Peoples Daily Newspaper, Friday March 3 2012

VOL. 1 NO. 82 SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

RABIUL THANI 10 - 11, 1433 AH

Gunmen strike Kano again · REVEALED

N150

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Ojukwu’s wish for Igbos ·Buried with full military honours

Final journey, Ojukwu buried in Nnewi yesterday.

Cover:

·Merchants of death: Okada tightens grip on cities Pages 9 & 10

WWW.PEOPLESDAILY-ONLINE.COM

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News

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

S/Court okays Okorocha, Uduaghan’s election, to hear Yuguda’s case next Monday

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

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h e Supreme Court on Friday upheld the election of governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo state and Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta state in the April 26, 2011 governorship election.

Delivering the lead judgment in the Imo appeal, Justice

Corruption: Gbenga Daniel gets temporary relief

Sylvester Ngwuta held that the Court of Appeal failed to comply with Section 285 (7) of the Constitution which requires the court to hear and dispose of the appeal within 60 days, when it gave reasons for its judgment after 73 days.

It further held that the Tribunal delivered its judgment on November 11 2011 and the

Appeal Court delivered its own on January 6, 2012 but gave its reasons on January 24, 2012 which is outside the 60 days stipulated by the Constitution.

In striking out the appeal, the court held that the judgment of the Imo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which earlier upheld Okorocha’s election subsisted.

Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, Abeokuta

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The apprentice electrician, Bola Ige, electrocuted yesterday

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n apprentice electrician, Mr. Bola Ige, was on Thursday electrocuted in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital while trying to rectify an electrical fault on a high tension cable. Ige was reported to have fallen off from the pole and immediately gave up the ghost.

Peoples Daily Weekend reliably gathered that, the victim suffered an electric shock atop the pole which attracted sympathizers in the vicinity located in Government Reservation Area (GRA), Ibara in the town.

The sad news which spread like wildfire got the attention of the deceased’s master, lamenting in tears that he never

asked him to rectify, but to identify the faults and report back to him.

The bereaved master who runs a privately owned electrical engineering workshop, expressed surprise that the boy went ahead to rent a ladder, to correct the faults which was contrary to directive given him.

When our correspondent visited the scene, the lifeless body of Ige was found on ground about three metres away from the pole with patches of blood on his face following bleeding and foaming from the eyes, nose, ears and mouth.

Meanwhile, the remains were eventually removed by the police from the Rapid Response Squad in a pick- up van marked PF 5385OG to hospital morgue as at the time of filing this report.

Court orders NDLEA to pay Baba Suwe N25 m judgment fee within 21 days Gunmen strike again in Kano, kill one From Francis Iwuchukwu, Lagos

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Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, presided over by Justice Yetunde Idowu, yesterday ordered the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), to pay the N25 million judgment fee awarded against it to popular actor and comedian, Babatunde Omidina, aka Baba Suwe within 21 days.

Justice Idowu said the agency has not given sufficient proof to show that paying the money will harm its operation in any way.

NDLEA had earlier applied to the court for an order of Stay of Execution on her judgment delivered on November 24, 2011 pending the determination of the appeal filed by the agency on

December 6, 2011 against the judgment.

The agency’s director of prosecution and legal services, Mr. Femi Oloruntoba while moving the application before the court then, stated that the agency will be prevented from performing its statutory functions as well as prosecute the appeal if it is made to pay the judgment sum of N25 million as it is half of its monthly available resources.

According to Oloruntoba, the agency receives only N52 million monthly for its activities which includes investigations and litigations as well as running cost, adding that out of the N7billion that they get annually, N633 million goes into workers salary.

MEND claims responsibility for Thursday’s Bayelsa attack h e Movement for the emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has claimed responsibility for last Thursday’s attack which led to the death of four marine policemen and four soldiers.

MEND said in an email

Meanwhile the apex court has fixed March 5, 2012 to hear the appeal filed by the Bauchi state gubernatorial candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Tuggar in April 2011 governorship election in Bauchi state. Tuggar is seeking the court to unseat Governor Isa Yuguda as the winner of the poll.

Apprentice electrician electrocuted in Abeokuta

Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, Abeokuta

temporary relief yesterday came the way of the former Ogun state governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, as the High Court sitting in Abeokuta, quashed the 43-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) just as the commission was given another opportunity to re-file application against him.

The judge Olanrewaju Mabekoje, in his ruling on whether the commission has right to prosecute Daniel as being contested by his lawyers, declared that the commission committed a fundamental constitutional error by not seeking the leave of the court before dragging the former governor to court.

In view of this, Justice Mabekoje posited that the action against Daniel did not follow due process and consequently quashed them, but quickly added that the issues raised in the allegations by the commission which he (Mabekoje) said he refrained commenting on as at the time of ruling, may still be considered for determination if the EFCC puts its house in order.

The judge maintained that all the offences against Daniel are indictable offences, noting that the act that established EFCC has no laid down guidelines or procedure to be followed in any criminal matter and that the criminal law in the country is quite applicable.

Reacting to the ruling, Rotimi Jacobs, counsel to EFCC, said the commission would in earnest take to the correction and in due course address the loop-holes found.

In the Delta appeal, the court, through Justice Tanko Mohammed who read the lead judgment held that the Court of Appeal gave reasons for its judgment 72 days after it delivered it contrary to the 60 days provision of the Electoral Act. The court however upheld the decision of the tribunal which affirmed Uduaghan’s election.

statement to journalists by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo that “The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) confirms that the attack on a Nigerian marine police checkpoint on Thursday March 1, 2012, in Bayelsa state in the Niger Delta

was carried out by our fighters,” He said MEND was in contact with the group that had kidnapped three people in a pirate attack on a Dutch vessel Near Port Harcourt on Tuesday and were considering taking them in.

soldier, as NAPTIP prosecutes 33 over human trafficking in 6 years From Edwin Olofu and Bala Nasir, Kano

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u n m e n , suspected to be members of Boko Haram killed a soldier on guard Friday evening in Kano.

Eye witness told Peoples Daily Weekend that the two gunmen, who were riding on a motorbike opened fire on the soldier who was on guard in a house belonging to an army colonel in Hotoro area of the Kano metropolis.

The soldier died immediately after the gunshot while the gunmen took away his rifle and escaped.

Residents on hearing the gunshots scampered for safety.

The joint military tasks force arrived at scene firing shots but the assailants had escaped before they came.

There have been several of such guerilla attacks on security men since the deadly attack on the ancient city by the dreaded Boko Haram members on the 20 January 2012.

When contacted the Kano state police Command Public Relation Officer, ASP Musa Magaji Majia couldn’t confirm the incident, saying that he was not aware of it

and any incident involving a military officer he doesn’t have the authority to comment on it.

Meanwhile, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP), Kano zonal office, has arraigned and convicted 33 persons for various human trafficking and child abuse in the past six years.

NAPTIP zonal Director, Khadeejah Bello who disclosed this to newsmen in Kano yesterday, said in addition more than 1128 victims were rehabilitated by the antihuman trafficking agency in concert with collaborative partners within the period under review.

Bello further revealed that 90 percent of the rehabilitated victims were females and minors, pointing out that 37 percent of the total figure were subsequently empowered to kick start a new life.

NAPTIP Kano zone comprising Bauchi Kaduna, Katsina Jigawa, Plateau, Yobe and the host state Kano were mandated by law to prevent all forms of human degradation and exploitation through the coordinated use of crime prevention and law enforcement resources to stamp out human trafficking.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

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News

Thousands attend Ojukwu’s burial in Nnewi

*Given full military honours *His wish for Igbos, his unfulfilled ambitions

By Richard Ihediwa, Julius Ogar, Abuja

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housands of mourners including President Goodluck Jonathan, state governors, top government functionaries, members of the international community including former Ghanaian President Jerry Rawlings attended the final funeral ceremonies and internment of late former Biafran leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu yesterday in his home town, Nnewi, Anambra state Ojukwu was buried with full military honours in his home town of Nnewi in Anambra state after several funeral ceremonies in Abuja and the five south east states of Imo, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi and

Anambra. Many other states of the federation also held ceremonies in honour of Ojukwu who died November, last year at the age of 78 after a long illness.

Ahead of the burial yesterday, his coffin, draped in the Nigerian flag was transported around the country after it was flown from London to Nigeria on Monday.

Ojukwu’s remains were lowered into a grave in his palatial residence, after a requiem mass was held at the next door St. Michael De Arch-angel Catholic Church.

The military was in charge of proceedings during the burial programme, with a parade and military songs performed in the late colonel's honour.

Ojukwu’s funeral, which has been adjudged the most elaborate

...Igbos in the north close shops to honour Ojukwu From Ahmed Abubakar (Dutse), Olanrewaju Lawal (Ilorin) g b o communities in various parts of the north yesterday shut their businesses to honour the late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka OdumegwuOjukwu.

In Jigawa, Igbos closed their businesses in Dutse, the state capital and other towns in the state.

The president-general Igbo Community Association, Jigawa state chapter, Chief Ozor Linus Ozor, said those of them who could not travel to Nnewi for the burial decided to honour him by staying away from business.

“If our current leaders could emulate his virtues by ensuring that what is due to the people is given to them then Nigeria would have been a better place," he stated.

Ozor indicated that the Ikemba is being remembered because of his selfless service adding that he used his father’s wealth to project the interest of the masses.

In Kwara state, economic activities were partially paralysed as Igbo businessmen and women within Ilorin, the state capital stayed indoors on Friday to pay their last respects to the late head of state the defunct republic of Biafra, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumekwu-Ojukwu.

Most of the major shops and offices occupied by Igbo indigenes in Ilorin, Kwara state capital were closed in compliance with the directive from the President-

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General, Igbo Community Association, Kwara state, Mr. Truelove Njoku who had directed on Tuesday that Igbo residents in Kwara should observe March 2, as a non-working day in honour of Ojukwu.

Some of Igbos wore black t-shirts with the inscription, “Dim Chukwuemeka OdumegwuOjukwu 1933-2011, Our Leader, Adieu,’ Eze Igbo Gburu Gburu. The Peoples General.

Ikemba Nnewi”,and so on.

Some residents who spoke to our correspondents said it was a good development as it showed that Igbos honour their trusted and good leaders.

Njoku said the development was commendable and showed that Igbos hold in high esteem their credible leaders.

One of the residents, Alhaji Mulikat Adegoke said it has proved wrong the impression that Igbo do not have central leadership, adding that the development has shown the Igbos as a people with common goal and aspiration.

Also Interim Chairman, Kwara Yoruba Unity Forum, Ilorin, Alhaji Abdulkarim Kasum described late Ojuwku as a hero who deserved all the honour accorded him. Kasum said: “He was born with the golden spoon but he chose to live for the common man from the beginning to the end. It is good the honour the Igbos and entire Nigerians are giving to him. He deserves it. If not for Ojukwu the progrom would have exterminated the Igbos in the north.

Ojukwu

in the history of the country commanded the kind of global attention he had.

Family members, villagers, politicians and Biafra war veterans took turns to file pass the golden casket which was kept at an open

space in the family compound, where female mourners dressed in garments printed with Col Ojukwu's portrait sang.

Security was tight and guests allowed into the compound, decorated with the logos of his

political party, the All Progressive Grand Alliance, were screened by the anti-bomb squad.

Outside in the town, young men played their traditional drums and danced along the major roads, while all commercial activity grounded to a halt.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Jonathan eulogised Ojukwu describing him as a man who saw beyond his contemporaries. He also said Ojukwu had “immense love for his people, justice, equity and fairness which forced him into the leading role he played in the Nigerian civil war".

Also other leaders including state governors took turns to eulogise Ojukwu before he was finally buried.

Meanwhile commercial activities in the five south east states were grounded to a halt as businesses and markets remained closed in the region in honour of Ojukwu. Also south easterners in other parts of the country also shut their businesses to honour the late leader.

Revealed: His wish for Igbos

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hose close to Ojukwu said the leader had come to believe in the unity of the country and always wished that the Igbos should work together as one. Though he led the Igbos in a botched secession bid in 1967, Ojukwu had left the issue of division behind and urged his kinsmen to do so.

In his tribute to Ojukwu, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu said he had a firm stand in the unity of the country and had jettisoned the secession bid.

The tribute in which Ekweremadu quoted Ojukwu reads in parts. “For those who are still in

doubt about Ikemba’s stand on the unity of Nigeria, I wish to refer them to the lecture entitled “Nigeria: The Truths that are Self Evident” which he delivered at The Sunday Magazine (TSM) lecture series on February 22, 1994 preparatory to the 1994 Constitutional Conference- about 17 years today. Reacting to the erroneous interpretations to some of his comments at that trying time of our recent history following the annulment of the June 12 1992 presidential election, Ikemba reaffirmed his faith in Nigeria thus: “In 1967, the Igbo people were forced into war. Prior to that war

Ndigbo under my leadership had declared the Republic of Biafra. This act was termed Secession.

Unfortunately during this ongoing crisis and as we position ourselves for the Constitutional Conference, many have tried to raise the bogey of secession whenever an Igbo speaks. I do not deny the fact of secession in 1967 - this is a historical fact. What I deny is that the Igbo community to which I belong has been planning for secession. Secession is not like cocaine- it is not addictive.... Today I have more reasons to seek a better Nigeria than I did. Today as we all take stock, I find that I have invested so heavily in Nigeria”

Ojukwu’s unfulfilled ambition

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n one of the profound statements he made while granting an interview, late Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, had told his questioner he wished to be remembered as a statesman. It was a prophetic declaration. For at his passing, the late Ojukwu has received the funeral of a statesman with the full compliments of a former military officer.

However, one wish which the late Ikemba Nnewi failed to realise was his request that he be restituted to the full rank of an army general, which is what he

was in his position as the then head of state of Biafra. Ojukwu had canvassed that in the true spirit of reconciliation, all former officers who had fought on the side of the Biafran Army be reinstated to their ranks in the Biafran Army.

Although his wish was not granted, the Nigerian state did pay him all the benefits he deserved as a former officer who held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Nigerian Army before the declaration of secession in May 1967. With the onset of hostilities, Ojukwu was promoted

a full general – the rank with which he prosecuted the 30 months civil war.

Nevertheless, many diehard Ojukwu supporters still consider him a general even if Ikemba’s wish was not granted by the state.

This was evident in the many of the funeral mementos including t-shirts, p-caps and designed textile materials worn during his funeral. Although he missed the fulfillment of this wish, there is no gainsaying that his funeral rites as accorded must probably have surpassed whatever expectation he could have had.

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News

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

Sunday Jos blast victims buried

NYSC reviews corps deployment

Bayo Albari & Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

By Julius Ogar

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o u r victims of the Church of Christ in Nigeria COCIN who were killed during the Sunday’s bomb blast were burried yesterday after a funeral service held at the COCIN headquarters, Church compound in Jos, Plateau state.

Two of the victims were buried at the COCIN cemetry in Jos while the remaining two were taken home by their families for burial in their respective villages.

Those killed in the blast include Miss Hajara Saidu, Nenbam Grace Wambutda, eleven months old, Favour Dangkat and Mr Joseph Adams Ashaba who was killed by the angry youths of the church who mistook him for a suicide bomber.

The funeral service was held admits tight security even as most residents closed their businesses to pay their last respect to the victims.

Paying tribute to her late husband, Mrs.Laitu Joseph Adams described her husband as a very hard working man who was very caring. She said despite the fact that her husband worked in a bank he still went out of his way to use his car for commercial purposes.

Mrs. Ashaba said on the fateful day, her husband woke up late having spent a long time at the mechanic where he went to fix his car the previous day adding that in the bid to ensure that the family attended the first service hurriedly dressed in trouser and T shirt and drove the family to church.

She said that it was after the blast that she started looking for him not knowing that he had been mistakenly killed by the youths.

After several fruitless search, it was later discovered his corpse at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) mortuary.

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new posting policy for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme has been released by the Federal Government.

In a circular to top government functionaries, ministers, permanent secretaries and heads of extra- ministerial departments and statutory agencies signed by the Secretary to the Government of the

aFederation, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, government noted that the ‘policy since the inception of the scheme, has been distorted and abused, hence defeating the purpose which is to facilitate national integration and economic transformation as well as the development of participating corps members’.

According to the circular, “the new policy is set to discourage highly placed government officials and influential members

of the society from seeking concessionary posting for prospective corps members specifically to metropolitan cities like Abuja, Lagos and others, contrary to the spirit of the NYSC scheme”.

It added that the categories of corps members eligible for concessionary postings as stipulated in the NYSC Act are: married women, corps members with peculiar health related issues, and corps members with

physical disabilities.

The statement warned public officials and prospective corps members to desist from making such requests as they would no longer be entertained. It stated that henceforth, corps members should be deployed to the following sectors for their primary assignment: rural health; primary and secondary education; rural infrastructural development; and agricultural development.

Family of missing police constable petition IGP From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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h e family of Constable Hamza Abdullahi, the missing policeman in Bauchi, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar over the whereabouts of their son.

Constable Hamza Abdullahi attached to the Tafawa Balewa Police Division was reported missing four weeks ago.

Police authorities alleged that he was arrested in his base by men of the Special Task Force in Jos, Plateau state. Since then, nobody

has seen him again and his vehicle was sighted near soldiers’ check point before it was allegedly moved by soldiers to a nearby river in the area.

The spokesman of his family Malam Isiaku Ahmed, who is also the elder brother of Hamza said the family has been thrown into sorrow since their son disappeared.

Ahmed while talking to People’s Daily Weekend, said since his brother was declared missing, there has been neither a response nor an explanation from the authorities.

“We find it worrisome when

somebody serving as a security personnel who has been serving the police force for four years, is declared missing without any proper explanation”.

According to him, “when we heard the news of Hamza we traveled to Bauchi police command where he is serving; we wrote statements, the commissioner of police asked us to go back home and remain patient, they will do everything within their capacity to see that his whereabouts is known, since then no news of him”.

“That is why the entire family

found it disturbing, all we want is explanation to either he is alive or dead so that we know our stand because we are left in the dark”.

Hamza Abdullahi is married with one wife and two children and hails from Kafachan in Jama’a local government of Kaduna state.

Meanwhile, Bauchi state police commissioner said the command has concluded arrangements to send a powerful delegation to the new leadership of the Special Task Force (STF) in Jos over the reported disappearance of a policeman in Tafawa Balewa local government area of the state.

Ukraine poised to improve trade relation in Nigeria

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

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he government of Ukraine has prepared grounds for the improvement of trade relations with the Nigerian government, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Valery Vasyliev has said.

A statement by the Embassy’s Public Relations Officer, Mary Emmanuel said

Vasyliev made the remark while receiving Executive members of the Nigeria-Ukraine Chamber of Friendship, Culture and Commerce at Ukrainian Embassy in Abuja.

The envoy said his government had prepared various incentives to promote business relations between entrepreneurs of the two countries. He said this became necessary because of the

enormous business potentials and the strategic positions of Nigeria in Africa and Ukraine in Europe and urged the NigeriaUkraine Chamber of Friendship, Culture and Commerce to furnish him with its activities and action plan for the development of trade between the two countries.

In his speech, the Executive Chairman of the NigeriaUkraine Chamber of Friendship,

Culture and Commerce, Comrade Justin Maduagwu enumerated the objectives of the Chamber to include engaging in cultural promotion between Nigeria and Ukraine, sponsoring exhibitions of Nigerian and Ukrainian artifacts, clothes and other materials and promotion of academic fellowship between Nigeria and Ukraine for mutual benefits.

IGP decorates promoted officers amidst protests

By Lambert Tyem

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he newly promoted police officers in the recent controversial promotion exercise were yesterday decorated amidst tight security even as the acting Inspector General of Police (IG), Mohammed Abubakar promised the enthronement of merit and support to officers who perform maximally.

Alleged irregularities in the new promotion have generated a lot of controversies, where the senior officers that were not promoted had been expressing

concern and dissatisfaction.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) had earlier announced the promotion of seven Deputy Inspectors of Police (DIGs) and 13 Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs), where some very junior Commissioners of Police (CPs) were promoted to the rank of DIG and AIGs. They are; Sulaiman Dauda Fakai, 2i/c to the IGP; Marvel Akpoyibo, in charge of Administration and Finance; Haruna John, ‘B’ Operations; Emmanuel Udeoji, ‘Ç’ Works and Logistics; Peter Issa Gana, ‘D’

Investigation and Intelligence; Abdulrahman Akawo, É’ Training,; and Atiku Yusuf Kafur, ‘F’Management Services and Research and Planning.

It was hectic to commuters along routes leading to the Louis Edet House Force Headquarters, venue of the inauguration as all major roads leading to the area were blocked while vehicular and pedestrian movement were well scrutinised before allowed into the venue.

Many journalists and guests were turned back for not having invitation cards or any form of

identification.

Abubakar, while addressing the top police officers on professionalism, promised to reward hard work and celebrate exemplary conduct and achievements.

The police boss sought for the understanding and support of every Nigerian and everyone resident in the country in the police efforts.

Although the IG recognised the fact that in many ways the police might not have met the people’s expectations, he said efforts have been taken to remedy the

problems within the system. “Ï am convinced that the success of every police organisation, aside standard internal mechanisms, largely depends on the level of cooperation, partnership and support it derives from the public it serves”, Abubakar said.

He promised that his administration will encourage enhanced participation of the organised public, civil society groups and other stakeholders in the generation of policing policies as well as the monitoring of their enforcement.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

Photo News

OJUKWU’S BURIAL IN PICS

Ojukwu received full military honours following his official pardon

Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan (left), and his wife were among those who paid their respects at the coffin, draped in a Nigerian flag, which had been transported around the country

Some traditional rulers paying tribute

Jerry Rawlings pays his respect

A sympathiser crying at the service

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News NSCDC boss warns against arbitrary arrests, detention

By Adeola Tukuru

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h e Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ade Abolurin, has charged his men to redouble efforts to ensure sustenance of people’s confidence, perception and image for the corps.

Abolurin said arbitrary arrests and detention must never be exhibited by the men, imploring them to “retain professional ethics and our standard in terms of performance must be sustained and improved upon. Our anti corruption slogan must not be a mere statement but must reflect our integrity”.

The NSCDC boss made this appeal at the just concluded World Civil Defence Day, 2012.

Also at the event, the secretary general of the International Civil Defence Organisation, Mr. Nawaf Al-Sleibi stressed the need to train members of the society about the preventive measures and how to behave with regards to domestic accidents.

He added that there is the need to recognise the determining and crucial role of the mothers regarding the security and integrity at home.

Taraba to partner US on development From Yusha’u Alhassan Jalingo

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he Taraba state government has pledged its full support and cooperation to Melissa Ford, the public affairs officer of the Embassy for United States of America.

The state’s deputy governor, Sani Abubakar Danladi, made the remarks yesterday while Melissa Ford and her team paid him a courtesy call at government House.

Danladi said the administration is ready to support any organisation or individual willing to assist or invest in the state to propel its development.

He expressed gratitude to the embassy for choosing Taraba State as one of its areas of focus adding that Tarabans are peace loving and that the team will enjoy working with the people.

The leader of the team Melissa Ford said they were in the state to create awareness on how indigenes would get admission in to American schools and as one of the measures taken to straighten the existing relationship between Nigeria and the United States.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

FRSC introduces safety education curricular, buses in schools

By Adeola Tukuru

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h e Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has introduced road safety education in basic education curricula with a view to inculcating safety training and behavioural change.

Osita Chidoka, the chief executive and Corp Marshal of the FRSC, explained to newsmen that with this approval, road safety education is now fused into the following basic education subjects’

curricula: English Language, civic education, basic science and technology, social studies and basic science. He said printed copies of these curricula, including Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) curriculum are available nationwide.

He added that it is expected that this giant leap will raise a generation of cautious and careful road users who will take extra care and personal responsibility, conscious that the road and it usage can only safely

lead you to your destination when carefully shared with others.

In his words: “It is pertinent to note that the demand for road safety education is based on the fact that young road users lack the skill and knowledge to operate safely in traffic environments and by addressing these shortfalls, it will reduce their risk of being killed or maimed by other road users”.

“This is historic and worthy of celebration as Nigeria through

this, has demonstrated the recognition of the value of a formal road safety education within the school system as an effective means of road safety training and behavioural change”.

The corps marshal charged pupils and students to take this subject seriously as it is not only for them to pass their examination but see the process as a way of life, if their safety and that of other road users is to be guaranteed.

Yobe to recruit, empower youth ...As screening of 2000 job seekers commences From Godswill Uche, Damaturu

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he governor of Yobe state, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam has directed local governments, communities and government agencies to liaise with the Office of the Head of Service for submission or forwarding of new applications for employment into the state’s civil service from youth who are holders of diploma, NCE and degree certificates.

In an interactive session with community leaders and elders from the 17 local government areas at the WAWA Hall, Government House Damaturu,

the governor said more youth will be admitted into the civil service to address unemployment and idleness.

He explained that current efforts at sanitising the local government payroll through ongoing verification exercises will help free up funds for the recruitment of more youth into government office and the provision of more social services at the grassroots.

A screening exercise for subsequent employment of qualified youths from each of the 17 local government areas of Yobe state, aimed at reducing

unemployment and restiveness, has commenced in Damaturu, the state capital.

Organised by the state Ministry of Special Duties in collaboration with the Peace Corps, the exercise is in fulfillment of the Federal Government’s order for youths to be employed in all the 36 states of the federation.

Speaking to newsmen at the venue of the screening in Damaturu, the permanent secretary in the ministry, Alh. Mamman Musa, said they received the message from the Federal Government that all the 36 states of the country should recruit

at least 2000 youths in order to curb the unemployment problem in the country.

He therefore called on the youths in the state to use the opportunity to be gainfully employed.

The minimum requirement for prospective candidates, according to the Captain of the Peace Corps, Mr. J. Philips, is 2 credits in WAEC, SSCE or NECO, while the age limit is between 17 and 28.

As at the time of filing this report, youths from Damaturu local government area were undergoing the screening exercise.

NASS workers union to elect new leadership

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ational Assembly workers will next Monday elect the new leadership of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, (PASAN) National Assembly, Abuja.

Already the National Assembly complex has been taken over by posters of contenders especially those gunning for the Chairmanship

of the union.

One of the top contenders in the race Comrade Muhammad Bature Musa has since intensified his campaign and opinion poll conducted ahead of the election indicates that he could be on the lead.

In his manifesto made available to the media, Musa pledged that his administration would galvanize a positive

advancement of the Association and ensure a peaceful and enabling work environment for all and sundry.

He equally emphasized that if voted to power, his administration would champion the course of self-discovery and actualization of the collective dreams of the entire workforce, even as he promised to make accountability and honesty his

watch word.

He assured his colleagues that through mutual consultation and constant bargaining with National Assembly Management, their welfare would be assured.

Bature, a graduate of B.A. History from the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, also holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration from University of Abuja.

Accreditation process commence for Jigawa teaching hospital From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

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ccreditation process to convert the state-owned Rashid Shakoni Specialist Hospital to a teaching hospital has commenced.

Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa state described the process as a new milestone to the determination of his government to transform its health sector.

The governor noted that, his

government is all out to ensure accessible and qualitative health care service delivery to all people of the state, and in view of that a goal was set for the production of available and qualitative health personnel through training and capacity building.

This was disclosed in a press statement signed by the Director of Press to the governor, Malam Umar Kyari in Dutse.

The statement indicated that the governor made the statement when members of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria paid him a courtesy call during their visit to the state for the accreditation of Rashid Shekoni Specialist Hospital.

He said beside construction and renovation of hospitals as well as installation of modern working facilities, the provision of quality manpower

is also very vital for attaining the goals of “health-care-forall”.

According to him, “If the hospital is converted to center for training medical staffs it will help the state government to have the right people to manage the state’s health sector” adding that, “getting the right personnel is one way to address the challenges in the health sector”.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 7

Special Report Jos blast: Family of victim forgives Boko Haram From Bayo Alabira & Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

I

t was about 8am and the day was Sunday, February, 26, 2012. The place was Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) headquarters in Jos, Plateau state. Worshippers were increasing in number and the order of service was already in progress.

Governor Jonah Jang worships in this church alongside other dignitaries in the state. However, on this fateful day, Jang did attend service there. Oblivious of the sinister plot that lies ahead, many faithful were in church to praise and worship God and to lay their petitions, especially the quest for peace, at his feet.

Among the worshippers was 34 years late Miss Nenbam Grace Wambutda. Grace had come like the others hoping to gain favour and strength from God for her life pursuits; but that was not to be as she and eight others were blown up by a Boko Haram suicide bomber who rammed into the church and detonated a deadly explosive.

After the blast was blood, tears and charred remains of victims some of who were torn to shreds by the blast. Among the dead was Nenbam, the first child in her family.

Since then, the family has been thrown into mourning though Nenbam’s 60 years old mother Mrs. Naomi Joshua Wambutda, a retired official of Plateau state ministry of Agriculture said the family has forgiven those behind the blast.

Recounting the events of the fateful day, she said the family went to the church together and when the bomb exploded they rushed home but on arrival they starting looking for Nenbam and wished and prayed that she was safe but no.

After a while, news came that Nenbam died in the church instantly.

According to her, “We were together in the morning and we went to the church together.

I was inside the church and I did not actually know that she was outside. When the blast happened, there was confusion and we rushed home. It was when we got home that we started looking for her.

“She was a kind of person that in this kind of situation, she would just run back home.

So after a while, her brother went out to check for her and before they could come back, somebody came to the house

Late Nenbam Wambutda. and broke the news to me. It was as if the world had collapsed on me. I could not hold myself. In fact it was so painful that I did not know what to do or say. I was crying.

We were together with her in the morning and went to church together,” she narrated in tears.

On whether she or any member of the family had any premonition that tragedy was lurking around the corner, Nenbam’s mother said she had been having series of nightmares but added that in those cases she prayed to God to avert any problem and trusted in God for protection.

She however said that on the fateful day, she did not have any inclination that tragedy was by the corner “Well, I have been having bad dreams but in most cases I prayed and asked God for protection; but that day I didn’t have anything in mind and in fact on that fateful day we talked in the morning all was well. I did not know that this will happen”, she said.

Noting that though the experience was painful, Nenbam’s mother said it will

not take away the love of Christ that is in her and other members of the family.

“There is no one like Christ and there is no one that I look up to other than Christ because right from birth I know he is the giver and taker of life,” she said.

Asked what she would do if she come face to face with those behind that blast that took away her first child, madam Wambutda looking rather relaxed than agitated to the question said she will not seek revenge. She said she has since decided to forgive the perpetrators of the crime adding that vengeance should be left for God “I will forgive them. I have already forgiven them because we are Christians and that is what our faith teaches. Even God himself said that vengeance is his. I feel pained about what happened but that will not take away the love of God in me to forgive. They knew what they did but God knows best; so I look up to God”, she said.

Asked what demand she places on the law enforcement agencies, Madam Wambutda lamented that nothing had come out of the many investigations on such violence.

According to her, “the law enforcement agencies know

their job and I have nothing to tell them. There are so many investigations in Nigeria going on but till now we have not seen any thing, so let them do whatever they want to do but for me I have forgiven those who killed my daughter.

Mrs. Wambutda said the death of late Miss Nenbam, will not diminish her Christian faith but would rather strengthen it.

She said she has solace in her strong conviction that Nenbam was innocent and is now with Christ. She described her as very gentle and hardworking adding that the family reposed serious confidence in her “Right from birth she was very gentle, hardworking and very determined to get some thing doing and she was in the discipleship class so we were confident with her life and looking at the way she left, I strongly believe that she is with Christ”, Madam Wambutda said.

Nenbam has joined the list of innocent Nigerians who have fallen victim of the rising insecurity in the nation. The questions in the mouth of many are; when will these violence come to an end in the country? How many more innocent Nenbams will have to go before sanity will be restored?

NEMA officials inspecting the site of the bombing at the COCIN Church.

PAGE 8

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

Special Report Climbing Dala hill to celebrate Maulud in Kano

Hisba guards keep an eye on children

Children mounting Dala hill ...now a tourist attraction

It is often a memorable experience for children in Kano state when they climbed the Dala hill as part of Maulud celebrations. This year was no different, as teamming children from the municipal and its environs, recorded impressive turn out during the last Maulud, held on the 17th of Rabi ul-Awwal (the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar) despite security threats that have bedevilled the state. Bala Nasir captures events at the hill.

D

ala Hill which history predates that of the ancient Kano itself was said to be the original point which the first Kano settlers lived for the protection it gives and its richness in iron ore.

While the first settlers were blacksmiths, iron ore was said to be the major ingredient for their work and therefore Dala hill became very appropriate place for them to live and practice their trade.

Eventually, they became the ancestral owners of the Dala area.

For a very long time now, children from the ancient city have made Dala hill a centre of attraction as it afforded them the opportunity to climb and play on the hill or simply while away their time.

Overtime, the hill played host to Maulud festivities in the ancient city.

Sani Tela, was born in the Dala hill area of Kano state some 48 years ago. He recalls with nostalgia how in those days as children, they would climb on top of the hill to view some parts of the city. During that time, Kano was not as expansive as it is today and they could see as far as

Bompai from Dala hill, he said.

"In those days, not many children could climb the hill because steps had not been constructed as provided now for easy climbing".

"The most daring among us were the only ones that could get to the top because getting to the top was very tasking as only those who lived around Dala knew the secret of the places to place their foot for them to climb to the top.

He indicated that most of the children from other areas really suffered and at times some of them sustained injuries because they would fall on their way up or they would be discouraged and cried for help.

He recalled how one day he had to carry a girl on his shoulders when it became apparent she could not come down from the hill even though she was able to make it to the top. During that time, elders in the area used to stop them from climbing the hill due to the accidents children were involved in, but then they would find alternative routes to climbing to the top.

While steps have now been made from the hill's base to the top for easy

climbing, not many children are still able to climb to the top like one Zainab Habu of Yan Tandu quarters told Peoples Daily Weekend. She

disclosed that anytime she got half way to the top she felt dizzy. That was the reason why she chose to remain at the point where she spoke with our correspondent.

At the top of the hill, it was a different ball game as witnessed by Peoples Daily Weekend. Children who made it to the top of the hill were seen relaxing after the climbing while others were buying things that hawkers brought to the hill for children's' entertainment like drinks and snacks.

The areal view of the ancient city seemed to be most fascinating to the children at the top of the hill as they freely discussed what was visible to them from that point even as some tried to locate their residential areas from where they stood.

They all had different reasons for being on the hill. They ranged from having a break from the hustling and bustling of the city, to relaxing and having fun. Nine year old Kabiru Mohammed, from Sanka quarters for instance, said he came to the Dala hill to view the

Children celebrating on top of the hill

city from its top and had been there twice for the same purpose. The first time he came to Dala was during last year's Maulud and the sight of Kano from the hill was fascinating.

He stated.

Meanwhile, some HISBA guards were seen keeping vigil at the hill to guard the kids on climbing so as to avoid accidents.

Milad-un Nabi or Maulid (Mawlid) is the birthday celebration of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (S.A. S.) and is celebrated by Muslims as Eid-el Maulud. The Prophet Muhammad was born in Arabia, in the city of Mecca on the 12th day of Rabi-ulAwwal, which was Monday the 20th day of April, 571 A.C. The occasion is celebrated by remembering the favours bestowed on the Muslim ummah (community), one of which is the revelation of the Holy Qur’an with its instructions, and the institution of an ever living Guide who would advise the mu'mins (believers) according to the needs of the time amongst others.

Cover PAGE 10

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

Okada tightens grip on cities Contd from Pg 9 faster than taxis and buses.

Currently, there are moves by the authorities to put a check in their activities but with their sheer population and prevailing economic situation breeding an ever growing army of unemployed youths, most of the checks have turned to be a case of binding the leviathan with wool thread.

The situation has been blamed on a number of factors.

Unemployment is key factor as it has aggravated the general sense of frustration due to the economic problems in the nation. Also there are the factors of sheer criminality and poor upbringing.

Almost all the okada operators in the country took up the job out of frustration following their inability to get other well paid jobs. While some are university and high school graduates, others are stack illiterates forming an army of annoyed section of the society that appears to be seeking its pound of flesh on the system in their own bid to survive.

There are cases of gang beatings where okada riders take on and beat up other road users during accidents.

Fights have been known to flare up in rioting and setting of vehicles on fire.

Most accidents involving okada operators arise from recklessness, though operators will always blame other road users for misdemeanour.

In many parts of the country okada riders are not licenced or trained.

They make their commercial debut after a few hours of training sessions with frustration and quest to hit the days target as the principal driving force. This is especially for those who rented the motorcycles and must have to balance daily sums ranging from N400 to N600 depending on the city and condition of the bike.

There are also cases of drunk and drugged riding in many parts of the country.

In Kano, there is no gainsaying the obvious that okada has come to

An okada accident scene stay and is not ready to leave.

Popularly known as “Yan achaba” in the state, their population strength runs into hundreds of thousands. Some people insist that Kano is the headquarters of Okada in Nigeria, maybe followed by Lagos.

Apparently because of inadequate numbers of taxis and busses in the state, commuters have found the achaba their most convenient means of reaching their respective destinations and this demand has triggered the influx of more motorcycle dealers and achaba riders into Kano metropolis in particular.

Good as the services of the achaba riders appear, preponderance of opinions by residents of Kano still think they have brought more sorrows than happiness.

Reports from the city shows that most of the operators are reckless and don’t obey traffic rules. Some of them do so under the influence of drugs including marijuana and sniffing of

An accident involving a commercial motorcyclist and a trailer

rubber solution used by vulcanisers to patch tubes Currently hospitals and healing homes in the state are replete with injured persons from accidents involving achaba. Many of them are lucky to be alive as such accidents have led to the death of thousands in the state.

A trip to Kwanar yan Daddawa, a settlement in the outskirts of Kano where renowned traditional orthopedics operate have tales of broken bones and death of victims of achaba accidents.

A bone setter in the settlement, Malam Usman Garba, revealed that most of the people he attends to on a daily basis are victims of achaba accidents.

“On a daily basis we normally receive up to ten cases of accidents Sometime we don’t even have where to keep them”, he stated.

In Kano acaba riders have a very formidable unity and in most cases rally round members in case of

accidents even if their member is wrong. There have been situations where innocent motorists have been forced to pay for damages even when the achaba is at fault in accidents.

Environmental and health experts have equally raised concern over the smoke the motorcycles emit which is causing pollution that is dangerous to human beings and the environments.

However, with the involvement of some achaba riders in criminality coupled with the wave of attack by members of the dreaded Sect Boko Haram using motorbikes, it appears that the days of achaba in Kano metropolis are numbered.

Already, their movements have been restricted by the curfew six to six curfew imposed by the state government.

The story is the same in Benue state where okada is having iron grip on major cities including, Makurdi, the state capital. Apart from accidents resulting from reckless riding, there is an increase in the rate of crimes ranging from armed robbery to rape and ritual killings involving okada riders in the state.

At the Federal Medical Center, Makurdi as well as several bone setting homes in the state, many of the patients are victims of okada accident. Some of the patients who spoke to Peoples Daily Weekend at the Makurdi Medical Center thanked God that they were alive and blamed their ordeals on the recklessness of the okada riders.

Some of them recounted that the riders usually would not heed to instruction to be more careful on the road as they were usually high as a result of drugs and alcohol.

A patient Peter Agbo narrated how he fractured his leg in motorbike accident.

According to him, “I took okada to go to my house at Wadata and suddenly on the way, I heard a big bang and the bike went off the road and I hit my leg on an electric pole. I could not move anymore and had to be lifted up by passers-bye.

Nothing happened to the okada man but for me I had to end up first in the hospital. I almost lost my leg in that accident caused by over speeding and negligence on the part of the okada rider”.

Another problem associated with okada in the state is the rising cases of murder, car and phone theft, cultism and rape traced to operators.

There have been reported cases of secret murders and rape by suspects said to be okada riders who take advantage of the late hours to commit these atrocious and abominable acts.

However, some okada operators accosted in Makurdi by Peoples Daily Weekend faulted the claims that all okada riders were reckless and do not obey traffic rules.

It was also been observed that some of them were either graduates or school drop outs who could not secure gainful employment and so decided to opt for the job to make a living.

Such would not want to be included as reckless and criminally minded persons.

One of the operators, Mr. Francis Okpe said, “I am a family man with children and dependants. I graduated from Benue State University but was unable to get a good job so I decided to take to okada riding to cater for my family and my aged parents”.

Okpe said since there were no functional industries and companies, it was better for him to do okada job instead of engaging in political thuggery and other crimes “There are no companies or industries in this State that can engage us so rather than get involved in political thuggery or armed robbery, it is better to ride Okada and take care of my family”.

Another rider Gideon Akumba said he was a farmer but had to abandon the farm for Okada job due to lack of incentives like fertilizers and other farm chemicals from government.

“I enjoyed farming but there was no encouragement anywhere. I was not making profit so I decided to quit and resorted to Okada riding.

Government should provide employment for the youths and support those who are artisans or farmers to develop”, Akumba advised.

Due to the problems there are moves by the state government to ban okada operation in the state.

Already a gradual restriction of activities has started.

However, while some indigenes of the state supported the idea others argue that they are very important especially for those who could not afford taxis in the night.

In Kogi state, it is also a tale of tears, blood and death as okada tighten grip on major town including the state capital, Lokoja.

Peoples Daily Weekend check reveals an influx of okada into the state capital following their sack in some major districts of neighbouring Federal Capital Territory (FCT),

Contd on Pg 11

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 11

Cover

Okada tightens grip on cities Contd from Pg 10

Abuja. The increase has also rubbished the checks and regulations put in place by the state.

Like in other cities, okada operators are responsible for most accidents especially in Lokoja metropolis. Also in the state there have been cases of armed robbery and other violent crimes involving okada operators.

Currently, okada has led to the death of many innocent young men.

One of such was a young man, Sheidu Shaibu a graduate of Kogi state University who took up okada operation following the inability to get a gainful employment. Sheidu died recently following injuries he sustained in an accident.

Lamenting, his mother, Madam Rekiyetu Shaibu of number 112, Ibaji quarters, Lokoja, blamed government for not providing employment to his son and his likes, a situation which has forced them to take up dangerous jobs like commercial motorcycle operation.

Another victim of okada accident, Mr. Ogboyi said he lost his son and wife to an okada accident which occurred in Okene, another town in Kogi where he was serving under the Okene district of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

He said his son was conveying his own mother from market when in an attempt to avoid a headlong collision with another okada, ran into a vehicle which crushed them instantly.

Police sources in the state confirmed that scores of innocent citizens are either killed or crippled on daily basis in okada accidents.

In its bid to minimise the accidents, the police in the state recently introduced some safety measures including compulsory registration of bikes and use of safety gears as well as stringent enforcement of traffic regulations.

The police had also tightened up security especially against criminals operating with bikes and reports have it that this has reduced spate of criminality involving okada operators.

In Plateau state, the government is already taking steps to ban commercial motorcycle business with the flagging off distribution of 500 tri-cycles, 100 mini cabs and 14 buses to ease transportation problem within Jos. The story is the same in Lagos and other southern states such as Rivers, Anambra, Enugu, Owerri and Aba among others.

In Lagos, workers prefer the use of okada to get to their places of work early. It is also the major and more convenient means of transport in certain inner areas that are not accessible with buses and taxis.

Also okada has been made very popular because of the perennial traffic congestion in the city as the operators can meander through the traffic and get the passenger to his destination faster.

However, the state has had its

Heap of bikes involved in accidents in Lagos own share of the hazards associated with okada ranging from horrible accidents to violent crimes especially armed robbery, ritual killings and kidnapping.

Reports show that the number of victims of okada accidents in Lagos is on geometric progression with hospital and orthopedic homes replete with victims.

Report presented by Lagos Governor Babatunde Fashola showed the state had about 1039 reported okada accidents between October and November 2011 with Ikeja, the state capital recording total of 179 cases within the period.

The governor said about 346 robbers were arrested on okada.

Fashola noted that out of 2911 traffic violations between October and November in Lagos state, 1908 involved okada operators.

According to Fashola, who spoke while inaugurating a 32-man security committee to review the activities of commercial motorcycle operators in the state, “from our investigation in the last two months, what we see in terms of accidents, alone, from LASUTH to Ikeja, we had 179 cases of accidents, within October and November alone, out of that 179, 170 of the victims were passengers.

“At the Toll Gate Emergency centre, we had 41 accidents reported there on okada, all these reports are just for two months. In the combined reports from 20 government hospitals that we monitored over the last two months in October and November, we had 1039 accident cases of okada accidents. Now with regard to crime, between January and now 346 robbers were arrested on okada."

An investigation at the National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi shows that at the Intensive

Care Unit, most of the patients who are on admission are victims of okada accidents. Officials at the hospital said an average of five to ten patients are brought in daily with injuries resulting from okada accidents.

The situation in Lagos is worsened by the traffic population and the refusal of the riders to adhere to restrictions. Riders in Lagos dare to ride on super highways even against traffic resulting in horrible accidents in the state.

Owing to the spate of criminality involving commercial cyclists, the state government, in its first reaction, banned okada from plying the Government House Road in Alausa. The riders, for about three or four months, complied with the directives, but after sometime, due to noticeable lapses in terms of enforcement on the part of the security agents, the order became ineffective.

The government’s restriction order was trailed by criticism as commuters opined that for such an order to be effective, the government has to provide alternatives.

A commercial motorcycle rider Akinwale Aderibigbe, who spoke with Peoples Daily Weekend, said though he is aware of the fact that the highway restriction is for his benefit, he cannot help but ply the route which he said yield more money due to the preponderance of passengers.

On the argument that people who ride okada are unemployed, Fashola said “but that is not acceptable, it’s not an excuse, there is no excuse for crime, any government that takes itself seriously must reduce crime to the barest minimum.”

Already the state has come out with laws to regulate activities of

commercial motorcyclists in the state.

The regulation among others bar the carrying of loads, carrying of under aged passengers prohibition of sound systems, restriction of operation beyond 8.pm and 10.pm in designated areas. The law also bars the carrying of pregnant women, school age children, women with children on their backs and riding against traffic among others.

Some of those who patronise okada operators frowned at the ban insisting

it would compound the plight of commuters in the nation's commercial capital. Their complaint is hinged on the perennial traffic gridlock which makes commuting within the city very cumbersome.

Also some Okada operators who spoke with Peoples Daily Weekened, wondered why the government should ban their operations when it has done little or nothing to provide jobs for the multitude of Okada riders.

They also blamed the government for leaving the roads unattended to, a situation that has made most of them unmotorable, hence people prefer to use motorbikes to wade through the pot-hole ridden roads.

In Abuja, the nation’s capital, though there are strict restrictions in the use of okada in the city center, the riders are having very strong grip of the satellite town swith stories of death, broken bones and criminality on their trails.

Okada accidents are everyday occurrences in the satellite towns.

Recently, in Kubwa, Abuja’s foremost satellite town, a baby strapped on her mother’s back atop an okada fell off and was immediately crushed to death by a vehicle. Currently there appears to be no regulations on the use of okada in Abuja satellite towns even when some of them are as busy as some state capitals if not busier.

On the whole, the phenomenon of commercial motorcyclists has become a problem that require strategic solution principal among which is the revamping of the economy. Unless such is done, it will continue to be the same tale of death and anguish across the nation.

Little Olamide Awofade had her leg amputated after being hit by a commercial motorcyclist

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 9

Cover Messengers of death:

Okada tightens grip on cities

*Fast, handy but with death and broken bones on the trail

By Richard Ihediwa, Uche Nnorom (Makurdi), Edwin Olofu (Kano), Sam Egwu (Lokoja) Francis Iwuchukwu (Lagos) and Nankpah Bwakan (Jos)

T

h e y are everywhere and they share almost the same mentality; reckless, hasty, hungry for a fight and“ready to die”. “Okada”, “Yan Achaba”, “Going”, “Akaueke” (Cross River), “Inaga” (South East states). Commercial motorcyclists are now holding the nation with an iron grip which they are not ready to relax.

Presently, the Okada population in the country is placed at a conservative 20 million.

They provide fast and urgent services but on their trail are tales of death and broken bones.

Every year, thousands of Nigerians are either sent to their early graves or crippled in accidents involving commercial motorcycles. Apart from accidents, some operators have become criminals involving in armed robbery, bag snatching, political violence ritual killings and other violent crimes. Largely, many of them have become merchants and messengers of

death.

On the whole, among Okada operators, there appears to be a general sense of recklessness tinged with vivid frustration, anger and resentment to the society that breeds them. Across the nation, an ordinary Okada operator appears to have a bottled up resentment and is ready to fight at the slightest provocation.

Currently there is a growing army of operators daring even to ply on major highways even in major cities like Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Aba, Port Harcourt, Makurdi, Onitsha where they struggle for space with automobile and criminals leaving behind tyre prints of blood, tears and anguish.

The use of motorcycles as means of commercial transportation became popular in the early 1980 beginning with rural roads. It however experienced a boost in the 19990’s with government support especially as people engage them due to their ability to get to destinations

Pages 10,11

PAGE 12

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3— SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

Special Report

Lessons from Ibori’s travails

the benefit of the people of Delta State. It is always rewarding for anyone working on a proceeds of corruption case to know that the stolen funds they identify will eventually be returned to some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world”, Whatmore said.

More trouble seem to be lurking around the embattled former governor as EFCC has declared that on completion of his jail term in the United Kingdom, he will have to face another trial for corrupt practices in

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

h e Former governor of Delta State, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, last Monday, in Southwark Crown Court, far away in Britain was widely reported to have agreed that he stole billions of naira from the treasury of the Delta state government when he held sway as the executive governor for eight years.

However, the issue took a dramatic turn when his agents in Nigeria came out the following day to refute the reports saying the troubled former governor did not plead guilty but that the case was on going.

However, the records from the courts in London as widely reported indicate that there were actually moves for a plea bargain process. However, as Ibori awaits his sentencing in London, his case pose several lessons on anti-graft system in the country.

Reports have it that Ibori, without wasting the time of the court, simply pleaded guilty to charges of moneylaundering, conspiring to defraud and obtaining money transfer by fraud, preferred against him.

Though Ibori was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under its former Chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, who charged him for corruption, he was later given a clean bill of health by the Nigerian judiciary, first by serial rulings, up to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, that he had no criminal record of conviction whatsoever; and second by Justice Marcel Awokuleyin of the Federal High Court, Asaba who held, while throwing out the charge of 170-count counts against him, that there was no prima facie case made out against him by EFCC. On its own part the EFCC under sacked, Mrs. Farida Waziri also gave Ibori a clean bill of health saying it did not establish any case against him.

Years later, the chicken came to roost and the laws which were blind in Nigeria caught up with Ibori in far away London.

The task our judiciary so annoyingly failed to perform is now to be performed by the British judiciary. The impression that has been unwittingly created is that while the British judiciary detests corruption and punishes it, the Nigerian judiciary embraces corruption and condones it. How sad!

Ibori’s acceptance of guilt offers many lessons. First, now that the anti-corruption agencies are being reportedly “repositioned” the EFCC and ICPC must not wait for the nod from the Federal Government before bringing charges against ex and current public office holders who do not enjoy public immunity.

Second, the immunity clause in the constitution must be removed in the contemplated amendments to the 1999 Constitution, for it has been providing sanctuary for corrupt public officers who

James Ibori ...pleads guilty

Nuhu Ribadu ...arrested Ibori

Farida Waziri ...let Ibori off the hook

have a long period of four or eight years, as the case may be, to loot public treasury.

Third, the Nigerian judiciary should now embark on a further soul searching, self examination and sober reflection to ensure that justice is done to all manner of men and women in the society.

In this regard, any judge who made Nigeria a safe haven for Ibori thereby made Nigeria a laughing stock in the estimation of the international community must also be made to face justice.

Fourth, it does appear that there is nothing inherently wrong with plea bargaining. It is the abuse of plea bargaining that is condemnable; for the change of plea

by Ibori was essentially an outcome of plea bargaining.

A plea bargain works best in an environment where investigators have amassed iron cast evidence against an accused person; where the prosecutors are uncompromising in their quest to secure a conviction, and where the judge cannot be sold, bought, bribed, intimidated, or compromised.

In such circumstances, an accused person is overwhelmed and is therefore likely to raise up his hands in guilt and plead for mercy. It is the absence of this criminal trial atmosphere in Nigeria that is making those undergoing criminal trial to treat the court with disdain, turning the court into a huge dancing and singing arena; and giving plea bargaining a bad name.

As for the political class, the denouement of the Ibori’s ruthless struggle against nemesis should offer a lesson that the corrupt cannot take a perpetual flight from justice. Somehow, somewhere, justice, temporal or spiritual, will catch up with the corrupt.

The 53 year-old former governor was said to be highly extravagant when he was in charge of affairs in Delta state. He was said to use the ill-gotten money to buy lavish houses in London and Johannesburg, a fleet of armoured Land Rovers, and a $20m private jet and racked up credit card bills of $200,000 a month.

Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, arrested Ibori in 2007, and the police in London got a court order to freeze Ibori’s U.K. assets of £35m ($55m) which allegedly belonged to him.

In 2009, a court in Ibori’s home state capital, Asaba, dismissed 170 charges of corruption against him, but the case was reopened in 2010, but Ibori evaded arrest and fled to Dubai, where he was detained at the request of British police and extradited to London in the year 2011. He is due to be sentenced on April 16 and 17th.

Paul Whatmore of the Metropolitan Police Proceeds of Corruption Unit said Ibori’s guilty pleas capped an inquiry which began in association with Nigerian anticorruption investigators in 2005.

According to him,“We will now be actively seeking the confiscation of all his stolen assets so they can be repatriated for

Nigeria. For the benefit of stakeholders and lovers of justice, it is interesting to note that the offences for which Ibori faces imminent jail term in London is only a minute aspect of the bouquet of offences committed by the former governor during his eight year rule of Delta state.

The bulk of the criminal charges against the former governor are still before courts in Nigeria and there are no plans to vacate those charges. Moreover, the former governor apparently did not act alone.

Expressing delight at the news of the guilty plea by Ibori, the current EFCC under Ibrahim Lamorde said the development was a vindication of the agency’s position that the former governor had corruptly enriched himself while in office.

While all who worry over the effect of corruption on our nation may celebrate the Ibori guilty plea, we must all spare a thought for our judiciary, which needs urgent reform to ensure that those who loot our treasury do not get away with their loot.

It will be recalled that, after few years of quitting his £5,000-a-year job as a cashier for Wickes, Ibori had become one of Nigeria’s most influential and richest politicians who wasted no time spending his new-found wealth on luxury homes, topof-the-range cars, five-star travel and fees at exclusive boarding schools.

Ibori first moved from Nigeria to West London in the late 1980s and was found guilty of stealing goods from the Wickes store he worked at in Ruislip in 1990.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 13

Interview

Focus must be safety of lives, says Onyejeocha A

s chairman House Committee on Aviation, are you worried about the unfair treatment of Nigerians by foreign carriers?

To be honest with you, I am a Nigerian and have been travelling abroad before I became Chairman of House Committee on Aviation and I can tell you that British Airways (BA) is the worst for this. It will bring in old aircrafts and charge very exorbitant fares. I am also aware that the Minister for Aviation took them on, on this and we equally made an observation about the unfair treatment meted on Nigerians. Similarly, the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren, also raised the issue of overcharging with the British Airways and came up with a position on how much they have overcharged Nigerians.

What position was reached?

I think the documents revealed that both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic overcharged Nigerian passengers to the tune of $235 million which they needed to pay back. They have started paying such monies back in other countries, even in the USA, so why won't they pay back to Nigerian passengers, the overcharged fares? The matter is in court but Honourable Na'Allah, Kanayo Graham and Barr.

Ojuckwa are to look into the issues raised by the British Airways and I know justice would be done on the matter. We believe that with time the aircraft will be phased out because when you fly from Nigeria to London, enroute another country like USA, you will see brand new aircraft as if you were an inferior passenger or that you paid less fare.

But the truth is that Nigerians pay more. What the British Airways charge from Ghana to London is cheaper than what Nigerians pay from Lagos to London. The charges and rates must be reviewed honestly; the Nigerian passenger must be treated with respect.

Why are airports in the country not befitting of Nigeria's status as giant of Africa?

Lots of changes are being put in place, implemented or facilitated in the Aviation sector. As you all know, the aviation industry or sector is such that when you develop it consciously, it can be a huge revenue earner for the country. Many countries are reaping from the investments in the aviation industry and Nigeria can key in too.

For me, as the Chairman House Committee on Aviation, and in collaboration with the Ministry, we have this vision that we need to impact positively so as to uplift the industry from its present position.

We want to bring in first class

Chairman House Committee on Aviation, Mrs. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, in an interview with journalists in Abuja, said the aviation sector is redirecting its policy to meet best global practices but insists that our airports and airspace must be safe for Nigerians, among sundry issues. Jamila Nuhu Musa was there.

Mrs. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha facilities to all the airports. If you have been travelling recently, you may have noticed the changes. The airports are being redirected to international standards. Fee paying passengers need a measure of comfort when they are passing through our airports.

Given our maintenance culture how do you intend to ensure international standards?

I agree with you that the biggest problem in this country is lack of maintenance policy. We do not have a culture of maintaining what we have. You must maintain your facilities if you really want them to perform at optimal level. Most of the facilities in our airports were put in place when those airports were built.

But there was no conscious effort to change it or remodel to suit the trend. I think that the N38Bn earmarked by the Ministry might be enough to finish all the jobs, but it is good to start from somewhere and take it from there. I do not think we have issues with the companies that are doing the jobs. They are reputable and competent because if you pay peanuts, you will not get good results. Let's face the reality; the aviation industry is not a place where you experiment because human lives are involved. You must meet the world standard and the international bodies will sanction

and slam you when you deviate from set standards. In the budget that was passed for 2011, and even now, provision was made for such.

In Lagos for instance, the air conditioners were installed at the same time with the airport. During the tenure of Kema Chikwe, she tried to work on them but they have parked up as we speak. The airport authorities tried refurbishing it, but we disagreed and asked that it should be replaced. Air conditioners have a life span, we can afford to change them as and when due. You cannot refurbish air conditioners.

Ordinarily before now, one would have thought that they should have been changed, but in Nigeria, nobody takes care of government property. For Lagos and other airports, I can assure you that the Ministry and FAAN have promised that Nigerians and travelers will soon start enjoying first class facilities before April.

Why are there only few aircraft using the Abuja Airport?

I think the Minister is working with the authorities of Emirates for them to start their Abuja operation and I am sure before next summer, something positive is going to come out of it. But you should also note that people from the South-south and South-east also need the Emirate. So there is hope that the

Emirate will fly Abuja and Enugu.

Abuja is sure for now, but for Enugu airport, there must be facilities in place to take such big aircraft. Even Qatar Airways can also venture into Abuja. And for the Owerri Airport, which serves most of the South-east states including Rivers State, and seems to be suffering so much neglect in the hands of the Aviation authorities, I can say things are changing. As I speak with you now, NAMA is about completing the AKL, that is the lighting facilities so that it can take evening and night flights.

They should be going to Enugu by now. But remember, the argument has always been that Owerri Airport is a cargo handling airport. But I have told them that the old Imo State suffered to build that airport before the Federal government took it over.

Over the years, it has handled commercial flights and should not be neglected.

What is your opinion on double taxation by the airlines?

To be candid with you, Nigerians do not pay tax, so who is overtaxing who? If we have genuine concern over the arbitrary taxation and the issue of concession, who told you we can't investigate and come up with findings and motions that would be beneficial to every Nigerian? We, Nigerians do not plan our travels. If you plan well ahead, you can always get things cheaper.

Even our local airlines like Aero, Dana and Arik have this system, which, when you buy your tickect on time, it is usually halved. But if you are travelling same day, it is usually very expensive. Nigerians need to change their travel orientation except on emergencies.

Let us plan ahead and avoid the high cost as compared to other countries.

How can training of personnel impact positively on the aviation industry?

Foreign airlines now do less paper work, but Nigeria is yet to meet that standard because everybody wants to go into every business without conducting proper research and background check. You cannot do without adequate training and retraining of your man power in any area of endeavour.

Only last year, FAAN recorded well over 12 million passengers and 234,235 aircraft movement in 2011, with 3,257,738 on domestic flight and 2237,991, on the International route. It becomes imperative that there must be training to meet up with the increased number of aircraft and passenger movement. We are also aware that the most pressing need

now is security at our airports. The world over, the main gateway into the country is the airport and so providing adequate security is a task that must be handled with seriousness. You must have facilities on ground and need not neglect the training aspect of it. To be honest, without adequate training you cannot talk about handling equipment.

But despite the huge budget for training over the years, expatriates are taking over crucial technical areas of the industry. Why is this so?

I am aware that certain aspects of our aviation industry have been taken over by expertise. I am equally aware that Nigerians worth their salt have been engaged in highly sensitive but lucrative jobs abroad.

Recently, the house got the information that the oil industry had more foreigners than indigenous staff who, sometimes are better qualified but relegated to the background. We are investigating the allegation. The same will surely happen in the aviation sector. The Minister of Aviation is planning to open up employment opportunities for qualified Nigerians and I believe she will live up to the billing. In the budget for 2012, funds have been earmarked for training. In as much as we have local manpower; we equally need foreign hands in the industry because aviation needs a lot of collaboration to survive. Each item you buy has a foreign component and that is the way it has been structured. I also understand that Nigeria has over $70 million in the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA); the funds must be accessed and applied to the relevant areas that need it but first things first, facilities, then training. Before, a lot of things were not done properly. Now you do not just train manpower without facilities. You must have it and then train.

What are your worries about security as regards the aviation industry?

The issue of security is paramount even as it is worrisome.

Our airports must be secured and our airspace too. For me, the challenge in aviation is safety to lives and then others. We are collaborating with the Minister. You should equally know that each challenge a country has, comes with its attendant problems.

For now the aviation Ministry must focus on the safety of lives and property within its jurisdiction in collaboration with other security agencies. In this aspect I think they are equally trying. The legacy I want to bequeath at the end of my tenure is to see that the sector contributes a lot of revenue to the economy, and that many Nigerians would be able to feed from the sector and equally contribute to the growth of the economy. It should not be oil alone.

PAGE 14

Profile

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

Shehu Shagari: The herdsman’s son who became President

By Richard Ihediwa hehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, former President of Nigeria recently clocked 87 years and was celebrated by many of the contemporary national leaders.

Interestingly, there are many things many of the younger generation of Nigerians do not know about Shagari apart from the historical fact that he was a former President of the country.

Just as many Nigerians thought that President Jonathan became President from being deputy governor and governor of Bayelsa state without knowing that he was a customs officer (a preventive officer), many younger generation of Nigerians do not know much about the background of this soft spoken and very amiable elder statesman called Shehu Shagari.

Many of them think that Shagari just came out from the blues of political oblivion to be crowned President in 1979 by the then military government under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Of Fulani extraction, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, who holds the revered title of Turakin Sakkwato in the Sokoto Caliphate was born on February 25, 1925 in Shagari village of Sokoto state. His father, Aliyu who was a farmer, trader and herder before he became Magajin Shagari died five years after Shehu’s birth, a situation, which ordinarily should have buried his destiny.

However determined to succeed, young Aliyu started learning Islamic recitals at home and later went to a Quranic school.

He later attended elementary school at Yabo before he went to the Sokoto Middle School and later to Kaduna college.

After his secondary school, he became the new pupil-science teacher of Sokoto Middle School before he was appointed the science teacher for Zaria Middle school. In 1945 he moved back to become the science and also history and

S

*What many Nigerians do not know about Shagari *How he formed a winning party, won House of Reps, Presidency geography teacher of the Sokoto Middle School. Six years after, he was posted to Argungu as the headmaster of the new primary school there.

Shagari’s interest in politics could be traced to his attention in the political developments even in the southern parts of the country.

Around the 1930s a few northern pre independence political organisations had started springing up and Shagari was already holding strong political views especially on issues of rapid development of his district.

Bringing a new political awareness to his area, young Shagari, alongside his political associate, Mallam Gambo Abuja in 1946 started the Youth Social Circle, a political organization centered around Sokoto. They were supported by notable leaders such as Ahmadu Bello, Ibrahim Gusau, and Mallam Ahmadu Danbaba.

By 1948, Shagari had grown in political influence and helped in championing the consolidation and merging of all the emerging political organizations under one group. This eventually led to the formation of the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) which later became a political party and went on to win the national parliamentary election in 1959.

Shagari was elected to represent the Sokoto Southwest in the House of Representatives. However, in 1958, he became Parliamentary Secretary to then Prime Minister, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

Shagari continued to rise up the ladder as he became the Minister of Economic Development in 1960, Minister of Internal Affairs in 1962 and Minister of Works and Survey in 1965.

Humble and down to earth, after the disbandment of the civilian government due to

President Shehu Shagari in a file picture with other world leaders

Shehu Shagari campaigning during Second republic military incursion, Shagari returned to Sokoto to work on his farm and later to work as a councillor for the Sokoto Native Authority. In 1970 he became the Minister of Economic affairs and later of Finance under the General Yakubu Gowon military administration.

With the ouster of the Gowon administration however came the convoking of a Constitutional conference by the Obasanjo military government. At the conference, there were political coalitions including the National Movement which later became the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

The NPN, which had Shagari as its Presidential candidate, contested and won the 1979 elections. With this, Shagari became the first executive President of the country.

Shagari, made housing, industries, transportation and

agriculture as the major goals of his administration. In housing, he launched a large scale housing program that built estates in many cities across the country.

In industries, Shagari invested heavily in steel development. He completed the Delta Steel Complex in 1982, and spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the Ajaokuta Steel Complex and the Steel rolling mills with the overall aim of boosting the quest for massive infrastructural development in the country.

In transportation, he launched road networks across the country, the ministry headed by Umaru Dikko, was vital in the programs of the NPN led government. In terms of agriculture, the Green Revolution program was initiated to foster the use of mechanical machinery in farming. It favored

large scale farmers in order to produce mass products.

Shagari was re-elected for a second tenure in 1983 during which the administration had marshalled out plans to stabilise the then ailing economy. However, the recovery and stabilisation progmames were cut short by the military which seized power from the Shagari administration in 1983.

Since then Shagari has been using his retirement to play key roles in ensuring the stability of the nation. Currently, he is one of the stabilising forces in the Council of State, a body that comprise former Heads of State and current top government functionaries.

Today Shagari is highly respected as an epitome of determination, humility and zest for national development and unity.

President Goodluck Jonathan honouring Shagari

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 15

Peoples page

Who should teach a child sex education:

What Nigerians think

Esther Obagwu

Ada Anyanwu

Lawrence Anyanwu

Ezinne Agu (Trader)

Fortune M.C ( IT Student)

sex education to their children. This is because the parents have direct responsibility to ensure that their children get the right information about sexuality. Sex education is a very important issue, so parents should take up the responsibility of giving their children the basic information and instructions they need before they start getting such from outsiders. I support that they can have it in schools but that to me should be secondary. Instructions from parents should be primary.

Ezinne Agu (Trader) Of course, it is the duty of parents to give their children sex education. That is what it should be. Children always trust and believe in information handed down to them by their parents. So parents should see this as a very important aspect of their responsibility and they should not pass it to the teachers.

Fortune M.C. (IT student) There are no two ways about it. It is the duty of the parents to give sexual education. It is not wise to leave such a vital aspect of the child's development to teachers who might not see it beyond school work. Parents are closer to the children and they trust them the more so it is only natural that such lessons should come from the parents.

Francisca Audu (Accountant) I think sex education should be given by parents primarily. The lessons they get in school are usually general formal lessons that does not address certain personal issues. Of course in school, teachers will make the lessons formal and children will not have the opportunity to ask personal questions and receive answers about their peculiarities and this is why the role of the parents becomes very important. Mothers should learn to impact on their daughters while fathers should learn to impact on their sons. Those who left their children without basic sex education are regretting such today.

By A’isha Biola Raji

A six years old girl walked up to her mother and ask; "Mummy what is circumcision?” the mother instantly started stammering. She did not exactly know what to tell the innocent girl. At last she told her that she would not understand now but later.

The question of who teaches a child sex education; the parent or the teacher, has been one that has continued to wait for answers.

Currently, in the country, sex education, which refers to instructions on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and other aspects of human sexual behavior have been largely left unattended to.

Traditionally, adolescents were not given any information on sexual matters.

Discussion of these issues was considered taboo. Such instruction as was given was traditionally left to a child's parents, and often this was put off until just before a child's marriage.

Most of the information on sexual matters were obtained informally from friends and the media and much of this information was of doubtful value. Much of such information was usually known to be deficient, especially during the period following puberty when curiosity of sexual matters was the most acute. This deficiency became increasingly evident by the increasing incidence of teenage pregnancies, especially in Western countries after the 1960s. As part of each country's efforts to reduce such pregnancies, programs of sex education were instituted, initially over strong opposition from parent and religious groups.

Sex education may be taught informally, such as when someone receives information from a conversation with a parent, friend, religious leader, or through the media. It may also be delivered through sex self-help authors, magazine advice columnists, sex columnists, or sex education web sites. Formal sex education occurs when schools or health care providers offer sex education.

The existence of AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases has given a new sense of urgency to the topic of sex education. In many African nations, where AIDS is at epidemic levels, sex education is seen by most scientists as a vital public health strategy.

However, in Nigeria, the problem has been; who will tell the child; the parent or the teacher? Unfortunately, it has been a question of passing the bulk from those should, leaving the child with no alternative than to take deficient information from who the street and perverse peers.

A survey by Peoples Daily Weekend shows that Nigerians still hold divergent views about who delivers sex education to the child. When accosted with the question some of them were even shy to engage in the discussion leaving much to be desired for the health of the society.

M

adam Esther Obagwu (Business woman) I believe that sex education should start informally at home. After all they sat that charity begins at home. So people should start learning virtues at home. Parents should learn to be closer and friendlier with their children when they start getting into

adolescent and puberty. Many parents are very distant from their children. The problem is that many parents did not receive such instructions from their parents so they do not know how to handle such things. So, it is a matter of trust and responsibility. Children should learn about sexual issues from the parents. The

parents should be the first teachers before the school teachers. For me, I will rather teach my child all he or she needs to know about sex before she learns from outside or school" Ada Anyanwu "I believe school is the right place for any child to learn about sex education because children spend more time in school than the time they spend with their parents at home. Apart from that I believe that teachers are in a better position to teach sex education since it is obvious that many parents do not have enough information on sexuality issues. Many parents shy away from the topic and expect the children to learn from the school. So the schools must be equip in a way tha teachers can effectively teach sex education. In fact I think it should be mandatory in schools.

Lawrence Anyanwu (Business man) I think it is the duty of parents to give

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

Tourism

Azumini Blue River: Beautiful and alluring river of the mermaids

The rapid is a beauty to behold

Serene and cool Azumini Blue River

By Richard Ihediwa with agency reports

Y

o u can talk of the blue sea; but ever seen a blue river?

Of course there is and it is in Nigeria. It is the Azumini Blue River. This beautiful river, which has become one of the major tourist attractions in the country, flows from the southern part of Abia state to the fringes of Akwa-Ibom state.

It is called “The Blue River” because no other river in Nigeria is as clear and blue as it is.

Aesthetically pleasing, and surrounded by beauty and nature, lush greens and cool water, the blue river also shows a more wild and dangerous side, especially where it reaches the majestic rapids.

At the rapids is the breathtaking scenery that is part of its center of attraction.

Azumini Blue River offers tourists the greatest opportunity to explore Nigeria’s natural settings in a more urbanized way.

The water is so crystal clear that one can see and try counting all the fish clearly seen swimming around. The waters are in fact so clear you can see the fish from the bridge.

The river color appears as sparkling blue aqua marine (like the beautiful Caribbean sea of the Bahamas). One could see all the

way to the white sandy bottom of the river several feet deep, even under moonlight.

The river is most beautiful especially when the bright sunlight glistens on this river, it is pure immaculate. One can also see the very bright colourful stones and of its bed from the surface. The stones are so clear and clean that the Aba Glass industry uses them as raw materials for their products.

Along with the crystal blue waters comes canoe rides and comfortable sandy beaches where you can choose to lie for hours on end. There are chairs and tables for picnickers as well as barbecue grills ready for the preparation of tasty fish meals.

At the beach, tourists are trilled by birds doing acrobatic swoop into the river to get their meals.

Also young locals are seen doing amazing acrobatic dives into the river to add to the fun.

Archeologists who have studied the area have determined it is 15 m above sea level.

Although flat, nature has ensured that the river is kept well drained.

The river valleys are steep with 1 in 20 gradients. It has three major stretches: they are Mini Obuaku, Mini Ogigo and Aba to Samanga.

It is held that the blue river was

one of the major reasons, or perhaps the major reason, why Azumini ancestors settled in the present location after they left their original home in central/ eastern Ijo (Ijaw) as captured in history.

The blue river’s significance as a tourist attraction can hardly be

overemphasized. Its tourist value is recognized, and promoted by Nigeria’s tourism industry as one of the 70 tourist sites in Nigeria.

Also, Abia state has listed the river among the first two of its state tourist sites.

Already it has gained serious international recognition.

Worldfish Center-Fishbase Project located in Philippines have used this river for its research with some noted successes.

Also an International Primates Conservation group made a very telling discovery of a once considered extinct primate called

Blue River is most beautiful in bright sun light

C. Sclateria primate on the banks of this river.

This river mostly has remained as virgin as it was when the forebears came upon it.

Legends have it that on some rare occasions on a bright sunny day the “Mamiwater” (Mermaid) can be seen splashing in the beautiful river. However, there have been no official reports to confirm this.

On the whole the Azumini Blue River is surely a place you will visit and not forget. When next you want to unwind with breathe taking scenery, Azumini might be the place.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 25 — SUNDAY 26, FEBRUARY, 2012

Weekend

PAGE 17

Cocktail

Chioma Chukwuka opens up:

‘Why I have never had scandals’ See Story on Page 24

I N S I D E:

F

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 18

ENTERTAINMENT

D'Banj - “Why Kanye West likes me” D banj performance at the Ivy Plaza in the United States, has not stopped gaining positive local and international reviews.

The Pop singer who was signed into kanye West Label G.O.O.D Music last year, has conitnued to savor the onion of his career.

As The Entertainer marked his formal US debut , MTV Iggy caught up with the Mo’Hits act as he talked about working with his G.O.O.D Music record label boss Kanye West, why he feels he’s already broken out and how he feels bringing Nigerian music to a more global audience. Excerpt: How does it feel to be bringing Nigerian music to a more global audience?

With the reception I’ve gotten, I’d like to say, not like I was nervous, I just hoped and prayed that people would come with an open mind, that they can listen. And I saw that today, they came with their hearts, they came with their minds. I’m only grateful to God that that’s the beginning.

Seeing this, I’m now eager to move around and continue the gospel.

What is your next step toward world domination?

To go on the road. America, for one. Even with this crowd, they’ve already shown us that there is massive audience for me here. I thought I was in New York City, but I’m seeing New Jersey, I’m seeing Maryland, I’m seeing Houston. I already have bookings in Houston. It’s just a big privilege and I’m so humbled. I can’t wait to just gladly take the music there to touch them.

A lot of American artists and rappers are working specifically with Nigerian musicians. What do you think it is that attracts them to that scene?

I think it’s not just now, and it’s not just about one or two things. First, I give a lot of thanks to a lot of people who have come before me. For one, I would say it’s not just even rappers. If you look at what happened here in New York for the last twenty four months, with Fela Anikulapo Kuti on Broadway [the musical FELA!]. I was fortunate to be at Radio City Music Hall during the Tony Awards. It was nominated for eleven awards.

Also, it’s our culture, It’s what we’re preaching, the music, for one, as you know, the sound. It’s not like I want to blow our trumpet, but I always say we came up and we already have sounds and melody and now we’re seeing the aggression.

If you had to describe the

difference between performing in Lagos versus anywhere else in the world, what would you say?

Wow. With today, I wouldn’t say it’s any different.

Today my people showed me here, people appreciate good music.

Good music is universal.

Is there something in Lagos that sets the scene apart?

It’s very real. It’s very real and very original. You know, people are asking me if I’m going to change and I say, ‘What Kanye likes about me is that I’m very original’. Even the way I call my name: ‘I’m D’Banj!” And I don’t want to change that.

That’s what we all have in Africa. You know that we’re blessed with a lot of natural resources. We’re blessed with things like oil, and also we have talents. They say we’re a developing continent. Well, we have been developing.

Now, we are developed.

You are already recording with Kanye West. What is it like being in the studio with him?

I came with a mind-set to learn. Also, to show my culture, but more importantly to learn. In the studio the chemistry was great. You know, music is universal. I’ve been in the studio with people who don’t speak English, but, at the end of the day, I love melody. I’ve gained a lot from him, that’s the main reason I’m here.

Do you have a place here in New York?

I do, but I’m not a New York fan. The weather is a bit crazy.

I like ATL, it reminds me of Africa. Anytime I stop by the ATL, I like it. The roads are wider and I love the weather.

Miami too.

Who is going to be the video for ‘Oliver Twist?’ I heard there would be some cameos.

A lot of cameos. I’ll give you a hint: my new family members.

How did you choose the harmonica as your instrument?

Oh, I didn’t choose the harmonica. My late brother chose the harmonica.

And you play it because of him? Did he teach you?

No, no one taught me.

Later, when I studied it, I learned that it’s such a spiritual instrument.

Coming from even way back, from the era of the slave trade. It was one of the very rare instruments that Africans, now AfricanAmericans could play. It was one of the few things that they could do, people that were stuck over here. But even for people that were not African-

D’banj at the Ivy Plaza

D’banj cheared by fans at Ivy Plaza Americans, it stood for something that was more natural. Like, if you listen to country music a lot of them play the mouth organ and the harmonica.

Are you going to be doing something really different on the new album?

I really don’t know. I’m

D’banj

exploring. I’m going to be doing rock now. I’m doing a rock song!

Don’t you believe I can rock?

Tell me about Kokomobile.

You have a branded cell phone on the market in Nigeria?

Yes, I do. Well, my brand is called ‘Koko’. It comes from the song on my first album. And people say, ‘Well, what is the

koko?’

The Koko is whatever you do to derive pleasure. It is the bone of contention. So, people started calling me the Koko Master.

Today, no one knows its specific definition.

But now I have the Koko Lounge, my club in Lagos, Nigeria. And I have Koko Garri, my breakfast cereal.

What will it take to bring Nigerian music to a mainstream audience in the US? I think it’s already happening. It’s happened. I walked around; I saw the pictures of the people that have performed here [at Irving Plaza], The Beastie Boys, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, on the same stage. So, it’s already started.

The thing I love about Americans is they’re open to good music. If it sounds good to them and it looks good, they’ll buy it.

If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?

I like Rihanna.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 19

Beauty Tips 7 tips for beautiful and perfect make-up

1

. The eyes are the most important part that needs special attention, because it will determine the outcome of your makeup as a whole.

For a more dramatic impression, frame your eyes with eye liner using a combination of black and white. Black eye liner brush on the bottom line of the eyelids and the white eye liner on the bottom of the eye to eye a deeper impression. To obtain a smooth goretan eye liner, make sure that you memulaskannya in one step outward appearance. Do not repeat a few times because the results will look rough.

2. Use a foundation colour that comes closest to your skin color. Use evenly with your fingers or a sponge to the entire surface of the face to the neck and ears.

3. Bold your eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil. Do not draw too full. Eyebrow pencil serves to fill part of the less thick to form more beautiful eyebrows.

4. To go to a party do not be afraid to give the impression of differences in the makeup. Use additional false eyelashes and glue them with mascara and eyelash curler for more natural results. For eye makeup daily, enough additional beautify eyelashes with mascara alone.

5.Start playing with the colours of eye shadow.

Wipe down your eyelid with eye shadow is green, then drag it slightly with Pearly white eye shadow under the brow bone. Add the green eye shadow under the eye and drag it slightly to perfection to create smooth gradations.

6. Blusher brush (blush) in fresh shades of pink. Use a thick furry brush strokes to achieve tender results.

7. If you feel no need to correct lip with lip pencil, then apply lipstick directly fuchsia-coloured or purplish pink. Then end with a pink lip gloss or a transparent lip gloss.

Better if you also

consider the following additional tips for you to be more perfect made up. *Make sure you always use a brush when applying lipstick so that the outcome is neater and durable. * In using the eye liner, position the mirror at breast height and navigate to the top so as not to miss in the frame, the eye. * To use mascara, place the mirror as high as the chin pointing upward.

With your head down, start changing the upper lashes with a movement towards the bottom of dank e directions above. Continue to the bottom lashes, with a downward motion. Comb lashes with mascara brush to the side to minimize clumping mascara on one particular part. * For the more subtle makeup, use a liquid foundation or liquid form and smooth texture, now continue with the powder of sowing. If you want to do touch ups, then use a solid two way cake powder.

How do i look?

How to apply makeup good and true

S

e l f -Beautymakeup - perfect women who do not want to look beautiful? In general, every woman wants to look beautiful for her man at every opportunity. Make up or makeup can change the appearance of a woman to look more beautiful.

Makeup or make-up that can be said to be perfect or successful is if the woman’s face with makeup looks beautiful like a princess.

Therefore, it is important to know the secrets and techniques of make-up that can manipulate flaws in the face, and highlight its advantages.

Source: beautymagazineonline

PAGE 20

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

Peoples tech How to ensure your phone battery lasts longer Cell phones

Cell phone batteries

By Richard Ihediwa with Agency report

O

ne of the major problems encountered by mobile phone users in the country is the rapid loss of battery life.

Apart from the preponderance of fake batteries in the open market, there are other scientific factors that can lead to quick loss of energy.

When fully charge, an Android battery, depending however on the type of phone, can last up to six to seven hours on multiple function phones and up to two days on simple “call and sms” phones.

Worst hit by rapid loss of battery life are those using blackberry phones and other handhelds with multiple functions such as wi-fi internet connections, blue tooth, maps and other wireless radio based applications.

This is basically because owners of such phones consciously or unconsciously put them into maximum and sometimes non stop use.

However, a few information and steps can help you get your battery to last longer.

Preparing your battery Most phone users are always in a hurry to start using their new phones. Often they do not adhere to instructions on the owner’s manual before using the phones. Most manufacturers

require that the new battery is fully charged before being used so as to get the battery fully prepared. Many users do not adhere to this and this reduces the strength and life span of the battery.

Toying with on and off button Phones consume a lot of energy at start up. This is because at start up the phone performs a lot of energy consuming tasks such as locating signals and preparing its memory. Resist the tug to toy with your power button.

Poor signals Another factor that eats up battery life is poor or no GSM signal. Phones exert a lot of energy trying to get signal. Most phones automatically search for signals and would not stop until they get connected and this sap the battery. This is why phone users in rural areas with poor signals and travellers who pass through such areas have rapid loss of battery life. Try putting off your phone when you are in areas without signals.

Watch out for Wi-Fi Wi-Fi helps you connect to the internet using nearby wireless networks. Unless you're constantly connected to a wireless network, turn off your phone's Wi-Fi function when you aren't using it. Whenever Wi-Fi is enabled, your phone will constantly scan for available

networks and that eats up your battery in a hurry.

To put Wi-Fi off, go to your connections or network options in your phone’s main setting; look for wireless connections and make the adjustments.

However, some manufacturers have developed the Android power widget to help switch off Wi-Fi when you do not need it.

Install this on your home screen

(long press on an open area, select "Widgets," then select "Power Control"). This will give you a one-touch toggle for Wi-Fi and other important system functions.

Put off Bluetooth when not in use Another easy way to improve your battery life is to disable your Bluetooth facility when you don't need it. Just like the Wi-Fi, the Bluetooth enables you to directly connect to other devices. So to make sure you don’t lose energy unnecessarily, switch off your Bluetooth when you are not using it.

Check Up On Your CheckIns Another factor that reduces phone battery life is the social network check-in.

Social networking applications, including the ones you downloaded and ones that come preloaded with your phone.

These applications connect to services on regular intervals to fetch new updates. The more frequent the interval, the more battery power they'll use throughout the day. To save your battery, you can manage such applications. Look through the settings of all the social

Cell phone users usually want to maximise their functions

networking applications on your phone and set the programs to refresh manually.

This will enable you control when your phone search for updates and as such save your battery from unnecessary labour.

Instead of refreshing every 15 minutes, for example, try setting them to do it every halfhour.

Plug-ins, wall papers, virus scan Certain live wallpapers, for example, may drain more battery power than you're willing to lose. Some GPS-heavy utilities can also have this effect. Virusscanning software can bog down your system and chip away at your battery life hour after hour.

Games, music and watching movies especially using head set.

Another factor that eats through battery life is the constant use of phones to play games, music and movies especially with head set. Though these programes come with the phone, it is advised to use them sparingly if you want to save battery life for more important issues.Text messaging and chatting can also reduce battery live.

PAGE 21

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3— SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

Healthy Living Coffee can make your baby restless M

others who are struggling to get their babies to sleep should consider how much caffeine they are consuming, according to a breast feeding expert.

Drinking coffee, tea and soft drinks and even eating chocolate increases the level of the stimulant in the blood. Babies can become restless, awake and irritable, when it is passed on through a mother's milk.

Dr Ruth Lawrence, editor of the journal Breastfeeding Medicine, said that babies have difficulties in breaking down and removing the drug from their bodies especially in their first two weeks of life. This can lead it to accumulate causing adverse symptoms.

'Usually a mother, particularly if she is breastfeeding, is cautioned to limit her caffeine intake,' she told the Journal of Caffeine Research.

The professor from Rochester University in New York, added mothers should 'try to void the excesses that might really add up to a lot of caffeine.'

But how many cups of coffee constitute an 'excessive amount'?

According to Dr Lawrence, it depends on the individual mother.

As a general practice mothers are advised not to have more than 300mg of caffeine - equivalent to three cups of coffee - a day.

However, Dr Lawrence said: 'Unfortunately a lot of things about breastfeeding are based on opinion, and I do not know that the 'safe' amount of caffeine for daily use has been carefully measured.

'We had a case here in which a child was brought in, thought to be having seizures and was headed for the million-dollar workup, the EEG, the MRI, the works.

'In the emergency room we drew a caffeine level. It was off the charts!

Taking a history from the mother, she said "oh year, I drink coffee all the time. I have a cup ready for me all day long. Is that a problem?"

Dr Lawrence said they learned about the dangers of caffeine and newborns after using it to stimulate breathing in babies in neonatal intensive care.

'We discovered that we overdosed them very quickly.

Now they are only dosed once a day in order to keep their levels under control because the metabolism is so poor.'

She said the cases she had come across could be indicative of a more

widespread problem and that new mothers needed to know about the risks.

She added: 'Some individuals are more sensitive than others. It would be a good starting point if a

child is very restless, that one might consider reducing the intake of caffeine.'

Eating cake for breakfast can reduce weight?

G

o o d news for the kid in you: Not only can you eat cake for breakfast, doing so may actually help you keep weight off, a new study suggests.

In the study, obese participants who ate a breakfast high in protein and carbohydrates that included a dessert were better able to stick to their diet and keep the pounds off longer than participants who ate a lowcarbohydrate, low-calorie

breakfast that did not include sweets.

The findings suggest that both meal timing and meal composition play a role in weight loss. Carbohydrates and protein eaten at breakfast may keep us full throughout the day, plus allowing ourselves some sweets helps to stem cravings for these foods, said study researcher Dr. Daniela Jakubowicz, of Tel Aviv University in Israel.

Nutritionists said they have mixed feelings about the study.

Some say dessert for breakfast is a diet no-no, and could actually increase your cravings for sweets.

"I would never, in a million years, recommend cookies or cake for breakfast," said Katherine Tallmadge, a registered dietitian and author of "Diet Simple", who was not involved in the study.

Others said eating something sweet at breakfast is all right, as long as it's part of a healthy diet.

But the experts agreed, a large, balanced breakfast can help maintain weight loss.

A substantial breakfast can suppress your hunger cravings and make you less likely to gorge the rest of the day.

"The last thing you want to do is get to an evening meal, and be starving," said Heather Mangieri, a nutrition consultant and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "That's the time that so many people overeat."

The study involved 193 obese adults, half of whom were randomly assigned to eat a large, 600-calorie breakfast that included a "dessert" item, such as a cookie, cake or donut. The other

half ate a small, 300- calorie breakfast. Both groups consumed the same total daily calories 1,600 calories for men and 1,400 for women. (The group with a big breakfast ate a smaller dinner, of 300 or 400 calories.)

After 16 weeks of strictly following this diet, both groups had lost about the same amount of weight. However, during a follow-up period in which participants were advised to stick to the diet, but could eat more if they were motivated by hunger cravings, the small breakfast group gained 24 pounds, while the big breakfast group lost 15 pounds, on average.

In addition, those who ate the big breakfast with the dessert had lower levels of the "hunger" hormone ghrelin, and fewer food cravings than those who ate the small breakfast, without dessert.

When we diet, we're hungrier, ghrelin levels rise and there's a decrease in our metabolism. A large breakfast that includes protein, carbohydrates and sweets may counteract these changes, so people are able to maintain weight loss over time, Jakubowicz told MyHealthNewsDaily.

While the study shows the benefits of a big breakfast, it cannot answer the question of whether eating cake in the morning is a good idea, Tallmadge said.

"It's completely unfair to compare a 600-calorie breakfast with 300-calorie breakfast," Tallmadge said.

In addition, Tallmadge said, in her experience, eating sugar can increase cravings for sweets. It's better to go with a balanced, healthy breakfast - such as oatmeal, skim milk and fruit - that contains about one- third of your daily calories, she said.

But the study demonstrated the importance of incorporating your favorite foods into your diet without over-indulging, Mangieri said. "We know that deprivation does not work," she said.

Keep in mind, however, that recent research shows "eating refined flour and sugar on a regular basis is one of the worse things you can do for your health," Tallmadge said. It's associated with an increased risk of heart disease, cancer and early death, she said.

The Journal Steroids.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

With Aunty A'isha

A

s a child, it is likely that, you can rarely blow a week’s worth of pocket money on ringtones or a month’s worth on designer jeans. It may seem right if you are really young, you might even think it’s cute and to be fair, such manners may be both harmless and cute.

know how to make money by selling sweet or doing extra work. You should understand the difference between wants and needs and how saving will allow you to buy something better later on. You should be able to identify at least one charitable organization and give examples of common

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

SHOR T ST OR Y SHORT STOR ORY

Sights and sounds

Wha hatt kids should kno wa bout mone y know about money at v arious a ges various ag

PAGE 23

O

The mother hen

ne day, mother hen found a found a bag of flour, she asked, “Who will make some bread?” mouse said, “I want”, “I want” said hare. “Very well then, I will make the bread,” said mother hen. She mixed the flour with water. Mother hen asked, “Who will make a fire to make to bake the bread?” mouse said, “I won’t” “I won’t” said hare.

“Very well then I’ll make the fire,” said mother hen. She lit the fire and baked the bread.

Mother hen, “Who will set the table?” Mouse said, “I won’t” “I won’t” said hare. “Very well then, I will set the table”, said mother hen. She put the plates and the bread on the table.

Mother hen then asked “Who will eat this bread? Mouse said “I will” “I will” said hare.

“Oh no, you won’t,” said mother hen. And away she ran with the bread. She ate it all.

- Written by Fatima Musa, Primary 3

AMAZING!

Earliest inventions in Africa

By age 5 your child should know what coins are worth; by 18 you should understand what interest can do to help and hurt you Though, mummy and daddy may not be watchful enough with how they guide you to spend your pocket money and most schools do not teach a thing about money at your ages. Bad habit of spending when you are not supposing to might develop early and may stay for a lifetime.

Know this It’s never too early to start knowing about money. Well, almost never. By age 3 or so a child should be identifying coins and by 5 you should be wise enough to know what those coins are worth. By 9, you should be able to make change, read price tags, and

household assets like a car or bank account.

Note: Advice to parents; Young kids should receive a weekly allowance of about half their age (in naira) and along with any birthday money be instructed to keep the money in three separate jars 60% for immediate spending, 30% for one or two specific longer-term goals like a cell phone upgrade and 10% for giving to charitable causes. Spend the money anyway you want within those limits. This will help teach the difference between short and long-term goals and prompt you to giving as well.

I

n later Africa, women were more involved in science and technology than they were in Greece or Rome or West Asia. Women were responsible for the early pottery industry, and also for iron smelting when West Africans began to smelt iron about 400 BC, and also for a lot of cloth manufacturing. Both women and men were involved in African medicine.

In the 700s AD, when the Islamic Empire conquered North Africa and began to trade a lot with East Africa, they also did not allow women to be involved in science or medicine. But there were a lot of men in North Africa and East Africa, and in the area around Timbuktu, who were scientists and doctors between 700 and 1500 AD. Thanks to their common religion, Islam, all of these men were able to communicate in Arabic, so they could find out about new treatments and ideas, and they frequently travelled both within Africa and to West Asia and India and even sometimes to China.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 22

With Aunty A'isha

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

MODEL OF THE WEEK

AFRICAN TALES

Turtle and leopard

O

ne day, Turtle went to Leopard’s house. He saw Mrs. Leopard standing at the door. Turtle bowed and said, “How do you do, ma’am?”

“I’m fine, thank you,” she replied. “How are you?”

“Well,” Turtle said, “I’ve got a fever and my skin hurts all over.

I’m so sick with fever that I’m going to go to the bush to look for roots and make a root tea.”

“That sounds proper,” says Mrs. Leopard.

“By the way, where is Mr. Leopard today” asked Mr. Turtle.

“He’s out hunting” she replied.

“You haven’t seen him?”

“No, ma’am,” Turtle replied.

“I’m sorry he’s away far, because if he had been here I’d go ride him like a horse.”

This statement upset Mrs. Leopard, so Turtle went home.

When Mr. Leopard returned, Mrs. Leopard told him that Turtle said he was going to ride him like a horse. Mr. Leopard went wild, cracked his teeth, growled, and went over to Turtle’s house.

“So, you say you are going to ride me like a horse?!”

“No I did not!” said Turtle “I never said anything like that!”

Leopard said “All right then, let’s go ask my wife.”

Turtle replied, “But I can’t walk. I am sick with fever all over.”

“Okay, I’ll give you a ride” Leopard replied.

And Turtle replied, “Fever will make me fall. Get me a little rope.

I’ll tie it around your mouth Mr. Leopard. I’ll hold on to the rope so that when I shake with the fever, I will not fall off.”

Leopard got him the rope.

Then Turtle said, “Give me one little stick, Mr. Leopard, so that I can keep the flies from bothering either one of us.”

Leopard got him the stick. And off they went, with Leopard carrying Mister Turtle, and Turtle bouncing but holding the rope, Turtle was flogging Leopard with the stick.

When they reached Leopard’s home, his wife was waiting. She

pointed at Mister Leopard and said, “Well, it’s true. Turtle said he was going to ride you like a horse, and he’s doing just that!” and she burst out laughing.

Mr. Leopard realized that he had been fooled, and he grabbed Turtle off his back. He was mad now. He grabbed the rope and the stick and held Turtle tight. Then he found a bigger stick, and flogged Turtle multiple times, and so hard that the shell on his back had cuts all over it.

So the story goes, Turtle did ride Mr. Leopard like a horse, and that is why he still has marks from the whipping on his back shell.

KIDDIES MENU

Couscous with Chicken What you need: For Chicken-vegetable topping: 2 chicken breast, skinned and bone removed 1/4 cup honey 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped 1 large potato, peeled and chopped 1/2 teaspoon ginger 2 tablespoonfuls of canned tomatoes 2 cups chicken soup 1/2 cup frozen green peas For the Couscous: 3 cups couscous 3 cups chicken broth Directions: Chicken preparation: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat top of chicken breasts with honey. Place in greased broiler pan. Bake in oven until cooked through (20 minutes).

For the Vegetable preparation: In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions; until transparent (5 minutes). Add carrot,

Hafsat Bello dancing to Tiv tunes.

and potato, let it cook, stirring for 5 minutes.

Add ginger, and pepper to taste.

Stir, while distributing spices evenly.

Add tomatoes, soup and chicken pieces. Let it boil and cook while you have removed the cover for 25 minutes. Add green peas, and cook

for 5 more minutes.

For the Couscous preparation: Meanwhile, in another (smaller) saucepan, bring chicken soup to boil. Stir in couscous.

Cover; remove from heat.

Let stand for 5 minutes. ruffle with fork.

Serve chicken and vegetable topping over couscous.

Igbo dance group

PAGE 24

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

Kannywood Hackers’ Scare: 2Face opens new Twitter account

T

he recent break into twitter account of singer, Flavour Nabania has caused many top Nigerian celebrities sleepless nights.

On Sunday, February 26, the twitter account of Flavour was compromised, and his avartar changed to an uncompromising image.

The hackers later threatened to hack twitter accounts of 2Face, Don Jazzy, Whizkid and other top Nigerian celebrities.

This threat has been taken seriously by Annie Macaulay’s fiancé, 2Face Idibia. The African Queen crooner has abandoned his former twitter account, @2faceidibia to a new one, @real2faceidibia.

Will this stop the hackers from breaking into his new account? Or, did 2Face change his twitter account so as not to get his .... exposed by the hackers?

P

Nollywood

People don’t allow us use their houses to shoot films, so we use hotels says Misbahu

Gringory

Misbahu Mohammed Ahmed is a Kano based actor, producer and director in the Kannywood industry with vast experience spanning over eight years. In this interview with Bala Nasir, he speaks on the acceptability of Kannywood movies which are also viewed by non Hausa speakers in the sub-continent of Africa due to the popularity it is gaining, in spite of some challenges. Excerpts:

F

2Face

Persianas launches Nigeria's Largest Fashion Store 'MAX Fashion' in Enugu.

ersianas Retail Limited a member of the Persianas group, kicks off operations of the First Mega Max fashion retail store in Nigeria, at the Polo Park Mall in Enugu.

According to the Director of Operations, Persianas Retail Mr. Sajan Suvarna, Max is the Largest fashion brand in the Middle East, and also operates in India, Europe and Africa. The decision to partner with Max is aimed at providing Nigerians with affordable fashion every season of the year.

According to Mr. Suresh TN, Business Development Manager at Max, “The Nigerian market is a huge market and we have observed through detailed research that Nigerians are very fashion conscious and will appreciate a strong value fashion brand.” Max aims to provide Nigerians with world class fashion at an affordable price. Every member of the family will be catered for at an affordable price!

This is our promise to Nigerians says Mr Suresh.

Mr. Suvarna added that

PAGE 25

more Nigerians will have access to Max Retail Fashion store as more stores will be opened across the country before the end of the first quarter of 2012.

The Max Store situated in the iconic Polo Park Mall in Enugu is the largest Fashion Store in Nigeria, and promises to bring International Fashion at very affordable prices to Nigerians. The Max Brand promises "More Fashion, More Value" and will soon roll out more mega stores across Nigeria.

Max is part of the USD 4bn Landmark Group with Headquarters in Dubai, operating across 17 countries.

Landmark operates one of the world’s largest retail networks with over 1000 outlets in fashion and food, representing 24 fashion brands.

Persianas Retail is part of the Persianas Group which also owns and operates several Shopping Malls in Nigeria including The Palms (Lagos), Polo Park Mall (Enugu) and Kwara Mall (Ilorin). The group is also developing several other properties in Nigeria. Persianas Retail also owns and operates The Hub Media Stores in Lagos and Enugu, and is bringing in more international brands to Nigeria.

Mr. Amusan, Chairman of Persianas group congratulating the shop manager, Mr Emanuel Eshiet during the recent opening of the Max fashion store in Polo park Enugu

or how long have been acting and what is your major take in Kannywood?

I have spent thirteen years in the industry now but I am best known by our fans as a lyrics writer and a singer but my business outfit produces and directs Hausa films, while I also act.

You seem to have back pedalled, on acting of films, what is the matter?

In the last four to five years I stopped acting unlike before but I write and sing songs for many films as well as produce jingles for various advertisements, I am into directing too. So, due to the demands for all these I do not have time for acting like before.

When did you start directing films?

I started eight years ago but I concentrate more on production than directing now.

How would you explain the popularity of Hausa film in terms of their acceptability by the market with competitors like Nollywood and Bollywood even though the Hausa/Fulani are known to like Indian films very well?

Kannywood market is self propelling because it is rapidly expanding due to the high demand for our films especially in Africa and other continents. So, even if we take our films to other parts of the world, their demands in those areas usually made it possible for them to gain popularity. I want to tell you that Hausa films sell more than any other films on the continent. It will interest you to hear that our films are viewed by non Hausa speakers in all the subcontinents of Africa due to the popularity it is gaining. However, the hub of Hausa films is still in Kano though its market goes beyond Africa.

What are the statistics of Hausa films production in Kannywood?

Honestly I cannot tell you about this because we don’t have any monitoring mechanism or arrangement on the release of films. But there is a plan in place for this so as to keep the record of films produced and released. For instance, in Kannywood, films are released fortnightly and about ten to fifteen can be released depending on marketing strategy adopted by

Misbahu

the marketers. Sometimes the marketers may release up to twenty or even less than fifteen.

Also, some producers may decide to delay the release of their films may be due to the number of the films about to be released.

But do you have records of the number of films being released annually?

No, I don’t have such knowledge because it is not my area, so, I am not in a position to give you information on that but I know that a minimum of ten Hausa films are released every two weeks. But the true statistics I think remains with the marketers because they are the ones selling them.

In recent times producers and actors have abandoned Kano despite the fact that Kano remains the hub of Hausa movie industry. Why is it so?

Let me say that up till now Kano is the centre of activities for Hausa films for producers, directors, actors and others as far as film production is concerned.

However, some artists do come from other places around the country, but the major people in the business are no doubt, in Kano.

Kannywood films have started expanding its frontiers in terms of locations for films.

How has this impacted on your productions?

We initially moved out due to the scarcity of locations and not because there are restrictions from any quarters. Also, after the four

years of the past administration, when our producers started coming back they found out that the locations they have used have remained the same without much

changes. The movement of our people accorded them the opportunity to discover multiple other locations outside the state.

At the moment, not many producers will limit the locations for their films to Kano alone. You will find that there are other locations in different places outside the state. However, I will want to say that it is not that we don’t have places to use as locations for our films in Kano, but that people who own houses here are not ready to allow us use them for film purposes. That is why we use hotels and they remain film locations for us, which we have been using.

Kano being one of the most populous cities in the country is not so conducive for shooting some scenes because people will most of the time be distracting us. This usually prolongs our timing because if you had initially planned to finish your shooting within, let’s say two or three days, it may be extended and this definitely, adds to the cost of production.

Has Uche Jombo found love in former Mr. Nigeria, Bryan Okwara?

I

f news making the rounds is anything to go by, then, Uche Jombo may have finally moved on after being reportedly jilted by former lover, Ike Uche.

According to what smells around, Uche Jombo may have again found true love in former Mr Nigeria, Bryan Okwara, who is a lady’s man.

At a recent event, Uche Jombo almost lost herself when she arrived the event venue, and was seen locking around with Bryan, who got to the venue before her.

Uche was seen having a swell time taking photo-shots with Bryan.

Though it could not be confirmed if they have really started dating, but gist has it that there could be something rearing in that direction.

Uche

James Iroha, alias Gringory of the New Masquerade dies @ 70

N

ational President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Segun Arinze during the week confirmed the death of actor and comedian, James Iroha popularly known as Gringory of the New Masquerade fame.

The actor died on Tuesday, although the circumstances and place of his death are yet to be ascertained, his son, Akwari James Iroha, in a post on Facebook confirmed his passing.

Gringory had played a prominent role in the New Masquerade which was immensely popular in the 1970s and 1980s and had become a house hold name.

Before his death, Gringory was reported to be suffering from an eye ailment and had cried repeatedly for help but none came. Other departed members of the cast are Christy Essien-Igbokwe (Apena) and Claude Ake (Jegede Sokoya).

Chioma Chukwuka opens up: Why I have never had scandals

C

hioma Chukwuka is wellloved by all and this is because of her charming personae and decent roles in movies.

The happily married actress is one of the very few scandal-free thespians the industry boasts of and has remained so over time.

The beautiful actress role interpreter shot herself to fame in 2007 when she won the African Movie Academy Award (AMAA) For Best Actress in a leading role and ever since, nothing could stand in the way of her continuous rise.

In a recent interview, the talented thespian speaks on her success and other issues.

I would say it is God. Without Him, I am no one. It has been really just prayers and dedication to whatever I set my mind to do, and people can easily relate with such every time.

But I must also say that it is God’s grace. If not, hard work can unfortunately go unnoticed.

So, I thank God that He has given me the grace to work hard and doubled it with blessing.

There are no secrets beyond that, and I know this is what many people hold on to. Because if you have God by your side you are a done deal, you just wouldn’t find anything too hard to do.

Asked, you have over the years been able to stay scandal free, how have you been able to do it; she said I

Chioma am a very simple person and I can say I already have my hands tied up with so much. I have my family to attend to everyday, then I have my work to do. If you don’t see me on the scene of movie or stuff like that, I am with my family.

And as I mentioned earlier, they are enough to occupy my time already. So it rarely leaves the time for any other thing, not to mention, scandal.

It is not my portion. But seriously, it is the grace of God that can also work effectively here too.

You need God’s guidance to help you take the right step through your career, and ours is not an easy one at all.

Beverly Naya shines in new movie stripped

S

ultry actress,Beverly Naya, is no doubt the latest sensation in Nollywood. The UK returnee young actress took a dive in Nollywood with her first amazing role in a hit movie, Home In Exile,

where she played alongside Desmond Elliot. Her role as his girlfriend in the movie that had scenes where the duo kissed passionately instantly placed her in the memories of movie lovers and since then her career took a

dynamic turn. She has once again displayed her acting prowess in a new movie already making a buzz titled “The Stripper”. The movie parades acts like Desmond Elliot, Uti Nwachukwu and Ini Edo, among others.

Naya

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

Hollywood/Bollywood 5 Things you don't know Kangana's avatar in about Obama's marriage 'Krrish 3 inspired from

Lara Croft look?

K

W

i t h the 2012 presidential race kicking off in earnest, it's hard not to wonder: What have life in the White House, dismal approval ratings and all that life-and-death decision making done to the First Couple? I started covering Barack and Michelle Obama five years ago for The New York Times, and for my new book, "The Obamas", I conducted hundreds of interviews with their staffers and friends. I learned that: The constant scrutiny has been rough During their first summer in the White House, the First Lady was pilloried for wearing shorts when the family visited the Grand Canyon. Robert Gibbs, their former press secretary, told me that Michelle, who'd been told to dress lightly, worried she'd messed up. Now she never goes out before vetting her clothes. Her friend Eric Whitaker said she even changes her shoes if she thinks anyone might criticize them.

Marital equality is a challenge Playing second fiddle to her husband is not always easy for Michelle, who was his higher-up at a law firm when they met. But these

days it's par for the course.

She even faces laundry disparity: The President has a military valet who handles his clothes but doesn't touch the rest of the family's things.

Of course, no First Lady would gripe publicly about such imbalances, but in 2009, when Michelle met a little girl who said that she wanted to grow up to be First Lady, Michelle replied, "It doesn't pay much."

Mrs. Obama practices some serious selfcensorship Many people assume that political advisers have imposed constraints on the formerly feisty First Lady.

But the reality is that Michelle constrains herself.

During the 2008 campaign, "she couldn't live with the idea, What if he doesn't become president because of something I said or did?" one adviser told me. These days she virtually never makes spontaneous statements; aides say she's afraid she'll cause a furor.

Few people act normal around them anymore After the inauguration, when friends tried calling the President "Mr. President," he insisted they use Barack. Still, some stammered when they first saw the Obamas in office-

disconcerting for a couple who pride themselves on being grounded. Even Brad Pitt, on a visit to the Oval Office to discuss low-cost housing, was oddly silent: He felt "respectful awe," he told me. All the fuss seems to have brought the couple closer together; they offer each other familiarity in a world that's still a bit surreal to them.

The first lady is her husband's toughest protector During the debt-ceiling crisis last summer, with the President's poll numbers diving, Michelle threw him a birthday bash and, according to one guest, personally warned attendees to not leave early. In fact, the hairier things get for him, the more she swings into action. "She pushes herself throughout her life," David Axelrod, the President's strategist, told me.

"However big the mountain, she sizes it up and starts climbing." Advisers describe Michelle's attitude on the election as "all in." This is her husband's last race, and she wants him to win.

Jodi Kantor shares a few highlights exclusively with Glamour in her explosive book about the First Couple

a n g a n a Ranaut has started preparing for her role in Krrish 3. The actress will be essaying the role of a superwoman in the film.

More than the action, Kangs is busy concentrating on her looks, as it's her superwoman looks that will grab more eyes. If buzz is to be believed, the actress will look something like Angelina Jolie's sexy Lara Croft avatar.

Kangana is busy training in martial arts and kick boxing as she will be doing all the stunts by herself. The film also stars Hrithik Roshan as the superhero. Vivek Oberoi will be seen in a pivotal role.

Kangana will be decked up in tube tops and tight pants for the film. The shooting for Rakesh Roshan's Krrish 3 has already started.

Katrina Kaif, the modern Seeta Aur Geeta!

K

a t r i n a Kaif will soon be seen essaying the role of Hema Malini's character

in the remake of 1973 blockbuster Seeta Aur Geeta. Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar role will be

Madonna renames song "Girl Gone Wild"; Joe Francis claims legal victory

M

a d o n n a renamed her song "Girls Gone Wild" to "Girl Gone Wild" (singular) after a legal threat from underagedrunk-spring-break-girlsleaze kingpin Joe Francis which she says didn't impact her decision, at all.

Still, the Girls Gone Wild mogul warned the star with a cease and desist letter not to sing her single of the same name at the halftime show.

She didn't.

Then, the singer released the song off her upcoming MDNA album ... with the "s" not only removed from the title and lyrics, but the lyrics as well.

Francis tells E! that his legal team worked with Madonna's people on it, and that changing "Girls Gone Wild" to "Girl Gone Wild" was just the start.

"An immediate solution for them to thwart any

injunctive relief," he said.

"Clearly her label was trying to avoid legal action surrounding the song."

"This is still infringement as far as the law is concerned. We have been in touch with Madonna's representatives in an effort to resolve this issue."

According to Madonna's manager, that's totally out of the way. thehollywoodgossip.com

essayed by Akshay Kumar and Abhay Deol, respectively. The Sippy family, who were reported to have certain differences, have now made up and are friends.

In the original film, Hema Malini played a double role- a meek Seeta and the feisty Geeta. And the talented actress pulled off the challenging role with superb ease.

Produced by G P Sippy and directed by Ramesh Sippy in 1972, Seeta Aur Geeta will now be revived

by Sascha and Shaan Sippy (grandsons of G P Sippy). Initially, there was a family feud over the remake rights. However, the spat is now resolved and the remake will now go on floors as planned.

Katrina Kaif is currently in London with SRK, shooting for Yash Chopra's comeback film.

Kats as Seeta Aur Geeta!

Celebden.com

Genelia D'Souza enlisted in Limca Book of World Records!

G

e n e l i a D'Souza creates a unique record. The bubbly actress has enlisted herself in the Limca Book of World Records by delivering back to back hits.

The 24-year-old actress' has delivered four back to back hits in four different languages, Tamil (Santosh

Subramaniam), Telugu (Ready), Kannada (Satya In Love) and Hindi (Mere Baap Pehle Aap).

Her latest film 'Tere Naal Love Hogaya', is also receiving good response at the box office.

Well, the newlywed love birds have another reason for celebration!

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 27

Homes

Space saving secrets

Neatly place items on shelves n practically every home there's somehow never enough space. Perhaps the newspapers waiting for the recycling bin are piling tip in the corners, or your stereo system spread out in the living room leaves little space for anything else. Closets overflow with shirts, suits, sweaters and shoes in assorted sizes and designs.

Sure, a bigger and better house would be a nice, temporary solution. But you may just end up acquiring more stuff, and you would soon be looking to save space in your home yet again. That's why the real solution to the space crunch whether you are decorating a tiny studio apartment or trying to control overflow is to make the most of every inch and space in your home.

Leave no square foot unturned as you uncover hidden storage areas in your home, invest in space-saving devices, and employ a little elbow grease with do-it-yourself projects and work to make small spaces appear larger than they really are. Following are some ideas for saving space in your home.

Space Saving Secrets Some homes don't have a compact disc, letter or paper clip

I

in place. Look a little closer, though, and you'll see that such objects do exist and they are just wrapped up in attractive, practical storage solutions. Little tools of the space-saving trade can make a big difference in an overflowing home or apartment.

In many cases, storage equipment is object-specific. Toy boxes and plastic storage boxes come in a variety of shapes and sizes, wooden compact-disc cabinets keep the tunes in order, and overhead hanging and baker's racks for the kitchen hold cook books, pots and other culinary objects.

Sometimes storage equipment is designed with a certain area in mind. Toolboxes like crushers, recycling bins, cabinets, shelves, pegboards, drawer units and freestanding sheds help save space in the busiest areas of the house such as the garage, store and entryway.

Wall-mounted tools and scaled-down appliances hung or stored in an out-of-the-way spot can save much-needed counter space in your home.

Smart Furnishings In terms of storage, some furnishings are truly worth their floor space. A home

theatre, for example, can do double duty as a home entertainment center, while an antique trunk or chest could be both coffee table and storage unit.

Computer and entertainment centers provide attractive and compact solutions for high-tech treasures.

Beds present even more space saving possibilities. Beds such as bunks can help you convert a sliver of space into a sleeping area, while hideaway beds and futons make the most of vital space during the day, then offer a restful solution at night. Do-ityourselfers can also learn how to save space in their homes from an assortment of space-saving projects in books and magazines.

Optical Illusions You can work magic in a small space if you have a few decorating tricks up your sleeve.

Mirrors, for instance, are famous for giving the impression of spacious living quarters, while light-colored walls will make a space appear larger than it actually is. Establish an entryway with a decorative screen, hanging quilt, area rug or coat hooks. Even the back of a sofa can be used to establish an entryway boundary toe.

Artful arranging also can create the illusion of more space.

Scrutinize furniture groupings in interior design magazines and books, and consult an interior decorator on ways to maximize your space by simply moving the furniture around.

It also pays to be on the lookout for "dead" space, the little used, odd-shaped spaces in your home. Solutions can be as simple

Add storage to a small bedroom

as a built-in bench built below a windowed wall for seating and storage, or as elaborate as a spacious loft constructed in the space below a cathedral ceiling.

Finally, every organized homeowner knows that the secret to saving space often lies in getting rid of the extraneous, the dreary and the junky. Ideas include sending piles of unused clothing to the needy or just simply discarding them, getting photographs and memorabilia out of the boxes and into albums and filing away important papers and tossing the rest every year, or so to further clear the clutter.

Shelf Suggestions Shelves are the ultimate weapon against clutter and small spaces, and today's options are designed to support just about everything. In many cases, shelves aren't just functional they're bona-fide pieces of furniture. Today's custom-built shelves and modular units, for example, can divide and define an open area for a variety of purposes, transform a few spare square feet

and a wall into a home office, home entertainment center or quiet study nook, or display a beloved collection that once was scattered about the house.

Other high-profile inspirations include high border shelving constructed around the perimeter of the kitchen for interesting or little-used objects, shelving placed in spare corners for other uses like wine racks installed in the bathroom to hold towels. For out-of-sight storage, meanwhile, shelves can transform wasted space under stairwells or sink cavities. Metal or wire shelves that can be compartmentalized with plastic storage bins or baskets are other behind-the scenes solutions.

Closet Cache In most homes, closet doors hide a lot of clutter. But you can set things straight. Most closets offer much room for improvement so much so that many design professionals have made organizing closets their job. Call one, and he will have your nightmare-behind doors tamed in a short while.

“

Ideas include sending piles of unused clothing to the needy or just simply discarding them, getting photographs and memorabilia out of the boxes and into albums and filing away important papers and tossing the rest every year, or so to further clear the clutter.

PAGE 28

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

C uisine Easy to make French onion soup Pots & Pans

With Hajiya Ramatu Usman Dorayi

Protect yourself from S diseases by eating healthy o m e call it comfort food, while others rely on this quick-fix for dinner.

Regardless, soups are fundamental to cuisines all over the globe due to the low maintenance nature of their preparation and the flexibility of ingredients that can be used in preparation. Broths and bases are diverse in composition such that a good soup, prepared with care, can appease nearly any palette. Thinking back to fond memories of childhood days, a bountiful fixing of fresh vegetables and thick broth was a cure-all that warmed both tummy and soul.

Beyond taste, soup is functional, as virtually anything in the pantry can be used in the creation of a hearty bowl.

Simple in nature, but full of depth and richness in flavour, a staple of French culinary repertoire is the appropriately named French onion soup. The quintessential meal of the people, French onion soup is made of easily obtained, basic ingredients, primarily a rudimentary beef broth and some onions. Dating back to Roman times, this dish was a pauper's meal due to the readily

available ingredients it consists of, all of which are easy to grow or find in the supermarket, maybe even hidden in the pantry. The version we know and love, characterized by bubbling gruyère and onions caramelized to perfection, originated in eighteenth century France. Science is integral to preparation, whether or not we are aware. Caramelization is the key process in ensuring the bold flavours of a finely prepared crock of French onion soup. Many chefs emphasize the necessity of a long preparation over steady heat, such that the layers of onion can undergo a chemical change and give off their succulent sugars.

To bring out even more profound flavour, liquids must be drawn out of the onion in a process known as sweating. This is done by tossing the onions in a coating of fat, for instance bacon fat, olive oil or butter, covering the onions in salt, and finally sealing the pan to cook over low heat. As a final addition, some juices can be used to deglaze the pan and draw out any stubborn flavours that linger.

As mouthwatering as such a concoction may sound, the real

treat for most is the generous helping of crusty bread and flavourful cheese placed atop the broth to adorn the base. Oven-safe ramekins can be used to place the soup under the broiler. This immense heat and proximity to the flame ensures a crispy gruyere crust, fit for both pauper and prince. To expedite the process without sacrificing the complexity of the flavours, try a demi-glace.

This version by D'artagnan is the result of nearly two days of slow cooking to perfection. A staple to fine cooking, a demi-glace can be used as the base for a multitude of stocks and sauces.

French onion soup is a versatile meal such that it can be served with rare French cheeses for a fine dining occasion or balance out a cheeseburger and fries for a pub-friendly foodie occasion. What is consistent however, is the heat that warms your whole body, bold onion flavour that is both sweet and salty: a perfect hybrid, the crunch of crusty crouton, and the nuisance of trying to eat melted cheese in a well-mannered fashion.

Heat oven to clean and remove stains

I

f you forget about maintaining your oven clean on a regular basis, you may end up not wanting to eat foods cooked by such unclean kitchen appliance. Cleaning today has become an easy task mainly due to the existence of the self cleaning ovens. Such ovens are designed to start the cleaning process once they are turned on

in the necessary clean mode. The cleaning process that happens in the interior of such a self cleaning oven starts by heating the interior compartment to about 900 degrees. In 2 hours time, all the spills, stains and grease that can be found inside the oven will be turned into gray ash.

When cleaning your oven, you will have to make sure that

Sock racks in warm water before cleaning the oven

the racks are removed first and soaked in a warm solution of dish washing detergent and water.

Keep in mind that the clean mode timer will have to stay turned on for 3-5 hours and you will have to switch it off only after you have made sure that its door is still locked. You will also have to clean this door as well. Once you clean your oven, you will have to let it

cool and then wipe out the collected ash by using a rag or a wet sponge. You can clean the inside of the oven door by using a piece of soft cloth and a kitchen cleaner.

For the gas oven however, you will have to pay attention to the oven seal that can be found around the door and clean this particular surface as well. After this, you should wipe the oven door once again by using a damp sponge. The outside of the door must be cleaned as well, together with the stove. For instance, if there are stove racks, you will have to remove them and have them soaked in a warm solution made from a dish washing cleaner and water. After you have these racks soaked for some time, you will have to clean and wipe each of them. Replace these oven racks in their respective places.

Here are some tips for cleaning your oven (in case your oven doesn't have self cleaning features): -Start by soaking each of the oven racks in dishwasher cleaner and water. Then, use a stronger oven cleaner and some rubber gloves in order to clean the interior compartment. Spray the interior compartment with the oven cleaner and let it stand for 7-9 hours or overnight.

-Next, you will have to scrub

the whole oven cavity in order to remove any traces of dirt or grease and wipe it clean by using a damp sponge or rag. In order to make things easier for you when cleaning your oven, you should consult the owner's manual - this is recommended especially if you are cleaning the oven for the first time.

-One of the best tips regarding the proper cleaning of your oven is to try and avoid letting your oven get too greasy and dirty. For instance, you can place some cookie sheets with foil under the rack you are planning to use for baking. This way, all the spills and drippings will fall right on this foil and the oven will stay clean. The only thing that you will have to do is to remove the stained foil soon after you have finished baking.

-Another solution you may consider is using some non stick oven liners that can be used in order to serve the same purpose, namely to keep your oven surface clean. Keep in mind that if your baking spills on a regular basis, you should clean up the spills as soon as possible, before they dry.

By following this tip, you will make your oven cleaning a lot easier and even less time consuming. With a regular oven cleaning, you can actually prolong the life of your oven.

PAGE 29

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

Womanhood

I started as a Sales Executive, now I am a top flyer —Mrs. Lola Oladimeji H

ow did you start the journey to the position you presently occupy?

I wouldn't say it was that easy. But I want to believe it is with the help from God and the passion for what I do. I started off with them as a sales executive though I had worked briefly in the news room before I joined the Silver Bird group.

But then I will say my work stood me out. Even in the midst of challenges, we were about 19 then and out of this number, I was the only woman who was able to contribute my own quota to the development of the organisation. You know the business world today is basically target-driven and so much is expected of you which you have to perform. Then when they don't see results, they assume you are a failure.

But I will want to say it is the favour of God and the passion for what I am doing. I love what I am doing so it really brings in many positive results.

Looking at the contribution of women to journalism practice in this country, will you say they are doing enough?

Well, I would say that both the broadcast and print media are usually male dominated.

Though we are not yet there but I believe with the efforts we are putting in presently, we will soon get there. It is really full of challenges because they believe that once you are a woman, you can only attain a certain step on the ladder of success in any organisation. Once you get married, they see you as not being useful again because of the challenges around but women must muster the ability to prove to them that what a man can do, a woman can do better. As for me, God has been kind enough to see me through and that is what I will say. The women are not yet there but we will get there if we keep pushing which is what we must do continually. We must push until something worthwhile happens.

As a Journalist, what do you think are the major challenges of the woman journalist and how can she surmount them?

There is this thing they say about the women journalists; that they cannot be married

Climbing the ladder of success in any field can be a source of nightmare for some women especially when things are not carefully handled at the home front. In this interview with Miriam Humbe, the Principal Manager for the Silver Bird Communications, owners and operators of the Silver Bird Galleria, Television and Rythm 94.7 FM Abuja, Mrs. Lola Oladimeji provides an antidote to the challenge of managing the home front as well as staying on top of your career, saying, the secret of her success lies in the support and understanding she receives from her husband. Excerpts:

Mrs. Lola Oladimeji

because no man wants to marry a journalist because of the kind of work they do; having to move from one place to the other but I beg to disagree. It had always been at the back of my mind that I was going to be married and I was going to make a success of it even being a journalist. And I remember those days when I was practicing; I was in the field in Ibadan then; I was the first female covering politics and every time I went out with our male colleagues they would continue to ask me how I will cope with all the nocturnal meetings that I had to attend.

You know how politicians hold

meetings late into the night. So my colleagues were worried about me and would ask if I won't go home.

I never let anyone pull me down so I would say it depends on what the women have in mind. They should ask themselves questions such as, 'what am I going to do in this field?' 'What do I stand to gain?'

'What do I want to achieve?'

'What point do I want to prove to the society that will be your strong point?' So it depends on how you see it. We are the architects of our success and failure. Nigeria and the world at large have moved away from the fact that formerly they

would say the women should be at the back. It depends on how you are able to pull through. I am talking about you focusing on your goal and never being distracted.

But there is still this problem of gender discrimination.

Women can overcome gender discrimination by first of all knowing that they are a person of their own. They should not see themselves as second class citizens and must refuse to play the second fiddle to anyone. The day you choose to stand out and say you will make a success of yourself and you go ahead to face your duties

with determination and strength and with the hand of God on your side, you will get there.

How do you cope with being a mother, wife and a corporate woman?

Well I would say God has helped me thus far, which is number one. Number two, I am very lucky to be married to my husband. He has been like a friend, a brother and confidant.

Also I will say my son too has been very wonderful. He knows everything I do now. If I receive a call, he will ask me mum, is that your boss? Are you going back to your office? At times I leave him behind and travel.

He trusts me and encourages me because he knows the kind of work I do. The problem with our women today is; many of them say their career comes first. The ability to combine managing the home front effectively along with your official work and knowing when to draw the line helps a lot. They say men hang out. I do hang out too because even where I work, I happen to be the only female business manager for the Silver Bird TV and Radio and we go for retreats, and I find myself being the only woman. And when they stay late till around 11pm to 12 midnight, and they say Madam, wont you go to bed? 'I will say, oh, so that you people will scheme me out of things? It is not going to work. Everything we must talk about let us talk about it now'. So I know when to draw the line. But some women get carried away with letting success hit their heads and they even challenge their husbands.

I must say this. The day you leave your husband behind and decide to do things on your own then you are truly on your own.

What I do above all is carrying my husband along. I guess this is basically the secret behind my success. If I have pressure in my office, he knows. If he comes home and sees me, the first thing he will say is 'Lola, what happened in your office today?'

He will calm me down with very soothing words. He has been of tremendous support I must say.

Some men feel threatened when their wives are successful. But if you are lucky to have a good man who understands; who gives you support and feels proud to have a successful wife, then the sky is your limit.

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012 Do you have old pictures for memories?

Send them to peoplesdailyweekend@yahoo.com

From the Archives Awolowo and family in the 60s One of the roads leading from Lagos to Ibadan in 1973.

Theatre icon, Herbert Ogunde with 8 of his 12 wives in a London tour in 1960s

Renowned noveslist W.E.B. Du Bois and Nnmadi Azikiwe

Obasanjo during the civil war in Aba early 70s

Tribute PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 31

Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu: Tribute to an Iroko

By Senator Ike Ekweremadu

A

bout 30 years ago, on the 18th day of June 1982 Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Dikedioramma, staged a triumphal return into the ecstatic embrace of his countrymen and women, having spent 12 years, five months and eight days in exile.

He returned into the loving arms of millions of Nigerians of all ethnic groups and religions who besieged the airports and all his routes like sand on the seashore to celebrate a man who stood to be counted at a most crucial time in the lives of his people. That rousing welcome not only spoke volumes about his popularity amongst the masses, but also affirmed Ikemba as a uniting rather than a dividing factor in the Nigerian body polity.

Today, the outpouring of emotions and celebration of life that have continued to come Ikemba’s way on his glorious journey to eternity are clear evidence that not even death could diminish him. He has continued to soar in glory and grace, for no man dies who truly lives in the hearts of his people.

Dim Odumewu-Ojukwu lives on in our hearts as that legend, intellectual, patriot, brave soldier, enigma, colossus and great statesman from the land of the rising sun who contributed immensely to the development of our dear nation, Nigeria and Africa in general. Ikemba lives on in our hearts as a brave warrior who told Africa and indeed the whole world in bold terms that a people oppressed can stand firm against all forms of oppression; and that armed with courage and faith, a people can survive even the harshest of conditions. He lives on as a man who saw tomorrow, and indeed a great visionary whose concerns of yesteryears, misunderstood at a point in our history, manifest in a backlash of stack realities before our very eyes today.

Ezeigbo Gburugburu will forever be celebrated, not only among Ndigbo and Nigerians, but students of history the world over, as one of the few patriots, if not the only character in contemporary history, who rallied his people for self defence, yet remobilised them for a fast-paced reintegration into the mainstream social, political, and economic life of their nation.

Ikemba exhibited an unequalled patriotism and statesmanship when he joined the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) on return from exile rather than the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) to apply himself as a uniting force on a national stage. He continued even after the fall of the Second Republic

to join forces with other patriots and progressives to build Nigeria into one indissoluble entity. He ran for the presidency of this country in this Fourth Republic, an ambition and action that translated to a statement of inclusivity and absolute faith in the Nigerian project.

For those who are still in doubt about Ikemba’s stand on the unity of Nigeria, I wish to refer them to the lecture entitled “Nigeria: The Truths that are Self Evident” which he delivered at The Sunday Magazine (TSM) lecture series on February 22, 1994 preparatory to the 1994 Constitutional Conference- about 17 years today.

Reacting to the erroneous interpretations to some of his comments at that trying time of our recent history following the annulment of the June 12 1992 Presidential election, Ikemba reaffirmed his faith in Nigeria thus: “In 1967, the Igbo people were forced into war. Prior to that war, Ndiigbo under my leadership had declared the Republic of Biafra.

This act was termed Secession.

Unfortunately during this ongoing crisis and as we position ourselves for the Constitutional Conference, many have tried to raise the bogey of secession whenever an Igbo speaks. I do not deny the fact of secession in 1967 - this is a historical fact. What I deny is that the Igbo community to which I belong has been planning for secession.

Secession is not like cocaine - it is not addictive.... Today I have more reasons to seek a better Nigeria than I did. Today as we all take stock, I find that I have invested so heavily in Nigeria” Indeed, Ikemba had a vision of a true and prosperous federal state where every citizen finds joy and fulfilment, not one fraught with ethno-religious tensions and carnages. He had a vision of a Nigeria where every citizen lives without fears in any part thereof.

He had a vision of a country great in name and esteem. He had a vision of a country well governed and devoid of the vultures of tribalism discrimination, ethnic segregation, religious nepotism, sectional cabalism, and a nation which potentials and might are not rendered weak by the vultures of corruption and greed.

In the 1920s, an English adventurer named Mallory, led series of expedition to climb to the top of Mount Everest. His first expedition failed. So did the second.

Mallory made a third assault with highly skilled and experienced team, but in spite of careful planning and extensive safety measures, an avalanche wiped out Mallory and most of his men. Upon their return to England, the few

Late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu

who had survived held a funeral banquet in honour of Mallory and those who had perished on the mountain.

As the leader of the survivors stood to speak, he turned his back at the crowd and faced the large picture of Mount Everest, which was hanging on the wall silently like an unbeatable giant. With tears streaming down his face as it is for us today, he spoke to the mountain on behalf of his dead friends: “I speak to you, Mount Everest in the name of all brave men living and those yet unborn. Mount Everest, you defeated us once, you defeated us twice, you defeated us three times. But Mount Everest, we shall someday defeat you” Mount Everest was eventually defeated and today people get to the top of the imposing mountain with ease.

Today, because our dear nation and her leaders owe it to the memory of Dim Chukwuemeka OdumegwuOjukwu to strengthen Nigeria as an indivisible political entity where justice, peace, love, and unity reigns, it is my hope that the mountain of hatred, religious bigotry, discrimination and

intolerance which Ikemba fought against will be defeated and levelled in this country. It is my earnest expectation that we shall all depart from this house of mourning, recommitting to the struggle to ensure the optimal right to settlement, establishment, and happiness for all citizens in every part of Nigeria. It is my earnest desire that we shall in our lifetime witness a Nigeria where we will live with and among ourselves happily irrespective of our tribe, tongue or religion. It is, in fact our collective charge to rebuild this nation into one where national interest is supreme; where corruption is a thing of the past; and where every Nigerian is free and able to actualise his or her legitimate dreams and aspirations unmolested in any part of the country, irrespective of religious, political, and tribal affiliations and origin. This is the most befitting and greatest tribute we can pay to Ikemba.

Ikemba! Africa mourns you; Nigeria mourns you; and Ndigbo mourn you Ikemba! Be rest assured that this house will not fall Be rest assured that the

termites will no longer eat down our fences Be rest assured that the crows and vultures will no longer patch on our heritage Be rest assured that the strangers will no longer walk over our portion For the sun can only rise on our heritage.

Ikemba Nnewi Ezeigbo Gburugburu Iru dike na-anyu mma nko Okaa oburu uzo Odogwu eji eje mba Anya okuko na-eche akwa ya Agu na-eche ibe ya Ochiagha gburugburu Ahu nze ebie okwu O muo olezuta anya Ogaranya juru ndo soro ogbenye noro n’anwu Atu okwu ujo Ikemba! Okwa dike mee nke oji bia oche iru n’uzo ula Iruzugo, ma oku igunyere anyi n’aka agaghi anyunari anyi Jee nke oma May the chariot of angels ride you to eternal rest. Amen.

Senator Ike Ekweremadu is Deputy President of the Senate and Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, FEBRUARY, 2012

F It’s all about Kannywood style

O

ver the years, Kannywood actors and actresses have been making waves in the Hausa movie industry. Now, most of them are making fashion statements with their glamorous outfits on or outside locations.

So, the Kannywood industry in northern Nigeria does not only boast of just talented artists but highly fashionable actors and actresses and their fashion tells a whole lot about their persons. Ebony black Hauwa Maina, is quite at home with traditional wears like embroidered Shadda, rich laces and wrapper and blouse with matching veil.

Sani Danja appears to like designer wears for Hauwa Maina smashing outlook though he does not seem to like wearing cap.

Ali Nuhu, versatile actor, likes cool colours and looks quite nice with a cap on his head. In an expensive silk suit on the red carpet, Ali is every Designer’s dream model and can also pass for an Igbo Igwe in some cases . For Ashiru Nagoma, jeans and a t-shirt Ali Nuhu is simply it. While some of their female counterparts are stunning beauties in their own right aside their dress sense. Talk about Ummi Ibrahim, with her henna designed hands which matches her skin.

Ramatu Hassan’s mild make up and subtle smile, slim looking Talatu Carmen with dropping earrings and light blue veil and Abba El-Mustapha and his bride, Shuwa. It’s all about Kannywood style secret.

Ramatu Hassan

Talatu Carmen

... and the beauty of henna Henna is used to make beautiful designs on the hands and feet.

Most Hausa movie actresse use henna to beautify themselves especially if they are playing the role of a beautiful bride. A lot many occasions require the use of henna in an elegant manner like in the display of beautiful hands during singing and dancing.

It effectively gives a colour which is darker than the skin shade and adds to the overall elegance.

Ummi Ibrahim

Sani Danja

Abba El-mustapha and his wife, Fatima Shuwa

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 33

Business

New cars being rolled out from an automobile factory

Electricity Distribution Company invests N1bn in new projects

By Augustine Aminu

C

h i e f Executive Officer of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company, Lagos, Mr. Oladele Amoda, has said that the company has invested more than N1 billion in new projects.

Amoda, who spoke at an interactive session with newsmen Thursday, in Lagos, said the company had embarked on several projects to boost electricity supply to its customers.

He said that the company had constructed a new 15 KV injector substation in Yaba to reinforce supply to numerous customers in that area.

According to him, the company has also deployed 30 transformers in various areas to boost electricity

supply.

“When all the projects are fully completed, they will complement the ongoing independent power projects within the company’s network,” he added.

Amoda said that the Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, had directed transmission stations to transmit 1,000 megawatts to his company and the Ikeja Distribution Company.

“We have the capability to take 2,000 megawatts but the minister assured us of 1,000 megawatts; if this allocation is stable, it will boost supplies to our numerous customers,” he said.

On the challenges facing the company, the CEO said that the company spent N100 million to replace 700 of its poles and other

equipment which the rainstorm, which ravaged Lagos in February, damaged.

“The rainstorm damaged our network, especially our poles in Lekki, Yaba, Ojo, Badagry, Mushin, Isolo, Ikoyi and Victoria Island,” he said.

Amoda said that 65 per cent of the damaged equipment had been replaced.

He lamented that the company’s customers owed it N8 billion, adding that the debt profile had stagnated because “most customers just service their debts without paying the back log”.

“The Ministry of Power is planning to appoint debt collectors to recoup outstanding debts from government ministries and agencies. He added.

Expert calls for vigorous pursuit of energy efficiency for economic development

By Mirian Humbe

M

rs. Bukky Osiberu, the PHCN Assistant General Manager (Customer Services), has called for efficient energy programmme in the country in order to develop the nation’s economy.

Osiberu made the call at a lecture at the investiture of Mrs. Olayinka Abdul, the 12th President of Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), on Thursday in Abuja.

She said the power generation in the country was presently about 4,000 Megawatts, while the current energy demand was in excess of 10,000MW. “Energy efficiency programmes must be vigorously pursued by the Government to ensure that the available energy can be used for the development of the economy.”

Osiberu identified the lack of awareness, inefficient metering systems, and non-cost reflective

pricing, as some of the barriers to energy development in the country.

Other barriers, she said, included the shortage of skilled energy management professionals, absence of clear policy, standards and regulations on performance of appliances.

She said that maintaining energy efficiency in the country was the responsibility of both the government and the people.

Osiberu suggested that government formulate policies to standardize equipment and appliances that were imported into the country.

“While it is the responsibility of government to set regulations on electricity consumption, the consumers should ensure that unnecessary bulbs and appliances should be turned off.”

Earlier in her inaugural speech, the President of APWEN, promised to advance engineering practice among the female, and ensure the restructuring of school curriculum.

PAGE 34

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

Business News

Capital market loses N191bn in two months S T

UN Women to provide $10.5 million as grants for empowerment projects

ome stakeholders in the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) have urged the Federal Government to revive the capital market to stop it from collapse.

They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, in Lagos, that this was necessary because the market had in the last two months lost N191 billion.

Alhaji Rasheed Yussuf, the Chief Executive Officer of Trust Yields Securities Ltd, blamed the loss on illiquidity and investors’ loss of interest in the market because of fear of losing funds.

He said that illiquidity had changed the market’s dynamics, and urged the Federal Government to implement its forbearance package for brokers to avoid a further crash of the market.

Yussuf said that stability in the market would only be restored through the forbearance package that would provide the needed liquidity.

Mr Emma Ndidi, a stockbroker, explained that the unimpressive dividend announced by some companies contributed to the lull experienced in the market.

Mr Boniface Okezie, the President of the Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN), said that shareholders lost interest in the stock market because of what he described as the overbearing influence of the apex market regulator.

Okezie urged the Federal Government and market regulators to address the liquidity crisis in the market.

He added that the market would remain on a bearish trend if the problem was not addressed.

The PSAN president suggested that the market

regulators should concentrate on confidence building instead of focusing on de-mutualisation that would not change the market trend.

NAN reports that the market capitalisation, which opened trading on Jan. 1 at N6.53 trillion lost N191 billion to close at N6.34 trillion on Feb.29.

The loss represented 2.9 per cent of the market capitalisation.

Also, the All-Share Index during the period dropped by 607.12 points or 2.9 per cent to close at 20,123.51 points as against 20,730.63 points it opened with for the year. (NAN)

By Miriam Humbe with Agency report h e UN agency mandated to promote gender equality, said it would give out 10.5 million dollars as grants to organisations working to advance economic and political empowerment of women in Africa.

The UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) on Thursday listed Asia and the Pacific, Latin America, Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia as other nations that would benefit from the grant.

Michelle Bachelet the Executive Director for UN Women, who announced this on Thursday during an event at the Commission on the Status of Women in New York, said that approved proposals would be announced in October.

“The grants will start at 200,000 dollars for initiatives that make tangible improvements in the lives of women and girls.

“It is also to enable women candidates to run for office and maYAZnage resources to support themselves and their families.

She said that 15 organisations would receive grants totalling 4.85 million dollars to work on innovative programmes such as advancing women’s political participation in Egypt, Libya and Yemen.

Since its creation in 2009, the Fund has invested a total of 43 million dollars in 40 countries around the world for projects on gender equality.

CNPP tasks FG on foreign investors

By Augustine Aminu

T Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (centre), in a group photograph with the Executive Committee Members of Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JNAPD), during a courtesy visit to the CBN on Thursday.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

NEITI signs N363m contract with indigenous auditors

By Augustine Aminu

T

h e Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has signed a N363 million contract with two indigenous firms for the 2009 to 2011 Oil and Gas and the 2007 to 2010 Solid Minerals audit.

Sada, Idris & Co. was hired to audit Oil and Gas sector while Haruna Yahaya & Co would audit Solid Minerals sector.

At the signing ceremony of the contract, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, the Executive Secretary of NEITI,

charged the firms to ensure integrity and professionalism on the project.

“The signing of these agreements today marks the formal kick-off of these audits.

While congratulating the auditors, I wish to strongly advise them to abide strictly by the terms and conditions of the contract.

“They should also demonstrate commitment, diligence, courage, wisdom, resilience, drive and penetration in these assignments,” she said.

She explained that the signing

of the contract was part of plans to make NEITI’s audit regular and comprehensive in order to fast track the transparency process in the sector.

Ahmed said the agency would soon begin to automate its audit process and data gathering methods in line with its development plan.

She said NEITI was committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in the extractive sector and called on all stakeholders to join the agency in achieving the feat.

Mr. Nkem Onyekawa, representative of Sada, Idris & Co., in his response promised the commitment of his team to professionalism in the discharge of their duty.

Alhaji Haruna Yahaya, the Chief Executive Officer, Haruna Yahaya & Co. also pledged to abide by the terms of contract and ensure better organisation and transparency in the solid minerals sector.

He said his firm had put out well structured templates to reconcile the revenues payable to government from that sector.

h e Chairman, Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) in Sokoto State, Alhaji Abba Sidi, has called on the Federal Government to create conducive environment for foreign investors, to develop the economy.

Sidi told newsmen on Friday in Sokoto, that government needed to initiate programmes on poverty eradication among Nigerians, adding that the country should create job opportunities for the teeming unemployed Nigerians.

He explained that effective power supply would attract foreign investors to the country and create jobs.

Sidi added that wealthy Nigerians could also take the advantage of power supply by setting up cottage industries in rural areas.

The Chairman called on state governments to initiate skill acquisition programmes to train youths in various trades.

“We must create a conducive atmosphere for foreign investors if we want to develop our economy.”

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 35

Business

We will boost non-oil sectors says Orya, NEXIM boss

Mr. Roberts Orya assumed the corporate leadership of Nigeria Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank after over 25 years in the banking industry. In this interview, he assures that the bank will play its role in the economy even more effectively. Augustine Aminu was there.

INTERVIEW

W

hat was the state of affairs in NEXIM before your assumption of office as chief executive?

The success of the Nigerian Export and Import (NEXIM) Bank since 2009 is a product of careful planning; something that had eluded the bank for some time.

My team and I dedicated ourselves to bringing about a rapid and sustained transformation that has completely changed the fortunes of the bank.

One significant point to be noted is that, before now, the bank’s books were in the deficit.

The current robust state of the bank is an indication that Nigeria is steadily realizing her export promotion targets in the non-oil sector which have been elusive over the years.

What have been your major challenges?

Like every other institution in our category, we are realistic enough to accept that there are immediate challenges on our way to achieving the level of success NEXIM Bank has set in its medium term plan, especially the issue of non-performing loans, that is the NPLs. Some of the debts owed the bank, span between 10 and 15 years and some of the debtors are banks that were liquidated in 1990’s by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation. The bank could only recover N418 million out of about N1.9bn it planned to recover in 2011. In 2012, we plan to recover N1.3 billion.

So how was the bank able to return to the path of profitability?

Yes. With this we were able to function and make profit during the global financial crises and have continued to operate profitably because we took a holistic approach in the bank’s corporate transformation which entails strategies around adequate capitalisation, adoption of a robust enterprise-wide risk management framework, good corporate governance principles, smarter business processes, clearer focus and compliance with regulations and relevant government policies.

You were recently at the Senate to defend your budget

NEXIM Bank Boss, Mr. Roberts Orya

proposal, how did it go?

I was at the Senate Committee on Budget and Insurance to defend the bank’s 2012 budget. I made it clear that NEXIM under my leadership targets a profit of N1.6bn as against the N1.1bn in the last fiscal year 2011.

At the budget defense, I announced the determination of NEXIM to give an urgent attention to the non-oil sectors of the economy, namely manufacturing, agriculture, solid minerals and services, which will tap into the hitherto virgin sectors and propel Nigeria’s economy beyond traditional areas of business.

Towards this, we presented a budget projection of N30 billion to promote export-oriented investments in these sectors.

Forty-four percent will go to manufacturing, 35.8 percent, agriculture; 5.6 percent, solid mineral resources, while services take 14 percent. This will create over 23,923 jobs and generate

$229.6 million in foreign exchange earnings for Nigeria in the 2012 fiscal year.

What plans does the bank have towards inter- African trade?

Since the past year, as part of efforts to boost trade for Nigerian exporters, NEXIM has shown keenness to deepen trade within the (ECOWAS) sub-region. We realized that the population of ECOWAS is over 300 million with Nigeria constituting about 165 million of that. At the budget

defence, I told the committee that if a country like Nigeria does not take steps to see how the trade barrier could be addressed then there is no way trade would improve within the region.

This prompted NEXIM Bank to come up with an initiative to facilitate a dedicated regional Sealink company which will be private sector driven for the benefit of West and Central African countries with Nigeria getting the most because of the size of its economy.

“

The bank plans to seek support from the bank’s shareholders to start providing credit insurance and guarantees to buyers of Nigerian goods and services in line with the global best practices in export credit financing.

The goal is to have a regional maritime shipping company that would essentially serve and transport persons and goods between these two neighbouring regions. It is important to point out that this line with the provisions of the ECOWAS protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Goods and Services.

Are you involved in business outside the ECOWAS sub-region?

Of course, we have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with EXIM Banks of China, India among others. We also participate fully in conclaves and conferences of Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID). All these have ensured that even where NEXIM could not provide direct funding assistance, it handholds Nigerian businesses to access funds from these sister agencies.

This is in addition to other accounts of how the bank plans to seek support from the bank’s shareholders to start providing credit insurance and guarantees to buyers of Nigerian goods and services in line with the global best practices in export credit financing. NEXIM should be able to provide trade finance to buyers of Nigerian goods from any country if that importer does not immediately have the funds. We strive to provide financial products not readily provided by other financial institutions.

What are the intentions of Sealink?

As I informed the Senate Committee, NEXIM has come up with a promotional company as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that would set up the Regional Sealink company and raise the initial funding requirement of about $61.5 million in both debt and equity capital. As soon as that money is raised and the company is incorporated the SPV which was already incorporated in October 2011, would cease to exist. The initial sponsors of the project comprise members of the Federation of West Africa Chamber of Commerce, the members of individual ECOWAS member countries’ Chambers of Commerce and Industry, a big logistics company based in Douala, called Transimex S.A. Cameroun, among others. The initiative has been presented and embraced by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, ECOWAS Commission, ECOWAS Parliament and other relevant stakeholders.

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

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CHAIRMAN MALAM WADA MAIDA, OON, FNGE EDITOR, DAILY AHMED I. SHEKARAU

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Re: Sovereign wealth fund

Edo ACN’s “illogicalities” and PDP Airhiavbere’s “logics”

O

n the 14th of November 2011, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leading governorship aspirant as he then was, General Charles Airhiavbere (who is now a candidate of the party in the July 14, 2012 election) unfolded his manifestoes when he declared his intention to run for the election.

The well -packaged programme centered on welfare which encapsulates free and qualitative education, reviving Agriculture, free health care delivery for the young and the aged and declaring economic emergency on unemployment and insecurity.

This was what the retired Army Finance Corps Commander christened his covenant with his people. Worried by the general acceptability of the programme by the people, Oshiomhole’s government plagiarized the programme and presented it as his fuel subsidy palliative measures.

The Airhiavbere’s Campaign Organization (as it then was before the aspirant emerged as the official candidate of the party), as expected, in the Vanguard of Monday, February 6, 2012, reacted in order to put records straight.

Instead of addressing the issues raised by the organization, Oshiomhole’s amateurish propagandists opened a plethora of archaic criticisms as exemplified by one Dan Owegie in the Vanguard of Sunday February 12, 2012.

If one had considered the inconsequentiality of the like of Owegie, one would have dismissed his act, in particular, as the ranting of a frustrated ego booster, seeking a role that does not exist. But, then, do you remember Owegie?

In case you don’t, he was Governor Lucky Igbinedion’s man in the moribund Edo Line. He is yet to explain to Edo people his role in the purchase of Edo Line’s multi million naira property in his border line town of Ebhonogbon at a giveaway price.

Ever since he allegedly conspired with others to ruin the company, Owegie, like an ageing ritualist, had roamed the streets of Benin laying claims to dual professional identities. On some occasions, he claimed to be a journalist and at other times he claimed to be an accountant, even when it is obvious that he has neither the expertise nor the qualification to claim any.

One would have expected the image makers to explain or justify why the governor had to dub the programme of Airhiavbere. After all, no politician ever comes to the campaign ground to say he will loot the treasury when he gets to power.

WRITE TO US

Peoples Daily Weekend welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed to: The Editor, Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja.

Email: letters@peoplesdaily-online.com This also does not imply that the electorate cannot decipher between the good and the bad.

In 1983, one of the most revered Nigerian leaders of the last century, Chief Obafemi Awololo, said if elected president of Nigeria, he would not waste his time with probes. This position was a sharp contrast with another Nigerian leader, General Murtala Mohammed, who came eight years earlier. General Mohammed did probe the government before it and recovered some loot for the people.

I would not know what PDP’s Airhiavbere intends to do about the looting of Edo, but I believe the people will like to know the true stories of Edo Line, Airport Road contract ripoff, the 40% oil derivation monies meant for the oil producing communities, Bendel Brewery sting and the handling of local government allocations.

If Oshiomhole considers the Igbinedion eight years in office as those of locusts and rape of democracy, what have we got to show for his (Oshiomhole) four years? Of the seven subsectors of the economy, it is only the environmental subsector that the government can claim to have registered a hypocritical impression. This is also the same sector that is trailed by the greatest scandals.

All the state industries- Edo Line, Bendel Breweries, Edo Cement Factory, Ewu Flour Millthat the Oshiomhole administration inherited are all grounded. For four years now, Oshiomhole has been orchestrating on the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the federal roads in the state at the expense of the state roads.

These federal roads have earned the administration public odium rather than political gains that were expected. Airport road rehabilitation that would ordinarily have cost the tax payers about N1 billion is now costing over N10 billion and without an end to the variations (upward reviews) in the contract sum.

There is nothing wrong in a government having a humane face. A government that takes pride in the planting of flowers than

catering to the germane socio-economic needs of its citizens cannot be said to be a serious government.

Only the other day, an emerging sociopolitical group in the state, Association of Former Student Union Leaders called on the State Government to revert to the original N18, 000 school fees in the Ambrose Alli University (AAU). His administration had increased it to N64, 000 and had recently slashed off N15, 000 in the guise of the fuel subsidy removal palliatives.

The students had posited that now that it is obvious that the government is helpless in improving the lots of education in the state, it should not make it worse. Airhiavbere has promised to make education free. His icings on the cake were the payment of bursary and giving of scholarship to all Edo indigenes in tertiary institutions in and outside the state.

In a swift reaction, the government was said to have organised some students to denounce the position of the former student leaders and to reject their call for reduction in school fees at the state university to N18, 000 as well as their call for reintroduction of scholarships. What is the logic in this despicable act of propaganda by the ACN government?

Are the students saying they don’t want bursary or scholarship?

Yet, Owegie was too selfishly beholden to his paymaster to appreciate the logics of Airhiavbere’s promised progressive interventions in the socio-economic development of the state post Oshiomhole administration on November 14, this year.

It is an irony which will surprise only the naïve when we suggest that the unyielding protagonist of this timeless passion play is the state itself -the Heart Beat of the nation- which continues to stagger from one crisis of governance to another; hence, its vulnerability and the eternal instability which cast a forlorn shadow on it.

Edo state has even failed the elementary test of the modern bourgeois states: for four years now, it has been unable to mediate the often

conflicting interests of the factions that constitute the ruling Oshiomhole administration. Charity has failed to begin from home.

The immediate effect of this selfdestructive tendency, on the part of the state, is that its own instability and crises are transmitted to the Oshiomhole administration. Some of us are actually embarrassed when elements in Oshiomhole’s government bemoan what they call the Lucky Igbinedion years of the locusts.

It is as if it is the man in the street who plundered our treasury; whereas, it is the concatenation of power elite who used their influence in and out of government to share our commonwealth and the pseudodemocrats, one of whom was assisted into power by the forces, that treat the people with disdain but pretend to love them (people).

Consider: Osaro Idah, now Edo State ACN secretary, as Chairman of Bendel Brewery, presided over the liquidation of the factory which led to the ordering of his arrest by the Igbinedion government; the senile Owegie and Chief Amos Osunbor, now an ACN leader, administered the death of Edo Line under the same government.

Only recently, the Chairman of the State Task Force on Demolition of Illegal Structures, Major Loye, who was disgraced out of office and Osakpamwman (alias No Molest) who went under after the assault on a royal prince of Benin, had been brought back into Oshiomhole’s government, after they had earlier been denounced as enemies of the people by the same government.

These are the same managers in the current Oshiomhole administration. So who is fooling who about Airhiavbere’s socalled illogicalities when what the PDP candidate has thrown into the public domains are solid logics that will drive development process in the state as the basis of any sustainable development is education?

Airhiavbere has committed himself to that philosophy of governance. It does not really matter if Oshiomhole has become a copycat of the idea.

But what is dishonourable is his inability to admit our claim that he has appropriated an idea that was not originally his. So, if it is “illogicalities” that Owegie and his ilk see in the crystallization of this issue, we see the sound logics of a visionary leadership waiting to happen in Edo on July 14, this year.

Ihimekpen sent this piece from Benin.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 37

Public opinion and subsidy reversal That Babangida Aliyu’s call for more

By Tunji Ajibade

N

i g e r State Governor asks for more from the national treasury. The government at the centre may soon add ‘Oliver Twist’ to His Excellency’s name, Babangida Aliyu. His state gets one out of twenty of what some other states get from the federation account, he says. Now he demands for more of the cake if Niger State’s growth must not be stunted. Babangida Aliyu sometimes makes one wonder each time he ruffles feathers, feathers of the North’s Establishment, that is. Some of his comments are the reason.

They are somewhat progressive for the image of the conservative northern elites that is known in the public space.

This Chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum once said at Arewa House, Kaduna, for instance, that the North should sit up and confront its problems, rather than blame them on power that has shifted to other parts of the country. Some of his other recent comments are missiles by any standard. But on this occasion he speaks for the nineteen northern governors. They are with him on the demand for more from the federal government.

“The revenue allocation formula should be looked at,” Aliyu says, “we are hoping that within 2012, there would be discussions and review of the allocation formula.

But there would be other issues that would come.” Then he

Niger State Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu

mentions oil well, offshore, but which revenues go to contiguous states, in addition to the 13 percent derivatives. He states a fact, and the rest of the northern state governors must have smiled that they have a bold spokesperson. In that case, the only segment of the society that the Niger State governor must have ruffled are critics who say His Excellency, as well as the rest of the thirty six state governors should look inward rather look up to the federal government for funds to take care of their states.

But there are more fundamental issues, other angles to this call for a new revenue sharing formula than what Aliyu has said.

The call by the Niger State

governor has a background, maybe several backgrounds.

Sanusi Lamido said something about what the North gets, too. He is the Central Bank Governor, and he spoke in an interview recently.

The spate of terror attacks in the North is a fallout of how little, compared to the South-South states, that northern states get from the federation account, and if there should be long term stability, funding imbalance should be corrected so as to regenerate other parts of the country as well, he posited. At an event in Lagos lately, Rivers State Governor, and Chairman of Governor’s Forum, Rotimi Amaechi, said the National Assembly should give Nigerians a peoples’ constitution. He meant that the current one is a part of the problems of federalism in practice.

For some time, also, National

Democratic Coalition, NADECO, has been calling for Sovereign National Conference, SNC, with a view to talking about the form of federation that Nigerians really want; this, in order to address current challenges that are rooted in its constitution, and which have negative effects on national development. And there were the minority members of the National Assembly, who, the other time, addressed the press and said the national assembly is yet to take a decision on whether to oppose or not the call for a conference where the defects in the nation’s federal structure and practice would be addressed.

When, the other time, someone mentioned that diverse segments of the nation make too much noise, calling for all sort of things, and that it heats up the polity, this writer’s reaction was

“

The spate of terror attacks in the North is a fallout of how little, compared to the South-South states, that northern states get from the federation account, and if there should be long term stability, funding imbalance should be corrected so as to regenerate other parts of the country as well, he posited.

that democracy is a market place where all sorts of noise must be made, diverse ideas must necessarily be canvassed, and as such the calls are good for the development of the nation’s democracy. That is the reality.

Development comes when the existing regime doesn’t work, and people come up with better ideas, or suggestions on how to move forward. Now, there was a time calls to re-negotiate a better way to structure and govern this nation was tantamount to treason, seen as a call from a disgruntled few, a few that lost out in the power game. But those in the corridors of power as also saying practically the same thing those outside are saying, maybe in a milder form.

Yet a call for change is a call for change, though the likes of Babangida Aliyu, and Sanusi said it in the form of sorting out a disadvantaged north. With that scenario, what was once regarded as a call basically from the Southern part of the country has caught fire in the North. That is good for the country. The more noise from every corner the better, because that will galvanize the nation into action. Northern governors may not say SNC yet, but the line between reviewing the revenue sharing formula is not so thick, not so far away from a call to review fiscal federalism which, in the first place, is informed by the manner power is distributed between the federal government and the states.

Written By Tunji Ajibade tunjioa@yahoo.com

Improving Africa’s governance, before it’s too late

Public opinion and subsidy reversal T David Mehdi Hamam and Ben Idrissa Ouédraogo

he ongoing agitation in Africa triggered by the “Arab Spring” demonstrates yet again the importance of good political and economic governance for the continent’s development.

Through their street demonstrations, Africans are expressing their will to reassert control over their own destinies.

They are struggling for dignity, freedom, genuine social justice and access to economic opportunities.

The Arab Spring has dramatically shown that economic performance alone is not enough in the long run. After all, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Algeria and Morocco were among the fast-growing “African lions” (analogous to the Asian tigers). As leading development practitioners emphasize, economic prosperity and political freedom must go hand in hand.

African leaders understood this when they launched the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). To more specifically promote good governance, human rights and

sound economic management they then initiated the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in March 2003.

Innovative and inclusive The APRM, one of the most innovative facets of NEPAD, is a voluntary self-monitoring mechanism by which African leaders subject their policies and practices to peer review by other Africans in four related areas: democracy and political governance, economic governance, corporate governance and socioeconomic development.

The reviews are comprehensive and inclusive. Consultations are not only in the capital city with government officials but also in the countryside and with representatives from the private sector, civil society, trade unions, parliaments, local councils and so on.

A full peer-review cycle goes through five stages: a country selfassessment; a country review; a review report; the actual peer review — in which review findings are discussed by heads of state at summits of the African Peer Review Forum — and the publication of the report. Fourteen of the 30 countries

Africa, in 2012: “Democracy, Elections and the Management of Diversity in Africa.”

Critical challenges Yet the APRM is facing critical challenges, including limited financial and human resources and problems in enforcing and implementing the recommendations in the reviews’ national programmes of action.

Some experts argue that the master questionnaire, used in conducting the review, is not covering enough of issues such as agricultural policy, the informal sector, environmental protection

AU Chairman, Mr. Boni Yayi

belonging to the APRM have completed their first peer reviews.

Reviews have pinpointed overarching issues, such as diversity management, electoral violence, land reform, youth unemployment, gender equality and corruption. These suggested the theme of the UN’s eighth African Governance Forum, to be held in Johannesburg, South

and media freedom.

The recent social unrest could have been prevented if the APRM had been effectively operating and its recommendations had been implemented. These protests have the merit of bringing urgent issues of democracy and freedom to the centre of the political agenda for both Africans and their development partners. The APRM can capitalize on the bottom-up approach promoted by these revolts.

David Mehdi Hamam and Ben Idrissa Ouédraogo sent this piece from Apapa, Lagos

“

Reviews have pinpointed overarching issues, such as diversity management, electoral violence, land reform, youth unemployment, gender equality and corruption. These suggested the theme of the UN’s eighth African Governance Forum, to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2012: “Democracy, Elections and the Management of Diversity in Africa.”

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 39

International Iranians vote in legislative elections P

o l l s have opened in Iran's legislative elections, the country's first national vote since the disputed presidential vote in 2009 that ignited extensive protests against the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Turnout in Friday's election for the 290-seat Islamic Consultative Assembly will be closely watched, as it is considered an important indicator of how much of the country backs the conservatives, who dominated the outgoing assembly.

A high turnout could also provide a boost for a government under tremendous pressure, both domestically and internationally.

Unemployment remains high, and international sanctions over the country's nuclear programme have further increased economic pressure.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was the first to cast his vote as the polls

opened.

"I believe this is a duty for us, and a right. We should exercise our right and carry out our duty," he said after casting his ballot.

With the virtual absence of the reformist coalition from the race, analysts believe the election has turned into a contest between factions within the increasingly divided conservatives.

Al Jazeera's Dorsa Jabbari, reporting from the capital Tehran, said: "The people that have come out this morning in this polling station in northern Tehran say it is the their absolute duty to vote.

They will carry out what the supreme leader wants.

"The absence of the opposition in the ballot is something that has not gone unnoticed. The movement has boycotted these elections because they have virtually been excluded from political life in this country since the 2009 presidential elections," she said.

While the results will not have much impact on foreign policy, it will determine the balance of power as tensions have escalated between the camps loyal to Khamenei and Ahmadinejad.

"The parliament has been traditionally very critical of Ahmadinejad. It is very important for this president to maintain some sense of power over the legislative body in his last year in office," our correspondent said.

Human rights organisations raised concerns about the government's crackdown on dissent before the vote.

Amnesty International said the country had "dramatically" intensified crackdown on freedom of speech through a wave of arrests.

Human Rights Watch said on Thursday the country's parliamentary elections would be grossly unfair because of arbitrary disqualifications and other restrictions.

Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was the first to cast his vote in the country's parliamentary election [EPA]

War crimes warrant for Sudan minister

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Pakistani police help injured colleagues after a suicide attack in Islamabad on Sunday near the Red Mosque.

h e International Criminal Court [ICC] has issued an arrest warrant for Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein, the Sudanese defence minister, as part of investigations into crimes commited in Sudan's western region of Darfur.

The court said in a statement on Thursday that there were sufficient grounds to hold Hussein responsible for 20 counts of crimes against humanity, including persecution and rape, and 21 counts of war crimes, including murder and attacks on civilians.

"Hussein's arrest appears to be necessary to ensure his appearance at trial and to ensure that he will not obstruct or endanger the investigations," the statment said.

Hussein, who was interior minister from 2001 to 2005 and also Bashir's special representative

'Suicide attack' targets Pakistan mosque

A

t least 22 people have been killed after a suspected suicide attack on a mosque in the northwest Pakistani tribal area of Khyber, local officials say.

More than 20 people were wounded in the attack.

"The bomber detonated himself near the gate of a mosque in Tirah valley of Khyber tribal region when people were returning from the prayers," Jamilur Rehman, a local administration official, told

the AFP news agency.

Rehman said the casualty figure was likely to rise.

The mosque is located in a part of Khyber controlled by Mangal Bagh, the leader of the Lashkar-eIslam group, a militia that has been active in the area for several years.

Local officials said most of the dead were members of the group.

The bomb, which also damaged the mosque, exploded in the same area where officials said a clash earlier in the day had left

10 soldiers and 23 militants dead.

Elsewhere in Pakistan, fighters attacked a hilltop army position in volatile northwest Pakistan on Friday in a clash which left at least 33 people killed, a security official said.

The attack was the latest skirmish in a campaign in which neither side appears to be gaining an upper hand.

At least 10 Pakistani soldiers and 23 fighters were killed in the clash in the remote Tirah Valley in the Bara area of Khyber, near

the Afghanistan border.

"Dozens of militants attacked three recently established security checkpoints. That led to heavy fighting," a military official told the Reuters news agency, requesting anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

In the Orakzai tribal region, south of Khyber, Pakistani fighter jets bombed two hideouts for fighters, killing 15 of them and wounding 12, security officials in Orakzai said.

for Darfur from 2003 to 2004, is wanted for allegedly co-ordinating attacks against civilians in villages there.

Sudan dismissed the ICC move.

"The government will not issue any statement reacting to the ICC decision because we believe it means nothing to us," since the country is not a party to the Rome statute governing the court, said Al-Obeid Meruh, a foreign ministry spokesman. "We don't care about any decision coming from the ICC. Meruh added: "The decision was a political move because it comes from the UN Security Council, a body that is based on the international balance of power rather than the balance of justice".

Hussein, 60, is the sixth person sought by the ICC or brought before the court for crimes committed in Darfur.

Among those sought is Sudanese President Omar alBashir.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the court's chief prosecutor, said in December when he asked for the warrant against Hussein that it would cover crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Darfur from August 2003 to March 2004.

Hussein is one of Bashir's closest allies and is leading a campaign against rebels in the south.

The ICC, in line with a UN Security Council resolution, has been investigating the crimes since 2005.

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

Wellness zone SOCIAL WELLNESS

Cohesion and bonding are fostered by social wellness

Cohesion and bonding are fostered by social wellness

H

ello once again, today, we will be looking closely at social wellness, its application in our society, and a personal evaluation scale.

Social Wellness is about one's good ability to interact with people around them. It involves using communications skills, having meaningful relationships, our ability to establish and maintain positive relationships, respecting ones self and others, and creating a support system that includes family members and friends and co-workers. A socially well individual sees the value in living harmoniously with fellow human

beings, seeking positive, interdependent relationships with others, and developing healthy behaviors'. He does not look at his society from the racial, tribal and religious perspective; rather he embraces his society as one big happy family. It involves building close friendships and intimacy, practicing empathy and effective listening, caring for others and allowing others care for you.

In the African perspective, what quickly comes' to my mind is cohesion, and the popular Southern African word "Ubuntu". It buttresses the fact that as humans we cannot exist in isolation. It's all

about interconnectedness and placing community values above one's self.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu defined "ubuntu" as "the essence of the human being" highlighting generosity and selflessness.

Dr. Nelson Mandela explained "ubuntu 'as a situation where a traveler stops by at a village and wouldn't have to ask for food and water, because he would be entertained on arrival.

In Botswana, the same concept exists, and the phrase "Botho" is one of the country's five national principles.

"Motho ke motho ka batho", means that a person is a person through other people; it encourages people to applaud rather than resent those who succeed and grossly disapproves of antisocial, disgraceful, inhuman and criminal behavior.

In Malawi the same philosophy is called uMunthu. A popular saying is "Chichewa kali kokha nkanyama tili awiri ntiwanthu" meaning, when you are on your own you are as good as an animal of the wild; but when you are two you form a community.

In Igboland, social wellness is encouraged in a popular baby song that says "onye nulu akwa nkwa mee ngwa ngwa,na owughi ofu onye nwe nwa". Literarily it means that who ever hears the cry of a baby should rush to find out why,

Phyllis Ogo Ogah phyllisogoogah@gmail.com +234 80 58425746 (sms) only

Biodata of Phyllis Ogo Ogah Last week, we introduce the Wellness Zone with Phyllis. Phyllis Ogo Ogah, is a certified nutritionist and wellness coach as well as an exercise physiologist. A home grown rose, she has a first degree in Human Kinetics and an MSc in Exercise Physiology from Ebonyi State University, Ebonyi state, Nigeria.

Phyllis has a strong background in research, exercise prescription and nutrition for performance, as well as cardiac rehabilitation. She is currently involved in private practice with various clinics and is the in house wellness coach for Gateway Health Solutions.

For questions, personalized exercise and nutritional counseling she can be reached on phyllisogoogah@gmail.com or +234 80 58425746 (sms) only as well as bbpin 22711BED. The Wellness page will focus on brining you well researched works on issues of nutrition, exercises and other factors that will enable you improve on your healthy life style. because a baby does not belong to one person.

The Holy Bible (Positive Thinking Bible) says in the book of Leviticus 19:33 it says "Don't mistreat any foreigners who live in your land. Instead, treat them as well as you treat citizens and love them as you love yourself.

Remember you were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God".

In the Arba'una Hadith 15, related by Abu Hurairah, narrated

by Bukhari and Muslim. It says "Man kana yuu minu billahi walyaumil aakhir falyukrimul jaarahu, wamankana yu'uminu billahi walyaumil aakhir falyukrimul daifahu." If you believe in Allah and the last day you honor your neighbour, if you believe in Allah and the last day you honour your visitor'.

Facts and Tips: Socially isolated people are more susceptible to illness and have a death rate two or three times higher than those who are not socially isolated.

People who maintain their social network and support systems do better under stress.

Touching, stroking and

hugging can improve health because it floods us with the hormone oxytocin and feel good endorphins, and helps in alleviating pain and stress. A daily dose of oxytocin can also help in protecting us from heart disease.

Cholesterol levels go up when human companionship is lacking.

Warm, close friendships cause higher levels of immunoglobin A (an antibody that helps keep away respiratory infections and cavities).

A strong social network enhances one's self esteem.

Improvement Tips.

Practicing self disclosure Discovering personal needs and pursuing things and people who nurture those needs.

Interacting with the supportive people around you.

ASSESMENT. Read each statement carefully and respond honestly by using the following scoring; 1. I contribute time and/ or money to social and community projects.

2. I am committed to a lifetime of service 3. I exhibit equity in dealing with people 4. I have a strong network of close friends and/ or family.

5. I am interested in others including those from diverse backgrounds from mine 6. I am able to balance the needs of others and mine.

7. I am able to communicate and get along with a wide variety of people.

8. I obey societal rules and laws.

9. I am a compassionate person and I try to help others when I can.

10. I support family, neighborhood and work social gatherings.

Total score for Social Wellness Dimension Score interpretation 15 to 20 points- Excellent Strength 9 to 14 points-There is room for improvement.

0 to 8 points-You need to work hard.

Keep moving Phyllis

TIP OF THE DAY One big happy family

The more we are together the happier we shall be.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 41

Weekend

FIF Ar ecor ds N489bn pr ocesses FIFA recor ecords processes ansf er s in 2011 for pla yer tr play transf ansfer ers

F

IFA processed international transfer deals worth $3 billion in 2011, and said yesterday it will share payment details with UEFA to help monitor European financial fair play rules.

FIFA allowed 11,500 players to make cross-border moves in the first calendar year operating its Transfer Matching System, which aims to curb money laundering and corrupt deals.

The mandatory online project requires buying and selling clubs to input matching information, including payment schedules, before a transfer is approved.

FIFA head of compliance Isabelle Solal said the information was useful to UEFA, which wants clubs to pay their football debts as a condition of entering the Champions League.

“Part of the information we do provide them (UEFA) is on declared installment payments, and whether or not we have received proof of that payment,” Solal said in a conference call.

FIFA’s research revealed that the average transfer fee across all international deals was $1.5 million The average salary in a selection of 10 countries worldwide was $244,000 though the typical player was “not paid as much as you would expect,” the study said.

Brazilian players were most in demand, with more than 1,500 transferred internationally last year. Players from Argentina and France were next on the list.

The figures exclude players moving between clubs in the same

country, such as Chelsea’s 50 million pound $80 million signing of Fernando Torres from Liverpool.

FIFA believes its transfer monitoring—and powers to sanction clubs and national associations—has helped clean up a football trade market that was regarded as “pretty crazy” and ripe for corruption.

“If there any inconsistencies then questions will be asked,” said Mark Goddard, general manager of FIFA’s TMS subsidiary operation.

FIFA said its compliance team intervened in 700 cases last year, but did not detail any specific disciplinary action taken.

However, Goddard Contd. on page 44

Bullfighter blinded in goring to fight again this weekend wearing an eye-patch

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he Spanish matador who lost his left eye in a horrific goring will make a remarkable return to the ring this weekend Contd. on page 44 wearing an eye patch.

Coaches laud Senate over NFF Corruption probe

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ome coaches on Thursday lauded the Senate’s move to clean up the corruption in football administration in Nigeria, saying the step would reposition the game.

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, the coaches, however, noted that corruption was, however, not limited to football administration.

They said that even the legislature was not exempted

from the allegation of corruption.

NAN reports that the upper chamber of the National Assembly recently alleged that the NFF and Nigeria Football Association (NFA) were ‘centres of fraud and corruption’.

Incidents of alleged corruption in the football body include the purported theft of 236,000 dollars at the NFA secretariat, and some other cases of financial impropriety.

Page 44

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 42

R

esurgent Liverpool could rekindle their continental aspiration today if they tame upbeat Arsenal who will attempt to build on the euphoria they generated after demolishing Tottenham in what is a pivotal Premier League match for both

Spurs bid to end winless streak vs Utd

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ottenham Hotspur will aim to register their first win over Manchester United in more than 10 years when they host the Premier League champions at White Hart Lane on Sunday, knowing they must be at their best after last week’s setback at Arsenal.

Third-placed Spurs should have midfielder Gareth Bale, forward Rafael van der Vaart and fullback Kyle Walker available after injury for the clash with United, who are second, eight points ahead of the London side and two behind Manchester City.

Manager Harry Redknapp must rally his team after they were thrashed 5-2 by arch rivals Arsenal at The Emirates last Sunday but they will be without their new England captain Scott Parker who is suspended.

Spurs are seven points ahead of London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea in the race for third place and an automatic Champions League qualifying place and Redknapp said that was the priority with their chances of a first league title since 1961 having faded over the last few weeks.

Resurgent Liverpool host upbeat Arsenal in showdown clubs.

The Reds broke their six-year trophy drought by beating Cardiff in the Carling Cup final last Sunday few hours after the Gunners gave their rapidly disintegrating season the kiss of life by fighting back from 2-0 down to thrash third-placed Tottenham 5-2 and thus regained their place in the top four, at the expense of Chelsea.

It remains to be seen though whether Sunday’s dazzling win at the Emirates marks a significant momentum shift for Arsenal or

EPL Log Team Man City Man Utd Tottenham Arsenal Chelsea Newcastle Liverpool Norwich Sunderland Everton Fulham Stoke West Brom Swansea Aston Villa Wolverhampton QPR Blackburn Bolton Wigan

P 26 26 26 26 26 26 25 26 26 25 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26

W 20 19 16 14 13 12 10 9 9 9 8 9 9 7 6 5 5 5 6 4

D 3 4 5 4 7 7 9 8 6 6 9 6 5 9 11 7 6 6 2 8

whether it is the latest in a long line of false dawns for Arsene Wenger’s men.

A victory at Anfield in today’s early kick-off would ensure cut the points gap between them and Arsenal to seven while a win for Arsenal would see them move to within four points of Spurs, who face a daunting home clash against second-placed Manchester United tomorrow.

Meanwhile the race for top spot sees leaders Manchester City presented with another opportunity to pile the pressure

L 3 3 5 8 6 7 6 9 11 10 9 11 12 10 9 14 15 15 18 14

GF 67 63 51 53 47 38 29 38 34 26 32 26 33 28 29 30 27 37 29 23

GA 19 26 30 37 31 38 23 43 30 27 36 38 35 34 34 51 45 59 54 50

GD 48 37 21 16 16 0 6 -5 4 -1 -4 -12 -2 -6 -5 -21 -18 -22 -25 -27

Pts 63 61 53 46 46 43 39 35 33 33 33 33 32 30 29 22 21 21 20 20

on rivals United.

City face Bolton at Eastlands on Saturday knowing that victory will give them a five-point lead over United ahead of their game with Spurs 24 hours later.

So far reigning champions United have remained stubbornly on the coat-tails of City, most notably last weekend when they overcame a late equaliser to snatch a 2-1 win at Norwich which kept them within two points of the top.

According to striker Wayne Rooney, the win over Norwich reflected United’s iron nerve forged over the course of countless league and cup triumphs.

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas finds himself walking a tightrope yet again as his team travel to West Bromwich Albion for a game his side dare not lose.

Villas-Boas bought himself some fleeting breathing space after last weekend’s home victory over Bolton but is back on the defensive after giving a radio interview this week in which he appeared to criticise the club’s hierarchy.

The Portuguese manager admitted he could be sacked by owner Roman Abramovich and compared his current position to the situation faced by Carlo Ancelotti, who was unceremoniously dumped at the end of the season.

Home-based better than foreign counterparts, says Keshi

A

fter just a competitive game in charge of the Super Eagles, Head Coach Stephen Keshi, has admitted that the domestic league players were better than their foreign-based colleagues in commitment, zest and response to tactical instructions.

Keshi had only last Wednesday included onlt three domestic league players in the Eagles’ starting line-up against the Wasps of Rwanda and they did not just impressed but were by far the real spark in an otherwise lackadaisical squad.

Now, ‘Big Boss’ as he is fondly called gave huge justification for wanting to rebuild with the majority of the new squad drawn from the domestic league.

“Ejike for me was our best player among those that started.

He was the one initiating almost every of our attacks even while we had the likes of Yakubu, Osaze and Musa on the pitch.

Keshi in the game against Rwanda Uzoenyi, Godfrey Oboabona and Azubuike Egwuekwe in the starting line up,

while four other NPL stars Chigozie Agbim, Gabriel Reuben, Papa Idris and Uche Kalu - on the bench. Gabriel later replaced Dickson Etuhu and quickly gave the midfield needed spark.

Though denied having a blacklist with the likes of Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Taye Taiwo, Osaze Odemwingie, Etuhu, and Joel Obi prominent in it, he admitted that the presence of the older players

would gradually be eased out.

“But that doesn’t mean Yakubu, Osaze and Musa and the rest of the squad aren’t good.

Footballers at times do have their off periods and in this case it happened to most of our foreignbased players and it only justifies that we have talent back home in the local league,” Keshi remarked.

The 50-year-old coach is also on the lookout for new addition to

Okon invites 29 Falconets for Zimbabwe

H

ead Coach of the national U-20 women team, the Falconets, Edwin Okon, has called 29 players to camp for the second round of the African qualifying series for 2012 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup against winner of the fixture between Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

The Falconets, who scaled through to the second round without kicking a ball, following the withdrawal of Sierra Leone, will host the first leg of the second round fixture in Nigeria on March 31.

Zimbabwe thrashed the largely inexperienced Mozambique side 4-0 in the first leg in Harare and is tipped to complete the demolition job when the two teams clash in Maputo next week.

Nigeria has participated in every edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup since the inaugural event in Canada in 2002. At the last championship in Germany, the Falconets stunned the world by reaching the final, where they lost 0-2 to hosts Germany.

strengthen the squad especially from the home front, as he believes his team are still work in progress. “We have games coming up against Gabon and Peru, and I won’t just wake up and throw away this team. It’s a building process we’ve started and it’s a long-term plan. I will be looking for players to bring into the side to help out because we are not there yet,” Keshi rounded off.

U

Fixtures Liverpool vs. Arsenal Blackburn vs. Aston Villa Man City vs. Bolton QPR vs. Everton Stoke vs. Norwich West Brom vs. Chelsea Wigan vs. Swansea Sunday Newcastle vs. Sunderland Fulham vs. Wolverhampton Tottenham vs. Man Utd NPL Kware Utd vs Sunshine Wikki Tourists vs shark Kano pillars vs Akwa Utd 3SC vs Warri Wolves Rising Stars vs Ocean Boys Sunday Rangers Int’t vs Lobi Stars Enyimba vs Jigawa Golden Stars Kaduna Utd vs ABS Gombe Utd vs Heartland La Liga Mallorca vs. Osasuna Getafe vs. Malaga Rayo Vallecano vs. Santander Barcelona vs. Sporting Gijon Sevilla vs. Atletico Madrid Sunday Zaragoza vs. Villarreal Bilbao vs. Real Sociedad Granada vs. Valencia Real Madrid vs. Espanyol CAF Champions League Recreativo vs. Orlando Pirates ASO Chlef vs. ASFA Yennega APR FC vs. Tusker Dolphin vs. Sony de Ela Nguema Zamalek vs. Young Africans Ethiopian Coffee vs. Mitsamiouli Correction Services vs. R/ Authority Platiniums vs. Green Mamba African Sports vs. Missisle JSM Bejaia vs. Foullah edifice Tonnerre vs. AS Garde National US Ouakam vs. Brikama Bechem Chelsea vs. LISCR Power Dynamos vs. Japan Actual Liga Muculmana vs. Mafunzo CAF Confederation Cup Samba vs. Kiyovu FC Etoile Filante vs. Dragons FC FC Kallon vs. Union Sportive St. Goerge SA vs. Mangasport Royal Leopards vs. Red Arrows Sahel SC vs. Renaissance Gor Mahia vs. Ferroviario US Haut Nka vs. Sewe Sport Casamance vs. Gamtel AS Tempet vs. AC Leopards FS Sequence vs. Nania FC Aletico Sem vs. Lydia Academi Tana vs. Gunners Hwange vs. Jamhur

THE FULL LIST

gochi Okafor (Pelican Stars), Ebubeleye Whyte (Rivers Angels), Stella Henry (Pelican Stars), Eucharia Okafor (Delta Queens), Lola Phillips (Confluence Queens), Gloria Ofoegbu (Rivers Angels), Josephine Chukwunonye (Rivers Angels), Fasilat Adeyemo (Confluence Queens), Rose Usman (Osun Babes), Francesca Ordega (Rivers Angels), Asisat Olushola (FC Robo), Ugo Njoku (Rivers Angels), (Uchechi Sunday (Rivers Angels), Ebere Orji (Rivers Angels), Charity Adule (Bayelsa

Queens), Amarachi Okoronkwo (Nasarawa Amazons), Cecilia Nku (Bayelsa Queens), Foluke Osundele (Sunshine Queens), Blessing Edoho (Pelican Stars), Eno Umoh (Ibom Queens), Aminat Yakubu (FC Robo), Ngozi Okobi (Delta Queens), Esther Sunday (Sunshine Queens), Damilola Akano (Sunshine Queens), Jane David (Delta Queens), Desire Oparanozie (Delta Queens), Blessing Echelpu (Benue Queens), Chioma Nwankwo (Nasarawa Amazons), Akhere Idemudia (Inneh Queens).

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 43

Kiprop misfires in year’s first 1,500m in Melbourne World and Olympic champion, Asbel Kiprop, plans to work on his speed after placing fifth at the Melbourne Track Classic in his first 1,500 metres of the year yesterday.

The 22-year-old Kenyan led for the middle stretch of the race on a gusty evening

at Lakeside stadium, but faded coming into the last lap to post a time of three minutes 42.52 seconds, over four seconds shy of local winner Ryan Gregson.

“I don’t know exactly what happened. It was not my day today. This is sports,” Kiprop, who won the 800 metres in Sydney last week, told reporters.

“I did 10 seconds slower than what I was expecting. It doesn’t disappoint me at all.

“Since November when we started the buildup, we concentrated only on long runs So I’ll go home now and go to prepare well to do speed work and to train hard,” added Kiprop, who came second to Bahrain’s

Rashid Ramzi at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but was awarded the gold after the Moroccan-born runner failed a dope test.

The time was also over 12 seconds short of his personal best set at Rieti last year, and marked his third consecutive disappointment in Melbourne over the distance, having lost to Australia’s Jeff

Riseley in the previous two meetings.

The night doubled as Olympic trials for local athletes but strong winds put paid to the small crowd’s hopes of impressive times.

World champion and local hero Sally Pearson won the 100 metres in 11.83 seconds, using the race as preparation for her specialty 100 hurdles.

American sprinter gets doping banned

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he US Anti-Doping Agency has banned American sprinter, Michael Rodgers, for nine months after failing a drug test at a

track meet last year in Italy.

The 2009 US champion in the 100 meters tested positive to the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine.

Top athletes criticise Kenya’s plans for Olympic trials in U.S.

F Asbel Kiprop

Edna Kiplagat

Mary Keitany

ormer athletes have criticised Kenya’s plans to select part of the east African country’s team for this year’s Olympics at races in the United States, arguing there was no need to break with the tradition of using national trials for all distances.

Last week, Athletics Kenya chairman Isaiah Kiplagat said that five male and female runners would take part in each of the 5,000 and 10,000 metres races at the Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon in early June.

The top three finishers in each race would make the Olympic team with Kiplagat saying he wanted the runners to be selected at the lower altitude races before going on to train at a higher altitude prior to the London Games.

The remainder of the team will be selected at trials in Nairobi in June.

World Marathon record holder Patrick Makau and the women’s world titleholder Edna Kiplagat were among the top ultimate distance runners named by Athletics Kenya in January on the squad of 12 provisional athletes for London Olympics consideration.

The federation stated the final squad of six - three male and an equal number of female competitors - would be announced after the end of the European spring Marathon season on 30 April.

As expected Makau, the Boston and New York champion Geoffrey Mutai, double World gold winner Abel Kirui, Chicago titleholder Moses Mosop, Frankfurt champion Wilson Kipsang and World Majors crown holder Emmanuel Mutai got the nod in the men’s line-up.

World titleholder Edna Kiplagat, London winner Mary Keitany, Berlin winner Florence Kiplagat, Daegu silver winner Priscah Jeptoo, the bronze winner in Korea Sharon Cherop and surprise inclusion veteran Lydia Cheromei who placed second at last year’s Dubai Marathon, were named as the women’s probables.

“We want to select a strong team for the Olympics because we have not won a (gold) medal in these two events (since 1988). We have therefore decided to take as many as 20 athletes to Oregon, where we shall pick the best runners,” Kiplagat told reporters.

Five-time world cross country champion and former marathon world record holder Paul Tergat said the trials should be held in Kenya as they always had been in the past.

“Kenya is a sovereign state and it makes little sense to conduct part of an Olympic trials outside the country,” Tergat, who won two 10,000m Olympic silver medals, told Reuters.

“We have always done our trials and selected winning teams here. I don’t understand why we have to take our trials to America.”

Another leading former athlete, Martin Keino, said the trials were the biggest local event in an Olympic year.

“It is unique in the sense that it is the convergence of as many as 20 of the world’s top distance athletes fighting for just three spots through a rigorous system of selection,” said Keino, son of Kenyan athletics pioneer Kipchoge ‘Kip’ Keino.

“The men’s 5,000m and 10,000m races are generally some of the most exciting races at an Olympic trials here in Kenya. Not to hold these events in such important trials is to deny thousands of fans their only opportunity to watch their stars in person before the Games,” he said.

Keino said the higher altitude in Kenya would benefit the runners more than the lower one in Oregon.

“As a former athlete who participated in several trials, the pressure cooker environment, high altitude and the toughest competition in the world made for the best preparation for any championship to follow,” he said.

Emmanuel Mutai

Robles leads Cuban indoor challenge

O

Wilson Kipsang

lympic champion and 110m hurdles world record holder Dayron Robles heads the Cuban team set to compete at the World Indoor Championships in Turkey March 9-11, the Cuban News Agency (ACN) announced on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old is the defending champion in the 60m hurdles, having won the title in Doha two years ago.

However the Cuban’s best performance in the discipline this year is 7.50 seconds, way off his personal best of 7.33sec and the 7.41sec achieved this season by his main rival, Liu Xiang of China.

Three-time triple jump world champion Yargelis Savigne also made the squad.

Savigne will be looking to regain the crown she won in 2008 after finishing second to Kazakhstan’s Olga Rypakova in Doha.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 44

FIFA records N489bn processes for player transfers in 2011 Contd. from page 41 acknowledged it is tough for TMS to wipe out money laundering and third-party ownership of players’ transfer rights, which is illegal in England.

“I don’t think it’s a silver bullet that solves everything,” he said. “We are trying to make (money laundering) something that they reconsider whether they want to use football clubs to do this.”

FIFA’s survey also gives only a partial picture of how much money is taken by agents.

Transfer matching rules required clubs to tell FIFA they paid $130 million to middle men, though players’ payments to their agents are not accounted for.

FIFA calculated that agents received an average $240,000 commission—16 percent of the average transfer fee—yet the governing body has long been working on proposals to limit an agent’s maximum cut to three percent. FIFA pointed to real progress in curbing “child trafficking” transfers, as TMS requires details of all international moves involving registered players under the age of 18.

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Radamel Falcao Atletico Madrid Alexis Sanchez Barcelona Cesc Fabregas Barcelona Alex OxladeChamberlain Arsenal Juan Mata Chelsea Romelu Lukaku Chelsea Stewart Downing Liverpool Jordan Henderson Liverpool Sergio Aguero Manchester City Samir Nasri Manchester City Bojan Krkic Roma Erik Lamela Roma Pablo Osvaldo Roma Phil Jones `Manchester Utd David de Gea ` Manchester Utd Ashley Young Manchester Utd Mirko Vucinic Juventus Fernando Torres Chelsea Andy Carroll Liverpool

From Amount (£) Porto Udinese Arsenal

40million 26million 39.7million

Southampton Valencia Anderlecht Aston Villa Sunderland Atletico Madrid Arsenal Barcelona River Plate Espanyol Blackburn Atletico Madrid Aston Villa Roma Liverpool Newcastle

17.3million 27million 20million 22.5million 22.5million 45million 26million 12million 17million 18million 18.7million 19million 18million 15million 50million 35million

Alex OxladeChamberlain

Samir Nasri

Coaches laud Senate over NFF Corruption probe ome coaches on Thursday lauded the Senate’s move to clean up the corruption in football administration in Nigeria, saying the step would reposition the game.

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, the coaches, however, noted that corruption was, however, not limited to football administration.

They said that even the legislature was not exempted from the allegation of corruption.

NAN reports that the upper chamber of the National Assembly recently alleged that the NFF and Nigeria Football Association (NFA) were ‘centres of fraud and corruption’.

Incidents of alleged corruption in the football body include the purported theft of 236,000 dollars at the NFA secretariat, and some other cases of financial impropriety.

Christian Chukwu, a former Chief Coach of the Super Eagles, said that something urgent needed to be done to clean corruption as it was not making things to work as they should be.

Chukwu, a member of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) Technical Committee, said

Here are some of the major transfers

that the dwindling fortune of football in Nigeria was due to bad leadership.

He said that the senate was on the right course and hoped that it could successfully clean it up.

“Something must be done to clean up our sports generally in order to see the desired results.

“I think the senate is on the course of transforming our football and it will be a profitable exercise if it is successful,” Chukwu said.

The coach, a former captain of Nigeria’s Green Eagles, said that corruption in football was the bane of the game’s development.

Also speaking, Joe Erico, a former Assistant Coach of the Super Eagles, decried the level of corruption in the country, saying ‘it is a disease found in every facet of the country’’.

Erico said that corruption was everywhere in the Nigerian system and its weight is pulling our football down also. “If the Senate can do the investigation conscientiously, I think that it will put football on the path of progress,” he said.

Erico blamed the high level of corruption in the country to the lack of conscience by the leadership.

Sergio Aguero

At last, Murray conquers Djokovic in Dubai

N

ovak Djokovic lost for the first time this season, falling to Andy Murray 6-2, 7-5 yesterrday in the semifinals of the Dubai Championships.

The third-seeded Murray, who lost to Djokovic in the

Australian Open semifinals, broke the top-ranked Serb to go up 4-2 in the first set and then saved two break points to make it 5-2.

Murray took a 3-0 lead in the second set but Djokovic rallied to tie the match at 5-5.

Novak Djokovic

But Murray won the final two games, clinching the win when Djokovic sent a forehand long.

The loss ended Djokovic’s 10-match winning streak this season. Murray will face either Roger Federer or Juan Martin del Potro in the final.

Andy Murray

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 45

Bullfighter blinded in goring to fight again this weekend wearing an eye-patch

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he Spanish matador who lost his left eye in a horrific goring will make a remarkable return to the ring this weekend - wearing an eye patch.

Juan José Padilla, now dubbed ‘The Pirate’, will risk life and limb just five months after he was seen hobbling from a Zaragoza ring covered in blood screaming ‘I can’t see’.

Although he says he is ‘fully prepared’, he has admitted there will be an added element of danger - as he will not see the bull whenever it brushes past him on his blind left side.

Padilla, 38, was wounded in October after he slipped on the sand, a bull’s horn pierced his jaw and it came out through his eye.

The crowds at the Zaragoza’s Fiestas Del Pilar bullfight at the Misericordia ring were left stunned.

He then underwent a lifesaving five-hour operation to repair severe damage to his eye, bone, muscle and skin - his face reconstructed with titanium plates and mesh.

On Sunday he will take on his first professional fight, since the goring, in the western town of Olivenza on Sunday.

He said: ‘Sunday will feel like a dream come true, after some very hard months, and I’m fully aware that nobody thought I would be back now.’

His wife Lidia and two children are said to be behind his lucrative return, but he added: ‘My parents couldn’t understand why I would want to.’

He also revealed he felt ‘fully prepared’ for the fight and had

Gored: The bull’s horn pierced Padilla’s jaw and emerged through his left eye socket after his fight went horribly wrong in the northeastern city of Zaragoza’s Fiestas Del Pilar in 2009. killed 10 bulls as practice on private farms.

It is not the first time Padilla,

a popular matador who has won many fans for his courage and willingness to face the toughest

Now and then: Juan Jose Padilla pictured (left) in November, and before the goring (right) in 2009

bulls, has been gored.

In 2001 the Jerez native suffered serious injuries to his neck during a fight in Pamplona.

His return to the ring comes as the intense debate over bullfighting in Spain continues with supporters saying it is a key part of its culture and critics claiming it is animal cruelty.

The ‘spectacle’ has come under pressure since the 2007 start of

the economic crisis, as public funds to promote fights are cut, and the region of Catalonia banned it in 2011.

But Spain’s new conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is an avid fan and recently inspired the national television networks to start showing fights again.

Coverage had been abandoned in 2006 under the previous Socialist administration.

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

Democracy Watch From the Villa

From the National Assembly

Another blast, another Nass: Tackling executive bodies for condemnation the peoples interest S i n c e the present administration started facing the Boko Haram crisis and other forms of militancy, we have been too used to this spontaneous reaction by the Presidency.

After every major bomb incident, Boko Haram (or MEND) takes responsibility, the President visits the scene (if he can) and victims on their hospital beds, he condemns the crime- sometimes he even tells us to get used to it as terrorism is a global phenomenon- and repeat the familiar phrase of ‘we are on top of it.’

Next, his media aide issues a release and repeats the same rhetoric and after a few days of hue and cry as well as some media paparazzi, the whole thing dies down. Meanwhile, the evil doers go back to the drawing board and plot another attack and the vicious circle goes on.

As experience has shown, anytime a particular area is seen to be under series of consistent attacks, the attention of everyone and security operatives are wholly focused there. Then we witness more roadblocks, more traffic, more chaos, more confusion, less thinking and less results.

Sometimes, we even have curfews and state of emergencies in these areas.

And what does the militants do, they explore other areas and catch everybody unawares”. Government officials begin to fall on top of each other in order to hurriedly repeat the same things.

It happened again in Jos last Sunday when a suicide bomber attacked the headquarters of Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN), killing scores of people, wounding others and destroying several vehicles.

There was a reprisal attack on some Muslims in another part of the state, moments after I guess it was Jos again this time because it had been long any of such incident happened in that city. And since the attention of our security agencies was focused in Maiduguri, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Suleja and Madalla and since Jos, a

THRILLER FROM THE VILLA

By Richard Ihediwa

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By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem kingatoldtrafford@gmail.com 08098639161 city notorious for all sort of killings in recent years, had been naively abandoned, the evil men struck again.

Expectedly, President Goodluck Jonathan’s spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati reacted in his usual manner and as usual threatened fire and brimstone: “Those who seek to divide us by fear and terror will not succeed. The indiscriminate bombing of Christians and Muslims is a threat to all peace-loving Nigerians. Mr. President will continue to stand firm to ensure the safety and security of all Nigerians while ensuring that the relevant institutions move against those who disregard the sanctity of life in the pursuit of sectarian ambitions,” the statement said.

It continued: “Government is gradually and firmly bringing justice to those behind these attacks and exposing their identities and dismantling their terror infrastructure. Those behind similar acts of terror in recent times have been arrested and are being investigated with a view to prosecuting them accordingly, as a deterrent to others.”

After this, all we will hear is that some people have been arrested, is either the prime suspect escapes and the masses of Nigeria are subjected to some drama or we don’t just hear anything serious again.

This continues again until the next blast.

It is worth repeating here that the present Boko Haram crisis in the country may not be the direct fault of President Goodluck Jonathan but it is also worth asking what exactly has the President done to bring the bombers to their knees aside stronglyworded statements and

cosmetic changes here and there.

While we may forgive the President on account of the fact that he cannot be everywhere, we ask if he is satisfied with the work of his security chiefs so far?

How come we still employ this archaic system of blocking the roads with gun wielding soldiers and simply frustrating innocent commuters rather than doing something serious about serious criminals in our midst? How come Jonathan’s security men have not been able to come up with better strategies of ending the bombings than merely mounting roadblocks since the Boko Haram launched an audacious attack on the UN building on August 16 last year?

Sometimes, when I hear about bomb attacks in Suleja, Madalla, Kaduna and Kano, my mind goes back to the number of roadblocks and military checkpoints we have from Abuja down to Kaduna to Zaria and then to Kano.

Since similar checkpoints are a prominent feature of all northern roads, then where exactly do the bombs pass through? Where, just where?

Is it not a pointer to the fact that the President needs to task his security think tank to put on its thinking cap and come up with something more effective and stop delaying traffic for nothing?

Lest I forget, what happened to intelligence gathering? Are these bomb attacks planned in Nigeria? And how come they get executed with such clinical efficiency without any interruption from any quarters? Yet some people and institutions get sustained with billions of naira of tax payers’ money

h e two chambers of the National Assembly opened plenary this week with sensitive issues having direct impact on the welfare of the people being on the front burner.

While the Senate on Wednesday joined the House in barring the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) from issuing new vehicle number plates and driver’s license, the House of Representatives rose from its session on Thursday spitting fire against the executive for the poor implementation of annual federal budgets in the country.

Senate’s decision to bar the FRSC from issuing new number plates and driver’s license came with the adoption of a motion by Senator Dahiru Kuta and 19 others, who drew the attention of the Senate to the indiscriminate fees charged by the FRSC on the two items and prayed the upper house to prevail on the commission to hands off the process.

Senators unanimously supported the motion with many of them pointing out that the number plates issued by the commission were illegal since the law establishing it does not empower it to issue number plates.

In his motion, Kuta accused the FRSC of abandoning its primary mandates of ensuring safety on Nigeria roads to turn itself into a revenue generating agency.

Lawmakers at that sitting were irked by findings that the commission had hiked the

fees for the plate number and driver’s license which they noted had added to the sufferings of Nigerians.

The new driver’s license which the commission launched in 2011 is now issued for N6000 as against the N3000 while the new number plates have suddenly jumped from N5000 to an astronomical N15, 000.

Ruling, Senate President, David Mark said the issuance of new number plates by FRSC was an imposition of additional burden on Nigerians.

With Senate backing the House of Representatives, there is now an official legislative consensus on the part of Nigerians on the matter. However, the problem is that executive bodies have not been known to have serious respect on resolutions of the National Assembly on their activities.

The recent resolution on the FRSC has become a test case and Nigerians are watching as they expect the National Assembly to invoke its powers as provided by the constitution to whip errant executive bodies into line.

However, in line with the resolution to get things done in accordance to the provisions in laws passed especially the appropriation laws, the House on Thursday raised the issue of flouting of the nation’s appropriation laws and warned that it will not hesitate to invoke its impeachment powers so as to protect the sanctity of the nation’s constitution.

The lawmakers took stock of what they described as flagrant disregard to

“

Senators unanimously supported the motion with many of them pointing out that the number plates issued by the commission were illegal since the law establishing it does not empower it to issue number plates.

provision of the appropriation Act by executive bodies and submitted that such non adherence to the provisions of the budget constituted an impeachable offence.

Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Rep. Zakari Mohammed, said the view of the House is that “not obeying the Appropriation Act is an impeachable offence” adding that the House will have no alternative than to invoke the constitutional provision on impeachment.

According to him, “The truth of the matter is that, as leaders in our own rights, we will not want to do that which will heat up the polity.

When the time calls for us to invoke those powers, we will definitely not shy away. But this situation is still within constructive engagements between the House and the executive.

“We believe that way from today’s resolution; the authority under the leadership of Mr. President will look at the issues and ensure actions are taken. We are all driving towards developing our dear nation.

So we are not afraid of using our powers but we believe it is necessary we ensure that the necessary thing is done”, he stressed.

However, in as much as the position of the House is commendable, critics are quick to point out that blames on the poor performance of the yearly budget cannot be laid totally at the feet of the executive.

This is because the constitution has given the legislature the powers of oversight function on the executive bodies to ensure strict adherence to budget provisions. It is the view of many Nigerians that in this regard, the National Assembly has to buckle up.

Observers had commended Senate President David Mark for the marching order he gave to Senate committee at the beginning of plenary this year to take issues of oversight as topmost priority in the general interest of the country.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

PAGE 47

From the Pulpit Living a life that pleases God “

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or to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His." (Rom 8:6-9 NKJV) I want to call your attention especially to that verse that says, "So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God." The Greek word translated please is aresko (ares'-ko) which means to be agreeable (or by implication, to seek to be so) I will define to please God to mean to satisfy God, to be acceptable to God, to be approved by God. Acts 2:22 describes Jesus of Nazareth as a man approved of God by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him. The Greek word translated approved is apodeiknumi (ap-odike'-noo-mee) meaning to show off, i.e. exhibit; figuratively, to demonstrate, i.e. accredit. In John 8:29-30, Jesus said, "And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him." (NKJV) Also Rom 16:10 describes Apelles as "a good man whom Christ approves." (NLT) The Greek word translated approves is dokimos (dok'ee-mos) which means properly, acceptable i.e. approved. The KJV translated dokimos as approved or tried.

As we have seen before, Rom 8:8

says, "So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God." (NKJV) To be in the flesh means to be controlled by the flesh, to obey the lower nature, to be earthly minded, and anyone who lives according to the flesh cannot please God. 1 Thess 2:15 says the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and their prophets and persecuted Paul did not please God. They certainly couldn't have pleased God because God's word forbids murder. God created us to live a life that will please Him, and to do otherwise is to be living contrary to divine purpose. God created man for His pleasure, His glory and for Himself. "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." (Rev 4:11 NKJV) Col 1: 16 says, "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him." (NKJV) Also, Isa 43:7 says "Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him." (NKJV) There is a way to live to please God. (1 Thess 4:1) God hasn't hidden it from us; He has not made it unattainable otherwise that will be wicked. How to live to please God is communicated to us in God's Word and that is what I want to share with you in this message. Jesus said, "And he that sent me is with me; he hath not left me alone; for I do always the things that are pleasing to him. (John 8:29

with Pastor David Usman vine2006d@yahoo.com 08033204912, 08054181704

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GREEN PASTURES

By Pastor T.O. Banso cedarministryintl@yahoo.com GSM: 08033113523 -Make the right request from God in prayer. That was what Solomon did. (1 Kings 3:1014) -Patiently enduring suffering or unfair treatment for doing good. (1 Peter 2:19-24, James 1:12) Benefits of pleasing the Lord Below are some benefits of pleasing the Lord: -God won't allow your enemy to triumph over you. (Ps 41:11) -God will preserve you. 1 Cor 10:5 5 Num 32:11-12, Num 14:22-24, 1 Cor 10:5) -God will accept your sacrifice. (Gen 4:3-7, Judg 13:23) -You will receive answers to your prayers and answers in excess of your requests. Solomon received excess answer to prayer. (1 Kings 3:10-14, Eph 3:20, John 16:23-24, James 4:3) -God will make your enemies to be at peace with you.

(Prov 16:7) -You will enjoy divine stability or establishment. God will give you a sure footing. (Ps 37:23) Having read this message thus far, I invite you to take a decision to live to please the Lord by acting on

what you have read. Follow the steps I have highlighted and you'll enjoy the benefits of living a life that pleases the Lord, and it shall be well with you in Jesus' name.

TAKE ACTION! If you are not born again, the first step to live a life that pleases the Lord is to give your life to Jesus. Kindly say this prayer now: "0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved.

Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God" I believe you have said this prayer from your heart.

Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you will be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be.

..."By my spirit"... Saith the lord... (2) ...That mountain shall crumble

OPEN HEA VENS HEAVENS

DECLARATION: h a t mountain before you shall crumble in Jesus' Mighty Name.

Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain. Jeremiah 51:25 That challenge and trail shall become your triumph.

That test shall become your testimony in Jesus' Mighty Name As the impotent man beside the pool of Bethesda came out of his long standing infirmity and challenge. So shall you come out of yours this day in Jesus' Mighty Name. (John 5:5-9 - And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

ASV) How can you live to please God? You must come to God through Christ Jesus, the only begotten son of God in whom He is well pleased. (Mark 1:11, Matt 3:17, 12:18, 17:5, 2 Peter 1:17) The phrase "well pleased" is from the Greek word eudokeo (yoo-dok-eh'-o) and it means "to think well of, i.e. approve (an act); specially, to approbate (a person or thing)" 2 Cor 10:18 says, "For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth." (KJV) God cannot be pleased with us unless we come by the way of redemption, by the blood of Jesus, His son that God was pleaded with.

That is the only way for us to be accepted. We can only be accepted in the beloved. (Eph 1:6-7) We cannot please God by our own righteousness or by our own good works. (Phil 3:311) Our righteousness remains a filthy rag. (Is 64:6) Anything we do that will be accepted can only be on the work of the cross. (Rom 10:34) -Live a life of holiness. (1 Thess 4:1-8) -Live a life of faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. ( Heb 11:6) -Worship God with holy fear and awe. (Ps 33:8-9, Heb 12:28) -Be under the control of the Holy Spirit. Be heavenly minded.

(Rom 8:5-8) -Serve God by living a life of peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Such attitude is well-pleasing to God. (Rom 14:17-18) -Do good and be generous.

(Heb 13:15-16)

When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in

that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the Sabbath ) -I see Jesus standing by you saying, "Rise, take up your bed of affliction and challenge; and walk" "...walk"- walk into your triumph Walk into your promotion Walk into your wealth Walk into your health Walk into your marriage Walk into your destiny

Hear this; the woman with an issue of blood for 12 years bounced back into celebrity.

25. And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

34. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

Mark 5:25-29, 34.

-She came out of her issue of life. I don't know what your "issue" is today, but you're coming out with a testimony in Jesus' mighty name.

She came out with a title "Daughter" that has never been

given to anyone before and after her.

There is a title awaiting you!

In your marriage In your career In your business For your destiny.

The LORD God almighty changed the status of Jehoiachin king of Judah after 37 years of captivity.

Hear this narrative: II kings 25:27-30 - And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison; 28 And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon; {kindly...: Heb. good things with him} 29 And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life. 30 And his

allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.

He received seven outstanding miracles in a day and his life was never the same.

I see the Hand of God upon you this day. " He is lifting you out of that bondage (spiritual prison) " He is changing your prison garment - Replacing it with glorious garment (garment of honour) " Divine favour is released upon you " You are restored into divine royalty " Divine provision for your lack and scarcity " Your lost treasures are restored " Seven fold restoration of your wealth is restored in Jesus' mighty name.

Our Confidence and Conviction is "By His Spirit" A new day and a new you have come today in Jesus name.

BIG PUNCH As a result all the high hopes for Africa, most importantly the hope of an African Renaissance, have proved to be an illusion. Industrialization did not take place. Economic growth of a level sufficient to lift the people from poverty in years rather than decades did not take place, and most of Africa is just growing poorer, not richer.

SATURDAY 3 — SUNDAY 4, MARCH, 2012

Paradox of the Shell State

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n May 11, 2000, The Economist, ran an editorial on Africa which even today, more than a decade after, still makes an interesting reading. It depicts most of African states as 'shell states', meaning: 'On the outside, these have all the trappings of a modern state: borders, flags, ministers, civil services, courts.

Inside, they have been hollowed out.' In these states, there are no distinctions between the state and the president, between the state and the president's party, between the state treasury and the president's pocket, and the president is free to use the panoply of state institutions, notably the police and the army, to force himself into power. He must not lose, he must win.

'Today, only a few countries have a middle class, a body of professionals and businessmen with an allegiance to a national entity, laws and institutions which they regard as greater than the ruler or his party,' the paper asserts. 'The African ruler finds himself trapped. He wants power and control; but the outside world makes demands about democracy, human rights and good governance, which weaken his position and could cost him his job. If he cannot use the treasury as his private bank account and the police as his private army, he tries to create alternative sources of wealth and power. This is why more and more African rulers are turning their countries into shell states.'

As a result all the high hopes for Africa, most importantly the hope of an African Renaissance, have proved to be an illusion.

Industrialization did not take place. Economic growth of a level sufficient to lift the people from poverty in years rather than decades did not take place, and most of Africa is just growing poorer, not richer. 'The figuresnot to mention the recent crop of disasters and wars-now suggest that Africa is losing the battle,' The Economist notes. 'All the bottom places in the world league tables are filled by African countries, and the gap between them and the rest of the world is widening. According to Paul Collier of the World Bank, only 15% of Africans today live in "an environment considered minimally adequate for sustainable growth and

ADVERT: BUSINESS: NEWS: LAGOS:

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development." At least 45% of Africans live in poverty, and African countries need growth rates of 7% or more to cut that figure in half in 15 years.'

Many have hoped that Nigeria could fulfill Africa's hope.

But unfortunately that, so far, has not materialized. Instead, Nigeria, contrary to all expectations, has lagged

WEEKEND with

Ibraheem Sulaiman sa427420@gmail.com

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (front, sixth from right) poses for a group photo with participants of the 18th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, including Jean Ping (left of Mr. Ban), Chair of the A.U. Commission, and Boni Yayi (front, fifth from left), President of Benin and newly-elected A.U. Chairperson.

embarrassingly far behind all the nations with which it was more or less in the same league at independence, such as India, Indonesia, Brazil or Malaysia. In fact while Brazil is now the sixth largest economy in the world, Nigeria has joined the ranks of the 25 poorest nations on earth.

Instead of breaking the poverty cycle Nigeria has only entrenched it. Every year it pushes millions more of its own people below poverty line.

Between 2004 and 2011, the number of the poor in Nigeria has risen from 68.7 million to 112.4 million. From the outside you see a state stupendously rich, but inside it is hollow, having been emptied of its treasures by its governments.

That is the paradox: a very rich nation, a very poor people.

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Absolute personalization of power even to the extent that one person alone decides how to dispose of the strategic resources of the nation, whatever the constitution says, has undermined the national institutions and rendered democracy a sham. Here is a nation where president and nation mean the same thing.

Perhaps you will be excused if you believe that the resources that had been plundered from the treasury in order to install a few people in power in the Nigerian type democracy would be quite sufficient to bring an end to the cycle of poverty and place the country on the path of sustainable industrialization and prosperity. Most of the factors that make a nation to grow to the level of viability and

strength are missing. Instead of increasing and consolidating vital infrastructure, Nigeria allows its shrinking and decay.

Instead of producing, it is consuming. Instead of investing sufficiently in agriculture and industry so as to provide food for the nation and jobs and wealth for millions of people, the nation appears lost in an ignoble, undesirable atrophy. As poverty holds Nigeria by the jugular vein there may no longer be an escape from the cancer of turmoil and instability that is plaguing nations worldwide.

What is it that is responsible for this distinctive, colossal national failure? The Economist blames it all on psychology. 'In most places, effective European rule lasted a couple of generations or less: just long

enough to undermine African societies, institutions and values, but not long enough to replace them with new ways of life or establish new systems of government,' the paper claims.

'Colonialism, in short, undermined Africa's selfconfidence. A full 40 years after independence, it still looks to Europe and America for aid, goods, services and guidance.

One example: the East African reported recently that a white foreigner had been appointed to head the Kenya Commercial Bank, since "it became clear that the appointment of an indigenous Kenyan might lead to a run on the bank." Much worse than that has Nigeria done.

Indians, Chinese, British, and virtually every one with white, red or yellow skin has been invited at one time or another to take over one strategic national asset or another.

Matters have now gone even worse. Not only is there no confidence in Nigeria, but quite ominously there doesn't appear to be any faith in it either. See how Nigeria has shown a total lack of confidence in itself so much so that, despite its proud and dependable defense force, it is calling on some foreign powers to bail it out in the face of ongoing security challenges within its own territory, within its own jurisdiction, within its own competence, fifty years after independence. The same slave mentality, the same infantile disposition, the same sense of inferiority - even the feeling of not being completely human runs through the entire gamut of the management of Nigeria.

The idea of perpetually looking up to some superior master somewhere in Europe or America for solutions to problems at home is indeed a cause of Nigeria's backwardness.

Where then does the hope lie?

The Economist says: 'More than anything, Africa's people need to regain their self-confidence.

Only then can Africa engage as an equal with the rest of the world, devising its own economic programs and development policies. Its people also need the confidence to trust each other. Only then can they make deals to end wars and build political institutions: institutions that they actually believe in.'

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