Peoples Daily Newspaper, Tuesday 02, July, 2013 by Peoples Media Limited

www.peoplesdailyng.com

Vol. 11 No. 32

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

. . . putting the people first

Sha’aban 24 , 1434 AH

N150

18 soldiers face discipline for aiding Boko Haram >>2

Long queues as NUPENG begins strike By Etuka Sunday, Abuja, Femi Oyelola, Kaduna & Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

Former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (2nd left), laying the foundation stone of the Promenade Housing Estate, developed by Urban Shelter Limited in partnership with Kano state government, yesterday at Lokogoma, in Abuja. With him are Kano state Governor, Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (2nd right), and Niger state Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (right), and Kano state Deputy Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (left). Photo: Joe Oroye

h e National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) made good its threat to begin a nationwide warning strike action yesterday, a development that engendered a return of long queues at the petrol stations in various parts of the country. The union had explained the action alleging what it described as unfair treatment meted out to its members by some oil companies. They cited casualisation and outsourcing of workers following which it directed its members at various depots to stop loading petroleum products. In Abuja, the Federal Capital territory, long queues characterized most of the filling stations visited as motorists struggled to get fuel. There were also reports of hike in the pump prices of fuel in some of the petrol stations with a litre of the product going for over 200 per Contd. on Page 2

Court sacks service chiefs

Says Petinrin, Dambazau’s appointments also illegal Jonathan meets Ibrahim, Ihejirika, Badeh, others

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin & Joy Baba

Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday faulted President Goodluck Jonathan’s appointment of the Service Chiefs saying that he ought to get clearance from the National Assembly. The court also declared the appointments of former Chief

of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, the Chief of Army Staff, Maj-Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau and the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear-Admiral Isaiah Ibrahim as unconstitutional, illegal, null and void. The court sitting before Justice Adamu Bello made the declaration yesterday while delivering judgment in the suit brought before him by a Lagos-based human rights lawyer,

10,000 Fulani herdsmen ϐlee e Zamfara >>6

Festus Keyamo praying the court to declare null and void, the appointment of Service Chiefs by the President without approval from the National Assembly. Keyamo had, in 2008 approached the court with a suit seeking to void the appointment by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of three Service Chiefs without the consent of the National Assembly.

The service chiefs whose appointments were challenged by the human right lawyer are Petinrin, Dambazzau and Ibrahim. They were all appointed by late President Yar’Adua on August 20, 2008 without recourse to the National Assembly as provided for by Section 8 of the Armed Forces Act. Late Yar’Adua claimed that the Contd. on Page 2

Irate youth burn FG unveils new Borno ANPP anti-corruption chair’s house >>3 policy >>5

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

News CONTENTS News Editorial Op.Ed

2-10 12 13

Letters 14 Opinion 15 Metro 16-18 Business 19-22 Stockwatch 23 S/Report Defence Agric Feature

24-25 26-27 28-29 30

Many questions as CBN commences cashless policy , Page 4

Int’l

31-34

Strange World 35 Digest Politics Newsxtra Sports

36 37-38 40 41-46

Leisure

Columnist

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Court sacks service chiefs Contd. from Front Page provision requiring the consent of the National Assembly was inconsistent with the provision of the 1999 Constitution and therefore unconstitutional. Yar’Adua modified the alleged inconsistent provision of the Armed Forces Act by a proclamation an order as provided for in Section 315 of the 1999 Constitution to make it consistent with the provision of the 1999 Constitution thereby giving absolute powers to the President to appoint the Service Chiefs. The executive order was issued by Yar’Adua on the strength of a legal advice from the then AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Kaase Andoakaa (SAN). However, Keyamo is of the view that the legal advice offered was not only wrong but that the proclamation order was unnecessary. The suit, which was instituted in 2008 had, the President, the In the suit No: FHC/ABJ/ CS/611/2008, Keyamo had prayed the court to determine, “ whether by the combined interpretation of the provisions of Section 218 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,

1999 and Section 18 of the Armed Forces Act, Cap. A.20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, the 1st defendant can appoint the service chiefs of the federation, namely, the Chief of Air Staff, the Chief of Army Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff, (that is, the 3rd, 4th & 5th defendants who were appointed as such) without the confirmation of the National Assembly first sought and obtained. “Whether Section 18 (1) & (2) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap. A.20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 is not in conformity with the provision of the 1999 Constitution so as to fall within the category of existing laws under Section 315 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, that the President, may, by Order, modify its text, to bring it into conformity with the provisions of the Constitution”. The court answered both questions in favour of Keyamo and declared that the appointment of Service Chiefs for the country by the President, without the confirmation of the National Assembly is illegal, unconstitutional and void. The court also declared that, “Section 18 (1) & (2) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap. A.20, Laws of the

Federation of Nigeria, 2004, is in conformity with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, so as not to fall within the category of existing laws under Section 315 (2) of the Constitution, that the President, may, by order, modify its text, to bring it into conformity with the provisions of the Constitution”. The Judge also made an order restraining the President from further appointing Service Chiefs for the Federation without first obtaining the confirmation of the National Assembly. FG can appeal judgment, says Yahaya Mahmood Reacting to the court ruling, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Yahaya Mahmood (SAN), described Nigeria as a democratic country and that the Constitution provides for separation of powers between the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. According to him, “the Federal High Court has powers and jurisdiction to determine if any public officer, including the President acted within the Constitution and within Acts of the National Assembly. “If a Federal High Court rules that appointment of Service Chiefs

without consultation or approval by the National Assembly is illegal, null and void, the President has a choice, to comply or appeal. That is the beauty of democracy.” When Peoples Daily sought the reaction of the Director of Defence Information, Brig-Gen. Chris Olukolade, he declined comment explaining that that he was not in a position to comment on the issue and referred our correspondent to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. Jonathan, security chiefs meet Meanwhile, Jonathan met with security chiefs for several hours behind closed doors yesterday. At the meeting were Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Saad Ibrahim; the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-General Azubuike Ihejirika; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba. Details of the meeting were not disclosed to reporters but competent sources hinted that it might not be unconnected with the security challenges in parts of the country, especially, activities of the Boko Haram insurgent group and government’s actions so far to check them.

Long queues as NUPENG begins strike Contd. from Front Page cent of the N97 regulated price in the black market. Lamenting the situation in Abuja, a taxi driver, Yusuf Ali said “the queue was unbearable so I went to black market to buy 200 liters at the rate of N4000. “Fuel scarcity at this time can be dangerous because people are really suffering. “Government should act fast and stop this scarcity.” In Kaduna, a number of filling stations did not dispense fuel, according to our correspondent who went round the city as fuel balck marketers had a field day. Mustapha Aliyu a hustler at the NNPC Mega Station along Alkali road said he got his products from a filling station located at Rigasa a suburb of Kaduna metropolis at the cost of N800 per gallon, which he sold for N900. Mustapha said that he paid N200 to transport the 25 litres jerry can to Kaduna metropolis. Due to the increase in the

price of petrol, there was hike in transportation fares from the few commercial vehicles plying the roads. A bus ride from Sabo to the city centre which used to be N80 was N150 yesterday while from a bus ride from Kawo to Mando cost N100. The increase in transport fares caught many residents of Kaduna unawares. Mr. Michael Timothy, a civil servant said he left his house and paid the normal fare but he was forced to pay higher fare on return journey to Malali. However Mrs. Regina Audu a banker with one of the new generation banks said her problems is not the increase in fare but the non-availability of commercial vehicles. In Ibadan, the Oyo state branch of NUPENG yesterday said its members were being harassed by agents of the government. The Deputy National Chairman of the Petrol Tankers Drivers (PTD) branch of NUPENG, NNPC, Apata,

Ibadan, Comrade Salimon Oladiti, who addressed the press regretted that members of the Oyo State Traffic Road Management Authority (OYSTRMA) arrested his members illegally. “After their arrest, they were charged exorbitant fees which ranged from N250,000 and above as penalty or an option to go to jail,” he said. Oladiti warned that if the state government does not release those arrested, the union will begin a fresh round of strike from Thursday. On why NUPENG embarked on the present strike, Oladiti lamented the “worsening unfair labour practices” by multinational oil companies operating in the country, citing Chevron and Agip Oil, which he said hadbeen inflicting inhuman treatment on its members by turning them to contract workers after so many years of labour. He said, “we are also concerned about the bad roads and the incessant oil bunkering which the

federal government has failed to tackle.” NNPC assures of adequate stock of petroleum products Meanwhile, the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday assured Nigerians that it has adequate stock of petroleum products that may last for 32 days. This was in reaction to the threeday nationwide warning strike declared by NUPENG. According to the NNPC, it is doing all it could to reduce the impact of the disruption on the supply of petroleum products as result of the strike action. In a statement by the Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, it noted that while it is working with relevant stakeholders to ensure quick resolution of the issues, it has in stock over 32 days sufficiency of PMS and other petroleum products. The NNPC called on members of the public to refrain from panic buying or hoarding of petroleum products.

18 soldiers face discipline for aiding Boko Haram By Joy Baba, with agency report

bout 18 soldiers serving with the Joint Task Force code named Operation Restore Order in Borno State and the Special Task Force also known as Operation Safe Heaven in Plateau State are to be disciplined for aiding members of the dreaded Islamic sect, the Boko

Haram, and others in the course of their duties. Both JTF and STF were deployed to the two states following the menace of insurgents groups in the country. While the JTF is battling with Boko Haram in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, especially following the imposition of emergency rule in the three north-eastern states, the STF

has been tackling Fulani herdsmen who have laid siege to Plateau state for the past 10 years. The soldiers, comprising one officer and 17 junior ranks are to be tried under charges termed communication with the enemies. The General Officer Commanding 3 Armored Division of Nigeria Army, Maj. Gen. Eboibowei Awala,

inaugurated the General Court Martial at the 3 Armourd Division, Maxwell Khobe Cantonment in Jos on Monday. Awala, speaking during the convening of the court-martial said part of their offenses included cowardly behaviour, murder and manslaughter, adding that they were duly investigated by the military police.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 3

News Jonathan says no excuse for flood re-occurrence

L-R: Chairman, NBA Anti-Corruption Commission, Mr. Yusuf Ali (SAN), Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, and President, Nigeria Bar Association, Mr. Okey Wali (SAN), during an NBA Anti-Corruption Commission seminar, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: NAN

ASUU begins strike over FG’s non-implementation of agreement T

he Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), on yesterday began a nationwide indefinite strike, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports. The ASUU National President, Dr. Isa Fagge, told journalists of the development at a news conference via telephone at the University of Lagos. He said that the decision to have the strike was reached at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of ASUU held at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago Iwoye, on Monday. Fagge told newsmen that the strike, which took immediate effect, was ``comprehensive, total and indefinite’’. He said that the action was as a result of the inability of the Federal Government to implement some of the issues contained in a 2009

agreement it had with ASUU. He said that government had also reneged on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it entered into with the union in December 2011. ``Before now, there has been this issue of the implementation of the key issues contained in the 2009 agreement we entered into with the Federal Government. ``We have had several meetings and deliberations to let government understand why these issues must be resolved but it is like the more we meet and deliberate, the messier the issue gets. ``One of the issues that needed to be addressed was basically that of the Academic earned allowance. ``This earned allowance, and other issues, had dragged on until government then agreed to write an MOU with the union.

``But as we speak, there has been nothing to show that government was committed to an MOU it also willingly wrote to better the university sector. ``It is in this regard that we are embarking on an indefinite strike,” he said. Fagge said that having waited patiently for the government to swing into action to no avail, the NEC of the union decided to meet, deliberate and come up with the action. Dr Karo Oghenekaro, the Chairman of the University of Lagos chapter of the union, told newsmen that government’s penchant for reneging on agreements was not acceptable. He said that government entered into the MOU with ASUU after the union suspended its strike two and a half years ago.

According to him, government, however, is not forthcoming with other pressing demands such as the earned allowance. ``I want to say that not all lecturers are entitled to this allowance, but as we speak, not a single lecturer under the aforementioned categories has received any such allowance. ``What we are demanding as the earned allowance is not more than N12, 500 per person, yet government is saying it cannot afford such. ``Government was actually thinking of the cost implication of everything but after much deliberation, government agreed to sign the MoU and said it had set aside N100 billion to take care of all the burning issues. ``However, government came back to us and pleaded for a reduction and we decided to step the cost down to 80 per cent. (NAN)

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday ordered heads of all Federal Government ministries, departments and agencies whose functions are relevant to flood prevention and control to ensure that every necessary action is taken to prevent a recurrence of the floods which wreaked havoc in many parts of the country last year. Addressing ministers and officials at a meeting which he called at the Presidential Villa to review ongoing flood containment measures, Jonathan warned that he will not tolerate any excuses for a repeat of the flooding disasters which displaced various communities across the country in 2012. “We have no excuse to be caught unprepared again after the floods of last year,” the President said, adding that he expected all relevant MDAs to be very proactive in speedily implementing required flood prevention and management measures. Jonathan also directed the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Flood Prevention and Control which includes the Ministers of Environment, National Planning, Water Resources, Finance, Health, Transport and Aviation, to establish effective liaison with governors of all flood-prone states and ensure that there is proper coordination between federal agencies and the states in the implementation of flood control measures. He also stressed the need for greater public enlightenment and advocacy to ensure compliance with measures that have been evolved to prevent a recurrence of devastating floods across the country. A technical team established by the Inter-Ministerial Committee presented a National Climate and Flood Control Framework to the President which detailed short term, mid-term and long term measures recommended to solve the problem of perennial flooding in parts of the country.

Irate youth burn Borno ANPP Chief’s house Alleged N6bn pension From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

ver 200 angry youth believed to be members of the vigilante group hunting for the suspected Boko Haram insurgents in Maiduguri popularly known as ‘Civilian JTF’, yesterday attacked the personal house of the Borno state Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Alhaji Mala Othman and set it on fire. It was gathered that prior to the incident, the vigilante group have reportedly been hunting for Alhaji Othman for the last one week apparently to make him face “justice” for alleged ‘link’ with Boko Haram insurgents. The youth have reportedly been trailing the ANPP chairman

to ensure he is arrested without success as he is believed to have fled the state. Apparently irked by their inability to capture him, the group mobilised its members and took law into their hands by blocking all major roads leading to Othman’s house and chanted war songs, causing heavy traffic. According to residents who spoke on condition of anonymity, the incident occurred after the youth were informed that the chairman had sneaked into town. But on reaching the house at about 10.30 am, they found out that he was whisked off by his security escort to an unknown destination. The group who were said to be over 200, visited their anger on everyone found at the residence who they harassed after which they

set it ablaze. After setting the residence on fire, the youth proceeded to the multi-million palatial mansion of the immediate past governor of the state, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, and attempted to burn it too. A source said, the youth on realizing that the ANPP chairman has been smuggled out, they set his house ablaze and proceeded to the house of “his boss”, the former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff chanting “Saura Mai Gidan shi” meaning (it remains the house of his boss). On getting to Sheriff’s house, the youth attempted to torch it but were prevented by the security on watch who shot sporadically into the air to disperse the rampaging youths”, a source who declined identification said.

scam: Court adjourns case indefinitely By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday adjourned indefinitely the case against a former Pensions Director at the office of the Head of Service, Dr. Sani Shuaibu Teidi and his co-accused person. The trial Judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola adjourned indefinitely after bringing to the attention of counsel in the matter, a petition written by Teidi to the Chief Judge (CJ) of the Federal High Court alleging bias and lack of diligent prosecution. Teidi was remanded in Kuje

prison alongside Omoefe Uduesegbe on June 7, 2013. Teidi and Uduesegbe were arraigned alongside nine companies on charges bordering on alleged conspiracy and fraud to a tune of N6 billion slammed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Justice Ademola who slated yesterday to deliver ruling the bail application of the accused person declined to do so and noting that it will be best to await the directive of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in response to the petition alleging bias by the first accused person.

The Page 4 Report

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

Many questions as CBN commences cashless policy The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) cashless policy initiative made its debut yesterday in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and five other commercial cities after Lagos piloted the scheme 18 months ago. Evelyn Okakwu examines unanswered questions about whether or not Nigerians are indeed ready for the kick-off of this laudable, but complex economic system.

he launch of the CBN’s cashless policy in the five states comes more than a year after its introduction in Lagos state. The Lagos pilot scheme, tagged: “Project Cashless Lagos” is designed to de-emphasise heavy use of cash for transactions. The policy, which has been running in Lagos for the past 18 months, has now been extended to Abia, Anambra, Kano, Ogun, Rivers and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as from yesterday. Although, the introduction of the cashless system in the Nigerian economy might be another step towards achieving the country’s long-awaited dream of economic development and in an effort to meet up with the world’s fast growing economic standard vis-à-vis the Vision 2020-20 goal, yet a lot of questions might be considered unanswered about whether or not Nigerians are ready for the kick of this beautiful, but complex economic system. Certainly for some elites in this field, the cashless economy may be compared to anything else but complex. But what about the average Nigerian who sees little or no value in technical or formal ways of going about daily business. How much effort has been made to sensitize them enough to ensure a positive welcome of the system once it is a lunched? How well will the average Nigerian cope with the cashless economy if, as the case is, they will have to be part of its practice in Nigeria? Other pertinent issues are: How many traders, students, drivers, companies and organisations in the first five states, where this system has been launched, can declare authoritatively that they understand the cashless system of economy? Has necessary steps been taken to analyze the progress of the system in Lagos, where the pilot scheme was launched almost a year? The CBN says that the banks are ready, but how ready are they really? 1%, 49, 59, or 99% ready. More so, a cashless system of economy would definitely need constant electric power availability and wide network coverage to be adequately effective. Are the Nigerian electricity regulatory agencies as well as the internet communication agencies in

Nigeria also ready for the kickoff of this crucial economic system? Or will these become another example of a rather stressful technological move like the case of online registration in Nigerian tertiary institutions which made student’s registration process almost three times as tedious as before? Another unfortunate example is the latest developments in the Joint administration and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which has made the publication of mass results faster, but has also brought the problem many students results been withheld for no just cause. Also, how many affluent Nigerians can be made to keep up with some of the expectations of the cashless economy? A critical analysis of the economic activities of some public holders in Nigeria and even Private business men and women will reveal that most of them make expenses worth up to six hundred thousand (N 600:000) daily or even more. How will such people cope with CBN’s laws regarding cash withdrawal and transfer of funds? Will rich Nigerians really have to pay a hundred naira (N 100: 00) on every thousands of their own money withdrawn or are those laws meant only for the eyes and ears of Nigerians? Objectively, the CBN has assured Nigerians that it has no intension of eliminating cash within Nigeria’s business world, but just reducing it for the following reasons: First, to drive development and modernization of our payment system in line with Nigeria’s vision 2020 goal of being amongst the top 20

economies by the year 2020. An efficient and modern payment system is positively correlated with economic development, and is a key enabler for economic growth. Also, to reduce the cost of banking services (including cost of credit) and drive financial inclusion by providing more efficient transaction options and greater reach; and also to improve the effectiveness of monetary policy in managing inflation and driving economic growth. In addition, the cash policy aims to curb some of the negative consequences associated with the high usage of physical cash in the economy, including: •High cost of cash: There is a high cost of cash along the value chain - from the CBN & the banks, to corporations and traders; everyone bears the high costs associated with volume cash handling. •High risk of using cash: Cash encourages robberies and other cash-related crimes. It also can lead to financial loss in the case of fire and flooding incidents. •High subsidy: CBN analysis showed that only 10percent of daily banking transactions are above 150k, but the 10percent account for majority of the high value transactions. This suggests that the entire banking population subsidizes the costs that the tiny minority 10percent incurs in terms of high cash usage. •Informal Economy: High cash usage results in a lot of money outside the formal economy, thus limiting the effectiveness of monetary policy in managing inflation and encouraging economic growth.

“

More so, a cashless system of economy would definitely need constant electric power availability and wide network coverage to be adequately effective. Are the Nigerian electricity regulatory agencies as well as the internet communication agencies in Nigeria also ready for the kickoff of this crucial economic system

CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi •Inefficiency & Corruption: High cash usage enables corruption, leakages and money laundering, amongst other cashrelated fraudulent activities. The cash-based system of transactions which stipulates a ‘cash handling charge’ on daily cash withdrawals or cash deposits that exceed N500,000 for Individuals and N3,000,000 for Corporate bodies. Also contains the following, as enumerated by CBN before the introduction of the policy in Lagos last year “Only CIT licensed companies were to be allowed to provide cash pick-up services. Banks were to cease cash in transit lodgment services rendered to merchantcustomers in Lagos State from December 31st 2011. Any Bank that continues to offer cash in transit lodgment services to merchants shall be sanctioned”. How have the Banks in Lagos fared with this policy? “3rd party cheques above N150, 000 shall not be eligible for encashment over the counter. Value for such cheques shall be received through the clearing house”. How many Nigerian Business men and women operating joint accounts in these five states are ready for this development? The cash-policy which applies to all accounts, including collection accounts applies thus: “ the limits apply to the account so far as it involves cash, irrespective of channel (e.g. over the counter, ATM, 3rd party cheques encashed over the counter, etc.) in which cash

is withdrawn or deposited (e.g. if an individual withdraws N450,000 over the counter, and N150,000 from the ATM on the same day, the total amount withdrawn by the customer is N600,000, and the service charge will apply on N100,000 - the amount above the daily free limit). The limit also applies to cash brought through CIT companies, as the CIT Company only serves as a means of transportation”. A variety of benefits have been enumerated to be derived by various stakeholders from an increased utilization of e-payment systems. These include: •For Consumers: Increased convenience; more service options; reduced risk of cash-related crimes; cheaper access to (out-of-branch) banking services and access to credit. •For Corporations: Faster access to capital; reduced revenue leakage; and reduced cash handling costs. •For Government: Increased tax collections; greater financial inclusion; increased economic development; increased tax collections; greater financial inclusion; increased economic development. Although the CBN says it has made concerted efforts to carry stakeholders along, there is no doubt that the policy leaves much to be desired, least of all by the nation’s communication and electronic media who are supposed to mid-wife the policy if the cashless system is to experience true and lasting success.

PEOPLES DAILY,TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

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News

L–R: Chairman, CEO Roundtable of South Africa, Ali A. Mufuruki, President, African Development Bank, Donald Kaberuka, Executive Vice-President, US Overseas Private Investment Council (OPIC), Mimi Alemayehou, Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Tony O Elumelu, and GMD/CEO, United Bank for Africa Plc, Phillips Oduoza, at a panel discussion on investing in Africa organised by the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) in Dar es Salaam, during President Obama’s visit to Tanzania, yesterday.

FG unveils new anti-corruption strategy W

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

orried by the deleterious effect of corruption and its negative impact on the development of the country, the Federal Government yesterday said it would soon unveil a National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS), to fight corruption. The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), stated this while addressing the opening ceremony of a two-day seminar titled, “Practical ways to combat corruption in the justice sector in Nigeria,” organised by the AntiCorruption Commission of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Abuja. He said that government would strengthen the anticorruption agencies in the for maximum performance. According to him, “although, the draft strategy received input from the Inter-Agency Task Team, the Civil Society and Nigeria’s development partners, it is my belief that the communiqué and report that will flow from this

seminar would further enrich the document which is expected to be validated at a Stakeholder’s Forum scheduled to take place on 18th of July 2013 before it is sent to the Federal Executive Council for approval as a policy document.” He noted that government has zero tolerance for corruption and is committed to fighting it in all its ramifications. The AGF said the Judiciary had a sacred duty to help in ensuring stability in the country, through the promotion of the rule of law, strict guardianship of the Constitution, and the application of the principles of justice and that to fulfill these obligations. “We must purge ourselves of corrupt and unethical conduct and be above board. “Only through an upright judiciary and a vibrant bar that we can provide a signal to all men and women that while their rights would be protected under the law, no form of impunity or wanton recklessness will be tolerated under the same laws,” he said. He announced that the Code of Conduct for prosecutors has been articulated to ensure

that prosecutors observe the highest professional and ethical standards in the discharge of their prosecutorial duties, as well as, imbibe best practices drawn from other jurisdictions to guarantee fair conduct of trials. As he put it, “our desire is to ensure efficient and effective prosecutions, conducted with the highest possible professional and ethical standards. As far as legal practitioners are concerned, our rules of professional conduct mandates the NBA to investigate complaints against Legal Practitioners and

refer appropriate cases to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.” The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, in her speech identified economic mismanagement, corruption, lack of accountability and transparency as the major reasons for the poor economic performance and rising poverty in the country. “The present administration has shown its commitment to a viable Judiciary and is willing to encourage judicial officers that are disposed to promoting a corrupt-

free Judiciary, at the same time ready to show the way out to those with a retrospective view in our reformation efforts”, she said. She noted that the recent depreciation in budgetary allocation for the Judiciary portends great danger in the fight against corruption in the Judiciary. Earlier in his speech, the NBA President, Chief Okey Wali (SAN), who identified corruption as the number one problem in the country said, what is the most threatening is the impunity with which corruption is practiced in the country.

49 inmates re-arrested after Akure jailbreak

he authorities have rearrested 49 of 175 prison inmates who escaped from their southwest city jailhouse after it was attacked by gunmen, a spokesman of the Nigerian Prisons Service said yesterday. “Forty-nine of the prisoners out of the 175 who escaped from the Akure prison yesterday (Sunday) have been recaptured,” Ope Fatinikun told AFP. The heavily-armed gunmen

attacked the prison in Akure, capital of southwest Ondo state, early on Sunday and freed the prisoners, he said. None of the assailants have been arrested and investigations are underway to unravel all the circumstances surrounding the jailbreak. He gave no further details. Channels Television showed footage of the hole in the prison wall through which the prisoners

escaped as well as some bullets found on the floor after the attack. Officials and local human rights activists say that more than 35 000 of Nigeria’s about 50 000 prisoners are awaiting trial and they are kept in harsh conditions, including poor feeding. The prison cells across the country are overcrowded while security around the jailhouses is inadequate.-AFP

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News Patience Jonathan slams attack in newspapers By Abubakar Ibrahim

irst Lady and wife of President Goodluck Jonathan has reacted to a newspaper editorial raising concern about the traffic mayhem allegedly caused by her motorcade each time she embarks on fraternal or official trips to cities in the country. The editorial titled “Patience Jonathan’s excesses must be curbed” and published in The Punch, other newspapers and online sites read in part: “each time the wife of the President, Patience Jonathan, hits the road with her long motorcade,

including bulletproof and bomb proof limousines, or is having a whale of a time at an event, drivers and commuters who find themselves on her routes always have to live with the bitter experience of the encounter. As police empty the roads of traffic, forcing drivers to wait as her glamorous convoy drifts by, motorists are trapped in traffic for hours on end, while social and economic life of the affected community is brought to a halt abruptly. The recent visit of Mrs. Jonathan to Port Harcourt, the Rivers State

capital, in which her security details forcibly grounded the movement of residents, is the latest of such excesses that Nigerians have been forced to endure for the past three years”. Reacting to the comment in a statement issued yesterday by Ayo Osinlu Special Assistant to the President (Media) Office of the First Lady, Mrs. Jonathan accused the media of “irresistible pressure to enlist in the ‘hit squad’ that some people have been noticeably recruiting in recent times to launch coordinated, desperate attacks on

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

Group urges professionals to develop S/East, S/south region By Lawrence Olaoye

the First Lady of the nation, Dame (Dr.) Patience Goodluck Jonathan, as a strategy for the survival of the tottering political careers of the sponsors. Though it did not name the sponsor(s), the statement alluded to a “syndicated attacks(that) are not exactly surprising, especially for those who are familiar with the fact that it is a well-known trait of the arrowhead of the attacks to be disrespectful of all forms of authority, including those who gave him his most substantial opportunities in life”.

Sultan, in his position as leader of Muslim Ummah in Nigeria is the federal government appointed permanent Amirul Hajj,” the statement said. “Such moves can easily deemphasize those elements threatening the unity of Muslims in Nigeria. This decision, we believe, will reinforce the confidence of other non-northern Muslims in the quest to mend the bridges of our artificially conceived differences,” the statement said.

The civil society urges the new Amirul Hajj, Shehu of Borno to brace up for a challenge ahead in this year hajj. “The task of leading over 70, 000 Nigerian Muslims to holy land is quite enormous. It is our hope that the new Amirul Hajj will sustain the momentum created through the exemplary leadership qualities exhibited by the Sultan in previous hajj exercises which contributed in no small measure in the successes

recorded in hajj exercise,” the group said. “While commending Sultan for the wisdom, we are looking forward to the prospect of appointing other Muslim traditional leaders from the South East, South South, South West and North Central to lead Nigerian Muslims to the Holy land as Islam has no ethnic or geographical barrier,” Independent Hajj Reporters said.

From Ibrahim Sidi Muhammad, Gusau

Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Zamfara State Chapter, Alhaji Buba Dangaladima, said, there was a single day that over 70 trailers loaded with Fulani drove out of the state for safety of their lives and properties. Dangaladima, who lamented the situation, said Fulani families flee Zamfara to the neighbouring

states of Katsina, Kebbi and even Adamawa, adding that if the ugly menace was not checked, there would be no single Fulani descendant in the state soon. ‘We have received reports that Fulani men are extra judicially killed in one place or the other right from the day a group of armed robbers invaded Kizara village where over fifty people

were killed, and only proper investigation could unmask the mystery behind all these killings”, he stated. He further appealed to the government to, as a matter of urgency, intervene by carrying out proper investigation and bring the perpetrators to book. He expressed doubt that the killers could be Fulani.

Alleged culprits during the Inauguration of General Court Marshal to try erring army personnel, yesterday in Jos.

Photo: NAN

2013 Amirul Hajj: Civil society commends Sultan By Stanley Onyekwere

ndependent Hajj Reporters, a civil society organization, has commended the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar for delegating the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Umar Garbai El-Kanemi to serve as the 2013 National Amirul Hajj. A statement by its national coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammed and publicity secretary Abubakar Mahmoud said the gesture was “exemplary and would engender unity among Muslims across the country.” “We are highly elated on hearing the news of His Eminence, Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar’s timely decision to delegate the Deputy National President of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCIA) in the person of Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Umar Garbai El-Kanemi to represent him as National Amirul Hajj in 2013 hajj exercise. We acknowledge that

he South-East, South-South Professionals of Nigeria yesterday called on all stakeholders in the region to join hands together with like minds in developing the region. President of the group, Mr. Emeka Ugwu-Oju, while addressing newsmen in Abuja, said that members of the group made up of professionals from all spheres of endeavors had been working towards taking the region to another level. According to him, economic and manpower potentials of the region must be fully harnessed for it to develop into a full industrial region that it ought to be, stressing that efforts are already on to translate that into reality. He said “No doubt, we are very much aware that we have economic commissions existing in the two zones; we have chambers of commerce and other economic bodies scattered in all these states and one key role they are playing is to initiate and drive economic activities in their areas and we are ready to support them to achieve result.” In his welcome address, the Chairman planning committee of group, Mr Albert Okumagba, said “our focus is how to tap into the opportunities to drive the per capital income of the people in the two zones”. According to him, the future of the South East, South South is paramount to the group, noting that was why the group had mobilized professionals in both the public and private sector all in the bid to better the lot of people in the zones. He however called on professionals in other region to key into the idea of forming a common force to tackle economic challenges facing their regions. Presenting a paper entitled, “where we want to be”, Engineer Onuoha Nnachi called on government in the states of the regions to introduce incentives that will attract investors into the regions, adding that such move would go in a long way to develop the regions. Such incentives according to her include, “100 percent tax free period for 5 years for pioneer industries that produce products declared as pioneer products.

10,000 herdsmen flee Zamfara O

ver 10,000 Fulani herdsmen were learnt to have fled Zamfara State in the wake of lingering crises between the Fulani and vigilante groups in the last one and half years. Speaking to newsmen in Gusau, the state capital, acting

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 7

News

Chinese construction firm to train Borno engineers From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

orno state government will partner with Chinese giant construction firm, 18th Bureau Group Limited to train its civil engineers and other construction officials with the state’s Ministry of Works as well as other related establishments. Special adviser to Governor Shettima on communication, Isa Umar Gusau, in a statement issued yesterday said the measure was aimed at enhancing the capacity of the engineers on the execution of various projects across the state. According to the statement, the decision followed the weekend visit of Governor Shettima to the headquarters of the construction company in China. During the visit, the governor held discussions with management of the company, led by its President and Senior Engineer, Mr. Hao Chenyi, saying it was the desire of his government to set up a highly skilled team of construction experts who would have a practical knowledge on road and bridge constructions as well as other civil works. The statement also quoted Shettima as saying that the officials to participate in the training are expected to have a special focus on opening up rural roads across the 27 local government areas so as to link up villages to make the transportation of agricultural produce easy to the urban centers. The statement added that based on the partnership, the state government would send experienced and fresh graduates of civil engineering to China to work with Chinese experts at different construction sites being undertaken by the company so as to acquire most advanced practical skills on civil construction.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal signing condolence register, during his visit to late Senator Pius Ewherido residence, yesterday at Asokoro, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Mimiko wins again as Appeal Court dismisses ACN, PDP’s appeals

he Court of Appeal has struck out the application filed by counsel to the Action Congress of Nigeria and its candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu, and that

of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Wole Oke, against the election of the Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko. The appellants had appealed

the ruling of an election tribunal which declared Mr. Mimiko of the Labour Party as the duly elected winner of last year’s governorship election in the state.

20% Nigerians have Hepatitis B, says Don By Femi Oyelola Kaduna

Professor of Medicine and Nephrology from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Istifanus Bosun, at a one-day public lecture in Kaduna, said an estimated 20% of Nigerians are infected with Hepatitis B Virus. He also said that States like Kaduna, Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa as the highest in the prevalence ranking of this disease in Nigeria. Delivering lecture on Hepatitis B prevention and Treatment, which was organized

by the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Kaduna state chapter, Bosun identified the means of spread of Hepatitis B to include contact with blood of an infected person and other body fluids such as saliva, semen and vaginal fluid natural sound. He recommended that all new born babies and individuals up to 18 years should be vaccinated, stressing the need for Nigerian government to tackle the disease in order not to allow it spread like HIV/Aids and malaria. According to him, in sub-

Saharan Africa, not less than seven million people are living with the disease and in Nigeria, those living with and managing Hepatitis B are about 1.5 Million, with the figure likely to double by 2025. Bosun added that Hepatitis B is a contagious liver disease that results from infection with Hepatitis B virus. “When first infected, a person can develop an acute infection which can range in severity from a very mild illness with few or no symptoms to a serious condition requiring hospitalization”, he said.

NUJ commends Al-makura over panel on Alakyo killings

By Abbas AminuBamalli

he Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ) has commended the Nasarawa state Governor, UmaruTanko Al-makura, for his effort to unravel the remote and immediate cause of the killing of over 100 security operatives in Alakyo village in Nasarawa state in May. A press statement by the NUJ National Secretary, Shu’aibu Usman Leman, said the union expressed hope that the steps initiated by the Governor since the tragedy of the Alakyo killings would be positive. “As purveyors of truth and equity, the NUJ commends the various initiatives taken by Governor Umar Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa state since the tragedy of the Alayko killings.

N25.7bn theft: Court says Atuche, others have case to answer From Olaide Irinoye, Lagos

ustice Lateefat Okunnu of a Lagos High court sitting in Ikeja, yesterday dismissed applications filed by the former Managing Director of Bank PHB, Francis Atuche, and his co-defendants Elizabeth Atuche, and Ugo Anyanwu, asking the court to dismiss the N25.7 billion theft charge made against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The defendants who were arraigned for allegedly stealing N25.7 billion belonging to the

bank, had through their lawyers prayed the court to discharge the 27-count charge filed against them, for lack of case to answer. In a no case submission earlier filed through their counsel, Anthony Idigbe (SAN) and Sylva Ogwuemor and brought pursuant to sections 35(3), 36(5) of the constitution and Section 239 of the Administration of Criminal Laws of Lagos state, the defendants urged the court to dismiss or acquit them of the charges. They argued that all the evidence provided by the prosecution were circumstantial and contradictory

which therefore could not warrant putting the defendants in the witness box. While ruling at the resume hearing on Monday, justice Okunnu stated that the defendants should provide explanations on the evidences provided by the prosecution. The judge held that having heard from the prosecution, it is necessary to hear from the defence on the allegations laid against them, citing Section 239 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws of Lagos state. The judge added that justice

is both for the state, the defence and the society, saying the defendants have to offer explanations against the allegation for her to decide whether there was enough evidence to discharge or convict them. She maintained that she had much evidence before her which was brought by the prosecution and this warranted the defendants giving their own explanation. “A lot has been said about each of the defendants. I cannot by now deal with all the evidence before me. Enough

has been said to warrant the defendants to open their defence. There are 27 charges and 272 exhibits before me,” she said. Justice Okunnu said that evidence had been laid that Atuche converted the bank fund into his personal use and there was nothing yet to evaluate the evidence. “The no-case cannot be upheld. I have found that the two applications before me cannot succeed. They are hereby overruled and the defendants are hereby called to open the defence”, she said.

PAGE 8

Photos Splash

L-R: Transition Committee Chairman, Musawa Local Government Council of Katsina state, Alhaji Tanimu Kira, receiving a souvenir from representative of Women Right Advancement and Protection Association (WRAPA), Hajiya Ramatu Abdullahi-Mahuta, over his support to women empowerment programmes in his area at a reception, yesterday in Malumfashi. Photo: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

L-R: Executive Secretary, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, former Director-General, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), prof. Danfulani Ahmed, and guest lecturer, Prof. Femi Odekunle, during the 2013 Award night of Ahmadu Bello University alumni association, Abuja branch, on Sunday night in Abuja. Photo: NAN

Long queues at the Total filling station, yesterday at Herbert Macauly Way opposite NNPC Tower, in Abuja following the warning strike by NUPENG.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

L-R: Country Coordinator, Centre for Global Public Health, University of Manitoba, Dr Kalada Green, Chief Programme Officer, Prevention and Social Behaviour Change Communications , Programme Coordination Dept. of NACA, Mrs. Uduak Daniel, Assistant Director, Prevention and Social Behaviour L-R: Members of the NYSC governing board, Chief Dominic Gambo, Prof. Change Communications, Programme Coordination Dept. of NACA, Mr. Omini Effiong, and System Riskuwa Shehu, and Plateau state NYSC coordinator, Mr. Steven Ehoda-Adi, Strengthening Specialist, Society for Family Health, Mr. Aneotah Egbe, during the zonal consultative during their visit to the NYSC orientation camp, yesterday in Jos. Photo: NAN review meeting on National HIV Prevention Plan 2010-2012, recently in Owerri, Imo State.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

Zamfara PDP warns against arming vigilante groups From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

eoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara state has condemned Governor Abdulazeez Yari over purchase of fire arms for the vigilante groups across the state. The PDP north-west exofficio member, Alhaji Ahmad Farukh, who criticized the development contended that it is against the Constitution and “clear preparations against the general elections come 2015. “PDP is a real democratic party that always wins elections by votes, not by fire arms as planned by the administration of Governor Yari in Zamfara state and we will go to any length to stop that.” The PDP chieftain has further alleged that the ANPP Governor has taken advantage of the incessant attacks on some communities to arm his party members in order to unleash terror on voting queues during elections by 2015. “Only constitutionally registered and well trained security personnel should be allowed to handle and operate any legally purchased fire arms by any government for the protection of innocent lives and properties of the citizens.” It would be recalled, Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar, during an assessment visit to the ravaged Kizara village had announced that units of fire arms have been purchased meant for giving maximum support to vigilante groups who will operate to assist security personnel in fighting crimes in the state. Yari, who stated that the less than 5000 policemen operating under the state command are enough to secure the state, said the state government is waiting for the approval from the Federal Government to distribute the arms to only accredited members of vigilante groups.

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News

‘65.5% girls lack access to basic education in the north’ A

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

n education expert, Hajiya Bintu Abba Ibrahim, has declared that about 65.5 per cent of girls lack access to basic education in the north east of the country. She made the declaration during a public presentation of gender assessment findings on basic education and living conditions of orphans and vulnerable children, organized by the Bauchi state Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development, in collaboration with Nigeria Northern Education Ini-

tiative (NEI) and funded by the United State Agency for International Development (USAID) held at Zaranda Hotel, Bauchi yesterday. Binta explained that the percentage of boys that attend primary school is 49 per cent while that of girls is 37.1per cent. She said that Nigeria has The education expert who disclosed that Nigeria has 17.5 million orphan and vulnerable children, advocated for basic rights for OVC such as access to education, fundamental human rights for boys and girls and improved standard of living. According to her, “the need for

the education of the girl child, especially in the north-east region where the literacy level is very low cannot be overemphasized. From baseline assessment studies, gender enrollment in non-project local governments is 68.87% while in project local governments; the percentage is 65.65%just as Islamiya schools had more females than men enrolled”. She attributed religion and gender sentiments as factors militating against girl-child education and called on stakeholders to support education of less privileged children in the communities, especially girls.

In his remarks, the Emir of Dass, Usman Bilyaminu Othman, advocated the education of the girlchild in order to represent a balance in gender equality in sensitive professions such as doctors and nursing. He condemned street hawking among the girl child, pointing that it exposed them to rape, kidnap and other social vices. Also speaking, the Bauchi State Head of Service, Mr.Abdon Gin stressed that education is very fundamental to the human existence, saying that education is next to air and water in terms of need and demands.

Zamfara to employ more health workers From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

ate crimes and simply because we are being deceived by being called the mother of Africa. “The trend has to stop and somebody must take the bold step to start from somewhere otherwise we would continue to harbour people with criminal tendencies through a blinded solidarity.” Bamalli said the command had embarked on a thorough raid covering the 27 local governments with a view to fishing out illegal immigrants. “We are starting with 13 local governments which we believe we

would be able to cover in the next five days then we go on break to give way to the Ramadan fasting period,” he said. He regretted that forces from within the state are beginning to undermine the effort through pressures from politicians that do not see reason for the action. He said the pressure would not deter him as he has already commenced the repatriation of some of the arrested victims to Niger republic after being duly documented through a bio-metric data capturing system.”

he Zamfara state government has expressed its determination to employ more senior and junior community health extension workers to improve primary health services across primary, clinics and dispensaries facilities across the state. Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Muttaka Rini, disclosed this yesterday when he received delegates from the Save the Children International Advocacy platforms comprising coalition of civil society organizations who paid him an advocacy visit in his office. Rini said that his ministry was working towards engaging all qualified and unemployed senior and junior community health extension workers so as to bridge the existing gaps of health workers in some communities across the state. He said government, through his ministry has collaborated with the state School of Nursing and Midwifery to introduce community midwifery programme in view of the gross shortage of midwives in the state. He said that about 100 community midwifery students were currently being fully sponsored by the 14 local government councils in addition to their placement on salary of grade level three by their respective local governments.

administration’s readiness to domesticate the Child Right Act saying government will consider sections of the Act in order to identify areas of peculiar interest to people of the state. The Governor said, “government is committed to being fair and equitable to all especially women and children. “We have captured women in our SURE-P empowerment scheme to improve their economic

well being. “Fifty women have been selected from each of the 23 local government areas to take part in skill acquisition and empowerment programmes. Maina who was also on advocacy visit to the House of Assembly noted that Kaduna was among the 13 states that were yet to domesticate the act. She said the visit was meant to appeal to the legislators and find

out if there were grey areas delaying the consideration and adoption of the law. Maina said the ministry was aware of the fears of some states on the act but said the law need to be domesticated to meet the environmental sensitivities of the people. She emphasised that women and children constituted 70 per cent of the Nigeria’s population as such their rights must be protected.

L-R: Executive Director, Centre for Democracy and Development, Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim, former Senate President Ken Nnamani, and Special Adviser to the President on Interparty Affairs, Senator Ben Obi, during the National Citizen Summit on Electoral Reforms, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

500 illegal immigrants from Niger arrested in Jigawa From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

he Jigawa state command of the Nigerian Immigration Service has arrested over 500 people alleged to be illegal immigrants residing in the state. Briefing reporters on the development in Dutse, the Controller of Immigration, Malam Abubakar Aliyu Bamalli, explained that the command embarked on mass raid of all immigrants in the state. According to him, “we have to call a spade a spade. These people come into our country to perpetu-

Yero to build four new science secondary schools From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

overnor of Kaduna state, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero,has said government would establish four new science secondary schools next year. Speaking when he received the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Zainab Maina, yesterday at the Government House, the Governor said one of the schools is to be for girls.

He said the move was to further boost girl-child education in the state saying “plans are already being put in place for the building of the schools.” Yero also said his administration had concluded plans for provision to be made in the 2014 budget to take care of child destitution in the state, towards providing basic education for all school age children. He assured the Minister of his

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 10

News

No plans to stop strike in Kogi, NUT says

he Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Kogi State has said that there is no plan to suspend the ongoing primary school teachers strike. The Secretary of the union, Mr John Agber, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview in Lokoja on Monday. `Ì can tell you authoritatively that the strike is still on and that there has not been any dialogue between the union and the Federal Government. ``The union has not reversed the strike and does not see that happening until a reasonable agreement is reached. `Àny moment from now, the state government will commence the screening of all teachers to ascertain the numbers of legitimate primary school teachers. `Às the screening is going on, we, in the NUT awaits the next line of action,’’ he said. He appealed to all teachers to abide by the rules of the union, noting that everything was in place. The NUT secretary said that they were optimistic that government would call the union for dialogue soon. (NAN)

FG must compensate Boko Haram victims- Afenifere Insists From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

an Yoruba socio - political group Afenifere yesterday insisted that the Federal Government must compensate military and civilian victims of Boko Haram. Afenifere which responded to a statement credited to the chairman of Presidential Committee on dialogue and Peaceful Resolution on Security Challenges in the North,

Taminu Turaki, that there would be no compensation for the victims of Boko Haram insurgency, said It would be callous to tell the victims that they are on their own. In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary ‘Yinka Odumakin, Afenifere said that the position of Turaki is quite untenable and quite insensitive to those who have been at the receiving ends of Boko Haram attacks. The group argued that such an

approach is likely to breed another generation of vengeance – seeking people who have been victims of terror but can’t see their tormentors punished with no compensation from the state. “How can we be dangling amnesty to those who have taken innocent lives and be telling their victims that we lack the capacity to compensate them for the failure of state to protect them from the murderers? “It is true that no amount of

money can bring back the dead but what about the maimed and wounded? There is nothing that stops the government from off-setting their medical bills. “It would not be out of place to support the education of children of those who have lost their lives as well as granting vocational support to widows whose breadwinners are no more. We advocate a reasonable compensation which the country should be able to afford.”

20 robbery suspects, kidnappers paraded in Nasarawa From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

he police in Nasarawa state at the weekend paraded 20 suspected armed robbers and kidnappers alongside recovered weapons consisting of rifles and ammunitions. Parading the suspects at the state command headquarters in Lafia, the Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Shehu, disclosed that since his assumption of office as CP about 45 days ago, he has embarked on the implementation of varying crime prevention and control strategies, resulting in massive arrest, prosecution of armed robbery suspects, as well as foiling of several other violent crimes in the state. According to him, the morale and attitude to work by officers and men of the command have been boosted and improved upon more than ever, towards crime fighting and zero tolerance to criminal activities in the command which made it possible for the command to make the progress recorded so far. While explaining that some of the suspects were arrested from different locations during their operations, CP Shehu stated that others were arrested in their hide-outs. He appealed to the public to cooperate with the police on stop and search duty, urging the public to assist the command with useful information which could lead to the arrest of men of underworld.

Minister of State for Health, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate (middle), commissioning Human Virology Laboratory extension, yesterday in Lagos. With him are Director General, Nigeria Institute of Medical Research, Professor Innocent Ujah (left), and Director General, National Orientation Agency, Mr. Mike Omeri (right). Photo: Olawale Rotimi

Nigeria will produce excess seeds by 2014, says Director

he National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) is collaborating with seven multinational seeds companies in order to meet the 2013 seeds requirement for the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme. Mr Olusegun Olatokun, the Coordinating Director of the council, made the fact known in Abuja

yesterday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Olatokun stated that the council had also collaborated with the Seeds Technology Centre, Makurdi, to enable the country have enough and even produce excess seeds by 2014. He said the centre, located at the University of Makurdi, would commit about 40,000 hectares to

seed production. ‘’We are going to have this centre in the northern, western and southern parts of the country and this development will enable the council to become an out-grower for the medium scale and small scale seeds companies,’’ he said. He said only five out of the 71 registered local seeds companies

YOUWin first batch creates 15,000 jobs, as Minister targets 80,000 BY Abdulwahab Isa

he Federal Government’s Youth empowerment scheme, YOUWin launched last year with a start of 1,200 first batch beneficiaries has created 15,000 jobs, Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has disclosed. The jobs were created by the first batch of the scheme beneficiaries that secured between N1 million to N10milion to start their own small businesses. Speaking yesterday while receiving a contingent of first batch

of YOUWIn entrepreneurs who had come to display their various products, an elated Ngozi Iewala said the scheme was capable of delivering 80,000 job target in its second phase. She praised their courage for resisting daunting challenges to come up with various products within the shortest possible time. “This is most exciting moment which wouldn’t have been possible without the constant inquisition of the President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and members of the Federal Executive Council. They see it as one of the central point

of this administration. YoUWin is not justabout creating jobs for themselves but creating jobs for other youths. Just look at the variety of products you bring here today, you have created jobs not just for yourselves but for others. Nigerians are known for entrepreneurship and we are very proud of you for what you have accomplished “she said. Among assorted products displayed by the YouWin beneficiaries from their various factories and production plants included, toiletries, honey, cosmetics, cassava cake and IT equipment.

had what was needed in quality seeds production and processing. ‘’This year, we were late in distributing seeds because of the issue of production. ‘’You cannot keep seeds for a long time because they will lose their viability and once viability is lost, what you have left is grains and not seeds. ‘’Most of the seeds that we carried over last year cannot be pushed out to farmers this year just like that because they will not get the kind of yield they are supposed to get. ‘’If seeds stay for more than five months before being planted, you have to send them back to the laboratory to ensure that the germination percentage, purity and vigour are intact. ‘’Seeds are a living input that are planted by out-growers, after its harvest on the farm, you have to clean it, purify it, process it and ensure that it is well treated before packaging,’’ he said. Out-growers are farmers trained to produce seeds while the GES is the flagship programme under the Federal Government’s Agricultural Transformation

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 11

Money Sense How to steer clear of investment panic

ara was sick, or at least so we thought. One morning, she was having trouble breathing and sneezing, and getting very frustrated. The caring dad yelled at whoever came his way, pushed everyone aside and rushed her to a walk-in clinic. When they got there, Sara was quietly asleep, without a hint of trouble. But that’s not the end of it. Everyone else there was sick. Kids were running around sneezing, coughing, and spreading their viruses around the room. That’s when it dawned on daddy. Is Sara fine all along but made sick because I came? Then another thought came to his mind. Has anyone else done this with their finances? Panic, overreact and then swiftly push their finances down the slope of destruction because they just felt they needed to break a sweat? At the beginning of 2009, when we were still scared out of our minds about the economy, financial system and our retirement, how many of us really did what we were supposed to and stay the course (or better yet, put more into our investments)? Before you jump up and claim victory because YOU did, how old were you and how much value did your portfolio drop from the peak in 2007? Staying the course after a 50percent net worth drop when you are 55 takes a vastly different mental

toughness than doing the same when you are 22. If your early retirement hopes were destroyed and you are worried about your future, how much faith can you put into the “everything is just a cycle” theory? Ignoring the short term was hard, but it’s precisely what we needed to do then. I’m not talking about those who bought Citigroup stock when it was $1, because the majority of those people just made a bet and won. I’m talking about the ones who, despite fear, trusted their experience and knowledge and just stayed heavily invested in diversified investments. The question really is, how do we get there? Truthfully, there really is no right way to go about this, but at least I know these will help. Been through it before. The more bear markets you go through in your life, the more you understand how the whole system works. While there is no magical way of gaining experience, you can help yourself by slowly increasing your risk exposure within the same asset class as you age. This is counter intuitive, but what I mean is, start off your exposure to equity investing with index funds. Then, as you feel more comfortable with the up and downs, then move onto perhaps different types of ETFs, and finally into stocks (if you so inclined). It’s much easier to feel safe in an index

fund than putting your faith in one particular company, and having the needed experience may just make the difference of selling low or selling high. Have a plan. You seldom hear about people being proactive with their investments, but having a plan

really helps. Investing has nothing to do with disaster recovery, but simulating a disaster recovery plan will increase the chances that you don’t panic at the worst possible moment. Don’t sweat it. Chances are that you are underestimating your

Why you shouldn’t pay your kids an allowance

’m a firm believer in not paying my kids an allowance. And no, I’m not just a meanie. It’s important to me to make sure that my kids understand the relationship between work and money. I’ll explain my unconventional approach below. Why I don’t pay my kids an allowance

1. Picking up toys, clothes, books, and trash that belong to you is not an option in my house. It’s part of keeping clean and healthy. You wouldn’t pay your kids to take a shower, so don’t pay them to pick up after themselves. 2. The family serves as a sort of miniature model for the real world.

We love and care for each other — without expecting something in return. This means my older son may have to take out the trash when dad works late, or the youngest may have to help with dinner if a client calls while I’m cooking. Making this concept an expected and normal part of life now will make it easier for my boys when they’re grown and have families of their own. We don’t keep tabs or a “you owe me” list, and we don’t feel cheated if all we get in return is a simple, “thank you.” 3. As part of the family, my kids are responsible for contributing to the well-being of the entire family. This may include doing dishes, folding laundry, or carrying in firewood in the winter. These are tasks that benefit the child and the family, and they are therefore not rewarded with money. 4. As a farm family, my kids are also responsible for many things that might surprise you. My youngest helps change oil and repair tractors and trucks, and my oldest has helped birth calves and carry bags of feed that weigh as much as he does. They also help maintain a four acre garden and assist with canning vegetables every year. These activities also benefit the family (and extended family) and are not rewarded with an allowance. While helping with these types of chores, they’re learning life skills that will help them as adults. 5. Pet care is another area of expected daily work without pay.

We have two house bunnies, two farm dogs, and a load of cats that require feeding, watering, brushing, waste removal, exercise, love, and attention. These activities are performed every day, rain or shine. Just as the adults care for the farm animals in inclement weather, when sick, on holidays, and when we’re bone-weary tired, the children are expected to care for their pets, as well. Supper for humans is not served here until all the animals have eaten and are cared for. The farm animals and pets rely on us for their necessities. This teaches the kids responsibility and interdependence without extrinsic rewards. So what DO I pay my kids for? I give them money when they go above and beyond what is expected. Get straight As in school? Help dad chop firewood in 10 degree weather on a Saturday afternoon? Walk your brother to the bathroom in the middle of the night because he’s afraid of the dark? Help mom by scrubbing all the kitchen counters after you spill jelly in front of the microwave? All these things are rewarded with a little extra money. My kids also have a list of items that are on my to-do list that they can perform at any time for pay. These are MY chores that, if they so choose, they can take over to free up my time for other activities. This provides them with an opportunity to save for wanted items and to learn the true value of a dollar.

investment horizon. If you are retiring in 5 years time, you need to account for the fact that the majority of your funds will still be invested for the next 25 years. In the long run, stocks win. Stay the course, and you will come out okay. In the end, the doctor said Sara was fine, and for daddy not to worry. “Whew” he thought. I will be ready during the next crisis. Culled from MoneyNing.

Money Tip

et fit: Yep. The self-made rich take care of themselves, too. Who wants to pay hospitals thousands and thousands of dollars to fix what they broke? Not the men and women who’ve worked so hard to earn and save. They maintain their health by taking active roles in exercising and eating right. If you already exercise, great! If you don’t, start. Increase your level of fitness and see how you feel (mentally and physically) after a few weeks. Your mind and body will love you. Build up cash by saving it. Yes, the rich save their cash. Rather than eating out all the time, they tuck those dollars into stock mutual funds that pay out. Where are you spending that you don’t NEED to? Be honest. Write it down. Get serious about finding cheaper alternatives.

Quote “One defines oneself by reinvention. To not be like your parents; To be yourself; To cut yourself out of stone.” — Henry Rollins: Writer, publisher

PAGE 12

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

EDITORIAL

bill with the aim of simplifying the procedure for impeaching the President passed second reading at the House of Representatives recently. The bill seeks to amend Section 143 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) “to remove the ambiguities in the process of removal of the President and the Vice-President from office on allegations of gross misconduct and to provide for a more transparent and democratic procedure for impeachment….” Sponsored by Mr. Yakubu Dogara, from Bauchi, the bill seeks to adopt the American model of impeachment by giving the sole powers to remove the President to the National Assembly. According to Dogara, adopting this model will alter the present constitutional requirement where the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) will constitute a panel of seven persons to investigate any allegations of gross misconduct made against the President. Dogara claimed that the current provision whittled down the powers of the National Assembly, noting that should the CJN’s panel fail to establish the allegations leveled against the President, the legislature would be ridiculed.“Once the omnipotent panel of seven is constituted by the CJN, who himself is an appointee of the President, and the panel reaches a decision, no authority, not even the courts can

question it. “This may ridicule the National Assembly to the high heavens”, he said. Without further waste of time, we wish to inform the sponsors of this bill and their supporters that their efforts are self serving and an abuse of legislative privilege. We are all aware of the frosty relationship between the National Assembly and President Goodluck

“

The House and the impeachment clause

...it is ridiculous that on the question of impeaching the President, the House wants to be the prosecutor and the judge Jonathan. Since the constitution saddles the national assembly with a crucial role in amending the constitution and impeaching the president, they are trying to take undue advantage of both. This exercise is an attempt to hoodwink the Nigerian public and blackmail the President. How clean are the members of the House of Reps? Do they have the spleen to see this exercise through? If the president ferries tones of “Ghana must go”, stuffed with cash to the House, will they not abandon their goal and rush for cash? What happened to those who led the crusade to investigate the

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Security and Exchange Commission and the Fuel subsidy scam in the House? What has become of the past impeachment threats? In April last year, the Reps had condemned the poor implementation of the 2012 budget and resolved that the government must achieve 100 per cent implementation by the time they resumed in September of the same year, otherwise they would commence impeachment proceedings against the President. At the end, nothing was heard of the impeachment plot. The budget remained unimplemented in full, as demanded by the legislators. In addition, we are sad that the sponsors of the bill have tried to question the credibility of the office of the CJN. There are set rules and regulations on the emergence of the CJN. The occupant of that office is not a personal appointee of the President as the House seeks to portray. Finally, it is ridiculous that on the question of impeaching the President, the House wants to be the prosecutor and the judge. This is against the letter and spirit of our constitution which emphasises the doctrine of separation of powers. There are many issues facing the common man that elected members of the House. Tackling these issues will be noble of the members. Blackmailing the President for personal gains is a repugnant endeavour.

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PAGE 13

Opinion Need to reverse PDP’s declining fortunes in South West By Atiku Abubakar

t the twilight of the present democratic dispensation, it was clear to the founding fathers of the Peoples Democratic Party that the major challenge confronting our nation was the establishment of an enduring democratic platform with a sustainable legitimacy. We were also convinced that such platforms should possess credible internal capacity to produce leaders who will be committed to the public purpose and whose leadership will be informed by a common good and sustained by the popular will of all citizens. The PDP was conceived as a national party not only because of the desire to provide responsive leadership, but also because it is within such a national party that we can guarantee national harmony, promote human development and safeguard the freedom and dignity of all citizens. The constitution of the party was designed to promote collective leadership that is inclusive and upholds the principles of justice and fair-play without denigrating the legitimacy of dissent. I have said it and I will

continue to say it that the party is headed in the wrong direction as it moves from one crisis to the other. It appears that in the pursuit of our personal ambition, we have continued to trample with impunity on the rights not only of the members, but also on the freedom of Nigerian citizens who deserve a right to choose who should govern them and for how long. Sometimes, progress involves stepping backwards. In the South West, this is such a moment for the Peoples Democratic Party. The PDP became a very strong political party in the South West as a result of the efforts and commitment of leaders who commanded the respect of the generality of the people of the South West. By the year 2009, the party had 5 of the 6 Governors in the zone, 14 of the 18 Senators, 46 out of the 71 House of Representatives seat, 102 members of the State House of Assembly, and 115 Local Governments. Members of the PDP also occupied all commissionership and special adviserspositions, in addition to all statutory board membership. However, the fortunes of the PDP in the South West took

a startling reverse from 2011 such that today, the party has no Governor in the region, has only 1 Senator, 7 Members of the House of Representatives and only 18 Members in all the States House of Assembly. Of course, not a single Local Government administration is PDP-controlled in the entire region. It is not only in the interest of PDP, but indeed that of the Nation that this trend bereversed. As a founding member of the PDP, the prevailing situation of the party in the South West is very disturbing. I am sure that our party didn’t come to this sorry state in the region because theparty men failed to deliver good governance to the people. Landmarks of achievements by PDP governments dot the region. It still remains a paradox to me how the presidential candidate of the party would win massively in all but one state of the South West, yet the party failed to produce a single state Governor in the region and could only produce 18 State Assembly members in the same election. My experience in politics tells me that this paradox can only be explained in one way

that is the leadership of the party must haveabandoned the party and negotiated the victory of the President at the expense of the Party. Recent events have shown that the leadership of the party has demonstrated insufficient sincerity in resolving the numerous crises which are pitching the party members against themselves. Political maneuvering that relies on the politics of patronage and arbitrary application of sanctions will not sustain the popular will of the people through which the party can recover the lost ground. A group of concerned professionals with PDP interest from the South West carried out a study in which a state-by-state analysis of the crises in the party was made. The body made farreaching recommendations in their document which wassubmitted to the leadership of the Party. If the party leadership had paid attention to some of their recommendations, the outcome of the election in Ondo State could probably have been different. It will be useful for the incoming South West Executive Committee to study this report and prepare a blueprint for the

reversal of the dwindling fortunes of theparty in the region. The eloquent silence of respected leaders on the various crises is a disturbing signwhich leaves majority of the members confused. The national leadership of the party needs to respect the democratic wishes of party members in the zone and discourage the deliberate creation of factions, and upturning the results of duly conducted elections at the various congresses and the national convention. In all we do, the adherence to the constitution of the party in the conduct of the party’s affairs is the only hope for sustaining the existence and legitimacy of the party. Also, the legitimacy of the party can only be sustained if the provision of thewelfare needs of Nigerian citizen takes precedent in the heart of the leaders ratherthan primordial politicking. There is need to reverse the declining trend of PDP in the South West. PDP cannot afford to depart from the South West. Atiku Abubakar is the Turaki Adamawa and former Vice President of Nigeria

Still on Jonathan, opposition and 2015 By Chido Onumah

have watched Goodluck Jonathan closely since I first met him in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, in 2006 during a continental environmental conference that looked at the impacts and implications of renewed mining boom on communities in Africa, and it is difficult to put performance and Goodluck Jonathan in the same sentence, yet he won a presidential election “convincingly” in the South-west, even with the level of education and exposure of voters in that geopolitical zone. We need to know what made that victory possible in an opposition stronghold. Obviously, Nigerians notice the imperative of performance in winning election as Joe Igbokwe rightly noted, but whether this imperative is overriding every time is another matter. I did not tie the future of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to one man, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), as Igbokwe erroneously implied. I was clear in my assertion. As an aside, the former head of state will be 73 in 2015. I personally do not support gerontocracy in an era in which the world is electing young and visionary presidents in their 40s. Talking about the presidency in 2015, the APC, undoubtedly, is a party of immense potentials. But it remains just that, a party of great potentials. We would need to translate that potential to reality and time is of the essence. I stand by my assertion that “If elections

were held today, Buhari is perhaps the only person with the pedigree, name recognition and national appeal who can give President Jonathan and the PDP a run for their money”. “Is Chido saying that if anything happens to Buhari today, APC will not fill a presidential candidate in 2015?” Don’t we have more than 50 presidential candidates who can do better than Buhari if we search for them?” Igbokwe queried. The answer is that the issue goes beyond fielding a presidential candidate. You want to field one with the pedigree, integrity, national appeal and acceptability that stands a chance. Now is the time to make that decision no matter how difficult it is; not tomorrow, not next year. As a cardcarrying member of ACN, and now by extension a member of APC, I would love to have the debate about the 50 potential presidential candidates in the party. I appreciate what herefers to as “mines and bombs PDP

“

mercenaries have been sowing on APC’s highway to reclaim Nigeria”. We must add to this the fact that APC is contesting against an incumbent president (whom some have described as the most powerful in the world) who has made corruption the directive principle of state policy. I hope this resonates with Igbokwe. Let’s assume elections are in April 2015. There are 36 states and 774 local governments in the country. If a candidate (but not just a candidate) emerged today, that means he or she has 22 months (or about 675 days) to make an impression. This is not an attempt to pull down the APC, but in all seriousness to show the urgency of the task at hand. I agree with Igbokwe that it is not “easy for ACN, ANPP, CPC and APGA to come together in today’s Nigeria to challenge PDP”. In my appraisal of the APC a few months ago, I noted, “If the APC succeeds, and I hope and pray it does, it will be “a marginal improvement

over where we are coming from”. I ended the appraisal by quoting Edwin Madunagu who noted in his piece “Reflections on Party Combinations”, The Guardian, March 7 & 14, 2013, “Someone has referred to the newly-formed APC as the ‘new’ SDP. Yes, there are a couple of elements in common. But there is at least one more requirement for the APC: It has to show that not only is the statusquo totally bankrupt (which is the case), but also that the APC is a historically progressive way forward at this moment, and that it is the only one”. “Now, if the question is, ‘Is the opposition ready to compete in 2015?’ please take notice that the answer is yes and this is final”, Igbowke concluded. Quite reassuring! I am currently teaching a summer course for young journalists from around the world on media and information literacy at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain. There are many students and academics from Egypt

Talking about the presidency in 2015, the APC, undoubtedly, is a party of immense potentials. But it remains just that, a party of great potentials. We would need to translate that potential to reality and time is of the essence. I stand by my assertion that “If elections were held today, Buhari is perhaps the only person with the pedigree, name recognition and national appeal who can give President Jonathan and the PDP a run for their money”.

– some of them active participants in the “Egyptian Uprising”. Very often our debates veer toward the situation in Egypt which bears an uncanny resemblance to what we have in Nigeria. After one year in office, Egyptians are tired and angry with Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood/ Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) and they are eager to end their reign. Egypt is known as a nation where people, no matter their religion or culture, leave together in peace. But that is no longer the case under Morsi who, late last year, granted himself unlimited powers to “protect the nation and to legislate without judicial oversight”. My students say he is destroying Egypt, undermining its constitution and using religion to divide the country. I asked a group of students. They were unanimous in saying Morsi would “win”. I then asked why. The response was that the opposition had not been able to unite around a nationally acceptable candidate that could articulate the feelings of Egyptians. But beyond that, one perceptive student noted, “many Egyptians are illiterate; they are easily swayed by religious arguments – which the Muslim Brotherhood is manipulating. The Muslim Brotherhood is well funded, getting support from some of the very rich countries in the Middle East. During election they will buy people with bags of rice, cloth and oil”. Does this sound familiar? Chido Onumah via conumah@hotmail.com

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

Letters & Opinion The matyrdom of Amaechi By Ose Oyamendan

n the murky waters of Nigerian politics, it’s not everyday that the media and the garrison commanders of the political fiefdom combine to shove you towards political martyrdom. But, it’s also not everyday a man with the name Rotimi Amaechi strolls into the center of the nation’s consciousness. People think President Goodluck Jonathan has a great story. But I bet Rotimi Amaechi had soles in his shoes when he was a kid which means, his feet like that of the president did kiss the floor of the Niger Delta at some point so, I’m now not too impressed. The president may have been an accidental leader but so was General Olusegun Obasanjo and his brother coup plotters. But, try going from the couch to the mansion. Now, that’s something and that’s all Amaechi. His story has all the elements of a blockbuster movie. Since I’m sitting in a café where I can just see the Hollywood sign, I’m thinking of Amaechi as a political movie. I can hear the trailer now. “In a world where politicians kill themselves to become King, he became governor without even running. On a continent where leaders sell poverty stories, he sells oil wells. In a country where you kiss butt to rise to the top, he’s right

at the top with Amaechi two butt cheeks seems to be for the two sides playing his of the political cards really divide. You well. The head Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, think you have of the northern text messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written him in a corner governors dines contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters then you realize with him. The you’re at the opposition - 150 words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your wrong corner. governors roll name and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be His subjects with him. The addressed to: calls him “the first lady refuses governor”, his to pick a bone fellow governors with him. The The Editor, call him “my president wraps Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, chairman”. him up in hug He is Rotimi like a prickly fruit. 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. Amaechi, the The president’s Email: opinion@peoplesdailyng.com chairmanattack dogs are SMS: 08134607052 governor” not baring all their You think fangs. Even Lai the president Mohammed, a man adept at screaming fire when tried to see him for three years just has a miraculous rise to the top, try his lord belches is drafting press Amaechi. One minute he’s sitting to see what makes him thick. But, releases defending Amaechi. No on his couch and contemplating there’s this little thing called the man has ever had it this well since Atlantic Ocean. life as an unemployed politician two scantily clad beauty queens I would have likened Ameachi and the next minute, the Supreme showed up in a fat man’s bedroom Court is calling to tell him he’s to the beautiful bride of Nigerian and started singing Lionel Ritchie’s the governor of an oil-rich state. politics but I’m in California. In “All Night Long”. Jonathan was the deputy of an a world where people think sex All of this makes me sad for ailing president in a country before politics, that would create Jonah Jang, a man struggling to where the constitution said he’s a uncomfortable images. rule his own state, was promised heartbeat away from the throne. Do you say the groom is a saucy carrot but now realizes Amaechi was close to the ignominy Jonathan or would it be the duo it’s really poison. Every time I see of being ruled by a governor with a of Tinubu and Buhari. The later the man he looks like he has a name that sounds like a woman’s would be weird because how stomachache. And, the guys around name in a country that doesn’t elect do you classify that – a political him look like they’re in on a joke female governors. Try that for a threesome or polyandry? This is that only Jang is unaware of. I miracle! when my beloved uncle would say, tried thinking of a movie trailer for I am in awe of Amaechi. I’ve “I know no book O”.

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Jang and I had a headache. Someone needs to find who put Jang in this mess and drag that person to the United Nations. If there was ever anything that qualifies as “inhumanity against man” this is it. Take for example the picture from the last JangNGF meeting. It’s a picture that broke my heart and made me realize Nigerians are a bunch of rumourmongers. These were the princes of Nigeria, or sixteen of them and they couldn’t even afford romaine salad. They had salad you get in a Mexican dive bar. And, there were three apples to every four governors! To make matters worse, it looked like they were meeting in the conference room in some motel where you go to lunch with your busty secretary. Never had so many powerful people met in such a tight room since Hitler met his assistants in a bunker. At least the Amaechi camp is a little sleek. They drive fine cars, don’t look like teachers listening to the headmaster, can do a simple arithmetic and have Lai Mohammed cooking up all sorts of assassination threats. You wonder what the next step would be for Amaechi. Would he go from being a near-martyr of the living variety to glory or would he just find his way back into the filthy mud some of his colleagues swim in? Or, to put it in a way my mother would understand? Would he go from dealing with a leader who sometimes talk to you or go to the leader that texts you your opinion every morning? Follow me @iam_ose

Boko Haram: What next after state of emergency? By Ijabla Raymond

ince the imposition of the State of Emergency (SoE) in 3 northern Nigerian states namely Borno, Adamawa and Yobes states about 6 weeks ago, I haven’t heard from or been able to contact family members in these states. There is very little news in the print and digital media about how the states are faring under the SoE rule. To police the states effectively and ensure that saboteurs amongst its ranks do not give away plans of pre-emptive strikes, the Joint Task Force (JTF) has completely cut off all means of mobile communication; this means that phones and the internet do not work. This strategy appears to be effective, if only in the short term, judging by the reports of only sporadic Boko Haram (BH) attacks since the SoE came into effect. We hear BH has been pushed to the fringes and its members have fled to neighbouring countries. I fully support the SoE and commend the efforts of the JTF and local communities in combating the BH insurgency. Personally, I think the government should have used the provisions of SoE sooner than it did instead of offering amnesty to BH. Anyone with the faintest understanding of Jihadists ideology would have known that BH was not going to accept the amnesty. Short of the imposition of Sharia rule and the islamisation of the entire country, no proposition is acceptable to this group. The group has made this position very clear. On this basis, therefore, it was very naïve of the government to offer amnesty to BH despite the government’s earlier assertion that the group was faceless. How was it going to negotiate with people it

claimed it didn’t know? Why am I bothering to write? I am concerned that the government does not appear to have long-term strategies for dealing with this problem. I have not heard any plans other than the use of military force; I apologise in advance if anyone is able to prove me wrong. It’s important for JTF to be professional in its use of force and avoid extra-judicial killings and other human rights abuses, which would be counter-productive and only lead to further radicalisation. There might be peace for a short while but soon, BH and its new army of sympathetisers, would emerge from the fringes a bigger and a more organised group. It’s important to consider the factors that have led to the emergence of BH if we are to have lasting peace. In my opinion, they are a combination of: failure of governance, corruption, poverty, lack of education, political thuggery and the imposition of Sharia law in northern Nigeria. Intricately related to all of these are the almajiris (Hausa word for disciple) and the Quranic schools whose curricula are not regulated. I will explain these factors briefly before I offer my suggestions on how to tackle them. There is a general failure of governance in the country but nowhere more so than in northern Nigeria. This region lags behind others on nearly all indices of human development. Its people are predominantly fatalistic, unquestioning, and accept whatever happens to them as the will of Allah (God). Islam is the major religion here; polygamy is rife and it’s not uncommon to find a man with 30-40 children. A man can simply divorce one

wife whenever he wishes and marry another giving him endless access to 4 wives at all times. This practice is seen as normal and no one questions it. Often, these men are unskilled and uneducated, and their means of livelihood consist of a small stall containing household items such as sugar, salt, washing powder, groundnut, cola nut, fish all tied in small ‘nylon’ bags; really nothing to sustain their large families. It is usual for them to choose one or two favoured children whom they send to school and leave the others to fend for themselves. The little girls hawk on the streets where they are vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse. They are given away in marriage in their teenage years to much older men; some of these in their 50’s and 60’s. This explains why vesico-vaginal fistula is common in northern Nigeria. The boys end up on the streets as almajiris often hundreds of miles away from their parents. Having experienced little or no emotional love, these boys are tough and hardy. They attend Quranic schools where they are taught to recite the Qur’an and they roam the streets all day begging for food from strangers. The curricula in these schools are unregulated and anything can be taught including hateful and extremist notions. Like their parents, the almajiris are given no life-changing skills whatsoever. Very few of them, if any at all, attend conventional Western-styled schools. The northern leaders have known about these problems for ages and have done nothing about them. In fact, they have exploited the ignorance of their people and encouraged these practices so that they can continue to rule

without the poor masses (the talakawa) challenging the status quo. They send their children to school abroad and upon returning home the kids take up important positions in government, big corporations or the private sector thus replacing their parents. And the cycle is repeated endlessly. Lacking any life-changing skills or education or money, the almajiris and the talakawa continue to be used as pawns in the hands of the northern elites and politicians and have no chance of breaking free from this cycle of subjugation. When political scores need to be settled, it’s these individuals that are asked to do the dirty jobs (political thuggery). The northern elites and religious leaders are very powerful and their words are obeyed without questions. This attitude, coupled with the fact that these leaders can be very disingenuous can have quite disastrous results. Take for instance the polio vaccine debacle. One of these leaders, who happens to be a medical doctor, made a bogus claim that the Western world had tampered with polio vaccine to induce infertility in northern Nigerian men. This singular pronouncement has lead to increased morbidity and mortality from this preventable disease. Health workers helping to immunise children have been shot dead in northern Nigeria in circumstances not too dissimilar to those that happened recently in Pakistan. Nigeria remains one of only 3 countries in the world where polio is still endemic; the other two being Pakistan and Afghanistan! What should we the citizens and the government do? I can’t decide which of the factors is the most important. But I think all of

us have to start from a position of honesty and acknowledge that the northern elites and politicians are responsible for the emergence of BH through systematic failure of governance. We need to have a critical and non-emotive look at the issue of almajiris; this army of people is a menace to the survival of the north and Nigeria as a whole. The north (and the Federal Government) needs to separate religion from governance. We need a system of social and mass mobilisation that will expose the hypocrisy of the northern leaders/ elites and at the same time educate and empower the talakawa. We need a dispassionate look at the issue of family planning, polygamy, teenage marriage, poverty alleviation and education, education and education. And more education! The government needs to find a way of regulating Quranic schools or at least integrating conventional school curricula into those of the Quranic Schools. The public cannot afford to have a clandestine Sharia council; if it impacts our lives we need to know what its objectives are. If these run contrary to the values and dignity of humanity that we espouse, then it should be proscribed. Finally, I believe that we need (and now is the time) to have a robust and honest dialogue which is selfless, non-partisan and devoid of ethno-religious prejudice about if, and how we should remain together as one nation. These are long-term strategies that I believe will assure long-term peace and we need to start implementing them from yesterday!! The use of military force alone will not guarantee lasting peace. Ijabla Raymond writes from England

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 15

Comment PDP, after the storm By David Manchok

he election of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur on Saturday March 23rd 2012 as National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) came as an anticlimax. Opposition to his candidature was so thick that analysts predicted an epic battle. Before the convention, governors of his zone, the north east organized a primary of sorts, the results of which indicated that he suffered a resounding defeat having scored only 2 votes against his rival, Alhaji Musa Babayo who scored 14 votes. As the convention date drew near, there were fears of a heated contest, particularly for the position of chairmanship which featured a contingent of ten powerful politicians from the north east in the race against Bamanga Tukur. There was however a dramatic U-turn on the appointed day. In long stretches of minutes on that Saturday, the contestants for various offices at the convention took turns to withdraw their ambitions citing “directives” from party leaders, and also acting in the overall interest of the party. There was no contest as the offices were won by consensus: Onwe Onwe was named the consensus candidate for the Deputy National Secretary; Olisa Metuh, National Publicity Secretary;

Kema Chikwe, National Women Leader; Okechukwu Nnadozie, Deputy National Organizaing Secretary; Claudius Emekise, Deputy National Treasurer; Victor Pam, National Legal Adviser; Binta Machika, Deputy National Publicity Secretary. The new twist left the position of the Chairman, Secretary, Auditor and Financial Secretary as the only offices to be filled by a yes or no affirmation by ballot – a formality meant to appease the Independent National Electoral Commission’s position on parties internal democracy.. Alhaji Tukur at 77 became the sole candidate for the top position, after a fellow contestant Shettima Mustapha speaking for the other nine candidates, announced their withdrawals. Following the withdrawals, Tukur won 3185 votes, against just 12 no votes and 51 invalid votes. Former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola also emerged the sole candidate for the position of the Party Secretary. The convention was a success on the surface but the emerging leadership did not ignore the undercurrents that produced them. Consequently, the National Chairman embarked on a reconciliatory mission to all states of the federation. As the tour progressed, it became clear that state governors elected on the platform of the party were a stumbling block to real

reconciliation in their states. The process of reconciliation therefore did not achieve much. In fact it worsened the relationship between the governors and the national secretariat of the party. The crisis of confidence between the governors and Tukur came to a head in January when in the absence of the Chairman, ten members of the National Working Committee of the party met and made a U-Turn on its earlier decision of October 2012 by recalling the sacked Adamawa State Executive Committee. The decision was the climax of the fight for supremacy between Governor Murtala Nyako and the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. The governors had threatened to sack the Alhaji Tukur-led National Working Committee, NWC, and replace it with a caretaker committee if the party failed to change its decision on Adamawa where the executive allegedly loyal to Nyako was removed. The crisis of confidence also spilled over to the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF). This led to the emergence of the PDP Governors Forum with Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio as chairman. This was seen as an attempt by the PDP national leadership to prune down the powers of the Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum, Rotimi Amaechi who was seen as

mobilizing other state governors against the ruling party. It was these perceptions that heated up the polity as the days drew near for the election of a new chairman for the NGF. The Nigerian Governors Forum finally met and held an election to find a successor to Rotimi Amaechi whose first tenure expired. But the results of the election became controversial as the two contestants, Amaechi of Rivers and Jang of Plateau claimed victory thus effectively splitting the Forum into two factions. Then followed the suspension of Amaechi and Wamako, governor of Sokoto from the party. Even though Wamako of Sokoto was eventually recalled, as the days of the convention drew close, the relationship between the party and its governors was a source for concern A few months earlier, INEC had declared that the process through which some of the members of the party’s NWC emerged in the party’s national convention last year was unacceptable and illegal. The electoral umpire condemned the process, noting that the process which produced 12 of the 16-member exco violated paragraph 6.5 (1) of the guidelines for the conduct of the 2012 congresses and national convention and, therefore, void. The electoral umpire’s report recognised Tukur, suspended

national secretary Olagunsoye Oyinlola, sacked national auditor Bode Mustapha and national financial secretary Elder Bolaji Anani as those duly elected. A few days to the convention, these officers actually resigned their offices. This fueled speculations that the Chairman and the financial secretary would also have to resign. Some newspapers actually reported that the President as the leader of the party had asked the chairman to step aside. But at the end of the meeting, chieftain of the party and former Information and national orientation minister, Professor Jerry Gana, who briefed journalists on the outcome said the NEC approved the appointment of interim executive members to fill the positions of the ousted NWC members pending the “special national convention” scheduled for July 15. Gana is to head the planning committee of the special national convention which has Governor Godswill Akpabio and Senator Ike Ekweremadu as deputy chairman and secretary respectively with two representatives from each state of the federation. Thus the biggest party in Africa has again proved that it can weather the storm. What is left is for the party to move fast to heal the wounds of its aggrieved members so that the July 15 “special national convention” will be a success. David Manchok wrote from Kaduna and can be reached on manmanchock@gmail. com

OAU, Moremi baby and the loud social network silence By ‘Sola Fagorusi

ome with me to the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU Ile-Ife, the one alumni and students of the school delightfully call Great Ife. Arguably one of the few universities in Nigeria where learning and culture is still prime and a great deal of quality education still rests. The story of Nigeria’s tertiary education system cannot be told without her mention; neither can the tale of students activism in Africa be recounted without due credit given to the 50-year old institution. From Professor Wande Abimbola to Professor Roger Makanjuola - both former Vice Chancellors - to Dr. Dipo Fashina, the former chair of the Academic Staff Union of Universities and a number of others, many of the lecturers of the university can hold their own anywhere in the world. With OAU as their platform, they have confidently managed to impact the country, nay the continent. OAU is like an organic fertiliser site - it is rich with stories of the past and the present. The last two weeks has seen the university which was renamed by the Babangida administration unwillingly play host in real time and virtually to both the traditional press and new media users. The birth of Okikiola, the one easily referred to as Moremi baby under initially reported startling

circumstances was all it took. The mother – Miss Oyinlola Rotimi of the department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development had ab initio been accused of attempts to snuff life out of the baby by flushing him through the toilet into the septic tank. Reports and interviews by the mother and other eye witnesses later showed that it was a wrong conclusion. But by then, the new media space had gone feral. Keyboards had been quickly hit, keypads had been happily cuddled and the news was out. A damage of sort had been done. In the conventional media, ‘bad’ stories travel fast but in the new media age, ‘bad’ stories travel faster! It really is not news that a student gave birth out of wedlock, what made it news was the circumstances surrounding it. The new media, in its entire make up especially its social component, gives wings to news. Information in essence is the currency of the social media. What however bothers one is the management’s rebuff of social media use for information dissemination and engagement with her stakeholders following the break of the story. For a university that is a pacesetter and one of the few that first incorporated ICT culture into university management, it definitely comes as a surprise. Social media use is a pop culture that is emergent. This disposition is not a forward looking. It rings like the submission

of an institution trapped in the past, revelling largely on past history when another one already calls to be written. I am not sure it is an opinion shared by a good number in the community. The university’s construct is that of a universe in the city. It is only logical to think that if social media use has caught up with the universe, the city should also follow suit. Even China, a closed state, could not ignore the global trend, it reacted by coming up with a platform like Weibo. The university is known for its usual pronouncement of synergy between town and gown. This is another instance where such should count. As early as 2002/2003 in the same university, long before I knew what the word ‘blog’ meant, Professor Babatunde Sonaiya was already discouraging note writing in his ANS 204 class. He had a blog from where he wanted his students to go access lecture notes and only come to class for intellectual discourse. It was splendid. It was a departure from the norm. It was a posture of an academic environment rooted in Ife but reaching for the globe. The university’s Student in Free Enterprise (SIFE) group two years after then had developed an app for rice farmers. I am convinced that there are already some undergraduate and postgraduate thesis unpacking social media nuances in relation to the arts,

sociology and even the social sciences. Maybe someone from the university needs to look closely at adverts in the newspaper and see that there are calls for social media managers today by multinationals and fashion courses to meet this market demand. The university if anything by now should already have digital media incorporated into the Special Elective in Technology, SET course offered by students. Despite the university’s apathy to social media use, there are currently about 25 affiliated groups using the university’s identity on Facebook – Nesa OAU, Nasels oau-ife etc and a couple of others on twitter. In the past, OAU has had countless numbers of students unrest ones majorly triggered by deficiency in information management. If for any reason there would not be power or water supply on the campus, the university’s use of a known social media identity to make such announcement would prepare students for it. A social media outlet would make it easier for the university to run its daily affairs by ensuring information comes cheap and not through press releases that has to be circulated and pasted across campus at huge costs. In a green age, OAU would save cost this way. With poor funding for tertiary institution, OAU may also smile to the bank by offering

corporate organisations and other bodies a cheap way to advertise products and events to its teeming population using its platform. OAU should not be called the Harvard of Africa for nothing by those who love to do so. It should learn from other global contemporaries. Harvard currently has 2,721,298 likes on its Facebook page; Oxford has 1,048,869 even Makerere University has 28,652 likes. University of Cambridge has 61,492 followers on twitter, while Yale University has 71,579 and Cairo University has 3,339 followers. There is no reason why lecturers should not be encouraged to set up closed Facebook and email groups to share assignments and thoughts with their students. There is no explanation as to why the school cannot capture social media identity of students on registration form and even send bulk SMS to students on very crucial matters. The current vice chancellor Professor ‘Tale Omole is of the new breed; it is thus rational that when next the senate meets, a social media engagement proposal having inputs from the school’s PRO and digital media experts should be at the table for consideration. Meanwhile, I heartily wish Miss Rotimi a delightful motherhood experience. Sola Fagro is reachable via @SolaFagro

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 17

Metro New policy on borehole drilling sparks debate in FCT Mrs. Albert Alfred (Businesswoman): Private persons go into drilling boreholes in their home, because the government has failed to provide affordable water for Nigerians. The Minister should really think through on this policy and provide affordable drinking water for the citizenry. “I had to connect pipes from the Central water Bank in my area to my house with my own money , even when they will not provide water regularly, they will give me an over charged water bill”, She said. Mr. Joseph Ugba (Civil servant): I think the underground water will only affect places like Maitama, Asokoro, the Presidential Villa because that is where borehole concentration is found not in places for the poor who cannot afford three meals a day let alone drilling a borehole. He went further to say “seeking the approval of the Ministry before drilling boreholes may involve one paying some amount of money which will lead to corruption thereby making life more difficult for the common man.” John Aga (Teacher): It is nothing but corruption at the highest order at work in the land; but why is it that everybody now tries to exploit the poor masses? Philemon Ibrahim (Student): For the Minister to think about such policy, they must have carried out research to see what the future holds if boreholes are drilled everywhere in Nigeria. This policy could be for the betterment of Nigerian in checking the ground water. Dio Amecwe (Businessman): My stand may sound a little not out of place for some, but with water ministries established in every state and the Water Board offices in Local government areas, they will help in the approval procedures. This will also help reduce the menace of drilling boreholes in areas of salty water and other factors may have prompted the Minister after all, what is wrong in receiving an official approval before drilling a borehole? Mr. Usiju Mamza (Trader): Let them provide portable water first, as it’s the responsibility of the government to provide portable water for everybody in the country; and if they had performed their responsibility they wouldn’t be any course to worry about. “Why would somebody go and seek approval, definitely you pay more money. So let the people be allowed to do what they can to meet their water need; there is no need of going to the Ministry of Water Resources.” Mr. Dauda Titus (Businessman): If true, it is absolutely “nonsense” to me. Why individuals should go to the Ministry for approval before

Recently the Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe, during a press conference in Abuja, disclosed that to check indiscriminate drilling of boreholes in the country residents would henceforth seek the approval of the ministry. According to her, continuous drilling of boreholes will affect the underground water supply in the future. When Peoples Daily reporters, Melea Jude Moses and Nami Hassan Kadir, sampled the opinion of Abuja residents, they described the purported policy as one which will further add to lingering potable drinking water problems in the Territory, which they believe the government has done little or nothing to address.

Mrs. Albert Alfred

Mr. Joseph Ugba

John Aga

Philemon Ibrahim

Dio Amecwe

Mr. Usiju Mamza

Mr. Dauda Titus digging their personal borehole? In fact the government is only trying to look for a way to siphon people’s money. Miss Sudai Kadir (Student)

Miss Sudai Kadir : The Ministry knows that water is essential to life, but how can they ask people to go and get approval just to drill their personal boreholes and am sure they will be much

procedure before one can get this approval. “So it doesn’t making sense to me at all, because it’s just like telling the people, before you drink

water in your house, you have to seek approval. People cannot live without water; water is the one important thing that humans need.”

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 16

NGO donates cash, gifts to 2,000 widows in FCT By Adeola Tukuru

non – governmental organization (NGO), Rock of Ages Empowerment Foundation (REAF) has donated cash and materials to no fewer than 2, 000 widows in Abuja. The president of the group, Evang. Ignatius Newman, while lamenting the plight of widowhood, especially in Nigeria, charged them not to be despaired but rather put their trust in God. He said the foundation has continued to empower and train widows, as well as orphans in all parts of the country. He said: “I was once in your condition so I understand how you feel when you think of what to eat, who you will run to for help but I tell you God will see you through. “However, I still wonder why our politicians don’t give attention to the less privileged in our society. What we are doing today is as a result of passion and vision to serve humanity.” The widows gathered from all parts of Abuja and environs, converged on the popular Echi-echi garden located at Gudu district, Apo, to share their experiences.

Indigenes task Reps to endorse Mayoral status for FCT By Adeola Tukuru

CT indigenes and stakeholders forum has called on the House of Representative on granting a mayoral status to the nation’s capital. The spokes person of the group Hon. Bulus Dogo said that the mayoral status for the FCT will establish a solid leadership foundation in the territory. He therefore called on the inhabitants of FCT to continue in fervent prayers and abiding faith that will ensure active participation in the great mission of navigation restoration and transformation to win for every one living in FCT. “We thank the Almighty for God answering our long awaited prayers through faith that inspired the present administration to provide us with value driven and purposeful leadership. We also pray with abiding faith that the mayoral status for FCT will finally be approved and assent into law by President Goodluck Jonathan. We remain very grateful to the members of the National Assembly and other stakeholder for the progress so far. Dogo further called on Nigerians irrespective of their religious and tribal affiliation to participate actively in the struggle to achieve mayoral status for the FCT in order to allow residents of territory vote their leader in the subsequent election.

Long queue at Conoil filing station opposite NNPC towers due to NUPENG warning strike, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Cleric identifies unemployment as major cause of insecurity T he Chief Imam of Apo Legislative Quarters mosque in the FCT, Sheikh Nura Khalid, has urged the Federal Government to take urgent measures to reduce unemployment rate among Nigerian youths. Khalid made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday. According to him, the rising insecurity in the country is due to unemployment, and that violent activities will reduce if the youth are gainfully engaged.

He, however, urged the government at all levels to enact laws that would tackle insecurity in the land headlong. The Imam also urged stakeholders not to leave the security challenges in the hands of the government alone, saying security was the responsibility of every Nigerian. Khalid also called on religious leaders and organisations to preach peace to their followers and eschew any act of violence wherever they found themselves.

He advised the Federal Government to tackle the irregular supply of electricity, adding that if addressed,more unemployed people would be engaged in one activity or the other. Khalid urged the government to also stem rural-urban migration by paying due attention to agriculture because agriculture was the major employer of labour. The cleric commended the efforts of the security agencies in stemming the spate of terrorism, pointing out that the Department of State

Security deserved commendation in the area of intelligence gathering. `` The nation’s security agencies also need to be more proactive in order to reduce the spate of kidnappings and other anti-social vices in the country. `` Our security agencies should apply more intelligence sharing and networking effectively in order to respond quickly to security threats,’’ Khalid said. He advised government at all levels to give women empowerment priority attention. (NAN)

Gwagwalada chair assures on completion of abandoned projects By Usman Shuaibu

he Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Hon. Abubakar Jibrin Giri, has assured residents of Gwagwalada that his administration would complete

the ongoing projects being put in place at the various wards by the outgoing chairman. He further assured the contractors the money would inspected the ongoing projects being masterminded by his predecessor to ascertain the level

of completion. Giri, who spoke to newsmen during the inspection of the projects in Gwagwalada, warned contractors against non-Challant attitude towards the projects. He pointed out that his administration would complete the ongoing project before

embarking on the new ones, so as to avoid the abandonment of the projects. Some of the projects inspected include; the Gwagwalada town hall, wagwalada legislative chamber, uncompleted clinic at Kaida Tsoho and transformer at Kutunku among others.

Traditional ruler calls for roads maintenance in Gwagwalada By Adeola Tukuru

he traditional ruler of Gwagwalada Area Council, Alhaji Mohammed Magaji, has called for the establishment of a special unit in the council to oversee the maintenance of township roads. Magaji stated this when a delegation from the council led by the Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar

Giri, paid him a courtesy call recently. He said the call had become necessary following the deplorable state of some major township roads in the council. In his words: ``When there is a special unit in-charge of road maintenance, the challenges of waiting till the roads are no longer motorable will be address.

``Having the unit in the council will also save the cost of road maintenance as the council will not have to wait till the roads become deplorable before embarking on repairs,” he said. The monarch commended the immediate past administration of the council for executing various road projects across the council. In his response, Giri said his

administration was aware of the deplorable state of some township roads. He reiterated the commitment of his administration to ensure that township roads in the council were maintained to boost economic and social activities. The chairman also told the monarch that plans were on to repair bad spots on the roads.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 18

Metro

INSIDE FCT COURTS

Police arraigns man for impersonation

Carpenter bags 200 days imprisonment for house break T A

n Abuja Senior Magistrates Court has sentenced a carpenter, Ebuka Amulu, 19, to 200 days imprisonment for joint act, house breaking and theft. Amulu had pleaded guilty to the three-count charge. Amulu, of no known address, was however, given an option

to pay a fine of N10,000 by the Senior Magistrate, Mr Abdullahi Illelah. He said that although Amulu pleaded for leniency, ``he must be punished to serve as a deterrent to others who may want to commit similar offence.’’ ``I put the plea of the convict, a first time offender, into

consideration as he did not waste the time of the court in admitting his guilt,’’ Illelah said. Police Prosecutor, Friday Idi, had told the court that Alfa Osemede of Sahara Homes, Gwarinpa Estate, reported the matter at the Life Camp Police Station, Abuja on June 16. Idi said the convict and two

others - Evans and Paki- now at large, jointly broke into the house of the complainant and stole one HP laptop, two iPad tablets and N750,000. According to the prosecutor, the police had, during investigation, recovered all stolen items and N190,000 in Amulu’s possession.

Man bags 12 months in prison for breach of trust, cheating

n Abuja Grade 2 Area Court in Kado on Thursday sentenced one Taiye Ogedengbe, 41, to 12 months imprisonment for criminal breach of trust and cheating. He was however given an option of N15, 000 fine on the two-count charge. The Police Prosecutor, Mr Christopher Roko, had told the court that, on March 12, 2013, one Oluwakemin Oluto, of BBC Media Action, Abuja, reported the case to the Utako police station. Roko said that the complainant had reported that Ogedengbe, of Christ Gate Petroleum and Gas, Abuja, had, on Jan. 28, 2012, collected the sum of N2 million to supply them with diesel. He said that the accused supplied the organisation with only N313, 500 worth of diesel and converted the remaining balance of N1, 686, 500 to his own personal use. Roko said during police investigation, the accused confessed to the crime. The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code. The offence carries a maximum of seven years imprisonment or with fine or both. The accused pleaded guilty and asked the court to tamper justice with mercy. The Presiding Officer, Mr Ahmed Ado, sentenced him on the two-count charge. The convict was sentenced to six months imprisonment or a fine of N8, 000 on the first count charge of criminal breach of trust. He was also sentenced to six months or a N7, 000 fine on the second offence of cheating. The presiding officer, however, ordered that a compensation of N1, 686,500 should be paid back to the organisation on or before July 25,2013. (NAN)

Gbagi cultural group entertaining guests at a public function, recently in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Two labourers docked for stealing plumbing equipment

wo labourers, Christopher Sunday and Yohana Makus, were arraigned before an Abuja Magistrates Court for allegedly stealing plumbing equipment from a construction firm worth N500,000. Sunday, 25 and Makus, 19, both employees of Atlas Construction Company, Kado Estate, Abuja, are standing trail for joint act and theft before Magistrate Abdul-Lateef Abolaji. The Police Prosecutor, Mr

Simon Emmanuel, told the court that, Samson Adepoju, of the same company, reported the matter to the Life Camp police station, Abuja, on June 19, 2013. Emmanuel said the accused connived and stole plumbing equipment in the absence of their employer and moved to an unknown destination until they were arrested by the police in Kaduna State. The accused pleaded not

guilty to the charges. The magistrate, however, granted them bail in the sum of N100,000 each and two sureties each in like sum. He said each surety must live within the jurisdiction of the court and should deposit a driver’s licence, International passport or National ID card with the court registry. Abolaji adjourned the case to July 8, 2013 for further hearing. (NAN)

he police has arraigned one Joshua Hosea before a Karu Upper Area Court in Abuja for allegedly parading himself as an inspector with the Nigeria Police Force . The accused person, who resides in Gwagwa, Abuja is facing a three-count charge of criminal conspiracy, impersonation and unlawful possession of a locally made pistol. The prosecutor, Insp Peter Adams, told the court that the accused person committed the offences on May 25. Adams said Hosea had stopped one Ikenna Ugor at about 10 p.m., introduced himself as a police inspector and ordered Uzor to surrender himself as he was under arrest for the offence of robbery. The prosecutor stated that Uzor had no option than to surrender to Hosea for fear of being shot if he resisted `arrest.’ ``The accused person was later discovered to be fake when he tried to arrest others like Uzor, and he was later accosted by the same people. ``An on-the-spot search was carried out on the accused person and a locally made pistol and double barrel gun was found on him. ``Such an offence is serious and punishable under sections 97, 132 and 319 of the Penal Code,” he said. NAN reports that the accused person stands the risk of serving a prison term of up to eight years and six months if found guilty of all the charges. There is, however an option of a fine or both. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Hosea pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him. The presiding judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 and a reasonable surety in like sum. He stated that the surety should be someone who resides within the jurisdiction of the court. The case was adjourned to Aug. 20,2013 for the presentation of witnesses and continuation of hearing. (NAN)

Mechanic in court for alleged armed robbery

he police yesterday arraigned a 24-year-old mechanic, Philip Thomas, of Gbagalape village, Abuja in an Abuja High Court for alleged armed robbery. Thomas is standing trial on one-count charge of alleged robbery, before Justice Folasade Ojo, an offence which contravenes the provisions Section 298 of the Penal Code. The Prosecution Counsel, Mr

Adam Osu, told the court that sometimes in November 2012, the accused conspired with one Peace Tehile, who is now atlarge, and committed robbery. Osu said the accused, who was caught in possession of some dangerous weapons, robbed one Honourable Emmanuel Iyang of valuable items in his house. He said that the items stolen include a Plasma Television,

one Mobile-phone, Laptop, Recharge cards and cash sum of N136,000. The accused however pleaded not guilty to the charge. In view of his plea, the prosecuting counsel asked the court to remand the accused in prison pending hearing. Counsel to the accused, Mr Paul Samson, made an oral application for bail of the accused.

Justice Ojo however denied the bail application on the grounds that ``this is an armed robbery case; your application must be written not oral because of the nature of the offence.’’ The judge therefore ordered that the accused be remanded in prison pending hearing of the case. She adjourned the case to Sept. 24,2015 for hearing. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 19

INSIDE

Elumelu’s Heirs Holdings commits USD2.5bn to Obama’s ‘Power Africa Initiative’ - Pg 20

L-R: Assistant Director, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Mr Anyahara Iheanyi, and Chief Executive Officer, Financial Reporting council of Nigeria, Mr. Jim Obazee, during an enlightenment seminar on International Financial Reporting Standards, recently in Lagos. Photo: NAN

Housing: FG unveils ‘rent-to-own’ model

Stories by Abdulwahab Isa

he Federal Government has unveiled a new plan to tackle the nation’s 17 million housing deficit through a new housing model, christened ‘ Rentto-Own’. Under the new arrangement, hinted yesterday by the Minister of Lands, Urban and Housing Minister Ms. Ama Pepple, during a one-day sensitisation workshop of the NHF in Abuja, subscribers would rent the houses built by the government and estate developers and pay for them while occupying them in installments.

This is even as collections for the National Housing Fund (NHF), has risen to about N2billion yearly due to the tradition of the e-collection platform by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN). Before now, contributions to the fund stood at about N730million yearly. The minister said for the Rent-to-Own housing model, subscribers who rent such houses will be made to make monthly contributions from their normal rent towards off-setting the cost of the houses, which she said is a means of providing affordable

housing to middle and low-income earners. “We are working out the modalities for that and will roll it out once we have concluded work on it; so what the subscribers need to do is pay monthly as their normal rent, but the money actually goes to off setting the cost of the houses. If anything goes wrong in the houses and they fix it, they know it’s their house”. Pepple commended the management of FMBN for putting in place a more accountable and transparent process for collecting NHF under a new e-collection system, which she said has laid to

Failure to declare money above $10,000 punishable – CBN

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), at the weekend, cleared the wrong notion that any person travelling outside or coming into the country cannot carry above $10,000, saying it was a misinterpretation and misapplication of the provision of the Money Laundering (Prohibition ) Act 2011. CBN, in a statement to all banks and other financial institutions, said that any person travelling or coming into the country can carry above $US 10,000, provided such amount was declared. He said that only those who made false declarations or fail to make such declarations are to be prosecuted. In a statement dated June 26, 2013, Acting Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department of the CBN, Mr. Y.

Duniya, said: “Section 2(3) of the MLPA, 2011 (as amended) provides that transportation of cash or negotiable instruments in excess of US$10,000 or its equivalent by individuals in or out of the country shall be declared to the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS. “Section 2(5) provides that any person who falsely declares or fails to make a declaration to the NCS pursuant to section 12 of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, Cap. F34, LFN, 2004 is guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to forfeit the undeclared funds or negotiable instrument or to imprisonment of not less than two (2) years or to both. “The Act under reference further requires the NCS to forward such

declarations made to both the CBN and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. “The import of the above provisions is that it is mandatory for only the holders of cash or negotiable instruments in excess of US$10,000 to declare such funds or their equivalent to the NCS. “It is the false declaration or failure to make such declaration to the NCS that attracts prosecution and subsequent sanction of forfeiture of the undeclared funds or instruments upon conviction. “To this end, the provisions in question do not imply in any manner that genuinelyowned or obtained funds or negotiable instruments in excess of US$10,000 or its equivalent cannot be brought into Nigeria or taken outside the country.”

rest the issue of non-remittance of NHF contributions by many organisations. She said that the workshop is long overdue as it would aid in providing an update on the NHF, correct some of the misconceptions about the scheme and propose new measures for strengthening and energising it. “I am confident that no matter our views on the NHF, there is a point of convergence. This is informed by the fact that the NHF is a sustainable mechanism for improving mortgage access and enhancing opportunities for affordable housing in Nigeria. “As key stakeholders and partners in the housing and urban development sector, you are, no doubt, aware of the positive developments in the operations of the scheme, especially over the past two years. “With reviewed confidence in the system, I am happy to report that many states of the federation that had hitherto opted out of the scheme are now back in it.

NCC makes case for corporate governance practice in telecom industry - Pg 21 CBN

Exchange Rates

as at 1st July, 2013 Selling Buying

154.75

155.75

€

235.99

237.51

202.42

203.73

41.26

41.52

Riyal

Parallel Rates Buying

Selling

157.50

158.40

€

250

253.00

206.00

210.00

Riyal

43.00

45.00

MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE DAY Keep your company’s social media accounts safe

t’s happened to high-profile companies like McDonalds and Jeep — hackers take control of corporate social media accounts and send inappropriate messages to tens of thousands of followers. Don’t let it happen to your company. Take these precautions: Get serious about passwords: Don’t let social media managers choose their own passwords (“password” is still commonly used). Instead, use a social media management system that allows employees to log in with the same username and password used

for company email. That way the master switch for turning accounts on and off remains in IT’s hands. Centralize channels: Consolidate all of your accounts within a single system that allows users to publish to multiple profiles on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other networks from one secure interface. Offer basic social media education: Just a little can go a long way. Provide training on security and compliance issues. Source: Harvard Business Review

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

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Energy Company News

Lafarge WAPCO

n celebration of its Health and Safety Week, Lafarge WAPCO has pledged its continuous support for the National Industrial Safety Council of Nigeria (NISCN), with its concerted efforts to ensure a work friendly environment for its workers. Speaking recently at its Shagamu, Ogun State plant, the General Manager of Lafarge WAPCO, Mr Joe Hudson pointed out that the company had recorded zero accidents since the beginning of the year, making it one of the best places to work. “According to the International Labour Organisation, every year, an estimated two million men and women die as a result of occupational accidents and work related diseases across the world.

Sterling Bank Plc

ngoing right issue by Sterling Bank Plc has kicked off to a resounding success as individual retail shareholders and shareholders’ groups have indicated interests in picking up their rights and mobilizing other shareholders to support the recapitalization programme of the bank. The expressions of interests and supports from minority and retail shareholders reechoed the unanimous endorsement of the bank’s capital raising programme by shareholders at the recent general meeting. Non-core shareholders, with less than five per cent equity stake, including a large number of minority retail shareholders of more than 88,000, collectively hold about 65 per cent equity stake in Sterling Bank.

FCMB

irst City Monument Bank Plc. (FCMB), expects the pace of loan growth to accelerate to 25 percent in 2013, more than doubling from last year’s 11 percent increase. Net income will grow an average of 35 percent per year over the period from 2012 to 2015, the Lagos-based lender said last Thursday in an e-mailed statement. Noninterest income from consumer banking will grow more than 50 percent a year, it said. The stock gained 3.8 percent to N4.75 in Lagos trading Thursday, the biggest increase in three weeks.

Revenue pressure mounts as Nigeria faces oil price swings Stories by Etuka Sunday with agency report

igeria’s economic managers are probably peering nervously at the ticker price for bonny light crude oil right about now. While the nation’s $275 billion economy depends on oil revenues for only about 15 percent of economic output, according to NBS data, the price of crude has an outsized impact on everything from the naira exchange rate, to consolidated government revenues. “Several pressure points have developed in the Nigerian

economy in recent weeks, which may expose the Achilles heel in the credit story, namely its vulnerability to a sharp and sustained decline in oil revenues,” FBN capital analysts, led by Gregory Kronsten, said in note released on June 27. Global bonds, stocks and commodities have slumped beginning May 22, after United States Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke put investors on notice that the Central Bank is prepared to begin phasing out its quantitative easing programme. Bonny Light crude, Nigeria’s main export grade, has fallen 16 percent from this year’s peak of

$120.54 per barrel on February 8 to $101.61 on Tuesday. Falling oil production and portfolio outflows have also led to pressure points on the economy. The 2013 budget assumes average crude oil production {including condensates} of 2.53 million barrels per day (mbpd) while an official at the presidency estimated the current level of production at 2.06 mbpd as at last week. The loss of almost a quarter of Nigeria’s oil output due to theft and sabotage has the potential to stall foreign investment and is increasingly a fiscal drag on

spending by state and local governments, rating agency, Moody’s Investors Service said last Month. Nigerian finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo –Iweala has put bunkering and other leakages at 300,000 bpd. Gadio says unless there is any meaningful progress in terms of structural fiscal reforms, Nigeria will remain vulnerable to long-run oil boom and bust cycles. Any fall in oil prices below the $100 per barrel mark for Bonny Light would put a further squeeze on oil revenues and the Nigerian economy.

Elumelu’s Heirs Holdings commits USD2.5bn to Obama’s ‘Power Africa Initiative’

s part of his commitment to deliver affordable and accessible power to the continent, African business leader, Tony O. Elumelu is committing US$2.5 billion to the power sector in Africa. The investment is being made through his pan-African proprietary investment company Heirs Holdings – the single largest investor included in the White House statement announcing the Power Africa initiative. Power Africa is a multistakeholder partnership between the United States, the governments of Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria and Ethiopia, and the African private sector, with the shared objective of accelerating investment in Africa’s power sector over the next five years. The initiative was launched in South Africa during Obama’s Town Hall at the University of Cape Town. Earlier this year, Elumelu’s holding company, through its investee company, Transnational Corporation of Nigeria

(Transcorp), purchased the Ughelli power plant, one of Nigeria’s largest power assets, which it plans to restore to its full generating capacity of 1000 megawatts. “The investment we are making demonstrates our intent to become a significant player in the power sector. It also shows in a clear and meaningful way that African capital can and should be part of the solution to Africa’s challenges. We need more African companies to step up and get involved in Africa’s development.” Elumelu, who is Chairman of Heirs Holdings, went on to say, “Heirs Holdings’ investment in Power Africa is not just about creating value for shareholders. We want to conduct business in this strategic sector for the long term, in a way that links economic return to social benefits – a key component of what I call Africapitalism. “Access to affordable, uninterrupted power will have an immeasurable impact on

Total awards N672bn contracts to develop Egina field

n a bid to facilitate the development of the offshore Egina field located in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 130 which is expected to come on stream in the second half of 2017, Total has awarded contracts worth $4.2 billion (N 672 billion)to Saipem and FMC Technologies. Saipem has bagged an award of a $3 billion contract from the French oil company for engineering and construction work on subsea facilities for development of the field. The Italian contractor will carry out engineering, procurement, fabrication, installation and precommissioning of 52 kilometres of oil production and water injection flowlines under the deal. It will also deliver 12 flexible jumpers, 20 kilometres of export pipelines and 80 kilometres of

umbilicals, as well as mooring and offloading systems, with installation work to be carried in 2016 and 2017. Most of the fabrication work will be carried out at the Saipem Rumuolumeni yard in Port Harcourt in line with Nigeria’s local content requirements. Houston-based FMC Technologies, Inc. said it has received an order from Total Upstream Nigeria Ltd (TUPNI). operator of the OML 130 block, for subsea equipment for the Egina field. The award has an estimated value of$1.2 billion. FMC Technologies’ scope of supply includes subsea trees and wellheads, manifolds, installation tooling, flowline connection systems, and associated control systems. The equipment is scheduled for delivery commencing in 2015.

Tony O. Elumelu the economic ecosystem. The cost of doing business will come down, entrepreneurs will expand and innovate, and jobs will be created as a result. That

is a very tangible example of what Africapitalism is about: the private sector creating economic prosperity and social wealth.”

TCN blames current power shedding on vandals

he General Manager (Public Affairs) of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Dave Ifabiyi, has blamed the current load shedding being experienced in the country on the activities of vandals on two major gas pipelines. “There is a total generation loss of 1,598 megawatts of electricity,” Ifabiyi said in a statement issued in Abuja. “The total power generation as at today is 2,290 megawatts. With this low-level generation, the operation and control of the system is at a major challenge.” He further revealed that the disruption, which specifically affected Rivers State Independent Power Station, would soon be corrected. Ifabiyi explained that the vandalised gas pipelines take supply from different plants, saying one took supply from the

Okoloma gas plant while the other took supply from Escravos. He said the loss occurred when NGC could not move gas to Afam IV and VI generation plants as well as the Independent Power Plant in Rivers State, adding that the second vandalised gas pipeline from Escravos to Warri was responsible for the cutback of 1,005 megawatts in power generation from Egbin station. He revealed that Olorunsogo, Omotosho and Geregu power generating plants were also affected by the power drop. The country’s power generation capacity recently hit 6,000 megawatts, according to the Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo. He, however, projected a generation of between 10,000 MW and 20,000MW in 2014 and 2016 respectively for the country.

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Ict

NCC makes case for corporate governance practice in telecoms industry

By Chris Alu

he Executive Vice-Chairman, Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah has said that NCC is looking at ways of expanding its services in order to adopt corporate governance practice in the telecommunications industry. Dr. Juwah, stated this at a forum to set up the regulatory framework practice of corporate governance over the weekend in Lagos saying that changes in the telecommunications landscape over the last decade necessitated the

setting up of an acceptable template for corporate governance the industry. He expained that NCC is doing all it can to ensure a level playing field is maintained. He said the code governing the practice world over has taking several dimensions, some are generic in scope while others are drawn up for specific groups of companies as a sector-specific driven or designed to address specific aspects of corporate governance. He listed highlighted that the platform shall address issues like board practice or transparency and disclosure stand-

ards. Juwah said that “Example could be seen in the banking, insurance and pension funds sub-sector of the financial services industry in Nigeria where they have adopted their respective Codes of corporate governance following their respective Codes following the banking sector consolidation in 2006. “While national codes of corporate governance are typically focused on country-specific issues and are aimed at improving and guiding governance practices within a country’s specific legal environment and business context,

sector-specific corporate governance codes on the other hand address the specific peculiarities of the affected sector, like the telecommunications that are typically dealt with under national or broadly-aimed codes,” he said. He further said that sector-specific Codes have become increasingly more beneficial in those areas where private unlisted companies operate whether as a predominant majority or not. He added that NCC had adopted practical steps towards achieving the goal by setting up Telecommunications Sector Corporate Governance Working

MTN Foundation launches training programme for widows

s part of its social responsibility MTN foundation has collaborate with the Ministry of Women Affairs to commemorate the first ever International Widows’ Day in Nigeria. The Foundation used the occasion to unveil its Widows Empowerment Scheme through which it is providing training and tools of trade for select widows in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria. Speaking at the press conference to commemorate the occasion, Mr. Akinwale Goodluck, MTN Foundation director, represented by Ms. Nonny Ugboma, executive secretary of the Foundation, described MTNF Widows Empowerment Scheme as

an initiative aimed at providing business management skills and equipment support for widows in Nigeria to improve their living conditions. He said the programm is for widows and it will help them reduce their living condition because when women are empowered, the standard of living of the entire family is improved,” Goodluck stated. According to him, a recent United Nations study reports that 115 million widows live in extreme poverty worldwide along with their children. He said reports such as this prompted the Foundation to seek for ways of assisting widows. Goodluck said the Foundation however realized that addressing the

challenges faced by widows required a proper understanding of the issues, which was why the Foundation began its intervention by organizing a stakeholders’ workshop on widows’ concerns in 2011 to understand the unique multi-dimensional challenges faced by widows in Nigeria. MTNF Widows Empowerment Scheme is a by-product of the consultation, he said. “We believe that the unfortunate loss of the head of a home should not be the end of comfortable life for that household. Provided with the necessary support, a widow can be a source of inspiration to her household, her community and can also make valuable contributions to the

development of the society,” Goodluck said. beneficiaries will be drawn from Imo State, Lagos State, Rivers State, Sokoto State, Taraba State and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, who were carefully assessed using a comprehensive vulnerability index analysis questionnaire followed by physical verification, will receive formal training and be presented with their tools of trade. Also speaking at the conference, Hajia Zainab Maina, minister of Women Affairs, commended MTN Foundation for deeming it fit to improve the quality of life of the beneficiaries by providing business management skills and equipment.

L-R: Deployment and Integration Manager, Nokia, Ogunwale Olalekan, Head of Training Services, Nokia Developer Experience, Jarmo Rintamaki, Marketing Manager, Nokia West Africa, Kesiena Ogbemi, and Director, Business Advisory, Co-creation Hub Nigeria, Adetunji Eleso, during a press conference on the new Asha Operating System, recently in Lagos. Photo: Olawale Rotimi

Telecom networks cost will go down soon – Stakeholder

n the next five years telecommunication networks will cost about half of what traditional networks cost today and will require a smaller capital investment to roll out, and will be cheaper to operate because they’ll be easier to manage, provide unified access, and require less power and cooling said Dimension Data’s Business Development Director for Network Integration, Mr. Raoul Tecala. According to him, most campus networks comprise around 80% wired ports serving individual us-

ers, and 20% WLAN ports supporting multiple users. However, there’s a growing swell of users across the globe pushing organisations to create ‘bring your own device’ ready environments, and usher in the enterprise mobility era that will inevitably change the structure of networks. Raoul Tecala, also said users want the freedom to move around as they please, and still be able to access the information and tools they need, seamlessly, from wherever they are, and using their own mobile devices.

“When comparing a traditional wired network deployment supporting 100 users to a wireless network of the same size, the reduction in physical hardware – LAN switches, discrete wireless LAN controller and cabling - makes the wireless network up to 50% less expensive. In addition to the capital savings, the operation and management of this user environment is also reduced. According to Tecala, the data in the 2013 Network Barometer Report indicates that organisations

aren’t upgrading their networks for enterprise mobility and bring-yourown-device (BYOD) environments as aggressively as expected, but this will inevitably change to accommodate the new structure of future networks and the cost saving that this brings. “We advise clients to think, plan and budget more architecturally, rather than reactively, when refreshing networks. The pressure to provide a more flexible, wireless environment conducive to enterprise mobility he stated.

Group (CGWG), inaugurated on October 24, 2012, with members drawn from the stakeholders in the industry. The NCC boss said that part of the group’s terms of reference was to draft a code of corporate governance for the operators in the telecommunication industry. Dr. Pascal Dozie, chairman, MTN Nigeria decried that tall important issues is being neglected in some companies, especially with more companies operating in informal sector in Nigeria. As a result, he said most companies are suffering for the negligence of leaders.

Samsung unveils Digital NX300 Smart Camera

amsung Electronics has launched high-performance Smart Cameras featuring wireless sharing connectivity and compatibility with a broad range of Android and iOS devices. According to Samsung, the Smart Cameras embody style and functionality, will raise the bar for compact system cameras all over the world. The NX300 boasts outstanding imaging performance, with its 20.3 Megapixel sensor which is capable of capturing high-quality images with sharp, life-like colours that are clear in all lighting conditions. It possesses a wide ISO range of 100-25600, making it twice as sensitive to light as the previous model. The NX300 features Dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) Wi-Fi support that enables users connect faster and with more stability to wireless networks. The device lets users shoot continuously at an ultra-fast rate of 8.6 frames per second while its advanced hybrid autofocus system brings clarity to fast moving objects. The camera comes with a 3.31” AMOLED screen and shutter speed of 1/6000s, the fastest in its class. Also announced at the event was the new NX45mm F1.8 2D/3D lens, the first one-lens 3D system capable of capturing both still images and full HD movies in perfect 3D quality when combined with the Smart Camera NX300. Samsung is currently organizing a photo challenge with the NX300 on its website where photographers across the country can showcase their skills with the amazing device. Samsung also announced the “soon to be launched” Galaxy S4 Zoom, a revolutionary new product that, according to Samsung, delivers on the company’s mission to create a single device that fulfills the role of both an industry leading smartphone and a high-end compact camera. A part of the Galaxy S4 family, the device combines 10x Optical Zoom, 16 Megapixel CMOS Sensor and Xenon Flash with the very latest Samsung Galaxy S4 technology, setting new standards for mobile photography.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

Economy

Dangote assures Nigerians on economic revival By Abdulwahab Isa

resident of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has assured Nigerians of economic revival, stating that the current challenges facing the country will soon be a thing of the past. He appealed to Nigerians to contribute their own quota by always doing what is right and adequately paying their taxes for the country to experience real growth and development.

Speaking recently, when a group of entrepreneurs visited him in his office in Lagos, Aliko appealed to Nigerians to be assiduous in paying their taxes, as part of their own respective contribution to the growth and development of the country. He urged the citizenry not to be discouraged by various challenges facing the nation stating that, they are necessary steps needed for the nation to

rank among the best industrially in years to come. He however called on both indigenous and foreign investors to invest more in the economy of Nigeria, revealing that Nigeria is the best place to have good returns on investment. He said Dangote Group will invest more in Nigeria, create more jobs as he has an unwavering faith in the nation’s economy.

The assurance came even as that all his investments would be tailored towards job creation for gainful employment so as to alleviate poverty among the people. Dangote, who is a member of the National Economic Management Team, stated that what Nigerians need most presently is economic empowerment and that it is only a working population

FG partners UNIDO on entrepreneurship devt By Melea Jude Moses and

he ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, in collaboration with the United Nation Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) organised the First Entrepreneurship And Career fair (EACF) in Nigeria, as part efforts toward enhancing competencies and competitiveness of job seekers in the labour market. The event, tagged: ‘EACF 2013’, held at Velodrome of the

National Stadium, Abuja, served as a platform for career guidance and direct physical transparent opportunity for interaction between employers and those seeking for employment. Speaking at the event, Minister of State for FMITI, Dr. Samuel Ortom, said the fair seeks to provide support to policy makers, to structure skills development to meet sectoral demands, raise awareness of self-employment lucrative alternative to working for other people in various field

of endeavors. According to him, for those seeking employment, the fair is structured to enhance their exposure, equip them with career competencies, bring out the best in them and improve their competitive edge in the labour market while on the other hand, it provides employers of labour with a one-stop platform to meet individuals with various skills and background to interact and network as a first step towards engagement.

He noted that the initiative was in line with the transformation agenda of the present administration in the area of job creation for wealth generation through entrepreneurship and therefore prompted the ministry to partner with UNIDO. Ortom, who reiterated that the ministry has initiated key policies in trade, industry, investment, enterprise and skills development to support the transformation of the national economy, said the efforts are already yielding positive results. The Minister therefore urged the participants and stakeholders from the Organised Private Sector to key into the emerging conducive business environment that is being put in place to help drive the development of the economy.

whether self-employed or engaged could be economically empowered. He explained that economic development of the country rests more on the shoulders of the private sector operators which government’s strategic role is to ensure conducive environment is provided by putting in place right policies that will encourage setting up of businesses. Dangote noted that the situation in Nigeria is such that said all hands must be on deck to ensure the dream of Nigeria’s economic turnaround becomes a reality. He therefore urged that local investors should complement the efforts of the Federal government at ensuring the success of the economic agenda by delving to manufacturing as one of the means of empowering Nigerians through job creation. The Group President then advised that local businessmen should take the advantage of abundant opportunities in the country to invest in employment generating businesses to empower Nigerians. He promised that he would do all within his power to ensure that any investment he makes is job creation focused and urged other investors to do same for the nation to be where it ought to be by the year 2020.

Food security: World Bank approves $300m to boost agriculture in Nigeria By Etuka Sunday

T L-R: GM GOTV, Mrs. Elizabeth Amkpa, Marketing Manager, GOTV, Mr. Oludare Kafar, Head, Public Relation Multichoice Nigeria, Mr. Segun Fayose and Chief Executive Officer, Sonite Communication Ltd, Mr. Adedeji Samson, at the lauching of GOTV in Kaduna recently.

GOtv launches service in Kaduna

s part of their effort to expand their service to other parts of the country, a Television service provider, GOtv was at the weekend launched in Kaduna. Speaking at a press conference to launch the TV product at Hamdala Hotel, General Manager of GOtv, Mrs. Elizabeth Amkpa said so far GOtv service has covered 9 cities. According to her, the cities are Port Harcourt, Lagos, Enugu, Ibadan, Benin, Aba, Oweri, Kano and Kaduna states. She stated that with the expansion of Gotv services across the nine cities, it will greatly help to deliver sustainable family entertainment to Nigeria through local partnerships.

The General Manager further stated that GOtv was launched on 15th October, 2011 by a group, Details Nigeria in association with Multi Choice Nigeria to ensure that great affordable digital TV is accessible to low income earners across the country. Mrs. Elizabeth said they have not relented in their efforts to accomplish their vision of maintaining their reputation as a leading pay television service provider in the country. She stressed the need to also partner with the government and people of Nigeria to ensure a speedy migration to digital using the latest DVB-T2 technology. “GOtv system uses the latest

DVB-T2 technology to offer viewers affordable family entertainment. We have about 37 stations to offer our esteem viewers and customers. Gotv is a digital pay television service designed to cater for all television households in Nigeria. “It offers subscribers both local and international channels and was launched by details Nigeria, in association with Multichoice Nigeria, to ensure that great affordable digital accessible to everyone,” she said. She assured the people of the state the company’s readiness to serve them better as she said Gotv has come to stay in the country.

he World Bank yesterday announced that it has approved 300 million dollars to help Nigerian government expand its agricultural sector by proving food security and improve nutrition of the poor ones in the rural areas. The fund which was approved under the International Development Association (IDA)’s credit is expected to strengthen policies and capacity to raise yields, promote market access among farmers, and improve overall management of the country’s rapidly expanding agriculture industry. The World Bank, in a statement said, “the IDA credit of US$100 million will fund the Nigeria Agriculture Sector Development Policy Operation, the first of two projects that will support the Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda. “The second IDA credit of US$200 million will fund the Third National Fadama Development Project (Fadama III). These funds will support small-holder farmers, organized in clusters in six states, activities designed to increase their production of food staples, including cassava, rice, sorghum, and processing them for

delivery. The funds will also link the farmers to better-organized markets and to small and large-scale food processors. The statement quoted “the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Marie- Francoise MarieNelly as saying that “Nigeria has an enormous opportunity to promote a vibrant, competitive and technology-propelled agricultural sector, which today employs 70 percent of the population. This new project focuses on providing opportunity to Nigeria’s growing ranks of agribusiness entrepreneurs in a way that will generate higher incomes for farmers while also enhancing expansion in the industrial sector, ensuring food security and enhancing foreign exchange earnings.” It also quoted the World Bank Director of Sustainable Development for the Africa Region, Jamal Saghir as saying that “the Fadama Development Project is an innovative approach to leverage private sector investments and to establish business linkages between large investors and smallholder farmers. It will assist the Nigerian Government in its efforts to expand employment, raise household incomes and enhance skills and capacity.”

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Stock Watch

Report as at Monday, July 1, 2013

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

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PAGE 25

Special Report

Foreign investors eye Nigeria’s middle, upper class By Oluwaseyi Bangudu

espite the challenging business environment, foreign investors have continued to eye the Nigerian market, recently exhibiting more interest and focus in its middle and upper class. The investors’ interest range from automobile, to assorted wines and brewery, mobile phones, Jewellery, among others. Despite the obvious challenges the nation suffers, such as lack of sufficient infrastructure, lack of adequate electricity, political instability, insecurity, multiple taxation among others, the investment choice of foreign brands have not been hampered but rather, appears to rise. Athmane Lakhlifi, Head of Export Sales, Miele, a German based manufacturer of high-end domestic appliances, commercial equipment and fitted kitchens, based in Gütersloh, Germany, said on Saturday that the company has taken its time to study the Nigerian market and concluded that Nigeria is the most suitable nation to invest in and open its mega outlet, the first of the firm’s outlet in West Africa. “We find customers that can afford our appliances everywhere in the World, and we also find them in Nigeria. However, it is not all about being able to afford the products, but handling the customers as well,” he said, adding that the firm took time out, about a year, to study the Nigerian market, the culture and the people and is convinced that they can handle the seeming challenges and work with the citizens. The Managing Director, Miele Nigeria, Mustapha Olorunmbe, said the products are already being received with open arms, as about eight of ten prospective customers end up buying the products. “Our products belong to the upper and middle class of the society and knowing that, we have brought the right products that would give them the value they deserve. If we don’t bring these products to them, they will travel abroad to buy them,” he said. The organisation said it views the Nigerian market as a big market, despite the fact that it is already operating in over 40 countries globally. It said it understands the Nigerian electricity problems

An aerial view of Marina, in Lagos

and has sorted out challenges that can erupt from issues such as low voltage and power outage. Founded in 1899, the firm’s products include freezers, fridge freezers, dishwashers, tumble dryers, washer dryers, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, cooking appliances, rotary irons; built-in convection, steam, and speed ovens; hobs (cooker hoods, cook tops); freestanding and built-in refrigerators, freezers, and wine coolers; and coffee systems.

In 2007, Miele, which has won series of awards over the years, was given an award for being the most successful company in Germany that year, beating the previous year’s winner, Google, which placed second, and Porsche, which came in third. Miele is, however, not the only company eyeing Nigeria’s high end market. Earlier in the week, Tecno Telecom Limited, a high-tech company specializing in the production, sale and service of mobile communication products, though acquainted

“

A major challenge, however, is that consumers are often quick to buy the imported goods rather than purchase locally-made ones, further contributing to the downfall of local industries

in the Nigerian market and otherwise considered a phone maker for lowend users, announced that is seeking a niche among the big names in the phone manufacturing industry by introducing its first major high-end user smartphone, the Phantom A. A major supplier of premium brands and premium services, the organisation expressed its desire to play in the highend phone user market, as this first of its kind product would compete with top brands that produce such products with a very competitive purchasing price. Chidi Okonkwo, the Deputy General Manager, Tecno Telecom, Nigeria, said “We are taking a giant stride with the launch of Phantom A. The phone was designed with a passion to give everybody access to innovation unlike other brands of similar quality, which are reserved for the high-end customer by reason of their prices alone”. The Phantom A smartphone is the outcome of a collaborative effort of the firm’s French and Korean

design team. It is a 5.0 inch high definition touch screen and dual-SIM hand set with 1GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB internal memory, an 8-mega pixel camera (front), the latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Etisalat Nigeria

Operating System and a flash share which allows users to share information without either WiFi or internet connection. The phone also has a 13-month warranty. Tecno partnered

with Etisalat, a telecommunications company in Nigeria, on this product, and the partnership guarantees that the phone comes with a 12 months free data bundle powered by the firm’s 3.75G, HSPA+ network. The firm said it is achieving great success with its strategy which resolves translating advanced technology into superior localised products, with fast growth in Africa, especially in Nigeria, where it plans to establish a manufacturing plant. Finance experts have said foreign investments can make a positive contribution to Nigeria’s economy by providing employment, technology, management resources, and capital that would otherwise not be available and thus boost her economic growth. Over the years, Nigerians have benefited from both the direct and indirect employment effects of foreign subsidiaries of international organisations located in Nigeria. Their technology and management resources have helped to stimulate economic development and industrialization, and improve efficiency. The presence of these firms also increases the number of players in the local market and hence consumer choice. This increases the level of competition, thereby driving down prices. Furthermore, imports from these countries bring in a

variety of products previously unavailable because local manufacturing companies were unable to provide them. A major challenge, however, is that consumers are often quick to buy the imported goods rather than purchase locally-made ones, further contributing to the downfall of local industries. Nigerian exporters are also not doing badly in their exploits. According to the Central Bank of Nigeria, in quarter 1, 2013, the total non-oil export earnings by Nigerian exporters stood at US$1,136.33 million at the end of the review period. This indicated an increase of 15.1 and 9.3 per cent above the levels in the preceding quarter and the corresponding quarter of 2012, respectively. According to the regulatory body, the development was attributed, largely, to the 66.9 and 70.3 per cent rise in receipts from the industrial sector and manufactured products, respectively. A breakdown of the proceeds in the review quarter showed that industrial, manufactured, agricultural, minerals and food products earned $634.2 million, $322.6 million, $89.9 million, $67.9 million and $21.7 million, respectively. The shares of industrial, manufactured, agricultural, and food products as well as mineral and transport in nonoil export proceeds were 55.8, 28.4, 7.9, 6.0 and 1.9 per cent, respectively. Source: Premium Times

Smart phones

Jewelry stores

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUly 2, 2013

Defence FCT minister lauds army on sustenance of internal security By Joy Baba

he Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Sen. Bala Mohammed , has lauded Nigerian Army on their role in sustaining peace and internal security especially in the FCT. Mohammed stated this yesterday in Abuja when the Chief of Army Staff, (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika and his principal officers paid him a courtesy visit in his office as part of the activities to mark the Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL). The FCT minister said he was highly delighted and appreciated the army for its role in ensuring peace and stability within the FCT community and the nation at large. According to the minister “We cannot pay you for what you are doing for us in FCT and we say with all sense of humility we are appreciative of what you do. “We cannot pay you as our security welfare and that of the residents cannot be better without your support and services especially from the various formations that you have in the FCT. “We remain very loyal and whatever support we give is a tip of the ice berg as we cannot pay you”.

The minister said that the FCT would continue to make sure that it establishes a vibrant relationship with the army. He further said the visit by the army authority was an attestation that the army and FCT can be in partnership and they will render any support needed by them whenever called upon to do so. “On behalf of myself and my colleagues, I want to say we are highly delighted on the visit to us and to say this relationship would blossom more than it was before. “The army day is something that had been established in the country and we will do all we can to give you the necessary publicity needed. Speaking earlier, the army chief told the minister that they were in the office to formally thank the minister for accepting to host the Army Day Celebration. He said they also came to appreciate him for his support in ensuring that necessary logistics were put in place for a hitch - free event. Ihejirika said the purpose of Army Day Celebration which is done every year was to enable the army recap its rich history, values and renew its resolve to defend the territorial integrity of the country. “And other roles assigned to

L-R: Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Azubuike Iherijika, FCT Minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed and Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, during a visit by the Army Chief to the Minister, yesterday, in Abuja. Photo: Joy Baba

us in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “The last time the event was held in Abuja was 2009, and we have held this event in

various states but this time we decided to hold it in Federal Capital Territory for several reasons. “But the most important

reason we are holding it here in Abuja is because of our good relationship with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.

3 Div NA inaugurates general court martial to try erring soldiers

he 3 Division Nigeria Army, Jos, yesterday inaugurated a general court martial to try erring soldiers. Speaking at the inaugu-

ral ceremony, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the division, Maj.-Gen. Ebiobowei Awala, said that discipline was the foundation on which career

in the military was based. He said that any officer who wanted to succeed in the military should be disciplined and loyal, adding that they were two

L-R: Commander, Provost Group, 3 DIV., Colonel Adekunle Ariyibi, GOC, 3 DIV., Major-General Ebiobowei Awala, and Deputy Chief of Staff Administration, Colonel Abubakar Nabasa, during the inauguration of General Court Marshal to try erring Army Personnel, yesterday in Jos. Photo: NAN

“essential requirements” an officer should not lack. The GOC said: “Discipline is the foundation on which the military career rest; as a matter of fact, discipline and loyalty are two essential requirements no officer or soldier, who wants to succeed in professional soldiering, can afford to lack “It is the duty of superiors to observe, correct and instantly deal with negligence or any misconduct on the part of subordinates. “When there is any breach, it is expected that appropriate disciplinary measures must be taken by commanders to forestall future occurrences. “This way, the Nigerian Army can continue to play its constitutional role and sustain its accolade as the pride of the Nigerian nation.” Ebiobowei said that the need for the court martial became necessary so as to ensure that the high level of professionalism required to confront the lingering security challenges was sustained. He enjoined the parties in the court martial to discharge their duties expeditiously and with high degree of commitment, so as to enable the accused persons ascertain their

fate in time. According to him, justice is a three-way traffic that involves the accused, the Nigerian army and the state, hence the need for fairness and equity. “I want to implore this general court martial to ensure that no effort is spared to achieve this three way traffic of the justice system; in this case, of the accused, the Nigerian Army and the state. “Where a person is convicted of an offence, sentence ought to be passed. Such sentences must be humanely meted out. “Punishment is among the means available for the maintenance of discipline in the Nigerian Army; as such the kind and amount of punishment should be adequate enough to achieve its purpose and serve as deterrence to others.’’ The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 17 officers and men to be tried are from the 3 Division, the Joint Taskforce (JTF) from Maiduguri, and the Special Taskforce (STF) from Plateau. The officers are accused of, among other things, communication with enemies, cowardly behavior, murder and manslaughter. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

Defence PAGE 27

Security of the nation in the hands of women- says DEPOWA president By Joy Baba

he wife of the Chief of Defence Staff and President, Defence Officers’s Wives Association (DEPOWA) Hajiya Modupe Ibrahim has said the security of this nation and the world at large is in the hands of women since they are the ones that give birth to the children, they are expected to give them the best upbringing including education so they won’t become miscreants. Hajiya Ibrahim stated this yesterday in Abuja when she visited members of the Defence NonCommission Wives Association (DENCOWA) to empower them with vocational skills equipments as part of the activities to mark the ongoing DEPOWA week. The DEPOWA president said she and members of her executives thought it wise to train members of DENCOWA in different vocational skills as a way of empowering them to support their families. She urged them to work and continue to support the husbands so as to maintain peace at home because according to her “if you don’t work, there will be no peace in the home. We should not put everything on our husband’s heads because it will not be easy for them. “They have to work to encourage their husbands, to support them so that the home front will be okay”. She further said another reason they are empowering these women is to prepare them for their husbands retirement period so their families won’t feel the impact of retirement that much as the man alone cannot cope with taking care of the family

needs. According to her “today, as part of our empowerment programme, we have come with items which I call starter packs to enable those of you who have acquired relevant skills to start doing something no matter how small. “It is our hope in DEPOWA that by so doing, you will be able to assist your husbands in uplifting the standards of your families. “For those of you that will benefit from today’s starter packs, I encourage you to remain focused on your own business and remember that every business requires time to grow, except if your business is 419” She also urge them to make up their minds to start their business as soon as possible so that they can be a source of blessings to themselves and their communities noting that every big business started in a small way. Hajiya Ibrahim assured them that she will always be available to give any necessary assistance they require. “Please, don’t give your husbands problems that will not allow them concentrate on their work. If you do, we shall not be happy with you” DEPOWA president added. Speaking with journalist, one of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Queen Inyali, who learnt catering said they are all very excited and grateful to Hajia Ibrahim for this empowerment programme and for also providing the equipment they will use to start up their business and help sustain the home front. She said her family can never remain the same after this training adding that she will do all she can to encourage and help her husband whenever he retires.

R-L: DEPOWA President, Hajiya Modupe Ibrahim, inspecting some of the products from the vocational centre

R-L: DEPOWA President, Hajiya Modupe Ibrahim, presenting certificate to one of the benefociaries

L-R: Chief of Civil Military Affairs, Maj.-Gen Mobolaji Koleoso, Chief of Staff (COS), Col. John Agin addressing journalist on fortthcoming the Army Day celebration recently in Abuja.

R-L:Defence Officers’s Wives Association (DEPOWA) President and wife of Chief of Defence Staff, Hajiya Modupe Ibrahim, presenting a sewing machine to a member of Defence Non- Commissioned Wives Association (DENCOWA) as part of activity marking the DEPOWA week, yesterday at Mogadishu Cantonment in Abuja. Photos: Joy Baba

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 28

Agriculture By Mohammed Kandi

lthough groundnut, ones most valuable export crop and a major source of foreign exchange in Nigeria has suffered neglect of various degrees in the country, its producers recently heaved a sigh of relief when agricultural experts converged at the 40th meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Rural Development in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The event, which brought together agricultural specialists, farmer groups and organisations to brainstorm among several issues facing agriculture in Nigeria, sought in different paper presentations, the council’s approval for the various activities and strategies slated for implementation in the Groundnut Value Chain Workplan for Year 2013. Kano, perhaps in urgent need for the resuscitation of groundnut production and especially the groundnut pyramids of ‘blessed memories’, the State’s Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, emphasised the articulation of a National Policy on Groundnut Production, the adequate funding of research on groundnut and the promotion of Groundnut Value Chain in the Federal Government’s ongoing Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA). In a paper titled “The need for the resuscitation of groundnut production in Nigeria” written and submitted by the Kano State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the ministry discribes “Groundnut as an important cash crop in Nigeria that is used in making groundnut oil, soap, margarine and livestock-feed.” “Enhanced groundnut output will enable local industries to source their raw material need for edible oils within the country and thereby minimize the importation of groundnut and their associated products and byproducts,” the paper informed. It also stated that “the decline of groundnut production is attributed to various factors such as the non-availability of improved seeds, high cost and adulteration of production input, the incidence of pests and diseases, and extreme weather condition.” The ministry expressed optimism that Nigeria’s climatic conditions favour the production of groundnut especially in the northern part of the country. While calling on the Federal Government to approve the production of a National Policy on Groundnut for domestic utilization and export market, it emphasised the need for the inclusion of groundnut among the commodity value chains being promoted under the ATA. Incidentally, the federal ministry of agriculture and Rural Development, in a paper submitted at the forum said: “the Groundnut Value Chain in conjunction with other stakeholders will promote production, processing and

Moves to resuscitate groundnut production in Nigeria

Participants at the opening ceremony of the 40th meeting of National Council on Agricultural and Rural Development, recently in Abeokuta, Ogun state.

“

The reasons behind the setting up of the council was to revive groundnut cultivation, encourage its consumption and exportation, while promoting research activities on the crop in the six groundnutproducing countries. marketing of groundnut in the participating States.” According to the presentation, the project was expected to commence with 5 States in 2013 while other states are to join in subsequent years. The paper which didn’t leave out the socio-economic, nutritional and ecological importance of Groundnut, also stated that “the Groundnut Value Chain seeks to increase the productivity of groundnut from 1.26 tons per hectare in

2011 to 1.7 tons per hectare by 2015, and the average annual production to 2.5million metric tonnes. The Groundnut Value Chain also seeks to increase the level of processing groundnut and groundnut oil export level from 1.2% to 5% of world production, thereby increasing export earnings and raising the standards of living.” It therefore specified the aims of the intervention saying improved profitability of groundnut production and

processing through development of market linkages and strategies to reduce cost became significant towards national development. Part of the intercession by government, the paper stated, includes broadening the genetic base of improved groundnut varieties and scale up of technologies that increase yields, which is possible via GMO processes. It seeks enhanced sustainable groundnut seed supply systems; and builds capacity of farmers and other stakeholders in the groundnut value chain. The implementation strategies as highlighted in the paper include promoting the use of improved varieties (SAMNUT 10, SAMNUT21; SAMNUT 22; SAMNUT 23 and SAMNUT 24); and supporting farmers with subsidised inputs through growth enhancement scheme (GES) platform. The document also advocates the use of agricultural practices that meet farmers’ needs and market requirements. However, available records on the history of groundnut as a cash crop in Nigeria dated back to the early 16th Century. But, the crop became a major

source of foreign exchange in the period between 1956 and 1967, and at that point in time, groundnut, including its cake and oil, accounted for about 70 percent of Nigeria’s total export earnings. The profit and successes achieved from the production of groundnut in the continent at large prompted the establishment of the African Groundnut Council (AGC) in 1964, under the aegis of the defunct Organisation of African Union (OAU), now African Union (AU), to boost groundnut production in six African countries, including Nigeria. The countries that spearheaded the establishment of the council are Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Sudan and The Gambia. The reasons behind the setting up of the council was to revive groundnut cultivation, encourage its consumption and exportation, while promoting research activities on the crop in the six groundnut-producing countries. Other objectives were to encourage exchange of technical and scientific expertise on the uses of groundnut, while protecting

PAGE 29

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

Agriculture

IFAD trains 9 on fish production in Jigawa

he International Funds for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has sponsored nine people to Sabuwa Fish Farm in Katsina State to study fish feeds production. The State Coordinator of the organisation, Alhaji Umar Abubakar, announced this in Dutse recently in

an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). He stated that the officials, who had finished the programme, were now stationed in Garki Local Government Area of Jigawa, teaching other farmers who are interested in fish farming. The coordinator said that the fish

feeds were made from maize, ground nut cake, soya beans starch and palm oil. Abubakar said that a farmer needed a minimum of N5, 000 to produce the feeds that would sustain the fish in his farm for about three months. ‘’This is far cheaper to the time

when our farmers used to go to Kano or Kaduna to buy feed for about N40, 000 but now they need only N5, 000 to produce the feed,’’ he said. The coordinator said the gesture by IFAD was part of efforts to encourage fish farming and improve agricultural production in the state. (NAN)

Gombe farmers commends FG’s e-wallet fertiliser distribution system

armers in Gombe have lauded the efforts of the Federal Government in the ongoing e-wallet fertiliser distribution system, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. Some of the farmers gave the commendation in Gombe while speaking with NAN recently. Malam Usman Ishaku, a farmer, told NAN that the state government had distributed fertiliser and the seeds to farmers this year. Ishaku said that on completion of the registration form, he received a text message to go and collect his allocation of fertiliser and seeds at the redemption centre.

Ishaku said that while he paid for the two bags of fertiliser allocated to him, he received the two bags and 10 kgs of maize seed free of charge. He said that he also benefitted last year and as such he did not experience any shortage of foodstuffs as he recorded good harvest. Malam Shehu Saleh, another farmer, said that he also collected his farm inputs without any hazzles. “We thank the Federal and Gombe State Governments for their efforts toward assisting us with such farming inputs,” he said. According to him, the inputs

assisted him to produce 15 bags of maize and millet last year as against the two bags he got the previous year. Also commenting, Malama Talatu Bako, a female farmer, commended the Federal Government for making available inputs to farmers, irrespective of their political differences. She said she paid N3, 250 for each of the two bags of fertiliser, adding that 10 kg of maize seed was given to her free-of-charge. Dr Thilza Bitrus, an officer supervising one of the distribution centres, said they were directed to distribute 10 Kg of maize, 12.5 Kg of rice, 50 Kg of NPK and 50 Kg

Urea to registered farmers in the state. She said that they were expecting more supply of the seeds, to enable each of the registered farmers to receive allocation. On the challenges confronting the officials, Bitrus said the beneficiaries were impatient and appealed to them to be more organised and follow due process, to ease the distribution process. NAN recalls that Dr Bukar Tijani, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, inaugurated the distribution of 20,000 tonnes of fertiliser allocated to the state in Gombe. (NAN)

World’s food supply: Resistance gene found against wheat stem rust pathogen

duard Akhunov, associate professor of plant pathology at Kansas State University, and his colleague, Jorge Dubcovsky from the University of California-Davis, led a research project that identified a gene that gives wheat plants resistance to one of the most deadly races of the wheat stem rust pathogen -- called Ug99 -- that was first discovered in Uganda in 1999. The discovery may help scientists develop new wheat varieties and strategies that protect the world’s food crops against the wheat stem rust pathogen that is spreading from Africa to the breadbaskets of Asia and can cause significant crop losses. Other Kansas State University researchers include Harold Trick, professor of plant pathology; Andres Salcedo, doctoral candidate in genetics from Mexico; and Cyrille Saintenac, a postdoctoral research associate currently working at the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique in France. The project was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Borlaug Global Rust Initiative. The team’s study, “Identification of Wheat Gene Sr35 that Confers Resistance to Ug99 Stem Rust Race Group,” appears in the journal Science. It identifies the stem rust resistance gene named Sr35, and appears alongside a study from an Australian group that identifies another effective resistance gene called Sr33. “This gene, Sr35, functions as a key component of plants’

A group of farmers harvesting maize with the aid a newly introduced harvesting machine in Kenya. immune system,” Akhunov said. “It recognizes the invading pathogen and triggers a response in the plant to fight the disease.” Wheat stem rust is caused by a fungal pathogen. According to Akhunov, since the 1950s wheat breeders have been able to develop wheat varieties that are largely resistant to this pathogen. However, the emergence of strain Ug99 in Uganda in 1999 devastated crops and has spread

to Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Yemen, though has yet to reach the U.S. “Until that point, wheat breeders had two or three genes that were so efficient against stem rust for decades that this disease wasn’t the biggest concern,” Akhunov said. “However, the discovery of the Ug99 race of pathogen showed that changes in the virulence of existing pathogen races can become a

huge problem.” As a first line of defense, wheat breeders and researchers began looking for resistance genes among those that had already been discovered in the existing germplasm repositories, he said. “The Sr35 gene was one of those genes that was discovered in einkorn wheat grown in Turkey,” Akhunov said. “Until now, however, we did not know what kind of gene confers resistance to

LG introduces measures to check fertiliser diversion

he Zaria Local Government Council of Kaduna State has introduced measures to check fertiliser diversion during this year’s farming season, Alhaji Lawal Balarabe, the council Chairman, has said. Balarabe made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) shortly after the launch of the 2013 fertiliser sales at Tudun-Kusa in Wucicciri ward, Zaria. He said the council had set up an eight-man distribution committee in each ward comprising representatives of farmers, traditional institutions, SSS, police and political parties, while the councillor in every ward would chair the committee. He said: “Members of the committee are now saddled with the responsibility of distribution. If anything goes wrong, the committee members should be held accountable because they are trusted people. “As far as I am concerned, I will not spare anybody found guilty. This measure has come to stay and I will ensure that the committee goes by the set rules,” Balarabe warned. Balarabe had said that the council procured 20 trailers of fertilisers at N64 million, adding that the consignment would be sold at subsidised rates of N2, 500 and N2, 000 per NPK and Urea bags respectively.

Ug99 in this wheat accession.” To identify the resistance gene Sr35, the team turned to einkorn wheat that is known to be resistant to the Ug99 fungal strain. Einkorn wheat has limited economic value and is cultivated in small areas of the Mediterranean region. It has been replaced by higher yielding pasta and bread wheat varieties. Researchers spent nearly four years trying to identify the location of the Sr35 gene in the wheat genome, which contains nearly two times more genetic information than the human genome. Once the researchers narrowed the list of candidate genes, they used two complimentary approaches to find the Sr35 gene. First, they chemically mutagenized the resistant accession of wheat to identify plants that become susceptible to the stem rust pathogen. “It was a matter of knocking out each candidate gene until we found the one that made a plant susceptible,” Akhunov said. “It was a tedious process and took a lot of time, but it was worth the effort.” Next, researchers isolated the candidate gene and used biotechnical approaches to develop transgenic plants that carried the Sr35 gene and showed resistance to the Ug99 race of stem rust. Now that the resistance gene has been found, Akhunov and colleagues are looking at what proteins are transferred by the fungus into the wheat plants and recognized by the protein encoded by the Sr35 gene. This will help researchers to better understand the molecular mechanisms behind infection and develop new approaches for controlling this devastating pathogen. Source: Science Daily

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 30

Feature Mainstreaming gender in MDAs, promoting youth development By Olayemi Okeniyi

he establishment of gender units in government m i n i s t r i e s , departments and agencies (MDAs) is a clear indication that President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration is gender sensitive. The government set aside N3 billion for the pilot project in five ministries. The ministries are agriculture, health, communication technology, water resources and works. Hajiya Zainab Maina, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, who spoke at the 2013 Ministerial Platform in Abuja, said that the policy was designed to mainstream gender issues in various MDAs. She stressed that the budgetary allocation for the gender mainstreaming would help to put issues about women on the front burner. ``Already, we have signed a memorandum of understanding with these five ministries and we have started implementing the programme,’’ she said. Maina said that President Jonathan was committed to leaving a permanent legacy on affirmative action by mainstreaming gender in the Federal Civil Service. ``Indeed, I make bold to say that what President Jonathan did for the Nigerian women, in just a span of two years, has superseded by far what other Nigerian leaders did in the past,’’ she said. On gender violence, the minister said that the Kurudu

Centre for Women Victims of Domestic Violence in Abuja had commenced full services. She also said that the ministry was collaborating with the police to establish gender units in police stations. Maina, nonetheless, called for concerted efforts to address issues relating to the underdevelopment of women and the girl-child. She, however, stressed that the government was putting some policies in place to empower women, especially those in the rural areas. ``We have recognised that our women are poor, especially our sisters in the rural areas, and we are working towards empowering them,” she added. Maina said that over N27.2 million had been disbursed to over 5,000 women groups and cooperatives, while about 6,000 jobs had been created. She said that five nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) were given N5 million each to establish economic ventures. She noted that over 1, 000 vulnerable women in the rural areas had been employed by the various ventures established with the grant. The minister said that her ministry also distributed 2, 500 mama kits (kits that contain basic supplies for safe childbirths) to the states during advocacy visits. Also speaking, the Minister of Youth Development, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir, recounted the achievements of his

leaders and the most valuable asset” of the nation. ``Youths are characterised by energy; they represent the most active, the most volatile and the most vulnerable segment of the nation’s population. ``Nigeria is endowed

Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Zainab Maina ministry, while calling for sustained investments in youth programmes. He stressed that the youth, apart from being a major part of the nation’s population, also constituted the ``future

with a population of young people, which is a very great asset and it highlights the importance of investing in them,” he added. Abdulkadir called for the launch and adoption of a national campaign on patriotism, while promoting a nationalist movement. He, nonetheless, called for increased budgetary allocation to the ministry. Besides, the minister called for the establishment of a youth development fund so as to enable the ministry to establish more skills

acquisition centres across the country, while empowering youths in other fields. He also solicited for the establishment of a National Youth Development Council, saying that the council would serve as a forum and clearing house for all youth policy matters. Abdulkadir emphasised that the National Youth Policy provided for an inter-ministerial council to be called the National Youth Development Council, with the President as its chairman. He said that the council would comprise all chief executives of core ministries such as youth development, women affairs, education, labour and productivity, agriculture, health and industry, trade and investment. On the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the minister conceded that the current insecurity in some parts of the country had been a major challenge facing the scheme. ``The posting policy should be reviewed to encompass the areas of deployment of corps manpower to the sectors stipulated in the NYSC Act,’’ he said. Abdulkadir, however, noted that the ministry’s Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre did not have a befitting office accommodation. ``There is a need for more working equipment and mobility items for movement of participants. ``There has to be construction of standard office accommodation for staff in the training units,” he said. Although the two ministries recorded some achievements in the last two years, stakeholders urge them to redouble their efforts to achieve more feats in the years ahead.

“

NYSC members enjoying themselves during their swearing-in, last Friday at Iseyin, in Oyo state. Photo: NAN

Source: NAN

The minister said that her ministry also distributed 2, 500 mama kits (kits that contain basic supplies for safe childbirths) to the states during advocacy visits.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 31

International

The D-8 trade agreement will take effect from November 1st, 2013 – Turkish Minister INTERVIEW

ou are in Nigeria for the B-8 meeting, what is this meeting about? We are in Nigeria for the trade minister’s council of the Developing 8 countries (D8). The aim of this conference is to prepare a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) which is targeted at reducing Customs taxes, as this we think will promote investment and on the long run, facilitate trade among D8 member states. Our aim is basically to increase the volume of trade among the members. The D8 group is perceived by many as an Islamic group. Can you explain to us about the group and what more the group offers? The concept of D8 states outlines the various level of cooperation between members states in Commerce, Industry, Information, ICT, Finance, Banking, Agriculture, Science and Technology, Fight against poverty, Energy, Health, Environment, Tourism and Culture. The preferential trade agreement will come to effect from the first of November 2013. The target is to increase the proportion of trade between D8 countries from the current level to 50 per cent balance of trade among all the states. Presently the net volume of export of members stands at $800.92 billion while the net import accounts for $800.33 billion. The present total volume of trade between the D8 is $1.7 trillion. Overall trade between member states is $129 billion with export at $63 billion and import at $66 billion. We hope to increase this figure to a higher volume in the nearest future and we are committed to that. Actually we have set the target of increased trade to $500 billion by 2018 and the best way to achieve this is reducing custom tariff. With an increased trade volume, there will be new opportunities for member countries to discuss and share ideas in other sectors of development as business will sure want to capitalize on the opportunity this pact will create, to invest among members. We expect that our businessmen will be able to identify and balance the needs of one another. For example, Turks will buy raw materials, minerals from Nigeria, Turkish businessmen can build a joint industrial infrastructure with their Nigerian counterpart, and source raw materials locally, produce and then export the finished products to other D8 countries or any part of the world that shows interest. Some of the benefits will also include cooperation, employment among others. Aside from trade, we are also committed about increased cooperation in almost all aspects

Last week group of developing countries, the D- 8 met in Abuja to chart a road for increased economic cooperation among themselves. Turkey, one of the key players in the group was represented by high powered delegation led by the deputy minister of economy, Mr Mustafa Sever, and he took out time to talk exclusively to Peoples Daily correspondents, Charles Onunaiju and Abdulkadir Isa. Excerpts. that, but the whole idea is geared towards economic developmenteconomic development. Within the D-8 Roadmap, we have made provision to check differences under the joint approaches in regional and international issues. Here issues of common concern in the international and regional for is addressed, closer cooperation to negotiate, through relevant D-8 bodies, with trading partners on market access for D-8 products as well as international finance organizations and NGO’s is highlighted. Though the D8 is mainly economic, is there any plan or provision for transfer of technology through education among member states? When the conditions are proper for investment just like the PTA agreement, business among member countries will mingle, share ideas, information and technology and within time, this cooperation in education, science and technology will continue with this partner as so there will be room for exploration among business owners.

Turkish Deputy Minister of Economy, Mustafa Sever. of human endeavour and a lower tax is a kicker to that. Given the fact that each of the countries of the D8 is at different levels of development. Won’t this disparity in standard, affect the union? At the beginning of the agreement, the pact considered this too, but what we plan is how to help each other. The plan will mainly target supplementary goods, for instance goods that a member state produces and other member states require and vice versa, so with the PTA in place, it will be a win-win situation. It

is well crafted that damages will be avoided and the scope of this agreement will be expanded from time to time with the negotiations of the member states. Only 8 per cent of products which is higher than 15 per cent of custom tax will be considered and each country will select the products according to their own needs. In the roadmap, Industrial Cooperation and Standards (ICS) is also identified as one major aspect and the private sector will be encouraged to come in and participate in identifying the inherent strengths and weaknesses of each D-8 member country

“

that others can complement and supplement. Also a subsection of the ICS which is standards and conformity will help accelerate the development of sectorial mutual recognition arrangement for priority sectors, as appropriate. Most of the member states have different political orientation. Do you take into account these differences in realizing the goals? The aim is basically to increase prosperity of member states and improve relations and cooperation Agriculture, Tourism, etc. Member states are all aware of

Overall trade between member states is $129 billion with export at $63 billion and import at $66 billion. We hope to increase this figure to a higher volume in the nearest future and we are committed to that.

Some of the member states have leadership challenge. Does the D8 have a programme in place for leadership training among members? Within the partnership concept, there will exchange of students among member states and with time information and knowledge will grow and leaders will surely emerge from among them. This is also a way of leadership breeding. If you look at the D-8 working group on science, technology and innovation (STI), the indicators include capacity building, publicprivate partnership, network of technology foresight practitioners, establishment of virtual institutions for development of education activities with regard to new technologies, establishment of an independent nanotechnology network of the D-8 Group (D-8 NANONET) for welfare and development of members, we believe this path will successfully guide us to our goals. Also I must tell you that, the overall idea that binds the D8 is based on mutual understanding. There is no form of compulsion or so. Is the membership of the D8 still open for aspiring countries? From the foregoing I can’t tell, but as events unfold, this and other issues will be addressed in due cause.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 32

International Egypt’s army gives parties 48 hours to resolve crisis

gypt’s army has given the country’s rival parties 48 hours to resolve a deadly political crisis. It would offer its own “road map” for peace if Islamist President Mohammed Morsi and his opponents failed to to heed “the will of the people”, it said. The statement came after anti-government protesters stormed the Cairo headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood. Eight people died as the building was ransacked, a day after millions rallied nationwide urging Mr Morsi to quit. The head of the armed forces described the protests as an “unprecedented” expression of the popular will. But in his pre-recorded statement broadcast on state television on Monday evening, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said the army would not get involved in politics or government. Protesters outside the presidential palace cheered and honked car horns at news of Gen Sisi’s statement, believing it spelt

Obama unveils African electricity initiative

Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces of Egypt,Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi

the end for Mr Morsi, says KhaledEzzelarab in Cairo. Earlier, the opposition movement behind the protests, Tamarod (Rebel), gave Mr Morsi until Tuesday afternoon to step down and call fresh presidential elections, or else face a campaign of civil disobedience. On Saturday, Tamarod said it had collected more than 22 million signatures - more than

a quarter of Egypt’s population - in support. But Mr Morsi was defiant in an interview published on Sunday, rejecting calls for early presidential elections. Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad Haddad told the BBC the roadmap referred to by Gen Sisi did not necessarily increase pressure on the president to call early presidential elections.

Rather, he said, the pressure was on Egypt’s constitutional court to swiftly issue a new parliamentary law and to call for parliamentary elections. Meanwhile, the al-Watan website said the ministers of tourism, environment, communication and legal affairs had resigned in an act of “solidarity with the people’s demand to overthrow the regime”.

The UN force will be known by its French acronym MINUSMA (Mission des Nations Unies au Mali), and will need to impress. The French intervention has been popular and backed by considerable firepower but the rebels have gone to ground and many Malians fear the UN force will not have the same deterrent effect. “This is not an anti-terrorist operation but of course the mandate has an element of real robustness in it and of course we are in a position to use all

necessary means to defend ourselves and of course to defend the mandate,” HerveLadsous, the UN’s head of peacekeeping, said on a visit to Timbuktu on Sunday. Last month, France said it was slowing the withdrawal of its soldiers from Mali and would have between 3,000 and 3,500 troops on the ground when nationwide elections are held at the end of July. It will keep a force of 1,000 soldiers in Mali in case they are needed to fight the al-Qaedalinked groups.

UN begins Mali mission

The West African troops in Timbuktu will be given blue UN peacekeeping caps.

he United Nations is beginning its military mission in Mali by bringing the 6,000 West African troops already in the country under its command. By December it will reach full strength with 12,640 uniformed personnel. The UN will take over security duties from the French forces which led an operation to oust Islamist militants from the north in January. Its first mission will be to secure the north so that Mali can hold a presidential election on 28 July.

Taking advantage of a coup in March 2012, an al-Qaeda group and its allies took control of the north of Mali, including major cities such as Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu where they imposed a strict form of Islamic law. France decided to intervene after the militants threatened to march on the capital, Bamako. Since January, about 4,000 French troops, with the help of Malian and West African soldiers, have gained control of the vast desert region’s main towns and cities, but some Islamist militants have been leading guerrilla-style attacks.

he visiting U. S. President Barack Obama unveiled an initiative to double access to electric power across Africa. Speaking at the University of Cape Town, Obama said the 7 billion U. S. dollars initiative will focus on expanding access to electricity in six African countries of Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria and Tanzania. An additional 9 billion dollars will come from private companies like General Electric and Symbion Power. However, those contributions fall well short of the 300 billion dollars the International Energy Agency says would be required to achieve universal electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. Obama pledged to continue U. S. investment in health programs, particularly an HIV/ AIDS program known as the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief. He also called on African countries to join efforts to end war and conflicts in the continent so as to pave way for democracy and economic development. Earlier Sunday, Obama visited Robben Island where Mandela was jailed for 18 years. In his keynote speech, Obama urged young South Africans to fulfill Mandela’s vision of equality and opportunity. As Obama was speaking, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the campus, shouting anti-American slogans. Obama will leave South Africa on Monday, ending the threeday official visit, the second leg of his African tour. He has visited Senegal and will go to Tanzania.

Mugabe returns to Zimbabwe after health checkup in Singapore

imbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe on Sunday returned from a routine health checkup in Singapore, state media reported, dispelling speculations around the leader’s health. Mugabe, who had a cataract operation in Singapore two years ago at his 87, flew to the Asian country for a routine eye checkup on Tuesday. A picture from the stateowned Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation shows an apparently

energetic Mugabe, accompanied by his teenage son and officials, being greeted by Vice President Joyce Mujuru at the Harare International Airport. The Zimbabwean president, who has ruled since the country’s independence in 1980, is running for the upcoming elections to seek another five-year term, mainly challenged by his long-time rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. The country’s top court is due next week to rule on the election

date, which originally was set on July 31, 2013 but was sought to postpone to accommodate regional leaders’ advice. Mugabe, confident of a poll victory, has been pushing for earliest election date as possible as the country’s parliament dissolved on Sunday, rendering the president sole authority in law- making before the formation of a new parliament. Source: Xinhua

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

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International

Australian PM packs New China law says cabinet with women children Asia & Middle East

ew Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has unveiled his cabinet, bringing in a record number of women and switching the focus to the economy. “I am delighted that in this cabinet of ours we will have the largest number of women in any cabinet in Australian history,” Rudd announced on Monday. Rudd had wrested back the leadership of the Labor Party on Wednesday, three years after losing it to intra-party rival Julia Gillard. But with Labor trailing badly in the polls, the party dumped Gillard and has seen an immediate popularity bounce. Victorian senator Jacinta

Collins enters the cabinet as minister for mental health,

Catherine King will be minister for regional Australia and Julie

New Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd

Collins takes the portfolios of housing, homeless and the status of women. The number of women in the cabinet climbs from 9 under Gillard to 11. Rudd said the appointments were made purely on merit, not gender, and pledged to boost the economy. “The core task of this Australian government is to keep the economy strong,” he said. Rudd pledged to work for a “stronger, fairer Australia ... and never ever, ever allow the fair-go to be thrown out the backdoor.” The cabinet would be sworn in on Monday afternoon and hold a first meeting later in the day.”

Syrian forces battle for control of Homs

overnment forces in Syria’s central city of Homs have attacked rebel positions with artillery and air strikes for the third straight day, activists said. Opposition activists said a woman and two children were killed on Sunday in the strike by government aircraft on the old city, home to hundreds of civilians. They said rebels defending the old centre of Homs and five adjacent districts had also largely repelled a ground attack on Saturday by Syrian forces, backed by Hezbollah fighters from neighbouring Lebanon. Mohammad Mroueh, a member of the opposition “Homs Crisis Cell”, said at least 25 government troops, including four Hezbollah fighters, had been killed in Homs in the previous 24 hours.

The reports are difficult to verify as independent media is not allowed to report freely in Syria. As the violence raged, the sixmember Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union meeting in Bahrain called for a political solution to Syria’s conflict, while regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia urged the EU to arm the opposition. The GCC is made up of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. Opposition sources and diplomats said the advance by Syrian forces secured a main road link to Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon and to army bases in Alawite-held territory near the Syrian coast, the main entry point for Russian arms that have

given the Syrian government an advantage in firepower. Homs, the third largest city in Syria, was one of the first to join the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s government more than two years ago. At least 100,000 people have been killed since the Syrian revolt erupted in March 2011, making the uprising the bloodiest of the Arab Spring revolutions against entrenched rulers. Video footage taken by the activists in Homs showed bodies of civilians being carried in blankets and a man holding a wounded child with a gash in his head. Rebel fighters fought government forces backed by tanks in the old covered market, which links the old city with Khalidiya, a

district inhabited by members of tribes who have been at the forefront of the armed insurgency. Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Assad must halt his assault on Homs. “It is clear that Assad is not interested in peace for Syria but rather is prepared to kill tens of thousands of innocent people and deprive millions more of humanitarian aid rather than work for a resolution of this conflict, which has already killed too many [people],” said Hague. “I call upon the Assad regime to cease its brutal assault on Homs and to allow full humanitarian access to the country. The violence must end and those responsible must be held to account.”

554 civilians and 207 security troops were killed and 1,771 others were wounded, including 1,389 civilians and 382 security personnel, in terrorist and violent

acts in June, a statement by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) showed on Monday. The Iraqi capital of Baghdad is the worst-affected province with 950 civilian casualties (258 killed, 692 injured), followed respectively by Salahuddin, Nineveh, Diyala, Anbar, Kirkuk, Babil, Wasit Basra and Najaf, the statement said. In May, 1,045 Iraqis were killed and 2,397 were wounded, which by then was the highest toll since 2008. Tensions and violence have been escalating between the Sunni and Shiite communities since late December 2012, when the Sunni Muslims started their protests against the Shiite-led government in six of Iraq’s predominantly Sunni provinces and the Sunni districts in

Baghdad. The Sunnis accuse the government of marginalizing them, and claim that the Shiitedominated Iraqi security forces were indiscriminately arresting and torturing their sons. However, the deadliest waves of violence began after April 23, when Iraqi security forces backed by helicopters stormed an anti- government Sunni protest in the city of Hawijah, some 220 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, killing and wounding dozens of protestors. The military operation against the sit-in camp in Hawijah sparked further clashes across the country’s Sunni-dominated provinces between the Sunni tribes and the security forces.

Iraqi death toll up in June- UN

he death toll among Iraqis from violence in June rose to 761 compared to May, the United Nations said on Monday.

UN Secretary general Ban Ki Moon

‘must visit parents’

rown children in China must visit their parents or potentially face fines or jail, a new law that came into effect on Monday says. China’s new “Elderly Rights Law” deals with the growing problem of lonely elderly people by ordering adult children to visit their aging parents. The law says adults should care about their parents “spiritual needs” and “never neglect or snub elderly people”. “Those who live far away from parents should go home often,” it adds. But many across China are questioning how the law could be enforced, since it fails to spell out a detailed schedule dictating the frequency with which children should make parental house calls. However, that does not mean the law is toothless. Instead, it serves as an “educational message” to the public, while also serving as a starting point for law suits, explained Zhang Yan Feng, a lawyer with Beijing’s King & Capital Law Firm. “It’s hard to put this law into practice, but not impossible,” Mr Zhang explained. “If a case is brought to court on the basis of this law, I think it’ll probably end up in a peaceful settlement. But if no settlement is reached, technically speaking, court rulings can force the person to visit home certain times a month.” “If this person disobeys court rulings, he could be fined or detained.” But few in China seem to fear they will end up behind bars if they fail to log visits home. Since its release, the regulation has been ridiculed by tens of thousands of Chinese internet users. According to Chinese government statistics, more than 178 million people in China were 60 years or older in 2010. By 2030, that figure will double. As China’s population goes grey, the Chinese media fills with stories of neglected old people. Many were shocked by the story of a 91-year-old grandmother who was beaten and forced out of her home in China’s southern Jiangsu province after she asked her daughter-in-law for a bowl of rice porridge. Two days later, internet forums were filled with a similar story of farmers in the same province who allowed their family’s 100-year-old matriarch to sleep in a pig sty, sharing close quarters with a pungent pig. But those stories have not lead most people to support the new Elderly Rights Law.

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International

Croatians celebrate joining EU

Croatian President Ivo Josipovic

roatia has become the 28th member of the European Union, with crowds joining celebrations in the capital Zagreb.

Fireworks lit the sky as membership became effective at midnight (22:00 GMT), with President Ivo Josipovic

describing the event as historic. It comes almost two decades after Croatia’s brutal war of independence. But correspondents say enthusiasm for the EU in the country has been dampened by the eurozone crisis, and Croatia’s own economic problems. Celebrations took place in the central square of Zagreb, with fireworks and music including Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, the European anthem. “Welcome to the European Union!” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in Croatian to the cheering crowd. President Josipovic said it was “a great and joyful day for

our homeland”. “This the day when we open a new chapter in the thick book of our history,” he added. Earlier he told a meeting of EU and regional leaders: “The accession of Croatia to the European Union is confirmation that each one of us belongs to the European democratic and cultural set of values.” Croatian officials then unveiled EU signs and removed customs posts at the borders with Slovenia, the first former Yugoslav republic to have joined the bloc, and with Hungary. Croatia is the first new EU member since Bulgaria and Romania joined in 2007. It is 10 years since it applied.

Snowden out of our hands- Ecuador President

afael Correa, Ecuador’s president, has said his country will take a “sovereign decision” to consider US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden’s request for asylum, but added that his fate is not in the hands of Ecuadorians. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Correa said Ecuador could not take any steps because Snowden was not on Ecuadorian soil and had not approached an Ecuadorian embassy. The former National Security Agency freelance analyst is believed to be in Moscow’s international airport and is wanted by the US for leaking confidential information about a surveillance programme called PRISM. Snowden, who travelled to

Moscow from Hong Kong, has since had his passport revoked by the US government. Correa added that the Ecuadorian ambassador in Russia had met Snowden but there had been no further contact with him. Asked about the treatment of asylum given to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Correa said that the difference with Assange was that he made it to the Ecuadorian embassy. Correa said that any decision to be made with respect to Snowden would be based on US and international laws. He said that Snowden had been seeking asylum in countries such as Russia, China and Ecuador, which contradicts certain US senators’ views that these countries restricts

Rafael Correa

and monitors freedom of expression. “Rest assured, we don’t spy

on anyone, unless it is organised crime,” Correa said. “We don’t accept anybody doing it.”

Bugging allegations threaten EU-US deal- Hollande

rench President Francois Hollande has said allegations that the US bugged European embassies could threaten a huge planned trade deal. Negotiations over the EU-US pact, the biggest bilateral deal ever negotiated, are due to start on 8 July. MrHollande said there could be no negotiations without guarantees that spying would stop “immediately”. US Secretary of State John Kerry said earlier that activities to protect national security were “not unusual”. He told journalists that he did not know the truth of the allegations, but that he had been asked about them by the EU’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and would report back to her. The allegations, published at the weekend by Der Spiegel in Germany and the Guardian in Britain, have angered many in Europe. The European Commission called it “disturbing news if proven true” and said it expected “clarity and transparency” about the issue from Washington. France only cleared the way for the EU-US trade pact talks in midJune, after EU members accepted its demand to shield movies and online entertainment from the might of Hollywood and Silicon Valley.

But next week’s first round of negotiations in Washington DC could now be delayed. France’s President Hollande said the US must first guarantee it had ended its surveillance of the EU. “We cannot accept this kind of behaviour between partners and allies. We ask that this immediately stop,” he told journalists during a visit

to western France. “There can be no negotiations or transactions in all areas until we have obtained these guarantees, for France but also for all of the European Union, for all partners of the United States.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, earlier said “bugging friends is unacceptable... we are no longer in

French President Francois Hollande

the Cold War”. He added that Germany wanted the deal to go ahead but “mutual trust is necessary in order to come to an agreement”. Italy’s Foreign Minister Emma Bonino said Rome had requested from Washington “clarification of a very thorny affair”. John Kerry sought to down play the issue when he arrived in Brunei for an Asian security conference. “Every country in the world that is engaged in international affairs of national security undertakes lots of activities to protect its national security and all kinds of information contributes to that,” he said at a news conference. “And all I know is that is not unusual for lots of nations. But beyond that I’m not going to comment any further until I have all the facts and find out precisely what the situation is.” The allegations of US security services bugging EU missions and the embassies of friendly European countries - including the French, Italian and Greek embassies - come from documents apparently leaked by an ex-CIA analyst.

Europe and Americas

Protests overshadow Brazil football triumph

rotesters hurling petrol bombs have clashed with riot police in Brazil at the Confederations Cup football match, overshadowing the host nation’s victory over world champions Spain in the final. A fiesta of football inside Rio’s iconic Maracana Stadium saw Brazil triumph 3-0 over Spain on Sunday, to seal their third title in a row, but the last day of the tournament saw no let-up in the protests that have taken place throughout the event. More than a million Brazilians had taken to the streets during the tournament, venting anger at the estimated $15bn being spent on both the Confederations Cup and World Cup in 2014 while bemoaning the South American country’s public services. Brazilian President DilmaRousseff - who was booed when she appeared alongside FIFA President SeppBlatter at the opening game in Brasilia two weeks ago - declined to attend Sunday’s game. Instead Rousseff, whose popularity has plunged since the start of the unrest, issued a congratulatory message to the victorious Brazilian team. “In this memorable campaign, our athletes showed joy, creativity, team spirit and unity which conquered all Brazilians and they offered the world a great spectacle,” Rousseff. “Today I joined all Brazilians in celebrating this great victory.” Before kick-off outside the stadium a small group of hooded protesters, some armed with screwdrivers and slingshots, lit a fire in the street and hurled stones at police who responded by firing tear gas and rubber bullets as helicopters circled overhead. More than 11,000 police and troops were mobilised to ensure security for 78,000 fans at the Maracana as protests continued. “We are against the privatisation of the stadium and forced housing displacement, linked to the 2014 World Cup and the [2016 Rio summer] Olympics,” said Renato Cosentino, a spokesman for one of the groups sponsoring Sunday’s protest.

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Strange World Man implants headphone in his ear

f you find headphones uncomfortable, or if you’re sick of always having to untangle their wires, you might want to take a cue from Rich Lee, a body-enhancement enthusiast who recently implanted a small magnet headphone directly into his ear. Rich Lee is what’s known as a “bodyhacker” or “grinder”, a person who experiments with surgical implants or technological body-enhancements in order to expand human capacities. He was recently featured on Humanity+, a technology and science-focused magazine, for a unique type of implant. Lee had a small magnet embedded into his tragus, the small piece of cartilage directly outside the ear, and built a coil to be worn around the neck, which ”creates a magnetic field causing the implant to vibrate and produce sound”. The audio quality is nowhere near as good as what you get from regular earbuds or headphones, but his system does have a series of advantages. He can listen to music anytime and anywhere he wants, and since the implant is invisible to the naked eye, he can do some pretty creative things with it. For

Rich Lee

example, he plans to hook it up to a directional microphone so he can hear what people around him are saying, and he argues it could come in handy at a poker table or

with pre-screen business clients. Rich lost most of the vision in his right eye overnight a few years back, and doctors told him his other one might go any

day, and when it does it will be very rapid. He plans to use his implanted headphone to practice echolocation, by hooking it up to an ultrasonic rangefinder so

that hums can be heard when objects get closer or further away. It would eliminate the need to make clicking noises with your mouth or using some other manual noisemaker, and it easier for a blind man to navigate his way around. The possibilities are endless, as connecting the embedded headphone to various sensors, will allow him “to experience a lot of the world that is normally invisible”. Ultrasonic rangefinders, thermometers, and even geiger counters for radiation are just some of the tools he plans to experiment with. The bodyhacker says the first question everyone asks is “why would you do that?” “Honestly, I don’t feel the need to answer this question,” he says. “People either get it or they don’t. I’m a Grinder, and we are notorious for getting it.” For now, he plans on tweaking the implant and coil for improved audio quality by either adding more magnets in other parts of the outer ear or moving the coil closer to the ear, but he is open to new designs as well. “People are welcome to design and ship me implants if they need a lab rat,” Rich says.

A hotel room in the middle of snow Restaurant sells

baby sized burritos

‘The room with a view’ which a team from Travelodge created when they scaled Ben Nevis (Travelodge/PA)

otel bosses have created a room with a view when they installed a bed at the top of Britain’s highest mountain. A team from Travelodge scaled Ben Nevis in the Highlands to construct a hotel room in the snow at 1,344 metres (4,409ft). The 36-strong group carried a bed, duvet, pillows, a picture and a chair up the mountain on Thursday in the charity stunt. The eight-and-a-half-hour challenge raised more than

£60,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. Paul Harvey, Travelodge managing director for property, said: “We thought it would be a good idea to take our new Travelodge room to new heights as part of our fundraising programme and you don’t get any higher in the UK than the summit of Ben Nevis. “It was certainly one of the hardest constructions we have ever undertaken. The terrain is very steep and exhausting, and all that weight makes it even

more of a challenge. “Although it rained on the way up, the weather conditions were actually perfect for the challenge as the rain kept us cool and when we reached the summit the wind stopped blowing, which was a great bonus when constructing the room on the snow. “It was certainly worth the pain, as the views from the highest hotel room in Britain were breathtaking.” Sally Hill from Macmillan said: “This was a really impressive feat.”

orditos, a popular Mexican restaurant in Seattle, sells burritos the size of babies. No, it’s not an exaggeration, and to prove it, they’ve covered a whole wall with photos of their burritos next to some of their customers’ infants. At Gorditos, Mexican burritos can weigh up to four pounds, not as much as most newborns, but ridiculously close. These Grande Burritos consist of two tortillas, a sea of meat, guacamole, cheese, rice lettuce and sour cream, and cost just $9. Considering it usually takes two people to finish one of these calorie bombs, you could say eating at Gorditos is a bargain. But the Seattlebased restaurant offers further incentives to patrons who just had a baby. If they agree to have their less than one-month-old infant next to one of the baby-

Photo: Drew Bowlds/Facebook

sized burritos, they can dine for free. It’s been a hard-topass deal for a lot of parents, as demonstrated by the fact that the walls of both Gorditos locations are covered with photos of babies and burritos. But people will gladly pay for one of these gargantuan dishes as confirmed by one of the joint’s waiters, who say it’s one of their most popular items and that they sell dozens every day. Aware of their Grande burritos’ ginormous proportions, the family-run restaurant encourages customers to take left-overs home with them as takeout. Just one can feed a person for days, according to a Reddit user. Not bad for just $9, but with the baby photos getting a lot of attention on the Internet right now, the lines at Gorditos are about to get even longer.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

Digest

Stress and anxiety are the most common reasons for sick leave By Helen Collis

tress and anxiety are the leading causes of sickness in the UK’s workforce, accounting for more than a third of doctors’ notes to employers, research has shown. A survey of tens of thousands of GPs’ sick notes found that 35 per cent of illnesses were linked to stress, anxiety or depression. In one doctors’ surgery, more than half of employees’ absentee sick notes were described as being down to ‘mild to moderate mental health disorders’. The figures come as additional

Men are more likely than women to be off on long term sick leave, the DWp study revealed

research reveals that those who are concerned that stress might harm their health are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack than those who thought it had no effect. The government’s sick note scheme, renamed the fit note in April 2010, was designed to help employers back into work after a week of illness. Doctors are required to detail which duties their patients would be well enough to perform given their condition. Annually, the UK loses around £15billion to annual sickness; the adapted sick-note was designed to help cut this lost opportunity, saving around £240million over ten years. Some employers have criticised the new scheme say it is not working; some have even reported more cases of staff being off on long term sick leave - a trend apparent from the study. The government’s Department of of Work and Pensions examined 28,700 sick note records issued between October 2011 and January 2013, to assess whether the new scheme was working. Speaking to the Mail Online, DWP spokesman Daniel Barnes said that for those suffering from mental health disorders, ‘getting back up and running is a little more complex than fixing a broken leg’. ‘It’s something we are desperate to fix, not only because of the costs to the economy but also the hidden costs; early intervention can be

Stress: The most common cause of work absenteeism, new research has revealed important for preventing later problems,’ he said. In the study, the report said there was ‘some evidence that mild to moderate mental health disorders are a growing cause of sickness absence’. Rates of stress-related sick notes varied among GP practices - from 52 per cent of cases in one centre to 23 per cent in another. Areas of the UK with the highest social deprivation correlated with the highest rates of mental health disorders listed on their fit notes. Men were more likely to be issued with long-term sick notes,

lasting more than four weeks, than women - 72 per cent more likely. While some employers have complained that the new fit note scheme is having no effect on helping unwell employees back into work, the data shows that in the last five years, the proportion of employers with no sickness absentees rose from 40 per cent to 51 per cent. Meanwhile, longer-term absences are on the rise. The main reasons, according to employers, are because of surgery, back pain, stress, mental health and other problems. Next year the government proposes to introduce additional

Food really is addictive By Helen Collis

ood could be as addictive as class-A drug heroin and nicotine in cigarettes, claims a new study. Researchers have found substance abuse and food with a high glycaemic index - such as white bread and potatoes - may trigger the same brain mechanism tied to addiction. Eating highly processed carbohydrates can cause excess hunger and stimulate brain regions involved in reward and cravings, according to the study. The findings suggest that limiting ‘high-glycaemic index’ foods could help obese people avoid overeating. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, investigated how food intake is regulated by dopamine-containing pleasure centres in the brain. Study leader Dr David Ludwig, of Boston Children’s Hospital in the United States, said: ‘Beyond reward and craving, this part of the brain is also linked to substance abuse and dependence, which raises the question as to whether certain foods might be addictive.’ To examine the link, researchers measured blood glucose levels and hunger, while also using MRI scanning to observe brain activity during the crucial four-hour period after a meal, which influences eating behaviour at

the next meal. Evaluating patients in such a time frame is one novel aspect of the study, whereas previous studies have evaluated patients with an MRI soon after eating. Twelve overweight or obese men ate test meals designed as milkshakes with the same calories, taste and sweetness. The two milkshakes were essentially the same; the only difference was that one contained rapidly digesting - high-

glycaemic index - carbohydrates, and the other slowly digesting - low-glycaemic index - carbs. After the participants consumed the high-glycaemic index milkshake, they experienced an initial surge in blood sugar levels, followed by sharp crash four hours later. This decrease in blood glucose was associated with excessive hunger and intense activation of the nucleus

Previous studies of food addiction have compared patient reactions to drastically different types of foods, such as high-calorie cheesecake versus boiled vegetables

social services to enable more people to get back into work. Currently, those who are on long term sick are entitled to sick pay, and later receive sickness benefits if their condition does not improve enough for them to return to work. Mr Barnes said: ‘The longer you are off work the harder it is to get back. This service will provide that occupational health intervention so people can get back into work faster and not find themselves on the road to long term sickness benefits.’ Source: Dailymail.co.uk Addictive? Food with a high glycaemic index has been shown to stimulate the brain in the same area as addictive drugs

accumbens, a critical brain region involved in addictive behaviour. Previous studies of food addiction have compared patient reactions to drastically different types of foods, such as high-calorie cheesecake versus boiled vegetables. Another novel aspect of the new study is how a specific dietary factor that is distinct from calories or sweetness could alter brain function and promote overeating. Dr Ludwig said: ‘These findings suggest that limiting high-glycaemic index carbohydrates like white bread andpotatoescouldhelpobeseindividuals reduce cravings and control the urge to overeat.’ Thoughtheconceptoffoodaddiction remains controversial, the findings suggest that more interventional and observational studies be done. Source: Dailymail.co.uk

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Alkaleri/Kirfi constituents plan Rep’s recall From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

isturbed by poor representation of their representative in the House of Representatives, electorate of Alkaleri/Kirfi Federal Constituency in Bauchi State have started distributing recall forms against the continued stay of Honorable Tukur Adamu in the House as their representative. Speaking to our correspondent at the National Assembly Complex, leader of the group, Abdullahi Muhammed, said since Tukur took his seat in the House in Abuja in 2011 till date, he has added no tangible constituency project or assistance to the constituency despite his several

claims of performance. According to Abdullahi, the embattled lawmaker has since relocated to Abuja and he seldomly visits the constituency in a bid to avoid contributing to the development of the areas. “From 2007-2011, our representative, Dr. Sani Abdu contributed tremendously to our development which we appreciated but unfortunately, we lost him in the 2011 rigged election. Since the exit of Dr.Sani, our area started retrogressing steadily instead of progressing. “Tukur Adamu has outlived his stay as our representative in the National Assembly that we have to recall him”, he insisted. According to Abdullah, already the

recall forms are in circulation and the electorates are eager to complete and return for completion of the process. “It was an irony of fate that we voted for Tukur in 2011. Although we are yet overcome his shortcomings as Kirfi Local Government chairman, he was imposed on us by those professional riggers and we are now paying the price of our foolishness but we shall correct the situation constitutionally with our votes soon”, he assured. Meanwhile, Alhaji Yusuf Garba Alkaleri in his reaction to the recall threat against Adamu said the member had delivered several projects to the constituency including 10 solar boreholes and repaired 38 others in his constituency. He added that the lawmaker, in his effort to

fulfill his electioneering campaigns promises, has provided portable water to the constituency. According to him, Adamu has provided portable water to the communities and repaired electricity poles damaged during the rainy season from Pindiga to Futuk to generate electricity supply. He added that the lawmaker has also designed and constructed eight earth dam in Kirfi to control flood and created opportunities through poverty alleviation by empowering youth with over 232 motorcycles and securing employment for many sons and daughters of the federal constituency in Army, Prison Service, Police Civil Defense and federal civil service.

Senate President David Mark, signing condolence register, during his visit to late Senator Pius Ewherido residence, yesterday at Asokoro, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

NGF crisis: 2015 election not under threat, says Jang faction By Lawrence Olaoye

overnor Jonah Jang faction of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) yesterday assured that the internal crisis in the body would not in any way undermine the 2015 general elections. The faction stated this while reacting to the statement credited to the First Secretary, Embassy of the Netherlands, Ms Anique Claessen, that the recent internal crisis rocking the NGF is capable of affecting the process and outcome of the 2015 elections. Clarssen had said, “For example, the controversy surrounding the election of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum’s Chairman seemed to me very ironical. If a small group of 36 cannot

agree on and respect the outcome of a democratic election, what are the prospects for the election involving millions?” Jang’s NGF in a statement signed by its Director General, Osaro Onaiwu, yesterday starec “from the above submission, it is very clear that the Dutch envoy has a limited understanding of the contending issues of the polity, the politics and the people. For it is hard to conceive how a matter that is not a constitutional issue would affect 2015 elections. INEC, the body charged with conducting elections in Nigeria, has not alluded in the remotest term to such a threat as Ms Claessen’s. “The NGF is a non governmental organisation and has voluntary membership which democratically

elected Nigerian governors subscribed to by themselves, bonded with a common aspiration to use the platform for peer review purposes and to share best practices in governance.” He added “the NGF may seem to outsiders to be divided, but like every NGO or civil organisation operating within the relevant ambit of free association as enshrined in articles of human relationships, it cannot be fully insulated from challenges common to a people drawn from different backgrounds shaped over time by experience, perspective and reality. There is therefore no gainsaying that there would be differences among them at some point. “As it is, the NGF has shown time and again, an unbelievable capacity to resolve their own differences without

recourse to outside help. This is where many analysts and commentators have missed it. For sure, the NGF under the present leadership of His Excellency, Dr. David Jang, Governor of Plateau state has stated that the forum will overcome this friction, as they have always done.” Jang’s NGF however called on diplomatic mission to exercise restraint in their comments and avoid skewed postulations or prophecies about national institutions. “As their words also carry the weight of their office, rather they should try to understand all the dynamics at play in every junction of our democratic progress march and juxtapose them with other variables before airing their views,” Jang NGF warned.

Constitution review: Proposed single-tenure dangerous to democracy – Don

r Kabir Mato of the Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of Abuja, on Monday criticised the proposed six-year single- tenure for president and governors. Mato told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that singletenure was dangerous to democracy and would take the country back to where many countries had passed several decades. ``The proposed six years single-tenure for the office of the president by the Senate in the ongoing constitution review in my view is dangerous to our evolving democracy. `Ìt will take the country back to many stages that several countries across the world have passed through for many decades. ``We are recommending that on the fear that things are not going well in the country and we are assuming that things will not work right. `Ì don’t subscribe to that idea, it is better to retain the four-year renewable mandate,’’ Mato said. He noted that the present renewable four-year tenure had the potential of making those who were elected in the first tenure to work harder for re-election. According to Mato, when the system provides for six years or eight years single-tenure, it may create room for abuse of office or poor performance. He said emphasis should be on building strong institutions that could develop the country’s democracy instead of individuals or advancing the interest of any vested group. Mato noted that credible electoral process was very vital to the survival and development of democratic institutions such as the judiciary, legislative and the executive. The don said, ``when we get our electoral system right all this issue of fears that some set of people or group will dominate political position will give way.’’ He decried weak political culture among politicians in the country, noting that building democratic institutions required independence of the police, judiciary and legislature to ensure justice and fair play. Mato called on the Federal Government to build a credible electoral body that would ensure that sanctity of the people’s vote was protected at all levels of election. He said that people holding public offices should be those who were genuinely elected by the people and not selected by any group. `Ònce we get our elections right those who represent us will work and perform to satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of the people.`` He added that the foundation for building strong democratic institutions could only be guaranteed by a credible and transparent electoral process. (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

Politics

Council chairman pledges to accord priority to education

he Chairman of Buji Local Government Area of Jigawa, Alhaji Isa Gwadayi, has promised to accord priority to education during his administration. Gwadayi announced this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Buji on Monday. The chairman, who described education as the key to human development, stressed the need to encourage learning to improve the well-being of the citizenry.

Gwadayi commended the vision of Gov. Sule Lamido for giving free education from primary to the university to females in the state. He said in line with that policy, the council had been paying scholarships to all the indigenes of the area both males and females studying in various institutions across the state. He solicited for the support and cooperation of all citizens to enable the council succeed in the implementation of its programmes. (NAN)

NGF condoles Senate, Delta, over Senator Ewherido’s death

F L-R: PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, in a handshake with Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Tony Caesar Okeke, after the latter’s inauguration, recently at the PDP National Secretariat, in Abuja.

2015: PDP vows to disqualify bribe-offering aspirants

s politicians prepare for the 2015 general elections, the PDP says it will disqualify any aspirant caught offering bribes to delegates to secure its ticket to contest electoral office. Gumbari, the party’s Zone 3 chairman in Kaduna State, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos yesterday. He said a special committee had been set up to monitor the activities of aspirants and report any unwholesome attitude to the party headquarters. ``We have resolved to field only popular, acceptable and saleable candidates in 2015 and shall not tolerate anyone sharing money or using any other dirty tactics to influence the primary elections,’’ he said. ``The sanctions for bribeoffering aspirants will be very severe; the minimum is disqualification from the race. ``The party can also suspend or expel the erring party from its fold so as to cleanse the system,’’ added Gumbari, a two-term member of the House of Representatives..

He advised rich party faithful to use such money to develop the party and strengthen it to win elections. ``Wealthy members should rather contribute toward a stronger fold so that PDP will be repositioned to continue to be the leading political outfit that it already is. Such monies, if contributed to the pool, will be receipted. ``When one is identified as being an asset to the party, it can help the chances of getting the ticket because members will see you as one that is committed to ensuring progress. ``You cannot hide your money and use it to buy delegates because PDP has since passed that stage,’’ he said. He said the state chapter of the party had initiated periodic meetings during which party officials would be sensitised to the need to deemphasise the greed for monetary rewards and promote service to the people. ``Again, we have seen many instances where rich aspirants are rejected in spite of their money. We have also seen many instances when so-called anointed aspirants are

thrown out by the delegates. ``We must encourage more of that to instill discipline, as well as internal democracy and cohesion in the people,’’ he said. Gumbari also spoke on recent allegations by CPC leader, Gen Muhamadu Buhari, that the southern part of the state had gained nothing from its total loyalty to the PDP since 1999. ``I feel strongly against what he said. I think he was just exercising his right to freedom of speech as allowed in a democracy. ``Many people have commented on that and I share their opinion that the allegation is not worth worrying about. ``The PDP governments at the federal and state levels have built many roads and bridges; our people have risen to the pinnacle of their chosen fields. We now have a state university with the vice chancellor coming from the southern zone. ``The PDP has made it possible for us to produce the governor of Kaduna who died last year. We never dreamt of that, but the party gave it to us against all odds,’’ he said. (NAN)

Chime pledges workable LG system in Enugu

ov. Sullivan Chime of Enugu State has pledged the determination of his administration to build “a workable local government system” that would be a model for the country. Chime made the pledge in Enugu on Monday while declaring open a two-day induction and orientation for the newly appointed administrators, secretaries and members of the Local Government Development Authorities (LGDAs) in the state. The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Sunday Onyebuchi, said the inauguration of development centres was part of the plan by the state government to take development to the grassroots. ``It is the mission of government to consolidate and build on the gains of its four-point agenda by developing

the rural communities and reducing poverty in the state. Chime said the orientation was to enable government prepare the members of staff for the implementation of policies and programmes of government. The governor said the role of the development centres was to serve as extensions of local government, in order to reach the grassroots more rapidly. He urged the beneficiaries to take the exercise with the seriousness it deserved, in order to be better equipped to help in the development of the state. Earlier, the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Mr Okey Ani, urged the officials to ensure cordial relationship with the council chairmen and not to engage them in any form of

confrontation. The Chairman, Enugu State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government, Chief John Anichukwu, urged the administrators to get acquainted with laws establishing the LGDAs, with a view to knowing their functions. Anichukwu said the House committee would monitor the activities of the officials of the authorities, through its oversight functions, to ensure that they were in line with the four-point agenda of the government. The State Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Chief Nwabueze Okafor, in a message, thanked the governor for empowering the people, especially the youth, through the inauguration of development centres. (NAN)

actional Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi, has consoled the Senate and the people of Delta state and the entire Ewherido family over the sudden death of Senator Pius Ewherido, who, until his death, represented Delta Central Senatorial District on the platform of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), He stated “It is unfortunate that the hardworking, independentminded Senator, a political icon, and one of the most accomplished politicians in our country passed on at a time our country needed his invaluable service most. His loss is no doubt a monumental loss to our nation.

“Senator Ewherido’s departure is both painful and shocking. But we take solace in the fact that he lived and died well. He dedicated his life to serving his people and country. He mixed freely with the underprivileged and lived substantially organizing and fighting for the upliftment of his people while making important contributions to the development of his state and country. “Although, we cannot but grief over the death of this public spirited man, we are sure that Senator Ewherido will long be remembered as a community leader, an effective and consummate political figure, a national icon and grassroots mobiliser,” Amaechi lamented.

Commissioner wants youth integrated into environment policy formulation

ugene Alegba, the Benue Commissioner for Environment, has suggested the inclusion of youth groups in environmental policy formulation. Alegba, who made the suggestion at the environmental youth summit in Makurdi, said it was important for youth groups to play critical roles in articulating government policies since they had a longer life span and would be more affected by such policies. Represented by the Director of environment, Mr. Daniel Iorshaer, the commissioner, who described youths as “a critical mass of society”, said: “They need to be completely integrated in the formulation of such programmes for the sustainability of the environment.” In an address, the Vice Chancellor, Benue State University, Prof Charity Angya,

expressed regret over the harmful activities of man to the environment and said that most disasters were products of poor environmental management. Angya, who was represented by the Director of gender studies, Dr Margret Dura, said such unfriendly attitudes were responsible for climate change, adding that attitudinal change was a panacea to sustainable environment. Noting that youths and women were the most vulnerable groups to climate change, Angya called for the integration of women in environmental management policies. The vice chancellor also suggested the building of skill acquisition centres to give training to youths and women, stressing the need to tap their skills for a better tomorrow. (NAN)

Ondo set to commence inauguration of projects

ndo State government says it will soon commence the inauguration of some completed projects across the state. The Commissioner for Housing and Urban development, Dr Bade Omoloja disclosed this to newsmen in Akure yesterday during an inspection of some projects under his ministry. He listed the projects ready for inauguration to include the NEPA Mall Market in Akure, Neighbourhood market in Okitipupa and Ore. He said the inspection of the projects became important as a way of preparing the ground

for their inauguration later this month. “You can see that government has good projects for the people of the state and all these projects are people-oriented. “That goes to show that the mind of the government is to ensure that the dividend of democracy gets to the grassroots. “As you can see, the market women in Afunbiowo are very happy and enthusiastic; praying for the government,” he said. The permanent secretary in the ministry, Mrs Mojisola Ajayi, said the tour was also to enable them have firsthand information on all ongoing projects. (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

News Extra

FG not poaching pension funds- Okonjo-Iweala

By Abdulwahab Isa

he Federal Government has dismissed a story alleging plans to dip hands into pension savings to augment her precarious financial state, describing it as mere fabrication. Reacting to the story posted by a popular online source, Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in a statement issued last night by her Special Assistant (media) Paul Nwabiuku referred to the story as one of several fabrications common with the online sites.

Shedding light on country’s state of finance, it said that the “ country has $48 billion in reserves, including N5 billion in the Excess Crude Account to help shore up the economy”. “So, the idea that the country is broke is alarmist. It is true that the country is experiencing some revenue shortfalls that everyone knows about due to oil theft for which the President is taking some serious measures. Also, contrary to the claim in the story that the country has borrowed from local and international banks to finance recurrent spending, the

Jonathan administration has in fact reversed the tendency of borrowing to finance recurrent as was the practice in the past. Also untrue is the claim that the country has been downgraded by international rating agencies. In fact, the truth is the exact opposite; rating agencies and international investors have consistently stated, through various platforms, that the Nigerian economy is a wellmanaged one with good prospects in the medium and long term. “Regarding the country’s debt situation, the overall picture is positive as the Coordinating Minister showed clearly in her

recent well publicized statement. The multi-dimensional strategy adopted by the Jonathan administration is leading to positive outcomes. The level of borrowing has been brought down, bonds are being paid off through a sinking fund and the country is not taking the kind of high interest loans that led to the debt burden which existed before the historic Paris Club debt deal. The Borrowing Plan which was approved by State Governors and the National Assembly is focused on financing power transmission projects, inter and intra city rail projects, dams and other key infrastructure”, the minister said.

L-R: Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) Board Chairman, Chief Bisi Ogunjobi, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Amma Pepple, and Managing Director, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Gimba Kumo, during a one day sensitisation workshop on the National Housing Fund, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

statesman and human rights activist in Adamawa state, Alhaji Suleiman Baba Jada, has warned Nigerians especially the aggrieved members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to disregard Bamanga Tukur’s reconciliation, rebuilding and reformation policy as the national chairman is out to divide Nigeria as an entity. The elder statesman, in an interview with Journalists in Yola yesterday, said that Tukur is not a sincere arbiter to be taken by his

ife of the Vice President, Hajia Amina Sambo has expressed concern over the educational backwardness of the women in the northern parts of the country. The Vice president wife made the disclosure over the weekend in Dutse, the Jigawa state capital, in her

From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

he North West Zonal Office of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has warned of looming outbreak of epidemic across the Zone as part of the agency’s prompt response to mitigate disaster in Nigeria. NEMA organized a one day seminar titled “Epidemics with Teachers, District Heads and Health Workers at Local Level” held at Conference Hall, Women Affairs Centre, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi state yesterday. The Zonal Coordinator, NEMA North West Zone, Alhaji Musa Ilallah said “we have discovered that epidemic looms as rains and floods create the conditions for the diseases to spread faster and further in flood affected communities, therefore the need for urgent action to be taken in these critical areas to help stop the spread of these diseases most especially cholera which has infected and killed thousands of people in the country’s worst outbreak for nearly two decades”.

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

T words. Jada picked holes in the intention of the PDP National Chairman in the reformation, rebuilding and reconciling aggrieved party members since he came into the saddle almost two years ago, expressing surprise that the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who mobilised Adamawa electorate to massively vote for Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State in the 2011 gubernatorial election, were poles apart with the governor for some unidentified reasons. According to Baba Jada, if the likes of Tukur who did not emerge as

the National Chairman of the party through the rigours of democratic process, he could not be sincere in his reformatory moves. He urged Tukur to name the PDP members he has reconciled since he became leader of one of “the most formidable political parties in Nigeria” just as he accused the national chairman of conflict with ther foundation members of the party. “ How can he also rebuild the party when he (Tukur) is not susceptible to advice or corrections from members of the party he claimed to belong “,Baba Jada asked

rhetorically. The elder statesman who disclosed that he knew Alhaji Bamanga Tukur for over 50 years, said although he is a member of the ruling PDP, has decided not to participate in the activities of the party because the party under Tukur was shrouded in lies and lacks sense in its political and administrative directions. He observed thatTukur had failed to even reconcile PDP members in Adamawa, his home state, talk less of doing same in other states of the federation because he lacks political base in Adamawa state.

Northern women are educationally backward, VP’s wife says From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

Rains: NEMA warns of looming epidemic

JNI to partner with insurgency committee

Bamanga Tukur wants to divide Nigeria, elder statesman warns From Umar Dankano, Yola

Briefs

speech while closing the northern conference of women da’awah preachers. Hajiya Amina Namadi Sambo explained that northern women were left far behind in modern and religious education despite the federal and state governments efforts to encourage and support them. She therefore called on

individuals and the private sector to supplement government’s effort to save the situation. Sambo also tasked Nigerian women to assist security agencies in ensuring peaceful coexistence among people in the country. She explained that women as mothers and wives have roles to play for peace and harmony in the society. According to her, “As women,

always speak the truth that will bring peace to this nation especially now that we are going through the rising cases of violence”, adding that “we should therefore live in eace with everyone irrespective of faith and ethnic background”, she said. Sambo urged the female preachers to go into the grassroots and teach their religions to the womenfolk in the rural areas.

he Jama’atul Nasril Islam [JNI] has assured the Presidential Committee on Peace and Reconciliation of its total support to bring back peace in the country especially the Northern States wrought with insecurity. The Chairman of the Peace and Reconciliation Committee Alhaji Tanimu Kabir Turaki gave this assurance after meeting with the leadership of JNI in Kaduna on Sunday. Alhaji Tanimu said the Committee after two hours consultation with the leadership of the JNI led by its President,the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, the two parties agreed to work together in rder to restore peace to the North, particularly the North east.

89 ships to arrive Lagos ports from July 1 to July 29

ighty nine ships are expected to arrive the Lagos ports from July 1, to July 29, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has said. NPA said this in its daily publication, ``Shipping Position,’’ made vailable to newsmen yesterday in Lagos. The document also indicated that 16 of the ships would arrive with petroleum products, while 29 other ships would sail in with containers. NPA said that other ships would sail in with general cargoes, bulk wheat, fresh fish, maize, bulk fertiliser, bulk gypsum, crude palm oil, palm olein, boats, bulk urea, bulk sugar, base oil and bulk salt. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 39

CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMALLY KNOWN AS MISS CHUKWU, NGOZILETICIA, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS. OKAFOR, NGOZILETICIA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMALLY KNOWN AS MISS NDIKA, OGECHUKWU UDUNNA, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS. NWANKWO, OGECHUKWUUDONNA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

AUCTION! AUCTION!! AUCTION!!!

CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMALLY KNOWN AS USMAN GAJERE, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS IBRAHIM ISAH. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. MINISTRY OF LAND BAUCHI AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMALLY KNOWN AS ZAINAB RABIU BELLO, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ZAINAB RABIU. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. FMC BIRNIN KEBBI, FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HEALTH, NURSING AND MIDWIFERY COUNCIL OF NIGERIA AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMALLY KNOWN AS JUDITA MNENA KAGHER, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS JUDITA MNENA NEGE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

This is to inform the general public that, the under listed abandoned vehicles and motorcycles at the Nigeria Police Divisional Headquarters at Buruku, Ohimini and Gboko, LGA. Benue State Command will be auction to the general public, after two weeks of this publication. The Items are: 1. Buruku Div. 1 Toyota starlet with Reg. no AH 735 GBK; Chasis no EP70 – PGKDS – 164G, Eng. No. JTIG – 0EP70001574. 2. Mitsubishi car with Reg. No Lagas 527AKD with Eleven (11) scrap motorcycles 3. Ohimini Div. Scrap Rover car, Regin, BD 158 JJN, Chasis No. Sarrhmlamam-<41491. Eng No. N2c4 – 2033399; 5 scrap motorcycles, with other items. • Gboko area command. A division Gboko. Some motorcycles and other items. • B division High Level Makurdi. Some motorcycles and other items. For further information contact Auctioneer Ibrahim M. Garuwa Phone No. 08065561932.

CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMALLY KNOWN AS MISS OTUBE,IFEOMA COMFORT, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS. NWAMARAIFEOMACOMFORT. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

PUBLIC NOTICE

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THIS SPACE IS FOR SALE

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. DR SAYYADI ABBA RUMA 2- DR ABUBAKAR SANI R. MATAZU 3- PROFESSOR AMINU ISIYAKU YANDAKI 4- AMINU SHEHU ESQ 5- MAHADI MUSTAPHA IMAM ESQ 6- GAMBO WADA 7- ALIYU MUSA THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO ADVOCATE THE COMMUNITY BASE TRANSFORMATIONAL APPROACH ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

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THIS SPACE IS FOR SALE N.B Please note that this advert was to be carried in our yesterday’s edition but due to production error, we sincerely apologized and to also inform you that the closing date of July 16th still stands.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 41

FIFA U-20: Nigeria, Uruguay clash again By Patrick Andrew

arely a dozen days after the Super Eagles took on the Les Celeste of Uruguay, the Flying Eagles will confront the junior side of the South American country- Los Charruas- in a crucial FIFA U-20 World Championship in Turkey. The games hold 6.30pm Nigerian time. The duel is for a place in the quarter-final and comes up at the Ali Sami Yen Arena where the Flying Eagles defeated Korea Republic to finish runners-up behind Portugal in Group B. Both teams have peculiarities: They finished third in their continental fiestas and third in their respective groups to book today’s clash. As shown against the Uzbekistan, Uruguay play beautiful attacking football and are a high scoring side. They also play the typical South American patternplenty of flair, poise and highly technical, yet delightful. The junior Eagles, on the other hand, are not short of character, individual flair and could be counted on for attacking football except that blunt offensive rhythm has been their most undoing. No, they create chances but burying them has been far from being perfect. Olarenwaju Kayode may have improved in pace and dribbling runs yet remains largely clay footed.

Samuel Eduok is lively from the left side of attack as is Shehu Umar meaning that whoever is selected must justify his inclusion while expecting the duo of Abdul Ajagun and Olaitan Michael to prop up the attack with telling supplies. The Gaston Silva and Guillermo Varela-anchored defence are in for a tough time then despite boasting of the best defensive records so far in the tournament. Nicolas Lopez, who has twinkled like a star in Uruguay’s 4-0 whitewash of Uzbekistan will be heavily relied on by coach Juan Verzeri to punish the Nigerian defence that has let in three goals in three games with Defensor SC of Uruguay’s midfield maestro, Gino Acevedo expected to dictate proceedings from the middle. The junior Eagles defence line that has been somewhat suspect must be up and doing. Ikechukwu Okorie, Ndidi Onyiye and Kingsley Madu must provide needed cover to Samuel Okani between the sticks to forestall penetrating balls. John Obuh charges should pose a threat also from the wind where Saliu Gero should drive the path while being supported by Abdullahi Shehu. Nigeria have the depth to sail through and they will set up a potential cracker with the winner between Spain and Mexico in one of the quarter final games billed for Bursa.

Haruna Babalo, a late replacement for Tony Okputu of Lobi Stars, was yet to arrive in yesterday out of the 24 players Head Coach Step hen Keshi called up for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier against Cote d' Ivoire. The Eagles, who are to leave Abuja for Kaduna venue of the game tomorrow, trained yesterday at the practice pitch of the National Stadium Abuja and will also train twice today before relocating. According to the Media Officer of the team, Ben Alaiya, all the 23 players in camp except Kano Pillars’ Zango Umar trained yesterday. "The team’s medical crew has already done a scan on him to determine the extent of damage and after consulting with coach Keshi, the player was excused from camp.’’ The statement added that Zango’s teammate at Kano Pillars, Adamu Murtala, had been invited as his replacement. Alaiya said that Keshi cahllenged the players to work harder because they could among the first set of Nigerians to play in the CHAN tournament in South Africa if they win Cote d’Ivoire.

NDA Golf tourney holds thishis weekend year’s NDA Open Golf

NSCDC partners AFN for C’ wealth Games preparations, says Abolurin

By Albert Akota The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ade Abolurin, has disclosed that it was partnering with the leadership of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) to prepare its officers and men ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. “We are moving from one part of the country to the other in partnership with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN’s) to prepare our athletics for selection for the Games. “The preparation is of standard because we are excelling as we move from one region to the other and we don’t want to come back home without any medal,’’ Abolurin said. The Commandant, who was speaking at this year’s Olympic Day Run, said further that the preparations of its athletes were not only for the Commonwealth and the Olympic Games preparations, but that they are also preparing for the 2013 World Athletics Championship billed for Moscow, Russia later in the year. Also speaking earlier, the President of the NOC Mr Sani Ndanusa said this year’s event was unique as it marked the beginning of Nigeria’s preparation for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. Meanwhile, the Director General, National Sports Commission (NSC), Gbenga Elegbeleye, said that the NSC would continue to promote and support the celebration of Olympics Day Run. Already, he said the NSC has started negotiating partnership with the NOC to celebrate the 2014 editions. This year’s edition was organised in conjunction with the Federation of Public Service Games (FEPSGA).

2014 CHAN 23 Super Eagles in camp, team leaves for Kaduna tomorrow nly Elkanemi’s

Kayode being embraced by Aminu Umar after the former scored against Korea Republic

Today's matches

Spain Germany France Nigeria

vs vs vs vs

Mexico Uzbekistan Turkey Uruguay

Championship will be played this weekend with golfers the 36 states of the federation and the FCT participating. The two-day golfer fiesta was announced in kaduna yesterday by the Public Relations Manager North, NB Plc, Mr. Danjuma John-Ekele. The company is one of the sponsors of the tournament. “In making this year’s tournament even more colourful, we are holding a clinic for beginners which was held today (Saturday),” he said and expressed optimism that the clinic would produce future professional golfers for Nigeria. “Nigeria needs to develop good talents and as a company that produces quality brands, we also want to develop quality talents,” he added. Speaking further, he said that as part of activities to mark this year’s tournament, there will be a Heineken Night after the presentation ceremony at Zecool Hotels, Barnawa, where consumers and stakeholders would engage the brand.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 42

Sports Kwara Utd hook four new players to strengthen team

wara United have strengthened their squad for the second round of the league with the addition of four new players. The Afonja Warriors have signed on Aminu Awalu from Gombe United, Uche John who last played for Kaduna United, Lobi Stars goalkeeper John Lawrence and another goalkeeper from Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Ibrahim Wasiu. Kwara United media officer Olayioye Olusola Ajide told Goal that they have cleared all the players and they will be in action against Shooting Stars in Ibadan when the Nigeria

Professional Football League resumes on Wednesday. “We don’t want to take chances in the second round of the league and that is why we have reinforced our team with four new players. “It is important that we add fresh legs to the team because the second round will definitely be tougher than we envisage. “And we signed on two goalkeepers because one of our reliable goalies, Kazeem Yekeen is now with Shooting Stars. I am hopeful and con-

fident that we are going to continue with our excellent performance from the first round. “Kwara United is poised to play in the continent next year and the only way we can achieve that aim is to continue with our splendid performance from the first round. “The four players will greatly strengthen our team and I can safely say that we are ready for the second round of the Premier League,” Ajiboye said. Kwara United are third on the league table with 32 points.

Bayelsa United sign four foreign players B ayelsa United are at the verge of signing four foreign players to beef up its squad as the team prepares to challenge for the Nigeria professional Football League (NPFL) shield. The league enters its second stanza this weekend and Bayelsa United, who are fourth on the log with 29 points from 19 matches, want to leave no stone unturned to clinch the trophy at the end of the season. The four players are Oumar Diakite, a central defender from Mali, Yacouba Sanogo, an attacker from Mali, Liberian Diaz Willams who plays in the midfield and Ghanaian Eric Frimpong who is joining the Yenaogoa side from

Wikki Tourists. The four players are already in Yenagoa and have started training with Bayelsa United for the second round of the season. Bayelsa United head coach, Ladan Bosso told Goal that the players fit into what they want for the second round and will greatly strenthen the team. “I have watched these players and know their capabilities. They are the type of players that I want and since we have them now, we are going to stronger than we were in the first round. “I am sure that with the new players, Bayelsa United will start a frish challenge to finish well on the league table,” Bosso said.

Warri Wolves’ appeal baseless, says Akwa United

he Media Officer of Akwa United have dismissed the appeal made by Warri Wolves over the recent judgment by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), saying it was baseless. According to its Media Officer, Uwem Ikor, the decision by the NFF Disciplinary and Organising Committee was in comformity with the statures of the game both at the FIFA, continental and even sub-regional levels. Peoples Daily Sports recalls that NFF had upturned the dearlier decision by the League Management Company that had awarded three goals and points to Warri Wolves in favour of Akwa United and ordered that the game be concluded. Centre referee Henry Ogunyamodi had abandoned the game on allegation that he was assaulted in the dressing room during the first half break, a development that led to the award of the boardroom points. The match, played on June 5 at the Uyo Township Stadium, was 2-0 in favour of the hosts in the first half. The NFF in its judgment, directed that the match should continue from where it stopped

but the management of Warri Wolves appealed the judgment. “For the management of Warri Wolves to pay a whopping N500,000 to appeal a case that was practically against them showed how extravagant they were with money. ``The NFF’s decision that the match should be completed from where it stopped was a new FIFA’s rule and a welcome development. “This is a welcome development because it will guide the issue of teams always in the habit of abandoning their matches when they are at the losing end. “We have to embrace the new law of FIFA to discourage indiscipline and stalling of matches. “We will ever be ready to play Warri Wolves anytime because we are very much optimistic that they will be asked to come and play Akwa United in Uyo Township Stadium,” Ikor said. On the position of Akwa United on the league table, Ikor said that it was not encouraging as they were third from the bottom. He urged the Akwa United fans to remain supportive of the club, adding that the club would overcome its trying times.

Kano Pillars’ goalkeeper, Theophilius Abba dives to catch the ball

LMC to release funds for clubs’ feeder team, says Spokesman

he League Management Company (LMC) yesterday said arrangements are in top gear to release funds to all the 20 clubs in the Globacom Premier League to develop and recruit young talents into their feeder teams. LMC's Public Relations Officer, Mike Enahoro, who disclosed this to a news agency yesterday. said release would be based on the need for clubs to revive feeder teams' culture and ensure that younger talents are developed. "The release of funds to these clubs is to enable them to fully develop their feeder teams and for those with no feeder teams to develop one. ``The dearth of feeder teams in the Globacom

Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Team Kano Pillars Warri Wolves* Kwara United Bayelsa United Heartland Enyimba Dolphins Nasarawa United Gombe United Sunshine Stars Lobi Stars Nembe City Kaduna United 3SC El-Kanemi Rangers ABS F.C. Akwa United* Wikki Tourists Sharks

P 20 19 18 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 18 19 17 19 19 18 19

W 11 9 9 9 9 8 8 8 9 8 7 8 8 8 7 7 6 6 6 5

League is worrisome to the LMC, and we need to release funds for them for effective continuity According to him, the future of football will be uncertain without feeder teams in the various clubs participating in the premiership. ``We understand that clubs have to develop their feeder teams for continuity and growth. We gave clubs a substantial amount of money to cater for their feeder teams. ``And we are optimistic that they will use the money judiciously for this purpose, Enahoro said. According to him, LMC will from time to time go round to see how the feeder teams are faring, and offer advice when necessary.

D 4 6 4 2 1 4 4 4 1 3 5 2 2 1 4 3 4 3 2 5

L 5 4 5 8 9 7 7 7 9 8 7 9 9 9 8 7 9 10 10 9

GF 26 28 21 19 27 14 18 17 20 21 16 19 18 22 20 23 16 18 14 9

GA 20 16 11 23 17 10 15 20 24 15 19 24 23 21 21 18 21 28 22 18

GD 6 12 10 -4 10 4 3 -3 -4 6 -3 -5 -5 1 -1 5 -5 -10 -8 -9

Pts 37 33 31 29 28 28 28 28 28 27 26 26 26 25 25 24 22 21 20 20

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 43

Sports

Top 10 most transfer targets

The 2013 summer transfer window opens when the clock hits player’s freedom with everything falling into place. In many cases, deals have been worked for months, with many elements still extremely delicate. These are as some of the 10 most coveted transfer targets that are yet to move to clubs.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid, £80m

Ronaldo

onaldo transfer would be all the more distinct for the extreme chain reaction it would trigger in the rest of the window. His departure from Real Madrid could condition the future of everyone else on this list and so many more beyond. The current situation was itself effectively set in motion by Ronaldo’s public declaration that he was “sad” back in September, before the player’s representatives reached out to Manchester United, Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain in early 2013. Real Madrid has been very vocal about keeping the 28-year-old, and feel it would not fit the club’s status to lose both Jose Mourinho and Ronaldo in the same summer. The player, however, is understood to be dissatisfied with the club’s general approach to him, and only sparked further intrigue with a tweet simply saying, “All the news about my renewal with Real Madrid are false.

Edinson Cavani, Napoli, £54 million

avani feels he needs a transfer now to move to the next level of his career; a number of top European clubs feel he is exactly the player to move their game along. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis, however, has been quite strident about the fact that Cavani simply will not go unless his huge release clause is met. De Laurentiis has also played the media game quite cleverly, placing a fair amount of pressure on the forward, to the point Cavani has requested clear-the-air talks on returning from the Confederations Cup. In a summer in which buyable top-level forwards have been at something of a premium, Cavani’s situation means he is arguably being actively sought by more clubs than anyone else here. Leading the chase at the moment are Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City.

eal Madrid has been very loud about their interest in Bale; the player’s agent has been public about the fact that he has not yet signed a new contract with Tottenham Hotspur. Indeed, Representative Jonathan Barnett actually speaking on the record to Marca in late May about his client’s future was curious in the extreme. Although Bale himself is known to currently be happy with his life in London and enjoys a warm relationship with Andre Villas-Boas, it is his ultimate ambition to play for Real Madrid. The 23-year-old’s camp has also increasingly impressed on him the importance of getting back into the Champions League as soon as possible.

Bale

Luis Suarez, Liverpool, £31.5 million

uarez very much wants a move, as he has made abundantly clear. The tone of his exit strategy has also evolved over the past few weeks, going from talk of the English media forcing him out to now speaking about how “every player aspires” to be the best and play for clubs like “Real Madrid or Barcelona. Liverpool maintains he is not for sale, but in order to maintain a strong hand in negotiations, it is something they simply must do. Bale

Robert Lewandowski, B/Dortmund, £25m

Cavani

Wayne Rooney, Manchester United, £30 million

Gareth Bale, Tottenham Hotspur, £75 m

ewandowski has agreed to a deal with Bayern Munich, but Borussia Dortmund have been obdurate in their utter refusal to sell to the German champions after the controversial capture of Mario Goetze. In order to prevent the Pole from leaving for free next year, Dortmund are actively trying to sell him to a foreign club. Although Lewandowski’s first choice is by far Bayern, he is understood to be open to the idea of another move and his representatives have made contact with a number of clubs. Beyond Bayern, all of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City and especially Manchester United have expressed an interest. The Old Trafford club appears to have made the most significant progress with Lewandowski representatives so far, but City may now be moved into action after the sale of Carlos Tevez and missing out on Isco to Cavani Real Madrid.

I Wayne Rooney

t will become a lot clearer after this week’s showdown between club and player. While the situation has calmed after the retirement of Ferguson, who had made up his mind on selling Rooney, it is understood the 27-year-old himself may now see the benefit of a fresh start. Neither club nor player has yet wanted it desperately enough to make something happen, but that could change either way after

this week’s meeting. Jose Mourinho is a known admirer at Chelsea, while Arsenal has been reported as investigating the possibility of funding a deal. Real Madrid turned down an offer to buy the player last season, but it is believed their interest may have been piqued again. Paris Saint-Germain would gladly buy, but Rooney would only move to France as a last resort.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 44

Sports Okagbare hopes to stay healthy for World Championships By Patrick Andrew with agency report

fter dusting several big name stars, Blessing Okagbare hopes to stay healthy for next month’s World Championship in Moscow, Russia. The Nigerian sensational short distance runner dusted the likes of World and Olympics champions Shelly-Ann FraserPryce and Carmelita Jeter to win the 200 metres at the Diamond League meeting in Birmingham on Sunday. “I’m not a good starter, so I have more of an advantage on the 200m. With the upcoming world championships, the goal is to stay healthy, Okagbare said after the race. Though she has yet to decide whether she will attempt a sprint double in Moscow, Okagbare, who won three gold medals at the

All Nigeria Athletics Championship in Calabar, barely a week before the Birmingham Diamond League, said she intends to do whatever it would take to be in perfect shape for the World Championships. In Sunday’s race, Jamaica’s Olympic 100 winner FraserPryce and world sprint champion Jeter of the US were the favourites, but Okagbare outpaced them to finish in 22.55seconds. It was not the first time she had won a major race. She did the same ahead of the 2012 London Olympics Games but sadly failed to repeat the same feat at the Games instead came eight in an exciting 100m finals. Fraser-Pryce, who plans to run the 100 and 200 at August’s world championships in Moscow, was second in 22.72 with Jeter, competing for first time since suffering a hamstring inju-

ry in Shanghai in May, finishing last in 23.36. Jeter declined to talk to speak to the press but Okagbare who is her training partner did say that she’s recuperating fine. “She’s fine. You saw her run today so you can tell for yourself. It’s good she’s come back,” Okagbare said. Bulgaria’s Ivet Lalova was given third in 23.02 after Anthonique Strachan was disqualified, while Jeter clearly still has work to do after her thigh injury six weeks ago. She ran 23.36. As for Pearson, she endured her worst defeat for three years when she could only finish fourth in the 100m Hurdles behind US pair Dawn Harper-Nelson and Kellie Wells, with Britain’s Tiffany Porter taking third. Pearson won her injury comeback race in Ostrava three days ago in 12.67 and was only

six hundredths slower here, but Harper-Nelson and Wells surged ahead of her from half way to clock 12.64 and 12.67 respectively. Porter ran a season’s best of 12.72 to beat the Australian World and Olympic champion by a whisker. Merritt has also had his injury problems and clearly still lacks some of his 2012 sharpness. The Olympic 110m Hurdles champion was well beaten by Ryan Brathwaite of Barbados, 13.13 to 13.22. Brathwaite, the 2009 World champion, led from start to finish while Poland’s Artur Noga took third in 13.32. The men’s 400m Hurdles was pitched as the race of the meeting, with all three Olympic medallists, plus World champion Dai Greene, on the start line. If it really was a preview of the World Championships final, then Puerto Rico’s

Javier Culson will be pleased for the long-striding London 2012 bronze medallist won with ease. Culson led all the way to record 48.60 ahead of Britain’s European champion Rhys Williams who was close to his PB in 48.93. Diamond Race leader and Olympic silver medallist Michael Tinsley was third in 48.94. As for Olympic champion Sanchez, he was never in the race, and struggled home seventh in 49.68 while Greene was little quicker, fifth in 49.55. Montsho suffered her first defeat in this year’s Diamond League when she was pipped by the fast-finishing Briton Christine Ohuruogo. Urged on by the crowd, the Olympic silver medallist clawed her way up to Montsho over the last 80m and leaned ahead to win by a hundredth in 50.63.

Carter, Shakes-Drayton and Judd produce track highlights

powerful finish from Nesta Carter brought victory in the men’s 100m ahead of the two heat winners, Kim Collins and Britain’s James Dasaolu. The Jamaican had qualified in third place behind Collins in the first heat but saved his best for the final where he dipped under 10 seconds with 9.99. European indoor silver medallist Dasaolu was runner-up, lowering his PB for the second time in the afternoon, clocking 10.03 to Collins’ 10.06. As for Yoshihide Kiryu, the 17-year-old Japanese athlete who ran 10.01 in April and was hoping to be the first Asian to break 10 seconds, he trailed home last in his heat, five metres behind 37-year-old Collins in 10.55. Britain’s Perri Shakes-Drayton recovered from a slow start to beat her compatriot Eilidh Child in the women’s 400m hurdles with a season’s best of 53.82, just five hundredths short of her PB. Child broke the Scottish record for the second time in eight days, clocking 54.22 in second place, while Yadisleidy Pedroso of Italy took third in 55.40, despite

RESULTS Men’s 100m

being badly impeded by Angela Morosanu coming off the final bend. There was another well-received British victory in the women’s 800m, won by 18-year-old Jessica Judd in a lifetime best of 1:59.85. Judd was an impressive winner at the European Team Championships in Gateshead last weekend and the World Junior silver medallist timed her finish to perfection again, overcoming a big lead by fellow Britain Marilyn Okoro to dip under two minutes for the first time. Okoro hung on to second in 2:00.76, with Ethiopia’s Fantu Magiso third. Alamirew may have fallen short against Farah, but there were three impressive Ethiopian wins in the other middle-distance races. Mohammed Aman led from the front to hold off a group of four in the men’s 800m, crossing the line in 1:45.19 ahead of South Africa’s Andre Olivier, while Abeba Aregawi beat Nancy Langat of Kenya in the women’s 1500m in 4:03.70.

Blessing Okagbare (first left) coasting home ahead of favourites Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Carmelita Jeter

3. Artur Noga (Poland) 13.32 Men’s 400m Hurdles 1. Javier Culson (Puerto Rico) 48.59 1. Nesta Carter (Jamaica) 9.99 2. Rhys Williams (Britain) 48.93 2. James Dasaolu (Britain) 10.03 3. Michael Tinsley (U.S.) 48.94 3. Kim Collins (St Kitts and Nevis) 10.06 Men’s High Jump Men’s 800m 1. Bohdan Bondarenko (Ukraine) 2.36 1. Mohammed Aman (Ethiopia) 1:45.18 2. Erik Kynard (U.S.) 2.34 2. Andre Olivier (South Africa) 1:45.64 3. Robert Grabarz (Britain) 2.31 3. Andrew Osagie (Britain) 1:45.80 Men’s Long Jump Men’s 1500m 1. Aleksandr Menkov (Russia) 8.27 1. Aman Wote (Ethiopia) 3:35.99 2. Greg Rutherford (Britain) 8.11 2. Abdalaati Iguider (Morocco) 3:36.23 3. Christopher Tomlinson (Britain) 7.97 3. Mohamed Moustaoui (Morocco) 4. Godfrey Khotso Mokoena (South Africa) 7.90 3:36.75 8. Zack Visser (South Africa) 7.69 Men’s 5000m Men’s Triple Jump 1. Mohamed Farah (Britain) 13:14.24 1. Christian Taylor (U.S.) 17.66 2. Yenew Alamirew (Ethiopia) 13:14.71 2. Teddy Tamgho (France) 17.47 3. Hagos Gebrhiwet (Ethiopia) 13:17.11 3. Yoann Rapinier (France) 16.88 Men’s 110m Hurdles Men’s Shot Put 1. Ryan Brathwaite (Barbados) 13.13 1. Reese Hoffa (U.S.) 21.34 2. Aries Merritt (U.S.) 13.22

2. Ryan Whiting (U.S.) 20.89 3. Ladislav Prasil (Czech Republic) 20.76 Men’s Javelin Throw 1. Andreas Thorkildsen (Norway) 83.94 2. Ari Mannio (Finland) 83.26 3. Dmitri Tarabin (Russia) 83.03 Women’s 200m 1. Blessing Okagbare (Nigeria) 22.55 2. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) 22.72 3. Ivet Lalova (Bulgaria) 23.02 Women’s 400m 1. Christine Ohuruogu (Britain) 50.63 2. Amantle Montsho (Botswana) 50.64 3. Novlene Williams-Mills (Jamaica) 51.03 Women’s 800m 1. Jessica Judd (Britain) 1:59.85 2. Marilyn Okoro (Britain) 2:00.76 3. Fantu Magiso (Ethiopia) 2:01.12 Women’s 1500m 1. Abeba Aregawi (Sweden) 4:03.70 2. Nancy Jebet Langat (Kenya) 4:04.53

3. Ekaterina Sharmina (Russia) 4:04.55 Women’s 100m Hurdles 1. Dawn Harper-Nelson (U.S.) 12.64 2. Kellie Wells (U.S.) 12.67 3. Tiffany Porter (Britain) 12.72 Women’s 400m Hurdles 1. Perri Shakes-Drayton (Britain) 53.82 2. Eilidh Child (Britain) 54.22 3. Yadisleidis Pedroso (Italy) 55.40 Women’s 3000m Steeplechase 1. Milcah Chemos Cheywa (Kenya) 9:17.43 2. Sofia Assefa (Ethiopia) 9:17.97 3. Hiwot Ayalew (Ethiopia) 9:18.83 Women’s Pole Vault 1. Yarisley Silva (Cuba) 4.73 2. Fabiana Murer (Brazil) 4.63 3. Jennifer Suhr (U.S.) 4.53 Women’s Discus Throw 1. Sandra Perkovic (Croatia) 64.32 2. Gia Lewis-Smallwood (U.S.) 62.46 3. Anna Rueh (Germany) 62.14

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 45

Sports

P-i-c-t-o-r-i-a-l 1. Neymar, who won the Golden Ball award at the Confederations Cup, will have minor throat surgery before moving to Barcelona 2. World number one Serena Williams saw her winning streak and hopes of a sixth Wimbledon title end with a shock defeat by Germany’s Sabine Lisicki. 3. With the summer transfer window opening,

Miguel Delaney dissects the ten most coveted targets that may yet complete moves 4. British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton is out of the deciding Test against Australia in Sydney with a “significant” hamstring tear 5. Olympic champion Nicola Adams beat Italy’s Terry Gordini on points to start her title defence at the European Union Championships in Hungary.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

PAGE 46

Sports

Nigeria can’t dominate African football unless domestic league improves, says Uwe He played for Nigeria’s Super Eagles between 1986 and 1991. A year earlier, he was in the Flying Eagles team that ϐinished third at the FIFA World Championship in the former Soviet Union alongside the likes of Alloy Agu, Waidi Akanni, Kingsley Onye, Augustine Igbinabaro, Monday Odiaka, Ndubuisi Okosieme, Samson Siasia and Wasiu Ipaye. Andrew George Uwe was a member of the Nigerian squad to the Africa Cup of Nations in 1988 and 1990 in Morocco and Algeria respectively as well as to the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. He featured for a number of high-proϐile clubs in the Nigeria top ϐlight in the 1980s like Leventis United, Calabar Rovers (now Unicem Rovers) and Iwuanyanwu Nationale (now Heartland). In his managerial life, Uwe has coached a high school in Houston, Texas as well as modest clubs like Houston Flying Eagles and Bellaire Soccer Club and in college camps. He currently holds a Uefa B licence as well as coaching licences from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Uwe, 45, who also speaks Spanish, German, Italian and French, is currently working in Germany as a youth team coach. He spoke to supersport.com about his career as a coach, the 2013 AFCON feat, the Super Eagles, and his passion for basketball.

hat have you been doing after you quit football? I've just been taking care of my private businesses in Houston, Texas in the United States and Germany, and myself. What kind of business do you do in the US and Germany? I thought coaching was the only business you're into. I am a shareholder. I buy and sell shares at home when am i have free time. That is my small business I do when I am free at home. Sure football is my first business and the other is at my free pleasure time. And why did you opt of private business for your present profession - coaching? Because it is part of my life and I am having fun coaching under-17 & under-19 teams in Germany and also playing some games with the adult team too. It is just fun to love and play the game with passion. Have you handled any

professional club since you became a coach? Not yet, but I am coaching an adult semi-pro team and under-17 & under-19 Regionaliga and Bundesliga team in Germany. I am open to such an offer because I'm ready for it. What is your projection for your coaching career? Wherever is suitable and okay for my family and me, as you know football is now big business. Do you have any plan to return to Nigeria and coach any team - at club or national team level if vacancies exist? Oh yes, it is my country anytime if any vacancies exist at club or national level I am open for it. I have my licence to coach. You've followed the Nigerian game in recent years, what do you think you can bring to the table as a coach that others haven't done? My philosophy is having good relationship with players and team management because if you

Oliha don't know how to manage your team, just forget it. Being a good footballer will not make you a good coach.

What or who inspired you to coaching? The privilege came from God and the opportunity that I have had as a football player which most kids today don't have.

“

Coaches Samson Siasia and Stephen Keshi, were all teammates of Uwe

Money cannot buy that, so the best way is going into coaching and I have come by a lot of young talented kids. My good friend, Victor Ogunsanya a.k.a Ade and I went to same school in Lagos in 1977 and he gave me my first coaching job in Houston, Texas at St-Academy in 1998 and he inspired me into coaching and even helped by recommending me. Your former teammates Stephen Keshi and Samson Siasia became Super Eagles coaches, Keshi recently won the Africa Cup of Nations. Do you believe it's time for ex-internationals to be given the chance to manage our national teams unhindered? Oh yes, I think it is time as you can see all over the world the ex-players are handling most national teams or clubs all over the world. Just let them do their jobs and if they fail we know it is their fault, and also the ex-players must have trainer's licences and experience as a trainer or cotrainer. But being an ex-player doesn't always guarantee success in coaching. Nigeria won the Africa Cup of Nations this year, does this signals years of dominance to come for the Super Eagles on the continent? Not yet. We know every African national team is moving up step by step and now most of our African players are playing abroad so it won't be easy. But, we must keep up by mixing up the team with some experienced players because at the end experience matters a lot in every sport. That is just my opinion, plus we must improve our local league. About 98 percent of us in Europe or USA came out from our league. What advice do you have for the Super Eagles coaches and the football federation on building on the Afcon success? They need to care more about our league and players, plus encourage our league coaches too. We need to invest some time, and real quality time and resources, into our league. If Andrew Uwe didn't play football, what other profession would you have settled for? In Houston, I played some part-time basketball, so I would have settled for basketball. It's a game I love.

Having good relationship with players and team management because if you don’t know how to manage your team, just forget it. Being a good footballer will not make you a good coach.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

Some Interesting Facts

hip makes a cracking sound because its tip moves faster than the speed of sound Two animal rights protesters were protesting at the cruelty of sending pigs to a slaughterhouse in Bonn. Suddenly the pigs, all two thousand of them, escaped through a broken fence andstampeded, trampling the two hapless protesters to death If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle;if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural cause. The human heart creates enough pressure while pumping to squirt blood 30 feet!! The masturbatory techniques utilized by females are much more varied than are the ones employed by males and among other things include the use of the hand or fingers, vibrators, all sorts of elongated objects, Lawn chairs, penis substitutes, running water, beer bottles, and fruits and vegetables. Your Pupils can expand as much as 45 percent when looking at someone you love Violence has actually been steadily declining over the course of human history. We are currently in the midst of our most peaceful Era yet.

PAGE 47

Leisure Most Of The Laughs You hear in comedy and funny movies today were actually recorded in the 1950s.This Means a lot of the people yu hear are dead people. Macdonalds Feeds 1 percent of the world’s entire population daily Teenagers who drink, smoke or eat junk food are 4 to 6 times less happier than those who never smoked or drank alchohol The Chances Of You dying on your birthday are actually higher than the the chances of you dying any other day In Colombia, kidnapping is such a normal phenomena that a seperate radio station is kept for messages sent by parents to kidnapped children

Male sea slugs cut off their joystick after Being Intimate and grow a new one before a new mating session. Xbox, Wii, playstation and all other game consoles are banned in china since 2000 but they are all made in China. There exists a dating site for ghosts called ghostsingles. Its slogan is “exclusively for those who have passed away but not gone away” There exists a book titled “everything a man knows about a woman”. It has 100 pages all of which are blank. It is a best seller too. World’s shortest horror story consists of two sentences. “ The last man on earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door”.

In Japan, napping at work is viewed as fatigue from working hard and it is completely acceptable. Employees fake it to look committed There is a 40 percent chance that you would die within the next three years if you sit more than 11 hours a day. Due to increased brain activity, people with higher intelligence tend to have a harder time sleeping at night. 3 people stole a secret recipe for a new flavour of drink from Coca cola and sent it to Pepsi Pepsi instead of using this, rather reported the case to the FBI and Coca cola.

Say what?

SUDODKU

PHOTO OF THE DAY

An animal tamer, Randy Miller, 45, even lets tigress Eden, whom he hand-reared from birth, pin him down during her training for Hollywood film roles in Big Bear, California. Source: TheSun.co.uk

www.peoplesdailyng.com

. . . putting the people first

TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

SPORTS LATEST

Murray beats Youzhny at Wimbledon to advance

ndy Murray survived some nervous moments to beat Mikhail Youzhny and reach the quarter-finals on another day of drama at Wimbledon. The second seed won 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 to make the last eight for the sixth year in a row at the All England Club. He is now the only Briton remaining in the singles after Laura Robson lost to Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi on Court One, and will face Spain’s Fernando Verdasco on Wednesday. Murray had arrived on Centre Court as the crowd were still digesting Serena Williams’s surprise loss to Sabine Lisicki, but the Scot was not about to suffer a similar fate. He was in danger of being drawn into a lengthy battle in an edgy second set, but came through in the tie-break and wrapped things up after two hours and 37 minutes. A straightforward afternoon seemed to be unfolding when Murray played a terrific game that included a deft half-volley, a deadly backhand lob and a brilliant forehand pass, to lead by a set and a break. When Murray double-faulted to drop serve for the second game in succession and then fell 5-2 behind, he was under real pressure for the first time in the tournament. Youzhny, playing in the last 16 at Wimbledon for the eighth time, had his chance to level when he served for the set, but after seeing off two break-back points he could do nothing about a Murray forehand on the third. The Scot was still searching for consistency, and another doublefault saw him change ends 4-2 down in the tie-break, but the most delicate of drop shots shifted the momentum.

Andy Murray

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QUOTABLE QUOTE There are external forces whose sole aim is to destabilize our country, and they are using some bad politicians and clerics to perpetrate the crises in some parts of the country. — Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, National Chairman, Council of Ulama of Jaamatul Izalatul Bidia Waikamatus Sunna (JIBWIS)

Suswam’s lies and distortions (II) A

rticle 5.1 of the NGF constitution provides that, “The membership of NGF shall consist of all the democratically elected governors of all the states in the Nigerian Federation... who collectively constitute and shall be known as the ‘Governing Board of the NGF’.” The provisions dealing with the election of the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Governing Board come under Article 6, and are as follows: 6.7 Members of the Governing Board shall elect from among themselves a person to be known and addressed as Chairman, who shall preside over the affairs of the Board and chair all its meetings, and another to be known and addressed as ViceChairman, who shall assist the chairman in directing the affairs of the Board and chair its meetings in the absence of the Chairman. 6.8 In electing the Chairman and ViceChairman, members shall give due regard to: 6.8.1 the principle of federal character; and 6.8.2 the need to reflect political party representation in the Board, so as to ensure that the Chairman and ViceChairman are not persons elected as Governors of their states on the platform of the same political party but on the platforms of the two political parties with the highest representation in the Board. 6.9 The Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall hold office for a term of two years but shall be available for election for another but final term of two years. In the case of the positions of Chairman and Vice-Chairman, or one of them becoming vacant, the NGF constitution provides as follows: 6.11 Where the offices of Chairman and ViceChairman, or one of them become vacant, either due to resignation by the incumbents or incumbent, or because the incumbent or incumbents cease for whatever reason to be Members of the Board, the Members shall hold election to elect a new Chairman and a Vice- Chairman, or either of the two as the case may be, who shall hold office only for the rest of the tenure of the persons or person vacating the offices or office. Now, by what stretch of the imagination and/or by what rules of construction or interpretation can anything in these provisions be said to suggest, even remotely, that the NGF Chairman is supposed to emerge through endorsements and consensus, and not election? But, of course, Suswam now

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FOR THE MASSES By Rufa’i Ibrahim ruf585@hotmail.com denies the genuineness of this constitution, even though he, like his colleagues at the time, willingly consented to its being registered by the CAC by personally filling and signing, and in the usual red ink, the Trustee Declaration form (a copy of which I still have in my possession). By this denial, Suswam has knotted himself into the absurd tangle of disowning that which he has consented and subscribed to, at the same time as he so loudly accuses his colleagues of betrayal over the Jang endorsement issue. His denial is understandable, though. For, it is the only rope by which the Jang faction hangs, the only excuse or argument that softens the blows of defeat while serving as the basis for sustaining the sharp division within the NGF, which itself serves a higher agenda. It is not said outright, but below the cloud cover, it’s all too easy to see that it is Gov. Amaechi of Rivers that those in the Jang faction are claiming threw away the genuine constitution and got an unauthorized one registered. Well, Amaechi can speak for himself. But it bears repetition that it was my humble self who, in 2002, was briefed to draft the constitution and aims and objectives of the NGF, which I did and filed with the CAC, which consequently approved and registered the NGF as an incorporated trustee on February 27, 2009, with certificate number CAC/IT/NO31439. In all the years it took to get the NGF registered, I never once met nor communicated with Amaechi, who became governor in 2007. And, up till this very minute, I have never met the man. A no less laughable charge against Amaechi is that it was his insistence, because of his desperation for power, that led the NGF this time to decide to choose its chairman through a direct election, which Suswam and co believe is bad and unhealthy for not just the forum but for all of us and the country itself. Hear Suswam: “And I insisted, and still insist that if people go to election, no matter how small, there are consequences, and I raised this issue in our previous attempt to have this election.” “Did Suswam really say this or was he misquoted?” I can almost hear the untutored in our affairs asking, with surprise and shock that this has come from an “elected” governor, in a “democratic” dispensation and in the year 2013. But up till this minute, Suswam hasn’t issued either a denial or a

correction, so we must take it that he said what he was reported to have said, and meant it. And we should neither be surprised nor shocked at this. Suswam, in fact, deserves some praise for being frank, for saying loudly and publicly what most of our other leaders say only in hushed, or barely audible tones. In fact, the one positive aspect of the current NGF crisis is that it serves as a reminder to us, if any is needed, that in spite all the pretences and the noise about democracy, the fundamental temper of most of our leaders remains essentially and decidedly anti-democratic. Suswam accuses Amaechi of being desperate for power. Well, if Amaechi can rightly be so described, he certainly can’t be more so than those who have set up a rival camp, doing all and everything to change the unchangeable and deny him of his well- earned victory in a free and fair election. Pray, who is the real desperado between, on the one hand, the person who, having subscribed to an association, insists that its constitution be respected, followed and applied to the letter, and, on the other, the person who has also subscribed to the same association but disrespects, flouts and even denies the constitution because its application hasn’t been favourable to him? True, until April 24, the NGF has, since its inception in 1999, not been choosing its chairman through a direct election. But this is partly because for a long time it didn’t have an operative constitution and partly because when it finally got one in February, 2009, there was no insistence from anyone or any quarters within the forum that the provisions of the constitution be applied, even in 2011 when there was a vacancy and Amaechi was chosen to fill it. Just what is wrong with, or desperate about Amaechi’s insistence that since the NGF now has an approved and registered constitution, its provisions should be followed and applied in the conduct of the forum’s affairs? Suswam, in the sentence quoted above, talks of ‘’consequences’’ of having an election, ‘’no matter how small’’- consequences he seems so mortally afraid of and so desperately wants to avoid at all costs. Clearly, the implications of what he has said are that, first, the bigger the election, the more or the bigger the unwanted consequences, and, second, that it would, therefore, be in our best interests to ban all elections in this country. But what are these dreaded

consequences? True, we’ve had many elections in this country that have been followed with violence and crisis. But even Suswam can’t pretend not to know that the direct cause of this is the reality and public perception that the elections have not been free and fair, that winners have been diddled out of their victory and that the peoples’ wishes have been thwarted. What unwanted consequences will attend a visibly credible and free and fair election, other than that one candidate emerges the winner (as Amaechi did on April 24) and another, or other candidates, emerge losers (as Jang did)? And why should there be any adverse consequences if the winner conducts himself and manages his success well (as Amaechi appears to be doing) and the loser accepts and takes his defeat in good faith (as Jang ought to have done, but has refused to do?). In his dread of elections, Suswam seems to surpass even his own party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), well known for its disdain for transparency. Certainly, reading his interview, Suswam comes across to one as the perfect embodiment of the PDP’s mortal fear of elections and of anything transparent and open, and its habitual preference for endorsements, impositions and any and all things done in the dark behind closed doors. Suswam has now, like Gov. Yuguda of Bauchi, pulled out of the Northern Governors’ Forum, claiming, like the latter, that he has been betrayed by his colleagues over the Jang endorsement issue. Fine. Betrayal can be painful, no matter what or who is its source. But if Suswam is really averse to, and can’t share an hour with betrayers, as he has told the world, then why does he only keep and move in the company of serial betrayers –like Yuguda, who betrayed his former party and its leader on whose platform and prestige he rode to power, and President Jonathan, who flouted his party’s constitution, broke all the agreements he freely entered into with his party’s chieftains and seems all set even now to break an agreement he struck in 2011 with the Northern governors, of whom Suswam is one? By last count, there are, apart from the one by Gov. Fashola, three court cases involving involving the NGF, all of them bearing the writ of Amaechi’s powerful opponents in that they were all filed when the opposition to him starting mounting, and each of them questioning the competence of the CAC to register the NGF and praying for the withdrawal of the NGF certificate of registration. The question now is whether the NGF will survive all the divisions, crisis legal battles and betrayals in which it has now become enmeshed. Time will tell, but we will be watching with interest how things will be playing out in the coming months and years. Concluded

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