Nigerian observer 16 12 2014

The Nigerian

THE NIGERIAN

1

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 • Vo l . 39 • NO.143 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 20 14 • N 100.00 DRUMBEATS Page 19

Who is a wealthy man?

. The Bill Gates Story (2)

Family Medicine

Edo signs MoU with UBTH

BENIN CITY – As part of the efforts to boost family medicine practice in Edo, the State government through the Hospitals Management Board yesterday signed a Memorandum of

Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Family Medicine, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City.

Signing the MOU on

behalf of the State government, Edo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Aihanuwa Eregie re-instated the state government’s readiness to partner with any serious minded

person or organizations to improve the health sector of the state.

Commending the management of UBTH for the laudable initiative, she said that the Continues on page 2

Buhari picks Osibajo as running mate

ISSUES Page 21

Austerity measures Mechanics of Monetary, fiscal policies

BENIN CITY - The anxiety over who emerges as the vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), may have been laid to rest, as the party’s flag bearer, General Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday picked former Attorney General of Lagos State, Professor Yemi Osibajo as his vice presidential running mate.

Buhari picked Osibajo The meeting was ahead of other names, attended by the national including governor of leader of the party, Bola Rivers State, Rotimi Tinubu, the immediate Amaechi and Governor past National Chairman Adams Oshimhole of Edo of the party, Bisi Akande, State, as well as former the immediate past Ekiti State governor, Governor of Ekiti State Kayode Fayemi. and Chairman of the It was not clear as at National Convention press time if Osibajo had Committee of the party, been ratified by the party Kayode Fayemi, leaders, especially those governors Babatunde from the South West who Fashola [Lagos], Ibikunle are meeting to take a final Amosun [Ogun], Rauf decision on the issue.

Aregbesola [Osun] and Chieftains of the party Abiola Ajimobi [Oyo]. from the Southwest Others present at the geopolitical zone, had meeting include Segun been meeting since Oni [Deputy National Sunday night to Chairman, South], Pius deliberate on the choice Akinyelure [Vice of Buhari’s running mate. Chairman, South West],

Tajudeen Olawutan Bello [National Financial Secretary], Lai Mohammed [National Publicity Secretary], and Muiz Banire [National Legal Adviser].

Sources at the APC leaders’ meeting had on Saturday night hinted that the vice president’s slot has been zoned to southwest because the defunct All Congress of

Nigeria, ACN is rooted in the zone.

The source explained that Buhari has taken the slot for CPC, which is thought to be a junior partner, the least the ACN bloc as a senior partner

in the merger could get is the number two position.

Professor Yemi Osibajo is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Senior Partner in the Law firm of Simmons Cooper Partners. Yemi Osibajo is a professor of law and was the head of department of Public Law at the University of Lagos (1997-1999).

Continues on page 2

Infrastructural Devt

PDP member, community leaders commend Oshiomhole

BENIN CITY - A PDP member in Edo State, Mr. Nathaniel Awala has congratulated Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for putting smiles on the faces of Edo people through his infrastructural development in the state.

Mr Awala who was at the scene of the Comrade Governor ’s

inspection of the ongoing road construction at Upper Siluko road, in Benin City yesterday said, “This is not about PDP or APC, I am a PDP man and am congratulating you today because you have put smiles on the faces of the people of Edo who never thought of seeing smiles.

You see those houses that were submerged;

TIT BIT “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone else planted a tree long ago”.

- Warren Buffet

many of the owners are Continues on page 2

CHRISTMAS CAROLS: Children performing at the Naval Officers Wives Association (NOWA) Christmas Carols in Lagos yesterday.

Fuel scarcity re-surfaces

BENIN CITY – With less than 24 hours into the ongoing strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), the multiplier effects have taken their toll on motorists and commuters in Benin City and its metropolis.

As at noon yesterday, all the petrol stations visited in Benin City, including NNPC Mega stations were devoid of normal business activities as none of them opened for sale of

petroleum products.

This development resulted in scarcity of petroleum products and subsequent reemergence of black marketers of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise referred to as fuel.

Managers of some of the petrol stations, Chairman of Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Benin Depot, Mr. Douglas Iyiki in a chat with The Nigerian OBSERVER said the union is not on

strike, but disclosed that the PMS in Benin depot finished on Friday last week.

According to him, only PENGASSAN and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) members are on strike.

He disclosed that there was no scarcity as such, but “perennial scarcity”.

Managers of some of the petrol stations visited who declined mentioning their names said they decided to close down because they were not Continues on page 2

TCN explains load shedding in parts of Benin

BENIN CITY - The Management of Transmission Company of Nigeria, Benin Region wishes to inform the public that a

section of Benin City is experiencing load shedding as a result of fault on one of its four

number 6OMVA 132/ 33kv transformers. The incidence occurred around mid night on

Thursday, December 11th, 2014.

According to the Asst.

Manager (Public Affairs) Elder Rufus Imafidon) Continues on page 2

THE NIGERIAN

2

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

News

Ugie Festival: Tony Kabaka urges full participation, eulogises Benin Monarch

By LUCKY EFESE BENIN CITY – The C hairman of Akugbe

Ventures, Comrade Tony Kabaka Adun, has called on all sons and daughters of the Benin Kingdom to fully participate in this year’s Ugie festival for the purposes of long life and prospetity.

Comrade Adun made his intention known to the Nigerian Observer, weekend, at his Benin City residence in preparation for the Ugie festival, which kick started, on Sunday.

He described Ugie festival as a medium of resurrerating our lost cultural and traditional values, which have remained a tunic for long life and abundant prosperity in the Kingdom.

He stressed that, Ugie festival was a cultural heritage of the people of Benin Kingdom, which needed to be embraced with utmost regard and frowned at those referring to Ugie festival as idolatry.

The youths mobilizer general in the state, however, applauded the Benin Monarch and the Chief custodian of culture and tradition in the Kingdom, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa CFR, for using his God given talent to preserve and promote the culture of the people of Benin Kingdom which ultimately led to adjudging it as the citadel of culture and tradition in the world.

He noted that he was happy to come through Benin Kingdom to the world and that the pride of the people lies on the fatherly and spiritual disposition of the great monarch.

He urged all Benin sons and daughters to chart a new course of complementing the efforts of the Oba to take Ugie festival to greater heights.

He described the Oba as the God on earth and

prayed for God’s and ancestors’ guidance upon the monarch and the entire royal families so that the people of Benin Kingdom will continue to celebrate subsequent Ugie festivals for the purposes of prosperity and long life and congratulated the good people of Benin Kingdom on this year’s Ugie festival, just as he had promised to take the campaign to embrace Ugie festival across the world.

Buhari picks Osibajo

Continued from page 1

His tertiary education was at the University of Lagos and the London School of Economics and Political Science obtaining the LLB and LLM degrees respectively.

Previously served as the Special Adviser to the Attorney General of Nigeria (1988-1992), he later

became the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State in 1999 reappointed for a second term in 2003. During the period of his public service, he commenced the Lagos State justice reform project. A prominent feature of that project was the establishment of the

going on strike at this critical time when Nigerians are trying to celebrate Christmas.

“This is not good for the masses; the whole trouble will be on the masses as usual, “he said.

Mr Alex Felix, an Engineer with a telecom company, said Nigerians were trying to feed their families and preparing to travel for the yuletide when the strike commenced.

“I am sure, unless otherwise, many people will not be able to travel for the Christmas and New Year festivities due to scarcity of petroleum product.

“It is not even the matter of travelling but you know petrol touches virtually all aspect of Nigerians’ lives,“ he

said.

He urged the government to, as a matter of urgency, carry out the Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of the refineries and all other issues related therein.

Hajia Salmat Bello, a businesswoman, called on both the government and the two associations to sit down and work out modalities that would solve the problem. “ With the slump in global prices of crude oil, government should reduce pump prices of petroleum products so that we will have some sigh of relief.

“We are really suffering in Nigeria, compared to other oil producing countries, in

Directorate for Citizens’ Rights (DCR) which provides free legal services and legal representation to indigent citizens of the state. This initiative gave a voice to many who would otherwise not have a way to access their rights.

Osibajo is a Senior Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCGM)

Fuel scarcity re-surfaces

Continued from page 1

expecting supply soon due

to the PENGASSAN strike.

They disclosed that PENGASSAN had unresolved issues with government which had to be resolved before there could be hope of re-opening for business.

According to them, very many petrol stations opened for business uptill about noon when received directives from their bosses to stop sales.

Meanwhile, the price of five litres jerrycan of fuel has skyrocketed to between N800 – N1000 while 10 litres jerrycan of fuel sells for between N1,500 to N1800 in the black market.

Due to the scarcity of fuel, the cost of transportation in both intercity and intra-city has gone up relatively, inspite of the upsurge in commuters, occasioned by the yuletide.

Most fuel stations visited by newsmen within the city centre had queues around them.

Mr Aboki Danladi, a civil servant, said that the strike was ill timed and would impact negatively on the masses.

“The strike is very unfortunate; why are they

TCN explains load shedding in parts of Benin

Continued from page 1

the Transformer T2 1 developed fault and tripped.

Before this Transformer T2 1 developed fault, it was not overloaded and only 2 feeders namely:- Steel and Guinness were tied to it. The capacity of these two feeders were less than 50 Mega Wats Elder Imafidon appealed to consumers in the affected parts of the city to bear with the company, while TCN

Engineer, including its Asst.

General Manager — Engr.

Isaac Okpe are said to be working round the clock to restore normal supply to the affected areas.

Elder Rufus Imafidon, however apologised for the inconveniences consumers of electricity in the affected areas have so far experienced and promised that normal supply will soon be restored.

behalf of UBTH, Dr. Vivian Abah said that the initiative was a way of extending the services of UBTH to communities, especially Iguobazuwa community where the project took off.

She stated that the impact of specialist in family medicine practice would deliver effective result at the grassroots level and it will work better for the society,

saying that the initiative shall be a model.

The ceremony was witnessed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Peter Ugbodaga, his counterpart, at Health Management Board, (HMB), Dr. Ofure Eboreime and Prince Lai Momodu, representing the Chairman, HMB, Edo State

Edo signs MoU with UBTH Continued from page 1

programme which would help to train residents of the state on family medicine practice will go a long way to improving the health care delivery services, and ultimately improve the health of the citizens of Edo State.

On her part, the Head of Department of Family Medicine, University of Benin, Benin City who signed on

terms of supply, selling and importation,“she said.

Mr Mohammed Jia, a taxi driver who came to buy fuel at the Area 10 Oando filing station, said that it was too early to experience this fuel situation.

He said that the situation should be remedied immediately by government now that Christmas was around the corner.

According to him, he has been on the queue for over three hours without getting the product.

Meanwhile, motorists in Abuja yesterday decried the three-day warning strike embarked upon by the major oil workers in parts of the country.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) recently gave a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet their demands or face industrial action.

Their demands, according to a statement, include the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), immediate conversion of all contract staff to regular workers in accordance with the approved Contract, Casual and Outsourcing in the Oil and Industry Guideline.

Others issues at stake include the transfer and termination of appointments of national officers of the two unions.

A cross section of the motorists told newsmen that the strike would affect Nigerians, most especially when Christmas was at the corner.

EDSG Commissions Diabetes support centres BENIN CITY – Edo State Government yesterday at the Central Hospital, Benin City commissioned The Based of Pyramid Diabetes Support Centres for three health facilities in Edo State.

They are located in Central Hospital, Benin City, Central Hospital, Uromi and Central Hospital Auchi.

The project which was constructed in collaboration with Novo Nordisk Pharma Gulf Nigeria Subsidiary at the three hospitals was commissioned by the State Health Commissioner, Dr. (Mrs.) Aihanuwa Eregie.

Diabetes Mellitus, she said is one of the noncommunicable disease that has assumed great proportion in recent time, adding that it is not curable, but can be managed.

According to the Health Commissioner, diabetes is the Sixth leading cause of

death worldwide associated with reduced life expectancy, significant incapacitation and diminished quality of life.

In his address, the Permanent Secretary, Hospital Management Board, Dr. Ofure Eboreime commended the company for collaborating with the state government in the task of providing the people with quality health care delivery services, while assuring that the facilities would be properly utilized for the interest of the people.

On his part, the chairman, Edo State Hospitals Management Board, Dr. Ebegue Amadasun, represented by Prince Lai Momodu enjoined medical practitioners’ in the state to endeavour to live up to their responsibility of providing the people of the state with the needed medical services so as to reduce the patronage of spiritual tradomedicalists.

Grader knocks down middle aged man

By MIKE OSAROGIAGBON BENIN CITY – Reconstruction work on Upper Siluko Road by Teachers House in Benin City was suspended yesterday when a middle-aged man was knocked down by a grader working on the road.

The yet-to-be identified man allegedly cut the caution tape stretched on both sides of the road by the construction firm (Hitech) construction Company before being hit by the heavy duty grader which was on reverse.

The unfortunate incident occurred at about 11:45 am as the victim died while being taken to the hospital.

When The NIGERIAN OBSERVER visited the scene few minutes after the accident, social and economic activities in the area were momentarily halted as witnesses wept uncontrollably at the sight of the victim.

Hitech workers sighted around the accident scene were sorrowful and dumbfounded as armed soldiers and policemen provided water-tight security.

Witnesses wondered what pushed the deceased to cross the caution tape, entered the

portion of the road under reconstruction, ignored the reserve alarm of the grader which accidentally knocked him down.

They further alleged that the man was on the telephone as he crossed the caution tape part of which was still intact when The NIGERIAN OSBERVER visited.

Contacted, the project Manager, Hitech Construction Company Mr. Sachin Rawsunder stated that the community and members of the public are aware that Hitech had been handling the road project for the past three years.

Sachin stated that before they commenced work on the site yesterday morning, the road was fully cautioned as the victim destroyed their caution tape and went behind a reverse heavy duty grader which knocked him down.

He added that “we were preparing to put asphalt, the grader has reverse alarm, he went behind the heavy duty machine that cannot just stop like that, it’s like he had a plan.

“We stopped working today, by tomorrow we will go back to work.” Mr. Sachin however, expressed sadness over the death of the man.

The incident was swiftly reported at Ogida Police Station.

PDP member, community leaders commend Oshiomhole

Continued from page 1 coming back.

“It is good to be good. The good you are doing now, you will enjoy it. You are not doing this good for yourself, you are doing it for the children yet unborn. It is not the money, because you cannot keep money for them but you can keep good name for them and that is what you are doing.

Oshiomhole will reign, it is a continuous process, we appreciate you and we will always preach the good news to others”, he said.

Also speaking, a community leader in the Area, Mr Iyen Godfrey said “I can see the development Edo State Governor is doing and also want to urge you to continue with the speed with which he is going presently”.

Earlier, while inspecting the level of work done at the Ultra Modern Central Hospital, the Governor expressed satisfaction with the pace of

work presently done. He however urged the Contracting Firm to expedite work in order to meet the deadline.

Speaking to Newsmen shortly after the inspection of the 200 bed Accident and Emergency Ward at the Central Hospital, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Aihunuwa Eregie said, “Work is progressing satisfactorily. Right now we are at the stage of doing some of the parside outside but a lot more is going on inside.

Some of the areas we had some issues with we have pointed out to those doing the work here and we are satisfied with the progress.

“We have brought in State of the Art equipments for the benefit of Edo State citizens and for all those that will use this facility, we hope to finish it in the shortest possible time and when we equip it and the staff brought in, we will definitely deliver on our promise to improve on the health status of the people of Edo State”, she said.

THE NIGERIAN

3

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Police Arraign Suspected Cultists In Lagos LAGOS - Two suspected cultists, Lukman Abdulsalam, 44, and Olumide Williams, 43, who allegedly stabbed a man with a bottle, yesterday, appeared before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

Abdulsalam, an auditor, lives at No. 17, Batula St., Ebute Meta, while Williams, a marketer, resides at No. 6, Desalu St., Abule-Nla Road, Ebute Meta.

The duo appeared on a four-count charge of conspiracy, assault occasioning harm, breach of peace and illegal possession of dangerous weapons.

The prosecutor, Cpl. Cyriacus Osuji, said that the accused stabbed Mr Kazeem Shoetan on the head with a broken bottle between February, 2013 and date, at Olaleye Village, Iponri, Lagos.

He said that the accused and some others, still at large, attacked their victim and made away with his phone.

“His phone was taken from him by another whose case has been transferred; Shoetan was able to shout for help and a nearby patrol team rounded up the trio,’’ he submitted.

Osuji added that the accused had been

dispossessing innocent people of their valuables in the early hours of the day and late at night.

He said that the offences contravened Sections.

166(d), 171(1)(c), 310 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused persons, however, pleaded not guilty.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Y.J. Badejo-Okusanya, granted them bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety each.

He adjourned the case till January 21 for mention.

News

R-L: Kaduna State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Joshua Uchissa, Governor Mukhtar Yero and DirectorGeneral, Small and Medium Entrerprises Development Agency (SMEDAN), Alhaji Bature Masari at the inauguration of graduate Vocational and Entreprenuership skill training in Kaduna yesterday.

Trad Ruler Advocates Preservation Of Cultural Heritage

By MORRISON HABLE

UZEBBA – The Okumagbe of Iuleha, HRH Timothy Ayo Bare II has called on Nigerians to continue to uphold indigenous rich cultural heritage in order not to allow foreign culture to over run indigenous culture.

HRH Ayo Bare made the call on the occasion of the celebration of Iuleha cultural Day celebration at the Okumagbe Palace, Uzebba Owan West Local Government Area, Edo State.

Describing culture a unifying factor that must be strictly protected by both the traditional rulers and the

government, the Royal Highness used the occasion to call on the government to harness the rich culture of the land for tourist attraction which could serve as a veritable revenue source to government.

On the conferment of Chieftaincy title on indigene and non indigenes in the area, the Okumagbe said titles are not just given to anybody but to those who have contributed to the

development of Iuleha, pointing out that it is also done in consultation with the Chiefs in the area.

Receiving the member representing Owan Federal Constituency, Hon Pally

Labourer, 33, In Court Over Alleged Theft LAGOS - A 33-yearold labourer, Robert Uduak, who allegedly stole his employer’s cutting machine kept in his care, was on Monday arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

Uduak, who resided with his employer before the incident, is standing trial on a one-count charge of stealing.

The Prosecutor, Babaji Ishaku, told the court that the accused committed the offence on December 8, at 8:23 p.m, at Chief Calling Street, Lekki Phase 1.

Ishaku said that Uduak allegedly stole the cutting machine valued at N100, 000, property of one Mr Godwin yesterday.

He said that the cutting machine was kept in the care of the accused.

Ishaku said that the offence contravened Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2011.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Section 285 provides that any person who steals any property is guilty of a felony, and liable to three years imprisonment.

Counsel to the accused, Mrs. Nina Lawani, urged the court to admit the accused to bail on liberal terms.

The Magistrate, Miss O. O. Fowowe, granted him bail in the sum of N20, 000 with one surety in like sum.

She said that the surety must provide evidence of tax payment and that the address of the surety must be verified.

Fowowe adjourned the case to January 19, for trial.

Members of FRSC regular Marshals with the ‘Safety MASCOT’ at the inauguration of the “Ember’ months road safety Campign in Ijebu-Ode recently.

Iriase to the occasion, the Okumagbe thanked him for the provision of electricity transformers to some communities in the areas.

Responding, Hon. Iriase commended the Okumagbe for always having the interest of the people at heart and for the celebration of the annual Iuleha cultural day.

Iriase promised to continue to support the cultural day celebration, while reassuring the people that he will not relent in his effort to adequately represent the people at the federal House of representative and as well provide the necessary social amenities for the benefit of the people.

The high point of the cultural day celebration was the conferment of chieftaincy title on some eminent citizens of the state, including the commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Lucky James, the APC senatorial women leader Madam Angelina Aigbokhai and Dr, Kolawole Iuleha.

Chiefs Pay Homage To Benin Monarch

By RAYMOND OSOGBE

BENIN CITY – As part of activities for the annual festival celebration by the Benin Monarch, His Royal Mejesty, Oba Erediauwa, notable Chiefs in Benin Kingdom yesterday paid homage to the monarch as a way of re-affirming their loyalty.

Yesterday was set aside

for the Otue-Igueoba, a ceremony in which chiefs were expected to come and pay homage to the monarch who is return, offer Kola-nut as a symbolic gesture to his subject.

Meanwhile, His Royal Highness Orobosa Agbongiazowe has appreciated the monarch for confirming him as Enogie of Isievbe

community in Isi, Uhunmwode Local Government Area, Edo State.

Enogie Agbongiazowe lauded the wisdom of the monarch and the fairness displayed which culminated in what he (Enogie) regarded as land mark decision for his confirmation.

He solicited for the guidance of the ancestors

for the monarch which wishing him (monarch) long reign on the throne.

Speaking with newsmen, the Odionwere of Isievbe, Pa. Iguobase Ighodaro, Community Secretary Goodluck Omoigui and the second in command in the community, Pa. Anthony Idehen, all paid glowing tribute to the monarch for his decision on the community matter.

THE NIGERIAN

4

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

News Kwara Varsity Sets Up Committee For Study Of Nollywood

Ebola

MALETE (KWARA) - Prof.

AbdulRasheed Na’ Allah, ViceChancellor, Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, has inaugurated a committee to see to the establishment of the Centre for Nollywood Studies at the university.

Na’ Allah stated this in his opening address yesterday at the Conference on African Cinema, organised by the university, with the theme: “African Cinema and the Supernatural”.

He said when operational, the centre would be charged with the responsibility of highlighting the role and effects of Nollywood films in the society.

Na’ Allah added that the planned conference was part of the university’s ambition to build bridges between scholars and those who promote culture The General Overseer of Gospel Defenders Bishop Fred Aghedo (left) and Bishop Nmolagie Greatman during the Annual Thanksgiving Service and Award ceremony of the Church held in Benin City recently. Photo: OSADEBAMWEN SUNDAY. outside the university.

He added that the goal was to reach deeply into the soul of the immediate university community and tap into the rich human and material resources of the nation.

The vice-chancellor said that the essence of the centre would be to redefine the progress made IKEJA - The coroner by the nation in terms of arts and investigating the collapsed of 2007 for the purpose of culture, for the benefit of all. unraveling the cause of the “In 2010, the theme of the building at the Synagogue incident. coroner had demonstrated areas.

KWASU Conference on African Church of All Nations 116 persons were killed by personal interest in the subject According to him, the said Cinema was Nollywood: A yesterday suspended invitation Natural Cinema”; this year, it is to the church’s Founder, the six-storey building collapse matter and his neutrality aircraft had to fly over the Nollywood and the Supernatural. Prophet Temitope Joshua, to on September 12. compromised.

Ikotun area for about six times Komolafe had issued He said the themes of both appear before him.

Okunnu had fixed December due to high traffic on incoming conferences showed the The Coroner, Mr Oyetade witness summons on relevant 22 for hearing of the suit. aircraft at the Murtala commitment of the institution to Komolafe, suspended Joshua’s individuals and institutions, Meanwhile, at the Mohammed International the promotion of culture through appearance after granting an including Joshua, to give resumption of the inquest Airport, Lagos. cinema. evidence at the inquest. yesterday, Mr Rafiq Arogunjo, Arogunjo submitted that, on In his remarks, Prof. oral application by Joshua’s However, Joshua filed a suit a Deputy General Manager, Air each of the six times that the Counsel, Chief Lateef Fagemi Onookome Okome, lecturer, before Okunnu, seeking a Traffic Control, Nigerian aircraft navigated the Ikotun University of Alberta, Canada, (SAN). said that the conference was He said that the suspension judicial review of the Airspace Management Agency Area, it maintained a 2,700 feet aimed at exploring how was pending the determination proceedings at the inquest (NAMA), testified. distance from the collapsed Nollywood could depict the of a suit the cleric filed against which began on October 13 Arogunjo confirmed that a building.

He asked the court to declare supernatural and its capacity in Komolafe before Justice CH 130 Hercules belonging to He also said that the aircraft, resolving every human problem. Lateefat Okunnu of an Ikeja the coroner’s summons on him the Nigerian Air Force was on which had five crew members, “The implication of this belief as unconstitutional and a a circuit training mission operated normally and in the supernatural means that we High Court. breach of his right to fair within the Ikotun area when the maintained the minimum The coroner, who had on do not take our material hearing. church building collapsed. distance between a flying conditions into context and this December 10 dismissed a The cleric also asked for an He said that the aircraft did aircraft and the tallest building means that if we don’t work hard, similar application by Joshua, order restraining Komolafe we cannot live well,’’ he said. not fly directly over the in an area. rejected the submission of the Okome added that the centre Lagos State Government’s from taking evidence on issues collapsed building but The inquest was adjourned would be a focal point where the relating to approval and maintained the statutory 1,000 till December 17 for further Counsel, Mr Akingbolan meaning and relevance of Adeniran, that the court would construction of the collapsed feet flight distance in congested hearing.

Nollywood would be studied. building.

The don added that it would overrule itself by suspending Joshua also asked for an also update the archives on the invitation. order restraining Komolafe Nollywood history and serve as The inquest was instituted an academic arm of the Malete under the Lagos State from continuing with the Film Village.

Coroner’s System Law No. 7 inquest, claiming that the

Collapsed Church Building Coroner Suspends TB Joshua’s Appearance

FG Condemns Rapatriation Of Nigerians ABUJA - The Federal Government yesterday declared as “erroneous and unfortunate”, the repatriation of 30 Nigerians

by Sudan over suspicion of them being infected by the Ebola Virus Disease.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Nigerian government had already protested the ill-treatment of Nigerians by the country to the Sudanese authority and was seeking appropriate redress.

Spokesman of the ministry, Mr Ogbole Ode, said that 30 Nigerians were repatriated by the Sudanese authority Thursday last week.

“The repatriation is erroneous because the World Health Organisation (WHO), has declared Nigeria Ebola-free since October 20 after 42-day observation period without recording any case of Ebola.

“It is unfortunate that Sudan a supposedly friendly African nation which has cordial relations with Nigeria, will act this way,” Ode said.

The spokesman said that 26 of the affected Nigerians were students who had travelled to Nigeria on holidays and were returning to Khartoun after their holidays in Nigeria.

According to him, the Nigerians had travelled to Khartoum via an Ethiopian Airline” but on arrival, authorities seized their passports, and arranged for them to return to Nigeria.

He, however, said that following the intervention of the Nigerian Embassy in Khartoun, 13 of the affected students, who had not left Khartoun, were allowed entry.

Ode said that the ministry was committed to the country’s foreign policy of promoting and protecting the interests of Nigerians living or travelling abroad.

Commercialise Research Products, Don Urges FIIRO

Choir singing during the thanksgiving service of the Gospel Defender Ministries held in Benin City recently. Photo: OSADEBAMWEN SUNDAY.

LAGOS - Prof. Gbenga Ogunmoyela, Dean, College of Food Sciences, Bells University, Ota, Ogun, yesterday in Lagos urged the Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO) Oshodi, to devise new strategies to commercialise research products.

Ogunmoyela, who is also the technical consultant, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), said the need for FIIRO to overhaul its approach to marketing of researched products was necessary to expand the nation’s employment window and accommodate numerous skilled Nigerians.

According to him, the time has come for FIIRO to begin inclusive commercialisation of its more than 250 research products as part of efforts to diversify the nation’s economy and reduce unemployment.

“Training is not enough, but

we must look at how FIIRO will be able to create a new model, an initiative that would actually encourage commercialisation of those products.

“For instance, FIIRO should seek partnership with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) or the Ministry of Trade and investment on how to bring about more value addition through the export industrial and ready-to-use products.

“You don’t just go out and train people, and leave them to start on their own. There are so many skilled people, especially the youths, out there doing nothing.

“We must also encourage people to go into partnerships; government must also be a facilitator, seeing how we can get investors to invest in them on a regular basis.

“So it is good that FIIRO has

created awareness, but we should not let these things die on the laboratory shelves.

“We want to begin to see our research results in the supermarkets, and for industrial use and follow-up is very important, to make things work,” he said.

It would be recalled that the Director-General of FIIRO, Mrs Gloria Elemo, had in October, announced that the institute has more than 250 Research and Development results, which could generate about three million new jobs.

Elemo said that the research products included by-products of sorghum, cassava, palm-wine, soya and maize.

She also announced that FIIRO had embarked on free training session on entrepreneurship from research and technology, for 300 youths from the six geo-political zones.

THE NIGERIAN

5

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

THE NIGERIAN

6

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

News Court Discharges Engineer Charged With Assault ABUJA - A Wuse Zone 2 Senior Magistrates’ Court, Abuja yesterday struck out a case of assault of a public servant, filed against one Emeka Opara, an automobile engineer.

Opara, 34, who resides at Wuse Zone 3, was alleged to have pushed an officer controlling traffic with his car.

The Magistrate, Mr Celestine Odo, however discharged the accused, sequel to the prayer of the nominal complainant, Sgt Asabe Awuse, who expressed her intention not to continue with the case.

She said that the accused came to her and apologised, and that she has forgiven him.

Odo then discharged the accused and struck out the matter.

The prosecutor, Cpl Monday Akor, could no

longer formally read the First Information Report The FIR had stated that on December 4, Sgt Asabe Awuse of Nigeria Police Force, reported the matter at Maitama Police Station.

The FIR further stated that she was on duty at Mississippi Street Maitama when the accused pushed her with his car and drove the car for some distance with her on the bonnet.

According to the FIR, the offence contravened the provisions of Section 267 of the Penal Code.

Dignitaries at the wedding Fatt’Ha of the daughter of PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’Azu in Bauchi during the weekend

Google News To Shut In Spain, Ahead Of New Pubilisher Rights Law

Woman, 28, Arraigned For Alleged Cheating

ABUJA - A 28-year-old woman, Juliet Daniel of Jago village, Life Camp, Abuja, was yesterday arraigned before a Grade I Area Court Kado, FCT for alleged cheating.

The prosecutor Cpl. Simone Emmanuel told the court that one Deborah Egwuma of Phase 2, Jikoyi Extension, Abuja, reported the matter at the Life Camp Police Station on November 25.

Emmanuel alleged that Egwuma boarded a taxi from Wuse junction to the Civil Service Commission, with the accused and others at large.

The prosecutor alleged that the taxi was diverted to Kado, Life Camp.

He further told the court that the accused and her cohorts deceived the complainant and collected N350, 000 from her for the purpose of buying chemical to wash dollars.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Sections 79 and 322 of the Penal Code Law. Daniel, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against her.

Presiding Judge Abubakar Sadiq, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100,000 and a surety in like sum, and adjourned the case till January 12, 2015 for hearing.

A man transporting live chickens for christmas sale on Zuba-Abuja expressway at Kubwa during the weekend.

LAGOS - Google on Thursday said it was closing its news-linking service in Spain next week due to new legislation under which publishers can charge search engines for using their content.

In a statement, the global Internet search giant said the new law made the Google News service unsustainable and that, “with real sadness”, it would remove Spanish publishers from Google News and shut down its service in Spain today December 16.

“The new law requires publishers to charge

Group Tasks Service Providers

Violation Of Privacy: LAGOS - The Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Prof. Ishaq Akintola, yesterday appealed to service providers to respect the fundamental human rights and privacy of subscribers by stopping unsolicited text messages.

Akintola said in a statement that the high volume of text messages sent by service providers was giving subscribers some great concern.

According to him, “If the service providers can afford to send so many text messages to all customers at no extra charges, to themselves, why do they charge subscribers so high for text messages?

“Strange and unsolicited text messages are sent to telephone users at odd times. Those that are most disturbing are received between 1:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. when hardworking citizens are fast asleep.

“The messages wake them forcefully from sleep. Many find it hard to fall asleep hours after the unholy invasion of

their privacy.

‘It is not only irritating but provocative. It is gross abuse of privilege on the part of the service providers.

“These unsolicited text messages are not limited to the nights and early morning hours alone. They also come during the day; some customers receive as many as 40 messages per day.

He called on the Consumer Protection Agency to wake up to its responsibilities by checkmating the service providers.

“We warn that from January 2015, unsolicited text messages should be drastically reduced and limited to the day-time.

He also called on the National Assembly to legislate adequately on this very important subject-matter.

Akintola said that unsolicited text messages affected the mental health of Nigerians.

“The havoc is mainly a health hazard but what could be more

damaging to a nation than a threat to the health of its citizens?

“Experts agree that a sound sleep means the ability to think clearly, to plan and to design the next line of action in day-to-day endeavours. The reverse is the case when sleep is brutally cut.

“There is no gainsaying the

fact that stress and fatigue are certain to occur when people are denied adequate rest.

“We suspect that the current rise in mental illnesses all over the country is partly informed by this flagrant disregard for people’s privacy and the rate at which the text messages have been disturbing Nigerians.

47 Ships Expected In LAGOS - Forty-seven ships Lagos Port containing petroleum products, foods, containers and other commodities are expected to arrive Lagos from December 15 to January 2.

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) stated this in its daily publication, the “Shipping Position’’.

The publication is made available to newsmen in Lagos yesterday.

According to the document, 21 of the expected ships are to bring in containers, 11 to sail in with food items such as rice,

buckwheat, frozen fish and bulk sugar.

It indicated that 10 ships would sail in with general cargo, four, petroleum products and a ship, vehicles.

The document added that 17 ships had arrived at the ports, waiting to discharge their contents.

It indicated that 12 of the ships contained petrol, kerosene, base oil and crude palm oil, while five others had food items such as rice and bulk sugar.

Google News for showing even the smallest snippets of their content — whether they want to charge or not,’’ the company said.

The statement noted that Google News showed no advertising and made no revenue from the service.

The Wire Service, reported that publishers in countries from Germany and France to Spain have pushed to pass new national copyright laws.

These laws force Google and other web aggregators to pay licensing fees when they publish snippets of their news articles.

They also required publishers who want their content to continue to show up in Google search results to give the company explicit permission to do so.

Google has responded by requiring publishers to release it from any liability for licensing fees under such laws.

However, the Spanish law thwarts this move by Google by giving publishers an “inalienable” right to levy such licensing fees. It is set to go into effect in January.

However, in November, Germany’s largest publisher, Axel Springer scrapped a bid to block Google under its law after an experiment by VG Media, a consortium of about 200 German publishers, including Springer, caused traffic to online publications to plunge.

THE NIGERIAN

7

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Across The Nation Cleric Urges Nigerians To Always Be Grateful To God LOKOJA- David Popoola, the Provincial Pastor of Living Faith Church, Lokoja, has urged Nigerians to be grateful to God in whatever situation they found themselves.

He made the call in his sermon entitled “Shiloh 2014 Thanksgiving” in Lokoja, Kogi State.

Taking his lesson from the Book of Psalm 115 v 1-3, he said “unto the name of the Lord we must give glory, for His mercy and truth endures forever.

“When you give thanks to God, God is committed to bless you more in return.

Every great achiever in the kingdom is an addicted thanksgiver.’’

He said “one of the major reasons why we must appreciate God is that, it is a covenant responsibility to glorify God always.

“God commanded thanksgiving for the preservation of our blessings, for the perfection of our souls, for massive salvation of souls and for the wonderful works that God has done in our lives.

“We are thanking God for all the miracles he has performed and for the successful completion of SHILOH 2014,’’ Popoola said.

Living Faith Church Worldwide (a.k.a Winners Chapel), held its annual Shiloh Convention from December 9 to 13, 2014 with the theme, “SHILOH 2014 - HEAVEN ON EARTH.’’ At the end of the programme, Bishop David Oyedepo, The President of Living Faith Church Worldwide, declared an end to all forms of insecurities and insurgencies ravaging the nation.

He cursed all the evil perpetrators and their sponsors.

Christian Leader Urges Traders To Cut Down Prices Of Goods

Yuletide:

Acting Commander, 23 Armoured Brigade, Yola, Col. Aba Popoola (left), decorating newly promoted Col. Aminu Garba, with his new rank in Yola on Saturday, assisting him is fauzat, the officer’s wife.

Ondo South Will Witness Unprecedented Development Under My Watch -APC Candidate IRELE (ONDO STATE) -Mr Morayo Lebi, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senatorial Candidate in Ondo South, has said that the district would witness unprecedented development if elected in the 2015 general elections.

Lebi told newsmen in Irele, Irele Council Area of Ondo State, that the district was underdeveloped “because the

right people are not at the helm of affairs.”

Lebi, a lawyer, defeated his rival, Dr Femi Akingbola, by 1,261 votes to 156 votes to emerge winner in the Senatorial primary held in Ore, Odigbo Council Area of the state, on December 8.

He said that the district needed people who were ready to effect

changes, saying that the people were tired of stories and inaction.

“I am in the corporate world, but I joined politics for the development of our people and to effect the needed change for my district to be developed.

“The wind of change is blowing all the nation now because this is what APC stands

for and people believe in this and that is why they voted for me in the primary,’’ Lebi said.

He promised that he would not disappoint the people of the district if elected to represent them at the Senate.

The Ondo South comprises six local government areas of Okitipupa, Irele, Ese-Odo, Ilaje, Odigbo and Ile Oluji.

FRSC Corps Marsahl, mr Boboye Oueuemi (2nd left); representative of the Vice President, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim (3rd left) and other officials inspecting an exhibition at the 12th National summit of special Marshal in Abuja recently.

Netherlands Unveils Plan To Develop Nigeria’s Agriculture Sector

LAGOS- The Head of Netherlands Representation in Lagos, Mr Michel Deelen, has said that his government planned to provide Nigerian farmers with technical assistance to increase their crops production.

Deelen told newsmen in Lagos that it was imperative for Netherlands to support Nigeria because of the existing cordial relationship between both countries in different areas.

The envoy, however, said that the agriculture sector was one major area of cooperation where

Netherlands would sustain relationship with Nigeria in the years ahead.

“Agriculture is one major area of Netherlands cooperation with Nigeria and this is expected to grow in the years ahead.

“Netherlands was actually the number one destination count for Nigerian agricultural products in 2013.

“We are, therefore, going to be giving technical assistance to

Nigerian farmer to boost their crops production in 2015,’’ he said.

Deelen, also the deputy Ambassador of Netherlands to Nigeria, said that his country depended largely on Nigeria’s cocoa and other products.

The envoy expressed optimism that the assistance would increase the farmers’ production in the year and beyond.

According to him, Nigerian

farmers can be made to grow from subsistence farmers to larger ones.

“We are, therefore, going to be sharing our experiences in products development with Nigerian farmers so that farmers can improve on their agricultural products in the years ahead.

“We strongly believe that Nigerian farmers can grow from being subsistence into big mechanised farmers producing

for local and international consumption,’’ he said.

Deelen said that his government was committed to investing in Nigeria’s agriculture and development of animal feed companies.

He said that the Netherlands Embassy in Nigeria would continue to facilitate agricultural development services for Nigerian farmers.

KADUNA- A Christian leader has urged traders to cut down prices of goods to enable citizens celebrate Christmas and New year with joy and happiness.

Pastor Yohana Buru of Christ Evangelical Intercessory ?Fellowship Ministry in Kaduna made the call, saying that in spite of the shortage of money in circulation, prices of goods and services had increased.

He said that the increase in prices of goods made it difficult for people to shop for the Christmas season.

Buru urged marketers to offer Christmas bonanzas and cut down prices to enable more people to buy what they required during the festive period.

He urged security agencies to beef up surveillance at places of worship, parks and places of social gatherings.

He also called on the people to be at alert and report any suspicious movement around them for prompt action by security personnel.

Plateau Govt Spends N212m On Classrooms Renovation JOS- Dr Lyop Mang, the Executive Chairman of Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), has said that state Government spent more than N212 million to renovate classrooms in the last four years.

Mang, who disclosed this to newsmen in Jos, said that the renovation was in addition to the 94 ongoing schools renovation projects worth N872 million.

She said that the N212 million went into renovating 225 primary school classrooms and 84 junior secondary schools in the state.

Mang said that government had also procured 564 swings chairs for teachers and 5,372 plastic chairs as well as tables for the classes.

“Government also purchased 2,506 six-inch mattresses for primary school children in boarding schools,’’ she said.

The chairman said that there was the need for quality education for vulnerable groups, adding that the government was ready to support every child to attain minimum standards of education.

She said the government was partnering with the School of the Blind and the Deaf in Gindiri to improve standards of training facilities in such specialist institutions.

THE NIGERIAN

8

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Opinion IT is of importance to understand the nature and types of fraud as that will be of great assistance to organizations in checkmating and combating it. Generally, fraud is categorized on the basis of its perpetrators. This way, it could be internal, external or mixed. Internal perpetrators of fraud are staff under the employment of the organization either as directors, management staff, officers, supervisors or other employees while the external ones are those outside the organization.

Mixed perpetrators are those involving members of staff of an organization colluding with outsiders to carry out their fraudulent activities.

Another way of classifying fraud is on the basis of methods employed in perpetrating it. Given the sophistication, inventiveness and ingenuity of fraudsters in devising ways to carry out their trade, it will be practically impossible to list and discuss all of them.

However, the most important and common ones are highlighted hereunder.

Theft Theft involves the removal of cash or assets to which fraudster is not entitled. Any business asset can be stolen by staff or other parties. The nature of theft may vary according to the asset being misappropriated and identity of the perpetrator. The most common types of theft in our system are: i) Direct theft of cash or any asset of the business, e.g. stock, computer equipment, stationary intellectual property, price lists or customer lists, etc. ii) False expense claim which can be anything from claiming for private entertainment expenses to large scale projects. iii) Payroll fraud involving

the diversion of exemployees or fictitious employee payments to the benefits of perpetrators. iv) Rolling debtors’ receipts that is misappropriating debtors’ receipts and substituting subsequent receipts. v) Payments against fictitious jobs or supplies. vi) Inflation of contracts.

False Accounting The main aim of false accounting is to present the results and affairs of an organization in a better light than the reality. Frequently, these are deliberate decisions to report an unrealistic level of earnings. Whatever the purpose, the features that are common to all cases of false accounting are the window- dressing or falsification of records, alteration of figures, and in some cases, maintenance of multiple records.

The reasons for all these include: i) to obtain more financing from banks and creditors; ii) to manipulate share prices; iii) to improve results over the year-end and generate performance related remuneration to which the perpetrator would not otherwise be entitled; iv) to cover up a theft; v) to attract customers by appearing to be more successful than in reality; and vi) to prevent or delay intervention by supervisors/ regulators.

Advance Fee Fraud (“419”) This is a very popular type of fraud in our environment.

It is internationally referred to as “Nigerian scam”. A method of perpetrating this type of fraud is for

Nature And Types Of Fraud numerous letters to be sent to unsuspecting individuals by fraudsters soliciting for assistance to transfer large sum of money belonging to them but which is being held by government. The assistance requested will be in the form of advance fee which will be used to induce government officials and the details of the off-shore foreign accounts of such individuals.

Computer Fraud

Computer fraud includes: 1) Disguising the true nature of a transaction by manipulating input and or data including tampering with programme. ii) Hacking into an organization’s computer system to steal or manipulate information. iii) Unauthorised electronic transfer iv) Posting of business

By GANIYU ADEWALE OGUNLEYE

opportunities on the internet to defraud the public. v) Theft of intellectual property, e.g. engineering drawings, trade secrets, ebooks, music, etc.

Foreign Exchange (FX) Fraud Foreign exchange transactions have been, veritable source of fraud as a result of sharp practices involving banks or their customers. The most

foreign exchange documents, such as import duty receipts, shipping documents, Clean Report of Inspection and attested invoices. It can be carried out with the objective of transferring foreign exchange for nonexistent transaction or by way of over invoicing. iii) Travellers’ Cheque (TC) Fraud - This is done by illegal purchase of TCs

common types include: i) Round Tripping - This arise in a situation where banks obtain foreign exchange through official sources at a cheap exchange rate for qualified transaction and simply sell to autonomous users at a black market exchange rate. ii) Documentary credit fraud - This can be quite varied and will involve forgery of

which are then sold in the black market.

Loan Fraud Loans and other forms of credit extensions to business and individual customers constitute the main function of financial institutions. In the process of credit extension, fraud may occur at any stage, from the first interaction between the customer and the bank to the final disbursement of the credit. Diversion of loan for other uses different from that for which it is given constitutes fraud. Also, there are instances of credit fraud whereby credit facility approved for one customer is diverted to the credit of another who is often unrelated to the first customer. That is to say, a credit facility for a customer

“The main aim of false accounting is to present the results and affairs of an organization in a better light than the reality.

Frequently, these are deliberate decisions to report an unrealistic level of earnings.”

“A” yet to be drawn down is diverted to a customer “B” for utilization.

Cheque Fraud Cheque fraud is now common involving billions of naira annually. The most common cheque fraud involves those that are stolen, forged, counterfeited, altered or cloned.

Money Laundering Fraud This is a means to conceal the existence, source or use

of illegally obtained money by converting the cash into untraceable transactions.

The cash is disguised to make the income appeal legitimate. Fraudsters are known to employ various means in order to launder their money. These include using illegally-obtained money either to purchase stocks in the capital market, or to acquire real estate.

Identity Fraud This type of fraud is committed by individuals who assume names and identities of others living or dead with a view to gaining employment or using their stolen credit or value cards to secure some monetary benefits.

Insurance Fraud Continues on page 9

THE NIGERIAN

9

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Opinion

... Types Of Fraud Continued from page 8

In this type of fraud, insurance agents sell policies to clients and refuse to deliver premium collected to the insurance companies, or stage-manage accidents in order to replace old or defective vehicles, or causing mysterious incidents after previously removing choice items of value for the purpose of making undue claims from the insurance companies.

Measures to Guard Against Fraud The best defences against the risk of fraud in any organization are proactive measures.

For an organization to create a corporate environment that prevents, deters and timely detects fraud, it needs to understand why fraud occur, types and methods of perpetration as well as identify its business areas that are at risk and implementing appropriate procedures to address them.

It is a well established fact that before fraud can take place there must be: i) an item worth stealing; ii a potential perpetrator willing to steal; and iii) an opportunity for the crime to take place.

It follows therefore that successful prevention of fraud in an organization lies in the isolation of the perpetrators from the assets and from the opportunity and knowledge required for access. In other words, walls of policies, procedures, devices and controls need to be erected to surround and isolate each factor in the equation to combat fraud. It is for this reason that the system of internal control is identified as very critical in minimizing the incidence of

fraud in any business organization.

Management has overall responsibility for ensuring the security and integrity of the assets of a business by putting in place appropriate controls and review procedures. However, it needs to be emphasized that the controls required for each business will be specific to that business, depending on the way in which departments or processes function, the systems in place, the number of personnel and so on. That is to say, every organization needs to assess and determine the area in which fraud could occur and implement the controls that are considered necessary to mitigate it. Some of the direct controls that need to be considered include: i) Timely and periodic reconciliation of bank accounts, cash in hand, inventory and other items of value. ii) Dual signatories and authorization limits. iii) Segregation of duties. iv) Management review.

Other Organizational Measures Other measures that should be adopted in the fight against fraud are those relating to the attitude and culture of the organization and the way in which it deals with fraud. These are indirect controls which convey the message that fraud will be detected, that action will be taken and that the repercussions could be severe. Some of these measures include: a. Physical Security/ Access Controls Operating effective access controls is essential, be it within the premises

themselves, particular departments or offices, computer systems, database, bank accounts or other areas critical to the business. The role of security tags, which allow someone’s movement around the building to be monitored, CCTV cameras or other surveillance equipment, should not be underestimated. Particular attention should be paid to access controls over

should have enough resources to carryout its functions, that it is focusing on the most important risk area of business, that it is independent and free to establish the scope of its activities without let or hindrances by management, and that it is reporting fully and directly to the highest authority ideally the board of directors or its audit committee. Internal auditors should be given

computer systems, which should include the rigorous use of passwords, firewalls and/or other measures to prevent or detect hacking into the system. b. Effective Internal Audit An effective internal control functions is very critical in managing fraud risk in any organization. For maximum effectiveness, internal audit department

comprehensive training in fraud prevention and detection. c.

Pre-employment Screening The fight against fraud should start even before a new employee joins the organization. There should be an effective recruitment policy which ensures that employees are recruited based on their capabilities, competence and integrity.

“The motivation for internal fraud is often employee dissatisfaction. A favourable working environment would ensure that employees are not placed under undue duress and that they are not intimidated by supervisors or superior officers.”

References must be obtained from previous employers. Background checks should be conducted on employees to assure of their integrity. d. Conducive Working Environment The motivation for internal fraud is often employee dissatisfaction. A favourable working environment would ensure that employees are not placed under undue duress and that they are not intimidated by supervisors or superior officers. There should be a culture of

should be communicated to employees, while care should be taken to avoid d e f a m a t i o n .

Communication of the outcome reinforces in employees the organisation’s zero tolerance for fraud. g. Fraud Training Organisations should promote fraud training. All new employees should be provided with the organisation’s fraud policy statement. Fraud deterrence, prevention and detection programs that deal with practical issues should be

openness, transparency and trust as against that of secrecy, mistrust and autocracy. e. Fraud Policy There should be fraud policy in organizations.

Fraud policy is a formal, written statement recording the organization’s attitude to fraud. It may be part of general ethics statement or code of conduct that records the way in which the organization deals with its customers, suppliers and staff. In particular, the policy should make it clear that fraud is unacceptable and that all instances of suspected fraud will be investigated with dispatch. f. Fraud Resolution When fraud occurs, it should be resolved promptly and effectively. Resolution

included in induction and continuous career training. h.

Whistle-blowing Policy Employees and third parties should be encouraged to report their suspicions of fraud or other irregular activity without fear of reprisal. To encourage reporting, whether anonymous or not, an E-mail or telephone fraud hotline can be implemented.

The existence of such facilities should be well publicized and their roles in deterring or de fraud should be made known to all.

Information should be treated on a confidential basis to reassure whistle blowers, and management should b seen to be fair and just in handling such confidential information.

THE NIGERIAN

10

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Trends Tribal Marks

Facial Lines That Speak Volumes!

Intro: A young lady in her early twenties walked into a very busy new

generation bank located on Akpakpava Road, in Benin City, Edo State and suddenly the whole

By IJEOMA UMEH

“ While everyone starred at her in adaze, she smiled her way through the queue, and what else, her tribal marks made everyone to forget the hustle to be in the front of the queue as the ‘indented’ Princess went on ahead to the cashier and got served.” hub of banking activities which hitherto were at a feverish peak, suddenly came to a halt. All eyes were turned to the new entrant to the queue of anxious bankers.

She was tall, light – skinned and had all the curves in the right places-those curvatures that characterized the ‘new deal’ in beauty statistics and her dimpled cheeks wore radiant smiles –but those smiles were not the attraction.

Something, nay, some things made her the magnet that she wouldn’t ordinarily want to be – the identity or tribal

marks that were so deeply etched on both cheeks and which so annoyingly like clogs in the wheel stood of her natural endowments, nearly marring all the vital statistics of this beautiful damsel.

While everyone starred at her in a daze, she smiled her way through the queue, and what else, her tribal marks made everyone to forget the hustle to be in the front of the queue as the ‘indented’ Princess went on ahead to the cashier and got served. Her lined face paved a way for her!

arm revealed a heart with an arrow through it-she must have been in love when she got it.

Other parts of her body had drawings that I couldn’t decipher. I was struck by how grandmother was a record of history and culture, whether through her tattoos or the stories she has passed down to me about the Obas of Lagos, or the special songs in praise of the king.

Despite their long history, some Nigerians believe the practice of scarification should be stopped, because they perceive them as ‘barbaric” or as unfashionable and antiquated. I recently spoke with a young lady

from Edo State in her mid-twenties, and she expressed disapproval at the practice she was made fun of as a child for the seven marks evenly placed on both her cheeks. She received these because she was thought to be an “abiku” ( a term used to refer to a child who is stubborn, sickly, or dies and returns back to life as punishment to their parents for offending the gods) The severe scars on the back, ears, face are thought to lead to a rejection of the “abiku” by it’s spirit friends, who will then let the family live in peace. Tribal marks are parts of our heritage and therefore it worth preserving.

Import Of Those Marks

TRIBAL marks are an age-long art common to the western part of Nigeria. The Egba, Nupe Ijasa and other Yoruba tribes commonly use these marks and designs as a form of identification, beautification and protection. There are two different types of marks :Ila (the wellknown facial scars) and Ona (also known as “local tattoos”) Both are created using a sharp instrument such as razor blades. Knives or glass, flesh is cut from the skin to create a gash, which later heals and leaves Igbin in Yoruba), a popular delicacy in Nigeria, are very important to tribal mark artisans, as the liquid

they secrete is used to soothe the pain caused by the instrument used to make the incisions. The unique colour of the Ona comes from various pigments such as charcoal.

Tribal marks were used as a source of identification in times of war or migration. There are different styles for different tribes; for instance, the Pele style, which has three versions; Pele Ijesa (thick, halfinch vertical lines on both sides of the nose down to the mouth); Pele Ekiti (quarter-Inch Horizontal line) and pele Akoko (Quarter-Inch vertical or horizontal lines). An individual’s tribe or family typically

By GIFT .O. OKELEKE

indicates the pattern in which tribal marks are inscribed on their face, stomach or legs. The Ona designs typically have symbolic or decorative significance connected with various life stages such as puberty and marriage.

Specific families are charged with the responsibility of creating these marks.

These families are called Olowo lla or Omo Ile Olona (meaning “One who’s wealth is gotten from the art of tribal marks” and “One born into a family of tribal designs” respectively). These houses hold names are

also used to sing their praises. The skill of making these marks is passed from one generation to another.

Most Yoruba women aged 80 and above have tribal marks on their bodies, as they were considered a sign of beauty, in their youth.

My grandmother has words tattooed on her chest, arms, and legs.

These words are Orikis or praise words, which are complimentary phrases about the person they are inscribed on, such as Apeke (“called to be cared for”) and Aduke (people will fight for the right to spoil her”).

A closer look at her right

THE NIGERIAN

11

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY (EQUITIES) AS AT YESTERDAY(15/12/2014) Stocks

Open

Close

Change

Deals

Units

Value

MOBIL

151.05

151.05

0

0

37,167

5,354,884.30

4.24

4.03

-0.21

0

459,239

1,941,898.21

7UP

153.85

153.85

0

0

48,422

7,676,552.03

NAHCO

ABCTRANS

0.57

0.55

-0.02

0

64,600

35,590.00

NASCON

6.29

5.98

-0.31

0

335,550

2,031,879.50

150

143.5

-6.5

0

1,068,410

153,961,216.80

ACADEMY

1.13

1.13

0

0

14,480

17,086.40

NB

ACCESS

6.13

6.13

0

0

3,763,568

23,082,060.66

NEIMETH

0.86

0.82

-0.04

0

396,110

334,861.30

0.59

0.61

0.02

0

50,680,965

30,914,168.65

775

775

0

0

29,947

23,635,574.66

AFRINSURE

0.5

0.5

0

0

1,000

500

NEM

AFRIPRUD

2.87

2.8

-0.07

0

219,973

615,515.70

NESTLE

AGLEVENT

1.31

1.31

0

0

33,000

44,061.40

NEWGOLD

2144

2103

-41

0

17

35,751.00

AIICO

0.77

0.74

-0.03

0

1,245,040

951,088.70

NIG-GERMAN

7

6.65

-0.35

0

400,000

2,660,000.00

AIRSERVICE

1.81

1.72

-0.09

0

159,000

273,640.00

NIGERINS

0.5

0.5

0

0

10

5

ALEX

10.43

10.43

0

0

55,832

553,295.12

NPFMCRFBK

0.85

0.85

0

0

105,000

85,450.00

ASHAKACEM

24.6

24.6

0

0

132,323

2,941,083.51

NSE30

1397.45

1382.59

-14.86

0

229,892,031

2,746,982,292.00

AVONCROWN

1.59

1.59

0

0

18,000

27,360.00

NSE50

1529.39

1514.19

-15.2

0

281,029,003

2,822,637,480.00

BERGER

9

9

0

0

208

1,778.40

NSEASI

30763.38

30492.3

-271.08

0

372,641,702

3,003,133,119.00

BETAGLAS

24

25.2

1.2

0

302,994

7,635,151.30

NSEBNK

323.95

319.24

-4.71

0

98,081,211

1,225,060,502.00

CADBURY

38.85

40

1.15

0

151,114

6,015,791.42

NSECNSMRGDS

788.45

776.03

-12.42

0

15,124,669

411,907,597.60

CAP

36.22

36.22

0

0

82,499

2,985,831.50

NSEINDUSTR

1854.92

1847.75

-7.17

0

2,761,683

181,647,406.00

CAPHOTEL

4.28

4.28

0

0

1,000

4,070.00

NSEINS

141.23

143.37

2.14

0

76,444,081

50,000,274.60

CAVERTON

3.17

3.17

0

0

13,350

40,317.00

NSELOTUSISLM

1987.85

1980.75

-7.1

0

5,599,783

302,122,917.20

CCNN

9.27

9.27

0

0

94,042

831,814.62

NSEOILGAS

378.8

383.44

4.64

0

4,563,103

201,296,741.80

0.5

0.5

0

0

5,000

2,500.00

CHAMPION

6.93

6.59

-0.34

0

351,400

2,315,726.00

NSLTECH

CILEASING

0.5

0.5

0

0

3,109,934

1,554,967.00

OANDO

17.05

16.69

-0.36

0

3,578,701

60,687,860.52

25.37

25.37

0

0

100,040

2,510,663.20

CONOIL

49.23

49.23

0

0

1,024

47,892.48

OKOMUOIL

CONTINSURE

0.88

0.87

-0.01

0

2,170,560

1,853,679.60

PAINTCOM

1.47

1.47

0

0

574

883.96

2.36

2.25

-0.11

0

539,065

1,212,896.25

CORNERST

0.5

0.5

0

0

11,455

5,727.50

PHARMDEKO

COSTAIN

0.88

0.88

0

0

29,367

24,668.28

PORTPAINT

4.75

4.52

-0.23

0

130,000

587,600.00

COURTVILLE

0.5

0.5

0

0

34,567

17,283.50

PRESCO

25.59

25.59

0

0

92,743

2,257,129.76

CUSTODYINS

3.44

3.6

0.16

0

892,586

3,032,199.69

PZ

30.78

30.78

0

0

82,310

2,301,994.90

CUTIX

1.3

1.24

-0.06

0

110,766

137,703.34

REDSTAREX

4

4

0

0

2,060

7,828.00

DANGCEM

160

160

0

0

353,337

55,251,727.25

ROYALEX

0.54

0.54

0

0

600,020

324,010.80

DANGFLOUR

4.84

4.6

-0.24

0

142,011

653,250.60

RTBRISCOE

0.82

0.78

-0.04

0

1,007,270

785,743.30

DANGSUGAR

5.16

5.2

0.04

0

4,871,624

25,125,582.20

SEPLAT

308.59

295

-13.59

0

289,508

86,500,409.05

DIAMONDBNK

5.1

4.97

-0.13

0

9,804,444

47,608,318.78

SKYEBANK

2.33

2.3

-0.03

0

2,024,898

4,671,183.84

DNMEYER

0.87

0.87

0

0

13,566,124

11,802,607.88

SOVRENINS

0.5

0.5

0

0

6,601,792

3,300,896.00

DUNLOP

0.5

0.5

0

0

9,179

4,589.50

STACO

0.5

0.5

0

0

30

15

ENAMELWA

31.82

31.82

0

0

1,000

30,230.00

STANBIC

28.5

28.5

0

0

3,055,970

87,077,559.69

EQUITYASUR

0.5

0.5

0

0

5,100

2,550.00

STERLNBANK

2.32

2.3

-0.02

0

2,229,837

5,132,035.10

ETERNA

3.11

3.11

0

0

274,500

822,480.00

STUDPRESS

2.3

2.3

0

0

63

137.97

ETI

18.21

18.25

0.04

0

12,301,011

224,108,979.80

TOTAL

158

158

0

0

74,418

11,665,614.58

ETRANZACT

2.55

2.67

0.12

0

116,000

306,850.00

TRANSCORP

3.14

3

-0.14

0

13,995,267

42,309,460.16

EVANSMED

2.18

2.18

0

0

500

1,040.00

TRIPPLEG

1.86

1.86

0

0

165

292.05

10.2

10.2

0

0

87,382

897,689.40

FBNH

8.6

8.58

-0.02

0

58,900,754

505,270,405.60

UAC-PROP

FCMB

3

2.95

-0.05

0

43,660,801

124,509,421.30

UACN

38

36.1

-1.9

0

665,505

24,026,382.50

4

3.8

-0.2

0

22,121,842

87,189,508.92

FIDELITYBK

1.5

1.43

-0.07

0

2,103,599

3,016,774.97

UBA

FIDSON

3.09

3.24

0.15

0

130,400

422,496.00

UBCAP

1.6

1.6

0

0

1,236,326

1,993,904.58

7.6

7.6

0

0

73,398

530,069.56

0.5

0.5

0

0

18,875

9,437.50

FLOURMILL

41.55

39.49

-2.06

0

639,316

25,462,490.28

UBN

FO

207.58

216.9

9.32

0

597,293

122,718,009.90

UNHOMES

FORTISMFB

5.42

5.42

0

0

42,100

225,240.00

UNILEVER

34.01

34

-0.01

0

1,900,423

64,617,885.95

FTNCOCOA

0.5

0.5

0

0

4,000

2,000.00

UNIONDAC

0.5

0.5

0

0

30

15

GUARANTY

22.79

22.05

-0.74

0

16,613,096

366,656,032.40

UNITYBNK

0.5

0.5

0

0

14,900,000

7,450,000.00

GUINNESS

122.61

117

-5.61

0

682,737

80,310,405.28

UPL

4.05

4.05

0

0

6,300

24,255.00

HONYFLOUR

3.25

3.1

-0.15

0

1,505,500

4,667,105.00

VETGRIF30

13.82

13.73

-0.09

0

21,450

294,639.00

IKEJAHOTEL

3.81

4

0.19

0

1,328,500

5,083,780.64

VITAFOAM

3.85

3.86

0.01

0

3,270,550

12,010,759.00

INFINITY

1.45

1.45

0

0

1,000

1,520.00

VONO

0.87

0.91

0.04

0

3,375,000

3,071,250.00

INTBREW

26

26

0

0

45,355

1,121,384.00

WAPCO

72.98

72

-0.98

0

1,554,940

111,273,832.10

IPWA

0.5

0.5

0

0

200

100

WAPIC

0.59

0.6

0.01

0

13,696,787

8,221,869.45

JAPAULOIL

0.5

0.5

0

0

2,100

1,050.00

WEMABANK

1

1.01

0.01

0

11,204,982

10,899,953.75

JBERGER

60.66

60.66

0

0

25,010

1,441,326.30

ZENITHBANK

17.25

17.02

-0.23

0

27,045,518

463,065,537.60

JOSBREW

2.12

2.12

0

0

2,000

4,040.00

LASACO

0.5

0.5

0

0

541,400

270,700.00

TOP 10 GAINERS

LEARNAFRCA

1.47

1.47

0

0

100,000

146,000.00

Stock

LINKASSURE

0.5

0.5

0

0

10

5

LIVESTOCK

2.33

2.32

-0.01

0

571,568

1,318,476.46

LOTUSHAL15

9.28

9.31

0.03

0

10

93.1

MANSARD

2.9

3.04

0.14

0

1,490,942

4,479,574.70

MAYBAKER

1.54

1.54

0

0

17,100

25,137.00

FO NSEOILGAS NSEINS BETAGLAS CADBURY IKEJAHOTEL CUSTODYINS FIDSON MANSARD ETRANZACT

Close 216.9 383.44 143.37 25.2 40 4 3.6 3.24 3.04 2.67

TOP TOP 10 10 LOSERS GAINERS Gain

Stock

Close

Loss

9.32 4.64 2.14 1.2 1.15 0.19 0.16 0.15 0.14 0.12

NSEASI 271.08 NEWGOLD NSE50 NSE30 14.86 SEPLAT 13.59 NSECNSMRGDS 12.42 NSEINDUSTR

30492.3

-

2103 1514.19 1382.59

-41 -15.2 -

295

-

776.03

-

1847.75

-7.17

THE NIGERIAN

12

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014 PARTY Primaries of the major political parties have just been held across the country, reflecting the degree of democratic commitment of Nigerians and their parties of choice.

ONE of the political realities of our contemporary global system is democracy, a political process which focuses on the necessity and imperative of governments to rule only by the Consent of the majority. The popular belief Is that properly understood and practised, democracy can remove the layers of national socio-economic and political darkness. Countries that have attained the Status of mature democracy Continue to insist that It will be absolutely difficult to get things done in pluralistic society with poor records of democratic values and practices.

WITH the way things are going politically in contemporary Nigeria, it is very doubtful, whether Nigerians will ever realise the dreams of allowing democratic tenets to influence the Country’s political life.

IN this connection, democratic reality implies that all Nigerians must be willing to take difficult democratic decisions, and must see the benefits in supporting their Country’s democratic Institutions. With the current state of democracy in the country, many Nigerians have openly wondered whether the struggle For political independence was a worthwhile exercise. Clearly, all is not well with democracy in Nigeria. Still, democracy remains the only viable and sustainable weapon for tackling national backwardness and for securing recognition and respect from the international community. No one will ever doubtthe political fact that a strong democratic foundation will provide Nigerians with the opportunity to. choose their own future.

THERE is need for all Nigerians to work together democratically, and openly express, indeed, demonstrate their commitment to the development of democracy. One of the disturbing features of the Nigerian democracy

THE NIGERIAN

Party Primaries And Democratic Commitment is that the Nigerian elite have not demonstrated enough support for the country’s democratic process, especially in times of increasing political uncertainties. The bulk of the Nigerian elite have virtually abandoned political involvement in government and governance.

They have left the process of democratic development in the hands of the ‘politicians,” which may well explain the low level of adherence to democratic procedures and values in the country * ONE of the reasons why most of the highly development States are experiencing stable democracy is the undiluted commitments of their elite to ensuring right political governance.

It must be repeatedly stressed that Nigeria will find it hard to rise to the much desired political status of becoming one of the wor stable and progressive democracy, if the Nigerian elite choose to remain on the political fence, Or exist as mere political spectators. Undoubtedly, the Nigeria elite can, just as their overseas counterparts have demonstrated, contribute to the growth Of the Nigerian democracy. Greater elite participation in the country’s democratic process must become the defining characteristics of Nigeria’s political System.

Despite marking 10 years of democracy, the political attitude of the majority of the Nigerian elite has been predominantly negative. It thus appears that Nigeria’s efforts to advance democratically will require a new shift in favour of greater elite involvement in the nation’s

politics.

THERE is no doubt that the degree of support for democracy is largely influenced by economic fortunes. This means that the 71 percent of Nigerians living below the poverty line, by international estimates or the 54 percent poor Nigerians, by a 2005 Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) report, are not economically motivated to demonstrate sufficient and effective support for Nigerias democracy. All the same, the less privileged classes In Nigeria can offer considerable support for achieving sustainable democracy in Nigeria, if they can be overtly organized into pro-democratic groups. The current economic and political reform efforts may well push less economically empowered Nigerians from their economic adversities right up t the middle class bracket.

Economically and socially disadvantaged Nigerians may well discover in the long-run how support for democracy can widen opportunities for political influence and business.

SINCE independence in Nigeria in 1960, it is reasonable to infer that the country has failed to enthrone a durable and sustainable democracy. The Ekiti-rerun election and all other elections that have been flawed are pointers that transparency is seriously lacking in our democratic efforts in the last 10 years.

By all standards, the path to democratic development in the country will require joint political efforts between the ruling party, political parties and most importantly, the Nigerian electorate. Clearly, in a pluralistic society like Nigeria, democratic enthronement is possible, only If there is organizational unity at all levels of governance. The Nigerian elite, the electronic and the Print Media, have significant roles in the race to reach democratic maturity, by helping the people to understand the democratic process, guide them to appreciate what Nigerians want from the country’s democratic as well as outline the

THE NIGERIAN

13

About The Federal Republic Of Nigeria

WE THE PEOPLE of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: HAVING firmly and solemnly resolved: TO LIVE in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign Nation under God dedicated to the promotion of inter-African solidarity, world peace, international co-operation and understanding: AND TO PROVIDE for a constitution for the purpose of promoting the good government and welfare of all persons in our country on the principles of freedom, equality and justice, and for the purpose of consolidating the unity of our people: DO HEREBY MAKE AND GIVE TO OURSELVES the following constitution:PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERRIA 1999.

Equally laughable is the assumption that Nigeria is a “Republic”; a supposition that sounds as hollow as a clanging cymbal. Like federalism, it is simply an idea without a firm practical base. A republican system of government in actual sense is based on the idea that the people, through their elected representatives, are supreme. At the head of a republican system is a popularly elected president who is expected to work for the common good of all members of the polity. The legislature is supposed to ensure that the president does not become tyrannical, and that the original articles establishing the republic are adhered to. These principles of popular rule are based on the ideas that spurred the American and French Revolutions, and which subsequently formed the foundations of the new republics; principles that have since been borrowed by other states.

Truly speaking, can the circus show currently being played out in Nigeria, where elections are brazenly rigged and candidates standing for political offices handpicked and forced on the people, be said to be based on republican principles? Can Nigerians be said to be truly supreme under the current cosmetic political arrangement where, despite being Nigerians, they debar the rights of Nigerians? How representative are representatives who hardly consult their various constituencies - made up of people who supposedly elected them to protect and project their interests - before contributing to the law-making process? Can legislators who hardly visit their constituencies to ascertain the wellbeing of their electors be called true representatives of their people? Can a lawmaker who collects constituency allowances running into billions of naira over a period of four (4) calendar years without executing a single, laudable project be called a representative of his people? Can a legislator whose preoccupation is fighting for committee portfolios, furniture and other beggarly allowances be termed a representative of his people?

Legislative bodies at the various levels of government in Nigeria qualify as assemblies of fowls; they are simply cocoons of

caterpillars, where the grandest schemes against the people are concocted and executed. The parliament should naturally be the protector of the people’s liberty in a true republican sense. A virile parliament checks executive excesses and is the only hope of the common man.

It is the closest arm of government to the people, and is the only forum through which they can participate in governance.

The American and French republics are founded on the ideals of popular representation.

This is in recognition of the novel role played by the people in the independence struggles of both countries. These ideals have continued to drive citizenstate relations in these countries.

That is why the security of the lives of Americans is treasured above those of other nationals.

That is why America is ready to go to war to protect the common interests of its people globally.

That is why American leaders listen to the opinions of their people before hashing out policies – domestic and foreign - that will affect them in the long run. But the truth of the matter is that Nigeria represents a poor copy of these original models.

Parliaments in Nigeria have generally been speech-making forums where passing references are made to the supposed needs of the people.

This is very unfortunate considering the significant input of Nigerians to the achievement of the country’s independence.

But what am I even jabbering about? Why should we expect anything productive from a pack of Wolfhounds who get into office through the back door?

We all know how floored the processes of political succession in this country are. We know how skewed the conduct of elections from the primaries to actual voting are. So, why should we expect manna from those who ceaselessly defraud and circumvent the system at will to become our rulers? We have politicians who become arrogant once they are in office, forgetting all their post-election promises (empty slogans they impudently call manifestos), and assuming the garbs of demigods. They transform themselves into emperors, who develop egos as large as cathedrals and become encapsulated in self-love: that all-natural poison. To worsen issues some of us aid and abet these malpractices either by omission or commission. When you help a politician to rig himself into office, and get paid for your indiscretions, how can you expect anything from him once he consolidates on his position? Has he not paid his dues to you already? Have you any moral grounds to ask anything from him in return once he is in office? No wonder the culture of impunity has continued to fester in this country. No wonder those who ultimately succeed to political offices become impassive to the demands of the people to deliver the much-vaunted dividends of democracy. Why not? Have they not paid the pipers? Why shouldn’t they dictate the tune?

The federal republic of Nigeria is in reality an oligarchy

that operates in the full mode of an absolute monarchy; a system of government run by a few people with practically unlimited powers. At all the three cadres of government – federal, state and local - you have principalities aping republican federalism. At the head of this hierarchical structure is the president who acts as the potentate, ably assisted by an advisory council of elders made up of “selected” members of both the legislature and “appointed” top members of the bar. At the state level, you have a similar formation with the governor, together with an advisory council of Satraps performing the same functions as its counterpart at the centre. The

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Cutting Edge With Obuseh Jude GSM: 08033510173 the belt-tightening Austerity Measures of the Shehu Shagari era, etc. The most annoying part of the whole mess is that ordinary citizens are forced to bear the brunt of the careless actions of the blind bats misleading this country whenever these policies fail; which they always do. From poorly conceived economic policies, profitless foreign policy

President Goodluck Jonathan local government, at a lower level, replicates the scenarios at the top of the ladder.

Our political system is simply a kingdom arrangement that is based on hereditary succession, where parents build political structures and live them to their children and children’s children; an establishment that is closed to the ordinary Nigerian without financial or any clout whatsoever; a political Cosanostra in which important decisions of public importance are deliberated upon and the innocent citizens are compelled to swallow the quack prescriptions of these physicians of death. Forget all the doctored consultative sessions that are held from time to time by government and its agencies before policies are pronounced: they are mere public show-offs.

Most decisions are taken before they are brought to the public realm. Have you ever wondered why most government policies are decreed into existence whether the public likes it not?

Flash back to the adoption of various economic policies prescribed by Breton wood institutions - International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank et al - such as the asseverating Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) of the Ibrahim Babangida years,

initiatives, to visionless development plans, the princes of this country have continued to act with daring effrontery; they have continued to test the will of Nigerians, pushing them closer daily to the wall. What they have created is “their” republic, not “our” republic. The ricochet effect of this impunity is better not imagined.

Our oppressors have no legitimate authority whatsoever to rule over us because what they claim as authority was invented and foisted on us by the precedent set by the first generation of spoilers that ever set foot on our soil. This precedent assumes the right to rule forever, which has been firmly embedded in our politics; a precedent that has been copied to perfection by succeeding generations of hitch-hikers who have bestrode this country’s political landscape like colossuses. That is why the “kings” of Nigeria see their positions as divinely ordained and their children – political and biological - as the rightful heirs to their imperial positions. When you hear of political godfathers “anointing” their protégés for political positions, they are simply expression their assumed king-making powers which should not be challenged by mere mortals, for challenging them is

said to be the same thing as challenging God. Talking of kings, the Nigerian president is reputed to be the most powerful president in the world. He is the Zeus to whom other lesser divinities must bow - the boss of all bosses whose decisions must never be questioned. Ironically not even the American president, the natural claimant to that exalted position possesses the degree of powers exercised by his Nigerian counterpart. Our president has maximum powers at his disposal. Despite the sterile attempts in recent times especially since the return of civil rule in 1999 – to check this ugly trend through constitutional reviews, judicial proclamations, and other feeble moves, not much has changed. Our president has powers comparable to that of an absolute Monarch. He literally controls the flow and exercise of power among the three arms executive, legislature and judiciary - and levels of government – federal, state and local government. He virtually does no wrong. We are well aware of how the presidency controls the ruling party, consistently influences elections into the national assembly (Senate and House Of Representatives), determines who becomes governor in all the states controlled by the ruling party, appoints, controls and removes principal judicial officers at the national level at will, controls all other significant agencies (public and private) outside its core jurisdiction, appoints and – covertly - controls all principal electoral officers at both the national and sub-national levels, and influences the whole political process - both during and after elections - using the currency of corruption, subterfuge, and naked force at its disposal. This coupled with the dependency toga foisted on its constituents and other related bodies through a sickly federal structure, results almost in complete fusion - or concentration of powers - in just one man and his gang of courtiers. These overbearing attitudes are replicated at all levels of government by the chief executives in office. Only almighty kings exercise such omnipotent authority.

In the Nigerian republic there are two classes of citizens: the “real citizens”- that is those who control the machinery for the authoritative allocation of values - and the “associate citizens”the larger population. The real citizens control all aspects of national life. They decide those that are qualified - or not qualified - to hold public office; decide the kind of policies that best suits the state; and own, control and distribute the resources of the state. The real

citizens are the only ones who enjoy full human rights, for the republic is theirs. For the associate citizens, their membership of the state is a privilege and not a right. They are supposed to follow the orders of the real citizens and to refrain from complaining. The few privileges they enjoy are premised on how obediently they kowtow to the whimsical dispositions of their betters. That is why our laws are discriminatory in their application. That is why when a poor man commits a crime he is made to feel the full brunt of the law either through jungle justice or by other damnably punitive measures deemed necessary by our apostles of moral correctness. Compare this scenario to the case of the rich, who are treated with kid’s gloves even when they commit more grievous offences. In very serious cases, they are kept under house arrest where they have access to all their previous luxuries; when they are convicted - which is very rare they are given very light terms to serve compared to the magnitude of their crimes; and when they are released, some of us sow uniforms to celebrate them. Nigeria is simply a country made up of two separate and unequal classes. That is the painful truth.

Ours is a closed caste system in which on one hand you have a class of the “superiors”, and on the other hand, you have a class of the “untouchables”. It is an immobile, hierarchical system in which those at the lowest rungs of the ladder have no chance of ever advancing beyond their subhuman conditions; they are supposedly born into squalor and are expected to die in it. That is why I cringe any time the word “equality” is mentioned as being one of the basic cornerstones of governance in this country. How can there really be equality in a society where an ever widening gulf separates the super-rich from the deplorably poor? This brand of Apartheid hurts to the very marrow. This aggressive order of segregation is as unacceptable as it is preposterous. This invented system of inequality must not be allowed to stand. This archaic monstrosity must be overcome, for no human being created by the almighty is in any way inferior to his fellow man. No man imbued with all the natural rights required to pursue the greatest happiness on earth to the zenith, and mandated by His awesome grace to become the best that he can possibly be, should in any manner be deprived of these freely given rights, by his fellow man. We are all equal in the sight of the almighty creator who decides the fate of all men ultimately; for “the true foundation of republican government is the equal right of every citizen”, according to Thomas Jefferson.

THE NIGERIAN

14

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Nutritional Health And Dietetics

High Blood Pressure ACCORDING to Medical dictionary high blood pressure is a condition in which a person’s blood pressure is persistently above normal. Although, blood pressure varies from person to person and from time to time 140/90 or above is considered abnormal when measured. While the person is at rest. Normal blood pressure is about 120/80 The circulation of the blood begins primarily with the heart. This is the pump that keeps the blood to all parts of the body, distributing this life-giving fluid to every cell. After each vigorous contraction, the heart relaxes and momentarily rests. At that instant, the aortic valve closes and the stream of blood rushes on through the aorta to all the other arteries of the body. The walls of arteries are elastic. They expand as they pass through them on their way to the smaller vessels.

You can feel this pulse wave by laying your finger lightly over the front of your wrist. To keep the blood in circulation, it must be pumped under a certain amount of pressure, otherwise, it would all collect in the feet and none would reach the brain. The pressure is provided by the heart during that split second when it is busy contracting.

At that instant, there is plenty of pressure within the heart, when it relaxes.

What Is Normal Blood Pressure?

Normal blood pressure is 120/80, but may go up to 140/80 and still be normal.

Anything above 140/90 tends toward hypertension, especially, if the pressure goes up to 180/120. The upper figure is known as the systolic pressure, but it is the lower or diastolic pressure that gives the doctors the greatest concern. The diastolic pressure should be maintained below 90. If possible during the brief moment when the heart is at rest, the pressure in the arteries drops to around 70 or 80. It remains there until the next heartbeat.

When once again, the pressure rises to 120, any tendency for the diastolic to

remain at a higher level may indicate the beginning of high blood pressure.

How To Test For The High Blood Pressure The doctor will wrap a blood pressure cuff around your arm, he begins to press on a rubbler bulb, this will inflate a rubber bag inside the cuff.

When the mercury or the pressure gauge reaches a

He will repeat the test several times. He may even ask you to relax or perhaps to take a deep breaths.

Conditions That May Change High Pressure of Blood Many different conditions may change the level of your pressure. Just the very act of having it makes some people nervous. This may raise the pressure higher than normal.

mechanisms in the body all of which play their part in controlling the pressure.

The adrenal glands are located just above the kidneys. These produce a powerful hormone known as adrenalin. This chemical constricts the smaller blood vessels causing the pressure to rise. At the same time, it provides a fresh burst of energy to meet some

certain height, the doctor will listen height, the doctor will listen carefully with his stethoscope. The first sound he hears is the pulse wave as it passes under the pressure cuff. This is the systolic or upper pressure. The doctor will continue to listen until the sound completely disappears. At this point, he registers the diastolic pressure. They may look like this 120/70. This will tell him a great deal if there is any question.

Emotional reaction will make a difference. In moments of fear or anger, the pressure may rise fifty to one hundred points above normal level.

Even eating a meal will make some difference.

During vigorous exercise, the pressure rises.

When a person is at rest the pressure falls to a basic level.

All these fluctuations are perfectly normal. They occur in everyone.

There are several important

emergency.

Another remarkable or gain, called the carotid sinus, is found in the neck. There is one on each side just below the angle of the jaw.

These help in the controlling of blood flow and pressure.

If for any reason, the blood pressure begin to fall, the effect is first noticed in this area. The carotid sinus flashes a message of alarm to the brain.

The brain then responds by ordering the tiny muscles in

With

O.C. Madu GSM: 08056379608 its walls of the arteriole to contract. This rapidly brings the pressure back to its former level. If the pressure tends to rise too high, the brain reverses the procedure.

The arterioles relax and the pressure drops back to normal again.

What causes high blood pressure? The pressure may rise as a result of the brain or spinal cord disease.

Infections of the kidneys tend to raise the blood pressure a times. Toxemia of pregnancy is another cause.

But in the general majority of cases, we are still at a loss to explain why the pressure is elevated. What is going on is known but what makes it short to rise is still a mystery.

This type, doctors refer as essential hypertension because is unknown. The process is rather slow. When it is rapid, it is called malignant hypertension (Andrew, 2000).

Most hypertensive patients have a background of strokes, heart disease, kidney ailment in their family history. This does not mean that all the children will suffer from high blood pressure, but such people should be extra careful.

Young people from such families often have high blood pressure in the early twenties. As a result of hereditary factor.

Research shows that nervous factors certainly play a part. Merely immersing the hand of a hypertensive patient in ice cold water will rise his pressure for above the level of someone who does not have hypertension.

Essential hypertension research shows is due to a

“The pressure may rise as a result of the brain or spinal cord disease. Infections of the kidneys tend to raise the blood pressure a times. Toxemia of pregnancy is another cause. But in the general majority of cases, we are still at a loss to explain why the pressure is elevated.�

number of complex factors most of which are not well understood.

Other factors have been linked to the condition such as obesity, smoking, high level of salt in the diet, a high level of stress and excessive use of alcohol.

Warning signs of high blood pressure The real problem of hypertension is not the level of the pressure, but, its effects on such organs as the heart, the brain, the eyes and kidney. The higher the pressure, the greater the damage is likely to be on these organs.

Effect on the heart Nearly all patients with high blood pressure, will eventually develop hypertensive disease. The higher the pressure, the harder the heart must work.

The extra work makes the muscle febre of the heart thick and strong elevated pressure produces changes in the coronary arteries as well.

They tend to be partially blocked in certain areas. This cuts down its blood supply to the heart this results in the pains of angina pectoris. If one of the coronary arteries blocks up completely. The patient suffers from a true heart attack. Chronic failure may set in so, prolonged hypertension is bad for the heart.

Effect on the brain. High blood pressure frequently damages the brain, especially, in those who are older. A weekened vessel may rapture, causing extensive hemorrhage. This results in a complete paralysis on one side of the body. A more common type of injury arises from clot forming in one area of the brain paralysis occurs, the brain substance sisters and wastes away thoroughly lack of a normal blood supply.

This may be followed by a loss of memory and certain marked changes in the personality, all of which are usually permanent. Peace and joy.

THE NIGERIAN

15

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Bottomline

THE NEED of union is felt now by every right-minded Christian. The power of evil is felt by all. Its pressure comes too near home, its rapid and gigantic strides are too evident, and affect too nearly the particular feelings which characterise distinctively every class of Christians, to allow them to be blind to it, however little they may appreciate its true bearing and character. Better and holier feelings too, arouse them to the sense of common danger, and (as far as it is entrusted to man’s responsibility) the danger in which the cause of God is from those who never did, and never would spare it.

This need is felt wherever the Spirit of God acts, so as to make the saints value grace and truth and one body.

The feelings which the sense of the progress of evil produces may be different.

Some, though they are but few, may yet trust to the bulwarks they have long looked at, but which had their force only in a respect for them which exists no longer. Others may trust to a fancied force of truth, which it has never exerted but in a little flock, because God and the work of His Spirit were there; others, to a union which never yet was the instrument of Power on the side of good— that is, a union by concord and agreement. While others may feel bound to abstain from such an agreed union, by reason of previously subsisting obligations, or prepossessions, so that the union tends to form only a party. But the sense of danger is universal. That which was long mocked at as a theory is now too practically felt to be denied; though the apprehensions of the word, which made those who were subjected to that mockery foresee the evil, may be rejected and slighted still.

But this state of things produces difficulties and dangers of a peculiar kind to the saints, and leads to the inquiry, where the path of the saint is, and where true union is to be found. There Is danger, from the very blessedness and desirableness of union, of those who have long truly felt its value, and the obligation that lies on the saints to maintain it, being led to follow the impulse of such as refused to see it when it was spoken of from the Word, and to abandon the very principles and path which their own clearer apprehension of the Word of God led them to embrace from it, as foreseeing the coming storm. They learnt from that precious Word that it was coming; and, while calmly studying it in the Word, saw the path marked out there for the believer as such, and indeed, in every time. It is now

pressed upon them to desert it for that suggested to men’s minds by the pressure of the , anxieties they anticipated, but which, though there may be an impulse of good in it, the Word of God itself did not furnish when inquired into in peace.

But is this the path of the saints, to turn from that which the generally rejected intelligence of the Word afforded them, to pursue the light of those who would not see? This, however, is not the only danger; nor is it my object to dwell on the dangers, but the remedy. There is a constant tendency in the mind to fall into sectarianism, and to make a basis off union of the opposite of what I have here just alluded to; that is, of a system of some kind or other to which the mind is attached, and round which saints or others are gathered; and which, assuming itself to be based on a true Principle of unity, regards as schism whatever separates from itself—attaching the name of unity to what is not God’s centre and plan of unity.

Wherever this is the case, it will be found that the doctrine of unity becomes a sanction for some kind of moral evil, for something contrary to the Word of God; and the authority of God Himself, which is attached to the idea of unity, becomes, through the instrumentality of this latter thoughts, a means of engaging the saints to continue in evil.

Moreover, continuance in this evil is enforced by all the difficulty which unbelief finds to separate from that in which it is settled, and where the natural heart finds its ties and, generally, temporal interests the sphere of their support.

Now, unity is a divine doctrine and principle; but, as evil is Possible wherever unity is taken by itself so as to be a conclusive authority, wherever evil does enter, the conclusive obligation of unity binds to the evil, because the unity, where the evil is, is not to be broken.

Of this we have a flagrant example in Romanism There the unity of the Church is the grand basis of argument; and it has been the ground of keeping the world, we may say, in every sanctioned enormity, and made the name of Christianity its warrant: an authority to bind souls to evil, till the name itself became shameful to the natural conscience of man. The plea of unity may then be, in a measure, the latitudinarianism which flows from the absence of Principle; it may be the narrowness of a sect formed on an idea; or, it may be, as taken by itself, the claim to be the Church of God, and hence in Principle to secure as much

Separation From Evil As God’s Principle Of Unity

By J.N. DARBY

indifference to evil, as it is the convenience of the body or its rulers to allow, or is in the power of Satan to drag them into. If the name of unity then be so Powerful in itself and in virtue of blessings withal which God Himself has attached to it, it behoves us well to understand what the unity He Owns really is. This it is I Would Propose to inquire into; acknowledging the desire

dispersion of several self-will, or its concentration in the dominion of the man of the earth. But then we must, in consequence of this, go a step farther. God must be a centre in blessing as ‘well as power, when He surrounds Himself with united and morally intelligent hosts. We may know that He will punish rebellion with everlasting destruction from His presence

possible centre. It shall be brought into it yet again, and centred in Christ as its Head, even in the Son, by whom, and for whom, all things were created. (Col.1, 16). It is man’s glory (though his ruin, as fallen) to be made thus a centre in his place the image of Him that is to come;* but alas! his imitator in a state of rebellion in this same place, when fallen. I know not (1 would venture to say no more) that angels were ever made the

for it to be a good thing, and many of the attempts at it to Contain in them elements of godly feeling, even when the means may not carry conviction to the judgment as being those of God. Now, it will be at once admitted, that God Himself ‘must be the spring and centre of unity, and that He alone can be in Power or title. Any centre of unity outsideGod must be so far a denial of His Godhead and glory, an independent centre of influence and power; and God is one-the just, true, and only centre of all true unity. Whatever is not dependent on this is rebellion.

But this so simple, and, to the Christian, necessary truth clears our way at once. Man’s fall is the reverse of this.

He was a subordinate creature, an image too of Him that was to come; he would become an independent one, and he is, in sin and rebellion, the slave of a mightier rebel than himself, whether in the

into the hopelessness of uncentred and selfish individual misery and hatred; but He Himself must be a centre of blessing and holiness, for He is a holy God, and He is love. Indeed, holiness in us (while it is by its nature separation from evil) is just having God, the Holy One, who is love too, the object, centre, and spring of our affections. He makes us partakers of His holiness (for He is essentially separate from all evil, which He knows as God, though as His contrary); but in us, holiness must consist in our affections, thoughts, and conduct being centred in and derived from Him: a place maintained in entire dependence upon Him. Of the establishment and power of this unity in the Son and Spirit I will speak presently. It is the great and glorious truth itself on which I now insist.

This great principle is true even in creation. It was formed in unity, and God its only

centre of any System, but man was. It was his glory to be the lord and centre of this lower world (an associate but dependent Eve his companion and help in his Presence). He was the image and glory of God. His dependence made him look up; and this is true glory and blessedness to all but God. Dependence looks up; and is exalted above itself.

Independence must look down (for it cannot in a creature be filled with itself) and is degraded. Dependence is true exaltation in a creature when the object of it is right. The prim state of man was not holiness, in the proper sense of it, because evil was not known.

It was not a divine (but it was a blessed creation) state; it was But this was lost in the assertion of independence. If man became as God, knowing good and evil, it was with a guilty conscience, the slave of the evil he knew, and in an independence he could not sustain himself in, while he

had morally lost God to depend on.

With this state (for we must now descend to the present actual question of unity), with man in this state, God has to deal, if true real unity, such as He can own, is to be attained Now, He must be still the centre. It is not therefore in mere creative power. Evil exists. The World is lying in wickedness, and the God of unity is the Holy God. Separation, therefore, separation from evil, becomes the necessary and sole basis and Principle, I do not say the power, of unity. For God must be the centre and Power of that unity, and evil exists: and from that corruption they must be separate who are to be in God’s unity; for He can have no union with evil. Hence, I repeat, we have this great fundamental Principle, that *See Ephesians I. He hath made known to us the mystery of His will; that is, gathering together in one all things in Christ, in whom we have received an inheritance.

Separation from evil is the basis of all true unity. Without this, it is more or less attaching God’s authority to evil, and rebellion against His authority; as is all unity in dependent of Him. It is a sect in its lightest and feeblest forms; in its fullest, it is the great apostasy of which one of the characteristics as ecclesiastical or secular power, is unity; but unity by subjection of man to what is independent, really or openly, of God, because it is of His word; not established by subjection to the Holy One, according to His word,* and by the power of the Spirit working in those that are united, and by His presence, which is the personal power of union in the body. But this separation is not yet by judicial power, which separates (not the good from the evil, the precious from the vile, but) the vile from the precious, banishing it from His presence in judgment; binding up the tares in bundles, and casting them into the furnace of fire;— gathering out of His kingdom all things that offend (Satan himself and his angels being cast down, and all things thereupon being gathered together in one in Christ, in heaven and in earth). Then the world, not the conscience, will be cleared from evil by the judgment which will not allow it, but early cut off all the wicked (not by the power and testimony of the Spirit of God).

THE NIGERIAN

16

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Perspective Introduction IN organising my thoughts on the subject which has been assigned to me, namely, “A Review of National Resources and Economic Development,” I have been mindful of two things.

The first is the theme of this conference which is the “Management of National Resources”; the second is the suggestion of the DirectorGeneral “that speakers and participants at the conference will think not only in terms of our natural human resources but also in terms of the necessary managerial skills and financial prudence so very essential to make a success of the national attempt to transform the economy and thus raise the standard of living of the average Nigerian.”

In the light of these considerations, I have decided against making this paper a catalogue or an inventory of our natural resources as this would merely duplicate information which is available elsewhere. I thought it might be more profitable to all concerned if I use this opportunity to appraise the arrangements which have been made in the recent past or which are contemplated for harnessing our resources for development. I shall be particularly interested in the validity of the diagnoses underlying the arrangements, the appropriateness of the policies adopted and the effectiveness of the measures for implementing them. For convenience I shall use the “Guidelines for the Third National Development Plan 1975-80” as my point of departure. Although the Guidelines are not yet finalised, they represent the dominant thinking in the highest planning and economic organs in the land (the Joint Planning Board, the National Economic Advisory Board and the Conference of Commissioners responsible for economic development), on the matters which concern us in this session. Where necessary, the Guidelines will be supplemented with references to the “Second National Development Plan 1970-74”, the first planning document to be fashioned by Nigerians for Nigerians.

In view of the wide scope and complexity of the subject of national resources, I cannot possibly do justice to every aspect of it nor am I competent to do so. What I propose to do is to highlight in some detail some of the significant aspects of the strategies for developing our natural, human and financial resources. The treatment will be selective but I hope not arbitrary.

Unless an appraisal of the kind intended here is constructive it is likely to be of little value. I shall endeavour to be constructive as the Federal Commissioner for Economic Development and Reconstruction in his Foreword to the Guidelines urges all Nigerians to be.

Improved Procedure for Compiling the National Development Plan The decision to improve the procedure for drawing up the national development plan by providing executing agencies with a policy framework within which they can “identify and articulate their programmes” is a step in the right direction, It should go a long way to clarify objectives, impart greater coherence to project selection and reduce considerably, if not eliminate, the mis-match between

development goals and programmes.

The utility of the new approach will depend on how successfully the detailed analyses which are proferred in the Guidelines go to the heart of the problems facing the various sectors of the economy, and how well-judged the proposed policies and programmes, which are supposed to constitute the hard core of the Third National Development Plan, are likely to be in achieving given objectives. And it is here that those outside government wishing to comment seriously and constructively on these two aspects of the Guidelines find themselves at a disadvantage. For although a development plan is future-oriented, it is usually related to what happened in the past and what is going on in the present. With a progress report available on barely one of the four years of the Second National Development Plan, too little is known about what has been achieved, and more important, what could not be realised and why, to enable one to appraise the Guidelines to the Third National Development Plan with the rigour worthy of the subject.

In more general terms, this is a problem of communication between the government and the public. To improve the situation it is suggested a) that more detailed information on the progress of the development plan should be included in the budget speeches, possibly in the form of appendices; b) that all government departments and agencies should resume the practice, which was standard under the colonial administration, of publishing regularly annual reports on their activities.

With reference to objectives, it will be noted that the emphasis in the Guidelines is virtually on sectoral objectives. Nowhere does the overall purpose of development planning of sectoral planning forms a part, receive mention. And yet misconceptions on this score can lead to misdirected effort on the part of government planners and agencies as well as confusion arising from uncertainty all round. In order to provide clearer focus for the Third National Development Plan, we commend the following definition of the three-fold purpose of development planning in a mixed economy such as that of Nigeria: “1. to help the government to pursue policies which encourage private individuals to make decisions which favour growth to invest more, plant more, use fertilisers, undergo training, change jobs, etc.; 2. to determine priorities for its own expenditures on current and capital account, including investments in government enterprises; 3. to help ensure that adequate finance is mobilised for private and public investment.”

Of the three, the first is certainly the most important, especially as government has human material of proven worth to work with. Professor Lewis in the book from which the above quotation is taken has paid tribute to the magnificent way in which Nigerian farmers have responded to innovations since the fifties, and other researchers into local industries have remarked that the spirit of enterprise is by no means lacking. Historical evidence,

A Review Of National Resources And Ec admirably put together by Dr. A. G. Hopkins in his new book, “An Economic History of West Africa”, proves beyond doubt that this is far from being a recent phenomenon. We now know that the pre-colonial economy was complex, efficient and adaptable and that it had reached a relatively advanced stage of commercial capitalism long before the Western world made its impact felt. We also know that the achievement of replacing the slave trade with an export trade in palm oil and groundnuts during the nineteenth century was the handiwork of thousands of small-scale African Producers.

During the first half of the colonial period (1900-1930), when the open economy was completed, the expatriate role, though necessary to the expansion which was achieved, merely encouraged a process which was under way before the partition of Africa. In the words of Dr. Hopkins, “Innovations in the key agricultural sector were made by African farmers themselves.

Indigenous producers of all ethnic groups, whether in the forest or savanna, whether growing annuals or perennials, whether Muslim or Christian (or neither), proved that they were responsive to monetary incentives, that they were prepared to travel to distant places, that they were willing to experiment with new crops and with novel techniques of farm management, and that they were ready, on occasion, to provide their own social overhead capital (in the shape of roads and bridges), in advance of government action.”

The Macro Framework While recognising the usefulness of indicating to executing agencies in broad outline the macro-economic framework that is likely to prevail during the next plan period, one or two cautionary notes may be sounded.

The first concerns the projections of the Gross Domestic Product. Given the record of the performance of the economy in recent years, the average compound rates of growth expected between 1975/ 76 and 1979 /807.8 per cent at constant prices and 9.8 per cent current prices), are not unreasonable. The danger to be avoided is the temptation to think of the rates in question as accomplished. On the contrary, from the point of view of development policy, they should be taken for what they are targets to be aimed at and worked for, The second cautionary note relates to the practice of using the growth rate of the oil industry as a balancing item in arriving at the overall growth rate of the economy. According to the Guidelines, “a major policy input into the projections of the growth rates of the GDP is that the Federal Government would require the oil producing companies in the country to maintain during the plan period, a minimum average rate of growth of crude oil production of 10 percent per annum.”

Presumably the authors of the document have at the back of their minds the experience of 1971/72 when the oil industry accounted for nearly half of the estimated growth rate of the GDP. The sectoral breakdown of the

aggregate growth rate of 12 per cent in that year was as follows: agriculture 2; oil 5.7; manufacturing 1.2; government 0.2; building and construction 0.7; and other 2.2.

If the intention is to ensure that the target growth rate of 7.8/9.8 per cent per annum is attained by keeping the growth level of crude oil production at 10 per cent, it is unexceptionable. Nor is there any quarrel with the figure of 10 per cent as such. However, a moment’s reflection will suffice to show that to use oil production as a balancing item in this way is to cut complacency as far as the growth rates of the other sectors of the economy are concerned.

Indeed, in the specific case under examination, the target growth rate is perfectly possible of achievement even if all the nonoil sectors together stagnate! An extreme example no doubt but it dramatizes the danger inherent in this line of thinking.

The conclusion is clear. While in the short run there is no alternative in using the growth rate of the oil industry to boost the growth rate of the economy as a whole, in the medium and in the long run the healthy growth of the economy can only be sustained by the dynamizm of the non-oil sectors. The policy implication of immediate interest is to give special attention to what can be done to get the slow growing sectors of the Nigerian economy, especially agriculture, moving, with and without the external effects of the oil industry.

Government Savings By itself, the estimated revenue surplus totalling about N3,950 million which the governments of the Federation are expected to amass during the next plan period does not tell us very much. It depends. To know what value to put on the figure in question, we need to know a number of equally important and relevant statistics such as the percentages of the GDP which the governments are likely to collect in current revenues over the plan period, and the rates at which not only the current revenues but also the current expenditures of the governments are expected to grow yearly. The Guidelines are not of much use on these points but the Central Planning Office has generously made available background technical papers from which the secondary statistics of interest were readily derived.

The picture which emerges is a mixed one. The first finding is that over the plan period the governments of the Federation will be collecting a good 25 per cent of the GDP in current revenue. This is a very laudable goal indeed. That it is not moonshine can be seen from the fact that the figure had already been attained in 1971/72 (having jumped from about 19 per cent in 1970/71.), and the level will virtually be maintained right until 1979/80. Very few developing countries, and not many developed countries either, can match this performance.

The second finding is a disturbing one. As projected, the current expenditure of all the governments put together will grow at a faster rate than their current revenue. While current expenditure will grow at a compound rate of 12.3 per cent

over the plan period, current revenue will grow at the rate of 10.1 per cent. More disturbing still, we find that this is the continuation of a trend which began in 1971/72. At that rate current expenditures will be doubling every six years.

If we break down current expenditure into those of the Federal Government on the one hand and those of the state governments on the other, what do we find? That the Federal Government will account for the disturbing build up in current expenditure. While her current expenditure will grow at a compound rate of 14.2 per cent over the plan period, those of the state governments will grow at 8 per cent.

What has all this got to do with the revenue surpluses? Obviously the overriding objective in financing the next plan must be to make the revenue surpluses as

a special developm fund.

There is a related indications are that d increased receipts sector, current r projected under the will be surpassed m 1971/72 alone fo recurrent revenue c N1,436 million a million over and ab figure. The surplus was fourteen time planned for. In the ci it will be unnecessar domestic borrowin private sector to public capital e programme. The p will need all the res generate to finance t of existing activities new ones. This is m case of the indigen which new opportun open, It is therefor

President Goodluck Jonathan large as possible. Since the revenue surplus in any year is the difference between current revenue and current expenditure, the best way of achieving this is to keep current revenue as high as possible and current expenditure as low as possible.

But the governments are already collecting 25 per cent of the GDP in current revenue and that is high enough. The only course open for increasing the revenue surplus therefore is to keep firm control on the rate at which current expenditure grows from year to year.

Given that current revenue as projected will grow at a compound rate of 10.1 per cent per year over the next plan period, and taking account of the relative magnitudes of current revenue and current expenditure, it is suggested that current expenditure should grow proportionately at no more than 7 per cent per annum. This should result in bigger revenue surpluses. It is further suggested that the excess over the surpluses as projected should be passed to

that domestic borro cease forthwith.

Revenue Allocat According to the finance is not likely a serious bott development effort Plan period . While true enough of the e whole, it will not b State Governmen certainly not been under the current P two of the States co enough funds to f capital programme and the deficits on capital accounts of rose from N42 mi year to an estima million in 1972/7 grants and the p internal and externa by the Federal Gove seen them through s Two reasons adduced to explain the decline in the wo primary commoditi and palm produce o state governments revenue, and projections of State

THE NIGERIAN

17

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Perspective

conomic Development:

By A. OGUNSHEYE

ment reserve

point. All the due largely to from the oil revenue as present Plan many-fold. In or example, collected was good N640 bove the Plan s in that year es what was ircumstances, ry to resort to ng from the finance the expenditure private sector sources it can the expansion s, and to start more so in the ous sector to nities are now re suggested

the Plan. There is a third.

According to Dr. Adedotun Phillips, “one of the consequences of the recent changes in revenue raising and allocation is the tendency for revenue shares to shift in favour of the Federal Government...

These changes have led to a decline in the share of federally raised revenues allocated to the States.’” State shares of Federal statutory allocations between 1968 and 1972 were as follows: 1968/69, 35.3%; 1969/70, 41.2%; 1970/71, 35.2%; 1971/ 72, 26.5%.

In the light of the foregoing, it will be readily agreed that “the problem of state resources is one that requires national attention”.

It should no longer be dealt with on an adhoc basis. Beginning with the Third Plan, it is suggested that revenue allocation and national development

owing should planning should be integrated. It is further suggested that a greater share of federally raised revenues ion e Guidelines, should be passed on to the States. y to constitute A Forgotten Source of Public tleneck to Finance: local Government ts in the next One erroneous assumption e this may be which runs through the economy as a Guidelines is that there are only be true of the two levels of government which nts; it has generate and use up financial true of them resources, Federal and State. The Plan. All but important omission is Local ould not raise Government whose contribution finance their is substantial. In 1962 for when current s in 1970/71 example, n current and expenditure on education was a f all of them little over £29 million, local illion in that authorities accounted for £2 ated N365.6 million. If it were possible to put 73. Federal a value on self-help which took proceeds of the form of what is popularly as community al loans raised known ernment have development, local contribution would have been higher. At the so far. have been same time, relative to their the situation, responsibilities in the fields of orld prices of education, public works, health ies like cocoa etc., local government authorities on which the are in an even worse financial s depend for plight than the state governments. optimistic And yet the activities of local e resources in authorities touch the day-to-day

A Blast From The Past (1)

lives of the ordinary man more than those of the Federal and State governments!

It is therefore suggested that recognition should be accorded to local government in the Third Plan, not as an independent level but as a special category within the plans of each state. Their contribution to the development effort should be spelt out and special account should be taken of their needs in arriving at the states’ share of revenues.

Agriculture While it is true, as stated in paragraph 2, that agriculture will still have to furnish the necessary employment for the bulk of Nigeria’s population in the foreseeable future, the implications for employment policy should be underlined. It has been shown that non-agriculture (mainly services, mining and manufacturing), in Nigeria can provide employment for only 45 per cent of those entering the labour force each year.

“Consequently, half of employment policy must consist of persuading 50 to 60 per cent of the young people to take up farming.”

Although the constraints on the growth of Nigeria’s agricultural sector as listed in paragraph 3 are generally true, it would be useful, from the point of view of policy to go further to recognise that the constraints do vary in important respects, from crop to crop, and from one type of agricultural activity to another. The differences in constraints have a bearing on the kinds of campaigns which are appropriate for bringing about increases in output and productivity.

The Guidelines, in common with the Second National Development Plan 1970 — 74, are fuzzy on three major issues of agricultural policy. They are (a) During the Plan period, what are the most promising investment opportunities in agricultural product processing, marketing and research, and what should the priorities be? (b) In order to realise the opportunities under (a), how much emphasis should be put on investments in export crops versus investments in domestic crops; on production in peasant small holdings versus estates and plantations; on government versus private investment; and in direct versus indirect investments (in roads, communications, education and research)?

(C) What incentives to investment should be provided in the light of (a) and (b)?

In the field of agricultural production four major categories of agricultural products can be distinguished: export crops, import substitution crops, nutritionally superior foods and staple crops. In terms of the greatest potential, which crops offer the brightest prospects in the immediate future? The experts seem to be agreed that the export crops — cocoa, palm produce and groundnuts — top the list together with one import substitution crop, cotton. Selective investments only are considered advisable in sugar, kenaf, and tobacco, while more intensive research and development is called for in the case of rubber and wheat.

As far as the nutritionally superior foods (milk and milk products, poultry and eggs, and fruits and vegetables), are

concerned, the emphasis should be on increasing effective demand for these commodities by raising the purchasing power of the small farmers (who form the bulk of the population), by pushing the production of export and import substitution crops and by reducing the cost of superior foods through the development of better varieties of plants and animal products. With regard to staple crops — yam, cassava, guinea corn and millet— the priority is to invest heavily in biological research to increase the productivity of food production in the late 1970’s.

From the foregoing it is clear that the proposal Contained in the Guidelines for government to go into the direct and large-scale production of kenaf, wheat and dairy foods is pre-mature.

Turning to the second set of major policy issues, a number of pertinent facts and findings should be noted. The first is that all groundnut and cotton, practically all cocoa, and most of oil palm and rubber production is in the hands of smallholders who, in spite of the predominance of illiteracy, have responded positively to changes in production and marketing.

In the words of an informed observer, “it is possible to write hopefully about Nigerian agriculture because the Nigerian farmer has proved him self to be an economic man; willing to plant trees which take several years to bear (cocoa, rubber), willing to invest in fertilisers (groundnuts), and pesticides (cocoa, groundnuts), willing to adopt new varieties (cotton), and willing to upgrade the quality of his produce (palm oil). Hence it is not necessary to base policy essentially on substituting new large-scale institutions (whether plantations or state farms), for the existing millions of farmers.

What they need are incentive and access to new knowledge.”

Secondly, studies have shown that in terms of economic returns, small- holder production in tree crops gives very satisfactory returns, whereas most plantations in Nigeria give marginal returns under existing conditions.

Thirdly, with few exceptions (mainly involving joint ventures with private investors), direct government investments in plantations, farm settlements and processing of agricultural products and so on have been unsuccessful in obtaining satisfactory returns on the money invested.

Fourthly, in view of the long distances from some areas of agricultural production to the points where the products are consumed or exported overseas and the high cost of marketing and of transportation, it has been suggested “that primary emphasis should continue to be given to the development of infrastructure in Nigeria, especially rail, road and port facilities. Further investments can be made to improve the efficiency of the marketing process, especially through analysis of marketing board operations, the development of market news services, improvements in inspection and grading of agricultural products and the development of a workable credit system to enable farmers to buy the inputs required for efficient output. Investments

in the above would pay the federal and state governments much higher returns than direct investments in processing plants, plantations, farm settlements and the like.”

Guidelines Reflect Some of the Findings It is reassuring to see that, in some respects, the Guidelines reflect some of the above findings. Examples are the proposals for improving the distribution of agricultural chemicals by contracting private companies to undertake the procurement and distribution, for State Governments to allocate special grants for the construction and maintenance of feeder roads for evacuating agricultural produce, for establishing a reliable market and for Government to encourage the formation of co-operative societies for the marketing of staple foodcrops. Unhappily, still too many of the proposals strongly suggest that the lessons of the recent past have not been taken to heart.

A case in point is the establishment of food processing plants which the Federal Government, in partnership with the State Governments, intends to go into. As pointed out earlier, the record of state enterprise in food processing has been one of dismal failure. In contrast, the private sector has been conspicuously successful in this area and should be encouraged to make even greater contribution.

Still in the same connection, the proposal for creating agricultural estates needs further clarification.

Remembering how many millions of pounds have been poured down the drain in running farm settlement schemes, it would be a pity to reintroduce them in another guise. The bulk of the resources available for agricultural development should be put at the service of the millions of smallholders and not a handful of large-scale farmers.

The establishment of the Nigerian Agricultural Bank is welcome but for maximum impact agricultural credit should be closely linked with the agricultural extension services.

For greater effectiveness, the reform of the extension services will, in turn, have to go beyond expansion in numbers and better training as envisaged in the Guidelines. Government ex tension workers need to be more carefully selected especially from the point of view of motivation and capacity for working among rural people. In addition, the responsibilities of the individual extension worker need to be reduced to more reasonable proportions both as to area and the number of crops covered.

Further more, the extension worker should be better provided with transport facilities so that the farmers in his district can see more of him. In these and other respects, there is evidence to show that government has a lot to learn from the private sector on how to make agricultural extension services effective.

With respect to the third major issue of agricultural policy, namely, incentives, the proposals contained 1. Arthur Lewis; op. cit.

2,3 C. K. Laurent, Investment in Tree Crops in Nigeria — Small- holder Production, CSNRD-1 8, CSNRD and

NISER, Ibadan, 1968: R.G. Saylor, A Study of Obstacles to Investment in Oil Palm and Rubber Plantations, CSNRD15,1968;C.K. Laurent AgroIndustries in Nigeria, CSNRD25, 1968; Dupe Olatunbosun, Nigerian Farm Settlements and School Leavers Farms Profitability, Resource Use and Social - Psychological Considerations, C S N RD-9, 1967.

4. C.k. Laurent, HC. Kriesel, Dupe. Olatunbosun, M. Purvis and R.G. Saylor, Agricultural Investment Strategy in Nigeria, CSNRD-26, 1969.

5. R. K. Harrison, A Study of Village-Level Agricultural Extension Workers in the Western State of Nigeria, NISER, Ibadan, 1971. in the Guidelines are generally on the right lines. The point is well seized that the major incentives for Nigerian agricultural development are those involving prices and income to farmers and subsidies for agricultural inputs. There is one important respect in which much more remains to be done, namely, policies for hastening the transition to large-scale commercial agriculture. Drawing on the experience of other countries like Kenya and the Ivory Coast where immigrant settlers have made a special contribution to the commercialization of agriculture, Professor Sir Arthur Lewis has suggested that foreign investment by plantation companies in Nigeria should be encouraged.

“Some of the monies now earmarked for government participation in manufacturing investments should instead be switched into partnerships with private agricultural investment companies.”

Following up another fertile suggestion of Mr. Wilmot’s, if such agricultural schemes were utilised as nucleus plantations or estates around which a number of satellite smallholdings are grouped their demonstration and beneficial effects on peasant agriculture could be enormous!

“The nucleus plantation or estate concept,” as explained by Mr. Wilmot, “is a very practical and down-to-earth way in which peasant farmers can be introduced to the best planting materials, guided in the practice of the best farming methods, assured of first class processing facilities, and relieved of all worries about marketing their produce, whether processed or fresh. By the large-scale adoption of this form of agricultural development, farming could become a dignified and worthwhile occupation for educated Nigerians who are becoming increasingly anxious about the scarcity of openings likely to lead to a secure and prosperous career.

Moreover, an avenue would be opened up by which foreign commercial enterprise in the agricultural area could bring its investment and its know-how to Nigeria. Employment would be created for large numbers of Nigerians in an industry which is labour intensive in a thoroughly healthy environment” Mineral Resources As the Guidelines have nothing to say on mineral sources, it can be assumed that

the policies contained in the Second National Development Plan are to be continued without modification during the next Plan period.

And this is understandable. The Second Plan marked a radical break with the past and its main provisions are still being implemented.

Until 1968, Government policy was not to participate directly in prospecting and mining of mineral resources, their commercial exploitation being left to private enterprise.

Although it took positive and fruitful steps, both internationally and internally, to improve the fortunes of the tin industry, Government was primarily concerned with providing basic and essential geological information through the Geological Survey, enforcing mining and prospecting laws and training personnel for industry in its Mines School in Jos. Modest though the main thrust of G overnment policy was, the achievements were considerable indeed. First, between 1920 when the Geological Survey launched its geological mapping programme and the early sixties, geological maps on the scale of 1 :250,000 covering about forty per cent of the country were produced. Secondly, the Geological Survey gave valuable advice on water supply, especially from underground sources, and between 1928 and 1947 it sank about 2,000 wells. Lastly, with the exception of oil, “nearly all the known mineral deposits of Nigeria (both worked and unworked), have, at some time or the other been mapped, drilled through, analysed or other wise examined and reported upon by the Geological Survey. In fact, most of the credit For largescale tin mining on the Jos Plateau and the opening up of the coal mines at Enugu must be given to it.”

With the Second National Development Plan, Government embarked on a new policy of participating directly in the exploration and production of mineral resources. This policy has already been implemented in the case of the petroleum industry and a number of offshore oil concessions are being developed in partnership with private companies, the Government having a majority share holding. The National Prospecting and Mining Company envisaged in the Plan has already been established. The other arms of the new policy are to encourage the utilisation of the known and commercially viable minerals, to control and regulate the rate of depletion, to intensify the search for new minerals and to use the proceeds of the oil industry to transform the economy and the country. It should be noted that an Iron and Steel Corporation has already been set up to look into the possibilities of exploiting the known deposits of iron ore and to prospect for more. In addition increased oil revenues are also making a beneficial impact.

There can be no doubt that the new policies on mining are generally in the right direction and the dispatch with which the necessary institutional arrangements have been set up is commendable.

Nevertheless it may be useful to draw attention to one or two aspects the implications of which were either not sufficiently emphasised or overlooked. In the first place, the task of mapping the remaining sixty per cent of the country is a stupendous undertaking and even when the present series of maps are completed, more detailed maps for selected areas and for specific purposes will be called for—and all this after the geological mapping programme had virtually ground to a halt between 1960 and 1970 largely as a result of the exodus of expatriate geologists and to some extent because of the civil war.

Although modern survey methods will help the problems of finding competent staff for the.

THE NIGERIAN

18

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

It has been said that religion provides an organized picture of the universe. In doing this, it establishes an orderly relationship between man and his surroundings. We can safely assert that all religions perform this major function irrespective of the societies-where they are found. However, such an assertion is limited and can be discarded as soon as someone points out the negative functions of religion in societies. For example, as practiced in some societies, religion facilitates the disintegration of relationships.

The above illustrates the importance of approaches to the study of religion. What one gets out of the study very much depends on one’s approach to it.

In order to amplify the importance of approaches to the study of religions, we shall examine this quotation credited to late Bishop Stephen Neil: If we are prepared to understand religion in terms of a man’s total reaction to the totality of life, we may be led to regard the primitive peoples as among the most religious people on earth, If on the other hand, we look for certain signs or ideas of higher religion, we may deny them almost any religion at all.

Please do not mind the derogatory term this respected British writer uses to describe the traditionalists. We should rather understand “primitive’ as being close to original stage. Likewise we shall work with the assumption that there are neither “low” nor “higher” religions.

Neil’s statement shows that the same phenomenon can be examined via two approaches.

Each of the approaches may yield a different result. If we adopt the “totality” approach then we see much but if we adopt the “signs or ideas” approach we shall see nothing. This suggests that our approach, or means of study determines the outcome of our study. We shall examine the following popular approaches to the study of comparative

Point Blank Religious Harmony

The Approaches That Matter!

6. The Categorical Approach 7. The Thematic Approach 8. The Eclectic Approach.

THE HISTORICAL APPROACH The course on Comparative

of their religions. Many societies are not literate. Where they are literate, there are no sure ways

everything finds its halting point.

It is the final storehouse for all phenomena and events, the

Religion used to be called the History of Religion. The course sought to identify the origin of religions. It examined different theories about the origin of religions and traced the development of religious ideas.

It is claimed that we can know the essence of a thing when we know its roots and origins. In the same way, we can evaluate religious phenomena if we can trace their development. The

of verifying the authenticity of their records. We know that most scriptures are statements of faith.

They are not historical records.

They should not therefore be relied upon for accurate historical development of’ the religions.

In the context of African Traditional Religion, Mbiti (1969 p.23) argues that each African people has its own history but the African concept

ocean of time in which everything becomes absorbed into a reality that is neither after nor before.

A factor that the students who adopt the historical approach must put into consideration is cross-cultural contact. No society is an island to itself.

People travel and they share religious ideas as they meet.

Culture is not static. It is always in motion. Changes due to

By EMMA EKPUNOBI

“A factor that the students who adopt the historical approach must put into consideration is cross-cultural contact. No society is an island to itself. People travel and they share religious ideas as they meet. Culture is not static. It is always in motion. Changes due to actulturation, meeting with other cultures, are common. It is in this sense that we cannot describe African Traditional Religion as primitive. There are aspects of it that have undergone drastic changes.” religion: 1. The Historical Approach 2. The Enumerative (or Frazerian ) Approach 3. The Hypothesis of Unity Approach 4. The Ethnographic (or Particularist) Approach 5. The Limited Comparative Approach

historical development of religions can show us a lot about how religion is molded by human cultures. It can also reveal to us how human cultures influence religious ideas.

One major limitation of the historical approach is that not all religions are historical. Most people do not know the history

of time prevents them from knowing what their history is.

Africans do not have a historical view of the world. The Swahili word ZAMANI is used to refer to the macro-time beyond the experienced past.

Zamani is the graveyard of time, the period of termination, the dimension in which

actulturation, meeting with other cultures, are common. It is in this sense that we cannot describe African Traditional Religion as primitive. There are aspects of it that have undergone drastic changes. For example, white cloth is a prominent feature of shrines. We know that the Traditionalist does not

manufacture such materials in his culture. The cloth is imported yet it is very much part of the religious symbol used by the Traditionalist.

The historical approach has the

main advantage of helping us to know the origins and development of religion. These provide the criteria for us to judge and evaluate, religious traditions. Unfortunately, not all religions have history. Where we assume there are histories, we find it difficult to know which aspects of the religious phenomena have been influenced by outside or foreign culture. Where there are no written accounts, oral tradition be unreliable. People who produced scriptures do it for their faith and not the preservation of historical records.

THE ENUMERATIVE APPROACH To enumerate is to count or to mention one by one. As an approach to the comparative study of religion, it is to mention different items, traditions, beliefs and practices. An enumerator groups his material in one way or another. A classic enumerator was Sir James Frazer, the author of “The Golden Bough.” He enumerates many facts gathered from different countries and social groups.

The enumerator classifies the items collected and arranges them side by side. For example the enumerator’s table enables him to identify the similarities

between religions. However the enumerator does not go beyond listing the observed phenomena.

It is often a directory of unconnected terms. We need to discover the meaning of the observed facts, It is not enough to make a list and stop there. We need to find out what the observed facts mean in their contexts. The enumerative approach is an invitation to find out the real meaning and to make comparison.

THE HYPOTHESIS OF UNITY APPROACH The approach that seeks to identify similarity in all religions is called the hypothesis of unity approach. The hypothesis is that a thread of unity holds all religions together.

Mahatma Gandhi who is credited with advocating the unity of religions said: The need of the moment is not one religion, but mutual respect and tolerance of the devotees of the different religions. We want to reach not dead level, but unity in diversity. The soul of religions is one, but it is encased in a multitude of forms. The latter will persist to the end of time It is possible to identify this soul of religion which is same in all religions. How important are the multitude of forms to the soul of religion? We know that each religion is shaped by the society in which it exists. The symbols understood by the society are used to represent religious facts.

Since societies differ structurally, culturally and environmentally we need to acknowledge such differences in our study of religions. We cannot assume that the soul of religion is same therefore its practice in all the societies will be the same. In order to bring this fact nearer home, we still illustrate with Christianity. We can say that the soul of Christianity is “love for God and fellow human beings.”

Stretch your mind to multitudes of denominations in Christianity.

They express their faith in many different ways. While some hold fast to symbols like the crucifix, others abhor-the use of any type of symbol.

The container that carries a religion is as important as the religion itself. A meaningful study of religion will reveal how both interact to influence each other. This approach of deciding on the soul of religion and looking for it in all religions is useful. However its main limitation is that the societies in which religion are expressed are as important as the religions themselves. It is necessary to study the societies too.

THE NIGERIAN

19

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Drumbeats

Who Is A Wealthy Man? Continued from last week

GATES did not have a definite study plan while a student at Harvard and spent a lot of time using the school’s computers. Gates remained in contact with Paul Allen, and he joined him at Honeywell during the summer of 1974, The following year saw the release of the MITS Altair 8800 based on the Intel 8080 CPU and Gates and Allen saw this as the opportunity to start their own computer software company. Gates dropped out of Harvard at this time. He had talked this decision over with his parents, who were supportive of him after seeing how much Gates wanted to start a company.

Microsoft Main articles: History of Microsoft and Microsoft BASIC MITS Altair 8800 Computer with 8-inch (200 mm) floppy disk system After reading the January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics that demonstrated the Altair 8800, Gates contacted Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS ), the creators of the new microcomputer, to inform them that he and others were working on a BASIC interpreter for the platform. In reality, Gates and Allen did not have an Altair and had not written code for it; they merely wanted to gauge MITS’s interest. MITS president Ed Roberts agreed to meet them for a demo, and over the course of a few weeks they developed an Altair emulator that ran on a minicomputer, and then the BASIC interpreter. The demonstration, held at MITS’s offices in Albuquerque was a success and resulted in a deal with MITS to distribute the interpreter as Altair BASIC. Paul Allen was hired into MITS, and Gates took a leave of absence from Harvard to work with Allen at M1ITS in Albuquerque in November 1975. They named their partnership “Micro-Soft” and had their first office located in Albuquerque. Within a year,

The Bill Gates Story (2)

the hyphen was dropped, and on November 26, 1976, the trade name ‘Microsoft was registered with the Office of the Secretary of the State of New Mexico. Gates never returned to Harvard to complete his studies.

Microsoft BASIC was popular with computer hobbyists but Gates discovered that a pre-market copy had leaked into the community and was being widely copied and distributed.

In February l976, Gates wrote an Open Letter to Hobbyists in the MITS newsletter saying that MITS could not continue to produce distribute, and maintain highquality software without payment. This letter was unpopular with many computer hobbyists, but Gates persisted in his belief that software developers should be able to demand payment Microsoft became independent of MITS in late 1976, and it continued to develop programming language software for various systems.

The company moved from Albuquerque to its new home in Bellevue, Washington on January 1,1979.

During Microsoft’s early years, all employees had broad responsibility for the company’s business. Gates oversaw the business details, but continued to write code as well. In the first five years, Gates personally reviewed every line of code the company shipped, and often rewrote parts of it as he saw fit.

IBM partnership IBM approached Microsoft in July 1980 regarding its upcoming personal computer, the IBM PC. The computer company first proposed that Microsoft write the BASIC interpreter. When IBM’s representatives mentioned that they needed an operating system, Gates referred them to Digital Research (DRI), makers of the widely used

CP/M operating system.

IBM’s discussions with Digital Research went poorly, and they did not reach a licensing agreement. IBM representative Jack Sams mentioned the licensing difficulties during a subsequent meeting with Gates and told him to get an acceptable operating system.

A few weeks later, Gates proposed using 86-DOS (QDOS), an operating system similar to CP/M that Tim

system. They did, and the sales of MS DOS made Microsoft a major player in the industry. Despite IBM’s name on the operating system the press quickly identified Microsoft as being very influential on the new computer, with PC Magazine asking if Gates were “The Man Behind The Machine?”

He oversaw Microsoft’s company restructuring on June 25, 1981, which reincorporated the company in Washington state and made

With Apostle Dr. Raphael O. Ayemere 08035459593

led Microsoft to develop a version of OS/2 independently from IBM. Management style Bill Gates in January 2008 From Microsoft’s founding in 1975 until 2006, Gates had primary responsibility for the company’s product strategy.

He aggressively broadened the company’s range of products, and wherever Microsoft achieved a dominant position he

interests at risk.

He often interrupted presentations with such comments as, That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!” and, “Why don’t you just give up your options and join the Peace Corps?” The target of his outburst then had to defend the proposal in detail until, hopefully, Gates was fully convinced. When subordinates appeared to be procrastinating, he was

vigorously defended it. He gained a reputation for being distant to others; as early as 1981 an industry executive complained in public that “Gates is notorious for not being reachable by phone and for not returning phone calls.”

Another executive recalled that after he showed Gates a videogame and defeated him 35 of 37 times, when they met again a month later Gates “won or tied every game. He had studied the game until he solved it. That is a competitor.”

As an executive, Gates met regularly with Microsoft senior managers and program managers. Firsthand accounts of these meetings describe him as verbally combative, berating managers for perceived holes in their business strategies or proposals that placed the company’s long-term

known to remark sarcastically, “I’ll do it over the weekend.”

Gates’s role at Microsoft for most of its history was primarily a management and executive role. However, he was an active software developer in the early years, particularly on the company’s programming language products. He has not officially been on a development team since working on the TRS-80 Model 100, but wrote code as late as 1989 that shipped in the company’s products. On June 15, 2006, Gates announced that he would transition out of his day-to-day role over the next two years to dedicate more time to philanthropy. He divided his responsibilities between two successors, placing Ray Ozzie in charge of day-to-day management and Craig Mundie in charge of long-term product strategy.

William Henry Gates

Paterson of Seattle Computer Products (SCP) had made for hardware similar to the PC Microsoft made a deal with SCP to become tile exclusive licensing agent, and later the full owner, of 86—DOS. After adapting the operating system for the PC, Microsoft delivered it to IBM as PC DOS in exchange for a onetime fee of $50,000.

Gates did not offer to transfer the copyright on the operating system, because he believed that other hardware vendors would clone IBM’s

Gates President of Microsoft and Chairman of the Board.

Windows Microsoft launched its first retail version of Microsoft Windows on November 20, 1985, and in August, the company struck a deal with IBM to develop a separate operating system called OS/ 2. Although the two companies successfully developed the first version of the new system, mounting creative differences caused the partnership to deteriorate.

It ended in 1991, when Gates

“During Microsoft’s early years, all employees had broad responsibility for the company’s business. Gates oversaw the business details, but continued to write code as well. In the first five years, Gates personally reviewed every line of code the company shipped, and often rewrote parts of it as he saw fit.”

THE NIGERIAN

20

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Society

Today, our cultural heritage as Edo people and as Nigerians in general is being replayed. It gives me much joy and satisfaction to note that young men and women have upheld the rich cultural heritage of our land. Our culture is our past, our present and our future. It is our life.

“Our culture is a bridgebuilder, uniting us with other people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

“Our culture embodies the symbol of peace and creates a common front for our relationship with others.

“Our culture is the true essence of existence. Wars have been fought and won. Nations have been conquered, riots quelled by reason of our culture. Indeed, our culture is our heritage, a veritable tool for development of a nation, a sceptre for dispute resolution.

For this reason, therefore, I join my voice to that of our fathers and mothers, even our past leaders, to implore you not to rest on your oars as you continue with this noble work.

Culture never dies, it is a continuum, the people’s way of life. So it is expected that even at the graduation of one set of students from this university, the successors would sustain this worthy experience.

In whatever you do, remember that you are heroes, offsprings of a dynamic culture. Remember the sons and daughters of whom you are. Even when you have come from different family settings, different cultures and climes, remember that you are all one indivisible entity, one great embodiment of true heroism, entwined round an immutable strength of character.

Your individual and collective stance to propagate the gospel of the essence of culture would be highlighted when you shun all acts capable of disrupting the academic calendar and prolonging your stay in the university. Remember, the future is in your hands. Exam malpractice, cultism, gangsterism, restiveness are all alien to our culture. They are vices which must be shunned. To err is human because humans are usually fallible. Whatever little misunderstandings you may have as students should be resolved, not in dispute or in thug of war but with dialogue and common understanding.

According to the great Philosopher, Norman Vincent Pearle, “Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities, always see them, for they’re always there”. In your attitude and character, disseminate the information of the essence of cultural values, the essence of conducting your affairs within the framework of cultural moderation.

And Mark Twain, also a great philosopher said, “there is no sadder sight than a young pessimist”. I implore you all to

Reflection On Culture And The Youth be optimists, for as the saying goes, your attitude determines your action, your action determines your accomplishment. And the greatest discovery of our generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their state of mind.

For young people like you, let the sky be too low to be your limit, aim far above the skies.

Your character is judged by the accompanying attitude. That is what makes behavioural patterns differ.

Always be focused, the environment you fashion out of

By ETHEL EWEKA EDOSA

your thoughts, your beliefs, your ideals, your philosophy, is the only climate you will ever live in. As Africans, our past, our present and our future are intertwined; our cultural values are almost the same. In whatever you do, learn from the antecedents of past leaders, past heroes and major players in the development of our nation. That is the essence of upholding cultural values, to guide you. For instance, the Late Ambrose Alli,

Professor Emeritus, after whom the Ambrose Alli university is named, was a man of great intellects who respected and

“For young people like you, let the sky be too low to be your limit, aim far above the skies.

Your character is judged by the accompanying attitude. That is what makes behavioural patterns differ.”

The Edo Woman: Her In ancient times the time for an Edo woman to marry was a special time the entire family looked forward to. The marriage brings joy to her family as the community waits eagerly to see all their daughters get married. A time of marriage is a time of merriment.

Marriage was seen as a covenant between two families and not between a young man and a young woman. The ground work was done by the two families. In times past parents of the man met the parents of the girl at the background. This action gave the assurance to the mother of the girl to release her daughter in marriage. This allayed the bride’s mother’s fear concerning the type of treatment the motherin-law would give her daughter.

And until this assurance was obtained no marriage ceremony was performed e.g paying of bride price and the festivities associated with marriage.

On the evening of the day the bride price was paid, the family members of the bride and her age grade friends, would escort her to her husband’s house. On arrival at the groom’s house, songs such as the following were sung: (Vbokhin? Oyenwen-no meaning what is it? It is gladness). It was very exciting and every mother looked forward to the day. Before the day of bride price payment, the mother of the bride would call her daughter to counsel her and give her advice on what to do and what not to do in her new life that she was about to begin. She then prayed for her daughter.

Following that, the girl was led to her new home for the consummation of the marriage.

In the morning a blood stain noticed on the white bed sheet was honoured and celebrated by her in-laws. The white bed spread was sent to her mother who would proudly spread it outside in the sun. This brought honour to the mother of the girl. The family of the groom would later come with thanksgiving songs and gifts to the mother of their wife. This brought pride to the mother of a Bini woman. Her husband would be proud of her, as well as her family, and her community. What an honour! I wonder how many women this day can bring themselves this honour? This is what brings the Bini woman pride. Today women choose their husbands without the active involvement of their parents. Women are no longer wooed by grooms’ parents.

Rather they choose husbands for themselves. This practice is wrong. The tradition of wooing by grooms’ parents gives dignity to women resulting in respect from their husbands.

From the preceding expositions it is clear that the practice of sex before marriage was not encouraged in Bini kingdom just as it is not also taught in the Bible.

In fact, for any woman to be caught having sex before marriage she and the boy or man were punished openly by both parents and the entire community.

This practice was very disgraceful to womanhood in Bini land. Every single woman

should resist sex before marriage for the following reasons.

A. So you can be the pride of your husband B. You can be the pride of your family.

C. You can be the pride of your in-laws D. You can be the pride of your community E. So that you can earn honour for yourself I was in a place where a man and his wife were quarrelling.

The man said to me, “Am I the one who dis-virgined you? So you cannot also end with me. You have been a harlot before I met you”. What a shame! No reasonable girl will like such comment from her husband. The only way to avoid it is to be chaste inspite of pressures. A wise girl has the responsibility to resist such.

The Bini Woman In-Law The Bini woman was expected to treat her in-laws with respect as she treated her husband. She equally addresses them as “my lord”. She must try to please her in-laws and other women in the house. She must try to please her in-laws who may come to her aid when there is a quarrel between her and her husband. The in- laws in most cases would side with her if she is generous and kind to them. They would readily accept her as a member of that family and no longer see her as a wife but a family member.

Her Husband The husband of a Bini woman is her pride and when the husband is good looking the wife takes the

upheld our cultural values.

It is on that salient note, that I call upon on everyone their deck with government at all tiers they as work concertedly to move the country to greater heights, to the paths of excellence, to tow the line of our heroes past.

Finally, before a person can achieve the kind of life he wants, he must think, act, walk, talk and conduct himself in all of his

affairs as would the person he wishes to become. Pick for yourselves role models on whose antecedents you would guide your steps. That is another essence of cultural values. And whatever step you take, let our rich cultural heritage be sustained, let it be the driving force in your relationship with others, in your regard of both friends and foes, in how you honour your forebears, in your daily relationship with others, in how you conduct yourselves, in your academic and everyday life.

Marriage credit. To achieve this, the Bini wife ensures: (1) That her husband is neat in his dressing (2) The woman should prepare food for her husband but the man must provide the food.

(3) She respects and reverences her husband by calling him “My Lord” ‘enaemwen’.

She does these knowing that these things will increase her husband’s integrity and status in the society. After all, no woman wants her husband to be MR. NOBODY. Her Children The Edo woman takes pride in her children when they do well, and when the society talks well of them in public. This is why she does everything possible to make sure her children do better each year. When she discovers a new bad behaviour she cautions her children and thereafter reports to her husband who observes and takes appropriate action to curb the unwholesome behaviour. A child is said to be “her father’s when she is of excellent report and her mother ’s when she misbehaves”. These are not complimentary statements and must be avoided because both parents are responsible to ensure that their children are not a disgrace to the family Her Husband’s Death To every Bini woman this period is a painful one. It is usually a period of fear and sorrow. Normally in this period, people should gather around her to help and console her. Most of

the time, however, some Bini women fear this period because of The traditional rites they have to perform in non-Christian families. Some family members of her late husband can be purposely wicked, and would want to punish the woman for their selfish reasons. Hence they insist that the tradition must take its full course. Another reason why this period is exploited is the result of the hatred the family may have for her late husband.

To prevent this reaction, every wife must guard against bad behaviour and be friendly. If this advice is adhered to, a good number of them will lend support to her and waive those customs.

If the rite was meant to last for seven days it may just take one day or two. The widow may not even be required to take a sip of the water of oath. Every Bini woman dreads this period because of these traditional rites.

In view of what has been said, it is advisable that a Bini woman be kind to her husband and his family. A husband should not report any wrong of his wife to his relatives because the relatives are likely to keep the report and act accordingly even after he and his wife might have reconciled.

Husband’s Property The Bini woman has a right to her husband’s property until her death if she is not seen to be unkind or is suspected to have hand in the husband’s death. No one may ask her to leave her husband’s house child or no child.

THE NIGERIAN

21

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Issues Issues ACCORDING to Onyido (1991), Monetary Policy could be defined as the combination of measures designed to regulate the supply of Money to an economy. Specifically, it is designed to regulate the availability (or quantity), cost, and direction of credit in order to attain stated national economic objectives.

Monetary Policy usually involve the expansion Or: contraction of money supply, the manipulation of interest rates to make borrowing easier and cheaper or more difficult and dearer depending on prevailing economic condition, and channelling of fund to growth sectors for increased output.

Monetary policy is an integral part of the overall, economic policy that regulates the level of money or liquidity in the economy in order to achieve some desired policy objectives.

It ensures that the supply of money and cost of credit to an economy is adequate to support desirable and sustainable growth without generating inflationary pressures that could lead to undue depreciation in the value of the local currency. A country’s monetary policy is usually structured on the monetary system adopted in the economy.

2.2 OBJECTIVES OF MONETARY POLICY Generally the objectives of monetary policy, include:(i) The control of inflation and maintenance of relative price stability. (ii) The maintenance of a healthy balance of payments position for the country in order to safeguard the external value of the national currency. iii) The promotion of a fast and desirable rate of economic growth and development. (iv) The maintenance of a low level of unemployment. (v) The mobilization of increased domestic savings to facilitate domestic capital formation. (vi) Increasing the flow of credit to the priority sector of the economy especially the agricultural and

manufacturing sector.

Other broad objectives of monetary policy in Nigeria include protecting local from unfavourable foreign competition and smugglers, reducing indebtedness aborad and generating more revenue especially from the non - oil sectors of the economy.

Because conflicts do arise when all these objective are pursued simultaneously, choice has to be made by the authorities as to which objective(s) to lay emphasis upon at any point in time and the type of instruments to be adopted in the achieving the selected objective(s).

It is therefore, clear that some of the objectives of monetary policy are only achieve at the sacrifice of others. For instance, there is a trade off between inflation and unemployment i.e the goal of full employment conflicts with the goal of stabilization of domestic prices. An adverse balance of payments may require a restrictive policy which Is not always conducive or appropriate to the domestic situation.. a balance of payments deficits can be narrowed by reducing national output. This tends to contradict the objectives of full potential output and balance of payment equilibrium.

Also there is possible strain between the objectives of growth and external balance.

Growth increase the demand for import, capacity to produce exports and import substitution. Invariably; growth will bread deficits in the external balance of the countries with higher propensities to import.

However, certain economic objectives are mutually reinforcing. Thus, full potential output and economic growth are compatible objectives.

2.3 TOOLS OF MONETARY POLICY AND CREDIT CONTROL The main techniques by which a Central bank may achieve policy objectives could be grouped into two for simplicity.

They are (i) market

Mechanics Of Monetary, Fiscal Policies

Austerity Measures:

By NICK NNABUIKE ODOH

intervention and (ii) portfolio constraints. The Market Intervention relies on the power of the Central bank as a dealer in financial assets in the financial markets to influence the availability and the rate of return on assets in a general way, thus affecting both the desire of the public to hold money balances and

influencing the cost, volume and availability of bank reserves and thereby the supply of credit. Their effect is general, impartial and impersonal. The instruments: Open Market Operations (OMO), Discount Rate Policy; and legal Reserve Requirement. Thee are indirect tools of credit control.

Certificates etc., in open market by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on the behalf of Federal Government of Nigeria, with the intention to control the quantity of money.

With -this tool, a policy of monetary expansion or contraction is carried out by altering the reserve base of the commercial banks thereby enhancing or limiting their credit creating capacities.

If the policy pursued is

by drawing cheques on their accounts with the Commercial Banks. This action tends to reduce the reserve base of the Commercial banks and thus limits the ability to lend to the public.

In a Developed Economy, Open Market Operations have two Impacts on the Financial System. First, the immediate effect of a purchase (Sale) of securities is to increase

expansionary, the CBN purchases government securities from the Public made up of individual, Business Organisations etc with CBN cheque.

These individual and Business Organisations lodge these CBN cheque to their respective accounts with commercial banks.

The implication is that the cash base of the commercial banks increase by the amount of credits from Central Bank.

This makes it possible for the Commercial Banks to lend money and thereby create money.

If on the other hand, the policy pursued is contractionary then the opposite holds. That is to say, that the CBN sells Securities in the market to the public.

The public rush for Payment

(decrease) the reserve base dollar for dollar. In America, the Federal Reserve System (CBN in the Case of Nigeria) does Conduct Open Market Operations to make profit and will simply bid up the price on securities to a high enough level to purchase the securities from either banks, bond dealers or individuals.

The question is where does the Federal Reserve System get the Money. It simply “creates” the funds to purchase the securities by increasing the reserve accounts of the banks involved in the transactions.

In the same vein, the Federal can continue to sell any amount of securities it possesses because it will continue to lower the price until the securities are purchased. To be Continued

CBN Gov

the willingness of banks to take deposits and lend.

Portfolio Constraints, on the other hand, place restrictions on a particular group of Institutions (banks) limiting their freedom to acquire assets and liabilities according to Crocket (1973).

Ranlett (1969) as cited by Onyido (1991), Classified Monetary Policy Instrument into quantitative and qualitative tools. Quantitative tools operate primarily by

Qualitative tools on the other hand; typically, seek to regulate the demand for credit for specific selected users, and therefore are selective in nature. The emphasis here is on direct credit control. These instruments are discussed as follows: Open Market Operations (OMO) This is the buying and selling of government securities e.g development bonds, treasury bills, treasury

“It is therefore, clear that some of the objectives of monetary policy are only achieve at the sacrifice of others. For instance, there is a trade off between inflation and unemployment i.e the goal of full employment conflicts with the goal of stabilization of domestic prices. An adverse balance of payments may require a restrictive policy which Is not always conducive or appropriate to the domestic situation.. a balance of payments deficits can be narrowed by reducing national output. This tends to contradict the objectives of full potential output and balance of payment equilibrium.”

THE NIGERIAN

22

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Law

Intention To Make A Will FOR a will to be operative, it must be shown that the maker, at the time the will was made, had knowledge and understanding of what he was doing and the effect. Any evidence of fraud and/or undue influence will vitiate the will and it is for the court to determine what amounts to fraud and/or undue influence for in consistent conduct in the case of an old man is not necessarily evidence of senility.

In Johnson v. Maja the West African Court of Appeal held, inter alia, that: “to be under undue influence in the eye of the law, there must be coercion because if the testator has only been persuaded or induced by considerations which you may condemn, really and truly to intend to give his property to another, though you may disapprove of the act, yet it is strictly legitimate in the sense of its being legal.

It is only when the person is coerced into doing that which he or she does not desire to do that it is undue influence”.

The facts of this case are that the testator drew up a will and a codicil. It was contested that he lacked testamentary capacity at the time he executed the will and that the will was made under undue influence of a woman who was his mistress. The testator suffered from certain sickness and during this period he refused to see the wife, but preferred to be looked after by a mistress. Back home he refused to eat food cooked by the wife, but that of his mistress who was said to be too arrogant and pompus. The testator made a will, took it to a was sick of celebral injury but he was treated and became alright. Evidence was adduced to show that the testator practiced his profession six years after and even made wills for people.

The court held that the evidence adduced supported the finding that the testator had testamentary capacity and that transfer of affection for immoral purposes is not undue influence.

In Adebajo v. Adebajo the testator suffered four serious illness at the time he drew up his will. The will was contested to the effect that his illness was such as to impair his mental ability and concentration and so his will was not made with a sound

By ANENE U.G. OGINTA

mind. The plantiffs called two witnesses and a medical doctor. The defence called many witnesses including the lawyer who drafted the will.

This witness recounted how he gave the draft to the testator who read same came to his of fice on appointment to execute same. He said that the will was executed in his office before two witnesses and himself, the lawyer. Evidence were also led to show how the testator gave instruction for his houses in England to be repaired, went through customs and immigration processes before he travelled, transacted some land matters at the Land Registry went to the bank and trans acted some businesses, etc. The Supreme Court held, that the actions of the testator were consistent with that of a sane man. The will was admitted to probate.

To show that the testator has the intention to make a will is to show absence of undue influence. Undue influence is not necessarily a question of testamentary capacity.

Influence in order to be undue within the meaning of any rule of law would be an influence exercised either by coercion or by fraud. To succeed in undue influence you have to prove the motive and opportunity used in achieving this. The existence of motive and opportunity coupled with the fact that the person who has motive and opportunity has benefitted by the will to the exclusion of others is not sufficient proof of undue influence. In Craig V. Lamoureux it was held that there must in addition, be positive proof of overpowering the intention of the testator.

ALTERATIONS No obliteration, interlineation, or other alteration made in any will after the execution thereof shall be valid or have any effect, except insofar as the words or effect of the will before such an alteration shall not be apparent unless such alteration shall be executed in the like manner as is required for the execution of the will.

Provided that the will with such alteration or as part thereof, shall be deemed to be duly executed if the sig nature of the testator and the subscription of the witnesses be made in the margin or on some other part of the will opposite or near to such

alteration or at the foot or end of or opposite to a memorandum referring to such alteration and written at the end or some other part of the will It must be noted that every interlineation or other alteration which is not executed and attested as pro vided in the statute shall be deemed to have been made after the will had been executed and attested, and so in operative

REVOCATION OF WILLS It is of the every nature of a will, according to English Law, that it shall be revocable until the death of the testator, and nothing that the testator says or does can render his will irrevocable during his lifetime. Even the execution by two persons of a joint mutual will does not render such as instrument irrevocable A will cannot be rendered irrevocable by any express contract, except that it can give rise to a right of action for damages against the testator’s estate if the will is revoked.

The revocation of a will depends on whether the will is a formal or an informal one.

For an informal will the revocation does not require any formality. A formal will can be revoked by the making of another will or codicil, destruction and/or subsequent marriage.

By another Will or Codicil In making a will or a codicil, it is usual to insert therein an express provision revoking all prior testamentary dispositions made by the testator. The effect is that all such previous wills and/or codicil by that singular provision stand revoked. But the court may grant probate of instrument (or a part thereof) of a date prior to the will which contains a general revocatory clause, if it is satisfied that it was not the intention of the

testator to revoke a particular legacy or provision contained in the earlier instrument. Note that it is not enough for a document to merely describe itself as “the last will and testament” of a testator. It must comply with all the necessary formalities. Where the will or codicil which expressly revokes the former is not validly executed, it will not be effective to revoke the earlier will.

Where two wills are found and there is difficulty to determine, from the express words used therein, whether the later revokes the former, the two shall be read together, and if the second is inconsistent with the first, the first will be treated as revoked as to such parts only as are inconsistent with the provisions contained in the second will.

By Destruction A will can be revoked by the burning, tearing or otherwise

destroying of the same by the testator or by some person in his presence and by his direction with the intention of revoking same. For there to be revocation under this heading, it must be shown that the following were concurrent namely physical act of destruction and an intention to revoke (animus revocandi). Therefore an accidental destruction does not suffice. Where a testator draws a line through a part of the will and indorse it “all these are revoked” and kicks it into the corner, the court held that all that were not sufficient acts of destruction for “All the destroying in the

re-execution thereof or by a codicil executed in manner required and showing an intention to revive the same.

Also when will or codicil which shall be partly revoked and afterwards wholly revoked shall be revived, such revival shall be deemed to relate to so much thereof as was last revoked and shall not extend to so much thereof as shall have been revoked before the revocation of the whole thereof and intention to the country be show 50.

For there to be a revival of a. revoked wilt it must Le shown that there was a clear intention on the part of the

world without intention will not revoke a will, nor will all the intention in the world without destroying: there must be the two”.

Revocation by destruction could be of the whole or of some essential parts thereof eg by cutting off, obliterating the signature of the testator or that of the witnesses.

Destruction of a part revokes only the part so destroyed, unless the part so destroyed is so important as to lead to the conclusion that the rest cannot be intended to stand alone Loss does not amount to revocation. In sudgen v. Lord St Leonard” it was held that where a will is lost or destroyed in such a way as not to amount to revocation, probate may be grated of the content thereof upon proof of such content by evidence.

Manner revoked shall be revived otherwise than by the

testator to have the revoked will revived. the mere attaching of a codicil to a revoked will by means of a tape is no evidence of an intention to revive the will.

But in Marsh v Marsh, the testator made a will in 1931 bequeating all his property to one Miss E.P.H whom he married about a year later. He was told that his marriage has revoked his said will, hence in 1943 he signed and duly witnessed a statement written on the outside of the envelope containing the will: “The herein-named E.PH is now my lawful wedded Wife”. The court held that statement was a codicil reviving the will.

Destruction of the revoking instrument is not sufficient to revive a revoked will, there must be a sufficient act on the part of the testator showing his intention to revive the will.

This may either by way of reexecution or making of a codicil.

THE NIGERIAN

23

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Healthy Living

WATER is the universal solvent; it’s probably the most stable compound in creation and it’s the single most important compound for the support of life. As living organisms, we depend on the life support systems on Earth which themselves depend on the whole stable structure of the universe. Every drop of water we drink today has been recycled countless times in the Earth’s hydrologic cycles. The natural distillation and condensation cycles across the Earth wouldn’t be possible without the vast complex of physical forces held in delicate balance by the sun’s energy and the rhythmic motions of all celestial bodies in space. It’s the most amazing thing! God designed everything in creation to maintain a balance that makes our life on Earth possible. This balance provides us with just the right amount of water, breathing gases, light energy and protection from solar radiation. With that in mind, let’s focus on the importance of clean water to our health.

Water is absolutely essential for survival. It plays a part in almost every bodily functionfrom breathing to thinking.

You can go many weeks without food, but only a few days without water. Here are a few ways our bodies use water: • It is required to transport nutrients throughout the body via the bloodstream.

• It stabilizes and cools us, allowing us to maintain proper body temperature.

• It hydrates our skin from the inside -it’s the best lotion around!

• It dilutes toxins that our cells produce during metabolism and carries them away.

• It is part of every cell-70 percent of our body is composed of water.

• Saliva is used to moisten and predigest cooked food in our mouths.

• It helps keep the colon clean. Our large intestine is like a sewer system; keeping the body hydrated helps keep it clean and waste moving through it.

• It dissolves mineral buildup in the body, helping to eliminate arthritis and heart disease.

In our daily metabolic functions, our bodies lose between four and six pints of water. We lose water when we breathe, when we urinate, and when we sweat; so it is imperative that all this water be replaced. Many people try to replace the water they lose by drinking sodas, tea, and coffee.

These don’t help the body at all, and they actually add toxins to the bloodstream.

Coffee and tea (unless it’s naturally caffeine-free tea) are diuretics, so consuming these liquids will require even more

water in order to get the toxins they contain out of your bloodstream.

Municipal tap water is not a desirable source for clean drinking and cooking water. It often contains chemicals like chlorine and fluoride. Chlorine is dangerous and fluoride is an extremely toxic substance used in rat poison. Wells are also no longer reliable sources of clean water due to widespread pollution of most ground water systems. Collected rainwater isn’t a desirable solution either because cloud-forming micro droplets pick up air borne, suspended particles of industrial and automobile pollution as they form into raindrops.

Thankfully, God has designed plants with a certain ability to work with microorganisms in soil in order to neutralize a limited amount of contamination. Unless food plants are watered from heavily polluted streams or grown in urban areas where the rain is badly contaminated, your produce should be mostly unaffected by the polluted rain in rural areas.

Distilled water is the most reliable source these days for clean drinking and cooking water. It is produced by boiling water and condensing the steam in a cooling coil that drips the water into a collector. Distilling water removes most harmful chemicals and pathogens because they aren’t taken up into the cooling coil with the steam; they’re left behind in the boiler. Besides being free of contaminants, distilled water has the added benefit of being the best solvent for cleansing body tissues and joints because it has no suspended solid particles. It will tend to absorb toxic particles from your tissues more aggressively than mineral water and certainly more than tap water.

Some people discourage use of distilled water, specifically because it has no minerals in it.

I’ve even seen mineral packets available in health food stores that are intended to fortify distilled water. There are two problems with this: First of all, the minerals in mineral water are just elemental solids that can’t easily be used by the body, because they aren’t in a form that your body can recognize as nutrients. Your body can use these dead minerals to some extent if it has nothing else to work with. But the energy needed to change them into a usable form makes this source inefficient at best and damaging at worst. Secondly, even if your body could use these dead minerals, it wouldn’t need to if you are getting easily metabolized nutrients from live foods.

There are many quality home water stills on the market. It pays to buy a quality still that is made of stainless steel parts.

Until you can afford to make this investment, you can find distilled water in jugs at your

Auto Immune Disorders local grocery store. Some stores even have water refilling stations for your own large containers.

By eating raw fruits and vegetables, we can supplement our water intake. Generally, fruits contain the most amount of water -around 88 percent, while vegetables contain slightly less. If we eat raw fruits and vegetables, our bodies need less water outside of a food source.

Cooked foods do not contain the water we need. Often our bodies have to add liquid to cooked food to make it more digestible. There’s a catch-22 with this: If, while you are eating cooked food, you drink enough liquid for your body to use in digestion, you will be

diluting the first-stage digestive juices and thus cause incomplete digestion. This will result in loss of energy and even some degree of putrefaction of the food in the intestines and colon. On the other hand, if you don’t drink enough liquid to assist digestion of cooked food, your body will extract some from the blood supply, resulting in mild dehydration. I say “mild” because above everything else, your body will protect your blood chemistry and especially the pH levels. Ultimately, your body will allow you to have unhealthy digestion before you have unhealthy blood.

It’s just better all around for you to hydrate your body by eating live vegetables and fruits and sipping water and live juices throughout the day.

Gradual, steady ingestion of fluids and nutrients is the

By GEORGE MALKMUS

optimum way to heal and feed your cells. And the cleaner and more nourishing your hydration is, the more gratitude your body will show you by setting you free of pain and ailments.

Life cannot begin without oxygen. At birth, it’s the baby’s first and most important need.

If that first breath doesn’t occur there is little hope for life. God gave Adam the first “breath of life.” All the body’s cells need it every single one of them.

Much of the energy we need to function comes from the oxygen we inhale. We unconsciously breathe all the time it is so important, we do it automatically! Without breath

that can coat everything in the house and contaminate the air.

A report from the EPA called The Inside Story says that outgassing and other contaminants in the average home can make the air up to 70 times more toxic than the outside air in a large city. The EPA considers indoor air quality to be one of the biggest issues in today’s health.

You actually breathe 23,000 times a day. You have 100 trillion cells in your body, and every minute, 300 million cells die and are replaced. Some of these cells are skin cells that flake off and waft into the air.

Have you ever noticed what is

we would die very quickly.

However, oxygen isn’t given the credit it’s due in today’s society. Rarely do we exercise or execute hard physical labour; technology has created an advanced society of people who can barely breathe due to the oxygen-starved condition of our polluted air, combined with lifestyles that don’t require deep breathing.

Household pollution is also a great threat to our health.

Homes are built so tightly sealed for energy efficiency these days they don’t allow any air exchange. Central air systems typically recycle the same air throughout the house.

Preservatives and chemicals in building products, carpets, and paint will outgas for years.

Household cleaning chemicals emit toxic gases as well. Many candles produced outside of the United States have lead in them

floating in the air when a beam of sunlight comes through a window? Much of it is dead skin and other particles our bodies expel. Hitching a ride on those particles are millions of dust mites that feed on them and then expel their own waste into the air. Right about now, you’re probably covering your mouth and thinking about purchasing air purifiers for your home!

What we ingest, my friends, becomes a part of us this includes air. When we breathe polluted air, we draw that pollution deep into our cells.

Our bodies need fresh, clean air for proper cellular reproduction and to provide us with the energy that sustains us.

Your body longs for oxygen, and respiration introduces oxygen into your system. That oxygen is used for cell metabolism. The main gaseous

by-product of that metabolismcarbon dioxide -is expelled when you exhale, mixed with other waste gases and water vapor.

Deep breathing and exercise wake up your brain better than a jolt of caffeine ever would— and it’s a lot better for your body. With increased oxygen intake, your brain becomes more alert and your mental capacity increases. Of course, it helps to have an optimistic and joyful outlook.

Smoking, air pollution, and a sedentary lifestyle all have damaging effects on your brain, since they inhibit the absorption of oxygen. Many mental illnesses are the result of oxygen starvation of the brain. Suffocation of the brain will darken a person’s mood and outlook. A lot of chronic depression could be greatly helped with strenuous exercise because exercise has the incredible power to hyper oxygenate every cell in your body. Depression tends to drive a person into lonely, isolated places where less light and air can reach them. It’s a vicious cycle that, most times, requires the wisdom of a caring person to interrupt.

Oxygen also increases the energy in your cells. It allows them to function more efficiently as they process fuel.

Using plentiful oxygen and nutrients, your cells start a “spring cleaning” routine, expelling toxins out through the cell membrane. But with an inadequate oxygen supply, your cells cannot function properly. This makes you feel sluggish, fired, and drained.

Disease is thwarted in an oxygenated environment.

Sickness can’t manage a foothold in a body that is full of oxygen. It was proven decades ago that cancer cells cannot multiply in an oxygenrich environment. However, delivering more oxygen to the body by artificial means (such as the many so called oxygen therapies, while ignoring the causes of oxygen starvation, will produce little or no healing or no healing results.

Your body’s design must have cooperation! There are on lasting shortcuts to vibrant health. To regain and keep vibrant health, you need fresh air delivered to your body in two ways. First, you need to fill your lungs with fresh air .

Breathe slowly and deeply when you’re resting and when you’re engaging in regular vigorous exercise that makes you breathe hard. Secondly you need to consume oxygen-rich foods. That means raw vegetables and fruits. The most immediate lift you’ll feel when you to finally having enough oxygen to function properly. So stop suffocating yourself! Help your body to breathe.

THE NIGERIAN

24

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

International News Police Close Final Protest Site HONG KONG— Hong Kong police tore down barricades, folded up tents and arrested some protesters yesterday at a third and final pro-democracy protest camp, ending demonstrations that blocked traffic in the southern Chinese city’s streets for 2 1/2 months.

A police negotiator gave the 17 protesters one last chance to leave voluntarily from a short stretch of road in Causeway Bay before officers started taking them away one by one to a waiting bus.

The protesters, including senior citizens and pro-democracy lawmaker Kenneth Chan, offered no resistance. Earlier, they chanted “We will be back” and called on Hong Kong’s unpopular Beijing-backed leader, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, to

Failure To Elect President Would But 2015 Growth -Minister ATHENS - Greece’s finance minister has said a failure by parliament to elect a president by the end of the month will lead to lower growth next year.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has brought forward the presidential election by two months in a bid to end political uncertainty as Greece recovers from a six-year economic crisis.

But if the government’s candidate does not win, an early parliamentary election will be called.

Samaras last week warned that Greece risked a “catastrophe” that would return it to the peak of its debt crisis if a president was not elected and radical leftists came to power. The far-left Syriza party, which leads in opinion polls, has accused the government of “fearmongering”.

Greece emerged this year from a crippling recession induced by austerity cuts under its unpopular EU/IMF bailout, and the 182billion-euro economy is expected to expand by 0.6 percent this year and by 2.9 percent in 2015.

“The scenario of not electing a president in December ... will be accompanied with a lower growth rate in 2015 compared with the case of electing a president,” Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis told yesterday’s financial daily Naftemporiki.

He also said Greece would start running into trouble on its funding needs if a snap election failed to produce a government that could wrap up a pending bailout review, due to unlock 7 billion euros from the EU and IMF. “If there is no government to conclude negotiations, there will be an important funding gap,” he said. “This deficit is manageable until February, and not easily afterwards, since from March onwards our needs will increase.”

step down. Supporters shouted encouragement from the sidewalk. By midday, the road had been returned to traffic.

The police operation came after authorities on Thursday shut down the protesters’ main camp near the heart of Hong Kong’s financial district and arrested 249 people who refused to leave. One last pocket of protesters camped out on a courtyard underneath the city’s legislature, near the main site, also cleared out voluntarily yesterday afternoon. Another protest camp, in the Mong Kok district, was shut down late last month by police.

The Causeway Bay protesters had managed to cling on for 79 days, but after the other two sites were cleared, they became resigned to eventually being removed as well. Many had already taken away tents, supplies and belongings before yesterday’s police operation.

“With the cleanup completed in the Causeway Bay occupied area, the illegal occupation of Hong Kong over the past two months has come to an end,” said Leung, adding that tourism, retail, convention and other industries had suffered “very big” economic losses.

The student-led protesters rejected Beijing’s plan to screen all candidates in the first-ever elections for Hong Kong’s top leader, but failed to win significant concessions from the government. Known as the “Umbrella Movement” for the demonstrators’ preferred method of defense against police pepper spray, the protests captured world headlines and polarized opinion in the Asian financial hub, but lost momentum as the government held to a strategy of waiting for them to fizzle out.

Abe Pledges Constitution Rewrite After Election Win

Greece’s Finance Minsiter Gikas Hardouvelis speaks during an interview with reporters in Athens

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is also leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), gesutures during an election night event at the LDP headwuarters in Toky.

Prosecutors Charge US Marine With Murder

Manila Philippine prosecutors yesterday filed murder charges against a US Marine accused of killing a Filipino transgender woman, in a case that has fanned antiAmerican sentiment.

Prosecutors found “probable cause” against Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton and decided that he used “treachery, abuse of superior authority and cruelty” against his alleged victim, lead prosecutor Emilie Fe delos Santos told a televised briefing.

“You can see the kind of cruelty she (victim) endured, the injuries she sustained,” delos Santos said.

“We believe we have a strong case.”

Pemberton will not be allowed to post bail, she said. Murder is punishable by up to 40 years in jail.

Jennifer Laude, a 26-year-old transgender woman also known as Jeffrey, was found dead on October 12 in a cheap hotel in the port city of Olongapo. She was half-naked in a bathroom with marks of strangulation on her neck, according to police.

Laude died from “asphyxia by drowning”, according to a police autopsy.

“This is not an ordinary murder. This is heinous because she was beaten up,” Laude family lawyer Harry Roque told

reporters.

Pemberton, who had just finished taking part in USPhilippine military exercises near Olongapo, had checked into the hotel with Laude and was the last person seen with her, police said Pemberton, aged 19 at the time of the death, had asked prosecutors to downgrade the murder charge to homicide, which carries a maximum 20year prison term.

Laude’s death sparked street protests and the public outcry pressured the Philippine government to seek the transfer of Pemberton’s detention from a US warship to military headquarters in Manila.

Under a 1998 agreement governing US troops when they are in the Philippines, Filipino courts have jurisdiction over cases involving American soldiers accused of crimes.

But the agreement also allows suspects to remain in US custody.

“We look forward to the full cooperation of the US government in ensuring that justice is secured for Jeffrey ‘Jennifer’ Laude,” Philippine foreign ministry spokesman Charles Jose said in a statement.

The US embassy had no immediate comment.

President Benigno Aquino has said the case should not sour relations with the United States, the Philippines’ most important diplomatic and military ally.

“Name me any place that doesn’t have any crime. And the sin of one person should be reflective of the entire country? I don’t think so,” Aquino said in October.

Following formal charges by

prosecutors, the local court which has jurisdiction over the case will decide whether there are enough grounds for the accused to stand trial, although there is no timetable for this process.

The case is the second major test of the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement.

In 2006 US Marine Lance Corporal Daniel Smith was sentenced to 40 years in jail after being found guilty of raping a Filipina a year earlier.

Tokyo - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said yesterday he would work to convince voters of the need to revise Japan’s pacifist constitution the day after scoring a thumping election victory.

The premier, who was reelected by a landslide in Sunday’s polls, at his first news conference since the vote pledged to pursue his nationalist agenda while promising to follow through on much-needed economic reforms.

“We must go ahead with Abenomics swiftly, this is exactly what has been shown in the vote.

We have to respond that,” Abe said, referring to his controversial three-pronged economic strategy.

Abe’s victory takes him a step closer to reviving his controversial a plan to rewrite Japan’s pacifist constitution, a move that has proved divisive at home and strained already tense relations with China.

His ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior partner Komeito swept the ballot on Sunday with a two-thirds majority in the lower house of parliament.

The coalition won a combined 326 of the 475 seats, crushing the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan. Their slightlyimproved tally of 73 did not include leader Banri Kaieda, who fell on his sword on yesterday.

Abe, 60, is expected to reappoint a broadly similar cabinet after he is formally named prime minister again by the lower house on December 24.

Asked by reporters about his priorities for the coming four-year parliament, Abe said he would work to “instil patriotism in schoolchildren” and “offer a more sympathetic retelling of Japan’s wartime misdeeds”.

“As for revising the constitution, it has constantly been an objective since the LDP was launched,” he said, referring to a clause in the US-imposed document that bans Japan from aggressive military action.

A revision, which he abandoned earlier this year in the face of public opposition, requires a two-thirds parliamentary approval, as well as a simple majority in a referendum.

“I will make an effort to deepen understanding and receive wider support from the public,” Abe said.

Sales Of Macadamies Soar In Korea

SEOUL, South Korea — Nut rage imploded the career of a Korean Air Lines executive and embarrassed her family and country. Now South Korean retailers are experiencing the unexpected upside: a boom in sales of macadamias.

The flavorful macadamia nut was unfamiliar to many South Koreans until Cho Hyun-ah, the daughter of Korean Air ’s chairman, ordered a flight attendant off a December 5 flight from New York City after she was served them in a bag, instead of on a plate.

She resigned from executive roles including head of cabin service last week amid a storm of criticism about the tantrum that

forced the flight to return to the gate. But macadamias are now a household name in South Korea and with curiosity about their taste piqued, sales are booming.

Auction, a South Korean unit of eBay and South Korea’s second-largest e-commerce website, said Monday that sales of macadamias surged nearly 12fold during the previous five days without any promotions. It said macadamias previously made up 5 percent of its nut sales but were now accounting for almost half.

South Korea’s largest online shopping retailer, Gmarket, also

owned by eBay, said Macadamia nut sales jumped 20 times during the six days to Sunday compared with the previous week.

The website of e-commerce firm Coupang showed Mauna Loa macadamia nuts were out of stock, with about 100 users asking on the comments section for the product to be quickly restocked.

One Coupang user asked if Mauna Loa macadamia nuts are the same brand that delayed the Korean Air flight. Another person who identified themselves as a seller replied that they probably are because orders have shot up.

One user parodied Cho’s behavior on the plane, leaving a comment that asked the seller to ship the macadamia nuts on plate, or get out.

THE NIGERIAN

25

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

International Features SYDNEY - Australian police have locked down the centre of the country’s biggest city on Monday after an armed man walked into a downtown Sydney cafe, took hostages and forced them to display an Islamic flag, igniting fears of a jihadist attack.

Police said they knew of one armed assailant involved in the incident at the Lindt chocolate cafe in the heart of Sydney’s financial district, but there could be more.

Police, including paramilitary officers, cordoned off several blocks around the cafe as negotiators tried to defuse one of the biggest security scares in Australia for decades. Snipers and a SWAT team took up positions around the cafe and police helicopters flew overhead.

At least five hostages have been released or escaped since the mid-morning siege began, with panicked cafe workers and customers seen running into the arms of paramilitary police. It was not clear how many more hostages remained in the cafe but the number was not as high as the 30-40 that had been reported earlier, police said.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who has warned of militant plans to strike Australian targets, said there were indications the hostagetaking was politically motivated.

“This is a very disturbing incident. I can understand the concerns and anxieties of the Australian people,” Abbott told reporters in Canberra, without providing any information on the siege.

Australia, a staunch ally of the United States and its escalating action against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, is on high alert for attacks by home-grown militants returning from fighting in the Middle East.

“We have moved to a footing that would be consistent with a terrorist event,” Andrew Scipione, police commissioner for the state of New South Wales, told reporters.

The cafe was opposite a commercial television studio and footage earlier showed several people inside the cafe standing with their hands pressed against the windows.

Pictures showed a black and white flag displaying the Shahada - a testament to the faith of Muslims which is declaring belief in the oneness of God and the acceptance of Mohammad as God’s prophet.

The flag has been popular among Sunni Islamist militant groups such as Islamic State and al Qaeda.

The incident forced the evacuation of nearby buildings in Sydney’s central business district and sent shockwaves around a country where many people have started to turn their attention

Fears Of Jihadist Attack As Hostages Hold In Sydney said the hostage news may have contributed to a dip in the Australian dollar, which was already under pressure from global risk aversion as oil prices fell anew.

Ray Hadley, a radio disc jockey, said he had been contacted by a hostage and could hear the suspected gunman issuing orders in the

Prime Minister Abbott.

Police said they were aware of media reports but said the “situation is contained in one area”.

Concerns about an attack in Australia by Islamists have been growing for more than a year, with the security agency raising its national terrorism public alert to “high” in September.

That month, a spokesman for the Islamic State urged supporters in Western nations, including Australia, to attack civilians or military personnel at home.

to the Christmas holiday following earlier security scares.

In September, antiterrorism police said they had thwarted an imminent threat to behead a random member of the public and days later, a teenager in the city of Melbourne was shot dead after attacking two antiterrorism officers with a knife.

“I walked up to the door and then everyone was sitting down and the door’s locked which is pretty weird because it’s never locked and there was one guy walking around with a hat and a beard,” a man who identified himself as Bruno, a worker at the cafe, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp, referring to the suspected assailant. He said he then turned away.

Lindt Australia Chief Executive Steve Loane told Sky Business there were about 10 staff at the cafe and “probably 30 customers” although he said that was an estimate.

The Reserve Bank of Australia said staff had been locked down inside the building and were all safe.

The nearby U.S. consulate was also evacuated, according to an embassy spokeswoman, along with the Sydney Opera House.

Tourists were being let back into the world-famous venue by early afternoon.

Rwandese peacekeepers patrol in the United Nations Mission In South Sudan (UNMISS) Camp in Malakal, South Sudan.

JUBA - War in South Sudan is worsening with “extreme violence” and growing hunger, rights groups warned yesterday, one year since the start of conflict in which tens of thousands have died.

Campaigners say South Sudan is locked in conflict, with the bloodshed that erupted in Juba exactly a year ago having set off a cycle of retaliatory massacres across large swathes of the country.

“Twelve months on from the outbreak of this war, it is hard to fathom that worse could be yet to come,” South Sudanese peace activist and priest James Ninrew said.

Fighting broke out in South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, when President Salva Kiir accused his sacked deputy Riek Machar of attempting a coup.

UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon yesterday said the crisis was “tragic and unacceptable” as he called for a power sharing deal.

“The leaders of South Sudan have allowed their personal ambitions to jeapordize the future of an entire nation,” Ban said in

a statement.

“The very premise of the country’s independence struggle — a new beginning that was supposed to be founded on tolerance, good governance, accountability and unity — is disappearing before our eyes.”

Memorial services and candlelit vigils will be held later yesterday in Juba, as well as in neighbouring nations into which hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese have fled.

South Sudanese civil society groups, shut out of peace talks between top leaders, have been collecting lists of names of the dead which will be read out yesterday by radio stations.

“Reading the names... is one way we can remember and honour the thousands of innocent men, women and children who should still be alive,” said project organiser Anyieth D’Awol.

The International Crisis Group estimates that at least 50,000 people have been killed, while some diplomats suggest it could even be double that figure. The UN says “tens of thousands have died.”

Rights groups said the situation

In the biggest security operation in Sydney since a bombing at the Hilton Hotel killed two people in 1978, major banks closed their offices in the central business district and people were told to avoid the area, leaving large parts of the area all but deserted by mid-afternoon.

Traders in currency markets

background. Police declined to comment.

Network 10 reported that two female hostages had called with claims from the gunman that two bombs were planted elsewhere in the city.

Social media posts by alleged hostages claimed the gunman wanted to speak directly with

S/Sudan Civil War Enters 2nd Year now was worse than at the end of the two-decade long civil war that paved the way for independence in 2011, when billions of foreign aid dollars were spent to help rebuild.

“We’re in an even darker place than before independence, it will take decades for South Sudan to recover and heal,” said Edmund Yakani, from the Juba-based Community Empowerment for Progress Organization.

Few are optimistic of peace any time soon.

“If the fighting doesn’t kill our children, there’s a real risk that the food crisis will,” said Both Reath Luang, a priest from the Nuer Peace Council. “Famine will tip us over the edge. We cannot endure another year of war, bloodshed and hunger.”

The United Nations say they averted famine so far through vastly expensive air drops of food aid, but with no sign of an end to war and the long dry season still continuing, a real threat remains.

“We will be in a battle against time and a battle against famine once again in early 2015,” said Toby Lanzer, the UN aid chief in

South Sudan. “The situation remains grave today. It could very well get much, much worse.”

Warring sides have broken a string of ceasefire deals, with Skye Wheeler from Human Rights Watch warning of a “total lack of political will” either to make peace or to hold forces to account following a string of atrocities including massacres and mass rapes.

“South Sudan has seen a lot of violence over the generations, but nothing on this scale or severity,” said South Sudanese peace campaigner Lona James from the Voice for Change organisation, calling the levels of rape “truly shocking”.

Oxfam country chief Zlatko Gegic said the situation “is on a knife-edge” and warning that many fear increased fighting in coming months during the dry season, a time in recent years when heavily armed gunmen from rival tribes have launched deadly cattle raids against each other.

Half the country’s 12 million people need aid, the UN says, including nearly two million

people who fled their homes from the fighting.

“Divided by the political failures, the ongoing conflict and the uncertainty of peace, the people of South Sudan face a huge task to repair deep and dangerous rifts between them,” said a joint statement by Amnesty International, the International Rescue Committee, Oxfam and Save the Children.

They described the devastation in the country where “entire towns have been pillaged” and thousands killed in “gruesome massacres, or shot in their homes, in hospitals or churches, trying to hide or flee.”

An army of 12,000 child soldiers has been forcibly recruited, the UN children’s agency said, adding that “the scale of the crisis in the world’s youngest country is staggering.”

International attention has “turned away from South Sudan in recent months, but needs remain enormous, and the situation is still serious a year after the crisis began,” said Franz Rauchenstein, head of the delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

THE NIGERIAN

26

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

International

Hostage Situation Erupts In Sydney Cafe

SYDNEY-Five people escaped from a Sydney cafe where a gunman took an unknown number of hostages during yesterday morning rush hour. Two people inside the cafe were earlier seen holding up a flag with an Islamic declaration of faith that has often been used by extremists, raising fears that a terrorist incident was playing out in the heart of Australia’s biggest city.

The first three people ran out of the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in downtown Sydney six hours into the hostage crisis, and two women sprinted from a fire exit into the arms of waiting police shortly afterward. Both women were wearing aprons with the Lindt chocolate logo, indicating they were cafe employees.

It was not clear exactly how

CHANGE OF NAME

ADESUWA WEDS ANTHONY

The solemnization of marriage between former Miss.

Adesuwa Omigie (based in Toronto Canada) and Mr. Imade Anthony Giaus (A Worker) took place on Thursday 11th December 2014 at the Oredo Local Government Council marriage registry in Benin City. Amongst those present were Mr. Augustine Imade, Mrs. Omigie Osamagioghomwenwi, family members, relations, friends and well wishers. Picture shows the couple at the Registry. Congratulations Photo: Sonnie E.

ALIU – I, formerly called Mrs. Aliu Helen is now MISS OKHOMINA HELEN. All former documents remain valid.

Concerned authorities, Edo State Hospitals Management Board and the general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME DAWHA – I, formerly Miss Kubili Musa Dawha, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. KUBILI SAMSON MSHELBWALA. All former documents remain valid.

Concerned authorities and general public should please take note.

The marriage ceremony between Miss Imuetinyan Ogbebor, daughter of Rev. (Dr.) Johnson Ogbebor and Deaconess (Mrs.) Mercy Ogbebor; and Mr. Omoregbe Igbinehi took place last Friday in Benin City. Mr. and Mrs. Omoregbe Igbinehi after the marriage ceremony Photo: Imhanzeto Bright.

many people remained inside the cafe at Martin Place, a plaza in the heart of the city’s financial and shopping district that is packed with holiday shoppers this time of year. Many of those inside the cafe would have been taken hostage as they stopped in for their morning coffees.

New South Wales state police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said police did not know the gunman’s motivation.

“We have not yet confirmed it is a terrorism-related event,” Scipione said. “We’re dealing

ADDITION OF NAME I formerly known and called Evans Isoken now wish to be known and addressed as Evans Isoken Amenze. Former documents remain valid.

Concerned authorities, United Bank for Africa Plc, (UBA) and the general public please take note.

ADDITION OF NAME I formerly known and called Evans Doris now wish to be known and addressed as Evans Eniye Doris. Former documents remain valid. Concerned authorities, United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) and the general public please take note.

with a hostage situation with an armed offender.”

As the drama dragged into its 10th hour, police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn said negotiators were talking with the gunman. Officials had no information to suggest anyone had been harmed, although a hospital said it was treating a man in satisfactory condition.

Television video shot through the cafe’s windows showed several people with their arms in the air and hands pressed against the glass, and two people holding up a black flag with the Shahada, or Islamic declaration of faith, written on it.

The Shahada translates as “There is no god but God and Muhammad is his messenger.” It is considered the first of Islam’s five pillars of faith, and is similar to the Lord’s Prayer in Christianity. It is pervasive throughout Islamic culture, including the green flag of Saudi Arabia. Jihadis have used the Shahada in their own black flag.

Seven Network television news staff watched the gunman and hostages for hours from a fourth floor window of their Sydney offices, opposite the cafe.

The gunman could be seen pacing back and forth past the cafe’s four windows. Reporter Chris Reason said the man carried what appeared to be a pump-action shotgun, was unshaven and wore a white shirt and a black cap.

Strike Paralyzes Traffic, Idles Industry BRUSSELS - Trade unions are capping a month of labor action against government austerity policies with a general strike that has paralyzed air and rail traffic and idled companies throughout Belgium.

Yesterday’s strike targets measures by the nation’s business-friendly government to cut into employees’ income, extend working time and restrict social services.

The strike also had an immediate international impact since Brussels Airport, a busy hub with connections throughout Europe and beyond, had no traffic whatsoever.

Airport spokeswoman Florence Muls said some 600

flights have been canceled, affecting 50,000 passengers.

The series of labor actions, the toughest in years, started last month with a demonstration that drew some 120,000 protesters.

Meanwhile, a union has launched a three-day strike at five Amazon.com distribution centers in Germany, the latest in a string of walkouts in a long-running wage dispute with the American online retailer.

The ver.di union called workers at Bad Hersfeld, Leipzig, Graben, Rheinberg and Werne out on strike from early yesterday until late Wednesday. It didn’t say how many people would be involved.

Amazon has more than 9,000 full-time employees in Germany.

According to figured published in the Le Monde newspaper in November, about a quarter of those who left to join

the jihadists were converts to Islam, with many coming from everyday French backgrounds.

the Islamist al Shabaab group attacked a military base in southern Somalia early yesterday, killing at least 10 soldiers and burning three military vehicles, officials said.

African Union and Somali troops launched an offensive this year that has driven al Shabaab out of its last major strongholds.

Yesterday’s attack highlights the challenge of halting guerrillastyle raids by the al Qaedaaligned group.

“Al Shabaab attacked our

military forces at 3:00 am” in the Lower Shabelle region, Somali military officer Aden Nur told Reuters.

“They killed 10 soldiers and burnt two military vehicles (equipped) with anti-aircraft guns.”

Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, Al Shabaab’s military spokesman, said the group was behind the attack and said 14 Somali soldiers had been killed.

Al Shabaab often cites a higher death toll than the number given by officials.

Police Dismantle Net Work Sending Fighters To Syria Paris- French police launched raids across the country early yesterday dismantling a network sending jihadist fighters to Syria, a police source told reporters.

Elite and anti-terror police units descended on around a dozen targets, mostly in the southern region of Toulouse, but also around Paris and in the northern region of Normandy, the source said on condition of anonymity.

It was not immediately clear how many people were arrested.

In recent months France, which has Europe’s largest Muslim population, has been facing the fact that hundreds of its citizens have openly joined jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria and have even called for attacks on their homeland.

The new reality was driven home in a video from the Islamic State group released in midNovember, showing three Kalashnikov-wielding Frenchmen burning their passports and calling on Muslims to join them or stage attacks in France.

A grisly execution video released around the same time featured at least one French citizen who hailed from a small village in Normandy and converted to Islam in his teens.

Almost 1,000 French nationals from a wide range of backgrounds are estimated to have left to join jihadists in Iraq and Syria, including some 400 thought to be currently fighting on the ground and almost 50 who were killed.

Rebels Kill 10 Soldiers In Attack On Base MOGADISHU - Rebels from

S/Arabia

1 Killed In Hostage Rescue RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi police have said that a member of the security forces has been killed in an operation to free three laborers taken hostage by a gunman in the capital, Riyadh.

A statement by the Riyadh police carried by reporters yesterday said that an attacker armed with an assault rifle seized the workers Sunday

evening near a mosque and opened fire when surrounded by police. He was eventually wounded and captured.

Police said the hostages were freed. In addition to the slain officer, a civilian and a member of the security forces were injured.

The incident comes amid growing concerns about militant attacks in the kingdom in retaliation for its role in the coalition battling the Islamic State group.

THE NIGERIAN

27

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Issues

POPULATION census, defined as a total process of collecting, compiling and publishing demographic, economic and social data pertaining at a specified time to all persons in a country or delineated territory, predates the goe-political entity of Nigeria. Available records show that censuses were taken in Nigeria in 1866, 1868, 1871, 1891 and 1901. During these periods, census area comprised Lagos Island and small parts of the mainland.

ERA OF POPULATION ESTIMATION From 1911 to 1931 the census area was extended with a view to covering the whole country. However, because of logistic, economic and other problems, the census exercises were based on guesstimation.

In 1911, estimates of the population of the provinces making up Nigeria were obtained by sampling except in the main parts where house enumeration took place. From the estimates, the census returns gave the total population of the geographical area, later to be known as Nigeria, as 16.06 million made up of 8.12 million for the Northern province and 7.94 million for the southern provinces.

In the 1921 exercise, the level of guesstimation was reduced by extending the scope of enumeration. At first, a township census was taken.

Later the exercise was conducted in the provinces.

The result of the two stage head-count put the popu1ation of Nigeria at 18.63 million.

This figure was later revised upwards to 18.72 million made of 10 million for the Northern provinces and 8.16 million for the Southern provinces.

The design for the 1931 head - count was aimed at the total coverage of the country.

However, following some civil disturbances in the Onitsha, Owerri and Calabar Provinces of Eastern Nigeria, by women who reckoned that the purpose of the exercise was to tax them and increase the taxes on men, an act which had tremendous disruptive effect on the arrangements, the Governor ordered a modification of the census scheme to exclude Southern Provinces.

Actual enumeration was then conducted in Lagos, and in five townships, and also in 201 villages in No Nigeria. For the majority of the population estimates of the figures were obtained from existing records.

The result of the exercise showed that Nigeria had a total of 19,928, 171 persons made up of 8,493,247 for the Southern Provinces including the colony and 11,434,924, for the Northern provinces.

The era between 1911 and 1931 is regarded as population estimation era because population figures were arrived at by sampling or inferential deductions from existing records.

1941 AND THE SECOND WORLD WAR In 1941, the Second World War was raging and consequently no census was taken. This was the first time that decennial (census taken every ten years) exercise was disrupted since 1871.

THE 1950-1953 CENSUSES The first attempt at enumerating the entire country was made in time period 1950 - 1953. In 1950 enumeration took place in Lagos and 272,000 persons were counted.

In May, June and July, 1952, enumeration took place in Northern Nigeria with a figure of 10,840,000 persons. In December 1952 and January 1953, enumeration took place in western Nigeria and produced a figure of 6,087,000 persons. Enumeration in Eastern Nigeria followed in May, June and August 1953 with the returns of 7,218,000 persons. Thus the recorded total population of Nigeria from these censuses was 30.42 million.

THE 1962 CENSUS From 13th to 27th May, 1962, population census was conducted and although the organization for it showed some marked improvement over the previous exercises, the results were cancelled after a prolonged and heated dispute concerning inflation of figures.

THE 1963 CENSUS Following the cancellation of the 1962 census result, another head - count was ordered in 1963. It took place in November 1963, in a tense political atmosphere occasioned by increased awareness that political representation control and revenue allocation were determined mainly by population. The census recorded a total population of 55.6 million. Although the handling of the census was challenged in court, the Federal Supreme Court ruled that it had no jurisdiction over the administrative function of the Federal Government.

THE 1973 CENSUS With determination, the Federal Military Government conducted another population census from 25th November to 1st December 1973 (extended for one or two days to 3rd December 1973 in many areas) under the control of a National Census Board and assisted by State census Offices which themselves were advised by State Census Committees. The result of that exercise was

Population Census cancelled.

THE 1991 CENSUS Despite the fact that census taking dates back to the middle of the 20th century, the critical and strategic question “How many Nigerians? Remained hardly satisfactorily sealed until the conduct of 1991 population census. The political and socio economic imperative of moving the country forward and planning for national prosperity require comprehensive data on the country’s human resources potentials.

With the foregoing in mind and taking a cue from the practice in all modern societies, the Federal Military Government in 1988 decreed

In Nigeria however necessary with respect to other growth rates that have been estimated for the country and which have been canvassed by some agencies. These growth rates, which range between 3.2 and 3.1, were derived using the Nigeria fertility survey, 1981/ 82 and the demographic and Health survey, 1989 respectively. There are periodic estimates from survey data.

The growth rate of 2.83% per

problem and the problem of the whole country will grow more and more difficult with expanding population .Fifty one million extra people in fifteen years (19912006)relates to 9309 births per diem. Should the trend persist, it is feared government might be forced to introduce a-onechild system.(Antinatalist policy). Though modern equipments and methods were used in the conduct of the 2006 census the results were still greeted with criticism from many quarters. Since 1963 census results have been subject of controversy. It is therefore high time, a lasting solution is found to it. It is on record that Nigeria is the most populous black nation in the

annum was used to project the population in 1996, giving, a mid-year population figure of 102.5 million in 1996 THE 2006 CENSUS The headcount which was slated for 2005 was logistically shifted to 21st to 25th March 2006. After the exercise, which was five years overdue, the National Population Commission (NPC) put the total population of Nigeria at 140,003,542 made up of 68,293,683 females and 71,769,859 males. Nigeria’s population has passed from 88,992,220 to 140,003,542 in fifteen years ,it will doubtless be up to a quarter of a billion by some time in the foreseeable future, if famine, pestilence and war do not decimate us. Fifty one million extra people precisely (51,011,222) have extra

world and also the world’s tenth most populous country.

The Thomas Maltus factor: Numbers of people double every 25 years (unless checked) thus population grows at a geometric rate (1,2,4,8,16,32 etc) while food production increases at just an arithmetic rate (1,2,3,4,5,6 etc). It is therefore obvious that population will always outstrip food supply unless fertility is controlled (by late marriage or celebacy) famine, vice, disease and war must serve as natural population restrictions. For obvious reasons world population is hardly exact.

Population and Poverty: Population pressure is treated as (law of nature) which makes poverty natural and inevitable.

The root cause of pauperism is the excessive procreation of the lower classes.

By FOSTER A. OSAGIEDE OGBORO

only 66,996 more men than females. The census further revealed that for every 10,000 females, there are 10,015 males.

At the national level sex distribution appears fairly balanced, but this can not be said of the component states.

At the state level three cases are apparent and these are states with low, balanced and high sex ratios respectively.

The case of the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja), is

President Goodluck Jonathan the conduct of a population census of Nigeria to facilitate the provision of requisite data for national and sectorial planning for now and the future.

The population census of Nigeria was successfully conducted from 27th to 30th November 1991.

The provisional figures from the census were accepted and released by the federal government in March 1992, following which detailed processing commenced, The total population of Nigeria as recorded in the 1991 population census Was 88,992,220 of this figure 44,529,608 are males while 44,462,62 are females.

The census showed a remarkably balanced distribution of males and females in Nigeria. There are

clearly unique in terms of masculinity. In the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) there are at least 123 males to every 100 females.

The 1952/53 census, conducted about 45 years ago has been commended as about the best conducted in Nigeria before the 1991 census. The general criticism against the 1963 census is that the figures were grossly inflated. The National Population commission subscribes to this view and accordingly has serious reservation concerning using the 1963 census figures as base for estimation of inter - censal annual growth rate.

Using the 1952/53 census as base the growth rate between 1952/53 and 1991 was estimated at 2.83 percent per annum.

A point of clarification is

THE NIGERIAN

28

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Liverpool Keeper Simon Garcia Hails Mignolet Dropped “Indefinitely” Nerveless Roma

BRENDAN Rodgers has told Simon Mignolet he has been dropped from the Liverpool first team “for an indefinite period.”

Mignolet paid the price for his poor form on Sunday when he was dropped for Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester United.

Brad Jones started his first Premier League start since March 2013 and he will remain in goal until the Belgian convinces Rodgers he is worth recalling.

When asked whether 32-yearold Jones was now his firstchoice goalkeeper, Rodgers said: “Yes. I said to Simon it was for an indefinite period.

Jones signed for Liverpool in 2010 after spells with Middlesbrough, Blackpool, Stockport, Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham.

The Australian went on loan to Derby the year after signing for Liverpool and played seven league games for Rodgers when

Jose Reina suffered a calf injury two seasons ago.

Rodgers has every faith in Jones and insists giving Mignolet a break from first-team action is the right thing to do.

“It is something that can happen to keepers, taking them

out of the firing line to give them time to reflect,” the Liverpool boss said.

“Brad is very experienced and was always going to play in the (League Cup quarter-final against) Bournemouth (on

Wednesday).

“He has played in a lot of games and Brad in my first year came in and did very well. “(Against United) he didn’t have much to do other than take the ball out of the net.”

Success Get African Youth Championship Invite SEVEN foreign based professionals have been called up to the Flying Eagles camp ahead 2015 African Youth Championship Nigeria U-20 handler, Manu Garba has invited seven foreign based players for preparation ahead 2015 African Youth Championship billed for Senegal.

The list include Manchester City duo, Chidiebere Nwakali and Kelechi Iheanacho, Kalmar’s Taiwo Awoniyi, FC Porto’s Chidera Eze, Daddy Moses and Kingsley Madu of AS Trencin of Slovakia and Musa Yahaya of Tottenham Hotspur.

They are expected to join other players in camp on December, 2014.

Nigeria will be gunning for a seventh title as well as a place in the 2015 Fifa World Youth Championship when the competition kicks off in the francophone west African nation which begins on March 8, 2015.

Kelechi Iheanacho

THE Italian champions were held by Sampdoria 11 on Sunday, and the capital club capitalised later in the day with a 1-0 win away to fifth-placed Genoa.

Garcia was wary of Genoa’s capabilities, claiming their standing as a UEFA Champions League contender - they sit goal difference behind third-placed Sampdoria was no fluke.

“We wanted to seal the victory earlier because we did not want to suffer against a very good team like Genoa, who deserve to be near the top of the table,” Garcia said.

“Genoa are not there by

pot luck. They are very strong, run a lot and do a lot of pressing.

“We knew that and we have built up a squad that could respond tactically to this type of game.”

Radja Nainggolan’s firsthalf goal was the difference at the Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris, after Genoa goalkeeper Mattia Perin was sent off earlier.

Garcia was pleased with his side’s composure in holding onto a one-goal lead.

“I am really happy with the performance because my team did not get nervous, although there was some tension during the match,” he said.

Liverpool Could Face Benitez Reunion As Europa League Draw Beckons Emem Eduok

I’m Not In A Rush For Europe Move - Eduok

DOLPHINS striker, Emem Eduok has said he is not in a rush to move to Europe following his brilliant displays in the just concluded Nigeria Premier League season.

Eduok’s 25 goals has not gone unnoticed with many

foreign based outfit at his heels. He also revealed that despite his thirst for European football, he would not be leaving on a cheap.

“For now I don’t think there is anything to talk about regarding my move

abroad,” Eduok told Goal.

“The media mentioned some clubs interested in me both in Europe and Africa but none has come forth to make it official.

“I am not bothered by that because I know that at the right time I will move to Europe.

“I have paid my dues in the premier league here and a move abroad will take me closer to the realization of my dream but I am not desperate about it.

“You are going to be duly informed when I eventually get a serious club.

Eduok will be recalled was named the 2014 Federation Cup MVP award despite his side’s 21 defeat to Enyimba in the final.

THE Reds are unseeded for the Europa League last32 draw after dropping out of the Champions League, meaning Napoli and their former boss could lie in wait Liverpool will hope to avoid Napoli and a reunion with former coach Rafa Benitez in the draw for the last-32 of the Europa League in Nyon on Monday.

The Reds were knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage on Tuesday following their draw with Ludogorets, meaning they drop into Europe’s second tier competition.

But despite being made immediate favourites to win the tournament by several bookmakers, Brendan Rodgers’ side will not be seeded for the draw.

Last season’s Premier League runners-up join Anderlecht, Ajax, Roma who all exited the Champions League - in the pot of unseeded sides who finished runners-up in their Europa League group.

That means several potentially tricky ties lie in wait, including Benitez who lifted the European Cup during his six years at

Anfield - and his Napoli side, who topped Group I. Other dangerous possible opponents include Inter, Olympiakos, Athletic Bilbao, Fiorentina and Zenit Saint Petersburg, though they will at least avoid Merseyside rivals Everton, with clubs from the same country separated until the last-16.

Europa League holders Sevilla and fellow Liga side Villarreal also find themselves in the same boat as Liverpool after finishing second in Group G and Group A respectively, while Tottenham’s defeat to Besiktas means they are likewise unseeded.

Seeded: Olympiakos, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Sporting Lisbon, Athletic Bilbao, Red Bull Salzburg, Dinamo Moscow, Everton, Inter, Fiorentina, Gladbach, Brugge, Besiktas, Legia Warsaw, Dynamo Kiev, Feyenoord, Napoli.

Unseeded: Anderlecht, Ajax, Liverpool, Villarreal, Torino, Tottenham, Celtic, PSV, Dnipro, Aalborg, Guingamp, Trabzonspor, AaB, Young Boys, Wolfsburg, Sevilla.

THE NIGERIAN

29

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Mourinho Wanted Cheslea To Draw PSG - David Barnard

Arsebak Won’t Take Monaco For Granted - David Miles ARSENAL secretary David Miles says the Gunners will not take Monaco for granted after being drawn against Arsene Wenger’s former side in the Champions League Round of 16 draw.

Wenger spent seven years as manager at the Ligue 1 outfit, winning the title in 1988 before leaving Stade Louis II six years later.

The principality club were able to win Group C in the Champions League this season despite scoring just four goals in six matches, and were widely regarded as the weakest side among the group winners heading into the draw.

But Miles does not feel it is a foregone solution that the north London side will advance despite avoiding the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

“As the draw progressed it was evident a lot of the big teams have gone,” he told Sky Sports.

“We are delighted to be here when you consider its 17 consecutive years in the Champions League it’s a fantastic achievement for Arsene Wenger and the players. We are very much looking forward to the game and being at the top table of European football “We have picked some of the biggest teams in Europe over the last five years. We aren’t taking anything for granted, Monaco have earned the right to be here.

“All the fans have high expectations as you rightly say it will be great to at least get through this round of 16 and press on and kick on from there “Overall we’re taking nothing for granted but we are pleased with the draw.”

CHELSEA secretary David Barnard says manager Jose Mourinho wanted the Blues to draw PSG in the Champions League draw after the two clubs were paired together in the Round of 16.

The tie is a rematch of last season when Chelsea knocked Laurent Blanc’s men out in the quarter-finals on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw.

“First reaction is no matter who we draw they are all there by merit, PSG are no exception,” he told Sky Sports.

“Obviously they are known to us as we played

Jose Mourinho

Manchester City To Meet Barcelona, Real Madrid Face Schalke

Arsenal, while Porto will meet Basel.

MANCHESTER City against Barcelona is the pick of the ties to emerge from Monday’s Champions League Round of 16 draw in Nyon.

The two sides met in the Reigning champions knockout stages in 2013- Real Madrid meet 14 as well, with the Schalke in the round of Catalans eventually recording a 4-1 win on aggregate to book their DEFENDER Raphael ticket for the quarterVarane has confessed he finals.

Furthermore, Paris came close to joining Saint-Germain were Manchester United before paired with Chelsea in his switch to Real Madrid what will be a replay of in June 2011.

The France international last year’s quarter-final sealed a move from Lens tie.

16, while losing finalists Atletico Madrid will lock horns with Bayer Leverkusen.

Serie A champions Juventus will have to deal

Arsene Wenger

with Borussia Dortmund, with German titleholders Bayern Munich taking on Shakhtar Donetsk.

Finally, Arsene Wenger will return to Monaco with

The sides who finished as group runners-up will host the first leg encounters on 17/ 18 and 24/25 February and will be the away teams in the return matches on 10/11 and 17/18 March.

I Nearly Joined Manchester United for a reported +10m (£7.9m) but admitted it could all have turned out differently if he had not opted for the Bernabeu.

“We came close to an agreement with Manchester United. My

Arsenal Can’t Afford To Lose Oxlade got a pain in his groin,” ARSENAL are Wenger told reporters. “I sweating over the fitness Chamberlain took him off quickly. I of Alex OxladeChamberlain ahead of their clash with Liverpool at Anfield, manager Arsene Wenger has

them last year and the added ingredient of David Luiz playing for them “I know Jose said before the draw he would have liked them because of the logistics and he’s right “I think when we played them last year both teams now have totally different teams we have an advantaged by being away first so we know what we have to do the second leg “I think that’s basically the past, each match that comes along is a totally different scenario so we will take it from the start “I think Jose is quite right we have to keep our feet on the group and deal with it as we play those games.”

revealed.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles replaced the England international in the latter

stages of the Gunners’ 4-1 win over Newcastle on Saturday, with OxladeChamberlain appearing to suffer a recurrence of a previous groin problem.

Arsenal have been forced to deal with something of an injury crisis this season – they currently have eight senior players sidelined – and Wenger admits that he can ill afford to lose the 21year-old ahead of the club’s busy festive schedule.

“He got a knock. He’s

wanted to take him off and then he takes the ball and crosses the whole pitch and [after that piece of action] he cannot run anymore.

“We cannot afford to lose him at the moment. I hope it’s nothing bad. He had a little bit of inflammation before the game. I took him to Galatasaray and maybe two games [in five days] was a lot for him.”

Arsenal’s win over Newcastle moved them into sixth in the Premier League, two points off the top four.

mother speaks English and this made translating things much easier,” the 21-yearold told Telefoot.

“There was an interesting project on offer but I made a choice for y career and I think I can go even higher now.

“I’d be happy to tell myself I did the best I could and went as far as I could during

Arsene Wenger

my career.”

United boss Louis van Gaal has been linked with a January swoop for Varane, although his hopes of landing him suffered a setback in September when the youngster penned a six-year extension to his contract with the Spanish giants.

THE NIGERIAN

30

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Luis Enrique Readies Youngsters After Getafe Setback AFTER a laboured and lethargic display in Saturday’s 0-0 draw in Madrid, the Blaugrana are likely to rest a number of key players for their midweek cup clash at Camp Nou Barcelona will be pleased to return to the home comforts of Camp Nou when they host Huesca in the Copa del Rey yesterday.

Luis Enrique’s team lost ground to La Liga leaders Real Madrid on Saturday as they were held to a 0-0 draw at Getafe.

Lionel Messi rattled the crossbar with a free kick and the visitors missed a host of chances, although the combination of tenacious opponents, persistent rain and a tricky playing surface meant Barca struggled for their customary rhythm.

Sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta told reporters: “We didn’t pass the ball quick enough, although we had chances and failed to make the

most of them.

“We played our classic game with a 4-3-3, but Getafe didn’t give us much room.

“The ball bobbled for long spells, and the water made [the pitch] become unstable.

We didn’t find much help out there.”

Neymar missed the trip to Getafe due to a minor ankle injury and is unlikely to be risked against Huesca, while the Brazil star’s compatriot Dani Alves is also sidelined with a thigh problem.

It is unlikely Luis Enrique would have selected either man in any case, with a combination of youngsters and squad players primed for a run-out against the Segunda Division B team.

Barca hold a 4-0 advantage from the first leg, as goals from Ivan Rakitic, Andres Iniesta, Pedro and Rafinha a fortnight ago made progression to the round of 16 something of a formality.

Inzaghi Proud Of Milan’s Character

“PROUD” Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi saluted his side’s character after beating Napoli 2-0 in Serie A on Sunday.

Rafael Benitez’s Napoli went into the clash hoping to move up to third in the league as they targeted victory and a 12th successive league match without defeat.

But after a combination of Napoli’s wastefulness in attack and Milan’s clinical nature in front of goal, Inzaghi was the coach left rejoicing with pride at full-time.

Goals from Jeremy Menez and Giacomo Bonaventura ultimately proved decisive and Inzaghi was particularly impressed with the character displayed by his side, with

Napoli subjected to a considerable amount of pressure.

He told Sky Sport Italia: “We’ve some extraordinary players out injured, including Italy’s first-choice full-backs and Alex, but I always believed in the team.

“Tonight’s performance was a great display of character and I am very, very proud of these players.

“At times it disappoints me to hear criticism, as losing against Genoa on a set play can happen.

“We are on the right track and need to do a little more to reach the top spots, but I am very happy with the first goal [from Menez] as we had worked on that in training.

ANDREA Poli has voiced his delight with AC Milan’s 2-0 win over Napoli on Sunday and says that they have now set their sights on third place in the Serie A table.

Jeremy Menez gifted the Rossoneri the lead after just six minutes of play at San Siro before Giacomo Bonaventura made it two shortly after the interval to help Filippo Inzaghi’s men to a vital victory in the battle for the Champions League places.

“It was a positive response [to last week’s loss at Genoa]; we wanted the win. We deserved it and out on the pitch you could sense that we were in control,” Poli told the

official Milan website.

“Let’s continue like this. We want third place. We all did well. It was a team victory.

Let’s enjoy this now and then we will get back to work.”

The San Siro side meet Roma on Saturday and Poli has acknowledged that a tough task awaits against last year’s runners-up.

“A battle is now waiting for us in Rome, but we want to move forwards like this,” the summer signing from Atalanta added.

“We will be taking on a great side, but we will try and impose our game as always.”

Milan currently sit sixth in the table but are just three points behind Sampdoria, Genoa and Lazio, who share third place.

Peter Schmeichel

Impossible For Neuer To Beat Ronaldo To Ballon d’Or

FORMER Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel gives Bayern Munich No.1 Manuel Neuer no chance of beating Real Madrid attacker Cristiano Ronaldo to the Fifa Ballon d’Or.

Schmeichel is pleased to see a shot stopper get recognition at last and feels Neuer is arguably the best in the world in his position, yet is adamant that the Portugal star is the favourite to land the prestigious individual award.

“How can anybody else but Ronaldo win this?”

Schmeichel asked in an exclusive interview with

AC Milan Want Third Place

Andrea Poli

Goal. “It’s great that one of the three nominees is a goalkeeper, but I don’t think Neuer can win it this time.

“I think Ronaldo has been too good so I think he’s going to run away with it.

“It’s been long overdue that a goalkeeper made the final three, though. There have been some great goalkeeping performances in the last few years and I think his performances in the World Cup stand out.

“He was also in the

running with Arjen Robben for European player last year. Goalkeeping is now at a point where it’s a very popular position. Kids want to play in goal. In the future you’ll see many more nominations for big awards going to goalkeepers.

“Neuer is the best goalkeeper in the world by far. You have someone like Thibaut Courtois as well who’s done fantastic. There

Schmeichel

THE Council for East and Central African Football Associations (Cecafa) has reiterated that they will support Sepp Blatter for another term as FIFA President.

In an Extra Ordinary General Assembly held in Nairobi, Kenya on Sunday, member nations decided they will support Blatter come the 2015 elections. “Cecafa again reiterated their decision to support FIFA President Sepp Blatter during the 2015 elections,” Cecafa Secretary General Nicholas Musonye told MTNFootball.com.

The meeting was chaired

by Cecafa President, Leodegar Tenga and attended by 11 chairmen. Tenga documented Cecafa’s achievements in the past 12

months by highlighting the high profile competitions hosted in the region since the beginning of the year.

He also thanked FIFA for granting Cecafa a high profile seminar on Communications held in Tanzania in February where all the Chairmen and Communications Directors of the regional FA’s attended.

The Chairmen who attended the meeting included: Jamal Malinzi (Tanzania), Sam Nyamweya (Kenya), Moses Magogo (Uganda), Vincent Nzamwita (Rwanda), Goc Chabur (South sudan), Reverien Ndikuriyo (Burundi), Abdiqaani Saed (Somalia), Tesfaye Gebreyesus (Eritrea), Juneidi Basha (Ethiopia) Ahmed Eltrifi vice chairman (Sudan) and Ravia Idarius (Zanzibar).

are many young goalkeepers in the game now. I think goalkeeping in the World Cup was exceptional.”

The winner will be announced at the annual Ballon d’Or gala on Monday January 12 2015 at the Kongresshaus in Zurich.

Cecafa To Support Blatter

THE NIGERIAN

31

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Rangers Confirm Ally McCoist Resignation ALLY McCoist’s time as Rangers manager appears to be up after the club told the Stock Exchange he had resigned.

Three days after reports first surfaced that McCoist had offered his resignation, a statement on Monday morning confirmed he had tendered it.

A 12-month notice period has now been triggered, with the club saying they will now hold talks with their record scorer.

Strangely, the 52-year-old’s wage will actually be increased to £750,000 per year for the duration of his notice period, according to the statement.

Previously, his wages had been £400,000 a year.

The statement read: “The company announces that Alastair McCoist, manager of the first team squad, has resigned. His service contract dated December 28, 2010, which was subsequently amended, has a 12-month notice period (“Notice Period”).

“The directors will hold discussions with Mr McCoist to seek an amicable solution in the best interests of the company, and expect to be in a position to make a further announcement before the end of the week. During the notice period, Mr McCoist’s salary will increase significantly to GBP750,000 per annum.”

I’m Not The Best In The World

THE Netherlands international impressed in Saturday’s 4-0 Bundesliga win over Augsburg, scoring twice to take his tally for 2014-15 to 10 goals in 17 appearances in all competitions.

Nevertheless, Robben feels it might be pushing it a bit to claim he is a better player than

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

“Did Rummenigge say I’m the best in the world? Well, I don’t think that’s right to be honest,” the 30-year-old told the official Bundesliga website.

This weekend’s win over Augsburg means that Bayern cannot be overhauled at the top of the Bundesliga before

Christmas - yet Robben is not getting carried away just yet.

“The win over Augsburg was more important than being crowned Herbstmeister [winter champions],” he added. “We had some difficulties in the first half, so the three points are what’s most important.

“We have two more games until the winter break and have to get good results in those

table, while they sit 15 points clear of joint numbers three Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Monchengladbach and Augsburg.

Ajax Looks For Winning AJAX suffered a second Form

successive defeat when they were beaten 4-0 by Orlando Pirates on Saturday.

The Cape side has claimed 17 points from eight home matches this season.

Their next three league opponents are Mamelodi Sundowns (away), Polokwane City and Chippa United (both home).

The Urban Warriors are placed fourth on the Absa Premiership log with 23 points from 16 matches.

AmaZulu played to a 1-1 draw away to provincial rivals Maritzburg United on Friday.

The Durban club has claimed four points from eight away matches this

season.

Their next three league opponents are Moroka Swallows, Orlando Pirates (both home) and Bloemfontein Celtic (away).

Usuthu are placed 16th on the Absa Premiership log with eight points from 14 matches.

In head-to-head stats, Ajax and AmaZulu have met in 23 league matches since 1999/ 2000.

The Urban Warriors have 11 wins compared to seven for Usuthu, while five matches have been drawn.

Ajax have won six of their 11 home matches against AmaZulu, suffering two defeats in the process.

Rodgers Running Out Of Answers And Time As Liverpool Slump On Derby Day

Arjon Robben

Guardiola Calls For More Robben Brilliance

PEP Guardiola has called on Arjen Robben to continue his inspirational performances when Bayern Munich host Freiburg on Tuesday.

Head coach Guardiola has Netherlands international Robben is enjoying a fine season labelled Robben’s recent for the Bundesliga champions performances as “unbelievable” and has contributed eight goals and he wants the 30-year-old to continue leading by example in 11 top-flight appearances.

The winger was at his dazzling when strugglers Freiburg visit the best as Bayern cemented their Allianz Arena for the penultimate place at the top of the table with fixture before German football a comprehensive 4-0 victory at takes a mid-season break.

“Arjen Robben is a top player,” Augsburg on Saturday - with all of their goals coming in a 13- he said. “I’m so happy to have players like him in my team. His minute second-half spurt.

Robben was on target twice in performances at the moment that fixture and was a constant have been unbelievable for this team. threat to the hosts defence.

“He has a brilliant attitude which inspires other players.

Every coach needs a player like this in their squad.

“They want a player who is always winning in a one-to-one situation and Arjen was doing that for us all the time [against Augsburg]. He’s a very important player for this team.”

Bayern’s victory at Augsburg guarantees they will stay top at the mid-season break and of the previous 19 times they have achieved that feat, the Bavarians have gone on to win the Bundesliga on 16 occasions.

Few believe that Christian

Streich’s Freiburg will be the team to end Bayern’s undefeated league record on Tuesday, with the club who are only outside of the relegation on goal difference having lost last season’s corresponding fixture 4-0 in February.

Freiburg are quickly becoming the league’s draw specialists, with eight of their 15 league matches ending in stalemate this term, including Saturday’s 0-0 draw at home to Hamburg.

Ibrahimovic Like Pele,Maradona

ZLATAN Ibrahimovic’s agent, Mino Raiola, says that the Paris Saint-Germain striker is irreplaceable, just like Diego Maradona and Pele were during their illustrious playing careers.

PSG president Nasser AlKhelaifi recently stated that the reigning French champions are already preparing for life after the 33-year-old, who has often talked about retiring from the game when his contract expires in 106.

However, Raiola says the

games. We’ll have a break at last after that.”

Bayern hold a nine-point lead over second-placed Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga

- Raiola

Ligue 1 outfit have no chance of finding a worthy successor to the Swedish superstar.

“It is impossible to replace Ibrahimovic, just like it was impossible to replace Pele and Maradona,” the agent was quoted as saying by Journal du Dimanche.

“There does not exist anyone like him. PSG would already have bought him if there was

another Ibra.”

Raiola also suggested that Ibrahimovic could yet decide to extend his stay at the Parc des Princes.

“Could Ibra sign a new deal?

We’ll see ... Everything is possible with Zlatan. He is feeling very well in Paris and PSG are still the most exciting project for him.”

Ibrahimovic has netted 12 goals in 13 appearances in all competitions so far in 2014-15.

Brendan Rodgers

CHRISTMAS is regarded as the season of goodwill but there is precious little currently on supply for Brendan Rodgers, with the Liverpool boss entrenched in his first major crisis at Anfield.

This was the start of a crucial period for the Northern Irishman but the Reds followed up their elimination from the Champions League with a 3-0 defeat in their bitter rivals’ own backyard.

The next two games could go a long way to deciding Rodgers’s fate at Anfield. Losses in the quarter-finals of the League Cup to Bournemouth in midweek and then to Arsenal on Sunday could spell the beginning of the end of the 41year-old’s time on Merseyside just six months after he came so close to ending Liverpool’s 24year wait for a league title.

Against United, Rodgers made the bold decision to drop under-fire goalkeeper Simon Mignolet for Brad Jones and start without a recognised striker, with Raheem Sterling

handed the responsibility to lead Liverpool’s attack in a new look 3-4-3 formation.

It was one of those days when a manager would be totally judged on his team selection and, unfortunately for Rodgers, his failed to pay dividends.

The decision to drop Mignolet after a string of unconvincing displays did not come as a major surprise but to do it in such an important game was puzzling, especially given that Rodgers later admitted that he had been pondering such a move for several weeks.

Jones’s performance was patchy at best, with the No.2 arguably beaten too easily for the first and third goals. He certainly is not worthy of becoming Liverpool’s first choice, despite Rodgers admitting that he will be in the first team “indefinitely” following Mignolet’s recent struggles.

“I felt I had to change it because we have to find solutions throughout the squad to be better,” the manager said after the game.

THE NIGERIAN

CMYK

32

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Buhari: Only Candidate That Can

End Corruption, insurgency

THE die is cast. With the emergence of General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) as the Presidential Flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) through a very open and transparent presidential primary, it shows that the 2015 presidential election is a straight battle between the two contending presidential Candidates of the two major political parties-that is, Buhari and incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.

When people indicate interest to vie for a position in a democratic setting, what should come to our mind is: What are their intentions? What is their pedigree? Does the candidate mean well? Do they have the capacity to deliver on their promises?

How will the best emerge?

Answers to these posers should guide our choice in February 2015.

First, what are their intensions? For Buhari, every Nigerian holds him in great esteem. He has integrity going for him.

While a former Military Head of State, he launched the War Against Indiscipline (WAI). He, along with his Deputy, General Tunde Idiagbon doggedly prosecuted the war and for the first time, Nigerians started learning how to be disciplined citizens. Under the programme, they went after all the corrupt elements both in the military and civilian populace and fought corruption head on.

Those found wanting, past and present were apprehended, tried and when found guilty sent to prison just as their loot were recovered for the country. Nigerians cannot forget the diplomatic suitcase era, which was an attempt to repatriate the Head of Presidential Task force on Rice, Alhaji Umaru Dikko who fled the country in a desperate bid to escape justice. This is why most Nigerians believe Buhari is the only candidate that can lead a genuine war against corruption, a problem that has stunted growth and development in the country. If you also check his life style, he is not involved in primitive accumulation of capital. So, when you check his intension into government, it is clear, he wants to serve.

The same cannot be said

of President Goodluck Jonathan. How did he emerge as the PDP candidate? He used his position and office to muzzle the political space within the PDP and brushed all aspirants aside. Before the commencement of sales of forms, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party has announced him as the sole candidate of the party and that was what they finally converged on Eagle Square, Abuja to rubber stamp through as stagemanaged convention. Over four presidential aspirants within the PDP were not allowed a level playing field with Mr. President.

No doubt too, President Jonathan has been supervising the worst corrupt and inept government in the country.

Several cases of corruption leveled against persons in his government have not seen the light of the day. Worst is the fact that he has been rewarding corruption. A shining example is the pardon he granted corrupt leaders who pilloried the state-Alamieyeseigha and others. What about the Oduagate?

Mindless thieving in the oil and gas sector acknowledged by several reports of the same Jonathan’s administration, yet, no one is being punished. Where are the oil subsidy thieves that is pushing Jonathan to remove subsidy from petroleum from next year? How many have been convicted under Jonathan? What about the sources of funding of Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN)? Nigerians have been asking the source of fund and nobody is providing answers. Can the President Jonathan administration have the moral right to prosecute anybody in court in Nigeria for corruption today? The answer is an emphatic no. Anybody being prosecuted of corruption by Goodluck Jonathan’s administration is just being persecuted by government because it is morally debased to combat graft.

Now, when such a candidate gets another four years, what will he do with the mandate? It will be a government only by the corrupt, for the corrupt- a PDP new definition for democracy.

This desperation of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to remain in power by

hook and crook also played out with the appointment of a Board of Trustees Chairman through a flawed process and a man who is known not to have respect for democratic norms and rule of law emerging left observers wandering if the nation will not retrogress

previous ones, end in a stalemate. This, they explained was because it’s the coming together of strange bedfellows whose principles and political ambitions would not agree. But it later turned out that the personalities in the merger were unswerving in

MATTERS IN FOCUS WITH DAN OWEGIE would be swept away from power for apparent reasons.

It is noteworthy that Nigerians had never taken interest in the coming together of opposition parties in their bid to square up with the government at the centre, which many believe has

• General Muhammadu Buhari by more than 50 years if this present crop of elites in the PDP were allowed to continue to misdirect the affairs of this country beyond 2015. Alhaji Bamanga Turkur was forced to resign as its National Chairman and Alhaji Adamu Muazu brought in from the back door.

Recently, Bamanga Tukur went to court to reclaim his chairmanship and met a brick wall. All these show the PDP as a party which does not believe in equity, fairness and justice. How can a party with these negative attributes produce the president of a country in dire need of change?

The PDP on its part had been afraid of the All Progressives Congress from its formative days. The seeming controversy that surrounded its registration as a political amalgam that was out to wrest power from the spineless PDP further exposed the treachery and perfidy in the ruling PDP as they eventually settled for a childish plot of rushing to establish more APCs. Prior to the consummation of the merger, observers as well as some active players on the Nigerian political turf, mouthed that it would, like the

their commitment to proving all doubting Thomases wrong. When General Buhari was declared the presidential candidate, all contending aspirants accepted the outcome of the primaries and congratulated the Daura-born General, with all promising to join to his campaign train.

Clearly, the PDP remains afraid of that merger and it is doing everything using state resources to truncate the wishes of the powerful group.

But no gathering of any armoury can stop an idea whose time has come. The PDP will continue to flee from its shadows till 2015 when they

reduced citizen to vagabond status.

Nigerians are apprehensive that basic needs of life such as health, education, water, electricity, food and other things are out of the common man’s reach.

While PDP government officials and their cronies go about buying private jets for themselves, send their children and wards to expensive schools overseas, seek foreign medical treatment, supply their own water at homes, provide their electricity and eat balanced meals, the poor study in schools under trees, have no roads to their communities, no

health facilities or use illequipped and poorly staffed medical centres.

Also, the country is enmeshed in insecurity of unimaginable magnitude while the PDP is busy borrowing foreign loan to fight insurgency, which has defied all of their efforts.

Why do you then borrow $1billion? To steal more of it, and the slaughtering of innocent Nigerians both Christians and Muslims alike have continued unabated.

The southern part of Nigeria and North Eastern parts are a haven for kidnappers, where even royals, celebrities, academics, sports heroes and heroines and even the poor public are afraid of their lives and the lives of their loved ones as they go about their lawful businesses. In the north, the insurgency of Boko Haram and menace of unknown gunmen make an average citizen feel very insecure.

The PDP security chiefs have failed to address this problem and have no answer to addressing it. Nigerians believe that only General Muhamadu Buhari among the presidential candidates can deal decisively with the problem, himself a victim of Boko Haram insurgency.

Nigerians deserve nothing less than the best from its leaders, not endless excuses that have been coming from the PDP. The upcoming 2015 general elections presents a unique opportunity for the amalgamated political groups from all over the country which formed the All Progressives Congress to be enthroned into power to bring about the positive change that Nigerians have been yearning for. General Muhamadu Buhari has all it takes to deliver Nigeria from the shackles of the oppressing PDP. Mr. Dan Owegie is a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Edo State.

“For Buhari, every Nigerian holds him in great esteem. He has integrity going for him. While a former Military Head of State, he launched the War Against Indiscipline (WAI). He, along with his Deputy, General Tunde Idiagbon doggedly prosecuted the war and for the first time, Nigerians started learning how to be disciplined citizens. Under the programme, they went after all the corrupt elements both in the military and civilian populace and fought corruption head on.”

Printed and published by Bendel Newspapers Company Limited, 24, Airport Road, P.M.B. 1334 Benin City. Telephone; Lagos: 01 4930929, Benin: 052 257492, 257531 Editor: BARR. SOLOMON IMOHIOSEN (KSJI)-(07030699646), Deputy General Manager-Marketing (08023457566), Assistant General Manager-Advertisement (08023808856) Lagos Office: 25A Alli Street, Off Tinubu Square, Lagos Island, Lagos. Abuja Office: Floor 1, Edo House, 75 Ralph Shodeinde Street, Central Business District, Abuja. Tel/Fax: 09-5237631. All correspondence to: 24 Airport Road, Benin City. E-mail: nigerianobserver@yahoo.com (ISSN 0331-2674)