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Tuesday, November 1, 2016 / Muharram 29, 1438 AH

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Vol. 23 No. 151 N150

Troops arrest B’ Haram’s drugs, fuel suppliers page 5

Kano okays life sentence for kidnappers, 15 yrs for rapists page 5

• Wife of the President, Hajiya Aisha Buhari (R); Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno (M) and the Women Leader, All Progressives Congress (APC) in Borno, Aisha Kakanna (L) presenting some items to beneficiaries at the inauguration of the wife of the President’s “Get Involved Initiative”, yesterday in Borno State.

Photo: Borno State Govt House

10,000 police Insecurity: Bauchi, Senate accuses VW of local Benue, Jigawa govs recruitments: FG approves equal assembly seek president’s percentage for LGs breaches intervention pAGE 5

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Buhari orders probe of IDPs camp sex abuse row

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

News

CONTENTS

Ganduje backs Buhari on rice importation ban

News 2-10

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

Editorial 11

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Op.Ed 12 Letters 13

overnor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has supported President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to ban importation of rice through the land borders.

The governor stated this during

an inspection tour of rice plantations in Samawa village of Garin Mallam Local Government Area of the state yesterday.

Ganduje said that the decision to ban importation of rice was to encourage local production and boost agriculture in Nigeria in the wake of the federal government’s commitment

to diversify economy.

He also said that the directives would help subsidize the price of rice which had recently been out of affordability of many Nigerians. “ In my own opinion, Buhari should continue with the ban on importing rice through the land borders. This decision is a good omen

Politics 15-17 Business Stockwatch

19-20 18

as it will encourage local production and bring down the price of rice which has become exorbitant.”

Ganduje also maintained that if the rice continues to be imported, the one produced locally would not see the light of the day, adding that the situation could aggravate the problem of unemployment.

He also said that the sum of N100 million has been disbursed by his administration to farmers as a free interest loan, adding that gesture was meant to encourage the farmers in massive rice and wheat production.

He added that over 100,000 farmers would soon engage in wheat farming, saying they would also produce soya beans, sogum and cowpea in a bid to achieve economic diversification and make Kano a food basket for the country.

UN vote to outlaw nuclear weapons in 2017 laudable- PAMAI

By Etuka Sunday

Engineer in-charge of the dualisation of Kano-Maiduguri road, section four from Potiskum to Damaturu, Mr Olusegun Akinmade (L) welcoming the Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Alhaji Mustapha Baba-Shehuri, during inspection of the project by the minister in Yobe. Photo: NAN

Cattle rustlers kill 5, injure others in Niger Page 4

Int’l 23-24 Metro

21-22

Feture 26 Sports 27-28 Columnist 32

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Lawyers protest against disobedience to court orders

By Paul Efiong

C

onstitutional lawyers and human rights activists from various parts of the country have staged a protest in Abuja against the continued detention of persons who have been granted bail by the law court.

Specifically, the lawyers noted with concern that several Nigerians accused of corruptions, charged to court and granted bail by courts because they are entitled to bails are still languishing in the custody of the DSS in utter disregard to the lawful court orders.

Among Nigerians said to have been granted bail but still been held by the same DSS are former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu and Air Marshall Umar Mohammed, adding that with the antecedents of the government

and the DSS, the future of Nigeria’s democracy could be jeopardized.

They flayed the executive arm of the federal government for attempting to derail the rule of law and democracy with utter disregard to valid and lawful court decision.

The protesters made copious reference to the ECOWAS Court of Justice which ordered the release of Dasuki since last month but yet to be honoured by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The lawyers also accused the executive arm of government of mistaking persecution for prosecution insisting that any government or agency not obeying valid court order cannot claim to be prosecuting offenders but persecuting the alleged offenders.

The group also passed a vote of confidence on the National Judicial Council over the matured manner

OUR MISSION “To be the market place of ideas and the leading player in the industry by putting the people first, upholding the truth, maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards while delivering value to our stakeholders”

and clear terms the council has been handling the invasion of the houses of two Supreme Court Justices and five other cadres by the operatives of the Department of Security Service (DSS).

The legal practitioners, who claimed that the unconstitutional ways and manners the judges were arrested was a threat to democracy appealed to the United Nations, United Kingdom, United States of America and the Amnesty International to call the Federal Government to order and to stop disobedience to the rule of law.

The lawyers,’ operating under the aegis of “Lawyers in Defence of Democracy” and the human right activists operating under the name “Citizens for Good Governance”, jointly accused the executive arm of government of plotting to overthrow the judiciary so as to enthrone abuse of human rights and subversion of the rule of law.

OUR PEOPLE Chairman Malam Wada Maida, OON, Fnge Chief Operating Officer Ali M. Ali Editor, Daily Hameed M. Bello Manager, administration Hassan Hammanyaji

A

Non-Governmental Organisation in Nigeria, Poverty and Associated Maladies Alleviation Initiatives (PAMAI), a member of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) has described as laudable the United Nations (UN)'s recent vote to outlaw nuclear weapons in 2017.

PAMAI welcomed the historic moment and congratulated Nigeria for staying determined on the negotiation while leading other African countries to firmly support this negotiation over the years.

In a statement by the Program Manager, PAMAI/ICAN Campaign, Benjamin Alutoho, PAMAI also congratulated all supporters of the campaign in Nigeria and was happy to inform them that their voices were held.

Recall, the United Nations adopted a landmark resolution to launch negotiations in 2017 on a treaty to ban nuclear weapons.

This historic decision heralds an end to two decades of paralysis in multilateral nuclear disarmament efforts.

At a meeting of the First Committee of the UN General Assembly, which deals with disarmament and international security matters, 123 nations voted in favour of the resolution, while 38 voted against and 16 abstained. NAN

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

News Ag News Editor Ese Awhotu 10,000 police recruitment: FG okays equal percentage for LGs

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he Chairman of Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Abu Ibrahim, yesterday confirmed that the Federal Government has adopted equality per local government as against equality per state in the recruitment of ten thousand police officers which President

Muhammadu Buhari recently directed.

He also said that the Senate, the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) have resolved the disagreement they had over the recruitment of ten thousand police officers and are set to resume the process.

Recall that the recruitment

of 10,000 personnel into the police force was put on hold due to misunderstanding between the Senate Committee, Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

Following this disagreement, the Senate committee wrote to the President to intervene and resolve the issues, which were

basically if the recruitment should be done on the basis of equality per local governments in the country or equality per state.

The other issue of contention was to ensure that the police force was carried along in the recruitment exercise and their contributions considered.

The Senate had suggested that the recruitment be done on

• Imo Police Command presents a soldier serving with the 26 Tax Force Brigade, Borno State and a Corps Member, serving in Oyo State for armed robbery along side 25 other criminal suspects, yesterday in Owerri . Photo: NAN

Local government basis but the PSC insisted that it should be done per state.

“We have resolved the issue and the recruitment would be done on local government basis. Very soon the exercise will resume, Ibrahim had said yesterday.

“Nine personnel would be recruited per local government area. The policemen would be used to form a unit for community policing in all the 774 local government areas of the country”, he also said.

He further disclosed that in the next three years, 30 personnel would be recruited per local government for the community policing programme, which has been in the pipeline for effective policing in the country.

Reps threaten to arrest custom boss for disobeying summon

By Umar Muhammad Puma

T Tambuwal approves appointment, posting of DGs, MD in Sokoto From Datti Ahmad, Sokoto

T

he Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has approved the appointment and posting of 8 Director General’s (DGs) and a Managing Director (M.D.) in the state.

This was contain in a statement by the Special Advisor to the Governor on Media and Public affairs Malam Imam Imam.

It stated that, “the posting of the affected officer was based on merit in order to ensure no linkage at all sectors of the government for the benefits of the government and the entire peoples of the state.

“Moreover the officers are to report to their new duty station with immediately effect.

It added that, “the affected officers includes Alhaji Shehu Usman Malami, Dr. Ibrahim Usman Isa, and Alhaji Shehu Adamu Rara as DG Debt Management office, DG WJ History and Culture Bureau and DG State Contributory Health Agency respectively “Alhaji Abullahi Muh’d Sokoto, Alhaji Aminu Aliyu D/Daji and Alkali Buhari Dahiru as DG state Housing Corporation, DG IFAD and DG FASCO respectively.

“Others include Alhaji Shehu

Muh’d Dange, Alhaji Junaidu Haliru and Alhaji Habibu Isa Waziri as DG Youth Employment and Project

Coordinator Social Support Operation (YESSO), DG Federal Establishments Employment Opportunities

Coordinating Office and MD Commodity Board respectively”, it said.

Don’t demolish Lagos slums yet, lawmakers tell Ambode

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he Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday appealed to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to reconsider the planned demolition of shanties and slums in riverine areas across the state.

The Assembly made the plea following the presentation of a report by its ad hoc committee on the matter led by Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Petitions.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that residents of riverine areas in the state had staged a protest to the Assembly two weeks ago over the planned demolition of shanties.

They had urged the lawmakers to intervene and save them from the impending government action.

Presenting a report on the matter during plenary, Mrs. Tejuosho (APCMushin I), said that the committee, during a visit to the areas, discovered

that most buildings in the slums were sinking.

“We appreciate what the government is doing to make things better, not for them alone but for the people of the state.

“It is not conducive for them to continue to dwell there. However, I think we should crave the indulgence of the governor to actually relocate these persons instead of throwing them into the street.

“If we allow this, they will go and congregate somewhere and the health hazard will not be easy to curtail,” she said. Mrs. Tejuosho advised Mr. Ambode to put in place a plan to relocate the slum dwellers before the demolition.

Other lawmakers, following the presentation, took turns to express divergent views on the issue..

In his comment, David Setonji (APC-Badagry II) said that the residents should be properly relocated

and not just sent away.

“These people are Nigerians; if we send them away they will go somewhere else and become security risk; let’s treat them as fellow human beings,” he said.

The Majority Leader of the House, Sanai Agunbiade, said that the matter should be properly considered, and that the House should look into what the plan of the government is.

“We should look at the pros and cons of the matter. It is better we hear the government out to see what plan they have,” he said.

However, Moshood Oshun (APCMainland II) said that the residents were occupying the place illegally and were not government tenants to deserve relocation.

Abiodun Tobun (APC- Epe I), who noted that the hallmark of any government was to enhance a cleaner, safer and conducive environment, also said that illegality should not be condoned. NAN

he House of Representatives has threaten to issue a bench warrant of arrest to the Customs Comptroller General of Customs, Col Hameed Ali, Rtd over his refusal to appear before the Public Accounts Committee, PAC. The committee also gave the custom boss till November 8 to defend his agency, or would go ahead and conclude its investigations without reference to him.

The Customs boss had sent a representative, an Assistant Comptroller General, Mr Idris Suleiman to appear on his behalf last week Thursday but was directed to produce the CG and nobody else.

Members of the committee stood down the Auditor General to the Federation, AGF’s query and asked the CG’s rep to excuse them for about 30minutes to enable him contact the CG to pick a convenient date for his appearance.

In his ruling, Chairman of the Committee, Rep Kingsley Chinda, (PDP Rivers), simply told the CG’s rep “make sure you appear here with your boss within the next 8 days, you are discharged for now”.

The Office of the Auditor General to the Federation had raised queries on certain sub heads in the agencies accounts that needed to be adequately explained.

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

News Cattle rustlers kill 5, injure others in Niger From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

By Paul Efiong

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o fewer than 30 suspected cattle rustlers at early hours of yesterday attacked Kaure village in Gbada community of Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger state killing five persons as well injured many other villagers.

The suspected rustlers stormed the community as early as 3.am when the villagers were sleeping and rustled undisclosed number of cattle according to sources.

The Senator representing Niger East, Sen. David Umaru told our correspondent in Minna that he got a call from some members of the community early yesterday of the attack and promptly alerted the police high command in the state.

Senator Umaru who confirmed the figure but said many of the villagers were still missing, even as some houses were allegedly torched in the deadly attack.

In same vein, the chairman of Shiroro local government area, Hon Hassan Jagaba, further confirmed the attack, noted that the attack was devastating.

“On the receipt of information of the invasion, I have to alert

M

• L-R: Jigawa State Governor Alhaji Badaru Abubakar with Bauchi State Governor Barr. Mohammed Abubakar, during the 50th Birthday Celebration of Senator Osita Izunaso, with Persons with Disabilities’. On Sunday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

the police at Zumba division, who mobilized their men to the affected community but the attackers had fled with the cattle they rustled before the police got there,” he said.

The state command Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Bala Elakana confirmed the report, saying that the invaders had fled to the neighbouring Kaduna State.

Elkana stated that the anticattle rustling team is combing the forest through which the fleeing rustlers escaped added that no arrest was has been made as the time of filling this report.

NGO gives succour to IDPs in 7 S/Kaduna communities From Femi Oyelola, kaduna

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Nongovernmental organization, Initiative for Muslim Women of Nigeria, IMWON, has distributed relief materials worth thousands of naira to victims of the recent crisis in Godo-Godo, Jama’a Local Government of Kaduna state The humanitarian assistance were distributed at various Internally Displaced Persons camps scattered across Southern kaduna .

The beneficiary camps include Sanga ,jama’a and Kachia local government areas.

Speaking during the presentation, the National Coordinator of the organization, Hajia Rabiatu Sufuyan Ahmed said the aim of donating the materials is to support victims, and reduce the hardship they are facing as a result of the gunmen attack that forced hundreds to migrate to another region.

Rabiatu added that the gesture was also aimed at alleviating the suffering of the women and children and other elderly persons.

“We gave them this humanitarian aid to support them and to encourage them, and also to help them with food stuff and cloth, and we also support them in prayers for

Minister urges alumni associations to support varsities

Almighty to immensely support” The recent crisis in the communities had caused so many damages and killing resulting in increased number of widows, and orphans.

In his remark, the District Head of Kachia, Alhaji Sabiu Sulaiman, commended the organization for the kind gesture

and appealed to the members of the distribution committee to ensure that the commodities reache the beneficiaries Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Hajia Adama Muhammad Bello from Jama;a local government and Mallama Hurera Adama from Sanga Local Government Area, thanked the

association for the assistance and promised to use it judiciously Most of the victims of the recent attack of Godogodo and the environs also called on wealthy individuals, philanthropists, humanitarian agencies and government at all levels to immensely support them with food and clothing.

Senate probes Volkswagen for alleged sabotage

T

he Senate said it has commenced investigation into alleged breach of trust against the Federal Government

by Volkswagen Automobile Group.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tarrif, Hope Uzodinma, made this known while briefing journalists in Abuja on Monday.

Mr. Uzodinma said that there were indications that the company was not assembling vehicles in Nigeria as it claimed.

According to him, the committee while on oversight visit to the plant in Lagos, discovered a large number of vehicles in the company’s warehouses supposedly assembled and shipped into

Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that in 2015, Volkswagen Group got the approval of government to partner Stallion Group, a private automobile company, to assemble Volkswagen brand of vehicles in Nigeria.

Mr. Uzodinma disclosed that during the inspection of the company’s facility, the committee discovered that no serious activity was noticed to suggest that the number of cars stored in the warehouses were assembled in its premises.

He said that such practice was contrary to the country’s automobile policy, which among other things put restrictions on foreign assembled vehicles.

He insisted that the discovery would be

investigated and that if found to be true, “those responsible will be brought to book’’.

The committee chairman explained that the restriction on foreign assembled vehicles was part of measures by the Federal Government to create jobs for Nigerians.

He vowed that the senate would thoroughly investigate the matter and ensure that any breach of contract by the company would be addressed to its logical conclusion.

“What we discovered at the Volkswagen of Nigeria is an issue of national concern.

“We discovered that the type and number of vehicles we saw stored in that facility is very alarming and it does not help government’s intention for creating an auto policy that will create local

inister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu has appealed to members of the Alumni Associations of Nigerian Universities to provide support for their Universities, saying that providing such financial support is the central objective of establishing the Association, adding that it is a known global practice.

Malam Adamu made the call when he received members of the newly elected Executive Council of Conference of Alumni Associations of Nigerian Universities (CAANU) who paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja, noting that the Federal Government alone cannot bear the cost of running the Universities.

According to a statement by Ben Bem Goong, DD Press in the ministry, the minister and the Minister of State for Education, Professor Anthony Anwukah were unanimous in the call for Alumni Associations to be alive to their responsibilities, citing the experience of the United States whereby the Alumni Associations are the greatest pillars of financial support for the Universities.

To this end, the duo enjoined the Alumni Associations to work closely with University authorities with a view to identifying the priority needs of the institutions which the Association can address.

Earlier, National chairman of the Conference of Alumni Association of Nigerian Universities, who doubles as President of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria Alumni Association, Dr. Ahmed Tijjani said the newly elected Executive of the Association deemed it necessary to visit the Ministers and other key actors in the sector as a starting point for the sector wide consultation the Association has embarked upon.

Dr. Tijjani said that the Association would soon embark on massive membership drive among the Nigerian Universities through the formation of Alumni Associations in each University that is due, adding that resource mobilization from high network members would be vigorously pursued to augment effective learning, teaching, research and community services by the Universities.

empowerment.

“In spite of those restrictions, I am surprised that this company is able to manoeuvre to bring in foreign assembled plants.

“We will take it to every extent that it requires to ensure that every form of economic sabotage in this economy must be stopped and those behind those sabotage brought to book,’’ he said.

(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

PAGE 5

News

Kano approves life sentence for kidnappers, 15 years for rapists

By Ese Awhotu with agency report

T

he Kano State House of Assembly yesterday passed into law, the bill seeking life imprisonment for kidnappers in the state.

The Majority Leader of the Assembly, Yusuf Atta, read the Kidnapping, Abduction and

Forced Labour Amendment Bill 2016 before the Assembly.

Speaking shortly after the plenary, Atta said the committee of the whole Assembly passed the bill after considering the amendment.

“The law has been in existence since 1963, but did not provide serious punishment for kidnappers, therefore, we have

to amend it to suit the current situation,” he said.

According to News Agency of Nigeria report, Atta, who represents Fagge Constituency, explained that any person found guilty of kidnapping would face life imprisonment without an option of fine.

According to him, anyone found guilty of raping or forced

labour will also be sentenced to 15 years without an option of fine.

Also, in an interview with journalists after the passage of the bill, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Salisu Riruwe, said the amendment was a welcome development.

“With the passage of this anti-kidnapping law, we are

hoping that the rampant cases of kidnapping and abduction in some areas of the state will come to an end,” Riruwe said.

The report said the Assembly has also commenced the amendment process on Kano State Pension Gratuity Amendment Bill 2013 during the plenary.

Troops arrest Boko Haram drug, fuel suppliers

By Ese Awhotu

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he army said yesterday that troops have arrested Boko Haram’s drug, logistic and fuel suppliers.

The army gave the name of the drug supplier aged 35 years as Kadiri Umate.

Also arrested was suspected Boko Haram terrorists’ logistics and fuel supplier, Fantoma Lasani, nabbed yesterday by troops in conjunction with Civilian JTF at Muna garage when he came to pick his wife to finally relocate out of Maiduguri.

“The suspect who hailed from Flatari village, Bama Local Government Area, is among some unpatriotic elements in the society that had been supplying Boko Haram terrorists with Premium Motor Spirit and Automative Gas Oil in Bama, Gwoza and Sambisa general area,” the army said.

A statement by Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, Acting Director Army Public Relations which disclosed this Monday, said “ the troops were on patrol from Bama to Pulka, intercepted suspected Boko Haram terrorists drugs and other logistics suppliers from Firgi and Zawan axis, Bama Local Government Area of Borno State, at suspected Boko Haram terrorists crossing point, trying to cross into Sambisa forest today afternoon.

“The troops pursued them but were only able to apprehend Kadri Umate, while others fled into the bush.

According to the statement, the patrol team recovered 35 packets of 500ml of Glocose Intravenous infusion (Drip), assorted analgenics and pain killer drugs, clothes, bathroom slippers, insecticides, salt, kolanuts and a bicycle.

“The suspect is undergoing preliminary investigations,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, Operation LAFIYA DOLE troops carrying out clearance operations on suspected Boko Haram terrorists’ hideouts in Talala and Ajigin, southern part of Borno State, were ambushed by suspected Boko Haram terrorists at Ugundiri village, Damboa Local Government Area, Borno State, while returning to base after clearance operations yesterday.

Unfortunately, 5 soldiers, 3 vigilantes and 1 Civilian JTF lost their

lives during the ambush, while 19 soldiers and 1 Civilian JTF sustained various degrees of injuries.

The army said bodies of the late soldiers and civilians have been evacuated to Maiduguri while the

injured are receiving commensurate medical care and are in stable condition.

The army revealed that troops destroyed the terrorists Gun truck and recovered 2 Anti-Aircraft guns, 2

spare Gun barrels, 1 General Purpose Machine Gun, 1 Rocket Propelled Grenade, 1 AK-47 Rifle and 320 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.

It said troops have been mobilized into blocking positions to further

neutralize fleeing Boko Haram terrorists.

The army recalled that another set of troops had earlier cleared Zira, Abulam, Dusula, and Buk villages before returning to base in Bulabulin.

• L-R: Zonal Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Mohammed Kanar; Chairman, Humanitarian Support, Mr Bulama Mali-Oubio; Minister of State for Power, Works And Housing, Alhaji Mustapha Baba-Shehuri; and representative of the North-East senators, Sen. Ali Ndume, during the minister’s visit to NEMA intervention store where grains promised Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by the Federal Government were kept before distribution to them, in Maiduguri..

Photo: NAN

Insecurity: Bauchi, Benue, Jigawa govs seek Buhari’s intervention

By Lawrence Olaoye

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overnors of Benue, Samuel Ortom, Bauchi, Muhammed Abubakar, and their Jigawa counterpart, Muhammed Badaru, yesterday conferred with President Muhammadu Buhari over rising spate of insecurity in their states.

The governors, who briefed State House Correspondents on their encounter with the President after their meeting, said they intimated Buhari on what they were doing to address various challenges facing them in their states.

Benue governor who spoke first to newsmen said "We have been having security challenges but thank God with the collaboration with some security agencies in my state and with the support of Mr. President, I can say that is relatively calm.

"Today, the issue of herdsmen

and farmers we have been able to, through dialogue, agree to work together in a manner that there will be win-win. Yes, the herdsmen have their rights to live but the farmers too have their rights to live and do their farming activities.

"The herdsmen too must find ways of relating with the farmers and not encroaching on people's farms.

We have told our people that we need one another, life is complimentary and we need one another. We must complement one another by ensuring that anyone who has a chosen career must be supported to pursue it. And so today the state is relatively calm."

On the strategy he adopted in dealing with farmers/herdsmen clashes, Ortom said "Dialogue. Let people understand that if we say live and let's live, we are in a global village today you cannot live in isolation, we must live with one another.

"You know that as a Tiv man we like eating meat, I also know that a Fulani man also like to eat food. So we have the food and they have the meat. So, we must always find a way around it and not allowing criminality to be involved. I think the issue was amplified because of the criminality that was involved.

"We have criminals from the herdsmen side and also from the farmers' side. We are aware that when these criminals will come they rustle cattle and the herdsmen will come and attack these villagers who are innocent. These are the issues and we have all come together because our common enemies are these criminals. So, we are fighting them because once we remove these criminals there will be peace. We want the herdsmen to do things that will not encroach on people's farms and farmers too will not have issue

with them."

The Bauchi state governor, on his own, said "We have come to confer, which is usual, with Mr President.

By, as you can see, I am here with the governor of Jigawa. As you know we share a border with Jigawa. We have come to discuss some security concerns with the President; to solicit for his support for us to effectively ensure security in the two states. This is basically what we have come to discuss."

Asked about the major security concern in his state, Abubakar said "Kidnappers mainly. We are concerned that the spate of kidnapping is increasing and anything that will touch on the security of our state is a matter of grave concern to us. That is why we have rushed here before it becomes endemic and we have conferred with the President and we have his support.

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

PAGE 6

News

El-Rufai lauds Arewa Forum over support on security

Court stops University of Ibadan from ejecting sacked lecturer

T

he National Industrial Court in Ibadan on Monday stopped the University of Ibadan management from ejecting a sacked lecturer, Adenike Ogunshe, from her official residence, pending the determination of a suit.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Ms. Ogunshe, a lecturer in the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, is challenging the institution and its council for the ‘unlawful’ termination of her appointment.

The institution had also directed the claimant to vacate her quarters on the institution’s campus.

The counsel to the claimant, Femi Aborisade, in a motion exparte, urged the court to stop the University of Ibadan from carrying out the directive.

Justice Firstina KolaOlalere granted the motion and instructed the University of Ibadan not to eject the claimant from her official residence.

The judge, however,

adjourned the case till January 19, for hearing of the suit.

The claimant’s appointment was terminated over alleged misconduct.

Mr. Aborisade had earlier told the court that the appointment of his client was wrongly terminated, adding that due process was not followed.

He further said that the termination of the appointment of his client was unconstitutional, unlawful and a violation her constitutionally guaranteed right to life, natural justice and fair hearing.

The counsel urged the court to set aside the termination of the appointment and reinstall the claimant to her position, without any loss of earnings, salaries and allowances.

He also urged the court to order the respondents to pay N8 million as general damages, for failure to give the equitable three months notice before termination of the claimant’s appointment.

(NAN)

From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo (R) over the weekend receives a U.S congressional proclamation in his Honour from Congress Woman Sheila Jackson-Lee, Democrat Representing Texas State @ US House of Reps. Event was the Gala of the Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans, Canan. Photo : State House

#BBOG to FG: Hasten release of remaining Chibok girls F atima Kaka, a member of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement, has urged the Federal Government to hasten the process for the release of the remaining Chibok girls.

Mrs. Kaka made the appeal on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

She also urged the government to hasten the release of other Nigerians kidnapped in the North East.

Twenty one abducted Chibok girls were released on October 12 after over two years in Boko Haram’s capitivity.

Mrs. Kaka said: “We don’t know the number of people in captivity; we just know that a lot of people are in captivity.

“The number available to the public is not consistent; the government should double up its efforts for the release of abducted people in the North East.

“For the remaining 197

remaining Chibok girls, the government has to do everything possible and whatever it takes to get the girls,” Mrs. Kaka said.

She noted that the condition of the 21 girls so far released by the insurgents was not encouraging, adding, “the faster we recover everybody, the better.’’

Mrs. Kaka, however, commended the federal government for its efforts in securing the release of some of the girls, saying that their release in batches was in order.

“When people are taken, another thing is the issue of negotiation; they have to come in batches; that is what happens all over the world.

“As long as they are coming out, we are okay, no matter the number at a time but let it just be fast- tracked,” said the the BBOG member.

She appealed to the government not to jeopardise the prospects of the abducted girls to excel in life.

NAN)

Group decries continued detention of ex FCT minister, Bala by EFCC From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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upporters of Former Minister of Federal Capital Territory Senator Bala Mohammed in Bauchi under the auspices of Kaura Support Group have expressed worry over his continued incarceration by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission.

The spokesperson of the supporters group in Bauchi, Alhaji Yusuf Rakis Mohammed stated this while addressing journalists when they rose from a meeting in Bauchi yesterday, saying that the supporters of Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed have expressed their worry over his continued detention by EFCC, when other personalities were not detained but only invited to answer questions.

“We want to express our grievances over continued detention of the former FCT Minister

by the EFCC, Senator have zero tolerance on corruption and a honest investigation will vindicates him” According to him, “ we convened the meeting to show our sympathy to our amiable leader with all his integrity, personality and respect should be respected not to be treated like a common man on the street after putting his best for the country in 8 years as a minister, he doesn’t deserved such treatment.

“When he was the FCT Minister, Bala embarked and completed many projects which have changed the face of FCT. He has also improved on the infrastructure of FCT which has never been equal by any past minister.

“Despite that Senator Bala Mohammed is a non-tribalistic Nigerian and philanthropy, who remains a strong pillar of the people of Bauchi state,” Rakis added.

Also speaking, Suleiman Mohammed Bello explained that senator Bala was not arrested as said in some quarters, but personally went to the EFCC office on invitation and urge mischief-makers to shut-up by heating the politics because he was only been invited to come and shade more light on what he know “We are sure that Bala will be vindicated and his travails is not unconnected to the good reputation of the former Minister eyeing the gubernatorial seat ahead of 2019” said the group Bello said we , find it expedient to identify with the former Minister in solidarity in respect of attracting speedy development to the entire nation and urge their supporters to be law abiding He further expressed support to President Buhari’s fight against corruption and urged the EFCC to treat the matter with caution

The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has commended Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) for its contribution towards addressing the security challenges being experienced in the region.

El-Rufai stated this when he received a delegation from Arewa Consultative Forum(ACF) who paid him a courtesy call at the weekend at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna.

Mallam Nasir said ACF’s plan to organise the Summit in Kaduna is coming at a time the north is battling with the spate of insecurity ranging from cattle rustling, kidnapping, rural banditry and reprisal attacks in different parts of the region, saying the summit will help in finding solutions to the unfortunate circumstances the region is facing.

He assured the ACF delegation of the support of the state government towards the success of the summit because of its importance.

The Deputy Chairman of ACF, Alhaji Liman Kwande, who led the delegation, told the governor that ACF as a socio-cultural group for all northerners is worried by the rise in security challenges in the region. The group has therefore seen the need to organise the Security Summit in Kaduna towards finding a solution to the security challenge in the region.

“The recent attacks by suspected herdsmen on some communities in the Godogodo chiefdom, where lives were lost, properties destroyed, and most importantly trust among the communities severely damaged, are most condemnable. The rampant kidnapping of innocent people along Kaduna-Abuja expressway among others is great concerns to us.

“These threats to our peace, as a region and collectively as a people, must be addressed by both the government and socio-cultural groups like ACF. Therefore, to respond to these serious security challenges, the ACF thought it necessary to organise a Northern Security Summit, where stakeholders will be invited to openly discuss the various forms of insecurity and proffer workable solutions.

ACF said they are in Kaduna to seek the support of the state government towards successful hosting of the Summit, asking the governor to also canvass for support from other state governors.

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

News Lawyer oppose calls for suspension of judges

By Paul Efiong

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ontrary to calls by the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and other interest group that all the indicted judges should immediately proceed on suspension pending the determination of their cases, an Abuja based prominent lawyer who has been in the bar for decades, Barr. Moses Adebisi Ofeoshi has stated that only judges indicted by the National Judicial Council (NJC) should step down as NJC is the only constitutional body vested with the powers to discipline judges in the country.

Speaking yesterday on the state of the nation, the legal icon explained that only NJC can determine the fate of the indicted judges so as to bring them to book and not any other body or group adding that those judges found culpable has been recommended for adequate sanctions.

He also spoke on the controversial ruling of an Abuja High Court which recognized the candidature of Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),Jimoh Ibrahim in the fourth coming Ondo gubernatorial election, the legal luminary explained further that “ though the matter might be prejudice to comment on because it is presently in the appeal court, the ruling could not be faulted because who ever that pass that ruling did so based on the facts and evidences presented before him by the parties involved. “if it was anything short of that the ruling might amount to a judicial rascality for a lower court to have ruled a matter that already decided by the superior court of records. Generally, if the matter has been upheld by an appellate court, the lower court should not have rule in favour of Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the party.

“But that depends on the fact presented before the lower court; there must be certainty in law. The lower court cannot rule against the decision of the appellate court or court of superior jurisdiction. The matter is still before the appeal court so; they may finally set aside the decision of the lower court.

He also spoke on the recent amended Code of Conduct Bureau/Code of Conduct Tribunal Act by the National Assembly saying that it the jurisdiction of the legislature for the nation irrespective of timing or whoever is involved. He opined that Nigerians should learn to look at the institutions and not the personalities involved.

“The legislators have absolute power to make laws that would improve the lot of Nigerians. If the President with hold his accent to the amended law, it is also within his power and wisdom, though there might be consequences.

Buhari orders probe of IDPs camps sexual abuse

By Lawrence Olaoye

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resident Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Idris Ibrahim, to immediately commence investigations into the allegations of sexual abuse of vulnerable girls and women in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the country.

The President, according

to a statement made available to newsmen yesterday by his Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, was worried and shocked by the recently released Human Rights Watch (HRW) report which alleges sexual abuse and exploitation of women and girls in camps for those displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency.

He wrote “The welfare of these most vulnerable of Nigerian

citizens has been a priority of his government. Nigerians and the international community can rest assured that the allegations raised in the HRW are not being taken lightly.”

The IGP has been mandated to work closely with the governor’s of the affected states which include those of Adamawa, Borno, Yobe amongst others.

According to him “Their findings will determine the

next course of action for the government and define an appropriate response.”

He continued “While the Nigerian military continues to work hard so that these unfortunate victims of Boko Haram terrorism can soon return safely to their homes, the government will do its best to ensure their protection and welfare in the temporary IDP camps.”

Lawyers in defence of democracy and citizens for good governance during a protest on the defence of Judiciary, yesterday in Abuja..

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Man on trial for defiling friend’s 10-year-old daughter

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or allegedly defiling his friend’s 10-year-old daughter, Godwin Itta, was on Monday docked at an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court.

Itta, a factory worker who resides at Balogun Street, Orile Agege, a suburb of Lagos, is

facing a charge of defilement.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Rafael Donny, told the court that Itta committed the offence on October 22 at Jibowu Street, Orile Agege during a visit to his friend’s house.

He said, “The victim, a

10-year-old girl, was the only person the accused met at home.

“The accused pulled the girl on the floor and defiled her.”

The offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused entered a non-

guilty plea.

The chief magistrate, Mrs. Badejo Okusanya, granted the accused to a bail of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

She adjourned the case to December 12 for mention.

(NAN)

Court rules on varsities dispute December 5

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panel of the National Industrial Court will deliver judgment in the dispute between the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Federal Ministry of Education on December 5 SSANU also joined the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission as corespondents.

Justice Benedict Kanyip, who led two other justices to fix the date, said that the judgment earlier slated to be delivered on October 31 was not ready.

“This case was slated for judgment today (Oct. 31), unfortunately, the judgment is not ready. We have to take another date, the case is accordingly adjourned until Dec. 5 for judgment,” he held.

The panel also ordered that hearing notices be served on the Federal Ministry of Education, the first respondent.

The Association dragged the Federal Government to the National Industrial Court for alleged failure to honour a 2009 collective agreement with the union.

The union said that it came to court because the agreement had

been breached.

The union is asking the court to give interpretation to the clause in the agreement regarding government giving assistance to universities.

According to Chapter 2, Section X (i) of the Agreement, universities shall bear the full capital and recurrent costs of the university staff primary school.

(NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

News

NUJ bans quacks from practice in Delta From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

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he Delta State Executive Council (SEC) of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has banned non journalists from practicing the profession in the state.

As part of the resolutions reached at the SEC meeting of the NUJ held at Asaba yesterday. SEC, comprising

the State Working Committee (SWC), Chairmen and Secretaries of the 15 chapels in the state, said the order was to entrench sanity and put a stop to the frequent embarrassment of the NUJ by the untoward activities of fake journalists within the union.

SEC-in-session expressed satisfaction with the various measures taken by the state leadership of the

7 die, 11 injured in Ibadan auto crash

By Segun Adeyemi, Osogbo.

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ragedy erupted as seven people were said to have been killed in a road accident, which occurred along Gbogan/Ibadan road in the later hours of Sunday.

An eyewitness said that the accident, which occurred at about 5pm on Sunday, involved a Toyota hiace passenger bus and a Siena space bus.

The Toyota passenger bus was said to be moving towards Ibadan, when it lost one of its tyres. The passenger bus subsequently dwarves off its lane on to the lane of vehicles coming from Ibadan to Osogbo.

An eyewitness account revealed that the bus went up in flames, immediately it colluded with the Siena space bus on the other lane after it had lost one of its tyres.

“I think the 18 passengers-bus lost its tyre due to the dilapidated road we are having here because immediately the the tyre went off the bus somersault to the other side and it went up in flames, “ one of the eyewitnesses, Femi said.

The Siena bus was said to be carrying two couples, who lost their lives on the spot, while five of the passengers in the Toyota hiace bus who lost their lives, included two siblings who were said to be going to their school in Ibadan.

Osun state Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety corp,Mr Kumae Ibraheem confirmed the incident.

He said the Toyota Siena space bus, marked JJJ 374 EH, only had two people on board, while five people were killed in the passengers-bus, saying investigation was still ongoing as to what led to the accident.

NUJ to ensure discipline and decorum in journalism practice in the state and called for the cooperation of all members and the public.

The union leaders noted with dismay the activities of a few quacks parading themselves as journalists and resolved to sanction and disown such impostors who peddle blackmail, falsehood and extortion.

The NUJ officials stated that the body had received series of complaints and petitions on the professional misconducts of a few charlatans out to tarnish the image of the union and vowed that such ugly development would not be condoned.

They emphasized that journalism profession was a noble calling which must not be ridicules by mischievous

Traditional medicine practitioners move to end crisis

By Usman Shuaibu

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he leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Saturday inaugurated eleven caretaker committee to resolve the lingering crisis facing the association in the territory.

The chairman of the caretaker committee is Dr Alhassan Adamu, the secretary of the committee is Dr Adebayo Odekileokun, the treasurer of the committee is Dr Ronke Oriola while the position of the

Public Relations Officer (PRO) went to Dr Yahaya Ibrahim.

Other members of the caretaker committee included; Dr Ifashola Fawole, Dr AbdulHamid, Dr AbdulAzeez Lawal, Dr Usman Babachukuri, Dr Gimba Giri, Dr. Yakubu Abaji and Dr Haske Garba.

Speaking at the occasion, the Vice-President of NANTMP in charge of the NorthCentral Zone, Dr Mohammed Beji, charged the caretaker committee to discharge their duties without fear or favour at all times.

Beji also advised the committee to always speak with

Sokoto disburses N5.7m grant for disable persons children education

one voice in the interest of the association, saying that the national officers of NANTMP would continue to unite the herbal practitioners in the FCT and Nigeria at large.

Also speaking, the secretary of NANTMP in charge of the North-Central Zone, Dr Ibrahim Kwali told the gathering that NANTMP has no division or faction in the FCT. He added that the leadership of NANTMP as well as members in the FCT were united, warning the herbal practitioners to shun any act capable of tarnishing the image of the association in anywhere they live.

L-R: Permanent Secretary Ministry of Communications, Mr. Sonny Echono; Member House of Representatives Committee on Rural Development, Mr. Sanni Saidu; Chairman House Committee on Rural Development, Mr. Oladipupo Adebutu; and Minister of Communications, Mr. Adebayo Shittu during a meeting on national rural telephony programme, yesterday in Abuja

Photo Mamud Isa

From Datti Ahmad Sokoto

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he Sokoto State Government said it had disbursed N 5.7million to support the education of children of the physically-challenged persons in the state.

The Commissioner, Ministry of Social Welfare and Culture, Alhaji Sirajo Gatawa, disclosed this at a Ministerial Press Briefing organized by the State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists( NUJ), and the Ministry of Information.

He said that,the gesture was aimed at assisting the beneficiaries to acquire education at all levels.

Gatawa said: “It was in line with the state government’s declaration of emergency on the education sector of the state. ‘’This is meant to support the education of their children from primary up to tertiary levels of study,’’ the commissioner said.

The Commissioner also added that, the government has expended more than N27 million to cater for the less- privileged persons during the last Eid-el-Fitr celebrations.

He said that, the money was spent on the provision of clothing materials, food items and other token gifts, among others.

elements who lacked conscience and decency.

While pledging to facilitate the registration of qualified persons as members of the union, SEC also resolved to take discipline seriously, as the union would no longer tolerate irresponsible acts that malign the NUJ, especially on the social media.

Polymer Institute seeks pact with FG to tackle recession

By Bashir Bello

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he Polymer Institute of Nigeria (PIN) has extended a hand of partnership to the Federal Government, assuring of a value-oriented contribution towards the successful tackling of the inherent challenges of the current economic recession.

National President of PIN, Dr. Paul Mamza communicated this while delivering his welcome address at the opening

ceremony of the 27th Technical Conference/ Annual General Meeting of PIN in Abuja.

According to him, PIN is willing to support the Federal Government in all spheres of its professional endeavours.

“However, Federal Government must provide an enabling environment for such partnership to be result-oriented. PIN must be carried along in all policydecision-making process involving applications of all facet of Polymer Science,

Technology, Engineering and Industrialization.

“There must be partnership between Government and the Institute in order to keyin into the Governments renewed effort for the diversification of the nation’s economy. Also, with the double digit exchange rate, manufacturing by investors will be non-profitable.

Government must create a conducive environment for the manufacturing activities to pick-up which will ensure the revival of the ailing

polymer industries,” he added.

Speaking further, he said that it was worthy to note also that the concept of interdisciplinary Research and Development (R&D) has not gained much ground in the academia in Nigeria.

“This is really sad because innovation is not a unidimensional process.

It is comparable to the intermeshing gears of a clock.

The challenge before us is to make this intermeshing happen.

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

News

Niger govt spends N300m on disaster

Yakubu Mustapha,Minna.

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he Niger State Government has so far expended over N300 million on disaster management in parts of the state from the commencement of the

raining season this year.

The Director General, Niger State Emergency Management Agency(NSEMA), Mallam Ahmed Ibrahim Inga made the disclosure in an interactive session with the journalists in Minna.

Inga informed also that the state recorded heavy flooding in several flood prone communities in some 19 local governments across the state whereby several deaths were recorded as some residential buildings were flooded

and farmlands and livestock were also washed away by the raging flood in the period under review.

And among the local governments worst hit by the flooding according to him, included Bosso, Borgu,

Wife of Oyo State Governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, in a handshake with some National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members during her visit to Ibarapa North LGA, yesterday in Oyo State .

Photo: NAN

CBN assures of rice sufficiency in Nigeria From Ahmed Idris Birnin Kebbi

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he Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele has said that the 1million metric tons of rice expected to be produced in Kebbi State had been achieved.

He said the development would bring about rice sufficiency and the country would feed itself.

Emefiele stated this yesterday during his assessment tour to the state on their targeted production of food crops across the country adding that kebbi, ,Niger, Anambra, Cross River and other rice producing states would feed the nation and make availability of food items in Nigeria.

He explained further that the progamme which is going to be

a continue exercise will diversify and boost the economy of the country.

“Our team have visited Niger, Eboyin, Ogun states and now we are in kebbi state where the all programme started,” he added.

He urged the media to investigate the farmers in other to know where their challenges are and make the correction for the future occurrence.

In his response, the Kebbi State Governor, Senator Atiku

Parents protest relocation of secondary school in Delta From Osakahre Erese Asaba

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arents and guardians whose children and wards are in Dein Secondary School, Agbor in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State yesterday protested the state government’s plan to relocate the school from its present temporary site at Obika Primary School in Ime-Obi, Agbor to Oza-Nogogo community, also, in Agbor.

Speaking under the aegies of the Parents Teachers’ Association (PTA) of the school, the parents and guardians said that the planned relocation of the school would, in the long run, be counter-productive as it (the relocation exercise) would impact negatively on the students’ population of the school.

According to the PTA Chairman of the school, Mr. Chukwuka Acha who spoke on

CIPE holds media workshop in Niger From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

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he Center for International Private Enterprises (CIPE) has scheduled to hold a Oneday media workshop for top media executives on behalf of the Niger Coalition of Business and Professional Associations on Thursday November 17, 2016.

The Project Coordinator, Mr Teelda in a press statement issued yesterday in Minna the Niger state

Abubakar Bagudu thanked the CBN for the visit, assured them that kebbi would achieve its target.

“We are going to visit Zuru where they would produce share butter and other farm crops as kebbi state is blessed with farming and irrigation,” he added.

He further pointed out that the Anchor Borrowers Progamme has reduced the level of unemployment and crime in the state, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to sustain the progamme.

Chanchaga, Lapai, Lavun, Magama, Mokwa, Bida, Agaie, Edati, Shiroro, Munya, Katcha, Kontagora, Wushishi and Jebba North Local Governments of the state among others.

He said the huge sums of money was spent on providing succour for the victims, like the procurement of drugs, food stuffs, building materials including provisions of clothing materials, bed covers, blankets, mattresses, as well as outright cash gifts and provision of temporary camps for the victims of the flood disasters in the upper lands in parts of the state.

NSEMA boss stated that the proactive approach of the state government to communities and victims of flood disasters in the state during the raining season this year went a long way to mitigate the effect of the disasters on the victims and some riverine communities as well.

He however stated that adherence to early warnings of the appropriate authorities by communities living in the flood plane areas by relocating to upper land and temporary camps provided by the government till the end of the raining season will go a long way to reduce disasters usually caused by floods in terms of human and material losses every year in the state.

In same vein, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency(NSEMA) has also distributed relief materials worth N13milllion to victims of rain storm within Minna metropolitan areas early in the year.

Consequently, some of the affected victims who are residents in some communities such as Unguwan Daji, Shiroro road, Chanchaga, Barikin Saleh, Sauka Kahuta, and Bosso were said to have had their residential or commercial buildings destroyed or their roof tops flung away by rain storms at the commencement of the raining season early in the year.

capital said that the workshop will focus on bridging the knowledge-gap of the top echelon in media on the ‘Role of Business Associations in a Democratic Society and how BMOs and Media can work together’.

It further stated that CIPE’s key program areas include Anticorruption, Advocacy, Business Associations, Corporate Governance, Democratic Governance, Access to Information, the Informal sector and

Property rights, and Women and Youth.

It added that since 2008, the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) has substantially built the capacity of seven statebased Coalitions of Business and Professional Associations (COBPAs) and national businesswomen’s coalition, the Association of Nigerian Women Business Network (ANWBN) to drive grassroots advocacy reforms for their members.

behalf of parents and guardians of students in the school, said relocating the school to OzaNogogo was not in the best interest of students of the school and their parents because of the long distance between the temporary site and new site of the school.

Acha who disclosed that the state government had done excellently well by building befitting structures for the school, however, said that the location of the permanent site of the school at Oza-Nogogo community was ill-advised.

“We are not against the relocation of the school, but what we are saying is that the school should have been relocated to the area where it would better serve the interest of students and their parents.

“Relocating the school to OzaNogogo community where there is a public secondary school that is sparsely populated is obviously not good for our educational growth and development”, he

added.

Acha pointed out that there was need for the state government to provide Marcopollo buses that would transport students of the school to and fro, adding that that would motivate some students to move to the permanent site of the school.

Another parent who spoke in an interview with our reporter, Mr. Philip Ojei, said that he cannot afford to send his child to the school from his Uromi Junction residence in Agbor if the state government finally relocates the school to Oza-Nogogo, adding that in the event of that, he would have no alternative than to seek admission for his child elsewhere.

Dein Secondary School which was one of the schools established during the last lap (second tenure) of the Uduaghan administration happens to be one of the fasted growing secondary schools in the state vis-a`-vis students’ population as it has a population of about 950 students within the short period of its existence.

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Page 11

WINDING DOWN OF CAPMI SCHEME

This is to notify all customers of Jos Electricity Distribution Plc (JED Plc) that the Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI)scheme has been wound down effective November 1, 2016. We call on all customers that paid for the C APMI scheme to please come forward with details of payment for subsequent processing and installation of the meters accordingly.

The CAPMI meters are available and we have made several attempts to reach out to the customers on the scheme. The general public is hereby notified of this final call for the customers to come forward and the official closure of the scheme.

Change of name

nwaimo

this Space for sale

I, formerly known as onuiri destiny uchechi now Wish to be known and addressed as nwaimo destiny uchechi All former documents remain valid. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

RECONCILIATION OF NAME

EZE

I,formerly known as EZEOKEKE, AUGUSTUS AMAECHI CHUKWUDUM, now wish to be known and addressed as AMECHI AC EZEH, all former documents remain valid. banks ,Stocks and the general public to take note. Also CHUKWUDUM is the same as CHUKS and EZEOKEKE AS EZE.

I, formerly known as EZE CALISTA O. now Wish to be known and addressed as EZE OKEKE CALUSTA OBIAGELI I. All former documents remain valid. Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

ikenna

mary

I, formerly known as ikenna shedrack obinna now Wish to be known and addressed as ikenna shedrack okoye All former documents remain valid. guaranty trust bank plc and the GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

I, formerly known as mary philip now Wish to be known and addressed as mary michael chuwang All former documents remain valid. NYSC and the GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

mohammed

rabiat

I was formerly known as mohammed abdulkarim now wish to be known and addressed as mohammed abdullahi. all fomer documents remain valid. general public should take note.

I was formerly known as rabiat safiyanu ibeto now wish to be known and addressed as rabiat mohammed safiyanu ibeto. all fomer documents remain valid. general public should take note.

Change of name

this Space for sale AHMED I, formerly known as ahmed yusuf. now Wish to be known and addressed as ahmed yusuf a. b. All former documents remain valid.

GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE. Loss of Document

This is to inform the general public of the loss of land document in respect of plot No. 534 about 700m2 dated 2/4/2001 located within Old Kutunku, compensation Layout, Gwagwalada, Abuja, bearing Ibrahim Mohammed, got missing during the demolition exercise at main market Gwagwalada, Abuja.

All efforts made to trace the said document proved abortive. If found please kindly return to the nearest police station. The general public should please take note.

PAGE 12

Opinion

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Brush the mistakes aside and help Buhari save the revolution

By Frisky Larr

T

he name Eddy Grant is still a household name to a particular age group all over the world.

The Guyana-born Reggae star once sang the lyrics that I remember so well. One of several memorable verses. “Another revolutionary; He is fighting for us righteously; But he can’t paddle waves with his hands…” Whoever watches the Nigerian political scene of today and does not see Muhammadu Buhari reflected in these verses is either indifferent to the Nigerian scene or is an avowed adversary of the current President of Nigeria.

Within the past few weeks and months, there have been reasons to be angry at the President.

Very many reasons too. Indeed, even if not clearly articulated or expressed in public space, Nigerians, who voted Muhammadu Buhari to power in March 2015, actually voted for a revolution, no matter the type. His admirers knew this and his enemies too.

The desperate drive to stop his candidacy at all cost (with certificate, health records, etc.) was borne out of a premonition of the troubles ahead. The revolution. Steering the nation from one extreme to the other was and still remains a daunting task.

From insane corruption that broke all bounds under Goodluck Jonathan back to normalcy and sanity! From disintegration to a unity of purpose.

It was a movement from one extreme to the very other.

The realization that the filthy system will always fight back has been with us since the days of Nuhu Ribadu. We have, therefore, genuinely asked ourselves umpteenth times, how come President Buhari allowed himself to be duped and cornered by the cabal both within and without?

In all honesty, though, a lot is easier said than it is done. It is also easier to watch and criticize from the comfort zone of an armchair quarterback than it is to be the real actor on the throne of power.

Precisely this power is President Buhari’s strongest enemy today. We will come to this later.

To become a President, Muhammadu Buhari mounted the candidate’s saddle in three futile attempts. Each of these three attempts fielded the real revolutionary Buhari, who sought to enforce (“by fire, by force”) most of the radical changes that Nigeria constantly yearned for. At least, for the most part. Upon the third consecutive failure, however, the Ex-General saw the steam in him

dissipating. The age factor could not be wished away. He vowed to call it quits. There was no way the powerful establishment of Nigeria at the time, could have allowed him to mount the throne of President. No way. His views were yet, too radical.

They were too divisive. They were yet, too tribalist.

A Softened Buhari When Jonathan took the rot to further extreme, however, and many observers got disappointed, thinking they had seen the worst of filths long before Jonathan, a part of the establishment had to swing to action. The need to shake and overhaul the system was recognized and Buhari became the only bride available. This time though, the rules of the game were not to be dictated by him alone. The radical line, the divisive line and the tribalist line had to be reworked. He had to shed some baggage.

Getting Muhammadu Buhari to play by the rules of the powerful domestic and international establishment meant the birth of a softened Buhari. This, indeed, was the veiled message that Muhammadu Buhari constantly sent to Nigerians, amongst others, when he told Chatham House in a speech that was primarily directed at the international establishment, that he was a bornagain democrat, who regretted his dictatorial past.

Unfortunately, however, revolution is nothing but the radical displacement or reversal of the status quo and existing conditions against the desires and wishes of the establishment. The establishment never leads a revolution to rob itself of power.

In other words, the day Muhammadu Buhari became marketable as a presidential candidate in a democratic election was the day Nigeria lost the original and authentic revolutionary Buhari.

Since old soldiers never die, revolutionary instincts are also, never lost completely. Within the scope that still makes his silent gentleman’s agreement with the establishment tenableand workable, Muhammadu Buhari set out to face the onerous task of walking the electoral talk, once becoming President.All within his possible authentic limits! He was serious. He was hellbent on succeeding. Each time, he lets out these revolutionary instincts in a bubbling crescendo, however, the domestic establishment descends on him to take him back to the limits of marketability and electoral assurances.

The best proof of what every observer has long thought and speculated, was provided lately, by the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives

Congress in Lagos State, Mr. Joe Igbokwe while commenting on the excesses of former President Goodluck Jonathan. “He is supposed to be the one that should be held responsible but because other heads of state (keep) pleading for him, that is why he is busy junketing all over the place.” He was quoted as saying.

Indeed, those persons, who step in to caution and whip President Buhari back into line for whatever agenda they pursue, often adopt all measures possible. Some choose the instrument of invisibility through conspiratorial intimidation.

This partly entails the avenging of peace and tranquility in delta environment as well as agitation for the loss of innocent lives in the eastern region to warn the President of an impending chaos.

Veiled Household Betrayal In other words, while President Buhari took off the gloves and began to step on powerful toes, he was ready to stretch the limit to the constitutionally permitted leeway. Sabotage set in, though, through viciously hostile and bellicose acts that was then smoothened out by the innocent intervention of well-meaning establishment characters. They urge soft-pedalling. They urge the recognition of untouchable geographical regions in the war against corruption. They sugar-coat their psychological persuasion. They urge a cooling of the political temperature.

Since this powerful and massive pressure is often difficult to overcome by one man alone, the President’s doggedness caved-in and opened up another vacuum for die-hard opportunists. Slowly but steadily and before the President knew it, his own inner circle seems to have formed another dirty cabal just before his nose.

In this collaborative network of criminal actors, which requires several hands washing each other for dubious cleanliness, the President now seems alienated in his own world. Who would not be in the trap of unsuspected predators, when fighting back against righteousness is a matter of life and death? It is in this light, that I have begun to view the President’s heap of contradictions in the fight against corruption.

This is no longer the time to fume over the President’s unforced errors. Countless unforced errors! This is no longer the time to turn our back on the President in anger as the childish agents of hate and vindictiveness do, saying “I told you so”.

After all, the revolutionary instinct still lives in

President Buhari.

The Revolution lives!

His historical, unprecedented and dare-devil strike on the judiciary that gladdened the heart of all well-meaning Nigerians, is one little drop of water on a glowing rock. It shows to us that even though further planned arrests of more corrupt judges have been stalled, yet again, by intervening establishment maneuvers, Nigerians should rally round the President to bring out the best in him.

It also shows to us that this President strikes in the dark of night to take his adversary unaware in spite the constant stumbling block of the establishment.

He may have missed the golden opportunity to fall back on his rock-solid base of people’s power.

He may have missed the chance to damn the establishment and relate directly with the masses.

But the opportunity of the masses to get him back to their side is inexhaustible.

A true revolutionary seeks the instrument of power by all means and implements his agenda without a care for the consequences and whose ox is gored. He leaves the end to justify the means.

President Buhari may have underrated the readiness of committed Nigerians to take to the streets and whip the enemies of the country into line on his behalf, but Nigerians will never underrate their inexhaustible opportunity to get the President back to their side. The Occupy NASS movement and the spontaneous march on the Supreme Court by a few aggrieved Nigerians are just a taste of the gathering storm that the Germans would refer to as the cleansing thunderstorm.

While the world always expects a revolutionary to confront the system and the establishment, it is also aware that revolution is akin to a gathering hurricane that will raze many edifices to their foundation for a better and guided reconstruction bearing all imaginable precautions. Nigeria is overdue for the reset button and for now, we have no Tunde Idiagbon on the horizon. We have no Murtala Muhammed left. No Gani Fawehimi. No Tai Solarin. All we have left, is Muhammadu Buhari.

Even though trapped in the tempest and the violent waves of a brutal sea, he cannot paddle the waves with his bare hands. Brush his costly mistakes aside and help him save the revolution. Let us reassure him now, of the needed support to break free from the fangs of the evil cabal.

Frisky Larr is a Public Affairs Analyst.

The tragedy of humanity’s nonchalance

By Samuel Orekoya

A

ll around the world, there have been renewed calls for parleys, for rendezvous and tete-a-têtes. To bring together people of varying opinions, shedding their individual personalities and preferences to adopt a collective goal and reach a pre-determined conclusion. This is the righteous diplomacy of the 21st century.

The exact nature of this diplomacy is not known; deals are known to have taken places in churches, mosques, restaurants and offices, officially and unofficially.

This righteous diplomacy of the 21st century is a diplomacy which will attempt to mask the primordial instincts of man. The instincts which say fight or flight. This diplomacy of the 21st century tries to find the grey between the black and white, the neutrality between the victor and the loser, the neutrality of war.

The diplomacy of this modern man intends to break down our primal instincts; the very nature of our existence, that which all culture, behaviour and action has been built on. Indeed, is it not these instincts that have birthed religion? Wars, culture and power? Far be it that I would be called an anti-moderate. For I delight in the steady progress man makes! There now exists, a collective effort, to deconstruct the basic pieces of the primal instinct, to reform and rebuild, in a manner best suited to the builder.

These builders, who must not be named, then

say to us, that we are at a juncture, one auspicious for the progress and further construct of man, a moment which would allow for the natural evolution of man, one in which our subsequent actions, desires and characteristics will be determined not by 2 instincts long encoded in our DNA millions of years ago, but by those, formed from habits, interactions, consultations and projections formed in our enlightened mind.

They say we will no longer war or run, but will begin to take actions for reasons which are just, upright and morally uplifting; for posterity, for our children, for the future of our race and the future of our planet.

This 21st century diplomacy, so noble and considerate, makes a fatal error in its quest. It forgets about the nature of man. It trivialises humanity’s greed and sense of self importance.

It forgets about the nonchalance of man. The nonchalance in Darfur, The cries of the children in Syria, The weeping of the girls in Nigeria, The stench of the 2000 dead in Baga, and the horror of the 7 dead in France.

The 21st century man walks in solidarity; 100 world leaders, linked arm to arm, 100 metres they walk, to show that we are one, to show that ‘I am Charlie’. The carpenter in Baga, walks slowly, as he gazes upon the destruction, the bodies of friend and foe, strewn far and near. He walks without registration or contemplation, as only one thought occupies him. His wife and kids are gone and his existence now seems nought. He hears the news

on the radio, the world leaders are marching, to say that we are one, to say that ‘I am Charlie’. He shakes his head in regret as he walks off in contemplation.

The nonchalance of man, more powerful a foe than thought, must be fought with all resolve. Our basic thoughts and conducts must therefore be rethought. The 21st century man has said that we are one, but I see that one is not for all. One has been redefined, to select and elect, those that possess mutual interests and resources. One will give and take, court and flirt, before it takes you into its fold.

The little boy in Syria, sat in the ambulance, staring eerily into the distance, replaying events past. ‘Mother was serving lunch, brother was talking to me, and father read the papers. My fork quavered in my hand, as i listened to my brother’s tales. He had seen the ‘no more’ planes. Why where they called ‘no more’ planes I asked? ‘Because once you see them, you see ‘no more’ my brother replied.

My brother spoke about the coalition planes. The help which was to redeem us, now was fearful to my nation. The bogey man wouldn’t get you, the ‘no more’ planes would.

I shivered and looked at my mother, in the solemn expectation that she would rebuke my brother, for scaring me silly. And then I felt a boom, and a sense of impending doom. All went black, I didn’t see, i didn’t know and i didn’t feel. As I felt myself fade away, one thought resounded, the ‘no more’ planes have got us. Alas, it was not my turn to fade, and I heard voices and I felt hands. I was raised from the rubble and i saw flashes. Cameras

were clicking, people were shouting, the floor beneath was moving.

A man picked me up, and said that he was Red Cross and all will be well, he sat me in the ambulance and said that he would be back. My head hurt badly, and I touched it to soothe it, but I felt a strange wetness, my head was covered in blood. The kind man came back, and told me my brother was no more, but that all will still be well, help was on the way.

I sat and i stared. Will the help bring back my brother? Will the help save my people? I stared for my brother and i stared for my people.

The nonchalance of man, will break instead of make, the dreams of all people. The nonchalance of man, will make all come to naught. Humanity must think as one, live as one and be united. Humanity must not, and cannot be extinguished. We must care, and void ourselves of partiality when we help and become greater united. Humanity must acquire knowledge, from the past and present, as we have endured unnecessary and tumultuous hardships from generation immemorial. We must learn from within and then without, and use our knowledge to form a shield of protection and a sword of advancement to take us to previously unimagined levels and to renew our zeal and give the whole of humanity, a renewed sense of purpose and commitment, to know what we live for.

Samuel Orekoya is a Public Affairs Analyst.

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

PAGE 13

Comment

Recession may be someone’s opportunity

By Azuka Onwuka

T

ime of recession is a time of imagination.

Necessity will not stop being the mother of invention.

Many of the world’s great achievers would have died uncelebrated if not for a challenge. It could be hunger, physical disadvantage, fear of failure, desire to impress a woman, rejection, or whatever.

Some people were told by their parents, teachers or uncles that they would never excel in singing, acting, writing, playing football, or that they would never be useful in life. Many refused to accept that “prophecy” and turned it into false prophesy, while others believed it and simply fulfilled the prophecy.

For Joe Girard, author of How to Sell Anything to Anybody, it was his desire to provide food for his wife and children. Having failed in almost everything he ventured into, he was thrown off balance by his wife’s question to him about what the children would eat. He was haunted by that question (What will the children eat?) and went out subsequently to look for a job that would give him money to buy food for his children. That was what made him world’s greatest salesman for 12 consecutive years.

Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is a fictitious story but the hero of that story became one of the greatest men in his clan because he was afraid to fail. Okonkwo was ruled by the fear of failure and fear of being thought weak. His father, Unoka, lived a worthless life, a life anointed and consecrated by failure. His corpse was even rejected by the earth and consequently thrown away into the evil forest.

Okonkwo was afraid of turning out like his father.

That fear was the motivation he needed to rise above his peers. But regrettably, his fear of being thought weak became too consuming that it ended up being his Achilles heel.

George Frideric Handel was challenged by debt and depression to produce in 24 days the oratorio,

Messiah, considered by many as the greatest feat in the history of musical composition. By 1741, he was neck-deep in debt and it seemed likely he would land in debtors’ prison. He was also considering retirement from music and leaving England for his country Germany. Then, that year a wealthy friend of his, Charles Jennens gave him a biblical libretto on the life of Christ to set to music. Handel locked himself up and produced the masterpiece, the Messiah. During that period, he ate little, slept little and rarely rose from his desk. His servant, who brought him food, was said to have walked in one day during his composition of the very popular Hallelujah chorus to find his master engrossed in his writing, with tears streaming down his face.

Handel said to his servant: “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself.”

The Messiah was premiered on April 13, 1742, as a charitable benefit, raising 400 pounds and freeing 142 men from debtors’ prison. The impact of the composition did not only hit the public; it also hit the King of England, George II. At a performance of the Messiah in London in 1743, the King was present. Immediately the first note of Hallelujah chorus rang out, the King sprang to his feet and remained standing until the end of the song. In line with protocol, once the King stood up, the audience stood up too and only sat down after the King had done so. That tradition of standing up when the Hallelujah chorus is sung remains across the world today.

The late business mogul, MKO Abiola, suffered abject poverty. He swore not to be poor. That desire made him the richest man in Nigeria in his lifetime.

The belief of many is that a disability is a disadvantage. But the truth is that it is not.

Rather, a disability is an advantage. If two people were to position themselves at a corner, 10 feet away from each other, with one on wheelchair and the other without a physical disability, selling the same item, who would sell more? Without

uttering a word, without moving an inch from the spot, the person on wheelchair would outsell the other. A person with a disability gets sympathy fast. If the person is seen trying to undertake a venture, every sane person with a heart who sees such efforts tries as much as possible to assist and encourage that person with a disability. In addition to the support of people, people with disabilities who want to make a difference in life are never presumptuous or laidback. In their bid to work hard to meet up with those without disabilities, they go the extra mile and achieve extraordinary results.

If Louis Braille did not go blind as a child, would he have been known all over the world?

Maybe. Maybe not. According to Wikipedia, Louis Braille became blind at the age of three, when he accidentally stabbed himself in the eye with his father’s awl. He rubbed his stabbed eye and then rubbed his other eye and an autoimmune disease called sympathetic ophthalmia spread to his other eye, therefore blinding him in both eyes. In 1821 Charles Barbier, a former soldier, visited his school and shared his invention called “Night writing” a code of 12 raised dots and a number of dashes that let soldiers share top-secret information on the battlefield without having to speak. It was a bit complicated for the young Braille. That same year, Louis began inventing his raised-dot system.

What tool did he use? The same tool (awl) that caused his blindness. In 1824, when he was only 15 years old, he had invented what is today known as braille, which has made it possible for blind people to read and write. His system used only six dots and corresponded to letters, whereas Barbier’s used 12 dots corresponding to sounds.

What if Cobhams Asuquo, Ray Charles Robinson and Stevie Wonder were not blind?

Would they have been famous in music?

John Foppe was born without arms. That condition made him to turn his legs into arms and become a world figure.

Polio attacked the legs of Cosmas Okoli as a child. But he was determined to make a mark in the affairs of the Nigerian nation. He has achieved that and is still striving for more.

When Cameroon were drawn against the defending champions Argentina, which had Diego Maradona as a member, at the 1990 World Cup, not many gave Cameroon a chance. Matters looked worse when Cameroonian Andre Kana-Biyik was sent off 61 minutes into the match. Cameroon had 10 men against Argentina’s 11 men. But six minutes later, Francois Omam-Biyik scored a goal for Cameroon. Many feared that the Indomitable Lions would not be able to hold on to that one-goal lead. But they did. Even when Cameroon were reduced to nine men through another red card to Benjamin Massing, they still went ahead to beat Argentina.

Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, described his case thus in his book, Losing My Virginity: How I’ve Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way: “At the age of eight, I still couldn’t read. I was soon being beaten once or twice a week for doing poor class work or confusing the date of the Battle of Hastings.” He added: “Perhaps, my early problems with dyslexia made me more intuitive: when someone sends me a written proposal, rather than dwelling on detailed facts and figures, I find that my imagination grasps and expands on what I read.”

Not everybody has the ill-fortune of losing his or her eyesight, speech or limbs. For those who don’t have such a challenge, the solution is for them to create something that challenges them.

This recession is enough challenge. And beyond merely surviving it, we can find ways to achieve success and fulfil our dreams in it.

Azuka Onwuka is a Public Affairs Analyst.

Deconstructing Nigeria’s fiscal and currency crises

By Sa’ad Jijji

N

igeria’s current economic difficulties are a combination of two related but separate crises. Our fiscal crisis, fueled by our dependence on crude oil prices, which has led to a reduction in federally shared revenues from a high of N1.5 trillion in July, 2011 to a low of N306 billion in April, 2016. This massive contraction in revenues has resulted in the non-payment of salaries and reduction in government spending, leading to slower economic activities and eventual recession. On the other hand, our currency crisis was partly created by the monetary policy choices we made starting from 2011. In a bid to attract and retain Foreign Portfolio Investments (PFIs), our monetary authorities committed a taboo in international finance through the Impossible Trinity. Our attempt at juggling independent monetary policy, free movement of capital and fixed exchange rate (together called the Trilemma) has been postulated by economic theories and proven by practical experience from the Asian financial crisis of the 1990s to inevitably lead to a currency crisis. And this is exactly what we got. I will make the argument here that a fall in oil prices need not lead to both fiscal and currency crises. It is not inevitable that both occur at the same time, as it did not happen in Nigeria in 2008/2009. I do not set out to apportion blames, as there are enough of that going round already. My aim is to draw the attention of our fiscal and monetary authorities to the lessons we can learn and how to avoid such errors in the future.

Deconstructing Nigeria’s Fiscal And Currency Crises -By Sa’ad JijjiAt the beginning of our current democratic experience in 1999, the average price of crude oil was in the mid $20s and our external reserves were less than $5 billion. Starting from early 2003, oil prices began rising consistently from $30 per barrel due to increased demand from Asian countries

until prices peaked at $140 per barrel in mid2008. During that same period, our external reserves reached its all-time high of over $62 billion. Then the 2008/2009 financial crisis came. By early 2009, crude oil prices had dropped to $41 per barrel. Total FAAC allocation shared in January 2009 was N290.7 billion, less than 50 percent of what is currently shared. Many states struggled to pay salaries.

Yet by May 2009, the dollar/naira official exchange rate was still N148, while the parallel market rate hovered between N160 to N180.

Nigeria’s GDP grew by 6.9 percent in 2009. The question is why Nigeria did not have a currency crisis and an eventual recession in 2009 when the fiscal conditions then were very similar to what we have now. The normal explanation is that we had robust reserves – fiscal buffers as economists call them and that we had a ‘V’ shaped recovery in oil prices in 2009. This is not the whole story. My central argument is that the manner in which our reserves accumulated in the recent past differs materially from how it did in earlier years. This difference played a major role in our current currency crisis.

Deconstructing Nigeria’s Fiscal And Currency Crises -By Sa’ad JijjiBefore we proceed, it may be useful to explain what we call ‘external reserves’ in Nigeria. Our external reserves figure is actually a combination of three distinct reserves. First, we have what CBN calls the Federation Reserves or what in media parlance is called the ‘Excess Crude Account’. This is usually an accretion of crude oil dollar revenues above the benchmark price set in the budget. For instance, the 2016 budget was premised on a crude oil price of $38 per barrel while crude oil is currently selling above $40 thus resulting in an increase in this account. The second reserve is the Federal Government Reserves. These are FX account balances held by CBN, as banker to the Federal Government, for several agencies or parastatals of the Government like NNPC, the Ministry of

Defence, etc. Collectively, these two types of reserves constitute less than 25 percent of our so called external reserves. The biggest part of our external reserves is the “Central Bank Reserve”.

This reserve is owned by the Central Bank of Nigeria and not by any tier of government. So how does CBN get to accumulate such reserve?

Basically, these reserves come from one major source – FAAC monetisation.

In Nigeria, we operate a system where every month proceeds from our sales of crude oil, gas, royalties and taxes received in dollars are converted into naira by CBN on behalf of the Accountant General of the Federation and shared, together with VAT collections from FIRS, to all the three tiers of government in a mid-month ritual we call FAAC Allocation.

These dollars, after their conversion by CBN, essentially become CBN assets and cannot be claimed by any tier of government. CBN in turn sells these dollars to importers to get the naira to use for the next monthly ritual. When CBN sells fewer dollars to importers than it bought from the government, its reserves grow.

Recently, another major source of dollar inflow into the Nigerian financial system is from foreign investors who bring in dollars that are exchanged for naira at the FX interbank market. These investors get issued a Certificate of Capital Importation (CCI) which gives them the ability to buy back their dollars when leaving the country. While our governments are responsible for the management of the excess crude account and federal reserves, CBN is responsible for managing the much bigger reserve that bears its name.

To appreciate why our monetary policy choices have contributed to our current currency crisis, you have to go back to October 2011. At an emergency meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of CBN on October 10, 2011, a decision was taken to raise the benchmark Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) by 275 basis points from 9.25 percent to 12

percent. This was in response to the massive injection of liquidity primarily caused by the activities of AMCON (on one Friday AMCON injected close to N700 billion in fresh money to acquire the then troubled nationalised bridge banks, Afribank, Spring and Bank PHB).

This substantial increase in interest rates at a time of high oil prices attracted many foreign portfolio managers to Nigeria’s sovereign fixed income instruments. By 2012, a report by the consulting firm, Ernst & Young, had Nigeria as the biggest recipient of foreign investment in Africa. In a report issued for the second quarter of 2014, the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that 84.7 percent of these foreign funds were invested in shares, bonds and treasury bills that could be easily sold.

CBN got caught in the excitement of this inflow that it relaxed time restrictions on capital flow to Nigeria, which was set up to mitigate the adverse effects of such flows (before 2011, foreign investors were not allowed to invest in Treasury Bills with less than a one year tenure).

CBN even toyed with the idea of selling forward contracts to these investors. We took further steps to meet the requirements for joining the JP Morgan Bond Index all in a bid to attract and retain portfolio flows.

In international finance, the Mundell– Fleming Trilemma (Impossible Trinity) posits that a country should not try to maintain a fixed exchange rate (as CBN was doing at N150/$), have an independent monetary policy (as was done with the MPR) and still allow free movement of capital (as CBN vigorously encouraged). A country that attempts to do all three at the same time makes its currency susceptible to a major crisis at the slightest trigger. This was amply demonstrated by the Mexican Peso crisis of 1994 and the financial turmoil in Thailand during Asian financial crisis of 1997. Nigeria’s exceptionalism was on test. By 2013, the clouds were gathering in Nigeria.

Sa’ad Jijji is a Public Policy Analyst.

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

PAGE 14

News From Ilorin

Olanrewaju

Lawal,

T

he Management of Kwara State University(KWASU) Malete,Kwara State has denied newspaper report that there were mysterious death of it students on campus.

WASU in a statement issued on Monday in Ilorin to journalists through its Director, Office of the University Relations and signed by Mallam Yusuf Suleiman titled “ re: Panic as mysterious deaths hit KWASU”, said deaths of students and staff the newspaper report mentioned were not mysterious but malicious and

K

Herders decry poor patronage By Abbanobi-Eku Abuja.

T

Onyeka,

he youth chairman of International Livestock Market (ILM) in Dei-Dei located in Bwari Area Council in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Sarafa Murtala has said that the high rate of Dollar to Naira has being affecting them in no small measure.

He also said that his association was in support of banning herdsmen from raring their cattle in the city of Abuja, but was quick to advise the government to provide alternative to the herdsmen.

The chairman spoke to the Peoples Daily in his office in Abuja..

He therefore informed that due to the high rate of Naira to Dollar in the country, Nigerians have been taking their cows and other live stocks to neighboring countries of Chad and Niger to sell. Even people from the countries, he went on, have been coming to the far northern part of Nigeria, where they usually buy and come down to Abuja to sell, to buy cattle, which according to him has been affecting them in no small measure. He therefore informed that for the fact that people from those countries go to the far north to buy the cows directly and take them down to their countries has resulted into bad market to them in Abuja. Even Nigerians, according to him have begun to take their cows to sell in those countries. But with what has been happening now, according to him, they hardly sell any in the market. So he called on the government to look into the ongoing problems and find solution to them, just as he urged his members to be law abiding and live the rest to God. Speaking on the banning the herdsmen from the city of Abuja, he said that they in the business in the market were in support if that, but was quick to pleas with the government to give alternatives to the herdsmen to enable them continue their business. He however that of the cattle rearers were from them, adding that some were right from far north whom they usually buy from.

The chairman also informed that the price of the cattle has equally gone up due to the rate of Dollar has gone up beyond imagination, even as he added that because of the due to the high price, hardly patronise them any longer.

Kwara varsity denies mysterious death of students, staff could cause unnecessary tension among parents and guardians.

The report was allegedly published by an Ilorin-based Newspaper. “ For the avoidance of doubt, Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, does not take the welfare, safety and security of its staff and students with kid’s glove. This is evident in the prevailing peace and tranquility on our campus and in the host community.

“Death is inevitable, as every soul shall return to its creator at the appointed time by natural or accidental means. It is therefore, out of place for any socially responsible newspaper to link the deaths of some of our students to mysterious circumstances or to create a wrong impression that the University is responsible for such incidents or that some fetish acts are at play as it indicates in some purported acts of propitiation it gleefully published on its pages.”

The Institution stated that one

of the students which the newspaper claimed died mysteriously was Linda Lilian Lawal, a 400 level student of the Department of Mass Communication. She died in her parents’ quarters on Friday, October 14, 2016, of complications resulting from brain injury she sustained during a car accident about a year ago outside of the university environment.”

Linda according the statement, was to have undergone brain surgery but for some reasons it could not be done and she several times suffered convulsion, a repeat of which claimed her life on October 14. “ Also, the newspaper claimed that “a sickle cell patient was left unattended to by the medical personnel, reason; he could not produce his hospital card.” This is indeed far from the truth. The said student was brought chronically ill to the University clinic on Sunday night, September 11, 2016. Even though he did not register with

the clinic and was abandoned by his colleagues on getting to the health facility, it is against medical practice to abandon such a patient at that critical moment.

“However, in spite of all efforts by doctors, we eventually lost the boy. But can such death be called “mysterious” as insinuated by the newspaper, particularly for a sickle cell patient?

The University also cited circumstances surrounding the death of a Provost of the Skyboss Security Services, a private security company engaged by the University who recently had an incident in the line of duty, Salaudeen Abass.

He was the Chief Security Officer of the Skyboss at KWASU and was rushed to the school clinic for medical treatment. “ And our medical personnel referred him to the State Specialist Hospital, Alagbado, after trying their best to save his life. He was conveyed to the Special Hospital

in our well-equipped ambulance supported by the medical personnel. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead at the hospital. “ But can this also be called “mysterious”, bearing in mind that death can come at anytime and under any circumstances? People die even in their sleep or for simply hurting a toe or even a finger.

“The newspaper also cited the death of a female student in an auto accident on her way from Kano to Kaduna (away from the university’s area of jurisdiction), as mysterious. In fact, we view this claim as a height of professional gaffe and lack of clear understanding of how a fastgrowing University such as ours operates.

It assured parents and guardians that the safety of their wards are fully guarantee stressing that they should be wary of tactic of enemies of the institution that may want to create tension and tarnish the reputation of the university.

Corps Commandant General Neighbourhood Enlightenment and Safety Organisation (NESO), Comrade Sani Aliyu (right) on his (left) is the Seniors observing the national anthem during the passing out parade ceremony for the three days training on the Developing Reproval Mechanism on Terrorism and Insurgency in our Community at Iwo in Osun State.

Photo: . Bashir Bello

SON urged to intensify fight against substandard goods

By Abbanobi-Eku Onyeka, Abuja.

A

n electrical materials giant, Abuja International Building Materials Market (AIBMM) in Dei-dei, an outskirt of Abuja, has faulted in its entirety the way Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has been fighting against circulation and use of

substandard goods in Nigeria.

Christopher Chukwuka, the Managing Director of Xto & Sobs Nigeria Limited spoke with Peoples Daily in his office in Abuja.

Making his point, he said that the right thing for the agency to be doing was to work closely with the officers and men of Nigerian Customs and Excise both at the

airports, seaports and boarders to ensure that imported substandard materials are not crossed into Nigeria.

According to him, a situation whereby the agency would ignore those areas where the materials are crossed into the country, and go to the market and cities to molest traders, is unacceptable.

His words: “If SON wants

to stop the use of substandard materials in the country, they should start with Customs, because the foreign materials, be it the standard or substandard ones passing through the Customs right from wharf, airport or boarder as the case may be. They should do the right thing and stop embarrassing the poor traders in the market or city.”

PAGE 15

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Ondo: I’ll defeat Jegede, Ibrahim combined, Akeredolu boasts ...says no rift with Tinubu

By Lawrence Olaoye

A

ll Progressives Congress (APC)’s governorship candidate for Ondo state November gubernatorial election has boasted that he would defeat both Eyitayo Jegede and Jimoh Ibrahim if they both combine to face him as candidates of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Akeredolu, who was formally presented to President Muhammadu Buhari as the candidate of the party by the Plateau State governor, who also doubles as the Chairman of his campaign team, also said he had no rift with the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state.

Akeredolu had emerged the winner of a controversial primary alleged to have been marred with irregularities.

His emergence has become contentious making some stakeholders in the ruling APC, including Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, calling for the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun.

Tinubu and some other Stakeholders had called for a rerun of the primary alleging that the leadership of the APC compromised the process leading to Akeredolu’s emergence.

Asked what his chances were facing Ibrahim as the candidate of the PDP, Akeredolu said “I can assure you I would have been happier facing both of them together. If Eyitayo Jegede

was chosen as candidate and Ibrahim as his deputy,I will still win. In fact, Jegede happens to be a friend,Ibrahim too. Jimoh Ibrahim went to Ife. So, we have known ourselves for long. I have no fear about both of them. We know that we are going to win this election and I have no doubt.”

Responding to questions on rift with Tinubu, the APC guber candidate said “I don’t have any rift with him.

Since the primaries you would see that as leaders of the party,he has not said anything about it. He has accepted the primaries and we are moving on. So, I don’t have any rift with him at all and we are moving on.”

He cautioned the incumbent governor, Olusegun Mimiko, to ensure security and peaceful coexistence in the state alleging that those demonstrating on the streets of the

state capital were paid miscreants by the government.

According to him, local issues in the PDP should not be externalised.

He called on security agencies to be up and doing so as to bring normalcy in the state.

Explaining why he led Akeredolu to the State House, Lalong said “A few weeks ago, I was given the responsibility of leading the campaign

on behalf of the National Executive for the Ondo election.

And the candidate since election at the primaries have not come to be presented to the leader of our party,that is Mr President. So, today we came in with the candidate and to confirm to the president that APC has only one candidate unlike other parties that are fighting about who is their candidate.

We have only one candidate and that candidate is chief Akeredolu Rotimi(SAN)” Gov. Kasim Shettima of Borno State (R), welcoming the Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Alhaji Mustapha Baba Shehuri to the Government House, in Maiduguri. Photo: Borno Govt House

PDP crisis: Makarfi faction takes over Kwara Secretariat From Olanrewaju Lawal,Ilorin

T

he Senator Ahmed Makarfiled faction of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state, yesterday took over the secretariat of the party in Ilorin, the state capital.

The secretariat, located along Asa Dam road in the metropolis, had for some months been under lock and key, following the factionalisation of the party after its last state congress.

The Makarfi’s faction led by Prince Sunday Fagbemi, has been up and doing, mobilizing support for the party at all level and commenting on

issues affecting PDP at both the state and national scene.

Fagbemi who was flanked by PDP chieftains, Alh Ayinla Folorunsho, Hon.Ibrahim Iliasu, Engr Jide Usman, Alh Atanda Sooro among others was ushered in into the PDP secretariat amidst wild jubilation.

There was no resistance from any quarters, even as the administrative staff cooperated with the new party executives.

Addressing newsmen shortly after gaining entrance into the secretariat, the PDP Chairman in the state, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, said the reopening of the secretariat became necessary as

preparations for council election in the state had commenced.

“Our mission here today is to take effective charge of the secretariat to ensure smooth running of activities of our party. For some time now, you will observe that the secretariat had been put under lock and key; this is not good enough and does not portray us in good light”, he said.

Fagbemi also said that his leadership had written to the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC) requesting for guidelines and time table for conduct of the local government poll, adding that he would soon commence

visit to 16 local government areas of the state to assess well being of members.

The party leader, who restated the support of the Kwara PDP for the Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee, said that, “we constitute more than 80 per cent of PDP membership in the state. I also thank every member present here and those that are unavoidably absent for your support given to me and my executives. I want to assure you that we will not disappoint you”.

Speaking on national issue, Fagbemi called for the reconstitution of the Independent National Electoral

Commission (INEC) in view of the political development in Ondo state.

The PDP chairman described it as unfortunate, a situation where bonafide PDP governorship candidate, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) was replaced with Jimoh Ibrahim by INEC in alleged disregard of an Akure High Court order restraining it from such act.

“Other sins of INEC as presently constituted include the fraud called governorship election in Edo state and many inconclusive elections. This INEC has, by its conduct in Edo and Ondo states, demonstrated its inability to be an unbiased umpire”, he said.

Rivers: Dakuku chides Wike over bad governance

By Paschal Njoku, Abuja The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 elections in Rivers state, Dr Dakuku Peterside has berated the Governor Nyesom Wike-led administration, alleging that “the present government is retarding the progress of the state”.

Dakuku, who is also the DirectorGeneral of Nigeria Maritime

Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) chided the Wike-led government for being unable to maintain several infrastructural facilities built by the immediate past administration of former Governor Chibuike Amaechi.

“Wike cannot maintain the infrastructure Amaechi put on ground.

Look at the health centres and schools, the overseas scholarship, among others.

Instead he has introduced tax regime in

secondary schools that are supposed to be free. Rivers state is indeed retrogressing.

“Companies are not here anymore.

They are packing and leaving in droves because of bad governance, high tax and insecurity. The people are aware of this downturn in the fortune of the State and have consequently rejected Wike’s government.”

Dr. Dakuku who stated this during the formal reception and public declaration

of former Executive Director (Finance and Administration) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Henry Ogiri for the APC at Abua/Odua at d weekend, said Rivers people were already tired of the government in the state.

According to him, “Rivers state is in reverse gear because of bad governance.

The bad governance in the state is telling on the people and they are aware that this government is not for them.

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Politics

APC angry over Mimiko’s visit to Aso Rock T he Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has faulted the visit of the state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, after the Independent National Electoral

Commission, INEC, announced businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim, as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s governorship candidate.

Mimiko had late last week paid the President a visit following INEC’s decision to pick Ibrahim

as the PDP candidate in the next month election.

In a statement issued by the APC state Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Adesanya, the party asked: “Has Governor Mimiko gone to complain to President Buhari as the leader of

PDP?” It continued, “Now, if he has gone to complain to the President what does he (Mimiko) want the President to do against the, INEC, and the Courts that ordered INEC to recognize Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim

L-R: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama; Special Adviser to the President on Justice Reforms, Mrs Juliet Ibekaku and Chairman, APC Enugu State Chapter, Dr Ben Nwoye, during a News Conference on State of the Nation, yesterday in Enugu / Photo : NAN

APGA leadership crisis: Okafor seeks restraining order against Oye, others

By Paschal Njoku, Abuja

M

r Ozo Nwabueze Okafor, the Acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has approached a Federal Capital Territory High Court, praying for a restraining order against Dr. Victor Oye from parading him as the National Chairman of the party.

Alhaji Abubakar Adamu (the deputy National Chairman North as well as Chief Uchenna Okogbuo (deputy National Chairman South) are the other defendants in this suit.

The motion on notice was brought pursuant to Section 6 (6) of the 1999 Constitution, order 7 Rules (1) and (2) of the FCT’s High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2004.

It was filed by Okafor through his lawyer, Mr. Godwin Ogboji.

In an 11-paragraph affidavit by one Samuel Akpenpuun, the plaintiffs stated that all the elected members and the Executives as well as the National Working Committee of APGA

swore to uphold the constitution of the party with the attendant consequences of the breach thereof.

They disclosed that despite having sworn to uphold the constitution of APGA, “the defendants soon after their election, as if sent to destroy APGA, started violently violating different provisions of APGA’s constitution to the detriment of the progress and growth of the party.

The defendants alone with a very few members of the party against extant provisions of the constitution hijacked the making of regulations to govern the nomination and/or election of candidates for elective positions, which is the responsibility of the National Working Committee of the party.

“That the 1st defendant and his cohorts, in utter disregard for the NEC, usurped the responsibility of the NEC by solely ratifying the party primaries for gubernatorial, and other elective, positions in Kogi, Edo, Bayelsa and Abia States.

“That apart from illegally and forcefully occupying the office of the Chairman of the party, the 1st defendant severally ordered the assault and battery of members of the Executive and National Working Committee as the National Youth Leader was recently injured by thugs.”

Consequently, the plaintiffs want, “An order of interlocutory injunction restraining Dr. Victor Ike Oye from further parading himself as the National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) during the subsistence of his suspension from the office, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit already pending before this Honourable court. And for such further orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance.”

Okafor filed the suit on four grounds.

They argued that Okafor was appointed recently as the Acting National Chairman of APGA, a duly

registered political party in Nigeria.

“That despite the suspension from office of the defendants, they are still illegally parading themselves as officers of the party.

“That the plaintiff/Applicant’s rights as the Acting National Chairman of APGA, as a duly registered political party in Nigeria, is still subsisting and this right of the plaintiff is being flagrantly violated by the acts and deeds of the defendants.

“An order of this Honourable Court is required by the plaintiff/Applicant to restrain the defendants/respondents from further parading themselves as officers of the All Progressives Grand Alliance during the subsistence of their suspension from office.”

Recall that Oye was APGA’s National Chairman until his suspension from office by the party’s National Working Committee on October 5, 2016, over alleged breach of APGA’s constitution.

The party’s NEC members had met in October and indicted Oye.

Ondo election: Mimiko planning to set state on fire – APC

T

he All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo State has accused Governor Olusegun Mimiko of plotting to cause mayhem ahead of the November 26 governorship election.

Publicity Secretary of the chapter, Abayomi Adesanya, said in a statement that APC has been reliably informed of “the intense mobilisation of thugs and militants, running into thousands, by the Executive Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko.”

He alleged that the governor intends to use the recruits to “protest and unleash terror on the good people of the state in Akure, Ondo, Akoko areas and Owo, Ore and Okitipupa.”

He alleged that Mimiko on Saturday started disbursing money to mobilise militants and hoodlums from Delta and Edo states, as well as a faction of Oodua People’s Congress from Ekiti and Lagos States.

APC appealed to President

Muhammadu Buhari to direct the security agencies to beef-up security in and around Ondo State till the governorship election was concluded.

Adesanya said that the people of the state were desirous of peace, which should not be disrupted by the few self-seeking individuals for political gains.

Reacting to the allegation, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Eni Akinsola, described it as baseless.

Akinsola said: “This is a baseless allegation. In the last seven and a half years of Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s administration, we have no history of violence.

“The people of Ondo State are capable of defending themselves and protecting their territory. We have the history of defending our votes and we do not have the history of depending on external forces and this will not be an exception.”

as the authentic PDP governorship candidate in the 2016 November 26th election?

“Is Governor Mimiko portraying that the President is the one directing and controlling INEC and Courts by going to report to him? When has the President become the appellate Court to the High Court, that he (Mimiko) has to report to him, on a matter already ruled-on and decided by court of competent jurisdiction?

“If Governor Mimiko, as the Chief Security Officer of the State, has gone to the President on security matters, is he (Mimiko) saying the entire Ondo State Police Command, Department of State Security (DSS), National Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and the Military Command in the State cannot curtail the crisis?

“Is it not shameful, Mr. Governor that, you being the leader of PDP in Ondo State, and the Chairman PDP Governors’ Forum in Nigeria, cannot abate little misunderstanding in the State chapter of his party?

We advice you take a cue and learn from Ondo APC in party management.”

You’re doing well but w’re still not with you, Lagos PDP tells Ambode

T

he Lagos state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hailed the present administration in the state, saying the state now fares better under Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration.

The party, however, said its statement complimenting Ambode’s government should not be construed as adopting the government.

This was contained in a statement by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Taofiq Gani.

It insisted that the previous administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola who is presently the Minister of Works, Power and Housing thrived on propaganda and what it called pseudo achievements.

The party is of the view that Fashola’s headship of three Ministries is not appropriate given the technicalities involved and the Minister being a lawyer.

The party queried the Minister for celebrating generation of 30 mega watts of electricity from Gurara Hydro Power Plant, describing at laughable and infuriating.

PAGE 17

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Politics

Hold PDP, APC responsible for crisis in Ondo – SDP

T

he Ondo State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has asked security agents to be proactive in combating criminal activities ahead of the governorship election in the state.

The party made the call following protests over the release of the final list of governorship candidates for the November 26 governorship election.

Its Publicity Secretary, Remi Olayiwola, in a statement on

Monday said the protests that trailed the removal of Eyitayo Jegede’s name and its replacement with Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has to do with the flag bearer of only one out of the 28 participating political parties in the election.

“Since the PDP could not put its house in order by ensuring a credible primary, other participating political parties and innocent citizens of the state should not be made to bear the

brunt of the internal crisis within the party.

The party wondered why anyone would embark on protests over an intraparty crisis, adding that security agencies need to be more prompt in dealing with hoodlums trying to foment trouble in the state.

“The other day, it was the APC disturbing the people of the state, today, it is the PDP. These are political parties in government at various levels in the country. So,

if there’s any violence during the forthcoming governorship election, the two parties must be held responsible,” SDP said.

It advised the people of the state, especially parents, to caution their children against being used by desperate politicians to cause chaos in the state, recalling that the negative effects of the 1983 crisis is yet to abate on the socioeconomic development of the state.

Bauchi Gov. urges police to strengthen relationship with community From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

G

overnor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State has charged members of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) to strengthen and create more cordial relationship between the police and various communities of the state.

Abubakar made the call at the opening ceremony of the one day sensitization workshop organized by the Bauchi State Chapter of the PCRC with a theme “community policing and security awareness” held at multipurpose sports indoor hall in Bauchi.

The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government Alhaji Bello Shehu Illelah, said the central idea of the PCRC was to redeem the image of the police and improve public relations by establishing a link between the police and the community within which they operate.

“I urged you, as committee relating with police and the public, to strengthen more cordial relationship between the police and its community.

It was considered that a cordial relationship between the police and its community of operation would improve the process of policing,” Abubakar said.

The governor described community policing as a “necessary partnership between the community and the police, forged to ensure that the justice system continues to operate effectively in maintaining

community standards of behavior.”

Speaking, earlier, the Bauchi State Chapter Chairman of the PCRC, Alhaji Abdullahi Maigari, reiterated that PCRC initiative was prompted by the search for a new identity by the police to redefine its public relations priorities and strategies.

“It was created to invoke consensus policing in crime control with the support of the community; that is why membership of the committee cut across all facets such as religious leeaders, politicians, schools teachers, market community,

Okada riders, NURTW, NGOs, traditional leaders, women and children organization and the media,” he said.

According to him, the workshop will go a long away for members to learn the objectives of the Committee and to be trained on basic of proactive information gathering and intelligence, build capacity for problems solving and enhance police community partnership engagement to deter crime communities.

Maigari, however, commended Governor Mohammed Abubakar, the outgoing Commissioner of Police A Gwandu, and the present

CP Zaki Ahmed, for their support; and by giving the sense of belonging to operate in the state.

In his remarks, the Commissioner of Police Bauchi Command, Zaki Ahmed, said “the workshop is timely, considering the emergent trends of kidnappings, cattle rustling and other manifestation of heinous crimes in the state, which the command is working assiduously to content through partnership with members of the public, traditional rulers and vigilante group which is yielding positive results.”

E

T

he Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd), has been summoned by the House of Representatives to come and defend the alleged payment of N250 million to unlicensed brokerage firm.

The summon order was given

by Adekunle Akinlade Abdulkabir, leader of the Members of the House Committee on Insurance during an interactive session with the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Guinea Insurance Plc, Mrs. Isioma Omoshie-Okokukuwas at the National Assembly, Abuja.

The committee has been probing allegations of wrongdoings between insurance outfits and ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government from 2013 to 2015.

The lawmakers wondered why the customs deliberately refused to make submissions to his committee on the issue.

According to Abdulkabir, the Customs boss is expected to appear before the committee on Wednesday this week to explain why the Service disbursed over N250 million commission to Fortis, an unlicensed brokerage firm in defiance of laid down rules guiding the insurance sector during the period under review.

Drop ‘PDP loyalists’ Justice Ndu, Wali from ethics committee, APC asks NJC

T • R-L: Former Vice President,Alhaji Atiku Abubakar;receiving a letter from the Chairman,Advisory Board 12-12 Polo and Turf Club,Murtala Aliyu; during the Board and Management of 12-12 Polo and Turf Club paid a visit to former vice president, recently in Abuja ..

Photo: Atiku Media office

Ondo Election: PDP elders warn of a repeat of 1983 crisis

lders’ caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ondo State has threatened that the state may witness another 1983 crisis if the federal government and the judiciary refused to issue a fresh order for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to recognise Mr. Eyitayo Jegede SAN as the governorship candidate ahead of the November 26 election.

The leaders, who met behind closed doors at the Government House banquet hall on Monday

Reps summon customs boss over payment of N250m to unlicensed firm

and addressed reporters shortly after their meeting, said the people are not happy with the substitution of Jegede with Jimoh Ibrahim by INEC. Addressing journalists on behalf of the party leaders, Prof Olu Agbi threatened that if their demand is not met on time, it may lead to a repeat of the 1983 experience.

Agbi, who is also the Asiwaju of Akure where Jegede hails from, said the federal government must save the state from an impending crisis which will be occasioned by

the ugly development.

He said “It is a rape of democracy because it is the prerogative of parties to nominate candidate and we have not seen anywhere in Nigeria where a court will order or impose a candidate on a party. This is a way of laying a foundation where anybody can go to abroad, conduct a primary and go straight to the court to get justice without following the rules of such party.

“We see this as a deliberate and attempt by the federal government and judiciary to

disrupt the peace we have been enjoying in the last seven and half years and we don’t want all these to be truncated. Don’t allow history to repeat itself. There is no way we can move away from 1983 history. A society where there is no justice, there is can never be peace.

“Once this injustice is address, there will be no crisis in the land.

Many people have lost a lot of confidence on the judiciary and we appeal to the federal government to save Ondo State from imminent crisis.”

he All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers has called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to drop, retired Justice Iche Ndu and Mr Okey Wali (SAN), from its 10-man Judicial Ethics Committee.

The APC Publicity Secretary, Mr Chris Finebone, made the call in a statement in Port Harcourt.

Finebone said that the APC noted with shock their recent appointment as members of the 10-man Judicial Ethics Committee with a mandate to review the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers in the country.

Ndu and Wali, he alleged, were well-known Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sympathisers, foot soldiers, close associates and unarguable ardent supporters of Gov. Nyesom Wike.

“The APC vehemently rejects their inclusion in a critical committee such as the Judicial Ethics Committee of the NJC charged with an all-important task of reviewing the Code of Conduct for judicial officers.

“Indeed, their inclusion underscores the unwillingness and unpreparedness of the NJC to buy into the anti-corruption drive of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

“The APC views this action by the NJC as the height of insensitivity and brazen resistance to the efforts by the government to sanitise the Nigerian judiciary,” he said. NAN

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Stock Watch: Monday, October 31, 2016 Company

7UP

Previous Closing Price

185.06

184.5

Opening Price

184.5

High

Low

184.5

Close

184.5

Change Trades

-0.56 25

Volume

Value

Company

Previous Closing Price

Opening Price

High

Low

Close

Change Trades

Volume

Value

233,796

43,137,315.02 MAYBAKER 1.26 - - - 1.26 5 26,078 32,955.18

ABBEYBDS 1.25 - - - 1.25 0 - -

MBENEFIT 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

ABCTRANS 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0 4 505,000 252,500.00

MCNICHOLS 1.2 - - - 1.2 5 154,383 176,896.62

ACADEMY 0.59 - - - 0.59 0 - ACCESS

4.46

4.46

4.64

4.46

4.5

0.04 321

28,060,764

126,589,999.78

ADSWITCH 1.63 - - - 1.63 0 - AFRIK 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - AFRINSURE 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

MOBIL 138.99 - - - 138.99 20 6,378 854,115.18 MORISON 1.73 - - - 1.73 0 - MRS 49.66 - - - 49.66 1 500 23,590.00 MTECH 0.91 - - - 0.91 0 - MTI 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - MULTITREX 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

AFRIPRUD 2.65 2.7 2.7 2.61 2.61 -0.04 35 553,581 1,479,349.55 MULTIVERSE 0.5 - - - 0.5 1 10,000 5,000.00 AFROMEDIA 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0 1 550,000 275,000.00

NAHCO 4.38 4.17 4.17 4.17 4.17 -0.21 19 203,175 850,145.97

AFRPAINTS 2.59 - - - 2.59 0 - -

NASCON 7.18 7.5 7.3 7.16 7.3 0.12 26 1,031,170 7,479,398.60

AGLEVENT 1.02 0.97 -

-

1.02

8 48,971 46,330.44

AIICO 0.9 0.91 0.91 0.91 0.91 0.01 18 983,972 898,207.23 AIRSERVICE 1.91 - - - 1.91 3 1,505 2,918.35 ALEX 9.84 - - - 9.84 0 - ALUMACO 7.75 - - - 7.75 1 200 1,474.00 ANINO 0.25 - - - 0.25 0 - ARBICO 5.04 - - - 5.04 0 - -

NB 135 135.2 135.2 129.51 129.51 -5.49 105 1,220,085 161,842,702.19 NCR 11.02 - - - 11.02 0 - NEIMETH 1.03 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 -0.05 6

126,800 124,264.00

NEM 0.69 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.01 16 1,774,600 1,241,859.00 NESF 552.2 - - - 552.2 0 - NESTLE 814

822.99 822.99 822.99 822.99 8.99 73

115,282 94,401,035.72

NIG-GERMAN 4.91 - - - 4.91 0 - NIGERINS 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

ASHAKACEM 22.5 - - - 22.5 16 55,698 1,233,876.58 NIGROPES 7.46 - - - 7.46 0 - ASOSAVINGS 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

NNFM 8.99 - - - 8.99 0 - -

AUSTINLAZ 2.09 - - - 2.09 0 - -

NPFMCRFBK

AVONCROWN 1.52 - - - 1.52 0 - BECOPETRO 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - BERGER 9.6 9.61 9.61 9.61 9.61 0.01 9 379,696 3,674,398.56 BETAGLAS 48.51 - - - 48.51 0 - -

0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 0

6

174,000 170,510.00

NSLTECH 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - OANDO 8.5 8.92 8.92 8.48 8.48 -0.02 364 7,671,197 65,761,034.51 OKOMUOIL 28.82 - - - 28.82 21 108,772 3,056,214.60 OMATEK 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - OMOSAVBNK 0.92 - - - 0.92 0 - -

BOCGAS 4.18 - - - 4.18 0 - PAINTCOM 1.14 - - - 1.14 0 - CADBURY 20.1 - - - 20.1 15 82,240 1,655,764.64 PHARMDEKO 2.14 - - - 2.14 1 5,000 10,850.00 CAP 38 39 39 39 39 1 16 166,666 6,492,031.87 PORTPAINT 3.53 - - - 3.53 0 - CAPHOTEL 4.07 - - - 4.07 0 - -

PREMBREW 2.95 - - - 2.95 0 - -

CAPOIL 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

PREMPAINTS 10.93 - - - 10.93 0 - -

CAVERTON 2.63 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 -0.13 7 145,913 366,122.50 CCNN 8.73 9.16 -

-

8.73

7 51,560 458,087.60

CHAMPION 4.17 4.17 -

-

4.17

11 146,282 587,170.36

CHAMS 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - CHELLARAM 3.76 - - - 3.76 0 - -

PRESCO 30.5 - - - 30.5 6 32,910 1,045,950.40 PRESTIGE 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - PZ 25.5 25 25 25 25 -0.5 33 567,539 14,195,538.05 RAKUNITY 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - REDSTAREX 4.2 - - - 4.2 2 19,785 83,097.00 REGALINS 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

CILEASING 0.5 - - - 0.5 2 4,000 2,000.00

RESORTSAL 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0 1 100,000 50,000.00

CONOIL 27.41 26.04 -

ROADS 6.6 - - - 6.6 0 - -

-

27.41

8

13,350 330,799.00

0.6 - - - 0.6 0 - 1.06 1.01 1.06 1.01 1.06 0 11 3,520,635 3,661,166.09 ROKANA ROYALEX 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - CORNERST 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - RTBRISCOE 0.5 - - - 0.5 3 78,164 39,082.00 COSTAIN 0.5 - - - 0.5 1 5,000 2,500.00 CONTINSURE

COURTVILLE 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - CUSTODYINS 4.1 - - - 4.1 6 16,101 64,845.03 CUTIX 1.45 - - - 1.45 1 26,666 38,665.70 CWG 2.67 - - - 2.67 0 - DAARCOMM 0.5 - - - 0.5 1 4,000 2,000.00

SCOA 4.16 - - - 4.16 0 - -

SEPLAT 230.04 225 225 225 225 -5.04 20 77,862 17,490,790.00 SIMCAPVAL 103.24 - - - 103.24 0 - SKYEBANK 1.9 1.9 1.99 1.9 1.99 0.09 75 2,020,105 3,920,083.45 SKYESHELT 100 - - - 100 0 - SMURFIT 0.98 - - - 0.98 0 - -MAY-

DANGCEM 162 163 163 163 163 1 33 156,759 25,532,904.96

BAKER 1.26 - - - 1.26 5 26,078 32,955.18

DANGFLOUR 2.31 - - - 2.31 16 31,484 75,328.68

MBENEFIT 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

DANGSUGAR

- - - 1.2 5 154,383 176,896.62 6.52 6.32 6.51 6.32 6.51 -0.01 26 343,221 2,210,542.55 MCNICHOLS 1.2 MOBIL 138.99 - - - 138.99 20 6,378 854,115.18

DEAPCAP 0.58 - - - 0.58 0 - -

DIAMONDBNK 2.87 2.8 2.8 2.74 2.74 -0.13 43 1,315,800 3,645,250.00 IPWA 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - JAPAULOIL 0.5 - - - 0.5 1 10,000 5,000.00 JBERGER 39.5 - - - 39.5 4 1,180 44,879.00 JOHNHOLT 0.96 - - - 0.96 0 - -

MORISON 1.73 - - - 1.73 0 - MRS 49.66 - - - 49.66 1 500 23,590.00 MTECH 0.91 - - - 0.91 0 - MTI 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - MULTITREX 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - MULTIVERSE 0.5 - - - 0.5 1 10,000 5,000.00

JOSBREW 1.51 - - - 1.51 0 - -

NAHCO 4.38 4.17 4.17 4.17 4.17 -0.21 19 203,175 850,145.97

JULI 1.75 - - - 1.75 0 - -

NASCON 7.18 7.5 7.3 7.16 7.3 0.12 26 1,031,170 7,479,398.60

LASACO 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0 1 300,000 150,000.00

NB 135 135.2 135.2 129.51 129.51 -5.49 105 1,220,085 161,842,702.19

LAWUNION 0.54 0.53 0.53 0.52 0.52 -0.02 14 910,610 481,548.30

NCR 11.02 - - - 11.02 0 - -

LEARNAFRCA

0.68 0.65 0.65 0.65 0.65 -0.03 10 1,074,871 699,416.15

LENNARDS 3.15 - - - 3.15 0 - LINKASSURE 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - LIVESTOCK 1.4 1.41 1.41 1.41 1.41 0.01 9 134,400 192,410.51 MANDRID 5.35 - - - 5.35 0 - MANSARD 2.62 2.55 -

-

2.62

8 37,850 99,859.50

Top Gainers Company

Previous Closing Price

Opening Price

High

NEIMETH 1.03 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 -0.05 6

126,800 124,264.00

NEM 0.69 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.01 16 1,774,600 1,241,859.00 NESF 552.2 - - - 552.2 0 - NESTLE 814

822.99 822.99 822.99 822.99 8.99 73

115,282 94,401,035.72

NIG-GERMAN 4.91 - - - 4.91 0 - NIGERINS 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - NIGROPES 7.46 - - - 7.46 0 - -

Top Losers Low

Close

Change Trades

Volume

Value

Company

Previous Closing Price

Opening Price

High

Low

Close

Change Trades

Volume

Value

ALUMACO 7.75 - - - 7.75 1 200 1,474.00

MULTITREX 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

FORTISMFB 5.42 - - - 5.42 0 - -

NNFM 8.99 - - - 8.99 0 - -

UNHOMES 5.23 - - - 5.23 1 3,750 18,637.50

MCNICHOLS 1.2 - - - 1.2 5 154,383 176,896.62

INFINITY 1.42 - - - 1.42 0 - -

UTC 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

OMOSAVBNK 0.92 - - - 0.92 0 - -

UNIONDICON 11.84 - - - 11.84 0 - -

MULTIVERSE 0.5 - - - 0.5 1 10,000 5,000.00

MANDRID 5.35 - - - 5.35 0 - -

ASOSAVINGS 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

CADBURY 20.1 - - - 20.1 15 82,240 1,655,764.64

ABBEYBDS 1.25 - - - 1.25 0 - -

JULI 1.75 - - - 1.75 0 - -

Page 19

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

NNPC seeks $51bn investment in Gas Sector ...to deliver 3.4bn cfpd by 2020

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said about $51 billion investment opportunities exist today in the midstream and downstream gas sector to achieve the growth phase in the Industry in Nigeria.

Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, made this disclosure while delivering a key note address at the Nigerian Gas Association (NGA) 10thInternational Conference and Exhibition in Abuja.

The GMD while delivering paper titled “New Growth Phase for Gas Business in Nigeria,” posited that about $35.4 billion investment will be required in the gas exploration and production activities, power plants projects, fertilizer

plants, virtual pipelines and flare gas commercialization initiatives.

Dr. Baru added that $16 billion investment will also be needed in the Free Trade Zones (FTZ) infrastructure development and concessioning, port infrastructure, central gas processing facilities, gas transmission, LPG plants, real estate development, pipe milling and local fabrication yards among others.

He stated that some of the key enablers that will be required for the growth of the gas sector include clear definition of boundaries between upstream, midstream and downstream sectors, appropriate pricing structure and guarantees for payment, host communities engagement and conducive environment for investors.

“Beyond growing gas for power sector, there has been a strategic positioning of

the sector to support massive gas based industrialization. The intent is to position Nigeria as a regional hub for gas based industries such as fertilizer, methanol, petrochemicals, central processing facilities, etc. The first of this effort is the planned 30 square kilometer gas based industrial park in Delta State. This will be Africa’s largest purpose built gas park supporting gas based industries,” Dr. Baru said.

According to him, to bridge the huge gas supply gap, some strategic synergy opportunities for gas development were identified amongst the Joint Ventures (JVs), Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) and independent operators which when pursued and implemented will not only bridge the unforeseen long term shortfall in gas supply but will also enable the nation

to meet its gas aspiration.

The NNPC helmsman noted that seven key big bang gas development projects have been identified from the strategic synergy opportunities to deliver about 3.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day to bridge the foreseen medium term supply gap by 2020.

Speaking earlier, the President of NGA, Mr. Bolaji Osunsanya, expressed the readiness of the association to collaborate with the Federal Government and other key stakeholders to harness the abundant natural gas resources in the country so as to reposition the country to become a regional hub of gas in Africa.

The theme of NGA 2016 conference and exhibition is: “Nigerian Gas Roadmap and Its Potential for Regional and Global Influence: Its Implementation, Challenges, Opportunities and New Way Forward.”

Minister of Transport, Mr Chibuike Amaechi (4th-l); Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Sen Olugbenga Ashafa (4th-r); and the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Land Transport, Rep. Aminu Sani (3rd-l), during an oversight visit to the Ministry of Transport, by the Joint National Assembly Committee on Land Transport in Abuja . Photo: NAN

Sterling Bank strengthens Core Business, improves Asset Quality in Q3 From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

S

terling Bank Plc has continued to build on the efficiency, quality and profitability of its core banking business as the latest earnings report released at the weekend showed considerable improvements in key underlying fundamentals of the commercial bank.

The nine-month report for the third quarter ended September 30, 2016 released at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) at the weekend, showed steady growth in the core banking business, underlining the success of the lender’s core retail banking business.

Key extracts of the interim report showed that net interest margin, which measures the profitability of the core lending business, improved to 8.5 per cent in third quarter 2016 as against 7.9 per cent in comparable

period of 2015. The proportion of nonperforming loans (NPL) to gross loans and advances, which indicates assets quality and the efficiency of the credit risk management, also improved significantly from 4.8 per cent December 2015 to 2.5 per cent in third quarter 2016.

This brings Sterling Bank well ahead of the 5.0 per cent industry thresholds for NPL set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The bank’s cost of funds also improved to 5.3 per cent in third quarter 2016 compared with 6.2 per cent in corresponding period of 2015.

Managing director, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Yemi Adeola, said the improvements in the underlying fundamentals in the third quarter in spite of the depressing effect of the tough macroeconomic conditions on the overall performance of the sector,

underlined the resoluteness of the bank in building a sustainable business anchored on effective risk management and a robust retail business.

According to him, a 37.7 per cent growth in net interest income was largely due to a 12 per cent reduction in interest expense, which underpinned the 60 basis points increase in net interest margin.

“Sterling Bank has grown its active customer base by over 40 per cent year-todate with improved penetration across all digital channels. The non-interest banking business has also witnessed significant growth in deposits and profitability by 87 per cent and 415 per cent respectively.

This gives fillip to our resolve to diversify our business significantly over the coming years,” Adeola said.

He outlined that the bank would

continue to prioritize operating efficiency and aggressively drive retail funding noting that these priorities will guide bank’s business in the final quarter of the year and serve as the fulcrum for 2017.

He noted that the tough operating environment characterized by foreign exchange supply shortages, rising inflation, negative economic growth and generally recessionary environment has sustained downward pressure on core earnings in the industry.

“Although macroeconomic conditions could witness some modest improvements, the operating environment would continue to be challenging and business confidence somewhat subdued. Nonetheless, Sterling Bank remains committed to building a sustainable business anchored on efficiency,”

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Page 20

Business NNPC, Police pledge collaboration to curb attacks on Oil, Gas facilities

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have pledged to work more closely together to tackle the incessant attacks on oil and gas facilities across the country.

The two agencies made this commitment when the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru, visited the

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

Speaking during the event, Dr Baru drew the attention of the police to the growing insecurity around oil and gas facilities with the latest being the attack on the Chevron gas pipeline in Delta State.

The GMD explained that the attacks on oil and gas facilities are taking a toll on the national budget with massive shortfalls in

revenue as well huge losses in petroleum products, environmental degradation, refineries shutdown and loss of lives.

A statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Garba Deen Muhammad quoted the GMD to have called on the police boss to deploy police personnel to all oil and gas facilities, adding that the corporation was ready to provide whatever support that is needed for enhanced security.

The IGP, on his part, stated that the police have enjoyed long-standing cooperation with NNPC and expressed optimism that such collaboration would continue.

He said the police was working on a number of strategies to build capacity for effective policing of the difficult terrain where some of the oil and gas facilities are located.

First bank Chief pledges financial support to boost economy in Zamfara From Gusau

Ibrahim

Sidi

Muh’d,

T

he Executive Director of First Bank in charge of Northern states of Nigeria, Alhaji Dauda Lawan Dare has pledged financial support to business organisations and other related associations with a view to boost economy in Zamfara state.

Lawan Dare, who was in Gusau the state capital, during weekend to attend stakeholders meeting organised by Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar seeking unreserved contributions from experts in various fields towards development of the state assured efforts to turn the state economy around.

He said, it is the duty of all to come up with any idea capable of moving the state to the next level, therefore called on well to do individuals and other national business tycoons from the state to contribute their quarter so much that the threatening level of poverty and unemployment would addressed.

“It would be the beauty side of our state when experienced and experts of various disciplines from Zamfara state to unanimously agree to invest in numerous human-building trades with a view to save the collapsing economy of our state, I have already started in the field of education, therefore, calling for others to imitate or even pass me as we would not fold our arms watching state government alone in the battle”, Lawan Dare stressed.

He further called on other esteemed dignitaries living within and outside the country to as a matter of making Zamfara more enterprising and home for commercial activities again, throw political differences at their back and put weight on issues that would rapidly develop the economic of the state.

.L-R: Marketing Consultant, The Bridge Concepts Ltd, Ms. Sola Salako; Technical Consultant, The Bridge Concepts Ltd, Mr. Rufus Ohiwerei;Initiator, Naija Green Card Hon. Bimbo Daramola; Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, Yudala e-Commerce Online and Retail store, Mr. Nnamdi Stan Eke; CEO, Yudala e-Commerce Online and Retail store, Mr. Dave Ibelegbu, during the Signing of Strategic Partnership Agreement between Yudala and The Bridge Concepts Ltd in Lagos.

Recession: British High Commission, Chevning Alumni, brainstorm on Nigeria economy

By Etuka Sunday

T

he British High Commission in collaboration with the Chevening Alumni Association of Nigeria (CAAN) in its bid to boost nation’s economy is organising leadership summit geared towards Nigeria’s economic development.

The summit according to a statement in Abuja by the British High Commission Press and Public Affairs Officer, Joe Abuku, aimed at charting positive and productive way forward for Nigeria economy.

The summit scheduled for Friday, Nov. 18 at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lagos, Abuku said aimed at reconnecting and engaging with Nigerians who were awarded the UK Chevening Scholarships between 1984 and 2015.

According to him the summit with the theme ‘Economic prosperity of Nigeria and the role of Chevening Alumni in contributing to Nigeria’s economic growth’, is the first of its kind.

He said that the summit would draw on key Chevening Alumni in business, government, the media and other sectors to discuss a way forward for Nigeria’s current economic challenges.

He quoted British High Commissioner to Nigeria Paul Arkwright as saying that the summit where stakeholder would brainstorm on Nigeria’s economy would provide ideas that will help to overcome economic challenges. ``The global oil price slump has put the Nigerian economy under immense strain, but has also focused attention on opportunities for diversification and structural reform to expand Nigeria’s non-oil export base. ``The UK is providing Nigeria with support in a variety of ways, one of which is drawing on our Chevening Alumni network. ``The network made up of some of the brightest minds in different sectors of Nigeria’s economy expected to develop ideas to overcome the current economic challenges,” he quoted Arkwright as saying.

According to Arkwright solutions that are owned and driven by Nigeria and by Nigerians will have the best chance of achieving lasting success.

Arkwright expressed confident that the National Chevening Alumni Leadership Summit would be an excellent opportunity to chart a positive and productive way forward.

Abuku further said CAAN was established in 2012 with a mandate to provide a forum for members to network and make sound contributions to important national and international issues while promoting links between the UK and Nigeria.

The discussions at the summit according to Abuku will feature plenary sessions and panel discussions with alumni and external experts around current economic realities, policies and the Nigerian business terrain.

He said that would also be discussions around diversification into non-oil sectors, opportunities and challenges across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

Abuku said that some Alumni speakers and panellists expected include John Momoh ,CEO Channels TV, Adesola Adeduntan ,CEO, First Bank Group and Sani Muhammed, Commissioner of budget and planning, Kaduna State.

Others according to him are, Former Minister of Youths and Sports Bolaji Abdulahi, Human Resources Executive, MTN Nigeria, Amina Oyagbola; Viola Graham-Douglas of Lafarge West Africa, and Ibrahim Pam of Green Climate Fund.

Speaking on the strength and reach of the Chevening Alumni said, Amina Oyagbola a Human Resources Executive with MTN Nigeria said the Alumni Network was a formidable network with people scattered all over the country working across different disciplines doing different and amazing things. ``Imagine if we all come together and decide to embark on programs through partnerships and collaborations to move our great nation forward?” she said.

Page 21

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Bwari: Motorists now spend 3 hours to reach Abuja city Centre - Investigation

M

otorists plying the busy Dutse – Bwari road, especially those coming into Abuja city centre from the Northern states including residents in Bwari area council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) now spend more than three hours to get to the city, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

NAN reports that a particular portion which is less than two kilometres in front Dutse Alhaji gate/ Olajumoke Akinjide Market and directly opposite Zenith bank and Mr. Biggs Restaurant is in a very deplorable condition.

The motorists who are usually civil servants and many other road users coming into Abuja from the northern states, residents of Bwari and others are finding it very difficult to reach their destinations

in good time.

It added that productive hours were also been wasted as road users spent two to three hours from Saukale Roundabout Interjection to the Murtala Mohammed Expressway (Kubwa Express) link.

As expected, the bad portion has been the main cause of breaking down of many vehicles including overheating with attendant consequences of spoiling, crashes, wearing and tearing among many others.

And the road that extends towards Bwari to Jere in Kaduna State initially terminated at Bwari town but the SCC, a construction firm responsible of laying supportive water pipes from Gurara to Lower Usman Dam in the FCT extended the road to Jere.

Also, the company said it was

extended to ease their job and give them access to the pipes in case there is the need for repairs, and the FCT administration saw the importance of the road awarded dualisation of the road which as of now is an ongoing project excluding the particular portion.

NAN recalls that in August, the FCT Minister visited FCT Vocational and Rehabilitation Centre, Kuchiko in Bwari mandated the Bwari Area Council Chairman, Mr. Musa Dikko to find a solution to the problem.

Dikko was able only to clear the road of hawkers and beggars but the potholes remain even worse, telling the media people covering the clearance that the council will do something.

But, two weeks later, NAN visited Dikko for an update on the

road was told that a letter was sent to SCC Construction Company replying the chairman that it is not their work.

He said he has written also to Arab Contractors appealing to them to help to repair the bad portion but to date nothing has been done.

NAN gathered from a reliable source at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) that the particular portion has never been awarded to any company.

An engineer who partakes in the construction of infrastructure along the Military Pension Board in Kubwa satellite town said it was out of magnanimity that Arab Contractor extends the road to the second gate.

For a resident of Dutse Saukale,

• A cross-section of pupils of Praxis Catholic E-School performing a cultural dance during a News Conference at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp, Kuchingoro in FCT, where the school announced an award of scholarships to 300 children of the IDPs , yesterday in Abuja. Photo: NAN

Abuja’s high prevalence of domestic violence status upsets FCT Minister

By Stanley Onyekwere

T

he Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has expressed dismay over the high prevalence of domestic violence in the Territory, saying such unfortunate incidents should have no place in the nation’s capital.

The Minister made this point when the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) led by the Regional Vice President for Africa, Hajiya Laraba Shuaibu

paid him a visit in his office.

Bello who noted that the FCT has one of the highest incidences of domestic violence in the country according to available data, said the FCT Administration has been using its Social Development Secretariat, the Office of the Vice President as well as some of the NGOs around to bring the issue to the fore so that people can understand its ills to the society.

According to him, “we realized that based on the available data, the FCT appears to be among those states where the prevalence

was quite high.

“So, we have been using our Social Development Secretariat and the Office of the Vice President and some of the NGOs around to try to see how we can discuss more about it with the intention of reducing such bizarre situation.”

Bello however called on FIDA to help reach out to the grassroots through discussions and advocacy visits to enlighten them on the dangers of domestic violence.

Speaking earlier, the FIDA Regional Vice President for Africa,

Hajiya Laraba Shuaibu who was supported by the Chairperson of its Conference Planning Committee, Victoria FumilayoAwomolo (SAN) said they were in FCTA to solicit for the support of the Administration to host its continental conference.

Fumilayo-Awomolo lauded the Minister for the achievements of his Administration so far despite the economic hardship the country is passing through; saying that the Minister has been able to change the trend of events in the Territory.

Mr. Mathew Idachaba, who said he has been living there for 18 years, within the period he was forced to use seven different cars as each of the car developed different kind of fault because of the nature of the road.

He said throughout the period uncountable number of motorists lost and damaged their vehicles on the route due to the bad state of the spot.

“We thought that the government will give priority to the bad state of Dutse road, mostly from after Saukale Roundabout to Dutse first gate, which has become completely bad to both and pedestrians and road users.

“But it is obvious that the government is not bothered about the bad state of the road, even if it is just to fill the bad parts of the road with cotta.

“The road is getting worst on daily basis and vehicles are getting spoilt every day because of the bad road,’’ he said.

In the same vein, Chairman, Solidarity Holdings, Kaduna, Alhaji Murtala Mohammed, said he normally left Kaduna as early as 6:00 pm Mondays and arrives Saukale few minutes after 8:00 am.

“Could you believe I usually arrive Garki 11after 11:00 am simply because of the bad portion which is less than two kilometres.

“I know most of the Governors, Ministers, National Assembly members, Diplomatic Corps and many other dignities coming or going to the north goes through this route.

“Why then FCT Minister will allow such important road to be in such bad state? If he talk to any of the major contractors they will endeavour to bridge the gap,’’ he said.

He appealed to the minister to help both motorists and commuters plying the road by completing the small but important portion.

Also, a business man residing in Bwari, Mr. Chris Uche, lamented that after suffering during the construction of the express way and the construction of Bwari – Jere road today is Dutse.

“I have been a resident of Bwari for the past 16 years all through we have been suffering of one road or the other.

“Look at the Bwari township roads all in dilapidated state. We are really suffering and we are living in the nation’s capital, it is rather sad,’’ he said.

He therefore called on the FCTA, FCDA and all those concern to do the right thing as it is been preach. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Page 22

world news

international_peoplesdailyng@yahoo.com

Will Lebanon get a new president today? analysis

rights.

For the jubilant members of his FPM party, however, this is a sign of strength rather than weakness.

“Aoun can play a positive role,” FPM MP Alain Aoun, the general’s nephew, told Al Jazeera. “He has a good relationship starting to grow with Hariri and he also enjoys huge confidence with Hezbollah, so I think he can create a good common ground between the two.

These feelings of optimism run even stronger in the party’s youth movement.

“He represents the majority of the Christian community as well as Lebanese citizens,” said Eli Malhame, the head of the FPM’s national youth sector, who called Aoun the “godfather of the republic”.

“He will be the one able to gather all the sects and communities within his reign because he has no issue at all, whether personal or professional, with any faction in Lebanon. This has been proven by his agreements recently.”

Kamel Wazne, a political analyst and American University of Beirut professor, was doubtful, however.

“Aoun is a major political operator in Lebanon,” Wazne told Al Jazeera. “But I think when it comes to the political process, most of these relationships will prove to have been marriages of convenience rather than love.”

By Venetia Rainey

A

fter more than two years, Lebanon is finally set to get a new president in the form of Michel Aoun - barring any last-minute surprises.

Often referred to as “the General”, Aoun, 81, has been vying for the position for years. But it was not until last week that he appeared to have secured the support of enough parties to win Monday’s vote.

“General Aoun appreciates the aspirations of all the Lebanese and has great hope for our new era,” his press office said in a statement last week, calling Monday “a big national day”.

But will Aoun be able to usher in the stability and reform badly needed in a country in the throes of economic, political and social disarray?

Lebanese oligarchy preserves its interests once again orn to a Maronite family in 1935 in the Beirut suburb of Haret Hreik, Aoun joined the army at 20 and climbed through the ranks, ultimately becoming its top commander during Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war.

He was a major player during one of the bloodiest periods of the conflict in 1989 and 1990, before being forced into exile in France. He remained there for 14 years as he awaited the end of Syria’s military presence in Lebanon and founded the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) party in an act of symbolic protest against Damascus’ control of Beirut.

Within a week of the Syrians withdrawal in the spring of 2005, Aoun returned home - but less than a year later, he reneged on his previous anti-Syrian position and infamously forged a powerful tactical alliance with the Damascus-backed Hezbollah’s political wing. Earlier this year, he put aside yet more historic differences, striking a strategic deal with the Christian Lebanese Forces party.

This mixed military and political legacy have made the octogenarian a highly divisive figure, particularly among Lebanon’s large Sunni community.

B

Lebanon’s deepening crisis his is his history,” rival presidential candidate Sleiman Frangieh told a local TV channel last Monday. “He can’t fix it with a five-minute meeting with the mufti.”

Many are questioning whether Aoun is the right candidate for the presidency at a tumultuous time for the country.

“I don’t agree with his way of running things,” General Issam Abu Jamra, Aoun’s former right-hand man and now an outspoken critic, told Al Jazeera. “He only does what he does for himself. If he will become president, he will not be better; the

T

Aoun’s mixed military and political legacy have made the octogenarian a highly divisive figure [Nabil Mounzer/EPA]

“

This will probably cause major problems for Aoun’s promised agenda of reform and change. FPM members say that he will aim to tackle all of the big problems facing the country, from economic collapse and the refugee crisis, to systemic corruption and infrastructure decay.

country will not be better.”

Politicians and analysts who spoke to Al Jazeera variously described Aoun as stubborn, charismatic, wise and quick to anger.

Last week, his presidential bid was endorsed by erstwhile political foe Saad Hariri, son of former premier Rafik Hariri, who was allegedly assassinated by Hezbollah. The surprise deal is expected to end a lengthy stalemate over the country’s highest Christian post, allowing Lebanon’s various political institutions to return to work - but many worry that all it will do is put power in Aoun’s hands, rather than help to address the political divisions that have paralysed the country for years.

“It’s a forced marriage between two groups who don’t see eye-to-eye on much and have been battling it out since 2005,” Maha Yahya, director of the Carnegie

Middle East Centre, told Al Jazeera. “We’re going to see more of what we’ve seen in the past few years, but in a much more acute manner ... This election is not about reinvigorating Lebanon.”

Her opinion was echoed by rival independent presidential candidate Nadine Moussa, the only woman in the running.

“When you don’t come up with a clear vision or a programme and you make friends with belligerents who hold contradictory positions, like Hezbollah on one hand and Hariri on the other, how do you expect this is going to turn out?”

Moussa asked. “How will he reconcile between those two conflicting approaches?

I just don’t think it’s going to work.”

I think we will see some concessions from Hezbollah to facilitate his rule and allow him to gain credibility ... under the broad umbrella of bringing back Christian

Lebanon at the crossroads his will probably cause major problems for Aoun’s promised agenda of reform and change. FPM members say that he will aim to tackle all of the big problems facing the country, from economic collapse and the refugee crisis, to systemic corruption and infrastructure decay.

The priority, however, will be finding consensus on a new electoral law before much-needed parliamentary elections, already twice postponed and now scheduled for April 2017.

“That agenda can be very positive if the other parties support it,” Wazne said. “But if you are a president without support, then your agenda means nothing.”

Yahya agreed that Aoun was unlikely to be able to create significant change in the current political climate.

“I think we will see some concessions from Hezbollah to facilitate his rule and allow him to gain credibility ... under the broad umbrella of bringing back Christian rights, which is very divisive by the way,” Yahya said. “But there are too many things at stake where real reform is required.”

Regardless, the FPM party remains in high spirits at the potential of an Aoun presidency.

“We’re hopeful this is a new era where we can achieve lots of our goals,” MP Aoun said. “He last left Baabda [presidential] Palace by force. Now he’s coming back 26 years later nearly to the day, and the doors are open wide for him.”

T

Source: Al Jazeera

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Page 23

News From Africa Ethiopia Moves to ‘Rehabilitate’ Opposition Protesters

South Africa drops charges against Finance Minister Gordhan

A

state-backed news agency in Ethiopia reports that about 2,000 people detained during recent protests have been released after receiving what the report called education and counseling services.

According to the Fana Broadcasting Network, Ethiopia’s Minister of Defense Siraj Fegessa told reporters that rehabilitation services for about 2,000 people detained over recent violence have concluded and those people have been released.

Government spokesman Getachew Reda told reporters last week that the rehabilitation programs help the government deal with the large amount of people in detention.

“Probably this is the only government in the world that metes out punishment in the form of constitutional classes.

Some fitness exercise maybe.

It’s only the most dangerous criminals who will have to face the consequences. Otherwise, this is going to be rehabilitation programs, three weeks, a month.

You teach them constitution.

You teach them some values and the ABC of basic decency,” he said.

But international human rights groups have a different take.

T The efforts of Pravin Gordhan (C) to rein in government spending have won him respect

S

outh Africa’s chief prosecutor has dropped fraud charges against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

Mr Gordhan had described the allegations as without merit and politically motivated.

News of the charges earlier this month rattled the financial markets and the South African rand fell more than 3%.

The finance minister has been seen as standing up to President Jacob Zuma in cabinet and has warned against corruption becoming rampant.

He was appointed for a second

stint in the job late last year after the president’s preferred candidate lasted just a few days.

The fraud charges related to alleged severance payments made to a senior executive at the South African Revenue Service (Sars), when it was under Mr Gordhan’s leadership 10 years ago.

After reviewing the charges, the head of South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Shaun Abrahams, said there had been no criminal intent.

This is the latest in a series of blunders relating to the finance ministry that have cost South

Africa’s economy millions of dollars.

Many had alleged that the fraud case against Mr Gordhan was politically motivated and the NPA’s U-turn plays into those claims.

It seems to have buckled under pressure following the public outcry against the decision to charge Mr Gordhan.

Dozens of high-profile South Africans, including 100 stalwarts of the governing African National Congress had rallied behind the minister, seeing the charges as a political ploy aimed at ousting him from office so that the treasury could be looted by corrupt people.

France ends Sangaris military operation in CAR

F

rance is ending its military mission in the Central African Republic (CAR), three years after it intervened to stop mass killing after a rebellion ousted former president Francois Bozize.

The withdrawal of the 2,000 French troops comes as a fresh wave of killings has rocked CAR. France says Sangaris succeeded in its mission to stop fighting in CAR. Some 350 French soldiers will remain in the country to provide back up to Minusca, the UN mission in the country.

With the end of Operation Sangaris, Minusca will be left in sole charge of security in CAR. Minusca has more than 10,000 troops on the ground but it has failed to disarm militia groups and there have been fresh clashes in different parts of the country.

On Thursday, 15 people died in clashes between the mainly Muslim former Seleka rebels and the largely Christian vigilante anti-Balaka group, Minusca said.

While six police officers and four civilians died in an ambush on Friday.

Morocco protests: Death of fish seller triggers rare demonstrations

Sangaris is credited with stopping massacres amidst the chaos of the civil war

This came a week after four people were killed during protests calling for the withdrawal of Minusca from the country.

France’s Defence Minister Jean Yves Le Drian says French troops have had a successful deployment, achieving their aims of ending the fighting, transitioning with the UN peacekeeping mission and ensuring that CAR had peaceful

elections.

The problem though is that it leaves Minusca alone in charge.

Judging by sentiments over time, including last week’s anti-UN protests in the capital Bangui, Minusca has little goodwill from the people.

It has been accused of not doing enough to protect civilians from militia attacks and of course there are the allegations of sexual

abuse by its peacekeepers.

CAR’s national armed forces remain under an arms embargo until next January and need to be rebuilt to carry out defence and security duties.

So the country is still heavily reliant on international support.

Armed groups still control large areas of the country and show little sign of fear or respect for Minusca.

housands of Moroccans have held protests in several towns and cities after a fish seller was crushed to death in a refuse lorry trying to retrieve fish confiscated by police.

The death of Mouhcine Fikri in the northern town of Al-Hoceima on Friday drew widespread anger on social media.

His death drew parallels to that of a Tunisian fruit seller in 2010 which helped spark the Arab Spring uprisings.

Morocco’s King Mohamed has ordered officials to visit Mr Fikri’s family.

The interior and justice ministries have also pledged to hold an investigation.

The anti-government protests, on a scale rare in Morocco, were called by activists of the February 20 movement, who organised demonstrations during the Arab Spring in 2011.

Angry postings on social media referred to “Hogra”, a term for official abuse and injustice.

“I have never seen such a crowd in the last few years, since 2011 at least,” said Houssin Lmrabet, an activist in the town of Imzouren where a protest followed the funeral of Mr Fikri.

“Everyone feels crushed by that garbage truck here.”

Protests were also held in Al-Hoceima, Casablanca and the capital Rabat.

Police had confiscated and destroyed Mr Fikri’s swordfish because it is not allowed to be fished at this time of the year, according to Moroccan media.

Video circulating on social media appears to show Mr Fikri jumping into the back of the refuse lorry to retrieve his fish, before being crushed to death by its compactor.

Interior Minister Mohamed Hassad vowed to hold a speedy investigation into exactly what had happened.

“No one had the right to treat him like this,” he told the AFP news agency.

“We cannot accept officials acting in haste, anger or in conditions that do not respect people’s rights.”

The incident evoked memories of Mohamed Bouazizi, the Tunisian fruit and vegetable seller who doused himself in petrol and set himself alight after officials seized his goods in December 2010.

Public outrage at the incident led to overthrow of then-president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and the unrest spread to Egypt, Libya and other countries in the Arab world.

Page 24

Diwali fireworks choke Delhi, angering Indians

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Asia&Middle-east FBI obtains Venezuela’s Maduro Meets warrant to review Clinton with Opposition Leaders aide’s emails

T

A

ngry residents of the Indian capital, Delhi, are sharing images of smog, one day after Diwali celebrations saw huge quantities of fireworks set off.

Levels of pollutants in the air were 30 times the World Health Organisation’s recommended level in one neighbourhood.

Authorities had warned that Delhi faced a polluted Diwali because of factors like humidity and wind speed.

Diwali, the most important Hindu festival in north India, celebrates the victory of good over evil.

On Monday morning, visibility across the city was extremely low, thanks to a thick blanket of smog covering the city. Residents were advised to stay indoors.

Levels of tiny particulate matter (known as PM 2.5) that reaches deep into the lungs more than doubled within a few hours on Monday to 750 micrograms per cubic metre in the worst affected parts, India’s Central Pollution Control Board said That is 30 times a mean guideline set by the World Health Organization (WHO) of 25 micrograms per cubic metre on average over a 24hour period.

The US embassy in Delhi said its air pollution index late on Sunday had breached the “hazardous” upper limit level of 500, at which it stops measuring levels of particulate matter.

Gufran Beig, chief scientist at India’s staterun System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar), told AFP news agency: “Almost 6070% of the smoke came from the firecrackers.”

Safar said there was a “serious risk” of respiratory problems for people living in Delhi and advised against physical activities.

Delhi, a city of 16 million people, is the 11th most polluted city in the world, according to a report released by the WHO in May. On the days before the festival, the air quality there was already bad.

Authorities have tried to address the issue, including banning old trucks from entering the city and briefly trialling a scheme that limited private vehicle usage to alternate days. But experts say such measures have done little to reduce pollution.

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro (R) shakes hands with Jesus Torrealba, secretary-general of Venezuela’s coalition of opposition parties, during a political meeting between the government and the opposition, in Caracas, Venezuela, Oct. 30, 2016.

F

or the first time in at least two years, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his political team have met with several opposition leaders in attempt to defuse the country’s political crisis.

The opposition’s main demand is to revive a suspended a recall referendum that could lead to the ouster of President Maduro. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in recent days to support to recall effort.

In the presence of international mediators, Maduro met Sunday in Caracas with five opposition leaders, including Democratic Unity coalition secretary-general Jesus

Torrealba and opposition governor Henri Falcon.

“We come here willing to listen and, hopefully, be listened to, and find points in the common interest of the great majority of the country, of the national interests. I think that this is not the time for long speeches but rather to assume a deep commitment,” Maduro said during a televised ceremony live across Venezuela.

The initiative is part of a Vaticanled effort to defuse the country’s political crisis after Pope Francis met privately with Maduro.

“The government and the opposition committed to lowering

the aggressiveness in the language used in political debate,” papal envoy Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli said.

Opposition supporters march in Caracas against President Nicolas Maduro, Oct. 26, 2016 (A. Algarra/ VOA). The opposition is demanding a recall referendum which the country’s judiciary has suspended, citing voter fraud.

Opposition supporters march in Caracas against President Nicolas Maduro, Oct. 26, 2016 (A. Algarra/ VOA). The opposition is demanding a recall referendum which the country’s judiciary has suspended, citing voter fraud.

he FBI has obtained a warrant to begin reviewing a new batch of emails potentially tied to US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, law enforcement officials have told US media.

It remains unclear, however, whether investigators can finish their work before election day, The New York Times reported.

“The process has begun,” the paper quoted a federal law enforcement official as saying on Sunday.

James Comey, the director of the FBI, set off a political firestorm on Friday by announcing in a letter to Congress that the agency would investigate emails discovered in a separate probe to see if they contain classified information.

The emails, belonging to Clinton’s closest aide, Huma Abedin, came to light during an investigation of disgraced former New York congressman Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of Abedin.

Weiner is under investigation for allegedly sending lewd messages to an underaged girl. The FBI found the emails on computers that it seized in that investigation, according to news reports.

Activists: Release of Detainees in Syria Crucial to Peace Process

S

yrian opposition activists are urging the United Nations and the international community to push for the release of tens of thousands of detainees in Syria, calling it critical in efforts to revive the moribund peace process.

A delegation of representatives of the Syrian Opposition’s High Negotiations Committee has been meeting with U.N. Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura’s team to demand real and tangible progress on this issue.

This is not the first time the group has broached this subject.

Former president of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces Khaled Khoja told VOA that the release of detainees in Syria was a crucial confidence-building measure in the peace process.

He said resolving this issue would improve the atmosphere around the negotiating table.

“Making progress in this file, the detainees file will help us to improve the negotiation process and shift toward political solution with the other confidence-building measures like breaking the siege

The Maoists claim to be trying to secure the rights of the poor and marginalised [EPA]

and providing humanitarian aid for the Syrian people.”

United Nations efforts to send relief convoys of food, medicine and other essentials to more than one million people trapped in 19 besieged areas in Syria have met with minimal success in the past months.

The U.N. has been particularly frustrated in its attempts to send

humanitarian convoys to help some 275,000 people in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, which has been under relentless bombardment

by Syrian government, Russian and rebel forces for weeks.

Khoja said the delivery of aid to Aleppo, Damascus and other besieged areas, as well as the release of the detainees “will be leverage to relaunch the political process again

and start talking about political solutions.”

The Syrian Network for Human Rights, an independent, neutral, non-governmental organization has documented more than 110,000 Syrian detainees. It found that most - 91,000, including more than 2,700 children and nearly 5,700 women, were being held by the government of Bashar al-Assad.

PAGE 25

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Feature Prioritizing development in AMAC

By Ochiaka Ugwu

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he fact remains that the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari to power in May 29, 2015 after a hotly contested election which saw to the defeat of incumbent president in Nigerian history for the first time has brought a lot of transformation that is unprecedented and as well challenges to others, political office holders who are doing everything humanly possible to live up to Buhari’s transformation agenda. One of those leaders is Hon. Abdullahi Adamu Candido. Candido is the Executive Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), who rode on his popularity to come to the exalted position having been in the political firmament of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for almost three decades.

Candido, who is popularly known as (Baba Buhari) given the way he has supported Mr. President in his political activities over time, he also suffered the same fate with Buhari having contested the position before now but was outlawed by the PDP apologists.

With emergence of Buhari in the saddle which hitherto brought in a level playing ground for all contests in AMAC election, Candido was overwhelmingly elected by the AMAC electorate who were seriously yarning for a change in the already contaminated system.

Basking on this euphoria of total victory and tremendous support, Candido, like Buhari quickly went to work by clearing the Augean stable that were left behind by his successors. With what is happening in AMAC today, one may be tempted to conclude that “small Buhari” is gradually bringing quality leadership to the council.

However, there is no doubt that Candido and his team have hit the ground running by fixing the near collapsed council that has been begging for attention, direction and positive change. According to Candido, while addressing stakeholders on his 100 days of stewardship in AMAC, “The administration is set to hit the ground running by fixing the near total collapsed council we inherited. By the grace of almighty God, we are resolute at delivering no less than our electorate expectations of us. We are riding on Mr. President’s Change Agenda and our goal is to bring the needed positive change the people desired”.

True to his words, Candido braced up for the great challenges by signaling to his team to roll up their sleeves and put on their thinking caps for the works are enormous and the expectations are of the residents are high. This made it possible for AMAC to be transforming in line with the Change Agenda of APC on whose back he rode to power.

Candido also informed that most of the collapsed structures in the council have begin to take shape which was confirmed by some stakeholders that were very much informed on the activities of the council. It was gathered that many peoples’ oriented projects have been done upon the much needed reform he undertook in many departments and units in AMAC. This singular action has been eliciting commendations from the residents who

Candido, AMAC Chairman have never had it better than this. Even the traditional institution is not left out in this praise mantra as many of them in the council, like Oliver Twist are now asking for more. The Etsu Karu and the Chairman of AMAC Village Heads, Rev. (Dr.) Jetta Bawa declared during the town hall meeting that Candido has really succeeded where others have failed.

Recall that upon his swearing in by the FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello on May 20, 2016, Candido rolled out Three-Point Agenda on which he wants to use to take AMAC to an enviable height. These are Education, Infrastructure and Security.

Speaking further during the meeting, Candido said that, “Despite the dwindling resources, AMAC under his leadership has recorded tremendous progress with more than 16 projects commissioned across the 12 political wards. Some of these projects include, construction of a block of three classrooms/headmaster’s office with furniture in Iddo Maji, a village along Airport Road in Gui Ward and will commence academic activities in this current session”. It was said that the project was made possible upon dwindling finance through direct labour as the chairman was one man who wouldn’t want financial crunch to stop his determination to transform the life of his people.

Other projects embarked by AMAC include, construction of three public toilets with mini-type 11 in Gwagwa, Karmo and Nyanya, construction of three skills acquisition and vocational centres in Jiwa, Karu and Shereti, construction of five comprehensive boreholes in Karshi, Karmajiji, Kabba, Shereti and Tinga Madaki, rehabilitation of Gwagwa-Jiwa access road “Phase A” with asphalt.

On the workers’ welfare, Candido who felt the plight of the workers over their two-month-salary owned them by the immediate past administration cleared them within one month to boost their morale and restore their confidence on the council. He also took the issue of salary payment as priority by committing himself to prompt salary payment. Candido promised paying bulk payment of leave and housing grant to all workers beginning from January next year.

In this era of ghost workers, the council stood up still to kick ghosts out of AMAC payroll. The administration carried out Biometric data capture of the council workers to ascertain the allegation of bogus staff strength.

To ensure manpower development in the council and quality representation by the councilors, a three-day retreat on capacity building for the newly inaugurated councilors was organized by the council in Jos. This is to properly equip and educate them on better lawmaking process that will ensure they initiate vibrant bills and bye-laws that will impact on the lives of the residents.

Candido’s firm belief that if Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is properly harnessed given the fact that AMAC is the number one Area Council in Nigeria will reshape the fortunes of the council and its inhabitants, repositioned the revenue unit in order to improve on revenue collections as well as block leakages accruable to the council. He strongly warned the officials responsible for the collections to either shape in or shape out as the council will not tolerate shady deals form them. To equip them for the job, he organized AMAC Revenue Summit tagged, “Improving Internally Generated Revenue for Grassroots Development”.

The summit was also meant to expose

revenue officers to new techniques of collecting IGR to boost performance.

He further floated two liability companies: AMAC Marshal Guards LTD and AMAC Investment and Property Development Ltd as a systematic and sincere way to boost revenue base of council. The AMAC Marshal was created to complement the existing security agencies in the provision of internal security, carry out intelligence gathering, surveillance to be able to report criminality and criminals in the Area Council among other tasks. Recruits of AMAC Marshal Guards have since undergone three weeks proficiency training and deployed to their duty posts within the council.

AMAC Investment and Property Development Limited on the other hand was to venture into lucrative investment interests, so as to give the council additional resources outside the statutory monthly allocations and monies coming from Internally Generated Revenue which will be used for development.

Additionally, 15-Man-Economic team was constituted by the chairman to generate robust ideas on how to move the council forward and facilitate rapid development. The team was made up of men and women of proven integrity that have distinguished themselves in their chosen professions. They have since commenced operation and they are bringing out good results.

The chairman, on assumption of office inaugurated two committees to prepare feasibility studies for the establishment of two institutions in the council to boost scholarship and learning. The schools are, AMAC School for the Gifted and Skills Acquisition and Vocational Centres. AMAC School for the Gifted was conceived by the Chairman as a Special Junior Secondary School where best talented indigent primary six pupils will be selected from the 12 wards to start a Junior Secondary education under special care with the aim of producing future talents and professionals from the Area Council.

While the Skills Acquisition and Vocational Centres to be established in all 12 wards will train teeming unemployed youth and women with modern trades that will make them self-employed. With the submission of reports of the two committees, the council has built three such centres in different wards and they have been commissioned. More to it is that the training is free and at the expense of the council. At graduation, successful trainees will be given soft-loans to buy materials that will aid them to achieve self-actualization.

Among other things, Hon. Candido has organized series of workshops and seminars for the junior staff to boost their productivity. In the area of sanitation, he has evacuated refuse and wastes in all designated refuse dump sites in AMAC to maintain high hygiene. He was even quoted saying that, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”.

Land administration in AMAC has been sanitized with the introduction of AMAC Information Geographic System and Data Base.

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Digest

Competition Spurs Exercise, Study Suggests

A new study suggests competition spurs exercise. (Photo by Flickr user Global Panorama via Creative Commons License)

T

he best motivation to work out comes from competition rather than friendly support, a new study suggests.

Writing in the journal Preventative Medicine Reports, researchers from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania found that some healthy competition during a workout was more effective than many other motivators, including coaching, team activities or money.

For the study, the researcher recruited about 800 participants from the university to sign up for an 11week fitness program that provided exercise classes, fitness mentoring and nutrition advice all administered via a website.

Students who attended the most fitness classes were given prizes.

What the participants did not know was that they had been placed in four different groups to test the effectiveness of social networks on exercise levels. The groups were split into categories: individual competition, team support, team competition and a control group.

The individual competition group members could see an anonymous exercise leaderboard which showed how much exercise group members were getting. They also earned prizes based on participation levels.

For the team support group, members were assigned to a support unit in which they could chat with other unit members to encourage each other to work out. Rewards were given

to the unit with the most participation.

In the team competition group, members could see a leaderboard of other teams and see how their team compared.

The control group could use the website and go to any class, but they were not given access to others on the site to encourage or be encouraged to exercise. Prizes were given to individuals based on the amount of exercise.

Researchers said the groups with a competitive element attended exercise classes at a rate 90 percent higher than those in the control group. Both team and individual competition seemed to work, with people in the team competition group taking 38.5 classes a week and those in the individual competition group taking 35.7 classes a week.

Members in the control group took exercise classes only 20.3 times a week.

In what researchers say is the “biggest surprise” came from the team support group, members of which only attended fitness classes 16.8 times per week.

“Most people think that when it comes to social media more is better,” says Damon Centola, an associate professor in Penn’s Annenberg School and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and senior author

on the paper. “This study shows that isn’t true: When social media is used the wrong way, adding social support to an online health program can backfire and make people less likely to choose healthy behaviors. However, when done right, we found that social media can increase people’s fitness dramatically.”

Support doesn’t always work, Centola added.

“Supportive groups can backfire because they draw attention to members who are less active, which can create a downward spiral of participation,” he said. “In the competitive groups, however, people who exercise the most give off the loudest signal. “Competitive groups frame relationships in terms of goalsetting by the most active members.

These relationships help to motivate exercise because they give people higher expectations for their own levels of performance.”

Competition appears to have the opposite effect.

“In a competitive setting, each person’s activity raises the bar for everyone else,” Centola said. “Social support is the opposite: a ratchetingdown can happen. If people stop exercising, it gives permission for others to stop, too, and the whole thing can unravel fairly quickly.”

Source: VOA News

PEOPLES DAILY

Sports

tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Page

27

sports@peoplesdailyng.com, SMS- 08142929046

Why I’m flourishing at Chelsea –Moses reveals V

ictor Moses has said that he is relishing playing as a wing-back for Chelsea this season after struggling to hit the ground running since joining the Blues in 2012.

Moses spoke to the club’s website on why he has thrived as a wing-back despite having never played in that role before. He credits his outstanding performance to his Italian manager at the club, Antonio Conte.

The 25-year-old has featured in eight Premier League matches for Chelsea, including in their last three against Hull City, Leicester City and Manchester United which they have won without conceding.

He also featured for 86 minutes in their 2-0 win over Southampton on Sunday.

The Nigeria international said he was only focused on improving as a wing-back in Chelsea’s 3-4-3 formation.

The 25-year-old has featured in eight Premier League matches for Chelsea, including in their last three against Hull City, Leicester City and Manchester United which they have won without conceding.

Moses was given his fifth successive starting role and he did not disappoint in his 87 minutes on the pitch.

It was Diego Costa and Eden Hazard that got the goals for Chelsea on Sunday as they moved to fourth place on the EPL standings.

The Blues have raked in 22 points from 10 games, just one point adrift of the top three teams who all have 23 but are separated by their goals difference.

The Nigeria international said he was only focused on improving as a wing-back in Chelsea’s 3-4-3 formation.

“I have not played there before. I have just got to listen to what the manager asks me to do in that position and the way he wants me to do it.

“It’s very important to understand your teammates; so, every game we played, I just want to keep on improving.

“The more games you play, the more experience you get in that position and I’m really relishing and enjoying it at the moment.

“I have got Azpilicueta there, the spare right-back, who is behind me and he communicates with me and really helps me out to make sure I am in the right position.

“It’s very good to link up with Pedro and Willian too. They know when it’s time for me to go or when not to go.

“We speak to each other and we look at each other’s movement to make sure we are doing the right thing on the pitch,” Moses explained on the website.

He stated that the club’s performance in recent matches was due to serious “work as a unit in training”.

The former Wigan Athletic player hopes they can “keep the momentum going” in subsequent matches.

John Mikel Obi

Falcons debunk boycott threat ahead of AWCON

>>Pg 28

Pepe injury blow for Real Madrid

>>Pg 29

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Page 28

Sport

SWAN wants Ogun Sports Commissioner ban T

he Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has said that a ban from sports be placed on the Ogun Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Afolabi Afuape, for unsportsmanlike behaviour.

The association’s President, Honour Sirawo, who made the call yesterday in Ilorin, said it became necessary because the commissioner ordered Gateway United FC not play their last Nigeria National League (NNL) Group B match on Sunday.

Gateway United was to end the 2015/2016 league with its Match Day 14 encounter against Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) FC on Sunday in Ilorin.

The match, however, could not hold as it was alleged that the commissioner prevented the Gateway United players from honouring the match, citing security reasons.

Sirawo, who made the call while speaking with newsmen on the refusal of Gateway United to play on Sunday, said the commissioner’s action must be properly investigated.

“And if he is found wanting, he should be banned from all sports-related activities in the country for years,’’

he said.

Sirawo said he was in Ilorin to watch the match because of its sensitive nature to Nigerians as any winner would make it to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

“There are laws guiding every action we take, and on Sunday the law of football was invoked in Ilorin.

“From what I heard about the intervention of the board members of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), it was the action of the Ogun commissioner that led to the embarrassment we witnessed on Sunday.

“We are going to make a strong statement on it and this act of indiscipline should be checked so that Nigerian football fans can get what we desire,” he said.

“We are making efforts to develop football and no individual will be allowed to derail the plan for the development.

“Anyone found wanting should be banned so that it will serve as a deterrent to others.

“The commissioner asked Gateway players not to play, he has no such power,” Sirawo said.

Afolabi Afuape, Ogun Commissioner for Youth and Sports.

African Falcons debunk boycott threat ahead of AWCON Table Tennis: T Oshonaike emerges champion in Morocco

N

igeria’s Olufunke Oshonaike has emerged the new African women’s single Table Tennis champion.

The 42-year-old, who last won the coveted African title 16 years ago, overpowered her Egyptian opponent on Sunday to win Nigeria’s second title at the ongoing African Championships in Morocco.

Oshonaike beat Dina Meshref 4-2 in a keenly contested final game.

Before now, Aruna Quadri and Segun Toriola had won the men’s doubles title for Nigeria at the ITTF Africa Senior Championships.

Pairing for the first time in a major championship, they conquered Egyptian teams to hold on to the title won in 2015 by Quadri and Kazeem Makanjuola.

The Nigerian duo defeated ageing Egyptians, El-Sayed Lashin and Ahmed Saleh 4-2, to give Nigeria its first gold medal in the one-week championship.

he Media Officer, Super Falcons, Remi Sulola, yesterday, debunked the rumour that the team threatened to boycott the 2016 African Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) due to unpaid allowances.

Sulola said in Abuja that the recent report in media stating that the team had threatened to boycott the event was false.

She, however, acknowledged that the team had yet to be paid some allowances but that it had not deterred them from training hard for the event.

“It is true that the players are being owed but the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has promised that their money will be paid before the tournament begins.

“It is untrue for anyone to say that they have threatened to boycott the event or their training.

“Money is actually the last thing on the players mind right now because

they are focused on defending and returning with the trophy.

“Most of the home-based players who are invited to camp did not participate in the qualifiers, those who are fully involved are the foreign-based players who we are still expecting,’’ Sulola said.

Nigeria is pitted in Group B with arch-rivals Ghana, Mali and Kenya in the tournament.

The 10th AWCON is billed for Cameroon from Nov. 19 to Dec. 3.

Media reports had said that the NFF paid only N10, 000 qualifying bonus to the players to enable them travel back to their respective homes after the April’s successful qualifying match against the Teranga Lionesses of Senegal in Abuja.

The NFF was alleged in the report to have cited financial challenges as the reason for the delay in the Super Falcons payment.

Rivers United signs16 players, as many face exodus

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ivers United are targeting 16 new players while retaining 21 others for the new season as they aim to make a big impact in next year’s CAF Champions League.

It has been specially gathered that the Nigeria league runners-up are doing everything to ensure they are also crowned champions in the new season after they missed out on the title to Enugu Rangers this past campaign.

Among the players retained are skipper Festus Austin, veteran goalkeeper Sunday Rotimi, Idris Aloma, Ghanaian striker Godbless Asamoah and his Ivorian counterpart Guy Kuemian.

Others are Markson Ojobo, Obomate Frederick, Hassan Babangida, Patrick Kingsley, Chinonso Okonkwo and Jaiyeola Yusuf.

Their top transfer targets include Esosa Igbinoba and Ifeanyi Nweke from Federation Cup finalists Nasarawa United, Prince Aggrey of Kano Pillars as well as Gabriel Wassa from Niger Tornadoes.

‘The Pride of Rivers’ are due to undertake a training tour of Spain in the middle of next month.

Coach Stanley Eguma also disclosed that they plan friendly matches against clubs in Ghana, Togo and Cote d’Ivoire.

Frederick Obomate of Rivers United

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Page 29

Sport

Nasri rules out of Zagreb match

S

evilla midfielder Samir Nasri has been ruled out of this week’s Champions League game against Dinamo Zagreb with a muscle injury, the club said yesterday.

Nasri, who joined the La Liga side on a season-long loan from Manchester City, was hurt during Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Sporting Gijon.

“Nasri suffers muscular damage in his left biceps, an MRI revealed this morning,” Sevilla said in a statement.

Gotze targets Champions League final with Dortmund

B

orussia Dortmund ace Mario Gotze dreams of reaching the Champions League final this term after missing the showpiece when BVB last made it in 2012-13 due to injury.

The Germany international returned to Dortmund ahead of the 2016-17 campaign after an underwhelming spell with Bayern Munich and he has high aims in his first season back at Signal Iduna Park.

Dortmund will secure qualification to the last 16 of this year’s competition if they defeat Sporting CP at home on Wednesday, and Gotze is using the pain of 2013 as motivation.

“Of course it’s going to be difficult to achieve our objectives, but the fact we have such ambitions is typical of Borussia Dortmund. That’s what sets us apart.”

Gotze

“The player’s length of absence will be determined once he undergoes further tests.”

Nasri has made a significant impact at Sevilla, starting nine games in all competitions and scoring three goals.

Sevilla host Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday in Champions League Group H before entertaining Barcelona in La Liga on Sunday.

They have lost just one game this season and Samir Nasri are fourth in La Liga.

Pepe injury blow for Real Madrid

R

eal Madrid will have to make do without the services of Pepe for a number of weeks due to a thigh injury, making him a doubt for impending clashes with title rivals Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.

The centre-back sustained the problem in Madrid’s 4-1 win over Alaves on Saturday, being forced to leave the pitch after just 24 minutes.

He underwent a series of tests to determine the extent of the injury and Madrid have now announced the 33-year-old has been diagnosed with a muscular problem.

“After tests carried out Monday on Pepe at the Sanitas La Moraleja University Hospital, he has been diagnosed with a grade two muscle injury in the femoral biceps of his left leg,” an official club statement read.

Reports from Spain suggest Pepe could be out of action for between four to six weeks, meaning he will miss El Derbi against Atletico at the Vicente Calderon on November 19.

Furthermore, the Portugal international could also be in danger of having to sit out the Clasico clash with Barcelona at Camp Nou on December 3.

Pepe’s injury provides more bad news for coach Zinedine Zidane, who is already without fellow centre-back Sergio Ramos a knee injury.

Pepe

Bala names new Niger Tornadoes coach

N

iger Tornadoes have confirmed Abubakar Bala as their new head coach to contest the 2016/2017 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

The management of the Minna outfit met over the weekend and unanimously agreed that Bala’s performance at the just concluded 2015/2016 NPFL season was enough to earn him the position.

Bala took over Tornadoes on an interim basis after the club parted ways with coach Abdullahi Usman Biffo.

In the letter signed by the club’s management committee secretary, Ahmed Yakubu Gwam stated that the appointment was based on his noble performance, commitment, diligence, hard work and high sense of professionalism.

“Following the resolution of Tornadoes Management Committee (TMC) during its end of 2015/2016 football season meeting on the 30th October, 2016, you are hereby engaged as the head of the club with immediate effect,” read the statement.

The former Lokoja FC, Bida Lions and Zabgai FC coach guided Tornadoes to 11th spot with 49 points in the outgoing Nigerian topflight.

Bala, who has coached Patros FC of Owerri, will commence his job as substantive head coach with screening exercise of players for the 2016/2017 NPFL. The Secretary of the club added that all personal terms and agreements have been reached with the club and after documentation the coach will be unveiled.

The TMC also appointed Abdul-Rauf Yusuf as the chief coach of Tornadoes Feeders.

Abubakar Bala

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

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Bangladesh v England: It will only get tougher for England in India

By Jonathan Agnew

E

ngland could probably have swallowed defeat against Bangladesh in the second Test, given that they needed to complete their highest successful fourth-innings chase in Asia.

But they will not accept the manner in which they lost, collapsing from 1000 to 164 all out in the space of 22.5 overs after tea on a historic day in Dhaka as Bangladesh claimed their maiden Test win over England to earn a series draw.

A target of 273 in spinning conditions is testing, although it looked possible following Alastair Cook and Ben Duckett’s impressive opening partnership.

The way in which England subsided to Mehedi Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan on the third evening was extremely disappointing, and shows they must improve greatly if they are to stand any chance in India.

Bangladesh seal historic win as England collapse We showed out inexperience - Cook Podcast: Test Match Special’s review of the day Yes, conditions favoured the bowlers.

And yes, England remain an inexperienced side. You can offer all the explanations that might make the pill a little less bitter, but you simply cannot get blown away like that.

It was the third biggest collapse in Test history by a team that were 100 without loss - that says it all.

The match was like the series as a whole. There were only two matches yet, in terms of momentum shifts in games, it was one of the most dramatic series I have seen.

You have to say 1-1 was a fair result.

Duckett like no other England opener Duckett played some extraordinary shots in his 56, his maiden Test halfcentury in his second match.

In the fourth over of the innings he was playing reverse sweeps; I do not think any England player has ever opened the innings like that before.

The left-hander has a lot of flair, is certainly different and got England off to a fine start after Bangladesh had been bowled out for 296.

He is a very exciting player, but whether he can continue like that at the top of the order remains to be seen.

Though only 22, Duckett has clearly a got very strong character because he dropped an absolute sitter in the field, having made 14, 15 and seven in his first three Test innings with the bat. For a weaker character that might have been a knockout blow.

Ben Duckett reverse sweeps Ben Duckett ended the series with 92 runs at an average of 23 Should England have rotated their team?

England made changes for this match, bringing in debutant left-arm spinner Zafar Ansari and recalling pace bowler Steven Finn for Gareth Batty and Stuart Broad respectively.

Captain Cook said before the series that England would rest players during a particularly busy pre-winter schedule that sees them play seven Tests in nine weeks in Bangladesh and India.

I do not like rotating players and players earning England caps that they do not warrant.

My view is that, if you are playing a Test, you should pick best your team. However, on this crazy tour, I can see why they had to do it differently.

All 20 England wickets in the match fell to spin

They had to give Finn some overs and they had to have a look at left-arm spinner Ansari before flying to India. They had no other option.

England will learn from defeat - Trevor Bayliss It will only get tougher...

If England do not lose 5-0 in India they will have played well. That is not being pessimistic; it is being entirely realistic.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has also predicted a whitewash if they do not improve.

England have been humiliated and there are no easy solutions. They still don’t know what their best team is.

Vic Marks Former England spinner India are top of the International Cricket Council rankings and will be playing in conditions that suit them. Given those two factors, England are absolutely up against it.

However, we have known that for months.

They do not play any warm-up games in India after flying straight from Bangladesh, and the lack of preparation before the first Test on 9 November is clearly going to be

an issue. They are going to need lots of character and plenty of luck.

I cannot see Gary Ballance batting at number four in Rajkot. He is in no confidence at all after managing only 24 runs in four innings in Bangladesh.

But who is he going to give way to? Jos Buttler has barely played first-class cricket this summer and will not get any before a possible return to the Test side.

England have got three options: Jonny Bairstow moves up from seven to four and Buttler comes in lower down; Buttler takes Ballance’s place at four; or Duckett moves to number four and the uncapped Haseeb Hameed opens the batting.

However, the Lancashire teenager has not had much cricket either. This schedule is not helping anyone.

England in India - Test schedule 9-13 Nov: 1st Test, Rajkot 17-21 Nov: 2nd Test, Visakhapatnam 26-30 Nov: 3rd Test, Mohali 8-12 Dec: 4th Test, Mumbai (Wankhede Stadium) 16-20 Dec: 5th Test, Chennai Good news for Bangladesh - and for Test cricket Mehedi, the 19-year-old, had a massive

Ben Duckett ended the series with 92 runs at an average of 23

impact on this series with 19 wickets, including six in England’s collapse on Sunday.

He is a promising, exciting player who bowled very well in Chittagong and Dhaka, so we must give him credit.

Mehedi has no doosra. He is a traditional old-fashioned off-spinner with a nice trajectory and varies his pace well.

We have only seen him in conditions that have helped him, but he has shown a lot of character. He has taken on responsibility at a tender age and we will see plenty more of him.

Victory is also tremendous news for Bangladesh, who won only seven of their previous 94 Tests - against Zimbabwe and a weakened West Indies. They have clearly improved.

They have played very little Test cricket - the opening Test was their first since August 2015 - but when they play in conditions that suit them they are a force to be reckoned with. Their success is not only good news for them, but for Test cricket in general.

Victory will be celebrated enormously by the public. Although the crowds were less than 10,000, this was a huge event for Bangladeshis.

Mehedi Hasan shows off his man of the match and man of the series awards Mehedi Hasan was named man of the match and man of the series England were right to tour Bangladesh We must not forget that England made a brave call coming out here despite security concerns. That decision has been fully vindicated.

It has been a strange series in that the players have been confined to their hotel and travelled to and from the ground in armed convoys.

You have to factor that into the outcome of the series. It has all been very alien for the tourists, but the players, management and Reg Dickason, England’s security advisor, deserve a lot of credit.

Jonathan Agnew was speaking to BBC Sport’s Matthew Henry.

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Some Interesting Facts 1. Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people do. This is largely due to the fact that a majority of the machines and tools we use on a daily basis are designed for those who are right handed, making them somewhat dangerous for lefties to use and resulting in thousands of accidents and deaths each year.

2. Your ears secrete more earwax when you are afraid than when you aren’t.

3. Koalas and primates are the only animals with unique fingerprints.

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Leisure

4. Humans are the only animals to produce emotional tears.

5. The human heart creates enough pressure to squirt blood 30 feet in the air.

6. It is impossible to lick your elbow (busted) 7. A crocodile can’t stick it’s tongue out.

8. A shrimp’s heart is in it’s head.

9. People say “Bless you” when you sneeze because when you sneeze,your heart stops for a mili-second.

10. In a study of 200,000 ostriches over a period of 80 years, no one reported a single case where an ostrich buried its head in the sand.

11.It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.

12. A pregnant goldfish is called a twit. (busted?)

13. More than 50% of the people in the world have never made or received a telephone call.

• Rats and horses can’t vomit.

Say what?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

... iwona_podlasinska the end of the day | by iwona_podlasinska

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tuesDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

SPORTS latest

Algeria sweating on fitness ahead of Nigeria clash

N

ew Algeria coach Georges Leekens is sweating on the fitness of Dinamo Zagreb striker Hilal Soudani ahead of his team’s match day two World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria.

The 28-year-old had to be replaced six minutes before the end of Dinamo Zagreb’s league game with NK Inter Zapresic on Saturday because of a muscular thing injury.

It is not yet known the severity of the injury suffered by the former Vitória Guimarães SC star until he undergoes further tests.

Kano Pillars condole Alimi over father’s dead

K

ano Pillars have sent a message of condolence to defender Jamiu Alimi following the death of his father.

Alimi’s father passed away in Lagos this morning after a brief illness.

In a statement signed

by Pillars spokesman Idris Malikawa, the club prayed for the departed soul of Alimi senior and prayed for the family to have the fortitude to bear this huge loss.

“The entire Pillars wish to condole with Jamiu Alimi on the passing away of his father,” read the statement in part.

“May Allah accept his soul, we also pray for the family to also have the courage to bear the loss of their father.”

Alimi himself said he was shattered by the passing of his father.

Advert: business: news: lagos:

QUOTABLE QUOTE Oil and Gas still remains a critical enabler for the successful implementation of our budget as well as the source of funds for laying a strong foundation for a new and more diversified economy. - Buhari

‘Change Begins with Me’ as way of life

M

inister of Information, Alhaji Lai Muhammed most recently stunned the Lagos-Abuja bound passengers at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MM2), Lagos with an austere appearance. He had walked briskly to the departure lounge, clutching his travelling bag with some newspapers, accompanied by no aide! After submitting himself for security checks, he walked calmly to take his seat among the crowd of waiting travellers, not at the VIP lounge.

Expectedly, those who had never seen a serving minister demonstrate such abstruseness were stunned and began to x-ray the Minister’s ‘strange’ conduct in hushed tones.

Nonetheless, there are reports that more ministers and heads of government agencies are increasingly shedding the culture of haughtiness and the showmanship long associated with people in government.

The aggregate view now is that the Change Begins With Me agenda of the Federal Government crafted to stir-up attitudinal change in Nigerians has started making open display of modesty and humility most compelling for government officials. Indeed, the best way to hackney and mainstream the Change Begins With Me ideology in Nigeria is for leaders and those in positions of authority to lead the way in demonstrable conduct and attitude. Indeed, the Change Begins With Me agenda is the first step towards deflating the over bloated incubus of corruption in the country.

Reports from the Presidential Villa are indicating that President Muhammadu Buhari is on the driver’s seat in display of the right attitude towards taming corruption in Nigeria. Allusions had severally been made to his modesty, dedication to duty, humility and strong aversion to opulence and flamboyance.

His government is cutting costs and schooling Nigerians to be parsimonious in the face of daunting economic challenges.

Perhaps, the unique selling point for the President in his fight against corruption is his refusal to indulge members of his family; the wife, Aisha and his children in the life of ostentation, systemic exploitation of government and the idea of dropping his name to covert heart wrenching favours from high quarters.

Although some entrenched

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Column

By IDOWU SAMUEL interests are stiffly opposed to the vigorous approach the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has been taking in the fight against corruption, indications are rife that the fight is assuming some measure of successes, given the wide spread keen interest that the citizenry are according it.

Consistently, some civil society groups in Nigerians have been staging street protests in support of the anti-corruption stance of the government, taking their advocacy to the Three-Arms-Zone, Abuja as they galvanized more supports for their actions. All over, more Nigerians are rooting for an agenda of the government to smash the heads of past and present officials of government who had connived to wreak the economy of their country through the phenomenal acts of stealing and pillaging.

Recently, the war against corruption by the government swirled violently like a hurricane and blew across the judiciary. By a sting operation, the Department of State Security (DSS) stormed the residences of top Judges suspected as exceedingly corrupt in a bid to make them get a taste of bitter recompense. Many Nigerians hailed the move by the DSS prodded by the mindboggling reports on how Judges in Nigeria have now allegedly made it a tradition, or rather a norm to trade justice with the highest bidders.

In Nigeria, watchers of democracy are of the view that the

“

country has been driven to a cliffhanger on alleged monumental acts of corruption perpetrated by a few Judges. Judges had continued to attract suspicion to their conducts through some judgement they gave on specific election petitions at Tribunals, drumming it trenchantly that such judgement should not be cited! To any layman, that a judgement could not be cited is an affirmation that some incongruities had crept into the script that had been handed to the public as judgment.

In Nigeria, it is always easy for the camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for a candidate with bails of ‘believable’ evidence at the Tribunals to prove “beyond reasonable doubt” that he won in an election.

It, therefore, presupposes that Nigeria would be doomed eternally in the event that the alleged pervasive corruption in the judiciary is left uninvestigated with intent for clearing the Aegean stable.

During his electioneering campaign, President Buhari had warned that corruption will kill Nigeria if not killed on time. He had affirmed more than ones that the Judiciary has constituted a major stumbling block to the zeal by his government to fight corruption. It took the sting operation by the DSS on marked judges to understand the dilemma of the President on matters of Judiciary in Nigeria.

Incidentally, while in Nigeria, Judges being investigated for alleged misdemeanour have the

At this time in Nigeria, that the clamour for a total overhaul of the systems is graining traction, it is NOT only the President, his cabinet members, lawmakers and others who should be purveyors of the Change Begins With Me agenda, the Judges, should be in the lead.

avowed grace to remain on duty to continue to adjudicate; the story is different in other climes. In the past few months, almost a dozen Judges had been weeded out of the judicial system of Ghana on alleged acts of corruption. In advanced democracies, voluntary resignation by judges has always footnoted every allegation raised on their conduct or rather when caught in the act.

It is against this background that the call by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for judges being investigated to step aside or be put on compulsory leave appears to make some meaning.

By refraining from heeding the call by the NBA, the suspected judges may have imposed on themselves some huge moral burdens in which case suspicion will continue to trail their steps.

The wisdom in the position by the NBA is that Judges will have the time to prove their innocence and the seeming omission by the DSS, which many believed took an extra-judicial step in exposing them to humiliation.

At this time in Nigeria, that the clamour for a total overhaul of the systems is graining traction, it is NOT only the President, his cabinet members, lawmakers and others who should be purveyors of the Change Begins With Me agenda, the Judges, should be in the lead. Judges being accused of acts of corruption, should, therefore embrace the wisdom of submitting themselves for probe, if anything, to first protect the sanctity and integrity of the judicial processes, while saving their own image and that of the judiciary in Nigeria.

Idowu Samuel, public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja

DAN GAYE NNPC seeks $25bn oil investments in Lake Chad – News

Hope derivation wahala no go start soon!

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