Their objective was to popularisethe sport in Nigeria and Africa.
The events in skating include figure skating, hockeyskating, freestyle skating, ball skating, speed skating,stunt skating, marathon skating and choreographyskating.
However, Kings Kendron, the Coach of the Big HeartSkaters Club, Lagos, said that it was not entirely possible
to take the skaters off the roads because skating was alsoan outdoor sport.
“Activities like marathon skating are done on theroad, just like jogging, so it is not going to be fully possibleto stop skaters from practising on the highways.
“But plans could be made to reduce the rate at whichskaters practise on the roads by providing an exclusivearena for such activities to be carried out,” he said.
Richard Jawando, the Assistant Coach of YoungQuality International Skaters Club, said that the sportwas a way to relax and also a means to burn calories andstaying healthy.
“Skating is a sure way of engaging in a stress-freeexercise and a way of shedding off excess fats in the body,”he said.
Donald Ogbukeze, the Coach of Xtreme WheelsInternational Club, said that people were skepticaltaking to the sport because of injuries that might besustained from falls.
He explained that there were helmets and protective gearsavailable to protect parts that might be exposed to harm.
“The head is protected by a helmet and the other partsare protected by pads, even the skating boots aredesigned in a way to minimise dislocation of the ankles,”he added.
Ahmed Maude,NRA president
Coaches want exclusive arena for skatingin National Stadia
Irabor blames politics, ethnicityfor Nigerian refs’ failureRetired FIFA referee
and CAFinstructor, Faith
Irabor has blamed ‘politicsand ethnicity’ as workingagainst the selection ofmore Nigerian referees toofficiate in FIFA/CAForganised competitions.
Irabor said in Beninthat it was sad that onlyPeter Edibe was namedamong the 39 referees 18referees and 21 assistantreferees to officiate at theongoing Africa Cup ofNations tournament inSouth Africa.
“But for politics andethnic rivalry in theNigerian RefereeAssociation (NRA), wecould have by now beenenjoying more slots in
FIFA/CAF organisedtournaments. FIFA/CAFdoes not give matches toindividuals but tocountry, which has theright to allot slots toreferee from among itsranks.
“There are good refereesin Nigeria, but there arefactors that qualify themto officiate at FIFA/CAFtournaments. Refereesmust have officiated inprevious organisedmatches.
“Referees must haverecords and be named inthe elite cadre of the top-most referees in thetournament. Such areferee must be consistentin performances inmatches handled and
fortunately, only Edibe ison that list.
She appeal to theNigeria FootballFederation (NFF) toproject only youngreferees from ages 27 to40, stressing that effortsshould be made to developreferees from their inter-mediate positions to theelite cadre.
Irabor warned against‘favouristism and politics’in the assigning refereesmatches to officiateadding that this wouldimpact negatively onNigeria.
Edibe is the onlyNigerian among the sixWest Africans named byCAF for the South AfricanNations Cup.
Aussie Open: Djokovic, Ferrer to clash in semifinalsprocess three times brokethe 10th seed when heserved for the match.
Meanwhile, freshconcerns over the fitnessof Serena Williams at theAustralian Openresurfaced yesterdaywhen she suffered arecurrence of her ankleinjury while playingdoubles.
Williams twisted herright ankle in the firstround of the singles butthe world No 3 had beenuntroubled while movingthrough to herq u a r t e r f i n a lappointment with SloaneStephens, to be played onWednesday.
However, she tweakedthe ankle again as sheand her sister, Venus,were defeated by the top-
D e f e n d i n gc h a m p i o nN o v a k
Djokovic will face DavidFerrer tomorrow in thefirst of the Aussie Openmen semifinals. Hebounced back from amarathon five-setter just48 hours earlier bybeating Tomas Berdychyesterday.
The Serbian world No1, chasing a hat-trick ofAustralian crowns,showed no ill-effects of historrid five-hour dogfightwith Stanislas Wawrinkaas he beat the Czech fifthseed, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in2hr 31min.
Fourth seeded, DavidFerrer fought hard todefeat countrymanNicolas Almagro in fivesets. He had to recoverfrom two sets down toaccomplish on 4-6 4-6 7-5 7-6 6-2, and in the
seeded Italian duo of SaraErrani and Roberta Vincion Tuesday. The 12th-seeded Americans weredefeated 3-6, 7-6 (7/1), 7-5 .
Williams, who servedfor the match in thesecond set, grimaced atvarious stages of the clashand her movement wasrestricted.
The world No 3 wonsingles titles atWimbledon, the US Open,the London Olympics andthe WTA Championshipslast year, and is eyeingthe first calendar-yearGrand Slam since 1988.
Errani and Vinci willnext meet the No 4 seeds,the Russian pairing ofEkaterina Makarova andElena Vesnina, for a placein the final.
Serena Williams groaning in pains as her ankle injury resurfaces yesterday
PAGE 43PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
As the Nigeria PremierLeague (NPL) gearsup to resume with
renewed zest and focuscome February 16, amonthly magazine- Soccerpress- whose dominantcontent is the domesticleague, has instituted cashaward for the best playereach month.
Each month, anoutstanding player will beselected and given the sumof N30,000. The cashincentive is meant tomotivate the premierleague players to give theirbest in the manner theircounterparts elsewhere arerenowned for.
“Everybody will agreethat among all the problemspeople may say thedomestic league has, goodplayers are not one of them.We have many talentedplayers in all tiers of ourdomestic league and theydeserve to be encouraged byall of us,” Andrew Randa,spokesperson for themagazine said in a release.
clearly stating why s/he feelsthe player deserves theaward,” he added.
Further, Andrew assuredthat the criteria for theselection of the winnerwould be based on theplayer’s skill, coordinationwith teammates and overallcontributions to his team’sperformance during theperiod under review.
“We should go beyondidolizing players that havegotten promoted to theglobal stage and work ontelling the ones here at homethat they are also valued byus. The domestic league isthe platform from whichmost of them get theiropportunity.
“Yes, many people havelost interest in the league butit is our collective duty to re-invigorate it. We believe thenew interim leaguemanagement committeewill need all the helpavailable to restore publicconfidence in the leaguebefore their term runs out,”he added.
Football is a religion inNigeria withconsiderable devotees.
And with growing prospectsof ever expanding faithfulsawashed in pious fervour andardour, the nation’s numerouno does not seem to harbourany fading glow.
The faithfuls feast onwhatever could be found onthe menu. Yes, there aresome stables but hardlyenough to satisfy theirvoracious appetite. So, there
are obvious gaps in terms ofsports-only papers andmagazines.
That gap has now beenfilled with the debut of SoccerPress magazine.
Soccer Press debuts in deep coloursIt is a monthly stable
meant to dish out pre-dominantly domestic leaguestories. It thus enlists in anelitist league akin to the nowhard to see 4-2-4.
Unique in content packageand presentation, Soccer Pressis assembled aesthetically todelight the eyes and engageattention. Its glossy colours donot only beautify they liventhe pages, make contentsreadable.
The contents are racydisposition and poise andcapture the nuances ofrespective stories in amanner that distinct incomportment and sourcewithout belabouring thesubjects.
The pictures are collectionitems: apt, glossy, huge andpresented in high definitionquality, delectable withcertain allure. They tell storiesdelightfully in 48 pageswithout pains to the eyes.
Unlike every othermagazine, its table ofcontents contains more thanexcerpts but wets theappetite. The monthly stablewill yet sway interest to thedomestic withoutundermining public love forthe advanced leagues inEurope. That’s because itgives attention also to themin a fashion only it knows how:precise and accurate.
... Institutes monthly N. 03m award for NPL players
PUBLIC NOTICE
GALILY EYE FOUNDATIONTHIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVENAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRSCOMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.
THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. DR. NGABU GABRIEL PASCAL CHAIRMAN2. MRS AWAH RUTH NWANNEOMA SECRETARY3. MR NGABU DANIEL UCHE4. MRS ONONIWU BRIDGET CHIOMAAIMS AND OBJECTIVES1. TO ASSIST THE LESS PRIVILEGED THROUGH PROPER EYE CAREDELIVERY.2. TO ERADICATE PREVENTABLE CAUSES OF BLINDNESS IN THERURAL AREA.
ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BEFORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA,ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.
SIGNED:G. E. NWACHUKWU ESQ.
PUBLIC NOTICE
SELECTED BRIGHTSTAR CLUB
THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVENAMED CLUB HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRSCOMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. UCHENNA EMMANUEL CHAIRMAN2. BLESSED IYKE3. UGWUEZE UGOCHUKWU GEN. SECRETARY4. OKWUNWANNE CHUKWUMA5. ALEKE CHIBUZORAIMS AND OBJECTIVES1. TO FOSTERS UNITY PEACE AND LOVE AMONG MEMBERS.2. TO CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OFTHE MEMBERS OF THE CLUB.3. TO ASSIST THE LESS PRIVILEGED MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY.ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BEFORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA,ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.
SIGNED:G. E. NWACHUKWU ESQ.
PUBLIC NOTICE
ONESIMUS CHARITYOUTREACH
THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVENAMED ORGANIZATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDERPART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF1990.THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. MRS OLUSOLA SALAMI2. PRINCESS ADEDAYO ADEFULU-EFFUNUGA3. ENGR. FEMI OKUNADE4. CHIEF MRS GRACE ODUYEMIAIMS AND OBJECTIVES1. TO ESTABLISH THE LOST AND FORGOTTEN, ESPECIALLY THE LOSTAND FORGOTTEN YOUNG ONES IN THE SOCIETY.2. TO IDENTIFY THE NEEDY IN THE SOCIETY AND RENDER THEMASSISTANCE.ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BEFORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA,ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.
SIGNED:SECRETARY
PUBLIC NOTICE
ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNICATIONSPOWER MAST WATCHMEN NIGERIA
THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVENAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRSCOMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.THE TRUSTEES ARE:1.UNUAKPOR MAGNUS NIFOME PRESIDENT2.ISAIAH DANJUMA HENRY MOHAMMED SECRETARY3.JUDE BALA MOHAMMED TREASURER4.FRANCIS IDACHABA MEMBERAIMS AND OBJECTIVES1.TO FOSTER UNITY AND PROGRESS AMONG ALLCOMMUNICATION MAST WATCHMEN IN NIGERIA.2.TO FOSTER THE SPIRIT OF ACTIVE CO-OPERATION ANDCOMRADESHIP BETWEEN WATCHMAN AND COMMUNICATION.ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BEFORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA,ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.
SIGNED:BARR. OBY ONYEKWULUJE
PUBLIC NOTICE
ESTHERS OF IZON ASSOCIATIONTHIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THEABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THECORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJAFOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THECOMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF1 9 9 0 .THE TRUSTEES ARE:1.MS. DORIS ALAGOA2.MRS. VICKY OGUN3.DR. GRACE AGANABAAIMS AND OBJECTIVES1. TO FOSTER UNITY AND PROGRESS AMONGMEMBERS ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULDBE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERALCORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420,TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYSOF THIS PUBLICATION.
SIGNED: SECRETARY
According to him, themajor ingredient missingin the domestic has beenlack of local appreciation, asituation that has seenNigerians developinsatiable appetite forforeign locals and a neardisdain for the domesticleague.
While admitting thatfacility and administrationmay not have beenadequate, the spokesman forthe magazine observed thatquality has never theproblem of the clubs as is lackof patronage ironically fromsoccer frenzy nation.
Andrew assured that theselection of the winner willbe done by a panel of avidleague followers who havethe depth and knack toidentify talents in the game.
“We also made sure wedemocratized the processeven further fortransparency andobjectivity. Every memberof the public can nominate aplayer for the award on ourwebsite, www.soccerpress.net,
NSSF vows to punish age-cheats at festivalThe Nigeria School
Sports Federation(NSSF) says it will not
condone the use of over-aged athletes at theforthcoming fifth NationalSchool Sports Festival,scheduled to be held fromJan. 24 to Feb. 3 in PortHarcourt.
The NSSF President,Ibrahim Mohammed, said
yesterday that age-cheating was an aberrationto sports development andwill not be tolerated anyf o r m .
He said that it was hightime the country waged awar against the menace inorder to put an end to theugly trend that has deniedthe country the chance toregenerate talents.
fourth edition of thecompetition in Cross Riverand added that the resultsof the competition wouldhelp the federation toupdate its database ofathletes who could beselected to represent thecountry in internationalcompetitions
“The records of thecompetition will form ourdatabase; we can easily goand pick athletes who canrepresent our country infuture internationalcompetitions,’’ he said.
Mohammed also saidthat adequate securitywould be provided duringthe festival. “Adequatesecurity will be providedduring the festival, wehave received assurancefrom the Rivers StateGovernment to thateffect.’’
No fewer than 8,000participants representing28 states will be jostling forhonours in 20 sportingevents at the 10-daycompetition.
Nigerian cricket players in action
Peoples Daily CLASSIFIED
“Participating statesshould ensure they comewith athletes within thestipulated age rangestudents in secondaryschools because any erringstate will be disqualified andpunished,’’ Mohammed said.
Mohammed notes thatthe NSSF would use thefestival to consolidate on thesuccesses recorded at the
The Nigeria CricketFederation (NCF) hasannounced that
Blessing Etim would berepresenting the countryat the 3rd ICC-AfricaSenior Women’s Academyin South Africa.
A statement signed byNCF General Manager,George Wiltshire, said theacademy would hold fromFeb. 6 to Feb. 13 inJohannesburg, SouthAfrica, adding that itwould be a blend of youthsand experience.
Further, it said thatthere will be 18 womenacross Africa toparticipate in the
academy, includingNigeria.
Ruth Ayannaike andEtim participated in thesecond edition of theacademy in 2011.
The statement alsoquotes, the ICC-AfricaRegional DevelopmentManager (RDM), CassimSuliman, commentingthat the past twoAcademies were a hugesuccess.
“As the ladies whoattended applied whatthey had learnt at thePepsi ICC-Africa T20 inTanzania as well as theACA U-19 Tournament inUganda.
Etim to represent Nigeria atICC-Africa academy
PAGE 44 PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
Oussama Assaidi of Morocco was in fine form against Angola
Joseph Yobo
Nigeria skipper Joseph Yobois not concerned by therelative lack of experience
in the Super Eagles side and isoptimistic Nigeria have the depthto go the whole hog.
Nigeria kick-off their 2013Africa Nations Cup campaignwith a west African derbyagainst Burkina Faso at theMbombela Stadium on Mondaynight, 8pm kick off local time.
The likes of Obafemi Martinsand Peter Odemwingie have
The Chairman of theB r o a d c a s t i n gOrganisation of Nigeria
(BON), Malam AbubakarJijiwa, yesterday in Otukpo,Benue state, explained whyBON is blacking-out theongoing African Cup of Nations(AFCON 2013) in SouthAfrica.
He told the 57th Assembly ofBON in Otukpo that memberscould not pay the “outrageousfees demanded by theorganisers of the competition”.
Jijiwa, who is also theDirector-General of the Voice ofNigeria (VON), said that BONwas asked to pay an“outrageous sum of 4.5 millionEuros by those holding thebroadcast rights of thecompetition”.
Since the tournamentstarted no radio and televisionstations in Nigeriahave transmitted the matcheslive since the beginning of thecompetition.
Jijiwa said that the fees BONwas asked to pay for thebroadcast rights of AFCONwere beyond the organisation.
The BON chairman declaredthat that the days ofexploitation of the organisationby bodies in charge of AFCONwere over.
He said the amount wasunacceptable, adding thatBON members would no longeraccept charges arbitrarilyimposed on Nigeria, “so we arecalling their bluff.
“The bodies in charge of thebroadcast rights of AFCONmust come to terms with thefact that the days ofexploitation, imposition andsub-jugation are over.”
Jijiwa, however, apologisedto the viewing public in Nigeriawho would not be seeing thematches’ live.
“It is high time theyunderstood that we have foundour voice and our strength andit is in our unity. The era ofdivide and rule will no longerbe a potent weapon against us.
“BON has found strength incollective action and will notallow anyone to try to wreckthe unity of purpose which wehave come to be reckonedwith,” he stated further.
Jijiwa also disclosed thathenceforth, no advert agencywould owe any broadcastorganisation for advertplacements.
He said that BON would soonarrive at a solution that wouldguarantee full payment of alladverts debts.
The chairman regretted thatbroadcasting organisationsthat relied on subventions werewitnessing reduced allocationsas the digitisation deadlineapproached.
Jijiwa, however, expressedoptimism that that the bodywas working out strategies forevery broadcast media tomigrate from analogue todigital by 2015.
He pointed out that theongoing constitutionamendment was germane forbroadcasters because theymust be given the enablingenvironment to perform theirduties optimally.
Jijiwa urged the NationalAssembly to withdraw therights of collection of radio andtelevision licenses from theLocal Government Councilsand give it to broadcasters.
been omitted from the Nigeriasquad, leaving John Obi Mikeland Victor Moses as just a coupleof big names in the squad.
But former Everton defenderYobo, who is closing in on 100caps, has confidence in thecurrent crop of players.
“I do believe in this squad. Wedo have a lot of young players,but also a lot of experience, sothere is a good blend. Most ofthem are not inexperiencedplayers, they have played
qualifying games, and they areready for it.
“Previous squads I have beenin, we have had moreexperience, but this squad has anabundance of talent. We did notqualify for the last Nations Cup,but this squad has been able todo it.
“I am confident but if we donot win it, then its’ not the endof the world. I just want to makesure we give a good account ofourselves,” he says.
CIV survive Togo onslaught
Again, BON boss explainsAFCON blackoutSuper Eagles are young
but talented, says Yobo
A goal and a goal assist eachsaw both Gervinho andYaya Toure seal victory for
Cote d’Ivoire in their first GroupD match of the 2013 African Cupof Nations.
Yaya Toure scored early in thefirst half and Gervinho late in thesecond to see the Elephants pickup the first three points in the‘Group of Death’ after beatingTogo 2-1 at the Royal Bafokengstadium on Tuesday afternoon.
It was not the best overalldisplay from Cote d’Ivoire, butdespite some poor passing in thefirst 45 and some sloppydefending, they managed to pullit together in the second 45 andgrind out only the second win ofthe AFCON competition thus far.
The Elephants started a littleshaky and a mistake by KoloToure in the third minute sawEmmanuel Adebayor through ongoal and with just the keeper tobeat, but he squandered thechance as he failed to round thekeeper.
Five minutes later and theElephants punished Togo for thatmissed chance when Yaya Touregave them the lead with a deflectedshot from 16-yards out after beingset-up by Gervinho, 1-0.
Togo definitely saw more of theball after that, but they struggledto breach the Cote d’Ivoire
defence and shot from long rangewith very little luck.
In the 44th minute Ivory Coastwere unlucky not to double theirlead when Yaya Toure struck theright hand post from a similarposition to where he scored hisfirst goal.
Then two minutes into addedtime at the end of the half, theElephants defence went to sleep
at a corner-kick as a low crossmade its way past the front postto an unmarked Jonathan Ayitewho sided-footed the ball homefrom six-yards out to levelmatters at 1-1 going into the halftime break.
The second half saw Coted’Ivoire controlling the possessionstakes and controlling play on thefield, but for all their possession
they were unable to create adecent scoring opportunity untilthe 88th minute when Gervinhostole the win for the Elephants.
Yaya Toure delivered a rightsided set-piece deep into the boxand Gervinho was at the backpost with a clinical finish with theoutside of his boot from a tightangle to give the Elephants thewin, 2-1.
Paul Put coach of BurkinaF a s o B u r k i n aFaso coach Paul Put believes
the 2013 AFCON champions willcome from either Group C or D.
Put said that the two groups,who are on a quarterfinal collisioncourse, have show thetemperament to go all the way.
“The winner will come fromGroup C and D there is a goodchance,” Put predicted.
Group C comprising Zambia,Nigeria, Burkina Faso andEthiopia are all tied on one pointeach after match day one in thepool on January 21.
Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Morocoo andTunisia make up group D.
winner likely fromGrp C or D
PAGE 45PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
1
23
4
5 6
1] Despite a missedpenalty and a first halfred card, Ethiopiaheld their ownagainst CAF AfricaCup of Nationschampions Zambiaand star striker SaladinSaid sys the team arenot concerned aboutthe underdog role.
2] Following hismatchwinningperformance in Mali's2-1 win over Niger atthe CAF Africa Cup ofNations, formerBarcelona midfielderSeydou Keita spoke toFIFA.com about hisinternational dreams.
3] Andres Iniesta sayshe accepts VictorValdes' decision toleave Barcelona andhopes the fans will doso too, praising thegoalkeeper as theworld's best.
4] Mario Balotelli'sagent has saidManchester City arenot in talks with anyother club over thesale of the striker andinsisted there was nochance that hewould leave theEtihad this month.
5] Novak Djokovicbooks place in thesemi-final of theAustralian Open bybeating TomasBerdych 6-1 4-6 6-1 6-4.
6] Glasgow light-welterweight WillieLimond defeats EddieDoyle in under twominutes to win theCommonwealth title.
P I C T O R I A L
PAGE 47PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
Say what? Some Interesting FactsSome Interesting Facts
Three-year-old Charlie Parker confidently swimming with a North American alligator calledGump, lifting him up, and then wrestling with his squirming body before cradling him to thebank. Source: TheSun.co.uk
UNBELIEVABLE BUT TRUE FACTS
SUDOKUSUDOKU
Yesterday’s solution
PHOTO OF THE DAY
•Business.com is currently the most expensive domain name sold: for $7.5 million.
•In 2001, the five most valuable brand names in order were Coca-Cola, Microsoft, IBM,GE, and Nokia.
•In Canada, the most productive day of the working week is Tuesday.
•In a study by the University of Chicago in 1907, it was concluded that the easiest colourto spot is yellow. This is why John Hertz, who is the founder of the Yellow Cab Companypicked cabs to be yellow.
•It takes about 63,000 trees to make the newsprint for the average Sunday edition ofThe New York Times.
•On average a business document is copied 19 times.
•The largest employer in the world is the Indian railway system in India, employing over1.6 million people.
•Warner Chappel Music owns the copyright to the song "Happy Birthday." They make over$1 million in royalties every year from the commercial use of the song.
•All babies are colour-blind when they are born.
•Children grow faster in the springtime than any other season during the year.
•Each nostril of a human being registers smells in a different way. Smells that are madefrom the right nostril are more pleasant than the left. However, smells can be detectedmore accurately when made by the left nostril.
•Humans are born with 350 bones in their body, however when a person reaches adulthoodthey only have 206 bones. This occurs because many of them join together to make a singlebone.
•May babies are on average 200 grams heavier than babies born in other months.
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
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
QQQQQUOUOUOUOUOTTTTTABLE QABLE QABLE QABLE QABLE QUOUOUOUOUOTETETETETEI have never heard of any federal system
where governors come together as agovernors forum and get involved in policy
formulation and implementation— Senator Smart Adeyemi
Abuja Minister, SenatorBala Mohammed's ban ofmini buses from roads in
the Federal Capital Territory isabsolutely disgusting as it is amark of the arrogance that ischaracteristic of some officials ofthis government. The ministerhad given January 14th asdeadline to mini buses to operateonly on feeder roads in the FCT,thereby excluding them from thecity centre.
These types of action are notthe best way of thanking thecommon people who in theirmillions "gave" a mandate to thegovernment for a new four yearterm. Senator Mohammed'saction amounts to saying thatnow that we have been re-electedfor second and final term(?) theJonathan government can bestserve the people by keeping a safedistance from them so thatgovernment can concentrate onits business.
Does it matter to MinisterMohammed that his new policy,which he just suspended to allowfor three weeks of consultation,has caused so much hardship thatit could have lead to unforeseenconsequences were it not soquickly reversed?
A report in the Thursdayedition of Daily Trust said the newpolicy has forced workers livingin satellite towns to trek severalmiles to make it to their offices.
Said the report: "AlongMasaka - Mararraba - Nyayaroad, it was observed thathundreds of commuters gatheredby the road waiting for availablevehicles for hours, which werenot forthcoming. Fewcommercial vehicles and onlyprivate vehicles were seenyesterday plying the road.
"Some of the residents thatspoke lamented the policy sayingthat they have to trek longdistances to get to their workplaces. They said even thegovernment -owned luxury busesmeant to convey commuterswere not enough to transportworkers to the city centre.
"A civil servant, IhuomaNwosu, complained that she hadwaited at the Life Camp Junctionseveral hours but could not get avehicle to the Wuse market."
This account is representativeof several others published by thedifferent media. It is perhapsbased on the general outcry by
issues a drastic policy directivesuch as this one without talkingto anyone, and that it is onlywhen trouble starts that ameeting will be called withstakeholders? Is this notirresponsible? Why would theminister shut out commercialbuses from the city roads withoutan alternative means oftransportation? Did they buildthose roads with money from hispersonal business?
Does it really matter to theminister that the junior workersin nearly all governmentdepartments came late to work;get tired and exhausted afterwalking miles upon miles to get
Mercurial forwardRonaldinho was givenanother chance by
Brazil as Luiz Felipe Scolarinamed his first squad sincereturning for a second stint ascoach yesterday.
Scolari, who led Brazil totheir fifth world title in 2002 andwas called back in November tolead their attempt to win a sixthon home soil in 2014, alsobrought back tried and trustedgoalkeeper Julio Cesar.
Both Ronaldinho and JulioCesar, Brazil's regular first-choice goalkeeper from 2007 to2011, made their lastappearances against Bosnia inFebruary last year.
Ronaldinho, 32, has been inand out of the Brazil squad overthe last few years and missed the2010 World Cup as his careerwent steadily downhill, widelyblamed on his partying lifestyle.
He reached his peak withBarcelona, when he was votedFifa's World Player of the Year in2004 and 2005, then spent threeless successful years with ACMilan before joining Flamengoat the start of 2011.
He walked out on the Rio deJaneiro club last year but thenfound a new lease of life withAtletico Mineiro.
Scolari reiterated that hewould be satisfied with nothingless than the "hexacampeonato"next year and he has barely 18months to build a world-beatingteam and only one competition,the Confederations Cup whichBrazil hosts in June.
Despite this, and a lowest-ever world ranking of 18th,Scolari said he expected to besuccessful.
www.peoplesdailyng.com
. . . putting the people first
Ronaldinho,Cesar recalledby Brazil
Abuja: When themasses get in the way…
Labour and Civil Society groupsthat the minister announced athree-week suspension of the banorder to allow for consultationwith stakeholders.
In line with that, he has set upa committee chaired by theministry’s Permanent Secretary,made up of the Nigeria LabourCongress (NLC), the Trade UnionCongress (TUC), the FCT PoliceCommand, the Vehicle InspectionOffice (VIO), the Federal RoadSafety Corporation (FRSC) and amember of a civil societyorganization to dialogue on thematter.
Now, where does it happen inthe world that a government
there because of his diktat? Whatdid he hope to achieve by doingthis?
Could it be that an all-knowing minister was justtrying to show that he knowsbest, in a country where thepeople don't know what is good forthem?
Is it that they are tired of thepoor people congesting the citycentre and that the best way ofstopping its contamination is bystopping commuter buses fromthe heart of the city?
Truth is that maybe, in histhinking, the city roads need toget sanitised and rid ofcommercial buses, so that VIPslike him would enjoy, not only asmoother ride on their SUVs butthat there would prevail, anatmosphere serene and conducivefor them to think well and governwell.
This was the type of arrogancethat cost Mitt Romney theAmerican presidency when hewas caught saying that theObama-led administration was agovernment of the poor, whichshould not be allowed to haveanother term of office.
The German playwrightBertolt Brecht thought forSenator Mohammed when hesaid, in the aftermath of themeasures taken by the EastGerman government against theuprising in 1953 that: "after theuprising of 17th June… thepeople have forfeited theconfidence of the government…would it not be easier in that casefor the government to dissolvethe people and elect another one?"
Surely for the FCTadministration, this is one ofthose times when governmentsthink that the people are theirproblem.
Senator Bala Mohammed, FCT Minister
“where does it happen in the world that a government issues adrastic policy directive such as this one without talking to anyone,and that it is only when trouble starts that a meeting will be called
with stakeholders? Is this not irresponsible? Why would theminister shut out commercial buses from the city roads without
an alternative means of transportation? Did they build thoseroads with money from his personal business?
