PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday,March 8, 2016. Edition. by Peoples Media Limited

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Tuesday, March 8, 2016/ Jumadal-Awwal 28, 1437 AH

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694 Days after: Will the abducted Chibok schoolgirls ever be rescued?

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Vol. 22 No. 31 N150

Niger State sacks 6,000 workers

Armsgate: Court sends ex CDS, Badeh to prison page 7

By Lawrence Olaoye, with agency report

Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, has ordered a former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, remanded at the Kuje Maximum Prison, pending the determination of his bail application on March 10. Justice Okon Abang gave the ruling Monday after Mr. Badeh was arraigned for alleged fraud, relating to the diversion of N3.9 billion meant for the purchase of arms for the Nigerian military. Mr. Abang struck out the bail application filed by Mr. Badeh’s counsel, Samuel Zibiri, on the grounds that it was filed ahead of his client’s (Mr. Badeh’s) arraignment. The judge further ruled Contd on pAGE 5 Former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (middle), arraigned for money laundering and criminal breach of trust, yesterday at the Federal High Court, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Days of sponsored violence over in Kaduna -el Rufai page 5

18 burnt to death in Bauchi-Jos road crash pAGE 14

Economic crisis not doom for Nigeria - Dangote pAGE 5

S/Africa partners Nigeria against Boko Haram >> pg 3

pAGE 7

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

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News CONTENTS News 2-10 Editorial 11 Op.Ed 12 Letters 13 Politics 15-18 Business Stockwatch

19-22 23

S/Report 24-25 Property 27 Motoring 28 Arts

Metro

S/World

Digest

Sports

Columnist 48

Ocholi’s death, a monumental loss, says Saraki Page 15

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L-R: Acting Director-General National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) Mr Abdulmalik Dauda; Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Aisha Al-Hassan, and Director, Women and Gender Affairs, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Esther Mshelia, during a pre-delegate departure meeting on the 60th UN Commission on the Status of Women, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: NAN

Islamic coalition: Nigeria’s membership not religious - Minister By Lawrence Olaoye

oreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, has said that Nigeria’s membership of the Islamic Countries Coalition against Terror does not make the country an Islamic state. Reactions had trailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration in a broadcast of an interview by Aljazeera that he had signed up to the coalition alleging that the President had joined the Islamic states. He was speaking with State House correspondents after a meeting with Buhari in Abuja yesterday. The minister said rather than dwell on the religious perspective; the media ought to be more interested in the objectives of the coalition. Onyeama observed that terrorism was a global phenomenon and Nigeria was ready to support any move to deal with it. He explained that the Islamic countries were uncomfortable with the perception that terrorism was Islamic and consequently wanted to show that this was not the case. The minister noted that the coalition was keen to demonstrate

that terrorists were not speaking for Islam as there was nothing in Islamic teaching that encourages terrorism. Asked to react to the reservation expressed in some quarters on Nigeria’s membership of the Islamic coalition, he said: “What I say first of all is that you guys in the media have to be more responsible in the way you present news. First and foremost, get your facts right. “It has nothing to do with religion as far as Nigeria is concerned. We have to look at what the objective is. We face terror challenges and its a global phenomenon. “Unfortunately, the problem we have today is that some of the terrorists groups are claiming some of the things they are doing is in the name of a particular religion and it is clear to everybody that this is not the case which is obviously a concern to people of Islamic faith and Islamic countries that their religion should be so abused. “So, there is naturally a tendency to show that this has nothing to do with Islam. Terrorism has nothing to do with Islam. Islamic countries, Islamic people want to be seen as being in the forefront of the battle against these terrorists to show also that it has absolutely nothing to do with religion.

Dogara condoles with Buhari over Ocholi’s death

...says late minister was a dogged fighter By Umar Muhammad Puma

he Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has expressed shock over the death of Minister of State for Labour and Productivity Mr. James Ocholi on Sunday. Ocholi, a senior advocate of Nigeria died on Sunday in a road traffic accident with his wife and son along Kaduna-Abuja road. In a statement issued by his spokesman, Mr. Turaki Hassan, Dogara, said the country has lost a patriot and a perfect gentleman. The speaker who described the death of Ocholi and his family members as tragic, expressed his condolence to President Muhammadu Buhari, government and people of Kogi state over the big

loss. “I am shocked by the news of sudden demise of Mr. Ocholi, his wife and son in a ghastly motor accident on Sunday.” “We have lost one of our finest lawyers, dogged fighter and a committed progressive. The legal profession has lost one of its best. The death of the Ocholis is a big tragedy and only God will give comfort and solace to the immediate family. We share in the pains and our prayers are with them at this difficult moment. “My special condolence goes to the president who has lost one of his strong political allies and a shining star in the present administration.” “I pray almighty God to grant their souls eternal rest and the family the fortitude to bear the loss.”

“That’s what this is all about. So, we are supporting every move to achieve this, to disabuse people’s minds that some of these terrorists are speaking in the name of Islam or are Islamic or that there’s anything about Islamic teaching that somehow condones these barbaric actions. “I think it’s something we should all get together and we should all support whoever is working towards it. And that’s what this coalition is for: to show too that we are a Muslim country, we are Muslims and these people do not speak for Islam, have nothing to do with islam. “Most of the victims of these people are Muslims if you look at it. So, that’s what it is.

“It has nothing to do with Nigeria, Christianity, Islam. I think the media should really get the main message across.” Buhari had told the international television outfit that Nigeria had joined the coalition despite earlier statement from the Presidency that he had turned down the invitation. The president had been asked whether Nigeria was part of it and he answered: “We are part of it because we’ve got terrorists in Nigeria that everybody knows which claim that they are Islamic. “So, if there’s an Islamic coalition to fight terrorism, Nigeria will be part of it because we are casualties of Islamic terrorism.”

Petrol scarcity: NUPENG urges NNPC to create same template for marketers

he Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Monday urged NNPC to create same template for major and independent oil marketers to end the recurring scarcity. Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, South-West Chairman of the union, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos this was imperative because the marketers got products from different depots. The chairman said while the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) members imported petroleum products, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) members got from NNPC depots. Korodo said that Petroleum and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) under NNPC usually pumped petrol into major marketers’ depots while IPMAN members did not have such an opportunity. He said that IPMAN members’ challenges started when NNPC shut down IPMAN depots, prompting IPMAN members to load from private depots. Korodo stressed that private depots template was different from the approved template from NNPC ex-depot price. “At private depots in Apapa, Lagos, the ex-depot price of a litre of petrol is between N95 and N100.

“Independent marketers from the east and northern parts don’t struggle to buy products because they know they can sell the product at any price in their states. “This is because they have few major marketers in their states, but in Lagos the case is different. “It is only when NNPC pumps products to their depots that independent marketers who are lucky to get can sell at the official pump price,” he said. The chairman said the exdepot price of N77 now applied to major marketers and NNPC depots, adding that at the private depots the price was different. “We are appealing to NNPC to create similar template for major and independent marketers because that is the only solution to this scarcity of petrol. “When you look around, you will see that major marketers are not many whereas independent oil marketers cut across the country. “If independent marketers get petrol the way major marketers get, the better for the country. “IPMAN members move from one depot to another looking for petrol and when they get it, they add other expenses such as transportation hence the price is high. “This is why they are selling more than the approved pump price,” he said. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

News

UniAbuja faculty of social science holds conference By Usman Shuaibu

he faculty of Social Science at the University of Abuja on Monday organized an international conference entitled “Social Science and the Rising Wave of Global Terrorism’’. Declaring the conference open, the Vice- Chancellor, Prof. Michael Adikwu, who was represented at the occasion, said that his administration would continue to support the good programmes of the deans in the institution. Adikwu charged the participants to make use of the knowledge they had acquired during the programme to better the society security wise. Also speaking, the dean of the faculty of Social Science, Prof. Rhoda Mundi, said the faculty would continue to organize programmes that would be of benefit to the society. She said the faculty deemed it necessary to hold the conference in order to enlighten the public on the activities of terrorists globally, while thanking the guests who turned-up for the programme. In his remark, the Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Nuhu O. Yaqub, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of Sokoto State University, commended the faculty of Social Science for organizing the programme at a time that the nation was undergoing security threat. On his part, the keynote speaker, Major General Martin Luther Agwai (Rtd), expressed dismay over the destruction of lives and properties being masterminded by the terrorists in the country, most especially the Boko Haram, and urged Nigerians to be security conscious in anywhere they found themselves. Agwai, however, hailed the Federal Government as well as Nigerian Army for the steps being taken so far to wage war against insurgency in Nigeria.

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Ag News Editor, Ese Awhotu

Katsina budgets N3bn for schools upgrade From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

eputy Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu has disclosed that the state government had budgeted the sum of N3 billion for the upgrading of facilities in the state’s schools. The deputy governor made

the disclosure, weekend while speaking at the inauguration o f the governing council of ALQALAM University, Katsina. He similarly noted that to improve quality of learning in these schools, the government would employ additional 100 teachers in the state service. Yakubu reiterated the commitment of the state

government in restoring the lost glory of education in the state, pledging to assist the university to achieve academic excellence. In a remark, the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman decried the increasing menace of consumption of hard drugs among women and youth in Katsina State.

The chairman of the university’s governing council, Alhaji Lawal Kaita has called on Muslims to support the university to overcome some of its challenges. Members of the governing council include among others, Alhaji Sani Zangon Daura, Ambassador Zakari Ibrahim, Alhaji Aliyu Garba Kankara.

L-R: Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Malam Muhammad Sani Sidi, presenting some publications of the agency to Vice-Chancellor University of Maiduguri, Professor Ibrahim Njodi, during the visit of the management team of the university to NEMA headquarters, yesterday in Abuja.

FG’s economic policy focuses on infrastructure improvement - Minister

he Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun said that the economic focus of President Buhari’s led administration is to address the infrastructure deficit in the country. This is contained in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja by the Special Adviser, Media, to the Minister of Finance, Mr Festus Akanbi. Adeosun said much of the under-investment in the nation’s infrastructure arose because funds were diverted to enrich a few at the expense of the wider populace. She said directing the nation’s resources to infrastructure alone would grow the economy at a rate that would address the huge employment needs in the country. ``For Nigeria, we believe that the best path to follow is to invest in infrastructure that will unlock the potential in the non oil sectors. ``The focus of our economic policy is to redress the infrastructure deficit, unlock the rich diversity in the economy with a determined and

focused turnaround programme. ``Investing specifically in power and transportation will release the opportunities in solid minerals, manufacturing and agriculture. ``For us it would be a tragedy to have endured so much pain and not emerge better and stronger.’’ Adeosun said government spending alone was insufficient to bridge the infrastructure gap and there was the need to embrace private capital to provide additional impact. She said negotiations for strategic Public Private Partnerships in the sector had reached an advanced stage. According to her, the partnerships will attract the much needed private finance into the system. Adeosun said that the present administration was determined to stop the use of borrowed funds for recurrent purposes. She said the government would no longer borrow to fund foreign trips, training and stationery

among others. ``The 2016 budget is deficit financed and the fiscal housekeeping, which is aggressively blocking revenue leakages and reducing costs, is firmly aimed at ensuring that the borrowed funds are channeled into capital projects. `` This is not only prudent economics but it is a moral necessity since these borrowings will be repaid by future generations. ``Therefore, while we focus fully on the macroeconomic indicators; we must and will continue to focus on the micro factors which collectively shape and determine the larger picture. ``The road map to attaining our objectives is a tough one, and we may endure the financial pain for longer than we would prefer; but the upside is that we have actually already endured the worst part of the adjustment cycle.’’ Adeosun explained that the current fight against corruption and the elimination of ghost

workers in the public sector was to control inefficient spending and prevent revenue leakages. She said that although the outlook for oil prices was looking more positive, the government was determined to ignore oil as a main source of income. `Òne word that will resonate across all that we do in government is discipline. Financial discipline is going to be a game changer in shaping the future of Nigeria’s economy. `Òur focus will make sure that every naira counts irrespective of its source. The government is ready and determined to lead this crusade of financial responsibility. `` The big questions are: is the populace ready to do the right thing in their respective areas of operations; are we willing to be frugal and conservative in expenditure?. `Àre we, as custodians of the nation’s wealth, willing to manage the resources entrusted to us with care, knowing that someday we will be called to account.’’ (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

News Saraki hands over N2.9m reconstructed shops to traders From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

enate President, Bukola Saraki on Monday handed over reconstructed 24 shops which were gutted by fire at the Ojatuntun market, Baboko, Ilorin to various traders. These shops were reconstructed by Saraki at a cost of N2.9 million. Saraki, was represented at the ceremony by the Director

General of ABS constituency office, Hon. Abdulwahab Issa at the hand-over ceremony. The immediate past governor of the state stated that “today is a day of promise. Then, you will recall that the President of the Senate dispatched a powerful team led by my humble self to come and commiserate with the victims immediately the incident occurred. “And shortly after that he

came personally on January 24,2016 to see things for himself. Aside from donating N500,000 to the victims he also gave a pledge to reconstruct it and make it better than it was. Saraki also said that many employment opportunities , provision of infrastructure, boreholes and rural roads have been accomplished by him since assumption of the number three position in the country.

“Very soon we shall be inviting you to the commissioning of classrooms in Ilorin South and Asa Local governments and also a bridge that has been constructed at Adisco/ Gaa Imam area that were facilitated by our leader “. He therefore solicited for their continuous prayer and support for Saraki . The DG later handed over the shops to each of the beneficiaries.

The chairman of the market association, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Lasoju who was flanked by Iyaloja, Alhaja Sadiat Adibara thanked President of the Senate for his gesture that has wiped away tears from their faces and ensure that they will be able to feed their families. He called for financial assistance for all the affected traders to enable them raise their businesses.

Fayose threatens to sack SSS officials from Ekiti Government House

Representative of Director General of NYSC, Mr. Abdulrazak Salawu (left), administering drugs on a child during the inauguration of free medical outreach of CDS Project of Doctor Olufemi Akinola NYSC corps member serving with NCA, yesterday in Kwall village, Jos South Local Government Council of Plateau state. Photo: NAN

kiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said he will have to reconsider the presence of operatives of the State Security Service at the Government House and other establishments in the state following the alleged invasion of the state House of Assembly on Friday. He said the SSS under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari was now operating outside its constitutional mandate. Speaking through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Mr. Fayose said he and the people of the state would not be intimidated by one million armed men of the SSS. “The government of Ekiti State may have to reconsider the usefulness of men of the DSS in the government house and other institutions of the State government,” Mr. Fayose said. He said the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government was pursuing a clandestine agenda of truncating democracy in Ekiti State and other Peoples Democratic Party-controlled states like Rivers and Bayelsa. “If Buhari likes, let him relocate all DSS men in Nigeria with the entire ammunition in their armoury to Ekiti, the will of Ekiti people can never be broken,” he said.

Zuru first LG chairman is dead

From Ahmed Idris, Brinin Kebbi

he first chairman of Zuru local government area in 1916 and an Islamic Scholar, Alhaji Musa Sakaba Kayiba is dead. This is contained in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar Mu’azu Dakingari and made available to newsmen. He died on Friday 4th of March 2016 at the Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi after a protracted illness at the age of 90, leaving behind two wives and fourteen children, among whom is the former Secretary to the Kebbi State Government,

Alhaji Bala Sakaba. His funeral prayer was attended by Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and former Deputy Governor Alhaji Suleiman Muhammad Argungu (Jarman Kabi and Chief of Staff to the State Governor), Islamic scholars, businessmen, politicians and hundreds of faithful. In condolence to the Emir of Zuru and family of the deceased, Governor Bagudu prayed Allah to grant him Aljannatul Firdaus, the Emir and entire people of Zuru Emirate the fortitude to bear the loss. Sen. Atiku Bagudu described the death as a loss not only to the people of Zuru Emirate, but also to the nation at large.

Among those who paid condolence visit are the Senator representing Kebbi South Sen. Bala Ibn Na’Allah, Barrister Nasiru Junju and a Member of the House of Representatives Aliyu Dan Ladi. Rescued Lagos school girls back in school The three school girls who were rescued from their abductors resumed studies yesterday at Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary, Agunfoye-Lugbusi, near Ikorodu, Lagos State, reports the News Agency of Nigeria. An administrative staff member of the seminary, who pleaded anonymity, told NAN at the school that the girls had joined their schoolmates for

revision classes ahead of their examination starting next week. “The girls are back in school and they are also preparing for their forthcoming examinations. “This week is for revision and examinations will commence fully next week,” he said. A correspondent of NAN, who visited the school, reports that some parents who withdrew their children following the abduction had begun to return them there. Mrs Bola Odu, a parent who returned her children to the school, told NAN that the incident was a lesson for other school authorities to beef-up security around their premises. Odu also advised them to always carry out proper screening

and profiling of those to be employed as teaching and nonteaching staff. “I have a boy and a girl in the school and I have returned them after the kidnap incident was resolved.’’ Another parent, who pleaded anonymity, advised school authorities to prioritise security in schools for the safety of their pupils. NAN reports that there was a beef-up of the security in and around the school. NAN also reports that three female students, who were kidnapped by gunmen from the junior seminary at about 8p.m. on Feb. 29, were rescued by the police on March 6. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

News

PAGE 5

Armsgate: Court sends ex-CDS, Badeh to prison

Contd from pAGE 1

that the hearing for Mr. Badeh’s bail would commence on March 10, adding that it was important for the application to be determined before the

Economic crisis not doom for Nigeria – Dangote

commencement of trial. The judge said the trial of the substantive case, billed to commence on March 14, would be on a day to day basis. Mr. Badeh was to be arraigned

before Justice Abang on Thursday, March 3, but the case was shifted to March 7 owing to the absence of the judge. Badeh, a retired Air Chief Marshal, was arraigned on a

10-count charge bordering on money laundering, criminal breach of trust and corruption. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is accusing Mr. Badeh, of using funds

assigned to the Nigerian Air Force to purchase a mansion in Abuja. The commission said the purchase was done with the dollar equivalent of N1.4 billion.

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

frica’s richest man, Aliko Dangote has said that the current world economic crisis caused by falling oil prices does not necessarily mean doom for the Nigerian economy. Speaking at the 11th edition of the Nigeria Summit hosted by the Economist magazine, Dangote said the present crisis presents opportunities that could grow the economy. Using his businesses as an example, Dangote said local firms can actually do well in hard times depending on the business model they adopt. He noted that despite the economic challenges facing most countries, his local investments in cement, sugar and rice has continued to do well due to his business model and reliance on local raw materials. According to Dangote, one of the keys to surviving the crisis is for local companies to look inward in sourcing their raw material thereby depending less on foreign exchange. He also said that local company should look towards exporting their products instead of importing every part of production. Dangote also emphasised that improved local production capacity and self-sufficiency would help grow the naira. He further contended that the Nigerian economy would grow if the government is consistent in its policies. The Nigeria Summit continues Tuesday with other top industry bigwigs who are expected to deliver speeches at the event.

L-R: Lagos state Commissioner for Tourism, Mr. Folarin Coker, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Lagos state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, and Director-General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Malam Abdallah Yusuf, during the visit of the minister and the governor to National Museum, yesterday in Lagos. Photo: NAN

Days of sponsored violence over in Kaduna - El-Rufai

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

aduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has vowed never to allow anyone in the state to use issues of religion and ethnicity to pursue self-interests while causing chaos in the state. El-Rufai said his government will no longer tolerate such development in the state, warning those behind religious and ethnic crises to desist. The governor spoke when he delivered an address at the 2016 Khituk Gwong held in Fadan Kagoma, Jema’a Local Council of the state. El-Rufai said: “We have

noticed that there are groups and persons that have in the past made a living by promoting prejudice and specialising in incitements. They distort public discourse, every issue, policy or appointment as an outlet to vent religious, ethnic and sectional viewpoints.” He added, “What we cannot allow is the continuation of such blackmail, the expectation that if you make yourself sufficiently obnoxious and incendiary the government will use public funds to settle you. That was the kind of environment the other party encouraged.” “People and parties with such mindset are mistaken, as the

only settlement they are likely to get is with the law, which will definitely take its course against illegal and anti-social conduct. The exploitation of religious and ethnic diversity as a tool to divide people and set them against each other will no longer be permitted in Kaduna State.” El-Rufai also highlighted the successes recorded by the government in the area of security, pointing out that; “as we come together to navigate the stormy economic waters, the government will continue to uphold social cohesion and security as foundational priorities.” He added: “Our state has

been ravaged by insecurity under the previous administration. We have confronted that state of affairs head-on and by the Grace of Almighty God, reduced the frequency and levels of senseless killings in southern Kaduna, intense cattle rustling in Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Chikun and other parts of the state, and other violent crimes. “The emergence of kidnapping and armed robbery as serious threats is now being addressed by the law enforcement agencies, and we hope to see these reduced to a minimum as well by God’s grace. But other unseen threats remain.”

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

PAGE 6

News EFCC arrests 2 for diversion of PMS in Kano

R-L: Minister of Defence, BrigadierGeneral Muhammad Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd), receiving a souvenir from South African Minister OF Defence and Military Veterans, Ms Mosiviwe MapisaNoakula, who visited the minister, yesterday in Abuja.

From Edwin Olofu, Kano

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC0, has arrested the duo of Musbahu Garba and Anas Abubakar for illegal diversion of petroleum product worth N 4,577,500 (four million, five hundred and seventy seven thousand, five hundred Naira Only. The arrest was made by an Operative of the Commission who was on a routine surveillance of petrol stations in some parts of the State. The Operative discovered that, a tanker belonging to Total Oil and Gas Company which was carrying Premium Moto Spirit (PMS) with registration No. AGL 837 XH was discharging a tanker fully loaded with 55,000 litres of PMS into a petrol dump of one Chalawa oil and Gas station located at Gabasawa , a suburb in kano State. Investigation into the case revealed that the driver of truck Anas whose statement was recorded under words of caution stated that he loaded the product from Lagos on 25th February, 2016 and got to Kano on 4th March, 2016 where he drove straight to the deport situated at Hotoro, Kano for inspection and dispatch of which instructions and waybill containing details of the consignment was given to him regarding the final destination of the product. According to the manifest from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) Kano State the product is expected to be delivered Giade Local Government Area, Bauchi State but was diverted to Chalawa oil and Gas Kano State. The owner of the filling station, Musbahu who also had his written statement recorded said, he was contacted by one Ali who served as the middleman in this transaction, he added that after much discussion with Ali they agreed on N 140.00 per litre valued at N 7, 700,000.00 (seven million, seven hundred thousand Naira only) as against the approved pump price of N 86.50 totalling N 4,757,000.00 (four million, seven hundred fifty seven thousand Naira) per tanker. He however gave Ali a deposit of N 1, 000,000.00 (one million Naira) cash and the balance of N 6,700,000.00(six million, Seven hundred thousand Naira) will be paid by Monday 7th March, 2016.

Photo: NAN

Kidnappers of my stepmother demand N50m ransom - Kano lawmaker From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

legislator representing Doguwa Constituency at the Kano State House of Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Ibrahim Muhammad said that the gunmen that kidnapped his stepmother, Hajiya Hafsat Abubakar, called his cell phone and demanded for the sum of N50 million ransom. It was reported that the aged stepmother of the law maker was kidnapped by gunmen at her residence in Riruwai town of Doguwa Local Government of the state.

Revealing the incident to news men in Kano yesterday, Mohammed said his step mother was attacked and whisked away to unknown destination by the kidnappers, adding that a few hours after, they called his mobile phone and told him that they had abducted his step mother. He added that the gunmen were even bold to tell him that they demand N50 million ransom from him since he is an influential figure in the corridors of power he has the money to pay the money. According to him the kidnappers stormed the residence of the his stepmother with guns,

clubs and machetes concealed in their bodies and alerted the occupants of the house that one of them had a snake bite which they came to rescue him. He said “it was in the course of such an encounter that they stumbled on my stepmother. They forced her to enter the vehicle they packed near the house and whisked her to an unknown destination.” Confirming the incident, the state Police Commissioner, Alhaji Muhammadu Musa Katsina said four suspects had been arrested in connection with the abduction saga, adding that the Police anti

kidnap squad had swung into action to rescue the old woman alive. According to him the kidnappers’ initial intention was to abduct the legislator given his powerful connection with notable politicians, stressing that they only decided to change their tactics from cattle rustling to kidnapping knowing that they had been cowed into total submission. He said the suspects so far arrested were cooperating with the Police in tracing their accomplices, affirming that the anti kidnap squad would remain on prowl until they are arrested.

EFCC arraigns man for fraud

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, today March 7th 2016 arraigned one Bolaji Quadri (aka Philip Coffert) before honorable Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of the Lagos State High Court on a 6-count charge of forgery and obtaining money under false pretence. A press statement signed by EFCC Head, Media & Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, said the defendant allegedly duped one Raedeena

Collins of the sum of $1000 by falsely claiming to be on Phillips Coffert. At the point of his arrest, several fraudulent documents were found in his possession including forged cashier’s cheque from international banks in both United States and United Kingdom. One of the charge reads that “you Bolaji Quadri (a.k.a Philip Coffert) on or about the 5th day of March 2015 in Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division by false pretence and with

intent to defraud obtained the sum of $1000 (One Thousand US Dollars) from one Raedeena Collins by falsely representing to her that you are Philip Coffert which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offense contrary to section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No.14 2006”. Bolaji pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him. In view of the plea of the defendant, Zainab Etu, the

prosecution counsel asked the court for a trial date. However, the defence counsel, Gbenga Osho informed the court that he wished to file a bail application for client and hope same would be heard on the next adjourned date. Justice Ipaye adjourned the matter to 3rd and 4th May 2016 for the commencement of trial and hearing of bail application. She ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison custody.

RTEAN condoles with FG over minister’s death

By Paul Efiong

ational President of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) Chief (Dr) Abubakar O. Sadiq on behalf of the executive members of his association and indeed the entire members of

RTEAN has condoled with the Federal government over the sudden death of minister of Labor and Employment(state)Barr. James Ocholi (SAN), his wife and the elderly son. Chief sadiq who said he received the news of the minister ‘s death with rude shock added

that the late Barr.Ocholi was a man of highly principles that will be greatly miss by members of his association nationwide. According to RTEAN boss, ‘Barr. Ocholi was a shining light of this administration, a detribalized public officer who handles humbled himself to give

maximum service to the nation noting that the entire nation will miss him along with his sincere service to the nation’. He prayed for his soul to be in perfect peace calling on God to grant his immediate family the fortitude to bear the irreparable lost.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

News

Minister, Ambode tour national museum By Umar Muhammad Puma

he Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday toured the National Museum at Onikan in Lagos, preparatory to the redesign and modernization of the edifice into a world-class historical hub and tourist site. The visit is a follow-up to the promise by Gov. Ambode, during a courtesy visit to him two weeks ago by the Minister, to collaborate with the Federal Government in the modernization of the National Museum. Mr. Ambode said the partnership would entail the utilization of the fallow land around the museum to erect new structures while the old building remains intact. He said a multi-layer car park, which the state government is constructing near the museum, would complement the proposed modern museum. “You will recall that two weeks back, the Honourable Minister of Information and Culture was in my office and we did speak about establishing a new museum here and as a follow up, he decided to invite sme again today to see things for myself. ‘’So what we have done today is to find out what is required to collaborate and I am happy the DG has been able to take us round. We have seen what we have here and we believe that with this new partnership, Nigeria will be better for it. What I have seen is that we have enough space to actually create a new museum – a modern one - while the old one is still also in place,” Mr. Ambode said. The Governor said this is the kind of collaboration the Lagos State Government required with the Federal Government to create more jobs through culture and tourism and also to conserve the nation’s cultural heritage. He described the project as a legacy for the APC government in the country,which goes beyond showcasing it as part of the activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of Lagos State. “Even in the course of my campaign, I actually said that there is a programme called THEAS and this stands for Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment, Arts and Sports, but it’s not about revenue generation but about job creation. My emphasis is about creating jobs for the lower strata,” the Governor said. In his remarks, the Minister said the project is like a dream come true and described it as one of the biggest collaboration so far between the Federal Government and a State Government in the area of culture and tourism. “That the Governor has been able to come here today is an eloquent confirmation that he is ready to walk his talk. The issue goes beyond Lagos State.I think it’s about Nigeria,” he said.

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Niger State sacks 6000 workers, as civil servants protest over injustice

From Yakubu Minna

Mustapha,

ew hours after Governor Abubakar Sani Bello embarked on another foreign trip, about six thousand workers in Niger state civil service have been dropped as ghost workers, following the just concluded civil service verification exercise conducted by the state government through a consultancy firm. Apparently worried by huge monthly salary bill, the state government had decided to set up staff verification exercise to find out the authentic work force in the state civil service. Consequently, the two months exercise lead to the discovery of no fewer than six thousand ghost workers and their names already removed from the pay roll. Notwithstanding however, over 4,000 civil servants, drawn from various ministries and parastatals flooded the office of the Head of Service as early as 6am over what they

called unlawful removal of their names from the payroll. In an interview with one of the civil servants, Isah Abdulkadir said ”it is very unfortunate that over 6,000 Niger state civil servants including me who have worked for over 20 and 30 years are being tagged as ‘ghost workers’. “We went for the screening exercise conducted recently by the government and we were cleared and paid our December, 2015 and January, 2016 salaries this year and now they refused to pay February salary, saying that we are ghost workers”. “When we complained they now referred us to the Head of Service office for verification, this is unfair; the governor must act fast before it turns to serious crisis.” According to another affected worker, John Audu “there is no basis for subjecting civil servants again for this stress after the last verification exercise, stressing that “how much is the salary that the

government wants to kill us”. According to him “this is my 32 years of active service and I am nearing retirement only for them to tell me that if I do not see my name on the head of service list, then I am a ghost worker. How can I serve meritoriously till now and one consultant is now saying that I am a ghost worker. “I have been screened and cleared, but only for me to get to the office today my organization told me that only those who got February alerts (salary) are certified workers. “Since I did not get alert for my salary, my boss urged me to rush to the Head of Service office with my appointment letter and pay slip to see if I can get my case rectified. Another affected worker, Hajia Maimuna Kolo who was with a little baby on her back lamented the treatment meted out on them by the government despite the screening exercise. “I got here as early as 6am because on Friday I heard there are two lists with the head

Members of Campaign for Democracy and Women Arise for Change Initiative, demanding justice over the killing of Mrs. Comfort Udom by bribe-seeking policeman, Corporal Museliu Aremu, as his trial resumes, yesterday in Lagos. Photo: NAN

South Africa partners Nigeria against Boko

he Chief of South African National Defence Force, General Zakaria Shoke has re-affirmed his country’s willingness to work with Nigerian Armed Forces to the benefit of the two countries. General Shoke made this known when he visited the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin in his office in Abuja. A press statement signed by Acting Director Defence Information, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar said the Chief of South African National Defence Force promised to support Nigeria in its quest to end Boko Haram in the country.

General Shoke further maintained his Armed Forces commitment to the development of the Nigerian military in the area of capacity building, exchange programme and logistics support, among others. He said Nigeria is very important to South Africa, hence the need to working together for the benefit of both countries, especially now when Nigeria is fighting Boko Haram. While responding, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olonisakin thanked the South African Chief of National Defence Force for the visit and solicited for more cooperation in defence related matters. This,

he said would go a long way in strengthening the two countries bilateral cooperation. General Olonisakin also requested for training of more Special Forces and other equipment that could be used in the operations against Boko Haram which has been substantially decimated and degraded. He said the war against terror is closing up and would soon end. The occasion also witnessed briefing from the 3 Services of the Nigerian Armed Forces who stated the need for logistics and training support to further terminate the war against Boko Haram soon.

of service, the ghost workers list and the verified workers list. We were told to come and confirm which list has our names.” “This was not the change we voted for; we wanted the best for the state, now look at what Governor Bello is doing to us.” A source close to the Head of Service said it is a normal thing in the civil service where verification is taking place. “We are already looking at it; we will liaise with the consultant to solve any problem that has been identified.”

Customs generates 1.07bn in Seme

he Seme Command of Nigeria Customs Service on Monday said it generated N 1.07 billion revenue in February. Controller for the command, Victor Dimka, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Seme. Dimka said that the revenue for the period was N 172.6 million higher than N 899.8 million generated in the corresponding period in 2015. ``When I came to this command in January, one of the promises I made was that I would collect maximum revenue and suppress smuggling to its barest minimum. `` I am glad we have started achieving that; the command generated N 1,072,484,462.82 as revenue in the month of February. ``This is the first of its kind in the month of February since the creation of the command. ``We were able to achieve this in spite of the prevailing high exchange rate, the strike by the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Customs in the Republic of Benin and protest on implementation of unifying exfactory price,’’ he said. Dimka added that the command made 55 seizures with a Duty Paid Value (DVP) of N15.6 million and arrested six suspects during the period. He attributed the achievement of the command to the commitment of the management team, stakeholders and the members of the community. ``It is easy to attain success, but not easy to maintain success, therefore all hands must be on deck to maintain and exceed the current record,’’ he said. Dimka urged Nigerians to desist from smuggling and embrace legitimate trade, saying that there was no room for smuggling in the area. ``We are determined to eliminate all loopholes and block all revenue leakages which would translate to more revenue generation for us,’’ he stated. (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

News

“Policemen to undergo medical check before carrying arms” From Matthew Aramunde, Lagos

o put to checks the incessant cases of accidental discharged that had snuffed out the lives of innocent Nigerians by men and officers of the Nigeria Police , the Police high command will henceforth subject its personnel to medical checkup before been issued with arms. This was revealed by Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Police Force Medical Department, Dr. AdenikeAbuwa when she paid an official visit to the Lagos Police Command as part of the familiarization tour of units under her watch. The AIG who arrived the Command at exactly 10:30 am, was received by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in- charge of Operations OlafimihanAdeoye who conducted the visitor round the guard of honour mounted men of the command. The AIG with her retinue of aides, thereafter proceeded to the office of the Commissioner of Police FataiOwoseni who was already waiting to receive the august visitor In his welcome address, the Commissioner gave a brief account of the commands activities since he assumed office in July 2015, noting that though it has been an arduous task of Policing the city that is the economic hub of the nation, he is however elated to report that the officer and men under his command, has always been at the top of their game. While highlighting the noble contributions of the Lagos State Government towards the comfort ability of the men of the command, he was full of praise for the government for providing medical assistant to injured personnel and relief to the families of fallen ones. He nonetheless stressed that the command will still appreciate more of such contributions most especially in the areasof providing ambulances for the various medicalunits, a development he noted will greatly assist the command to come quickly to the rescue of its personnel at times of emergencies as the one presently attached to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) is grossly inadequate for the commandndâ€™s use. He however expressed optimism that the Command will soon receive answer to its request because the Governor has given the assurance that the command will be considered when the next batch of ambulances and other appurtenances will be distributed.

FRSC releases interim report on crash that killed Minister James Ocholi, wife, son

he Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi, on Monday released an interim report on the auto crash that killed the Minister of State for Labour, James Ocholi and his wife and son. Mr. Oyeyemi attributed the accident to a busted tyre which resulted in the loss of control and somersaulting of the minister’s official car. Giving details of what happened, Mr. Oyeyemi said the crash occurred at kilometer 67 Kaduna-Abuja road, after Doka village.

“The crash occurred at about 1500hrs and involved two vehicles: one Toyota Lexus LX570 car and a backup car,” he said. “Three lives were lost in the incident. While the minister and his son died instantly, the wife later died at the Doka Hospital near Kaduna.” The corps marshal further disclosed that as soon as the crash occurred, the FRSC rescue teams were mobilised from the ambulance point and unit command at Doka and Kateri respectively, to the scene where they carried out the rescue activities. Saying Monday’s report of

the incident was preliminary, Mr. Oyeyemi said he had “ordered full investigation into the causes of the crash to determine what led to the ghastly crash in order to prevent future occurrence.” The FRSC boss commiserated with President Muhamadu Buhari, members of the Federal Executive Council and the family of the deceased persons over the tragedy. “The death of the minister in the crash was a tragic incident that again challenged the road safety agency to step up its campaigns against accidents,” Mr. Oyeyemi said.

The FRSC boss said he was personally touched and would work with relevant stakeholders to develop appropriate strategies that could address future occurrences. Mr. Oyeyemi said the FRSC remained determined to work with the executive and members of the National Assembly as well as other relevant bodies to work out appropriate modalities for ensuring crash-free roads. He said training and retraining of government drivers was part of the immediate measures being taken by the FRSC to avert convoy crashes in the country.

R-L: Former Kano state Governor, Senator Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya, and Chief Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, during Senator Gaya’s visit to the Clerk, yesterday in Abuja.

Man, 27, to die by hanging for alleged culpable homicide From Ahmed Bauchi

Kaigama,

igh Court 5 presided over by Justice Muhammad Abubakar Sambo has sentenced a 27 years old Salisu Ali of Zango village in Tafawa Balewa local government of Bauchi state to death by hanging for alleged culpable homicide. The prosecution counsel, Barrister Sabiu Adamu Gumba, told the court that the accused

took his seven year old brother, Yusuf Ali to the bush where he hit him with a stick and died instantly. Barrister Gumba said the accused later cut off the penis of the deceased and gave it to his dog. In a confessional statement, the accused confirmed that he killed the little Yusuf due to the misunderstanding that took place between him and the mother of the deceased. According to him, he did

not take any intoxicant while committing the offence and the deceased did not engage him into fight during the incident as he fall and died instantly. The Prosecution Counsel presented his first witness, Malam Aliyu Shehu who is the father to both the accused and the deceased. He told the court that the deceased was sent to the market on the day he was killed by his mother to buy detergent for her where he was diverted

by the accused into the bush. He said a good Samaritan informed him that he saw the accused with the deceased on their way to the bush. The witness said some youths in the village later forced the accused into the bush where he showed them the body of the murdered boy. In his judgment, Justice Abubakar Sambo ordered that the accused be hanged on the neck until he was certified death.

Police confirm arrest of pastor for alleged rape

he Ebonyi Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a pastor, David Ibe, for allegedly raping Miss Nnenaya Okute, a member of his congregation. Mr. George Okafor, the Command’s Public Relations Officer confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria

(NAN) on Monday in Abakaliki. He said the 29-year-old suspect and pastor in charge of Christ Command Mission, Onicha-Igboeze, Onicha LGA of Ebonyi committed the alleged crime on Feb. 27. He said the suspect lured the victim to an uncompleted building at Umuobunna Uburu

and raped her. ``The suspect is an impostor who is among those claiming to be pastor but dent God’s image through their atrocities. ``He has been arrested and has confessed to committing the crime, though he claimed that she refused to marry him after investing heavily on her.

``It is terrible that he choose to rape the girl for refusing to marry him, as he will be used to set example to others who commit such crimes,” he said. He noted that investigations in the matter was still ongoing and warned the public to be mindful of ``evil men in cassocks’’. (NAN)

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Aruna emerges Africa’s best player in Tennis ranking

27 players hit Super Falcons camp in Abuja >>Pg 42

Female wrestlers in final at African championships >>Pg 44 Aruna Quari

fter months of dominance over Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri in the ITTF ranking, Egypt’s Omar Assar has been displaced by the 2014 ITTF Star Player in the March 2016 ITTF ranking released. From the rating released, Quadri returned to top 30 in the world from the 37th place he was in February while Egypt’s Assar dropped to 36 following the defeat he suffered against Quadri at the ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup in Sudan. At the just concluded ITTF World Team Championships in Malaysia, Quadri only lost a match to highly-rated India’s Sharath Achanta while Egypt’s Assar was defeated by lowly-rated players twice in Malaysia. The defeat suffered by the Egyptian affected his ranking. With this, Nigeria may be on its way to Rio Olympic Games in the men’s event as Segun Toriola also made a triumphant return to the ranking to become the third rated African player in the world.

Toriola, who acted as player/coach at the ITTF World Team Championship in Malaysia, played his heart out to be ranked 116 in the world ahead of Egypt’s El-Sayed Lashin who dropped from 127 to 135. Also, Nigeria’s Bode Abiodun continued his rise in the ranking as the Portugal-based star is rated 185 in the world and sixth in Africa. According to Olympic team event qualification criteria, the ranking of the three players in each country will determine their eventual qualification for the Olympics. ITTF’ website says that as it is, Nigerian players are ranked higher than the Egyptians and this was also confirmed by the President, African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Khaled El-Salhy, who has said that it is the ranking in the month of May of the three top players in Nigeria and Egypt that will decide the eventual team that will qualify for the men’s team event of the Rio Olympic Games. Meanwhile, after failing to qualify to the elite division of the biennial ITTF World

Team Championship, Nigeria and Egypt will again campaign in second tier in 2018. From the rating of teams, Egypt finished ahead of Nigeria in the ranking, having made it to the semifinal stage while Nigeria did not advance beyond the quarterfinal round. As it is, Egypt is ranked 27th while Nigeria occupies 29th place as the eight-day championship ends on Sunday, 6 March in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. However, the race for the African sole slot in the men’s team event of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games continues between Nigeria and Egypt as their players aim to garner points to become the best team from the continent. With the absence of Nigeria’s women team, Egypt has automatically qualified for the women team event of the Olympic Games. Nigeria will have to wait for the decision of ITTF to know its fate in the women cadre after the West African side failed to make it to the tournament.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Page 42

Sport 27 players hit Super Falcons camp in Abuja

Siasia goes tough, drops U-23 stars from Eagles By Albert Akota

uper Eagles caretaker coach Samson Siasia has dropped three players for the AFCON qualifiers against Egypt after they reported late to the country’s Olympic team training camp. Segun Oduduwa, Usman Mohammed and Stanley Dimgba were part of the squad who won the U23 AFCON in Senegal and have been called up for the Olympic team’s

training camp for a friendly against Brazil later this month. Siasia has now ordered the three players not to show up at the Super Eagles camp as punishment for reporting late to the Dream Team camp without permission. “We cannot have those three in camp anymore. This is very serious business, and only serious –minded persons can be involved. They reported late to the camp of the U-23 team, so they cannot be

tolerated in the camp of the senior team,” he said. “I have said it over the past few days that the right mentality would count big among the traits we are looking for in the players to feature against Egypt.” Siasia stated that the affected players are no longer part of his plans for the Egypt games, so they should concentrate on the friendly against Brazil with the Dream Team VI.

Falcons star Asisat Oshoala (left) By Albert Akota

wenty seven players from the domestic league have reported to the training camp of Nigeria women’s team, the Super Falcons, in Abuja. Falcons assistant coach Ann Chiejine, has expressed happiness with the turn– out of invited players for the Africa Women Cup of Nations qualifying fixture slated for next month, against the winners of the first round fixture between Senegal and Guinea. “We are happy with the turn-out of players right now. We have 27 players in camp. And there is no problem so far and we are praying that there won’t be any,” she said. Chiejine, who has excelled as a club–level women football Coach at the National Sports Festival, also expressed satisfaction

and joy at the response by the foreign-based players. She revealed: “We have got in touch with the clubs of the foreign-based players and their response is favourable. They have agreed to release them to join us as soon as possible.” Super Falcons remain the powerhouse of African women football. Since making their international debut on February 16th, 1991, the team have won seven of the nine African Women Championships held so far, in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2014, and won the All-Africa Games women football gold in 2003 and 2007. The Falcons have featured at seven FIFA World Cup final competitions in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Omeruo proud to stop Eto’o in Turkey

igeria international Kenneth Omeruo has said he is proud to have stopped Cameroon and Africa legend Samuel Eto’o Fils from scoring in Kasimpasa’s 2-1 win over Antalyaspor in Turkey. Kasimpasa are sixth on the league table with 37 points from 24 games. “Great win for us today

Omeruo in Turkey

(Sunday). And it’s my pleasure playing against my big bro Samuel Eto’o... Bravo guys let’s continue,” he wrote on his Instagram. The defender is on loan at the Turkish club from Chelsea till the end of the season. He has played on loan at Dutch club ADO Den Haag and Middlesbrough.

Usman Mohammed (left) dropped by Siasia

CAF: Oneya, Sanusi on duty as Nasarawa, others play on Sunday By Albert Akota

igerian officials Dominic Oneya and Mohammed Sanusi will be on duty this weekend as action resumes in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup competitions. NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi will be match commissioner for the CAF Confederation Cup second round, first leg encounter between UMS de Loum of Cameroon and FUS Rabat of Morocco, taking place in Cameroon on Sunday. He will work with referees from Central African Republic. Former NFF President Dominic Oneya will also serve as match commissioner, for the CAF Champions League second round, second leg match between Al Ahly of Egypt and Recreativo Libolo of Angola in Cairo. He will work

with referees from Senegal. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s remaining three representatives in the continent are set for their second round duels. CAF Champions League flagbearers Enyimba FC and Warri Wolves, and CAF Confederation Cup contenders Nasarawa United will all play at home first, and all matches come up on Sunday, March 13. Nasarawa United, who overpowered AS Academie Generation Foot of Senegal in the first round, host Club Sportif Constantinois of Algeria at the National Stadium, Abuja, with Liberian referee Jerry Yekeh at the centre. Fellow Liberians Joseph M. Hoff, Johnson Gbartea and Christopher Nylander will serve as assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and reserve referee respectively. Ethiopian Asfaw Luleseged Begashaw will be match commissioner.

Nigerian champions Enyimba FC, winners over Vipers FC of Uganda, will take on Vital’O of Burundi at the Adokiye Amiesieamaka Stadium, Port Harcourt. Nigeriens Gomno Daouda, Yahaya Mahamadou, Abdoul Aziz Moctar Saley and Ibrahim Mamane will be referee, assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and reserve referee respectively. Kadre Saleh Kana from Chad will be match commissioner. At the Warri City Stadium, Warri Wolves will take on El Merreikh of Sudan in another CAF Champions League second round, first leg match, with Burkinabe referees in charge. Juste Ephrem Zio will be in the centre, with Seydou Tiama, Kouka Christian Ouedraogo and Boureima Sanogo as assistant 1, assistant 2 and reserve referees respectively. Former Ghana FA boss M. D. Jawula will be match commissioner.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Page 43

Sport

Zidane backs Ronaldo against Bernabeu jeers

eal Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has hit back at supporters who jeered star forward Cristiano Ronaldo at the weekend. Ronaldo endured whistles from sections of an irritable Santiago Bernabeu crowd before firing four goals in a merciless 7-1 dismantling of Celta Vigo, a haul that established him as the second highest goalscorer in Liga history behind Barcelona rival Lionel Messi. Zidane believes a 12-point deficit to leaders Barca in the table is at the root of frustration surrounding his club, but rubbished suggestions Ronaldo should be sold – pointing

towards occasional low points in his own relationship with the notoriously hard-to-please Madridistas during an esteemed playing career. Speaking ahead of today’s Champions League last-16 second-leg match against Roma, Zidane said: “There are fans who want Ronaldo to be sold? Well I don’t and I’m the coach. James Rodriguez is in contention to start against Roma having been an unused substitute against Celta, as Madrid defend a 2-0 lead from the away leg. The Colombia international has struggled with form and fitness issues this season, but has Zidane’s backing.

Dalung, others inspect facilities in Rio

inister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung, has described his delegation’s visit to Rio, venue of the forthcoming Olympic Games as indispensable. Barrister Dalung made the remark after a three-day visit of facilities in Rio to be used by Nigerian athletes during the games. A five-man delegation comprising the minister, President and Secretary General of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Engr Habu Gumel and Tunde Popoola, as well as the Director General of the National Sports Commission Alhassan Yakmut and the Director Federations and Elite Athletes Department Mrs Hauwa-Kulu Akinyemi had visited facilities and the games village where Nigerian athletes will be residing throughout the games. According to the Minister, the visit

was necessary to enable the ministry to plan ahead for the games. “Nigeria will be taking part in just a few sports and the venues are scattered all over Rio. Our visit to the various venues, some of which are 90% ready, was very essential to enable us to plan for our athletes. What we saw gave us a firsthand information on what to expect in terms of movement, arrivals, accreditation and distance between games venues and athletes village as well as mode of transportation”. The delegation which was also scheduled for inspection of facilities with the Malaysian delegation visited the Riocentro Convention Centre which will host Badminton, table tennis and weightlifting events as well as the Carioca Arena 1&2 which will host basketball, judo and wrestling. The delegation also visited the

Maracana Stadium which will host the opening and closing ceremonies and football matches and the Olympic Stadium for track and field events. On the last day, there were presentations on NOC relations and services, sports entries, arrival and departure of athletes and officials, accommodation, ticketing, accreditation, hospitality House, medical services and dignitaries. The Rio Olympic Games start from 5th – 21st August 2016. More than 10,500 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees, including Kosovo and South Sudan for the first time, will take part in the 31st Olympiad. Nigeria will compete in athletics, canoeing, table tennis, men’s football, wrestling, power lifting and men’s basketball.

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo

Casteels calls for attacking display against Gent

olfsburg must attack Gent in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, despite heading in today’s match at the Volkswagen Arena with a 3-2 lead, says Koen Casteels. Dieter Hecking’s side surged three goals ahead in the opening encounter at the Ghelamco Arena on February 17 and looked set for a simple route into the quarter-finals when Max Kruse added to Julian Draxler’s double in the 60th minute. But the Bundesliga side failed to hold onto their advantage, conceding goals to Sven Kums and Kalifa Coulibaly in the final 10 minutes to set up a tense return match. Casteels was in goal for Wolfsburg and looks set to be so once more today, with Diego Benaglio missing their last six matches due to a rib injury. The Belgian believes Gent’s late showing proves they must not be

underestimated, urging an attacking display to ensure progression. Josuha Guilavogui believes the triumph will hold Hecking’s side in good stead as they look to secure a place in the last eight for the first time in their history. Wolfsburg have suffered one defeat at home in the Champions League - a 3-1 loss to Manchester United in 2009 - but Gent, enjoying an impressive debut campaign, picked up a 2-1 win away at Lyon in the group stage.

Wolfsburg goalkeeper Koen Casteels

Verratti warns PSG against Costa

Solomon Dalung in Rio and others

aris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti has warned his team-mates to be on their guard for Diego Costa’s “warfare” when they visit Chelsea in the second leg of their Champions League last16 tie. For the third season in succession, the reigning Ligue 1 and Premier League champions have been paired together in the knockout rounds, with each side claiming a slender away goals aggregate triumph apiece so far. Similarly, the latest tie is finely poised - PSG holding a 2-1 advantage thanks to goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani either side of John Obi Mikel’s equaliser at the Parc des Princes. Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink is set to recall Costa to lead the attack after the striker sat out Saturday’s 1-1 Premier League draw against Stoke City due to a tendon problem. Italy international Verratti professes admiration for Cesc Fabregas although he also admits a grudging respect

for Costa’s uncompromising playing style, through which on-field confrontations with opponents are seemingly inevitable. Verratti hopes to shake off lingering issues with a groin complaint to face Chelsea, with fellow midfielder Blaise Matuidi battling to overcome a thigh injury after Angel Di Maria returned to action for Saturday’s goalless draw against Montpellier. Willian has starred for Chelsea in this season’s competition with five goals in seven appearances.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Sport Pellegrini sets Manchester City 75 points title target M

anuel Pellegrini believes 75 points will be enough to win the Premier League after declaring that his Manchester City side are still firmly in the title race. City ended a run of three straight league defeats by thrashing bottom club Aston Villa 4-0 at Eastlands. It took Pellegrini’s fourth placed team to 50 points with another 30

still to play for over their final 10 matches to be champions. Leaders Leicester are 10 points clear of City, but Pellegrini feels his players have the experience to overhaul Leicester and title rivals Tottenham and Arsenal with a dramatic late surge to rival their Premier League triumph in 2014. Yaya Toure opened the scoring and Raheem Sterling completed the win, while in between, Sergio

Aguero scored twice to take his total for the season to 21 in a City win that was convincing in the end, despite a frustrating and goalless first half. Aguero has started 20 of City’s 28 Premier League matches this season, but has been absent with injuries at important stages, as have fellow key players such as Vincent Kompany and David Silva.

Sergio Aguero

Female wrestlers in final at African championships

Kilty sets fastest 60m record in Czech Republic

ritain’s world indoor champion Richard Kilty set the second fastest time of the year for the 60m at the Jablonec Indoor Gala in the Czech Republic. The 26-year-old from Teesside won the race in 6.50 seconds, ahead of fellow Briton Theo Etienne, who clocked a personal best of 6.56. Only Jamaica’s Asafa Powell (6.49secs) has run faster than Kilty in 2016. Kilty will not defend his World

Indoor title this month in order to focus on preparations for the Olympics. Andrew Robertson has been handed the second 60m spot alongside James Dasaolu, after he recorded a lifetime best 6.54s at the British trials last week. The 25-year-old from Manchester was picked ahead of Sean Safo-Antwi. The championships take place in Portland, Oregon and begin on 17 March.

Odunayo Adekuoroye By Albert Akota

hree female Nigerian wrestlers have reached the finals of their weight categories at the ongoing African Wrestling Championships in Alexandria, Egypt. The wrestlers are Odunayo Adekuoroye, 55kg, Blessing Oborududu, 69kg and Aminat Adeniyi, 63kg. The finals of the categories will take place yesterday. Rosemary Nweke, 48kg,

Ifeoma Nwoye, 58kg, Blessing Onyebuchi, 75kg and Mercy Genesis, 53kg will fight to clinch bronze medals. Also, five male wrestlers will be fighting in the free style categories to enable them to reach the finals of their weight categories. 12 wrestlers are representing the country at the Championships which commenced on March 2 and will on March 6. Daniel Igali, the President, Nigeria Wrestling Federation,

said the competition venue that the wrestlers have so far done well. Igali said that he was impressed by the level of skills they exhibited. “Well, virtually all of them made some mistakes but that is understandable. Those mistakes will be looked into. “I am proud of them and how far they have gone. I was once like them and I know what it takes to reach the levels they are at right now,” Igali, an Olympian said.

Nigeria, Egypt remain in Division Two till 2018 at World Team Tourney

fter failing to qualify to the elite division of the biennial ITTF World Team Championship, Nigeria and Egypt will again campaign in second tier in 2018. From the rating of teams, Egypt finished ahead of Nigeria in the ranking, having made it to the semifinal stage while Nigeria did not advance beyond the quarterfinal round. As it is, Egypt is ranked 27th while Nigeria occupies 29th place as the eight-day championship ends on Sunday, 6 March in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

However, the race for the African sole slot in the men’s team event of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games continues between Nigeria and Egypt as their players aim to garner points to become the best team from the continent. With the absence of Nigeria’s women team, Egypt has automatically qualified for the women team event of the Olympic Games. Nigeria will have to wait for the decision of ITTF to know its fate in the women cadre after the West African side failed to make it to the tournament.

Meanwhile, Asian giants – China and Japan will battle for the titles in the men and women finals of the competition. To berth in the final of the men’s event, China edged out South Korea 3-0 while Japan worked hard for their 3-1 win over giant killing English team. For the women’s final, it is China and Japan again after China beat Chinese Taipei 3-0 with Japan defeating Korea DPR 3-1. Over 90 teams across the world took part in the biggest tournament in the ITTF calendar.

Richard Kilty

ABDULLAHI

I, formerly known as DAN ALHAJI BAKABE now wish to be known and addressed as ABDULLAHI MALAMI. All former documents remain valid. All authorities concerned and the general public should take note.

W/Sgt. Babatunde

I, formerly W/Sgt. Sholadoye Taye with F/No. 021893, now wish to be known and addressed as W/ Sgt. Babatunde Taye with F/No. 021893. All other documents remain valid. The Nigeria Police Force and the general public should please take note.

anas

I, formerly known as muhammed bala gusau now wish to be known and addressed as anas mande. All former documents remain valid. All authorities concerned, uba and the general public should take note.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

PUBLIC NOTICE OLUYEMI GEORGE OGUNYOMI FOUNDATION

The general public is hereby notified that the above named assembly has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: (1) Mr Oluyemi Ogunyomi (2) Mr Eddy Omoregha (3)Mr Sam Erejuwa (4) Dr Tuyi Mebawondu (5) Dr Banji Ajaka (6) Oyinlola George (7) Rebecca Olubanke Ogunyomi AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1 To aid the cause of human right. 2. Reaching out to the poor in society. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General , Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi street, PMB 198, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication. Signed SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE CHURCH OF SALVATION AND GLORY OF CHRIST CHERUBIM AND SERAPHIM

This is to inform the general public that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for Registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, (CAMA) 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Most Suprintendent Apostle Peter Olukayode Adeyemi 2. Reverend Apostle Adediran Oluwadamilare Adeyemi 3. Senior Apostle Adedeji Oluwapelumi Adeyemi 4. Mother In Isreal Adenike Oluwasola Adejomo 5. Mother In Isreal Ayodele Alufa AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1. To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ all over the world. 2. To evangelize lost souls back to the kingdom of God. 3. To set the captive free from spiritual bondage etc. 4. To open branches of the Church in other places. 5. To affect communities with the Gospel of Christ. Any objection to the registration of the above foundation should be forwarded to the Registrar – General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Maitama District, Abuja within 28 days f rom this publication. Signed: SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE JAB LUXURY HOMES RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION ABUJA

The General public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for Registration under Part “C” of the Companies and allied Matters Act No. of 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Tajudeen Audu - Chairman 2. Abasiama Ajayi 3. Uche Owoonu 4. Yakaka Kachalla 5. Ibrahim Mohammed AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1. To foster unity among members. Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, CAC, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this Publication. Signed: SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

GREAT YADUO NIGERIA LIMITED RC NO: 649495 ADDRESS: 45/47 MARTINS STREET, LAGOS. TEL: 07035007207 THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990 COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES IN THE MATTER OF GREAT YADUO NIGERIA LIMITED RC: 649495 VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP SPECIAL RESOLUTIONS AT THE EXTRA-ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF THE COMPANY HELD AT 45/47 MARTINS STREET; LAGIS ON 11TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2015, THE FOLLOWING WERE DULY MOVED AND PASSED. A) “THAT GREAT YADUO NIGERIA LIMITED BE AND IS HEREBY APPROVED TO WIND-UP VOLUNTARILY “ B) “ THAT CONSEQUENTTO VOLUTARY WINDING-UP, MR SUNDAY ABAYOMI BAMMEKE OF S. A BAMMEKE & CO. ( CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS ), BE AND IS HEREBY APPOINTED LIQUIDATOR FOR THE PURPOSES OF WINDING-UP THE AFFAIRS OF COMPANY PURSUANT TO SECTION 464 OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990” C) THAT THE BOARD BE AND IS HEREBY AUTHORITIZED TO FIX THE LIQUIDATORS FEE AND TO REMAIN IN OFFICE UNTIL THE END OF THE WINDING-UP EXERCISE” DATED THIS 11TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2015. SIGNED: MR. CHEN CHUNG HUA CHAIRMAN /MANAGING DIRECTOR

SIGNED: MR. HONG ZHI HUANG DIRECTOR.

Page 45

PUBLIC NOTICE HEAVEN’S GATE FOUNDATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Cap. C20 LFN 2004 THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Pastor Nwankwo Florence Chinasa (Chairperson) 2. Dr Kelvin Uko 3. Keziah Ndidi Akalibe 4. Nwankwo Darlington Chibuzor (Secretary) 5. Dr Charles Uchendu 6. Pastor Israel Okeke AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To cater for the welfare of widows and the less privileged. 2. To preach the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ. Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

PUBLIC NOTICE ROYAL ANCHOR LANDLORDS ASSOCIATION, ABUJA. IT NO. 67098

This is notify the general public that the above named has applied for addition and removal of trustees to the Corporate Affairs Commission, under the part ”C” of the Company’s and Allied Matters Act, 1990. THE OLD TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Jackson Michika - Removed 2. Edwin Ogwu - Retained 3. Rotimi Balogun NEWLY APPOINTED: 1. Luke Ogechukwukamma Anele 2. Sanni Akintayo 3. Abraham O. Osezuah 4. Asindare Philemon Mikailu 5. Tanko Yakubu Pani 6. BULUS MUSA ZGABAWA 7. Richard Uchechukwu Uche 8. Edwin Ogwu 9 Emmanuel Ubani AIMS AND OBJECTIVES REMAIN THE SAME Any objection(s) to this addition and removal should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Maitama Abuja, Within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: CHAIRPERSON

Signed Secretary

PUBLIC NOTICE LOUISAIFY MEMORIAL FOUNDATION

PUBLIC NOTICE MUBI DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION

This is notify the general public that the above named has applied for registration to the Corporate Affairs Commission, under the part ”C” of the Company’s and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above-named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Acts, 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Sulaiman Abba 2. Khalid Aliyu 3. Alh. Sallau A. Haruna 4. Saude Vassimu 5. Yakubu Garba Hamman 6. Aisha Yakubu Ahmed 7. Mohammed Borno Manu 8. Habu Abubakar Danlami 9. Shuaibu Sani Mohammed 10. Yakubu Jauro AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1. To assist the less privileged. Any objection to this application should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication. Signed: ARABO SAJO SABON LAYI MUBI NORTH ADAMAWA STATE

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Rev. Father Njoku Valentine Ogechukwu (President) 2. Beatrice Nwachukwu Chinyere 3. Iwueke Confidence Nwabunkeonye 4. Ebizie Christopher 5. Collins Nwachukwu Chidi 6. Dr. Joseph Anyanwu 7. Pastor Austine Chijioke Njoku 8. Engr. Uchendu Mark AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1. To assist the less privileged in the society Any objection(s) to this 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

PUBLIC NOTICE DYNAMIC INTERNATIONAL MINNERS ASSOCIATION

The general public is hereby notified that the above name has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies And Allied Matters Act No. 1 of 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Ogunbadejo Lateef (Secretary) 2. Oyediran Jubril Alani 3. Edoja Samson Onoriode (Chairman) 4. Elemoro Yisa Mariam Sola 5.Taiwo Morayo 6. Amusan Olatunji Sunday 7. Ipaye Moshood Olalekan 8. Ahmed Adesanya Ajibade 9. Ayolabi Ibrahim Yisa 10. Amusan Olayinka David AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1.To cater for the welfare of it’s members. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, P.M.B. 198, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication Signed: SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE PREVAILING ARK OF GOD PRAYER MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL

The general public is hereby notified that the above name has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies And Allied Matters Act No. 1 of 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: Pastor Henry Efosa Imafidon General Overseer Pastor (Mrs.) Henry Efosa Imafidon Secretary Pastor Collins Osariemen Member Miss Lilian Osagbemwonrue Obaseki Member Mr. Idemudia Augustine Member AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1. To preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ 2. To preach Deliverance, healing and Salvation Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, P.M.B. 198, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication Signed: Pastor Henry Imafidon

PUBLIC NOTICE ENDTIME INTERCESSOR MINISTRY The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to corporate affairs commission, Abuja for registration under part “C” of the companies and allied matters Act No. 1 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Kingsley Kudus Doba 2. David Monday Akao 3. Alhassan Ugbeta John 4. Perpetual Nwamadu 5. Paulin Effey 6. Catherine Okam Amaka 7. Daniel Mohammed 8. Oliseh Jones Anineh 9. Mrs Linda Echono 10. Joseph Sunday AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2. To assist less privileged people and encourage self reliance. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to registrar– General, corporate Affairs commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication. Signed: Barr. OLUSOLA BUKOLA, 08034923860

I.E BENTEX

I formerly known and called B E IBETEX VENTURES henceforth wish to be known and called I.E BENTEX AND SON RC 890135 all former document remain valid AND general public should please take note.

RABIU

I formerly known and called SAMAILA SALIHU ABBAH henceforth wish to be known and called RABIU SALIHU all former document remain valid GTBANK AND general public should please take note.

SHAMSUDDEEN

I, formerly known as SHAMSUDDEEN SHETTIMAH now wish to be known and henceforth called SHAMSUDDEEN ALIYU SHETTIMAH. All former documents remain valid. All authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

PAGE 46

Sport Victorious wrestling teams return home with trophies

Adekuoroye (R)

igeria’s wrestling team at the weekend won 10 medals at the just concluded African Wrestling Championships in Alexandra, Egypt, in both Female Freestyle and male freestyle categories while the hosts won five gold

Hon Daniel Igali, President Nigeria Wrestling Federation

medals. The just concluded African championship is a prerequisite to the Olympic qualifications scheduled for 30th March to 4th April in Algeria. 2014 Commonwealth Gold medallist, Aminat Adeniyi (63Kg) on Saturday night won the gold for Team Nigeria after defeating Egyptian’s Amina Elsebaee. The Ondo born wrestler is planning to join her compatriot Odunayo Adekuoroye at the 2016 Rio Olympics scheduled for Brazil. It will be recalled that Aminat at the last Africa Championship won a bronze medal after she fell to the claws of Tunisia’s Marwa Amri who wrestled Nwoye Ifeoma at the ongoing Championship. The 2015 All Africa Games Gold medallist said she will not rest until she makes her first appearance at the Olympics. Blessing Oborududu is the only Olympian in the female squad. Meanwhile, Nigeria Olympic medal hopeful, Odunayo Adekuoroye (55kg) stamped her dominance on the African soil by winning the gold medal in her category. Adekuoroye defeated Tunisia’s Tun Rim Ayari in the final by 4-0 point. She started her journey to victory after humbling Rabia Lamalsa (Algeria) and Joseph Emilienne (Cameroon). The 2014 Commonwealth gold medallist is the only female African Wrestler to have qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics after winning a bronze medal at the 2015 World Wrestling Championship held in Las Vegas, USA. The final analysis of how the Nigeria Female wrestling team won the 3 gold, 2 silver, one bronze medals are seven-time African champion, Blessing Oborodudu’s gold, Odunayo Adekuoroye and Aminat Adeniyi’s gold medals, while the silver

medals were won by Anambra state’s duo of Rosemary Nweke and Nwoye Ifeoma (who is the first Nigerian to win a Gold medal at the commonwealth) and 2015 All Africa Games silver medallist Blessing Joy Onyebuchi (75Kg) settled for bronze. In male freestyle, 2014 Commonwealth Bronze medallist and Captain, Daniel Amas (65Kg) won Nigeria’s only Gold in the male freestyle after humiliating Abdelhamid Aly (Egypt) by 13-2 points, while 2014 Commonwealth silver medallist, Ebikewenimo Welson bowed in the final to Senegalese Adama Diatta, settling for silver whilst Melvin Bibo (74Kg) Soso Tamara (97Kg) also won a bronze for the nation. 2015 All Africa Games gold medallist, Mercy Genesis was defeated by

Athletes celebrating their gold medals

Senegalese wrestler Isabelle Sambou in the round 1 and Egyptian Mona Elsayed EL Basyo (Round 5) before overpowering Kheira-Chaimaa Yahiaoui (Alegria) in round 3 by 8-0. Five Egyptian athletes won gold medals in their different weight classes. They include Abdel-Latif Mohamed who won the gold medal for the 130 kg category after winning against opponents from Algeria, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia. Ahmed Othman sealed the second gold medal for Egypt in the 98 kg category, while Mahmoud Fawzy also clinched gold in the 75-kg category. Ahmed Abo-Halima and Rabie Taha sealed the fourth and fifth gold medals for Egypt after winning in the 71 kg and 59 kg categories respectively.

PAGE 47

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Leisure

Some Interesting Facts North American oysters do not make pearls of any value. • Human birth control pills work on gorillas. • Many sharks lay eggs, but hammerheads give birth to live babies that look like very small duplicates of their parents. Young hammerheads are usually born headfirst, with the tip of their hammer-shaped head folded backward to make them more streamlined for birth. • Gorillas sleep as much as fourteen hours per day. • A biological reserve has been made for golden toads because they are so rare. • There are more than fifty different kinds of kangaroos. • Jellyfish like salt water. A rainy season often

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reduces the jellyfish population by putting more fresh water into normally salty waters where they live. The female lion does ninety percent of the hunting. The odds of seeing three albino deer at once are one in seventy-nine billion, yet one man in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin, took a picture of three albino deer in the woods. A group of twelve or more cows is called a flink. Cats often rub up against people and furniture to lay their scent and mark their territory. They do it this way, as opposed to the way dogs do it, because they have scent glands in their faces. Cats sleep up to eighteen hours a day, but never quite as deep as humans. Instead, they fall asleep quickly and wake up intermittently to check to see if their environment is still safe. Catnip, or Nepeta cataria, is an herb with nepetalactone in it. Many think that when cats inhale nepetalactone, it affects hormones that arouse sexual feelings, or at least alter their brain functioning to make them feel “high.” Catnip was originally made, using nepetalactone as a natural bug repellant, but roaming cats would rip up the plants before they could be put to their intended task.

Of ‘Age,’ ‘Law’ And The Sins Of Two Lovers Cont’d from page 48

the avowal of marriage with a third party, hardly any crime can be said to have been committed because they mutually consented to elope. Likewise, if both elopees are non-consenting children who bear no criminal liability and are under the custody of parents or the guardianship of those in loco parentis (position of parents), no crime too can be said to have been committed because technically they are both deemed not criminally responsible in the eyes of the law. But where one party, by age, is criminally liable and the other is not, it becomes much easier to locate a case of ‘abduction’ than to establish one of ‘elopement’ even if ‘mutuality of action’ and ‘purpose’ is proved to have motivated their actions. There is thus a thin line between ‘abduction’ and ‘elopement’. Sometimes what may seem like a case of ‘elopement’ may technically be one of ‘abduction’ and vice versa . KIDNAPPING There is also a boundary between ‘abduction’ and ‘kidnapping’ –which archaically was termed ‘man-stealing’. By the way, the ‘kid’ in the word ‘kidnapping’ has nothing to do with ‘child’. In fact, whenever a ‘child’ is the victim of ‘kidnapping’, the offence, in law, is not referred to as ‘kid-napping’ but rather ‘child kidnapping’ –among a host of other terms we’ll see soon. Kidnapping, initially at Common law referred to ‘the forcible ABDUCTION of a person from his country to another’. It was a combination of ‘false imprisonment’ aggravated by ‘moving a person out of his country’. But now ‘kidnapping’ is ‘seizing and taking away a person by force or fraud (Section 364, Criminal Code)’, and where

accompanied by injuring the victim, it becomes ‘aggravated kidnapping’, where it involves a ‘minor’ without the use of force or fraud (as in walking off with another’s baby), it is ‘child kidnapping’, ‘child napping’, ‘child stealing’, or ‘baby snatching’. Where ‘kidnapping’ involves confining the victim and demanding ‘ransom’, it becomes ‘kidnapping for ransom’, and where it involves one ‘parent’ taking away a child in violation of the other parent’s ‘custody’ or ‘visitation right’ (in case of legallyseparated parents), it becomes ‘parental kidnapping’. Two non-consenting ‘children’ or ‘young persons’ may ‘elope’, but not ‘abduct’ or ‘kidnap’ one another. A person at or over the ‘age of consent’ may ‘abduct’ or ‘kidnap’ –not ‘elopes with’another below the ‘age of consent’. An unmarried, consenting person ‘elopes’ with, ‘abducts’ or ‘kidnaps’ a married person (who by incidence of marriage is presumed ‘consenting’ even if not by age). Two unmarried, consenting adults mutually elope. In the absence of consent of one, ‘elopement’ becomes ‘kidnap’ or ‘hostage taking’, not ‘abduction’. Because whereas a ‘child’ and an ‘adult’ must be involved for ‘abduction’ to take place, persons under all categories of ages can ‘elope’ or be kidnapped. POSTSCRIPT Nigerians have talked so much about ‘morality’. The courts will be concerned about the ‘legality’ or otherwise of the Ese ‘abduction’ saga. Yinusa, in the eyes of the law is not an ‘abductor’ as we have referred to him. At least not yet. Or who knows, maybe never. Until he is proved beyond reasonable doubt before a competent court of law, to have committed what he is alleged to have committed. He remains only the ‘alleged

abductor’. Nor is Ese herself –in the eyes of the law- an ‘abductee’ as we refer to her. She remains, the alleged victim of certain alleged actions or omissions of Yinusa; and may be even of others around him -especially his parents, but maybe not excluding Ese’s and her parents’ action too. First, a criminal case of ‘abduction’ in which Ese is the victim has to be proved in court. And by the time both of them will have a day in court –soon, I hope- both Ese and Yinusa will be witnesses for or against themselves. Whatever we saw or heard in the public –including what they may have admitted or denied to the hearing of the public, remain merely ‘evidence’ which can and may be used for or against them -and in fact the probative value of which is assailable by lawyers on either side. Because by the time they are presented before a judge, all the facts –whether oral, documentary or otherwise, already known to the public- will remain in the eyes of the law, merely ‘hearsay evidence’ and will require to be corroborated to be admissible. And like all criminal offences, ‘abduction’ being one, and notwithstanding whatever we thought we already heard concerning Ese’s and Yinusa’s claims or disclaims concerning especially their ages, prosecutors for Ese must prove in court ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ that Yinusa abducted Ese in the circumstances and manner in which it is alleged and that both Yinusa and Ese were, at the time this alleged offence was committed, of such ages as would confirm a case of ‘abduction’, ‘elopement’ or ‘kidnap’. Was Ese of such an age that obviates the need to prove abduction took place? Will it matter to the law that not only did Yinusa not apply ‘force’ or ‘fraudulent persuasion’ on Ese, she in fact virtually forced herself on Yinusa, as he and his parents insist?

www.peoplesdailyng.com

QUOTABLE QUOTE With the revelations coming out from the arms probe, you can imagine where Dasuki will end up

. . . putting the people first

TUESday, march 8, 2016

-President Muhammadu Buhari

SPORTS Of ‘Age,’ ‘Law’ And The Sins Of Two Lovers latest

Enyimba, Warri Wolves host Champions League first legs on Sunday

arri Wolves and Enyimba will host their CAF Champions League second first leg matches against Al Merriekh of Sudan and Vital’O of Burundi, respectively, on Sunday. Nigeria’s remaining club in the Confederation Cup, Nasarawa United, will also welcome CS Constantine of Algeria in a second round clash in Abuja, also on Sunday. Nigerian champions Enyimba, winners over Vipers FC of Uganda, will take on Vital’O of Burundi at the Adokiye Amiesieamaka Stadium in Port Harcourt. Nigeriens Gomno Daouda, Yahaya Mahamadou, Abdoul Aziz Moctar Saley and Ibrahim Mamane will be referee, assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and reserve referee respectively. Kadre Saleh Kana from Chad will be match commissioner. At the Warri City Stadium in Warri, Wolves will take on Al Merreikh in another CAF Champions League second round, first leg match, with Burkinabe referees in charge.

Enyimba of Aba match against Vipers FC of Uganda.

Advert: business: news: lagos:

ABDUCTION lack’s Law Dictionary describes ‘abduction’ as the “act of leading SOMEONE (male or female) away by force or by fraudulent persuasion”. But different legal jurisdictions are said to have added various elements to the ‘offence’ such as that the person abducted (abductee) must be a CHILD and that the person abducting (abductor) ”must have the intent” to marry, defile or subject the ‘abductee’ to ‘concubinage’ or prostitution”. An archaic, narrow, Common law definition had described it as “the taking away of “a FEMALE person” especially one below 16 or 18 -depending on the legal jurisdiction- and without her consent, “by the use of persuasion, fraud or violence for the purpose of marriage, prostitution or illicit sex”.

ABDUCTEE Both definitions respectively refer to the abductee as a ‘CHILD’ or a ‘person BELOW a certain age (usually 14, 16 or 18 depending on jurisdiction). Meaning that to prove ‘abduction’, the abductee must be one who has not attained the ‘age of CAPACITY’ –variously called ‘lawful age’, ‘legal age’ or ‘age of majority’. It is the age at which a person is legally capable of contracting (mostly 16) or suing (usually 18), or writing a will (14 or 18), or voting (mostly 18). But it is also referred to as ‘full age’ –at which a person can legally purchase and consume alcohol (mostly 21). Still given the age-restrictive nature of the definition of ‘abduction’, it also means that the person abducted, must not have attained the ‘age of CONSENT’ (which is different from the age of ‘capacity’). –and at which a person can agree to marriage without parental consent (16 or 18), or have sexual intercourse (14, 16 or 18). And so if a person AT or OVER a statutorilydesignated ‘age of consent’ has sexual intercourse with a person UNDER that age, he may may be prosecuted for ‘statutory rape’ that other person consented to it. Yet it does not mean that the person abducted must not have reached the age of ‘legal liability’ –or what is called the ‘AGE OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY -namely the age at which a child may be held responsible for a criminal act; which varies according to jurisdictions from as low as 7 in some states in the

0806 564 8620 0704 385 9705 0814 292 9046 08074420617

juvenile courts do not.

TuesDAY Column Mohammed Adamu (08035892325 sms only)

dankande2@gmail.com United States to 10 in others or ‘under 12’ in Nigeria. Thus although a child must be below the ‘age of capacity’ (14, 16 or 18) or ‘age of consent’ (also 14, 16 or 18) to be ‘abducted’, he or she does not have to be below the ‘age of criminal responsibility’ (7, 10 or under 12) to be abducted. ABDUCTOR And although an abductee must be below the ages of ‘capacity’ and ‘consent’, the abductor needs only be of an age upon which the law imposes ‘criminal responsibility’; -which, like we have seen, is already low enough to net virtually every potential ‘abductor’. The ‘age of criminal responsibility’ refers to that age at which it is presumed that a person is mentally fit ‘to answer in court for his or her actions’. And perhaps it is the reason that the ‘age’ is variously referred to as the ‘age of legal accountability’ or the ‘age of answerability’ to the criminal law. And so although a child has to be 14, 16 or 18 –depending on jurisdiction- to agree to marriage without parental consent, or to have sexual intercourse or to sign certain contracts or to make a will, yet from the ages of 7, 10 or at under 12 (as in Nigeria) such a child may be held ‘criminally liable’ for his actions or omissions. Meaning that the ‘age of criminal responsibility’ or what is also termed the ‘age of reason’ generally predates the ages of ‘consent’, ‘capacity’, ‘majority’, ‘full age’ or yet this other species of age, called the ‘fighting age’ (at which a person becomes eligible to serve in or is liable to conscription into armed service.) CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY Section 30 of the Criminal Code in Nigeria provides that a child under 7 is not criminally responsible; but that a person under 12, if it is proved that at the time of the commission of an offense, he had capacity to know that he ought not to do what he did, will be held criminally liable.

Thus technically in Nigeria from the age of 8 up to 17 (i.e. a year just before the controversial age of consent, ‘18’), any child is criminally responsible for his actions. But then with the creation of ‘juvenile courts’ and the jurisdiction given to them over ‘delinquent children’ from birth to age 18, it can be said that the ‘age of criminal responsibility’ for children may now have been reversed to be effective from cradle to 17. This seeming legislative inconstancy is the reason Okonkwo and Naish in their book on ‘Criminal Law in Nigeria’ said: “No problem better illustrates the necessary arbitrariness of the legal concept of criminal responsibility than the problem of when to hold a child liable for an offence”, -because as they observed, the solution is arbitrarily based on “arithmetical terms” and not on the basis of scientific proof that a person of a particular age is actually cognitively responsible for his actions or not. The virtual blunting of the boundaries of age by the introduction of juvenile courts, if it did anything, it made matters even foggier. In fact it has necessitated a further distinction which is now made between ‘CHILDREN’ and ‘YOUNG PERSONS’, so that many jurisdictions have resorted to enacting what is called ‘Children and Young Persons Act’ which describes a ‘CHILD’ arbitrarily again as a ‘person’ under 14 and a ‘YOUNG PERSON’ as one from 14 and above but below the age of 17. And so although juvenile courts technically have jurisdiction over all the age categories of children from birth to 17, their judges still contend with prosecutors often requesting the transfer of the cases of certain ‘young persons’ for trial in regular criminal courts because of the seriousness of the criminal charges. This is especially so because whereas regular courts can imprison or even sentence young persons under 17 to death,

ELOPEMENT Black’s Law Dictionary, on the other hand, defines ‘elopement’ from its archaic Common law history as “To run away, escape” or to “abandon one’s husband and run away with a lover”, or to “run away secretly for the purpose of getting married, often without parental consent”. Thus in elopement two presumptions arise: one, that quite unlike the case in ‘abduction’, the elopee may act alone in abandoning parents or spouse to flee to the arms of a paramour who may not have colluded with, persuaded or coerced the elope; and two, that where two elopees act together to elope, there is, quite unlike in the case of ‘abduction’, not only a mutuality of action but there is also a mutuality of purpose. They both desire the end result. And so where ‘mutuality of action’ and ‘purpose’ can be established, a particular circumstance may tend more towards a case of elopement than it may towards ‘abduction’ (because abduction in all circumstances must involve an ‘unwilling’ party or at least a ‘fraudulentlypersuaded’ unwilling party.) Alas what determines whether a case is one of ‘abduction’ or ‘elopement’ actually is not so much about ‘which’ party did or did not do ‘what’, as it is about whether or not one or both parties are below, up to or above particular statuteregulated age categories. If both elopees are consenting adults who are inebriated by mutual love and none is under Contd on Page 47

DAN GAYE

Ex- CDS, Badeh, remanded in prison - News

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Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako, Abuja. Kano office: Plot 3, Zaria Road, Opposite Kano State House of Assembly. Lagos Office: No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: +234 814 292 9046. Cell: +234 802 443 2099; 803 7007 759. e-mail: contact@peoplesdailyng.com; pmlnewsdesk@gmail.com ISSN: 2141– 6141

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

PAGE 9

News

Dry season farmers in Taraba seek govt’s assistance to access water

ry season farmers in Mutun Biyu, Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba have called on government to assist farmers in the area with water to boost production. Mr Danjuma Buba, leader of the Bembel Farmers Group, made the call on Monday in an interview with the News agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Mutun Biyu. The group of farmers, who are beneficiaries of Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), said their number grew from six to 70 after joining the programme. ``I produce cassava and rice just like most members of my group; I heard about VCDP through the media so I joined with my group, we were six when we started but we are 70 now. ``This growth in number has rendered our local stream, which is our major source of water, incapable of supplying enough water to sustain our farms of over 40 hectares. ``We want government and IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) to assist us to dig tubes so we can have permanent water supply to irrigate our farms,’’ Buba said. He said with the improved seedlings made available to them by IFAD, they are expecting harvest of about 160 bags of rice from every two hectares cultivated. Buba, however, said their hopes had come under serious threat as access to water had become a huge challenge which they cannot surmount on their own. Meanwhile, Mr Tank Bako, Chairman, Abuchidon Multi Purpose Cooperative Society, based in Wukkari, called for government’s support to enable the group to expand their farms. (NAN)

L-R: Custom’s Controller of Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, Comptroller Umar Dahiru, and Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, during the comptroller’s visit to the Oba, yesterday in Lagos. Photo: NAN

Pharmacists’ council raid illegal pharmaceutical stores in Kaduna From Mohammad Kaduna

Ibrahim,

harmacists’ Council of Nigeria (PCN) officials has raided some illegally set up pharmaceutical shops within Kaduna metropolis, particularly those operating without submission or abiding to the rules and regulation of the council. According to PCN, many pharmaceutical premises located within the state were set up without fulfilling minimum

requirements with the council. He said many of them are operating illegally without proper approval from PCN. PCN Deputy Director and Head of Enforcement, Pharmacist Stephen Esumobi disclosed this while briefing newsmen in the state shortly after their exercise. He added that since these premises have not been recommended for the sale of medicines, the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines source from them cannot be guaranteed.

“If this trend is allowed to continue, it will impact negatively on the health of the citizens of the state. Not all locations are suitable for pharmaceutical business. “There are also factors we consider before given approval for setting up of any pharmaceutical business place,” he said. The Deputy Director also mentioned that they came to Kaduna to raid Pharmacy and Patent medicine stores operating illegally in the state.

He also blamed the police for withdrawing their men from the operation without any reason just after sealing two pharmaceutical stores. The PCN Deputy Director then urged all stakeholders to follow the laws that regulate the practice of Pharmacy in the country as he vowed that Federal government will not accept any act of indiscriminate sale of drugs without total approval from them as body responsible for regulating and controlling such businesses .

Pensioner donates earnings to Buhari’s anti-corruption war By Lawrence Olaoye

pensioner, Mrs. Rose Arabameh Julius, has donated her one month pension of Ten Thousand Naira to support the Buhari administration’s war against corruption. According to a statement on behalf of the Special Adviser to the President on media

and publicity by Abiodun Oladunjoye, Julius, who retired as a cleaner from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, also promised to contribute N1,000 every month out of her N10,000 pension towards the rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons. He wrote “She said that she was making the donation because she was convinced that

President Muhammadu Buhari is a tested man of integrity who can be trusted to restore the lost glory of Nigeria and drastically curb corruption in the country. The pensioner also commended the President’s efforts to end the Boko Haram insurgency and rehabilitate internally displaced persons.” Receiving the donation on behalf of President Buhari, the

Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity), Mr. Femi Adesina thanked Mrs. Julius for her faith in the Buhari administration. “We have a pact with Nigerians to change things for the better and we are on the right track. President Buhari and his team are working tirelessly to revamp the economy, combat terrorism and curb corruption,” Adesina said.

Health expert calls for sensitization against measles, meningitis in rural communities From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

health expert has call on Nigerian government, particularly medical practitioners to embark on creating awareness and sensitization on preventive measures against measles, meningitis, particularly in rural communities in the country.

The health expert also said a visit to schools, markets, places of worship such as churches, mosques and higher institution of learning will help educate citizens on the health risk associated with heat season and how to protect themselves. In an interview with newsmen, Chairperson of “Womanhood School of Health Science and Technology located

in Kaduna, Maryam Abubakar said the sensitization becomes vital because of the health risks associated with heat weather. According to her, those at risk or vulnerable are mostly children. She also explained that heat season is usually not a friendly weather for elderly people, mainly those over the age of 75, including those with chronic illness such as heart disease, respiratory

problems or diabetes. She also explained that global warming may cause serious danger to human being including Albinos in Africa due to their light skin. Hajiya maryam said People with Respiratory Illnesses need to be careful because the temperature can rise to as high as 40C in Northern Nigeria. “It is worrisome because the season mostly affect children in

the region. As stakeholders we need to redouble effort in the fight against outbreak of Meningitis ,measles and other Heat-related illnesses in the region so as to save our children,” she said. The health expert urged government to ensure every child receive immunization against measles, Meningitis and other heat-related diseases, especially in rural communities.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

PAGE 10

News

Yobe deputy governor, Abubakar Ali survives auto crash in Kano From Edwin Olofu, Kano

he Sector commander of Federal Road Safety Corp) FRSC) in Kano State, Mr. Aminu Umar Jaba has disclosed that the Deputy Governor of Yobe state, Alhaji Abubakar Ali was involved in minor accident. The minor accident according to FRSC occurred at Dakatsalle

area of Bebeji local government area Kano State on Monday. The commandant also declined to further give details of vehicles involved in the accident but blamed social media for exaggerating the accident. He also blamed unnamed associates of the Deputy Governor who were in the

convoy for fabricating the story. “As per as what we have at our disposal, it was a minor accident. The Deputy Governor escaped unhurt and he is now at Ganduje village for condolence “. Our correspondent informed that the accident occurred when the motorist

on high speed trying to evade hitting a mad woman, hits the official vehicle of the deputy governor. An eyewitness account revealed that the motorist was on neck breaking speed and suddenly sighted a mad woman trying to cross the road. No reason was officially given for the convoy’s parking by the roadside

at the town. When asked, a source close to the authority concerned revealed that, an incident concerning big men in the society should be handled with care. The source disclosed that, even Police were not aware of the incident hours after the accident, stressing that, the information was hoarded to even the Police authority.

Kanu’s trial: Court grants FG leave to present witnesses behind screen

F L-R: President, Defence and Police Officers Wives Association, Mrs. Omobolanle Olonisakin, Acting Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, and representing wife of the President, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, during command performance of “Little Drop” by Prof. Ahmed Yerima, A stage play in commemoration of International Women’s Day organised by NDDC on Sunday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Aisha Buhari laments slow pace of global gender parity By Ochiaka Ugwu

he wife of the President of Nigeria, Mrs. Aisha Buhari has lamented the continued slow down pace towards the actualization of global gender parity. Mrs. Buhari who was greatly worried by the not too good position of women in the scheme of things globally, stated this Sunday at the command performance of “Little Drop” by Prof. Ahmed Yerima, A stage play in commemoration of International Women’s Day organised by Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Abuja that the time is now for women to take their pride of place in the scheme of things. Aisha, who was represented by the former Deputy Governor

•••Lauds NDDC boss, Semenitari

of Plateau State, Dame Pauline Tallen regretted that upon the role women are playing in the key areas of activities in the world, the gender parity gap is still wide. Her words, “Yet, in an age and time when women all over the world are making impressive contributions to social, economic, cultural and political achievements, the pace for global parity continues to slow down. Continuing, Mrs. Buhari while noting that World Economic Forum in 2014 predicated that it will take until 2095 to achieve global gender parity, posited that the power to change this trend and make it happen soon lies in our hands. She however, commended the

Acting Managing Director of NDDC, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari on her effort to reposition and re-professionalize the commission to meet the expectations of an organization that discharges its mandate and obligations efficiently and effectively. “I have watched with admiration the determination of the Acting Managing Director of NDDC, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari to reposition and re-professionalize NDDC to meet the expectations of an organization that discharges its mandate and obligations efficiently and effectively. “It is encouraging to see a woman of such high commitment, energy and great sense of duty and responsibility. She is a good example

of how a woman can help transform, not just an organization, the Niger Delta or Nigeria, but the world at large”. Speaking earlier, NDDC boss, Mrs. Semenitari said the event was to commemorate the International Women’s Day with the theme “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step it up for Gender Equality,” which she said has spawned the campaign: “Pledging for Parity”. She advised that “Pledging for Parity” is a campaign that everybody, including all people of good conscience must support as it is all about the recognition of the importance of women in their capacity to positively impact the world.

Buhari appoints former Lagos deputy gov SSA on SDGs By Lawrence Olaoye

resident Muhammadu Buhari has appointed the former Deputy Governor of Lagos state, Mrs. Adejoke

Orelope-Adefulire, his Senior Special Adviser on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This was made known in a statement made available to newsmen yesterday by the Special

Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina. Mrs. Orelope-Adefulire who served as Deputy to former governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State is an accomplished

politician with many years of experience in public service. She has also served as Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in Lagos State.

ederal High Court, Abuja on Monday granted the Federal Government leave for its witnesses to testify behind screen in treasonable felony trial of Nnamdi Kanu. Kanu, the acclaimed leaders of the Indigenous People of Biafra is standing trial alongside Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi. Delivering the ruling, Justice John Tsoho held that the witness screen was a device positioned in the courtroom to shield witnesses from public glare. ``The Federal Government’s request for its witnesses to testify behind a witness screen does not translate to them wearing masks. ``It does not also translate to secret trial as the device allows the defendants, their counsel, the judge, the erks of the court and the prosecuting counsel to see the testifiers. ``The application does not even amount to a new plea as the relief was part of a decision of the court in a ruling delivered Feb. 19 on similar matter,’’ Tsoho held. The said that it was wrong for the defendants’ counsel to have objected to the application based on Section 351 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) Section 351(1) of the ACJA gives leverage to the defendants to demand the striking out of a suit against them on account of continued absence of the prosecution team in court. ``It is not so with this case. The Attorney-General of the Federation is prosecuting the case on behalf of the Federal Government and the prosecuting counsel is in court. ``So, the question of striking out the suit on account of nondiligent prosecution does not arise. ``The key issue is simply the call by the prosecuting counsel to allow the witnesses to testify behind the screen on account of fears raised by the witnesses,’’ the Judge said. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Page 11

EDITORIAL

Between instinct and the law

he story of this 14 year disappearance of Ese was reported because he was in police custody old girl has gripped the to the police command in Yenegoa; all along. So, who is the owner of whole nation like a vice. It two officers , he said, were detailed the pregnancy? Only Ese and a contains all the elements to accompany him to Kano where DNA examination can answer this of a box office drama: he suspected Ese had been taken. question. love, crime, law, religion, family In Kano, he narrated, the police From the narrative it is clear that the and tradition. The difference told him it was a religious matter following institions failed to do though in the Ese episode is that and therefore out of their hands. their job to resolve the Ese issue: it is not drama; it is real, and it is He was directed to the palace of the the governments of Bayelsa, Delta its grim reality that has stirred our Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu where the Orurus come from and national conscience. Kano, all claimed the matter was It began with the alleged abduction not brought to their attention at all. of Ese from her mother’s food The Kano emirate council failed to shop in Yenegoa, Bayelsa state, follow up its order that the girl be The report we have in August last year. The young returned to parents. The police, on now is that Ese is 5 man was one Yunusa “Yellow”, a their part, covered their ineptitude tricycle passenger operator from under the cover of religion. months pregnant. Kano state. The young man is The fact is that the self serving attempt Yunusa’s uncle said his said to always go for his regular to interpret the Ese tragedy as too ward could not have diner at the makeshift restaurant. sensitive and too hot a religious One day Yellow showed up, as been responsible for the matter to handle, notwithstanding, usual, at the food vendor’s and the a crime has been committed; the next moment, he and Ese were pregnancy because he crime of kidnapping and rape. nowhere to be seen. was in police custody all This requires that the law takes A frantic search for Ese began and its course. This, the police and along. it led all the way to a village in judiciary, must ensure happens. Kaduna. The bizarre thing about Sanusi II. A statement from the Now remains the big matter of Ese’s the story was that it did not get rehabilitation which is complicated emirate council would say the news media mention until late by her pregnancy. As it is, she Emir, last September, instructed February. It was kept between the cannot return to her school where the police to take custody of the girl family, the police, Kano Emirate she was an SS2 student. She would who, meanwhile, had been married Council and Kano’s Sharia need an expert to work on her to to Yunusa, converted to Islam and commission. Why did the family change her belief that she is an rechristened Aishat. The Emir also not involve the media? Charles, adult to that of a child again. Yes, directed the girl be reunited with Ese’s father could not explain a child she still is in spite of her her family. But nothing happened. this serious blunder, but it was to The report we have now is that Ese pregnancy. As for the pregnancy prolong the search and recovery only a physician can rule with is 5 months pregnant. Yunusa’s of his daughter. any certainty if she can handle it uncle said his ward could not have However, according to him, the without any harm to her health. been responsible for the pregnancy

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

PAGE 12

Opinion

Why Donald Trump won’t be elected US president By James Downie

or months, political observers said over and over that the GOP front-runner wouldn’t win the nomination. But after accumulating seven more victories on Super Tuesday, bringing his total to 11 of the first 15 states, Donald Trump has destroyed that conventional wisdom and looks likely to be Hillary Clinton’s opponent in the fall. And after getting it so wrong once, many prognosticators now seem worried about underestimating Trump’s chances in the general election. “Democrats to Clinton: Don’t laugh off Trump threat,” blared a Politico headline. “I’ve gone from denial,” Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy told the New York Times, “to admiration . . . to real worry.” Even Democrats projecting confidence about a Trump-Clinton matchup typically scramble to add an “on the other hand” disclaimer. To borrow a phrase from one of the men trailing Trump: Let’s dispense with the notion that

Trump has a real shot at winning in November. Start with the basic electoral math. At the national level, Trump trails Clinton by more than three percentage points in the RealClearPolitics polling average, and she has led him in 15 of 17 national polls since December. Trump clearly does the worst against her of the possible Republican nominees. His unfavorables are historically high for a general election nominee. And if “more than three points” doesn’t sound impressive, note that Barack Obama rarely led Mitt Romney by more than three points in the polling averages — and he won easily. What state polling we have suggests that Clinton, like Obama, will start with 220 or 230 electoral votes safe or close to that amount, leaving Trump little room for error. Breaking the numbers down demographically makes Trump’s path look even steeper. In 2012, Romney easily won the nonHispanic white vote, but it wasn’t nearly enough to overcome his poor showing among Hispanics, who broke 71 to 27 percent for

Obama. A recent Post-Univision News poll found that 80 percent of Hispanics have an unfavorable view of Trump. Given that the electorate is expected to be less white than it was in 2012, Trump would have to win an unprecedented share of the white vote to stand a chance. Furthermore, Trump’s campaign has a poor record of setting up the competent field operations needed to boost turnout among his base of support. Nor will the media advantage that has helped Trump in the Republican primaries carry over to the general election. As the rival party’s front-runner — and someone willing to take Trump on from the start — Clinton will have a much easier time getting her fair share of free media. In addition, barring a dramatic turn in the controversy over her State Department email, there isn’t much reason to think Clinton will struggle in the fall. Some have suggested that record turnout in the Republican primaries bodes ill for the Democrats come November. But there’s no historical evidence of such a

connection. In 1980 and 1988, millions more people voted in the Democratic primaries than in the Republican contests — and Democrats lost in the fall. In 2000, Republicans had the edge, and the GOP lost the popular vote. And there’s no consistent relationship between increases or decreases in a party’s primary turnout from four years earlier and victory in November. Some, on the other hand, worry that attacks on Trump for his long track record of lies and failures seem never to stick, or that he will be able to magically cast off the burden of his extremist stances by moving to the middle. But that’s what Democrats feared about Mitt Romney this time four years ago. Yet Latino voters did not forget about Romney’s call for self-deportation, and attacks on Romney as a corporate raider proved much more effective for Obama than they were for Romney’s foes in the GOP primary. Nor was Romney able to make voters forget the big gaps in his implausible budget and tax plan. The strongest case for a November Trump surprise is that

he has a unique appeal to workingclass voters who feel left behind by both parties. Here, Clinton has Bernie Sanders to thank for preemptively pushing her in a more populist direction; if she maintains the populist rhetoric (and proposes more policies to match), she will blunt Trump’s advantage with fed-up voters. It’s also worth noting that Clinton is most popular when the public thinks she is being unfairly attacked, as Rick Lazio, her hapless opponent in the 2000 New York Senate race, can attest. Who thinks Trump will go eight months without wildly crossing the line? Democratic politicians and operatives have every reason to hype the Trump threat; fear of a Trump presidency would surely boost Democratic turnout in November, helping candidates up and down the ballot. But the rest of us don’t have to agree. Trump may have defied the conventional wisdom once. That doesn’t mean he’s likely to do it a second time. James Downie is an International Affairs Analyst.

The ordeal of Aisha Oruru: Why PMB Must Intervene By Abdussamad Umar Jibia

ometime in February 2013, a lady by name Charity Uzochina then a student of the federal Polytechnic Bida embraced Islam. As is the practice, she changed her name to Aisha, a popular Muslim name. At that time, Aisha was 25 and thus by any standard an adult who could decide for herself. In a nation whose constitution allows for freedom of religion with respect to its choice and practice, one would expect no dust to be raised at that development. However, the father of Aisha, who is also a pastor tried to forcefully take back Aisha in order to force her back to Christianity. He was backed by the Christian Association of Nigeria and all manners of so-called human right activists. Out of fear for her life, the lady approached a Shariah court in Niger state which asked the Etsu Nupe to give her protection. She thus dropped her studies and took refuge in the Emir’s palace. A year later, she got married to the Muslim lawyer who handled her case. It is important to note that Aisha succeeded only because of the resilience of the Emir of Nupe who refused to release her to those wolfy set of people who were not ready to accept anyone of them to embrace Islam even if their conversion is as Aisha herself put it, “strictly personal, gradual and well thought-out” and even if no law of the land prevents it from taking place. One

irony is that none of the so-called human right groups came out to defend the right of adult Aisha to decide for herself the religion she wanted to follow and indeed the husband she wanted to marry. If the Emir of Bida stood his ground to protect a helpless lady who was adamant on exercising her right of choice, the Emir of Kano was not forthcoming in this regard. I m particularly referring to the story of Ese (Aisha) Oruru which has dominated the headlines over the first several days. This story is one of pity and persecution. It has also revealed the timidity of the Nigerian Muslim community and the dysfunctionality of their leadership. Ese Oruru is a teenager born to a Christian family in Bayelsa state. At a stage in her life she decided to change her religion to Islam. Conversion to Islam in Nigeria is not new. Islam is the fastest growing religion on earth that people across all continents continue to embrace. In the case of young Ese she embraced Islam through one Yunusa who is a native of Kano state. Not only did the young man preached Islam to Ese, he took her to his village and married her. According to the news, there was an attempt by Ese’s family to take her back to Bayelsa but she refused because she was comfortable living as a Muslim with her husband of choice. Like the case of her name-sake in Niger state, the story of Ese has attracted a lot of noise by

the traditional noise makers in Nigeria. A lot has been said to the extent that many people who should ordinarily sympathize with Aisha for her ordeal have become confused and are busy condemning people whose guilt has not been legally established. Here, there are many questions in need of answers. First, how old is Aisha? The initial story was that Ese is 18. But later we were told that she is now 14 but was 13 as at the time she was ‘abducted’. There has been no independent investigation to determine her actual age. What I expect the self-acclaimed champions of child right to have done is to launch and publish an independent investigation to ascertain the actual age of Aisha (Ese). This will clearly establish whether or not she has the right to decide for herself. And what determines the age of maturity? It is relative depending on the issue at stake and the legal system in place. According to the laws we inherited from the British, a girl who willingly submits herself to a man is not considered to have been raped unless she is below the age of 14. In other words, marriage aside, if Ese willingly submitted herself to Yinusa for sex at the age of 14, he can validly accuse anyone who calls him a rapist of character assassination. This is obviously the reason why our so-called advocates of child right reduced the age of Aisha to 13 in order to have a reason to make the public believe

that the ‘minor’ was abducted and raped. Now, how neutral is the Nigerian Police? Anyone who has listened to the explanations of the Nigerian Police would doubt the neutrality of the Force on this issue. For example, since the ‘rescue’ of Aisha and her return to Abuja, they have been hiding her from the public and disallowing her access to the press. In spite of this, a national daily published an interview purportedly given by Aisha in which she corroborated the claim that she was hypnotized. The ‘interview’ is available on the popular Linda Akija’s blog as I am writing this piece. If the Police truly allowed the interview to take place and denied other journalists access to her, then it is not fair. And if the interview is false, I expect the Nigerian Police to arrest the publishers for misleading the public and ridiculing the Force. Another threat to the well being of Aisha is the statement from her family that they will be taking her to TB Joshua. This is because according to her father Mr. Charles Oruru, “Ese had declined to come home after being released into the custody of the Police, fearing she may have been hypnotised”. This statement from Mr. Oruru, published in the Vanguard of 2nd March 2016 raises another dust. The Police must have forced Aisha to Abuja and that is why she has been hidden from the Public. And why take her to TB Joshua? TB Joshua is a Christian preacher who does not share the

same faith with Aisha. Assuming Aisha was bundled to TB Joshua who is believed by his admirers to have extra-spiritual powers, how will he react when she refuses to accept his advice to return to Christianity? Can we rule out torture? Who is there to make sure that this young person is not maltreated? Her desperate parents who have been made to believe that their daughter has been hypnotized by Muslims and want her to be hypnotized back to Christianity by TB Joshua or Joshua’s disciples who believe in the supernatural powers of their leader? Nigerians would definitely be interested to know TB Joshua’s method of hypnotisation to make sure that it does not contain any form of maltreatment. In conclusion and with due respect to the Emir of Kano, he should not have handed over Aisha (Ese) without getting assurance that she will be safe and following to make sure that she is not tortured for her belief whether or not she has reached the age of puberty. But it is not late. He, along with other leaders must follow this matter to logical conclusion and make sure that Aisha stays alive and safe. But above all, Mr. President should come in to make sure that this helpless Nigerian has been safely handled. Dr. Abdussamad Umar Jibia writes from Dept of Mechatronics Engineering, Bayero University, Kano.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

PAGE 13

Comment New tariff, labour protests and the objective reality By Mathias Benjamin

“It is better that as Nigerians we deepen our understanding of the objective realities and the context under which we now operate within the electricity sector.” This terse statement may have been drowned by the orchestrated chanting and sloganeering which characterized the recent wave of protests against the new electricity tariff already in effect. But, as the words of Mr. Joe Ajaero, General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) their relevance to the resolution of the seeming disagreement with the new electricity tariff cannot be ignored. This is because from the tone and tempo of the labour-organized protests over the new electricity tariff, it is very obvious that the “objective realities” defining the situation in the nation’s electricity sector have been swept under the carpet of labour populism and exploitation of existing socio-economic discontent. The protests were staged in negligence of the concerted efforts of the electricity distributors to engage directly with a cross section of electricity consumers across the nation for the purpose of enlightenment and sensitization. Such objective realities as inherent inadequacies of the power sector

owing to decades of government ownership and control, unfeasible tariff structure, need for greater investments in procurement and establishment of equipment and infrastructure as well as concessions and incentives factored into the new tariff were candidly discussed. Protesters also downplayed the robust role of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in the negotiated build up to the new tariff when public interest was resolutely reflected. As a result, the protests posed a sharp contrast to the outcome of the consultative exercise of the DISCOs which enhanced the level of mutual understanding and rekindled the spirit of public cooperation and willingness to support the electricity distributors’ resolve to expedite progress towards more affordable supply of reliable electricity in the near future. Against the background of a failed era of unsustainable government ownership of the power sector which lumbered Nigeria with crippling deficits in power generation, transmission and distribution that still prevail, there was no reasonable or feasible alternative to privatization of the sector for getting out of the quagmire, as other nations have done. The “objective reality” in

this context is that there must be a fundamental shift in the management of the power sector for the transition to privateinvestor consortium ownership of the sector to be realized for the benefit of the people. Again, we have the recent and rewarding experience with the telecommunications sector where similar stagnation of services under government ownership gave way to a phenomenal boost in sufficiency, efficiency and affordability as privatization opened the vista of GSM telephony, to rely on in responding to the new electricity tariff. Initial protests over “expensive” SIM cards and tariffs can hardly be remembered in these days of service providers in a stampede of unbelievably cheap bundles and free SIM offers! There is absolutely no reason why this should not be true of the electricity sector, once the new tariff structure and accompanying projects such as mass metering settle in. Besides, there is no denying significant improvements and customer-friendly innovations that hold a lot of promise for the expected better times in the near future. Despite incessant human sabotage activities targeting installations and facilities critical to steady power supply, a couple

of weeks ago power generation peaked at an all time high of 5,075 megawatts climaxing a long period of fewer blackouts and optimum power quality, boosting the morale and confidence of the majority of electricity consumers. > Similar prospects have emerged in the power distribution segment. The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) recently unfolded bold plans already on-going for installation of 500,000 meters at the rate of 100,000 per annum for five years after completing the pilot scheme of free installation of 5,000 meters in Minna in Niger State. The company has already invested N2 billion on improving its network assets, infrastructure and service delivery in its operating area since takeover in November 2013. All for the benefit of consumers eager for better times. Another “objective reality” that the labour protests gloss over are these significant commitments by the DISCOs and other stakeholders in the power sector reform process that highlight considerable contributions in advance of accessing the anticipated accruals from the new tariff. The so-called burden of facilitating the desired enabling environment for sustainable, affordable and efficient power supply is therefore all inclusive

and not the “exploitative” imposition described in the protests. It is only fair that consumers who will ultimately join their GSM counterparts as customer-kings in the near future, also contribute their quota towards achieving this, by way of realistic tariff. While public protests are legitimate means of venting public response to public policy issues, an objective analysis of the fundamental factors necessitating power sector reforms in general and the need to bear the unavoidable burden of transiting from unsustainable and inefficient government ownership to a private-investordriven commercial enterprise that will be as self-sustaining as the quality of its services, suggests a more realistic corresponding engagement among stakeholders as the better option. The socioeconomic importance of the power sector to the nation and its citizens must always remain in focus in this period of transition and reform. Shutting down the power sector or disrupting the steady progress being witnessed is clearly counter-productive and unsustainable.

Mathias Benjamin wrote in from Ganaja Junction, Lokoja, Kogi State.

Oliseh’s self-delusions and uncouth talk-back at Nigerians By Ahmed Oluwasanjo

rom the days of Moses in the Bible, those who take responsibility – as public servants – have always had to manage and cope with their fans and critics. And of course, criticisms – be it constructive or destructive – could come from traducers or fans who desire to see one fail or excel. Truth be told, tolerating criticism is very hard but it remains a good feedback for one to know how he/she is performing or not, and more importantly to keeps one focused on self-improvement and getting better in whatever one has signed up for. Of course, we all murmur about critics who are always finding faults in our very best efforts but not in the public, most especially when the critics are our employers. Always, the best response to give critics – be they haters or lovers – is good performance and nothing more. All of these brings me to the outrageous outburst of Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, who said his critics are “insane”. At first, after the team he led to the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Rwanda crashed out, he politely apologised. That was okay. However, his follow up outburst in which he said his critics are “insane”, came to many Nigerians as a surprise. Does Oliseh mean Nigerians – ardent footballer lovers – who kept supporting a non-performing Super Eagles

unanimously, irrespective of their obvious differences of opinion, are all mad? Does Oliseh mean that those whose taxes pay his salaries have no right to vent their displeasure on his performance as a coach? If the later is the case, then he should pitch his tent with those in the National Assembly who are on the move to gag Nigerian social media users. But, as long as he remains the Eagles coach, it is the right of his critics – lovers or haters – to objectively or otherwise have their say on his performance, while it’s incumbent on him to deliver. In another way round, Oliseh’s outburst and false apologies simply mirror how irresponsible politicians and public servants who earn a living from the taxes of poor Nigerians treat the same tax payers with contempt and abject disrespect. And the manner they cunningly come back like the biblical prodigal son, putting up all sorts of explanations forward to seek the public’s face and make up for their obvious malfeasance whenever their actions attracts public outcry. The story of Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomole and the street-hawking widow he verbally abused; the case of the governor of Nasarawa State, “Hell-Makura” and Ms. Iorvihi; and that of Abdulraham Dambazau and his shoe shining state security aide are examples to support my point. Anyway, we cannot blame Oliseh for taking a swipe at his critics, after all

his appointment was due to cronyism and was not based on his track record as a soccer coach. This is brings me to his statement that “I didn’t want this job. I rejected it twice and I took the job after intense persuasion by an influential friend in government”, which reveals why he felt so arrogant and thought that exchanging words with his critics would be a good line of defence, when the best thing he could have done was to go back to the drawing board, get his team together and deliver in subsequent marches. I’m sure Nigerians must be seeing the bad side of cronyism from Oliseh’s arrogance; but that’s a topic for another time. Let’s face it. If the better proven likes of Clemens Westerhof, Jo Bonfrere, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, Amodu Shaibu, Austin Eguavoen, Lars Largerback, Samson Siasia and even Stephen Keshi – who Oliseh criticised serially, and nastily – never had the guts to say their critics were “insane”, who is Oliseh to have said so?! As at the last time I checked, Oliseh is definitely in no way better than any of these coaches, but the way he’s kept harping on his record of having led the national team into 14 games, most of which they won, as if that could pass for a trophy – particularly, CHAN – baffles me. Well, since he wants to be commended, I clap for him for his much cherished record. However, he needs to be reminded that yesterday’s record

in football does not guarantee a coach’s job tomorrow – only today’s success does. Let me drive home my point with two examples: Keshi won the 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), qualified and took the Eagles to the World Cup in 2014, but was fired for not qualifying for the 2015 African Nations Cup. Similarly, Jose Mourinho who led Chelsea FC to win the 2014/2015 English Premier League (EPL) was sacked the very season after he won the EPL. Sunday Oliseh must be full of self-delusion and feelings that he is the “Special One”. He appears to be highly skilled in putting up flimsy excuses and blaming his failures on those he could simply put to silence by subsequent outstanding outings. His outrageous reaction to his so-called critics reminds many Nigerians of his extremely short fused temper – even though he was indisputably a fantastic defensive midfielder in his playing career. But, it’s too bad that his short temper is really disappointing at this stage in his career. Oliseh should not live in self-deception that some of his “ex-colleagues” are scheming hard to occupy his seat because he also rode on the criticism of his predecessor to his present position. So, if it was right the, for Oliseh to criticise Keshi, how is it wrong today for another person to criticise him? Besides, are his critics not part of the 170 million Nigerians he came back to pretentiously

apologise to or how does he separate his critics from other football-loving Nigerians who have also censured him on the same issue? In the second part of the explosive YouTube video of his rant, he said, “a contract was made out, I signed a contract with the NFF; if you’re not happy about it, Ok we come out and shake hands”(sic). By this, Oliseh might be feeling he would probably be invited by Arsenal FC or Barcelona FC should he resign or get fired as the Eagles’ coach. But just before then, I would advise him to seek counsel from Jose Mourinho or better still, ask Keshi, how far? And if by chance Oliseh loses this big opportunity to garner practical experience in coaching beyond cheap studio talk and prove his critics wrong by delivering, he should not be surprised if calls to coach teams like Agege Bombers or Felele United do not come his way subsequently. Of course, this piece might make me one of the “insane” critics of Oliseh, but then he would have to prove his own sanity first. If he takes my humble advice to heart, and works on his temper, puts his team on a better pedestal and starts delivering, he would be in a better position to truly earn his pay and position as the Eagles coach, while also winning the respect of Nigerians. I wish him well. Ahmed Oluwasanjo is a Public Affairs Analyst.

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News Nigerian stabs friend to death over Ronaldo, Messi argument By Muhammad Mammani Shuaibu with agency report

34-year-old Nigerian was stabbed to death by his roommate and fellow countryman in India, following an argument over footballers Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The deceased, Obinna Durumchukwu, was celebrating his 34th birthday on Saturday, with his friend and Killer Michael Chukwuma (22), were partying at their rented flat at Mahesh building, Ostwal Nagri, Nalasopara (east). The celebrations went on till 9 am on Sunday, when they decided to play football in the common balcony on the building’s third floor. Both were said to be drunk. While playing, they argued over whether Ronaldo or Messi was a better footballer. The argument turned ugly when Obinna allegedly hurled an empty glass liquor bottle at Michael. The bottle missed Michael, hit a wall and smashed into pieces. Michael then picked up a glass piece and slashed Obinna’s neck. He died on the spot. Neighbours who heard the screams alerted the Tuling police. Michael, meanwhile, ran to the fourth floor, from where he was arrested.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Benue saves N2.8bn from uncovered ghost workers

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

he Benue State government said it has saved over N2.8 billion from ghost workers through staff verification exercise. Governor Samuel Ortom who disclosed this yesterday, while receiving the report of the Administrative Commission of Inquiry into the Sale/Lease of government assets from June 2007 to May 2015, explained that the sum of N1.2 billion was saved from the state while N1.6 billion was saved from the local governments. “About N1.2 billion was saved from the N12.5 billion

bailout funds to the state, while N1.6 billion was saved from the N15.5 bailout funds accruing to the local government areas. The N2.8 billion that was saved has been injected into the treasury because it is a loan that must be paid back,” Ortom stated. He decried the manner fake names were discovered to have been included on the payment vouchers during the verification exercise before payment of the bailout funds to workers, vowing that those found culpable would be handed over to the police for prosecution. “We discovered that fake names were included on Pay vouchers. Those people will

be handed to security agencies for prosecution. We set up two committees for those who have issues with payment of bailout funds for them to come out for clarification but up till now, we are not seeing anybody. Why are those people not going to the committees? Many of them go to business centre and print employment letter”, he frowned. Ortom commended the Barr. Moses Ataegh led committee for the hard work and for submitting the report within the stipulated time-frame, assuring that government will act on the report by quickly setting up a white paper committee that will advise on

the next line of action. He reiterated that the commission of inquiry was not intended to witch hunt anyone but an attempt to correct the wrongs with all boldness, vowing that nothing will stop his government from exposing the truth about ills of the past administration. “What we are saying is that, if you have taken government property better return it before the law will catch up with you,” the Governor stressed. It could be recalled that the Commission of Inquiry on Assets Verification and Lease of Government property was inaugurated on 11th of August 2015.

18 burnt to death in motor accident

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

ighteen persons have been confirmed burnt to death beyond recognition in head on collision between a Lorry and

Toyota Hiace, Sunday night along Bauchi -Jos road. It was gathered that the incident which occurred around 10.45 pm on Buzaye village involved Toyota Hiace bus and a

big truck. The Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, Haruna Mohammed who confirmed the incident said the accident occurred when the Truck

L-R: Malam Salihu Ogune, Malam Ismail Salawu, Special Guest, Sheikh, Malam Bashir Ohu, Odovidi, An Ebira of Tudun Nupawa, Malam Nuhu Shuaibu, and Host, Malam Abdulkareem Sadiq, during the Zawiyatul & Banatu Al Faidatu Ahlillahi Islamiyya annual Maulud Nabiyu, recently at Shehu Shagari Street, Mando, in Kaduna. Photo: Raji S. O.

heading towards Jos had a head on collision with the loaded 18 seater bus coming from FCT, Abuja. As a result, the Bus was gutted by fire. He said “the fatal motor vehicles accident along Bauchi/ Jos Road, involving a DAF Truck with registration number XC-675BAU and a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number BAU-148XR loaded with 18 passengers at Buzaye village, Bauchi. “Eighteen victims were certified dead, among whom seventeen burnt beyond recognition and corpses deposited at the Mortuary for postmortem examinations. “So far, two deceased victims identified are (Bus Driver), Alhaji Adamu Maijama’a, male and 45 years of Jahum, Bauchi and (passenger) Yahaya Umar male and 41 years of Unguwan Dawaki, Bauchi. According to Mohammed, the Police patrol team attached to GRA Division and men of fire service from Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic ( ATAP) rushed to the scene, put off the fire and rushed the victims to ATBU Teaching Hospital, Bauchi for medical attention. He said the Case is under investigation and effort is ongoing to ascertain actual cause of the accident. The police spokesperson urged members of the public whose relatives travelled from Abuja to Bauchi on Sunday to go the motor parks in Abuja and check the passengers manifest or report at the ATBU Teaching Hospital, Bauchi for identification.

Businessman urges Adamawa govt to invest in agriculture, solid minerals

From Umar Dankano, Yola

overnor Muhammad Umaru Jibrilla of Adamawa state has been urged to as a matter of emergency diversify in investing in agriculture and solid minerals sector with a view to fixing the economic fortunes of the state due to the hardship

facing the country. A businessman and APC chieftain in Adamawa, Alhaji Mohammed Haladu gave the advice in Yola while addressing journalists, stressing the importance of tapping the agriculture and solid minerals potentials of the state so that immediate solutions can be given

to the sector for self reliance and economic independence. Haladu observed that the current economic down turn characterize by dwindling monthly allocation from the Federation Account had made it mandatory for states to start thinking on how to source for funds to deliver on their campaign

promises. He said that states like Adamawa that possesses the needed arable land for agriculture and over 60 solid minerals should not hesitate in utilizing those potentials. “Our agricultural and solid minerals potentials are enough to generate revenue and create

the needed employment for thousands of youths”, Haladu said. Haladu also tasked the youth on self reliance and the need to embrace agriculture, adding that there was many agricultural potential along the banks of River Benue and River Gongola that passes through the state.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Support Almakura’s administration, lawmaker implores Nasarawa people

Ocholi’s death, a monumental loss, says Saraki •••Condemns killing of APC Chieftain, wife, son in Rivers

From Gambo Ahmed, Lafia

By Ali Abare Abubakar and Ikechukwu Okaforadi

member representing Gitata/Karu constituency at the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Honourable Hashimu Jibrin has implored citizens of the state to support the present administration under Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura in order to enable him provide dividends of democracy to the electorate. Hashimu made the call in an interview yesterday with Peoples Daily at the state assembly complex in Lafia, the state capital. According to him “We the fifth (5) Assembly members have a smooth cordial relationship with the governor to enable him deliver through embarking on projects that would benefit the people. I also urge our respective electorate from the various constituencies to support the administration to succeed”. Enumerating his achievements so far on ground, he said that on assumption of office he embarked on the construction of a bridge linking Mararaba to Kube Ugah and some communities in his constituency. “I assure my constituency of more projects ahead as the economy improves. I will not fail my people as they were the ones that gave me the mandate. I plead with them to remain calm” he added. The member who lamented on the rate of crime and other social vices being perpetrated around Mararaba, Karu, Masaka and Uke axis, called on security operatives in the area to redouble their efforts towards combating criminality, urging youths to engage on meaningful venture that would earn them a living than indulging in social vices that may cut their living short.

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enate President, Bukola Saraki yesterday expressed deep shock and disbelief over the demise of Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Chief James Ocholi, his wife and eldest son in a road mishap along the Abuja - Kaduna road on Sunday. The Senate President has also condemned the brutal murder of an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Mr. Franklin Obi, his wife and 18year old son in Rivers State. Saraki in a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu in Abuja, described the tragic death of such a “promising Nigerian” like the

late Minister as a colossal loss to the present administration in particular and the country at large. He condoled with President Muhammadu Buhari, members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the Governor and people of Kogi State, leaders and people of North Central zone and the immediate family of the deceased over the unfortunate incident. Saraki said: “I still recall when the late Ocholi appeared before the Senate to be screened and confirmed as Minister a few months ago. He was not only full of life, he came across to me as a man of great ideas and accomplishments. “He was very articulate and brilliant in his presentation and gave good account of himself as

Senior Advocate of repute, who given the chance to discharge the duty assigned to him, would have contributed immensely in turning around the story of unemployment in this country. “His death and that of his wife and eldest son, is a colossal loss to me, his immediate family, the people and government of Kogi State, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the entire country”, he stated. He prayed God to grant the souls of the deceased eternal rest, while he urged Nigerians especially his immediate family to be comforted by the fact that Ocholi breathed his last while on acting service for his father land. Meanwhile, Saraki has called on security agencies to unravel the masterminds of the dastardly

L-R: Member House Committee on Interior, Hon. Beni Lar, Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Faruk Dawaki, and Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Jagaba Adams Jagaba, during the committee meeting on upcoming public hearing, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

killing of Rivers APC Chieftain, Franklin Obi and members of his immediate family. Saraki described the avoidable bloodletting as callous and called on security agencies to ensure adequate protection of lives and property across the country to prevent repeat occurrence.

APP mourns Ocholi

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

he United Progressive Party (UPP) said it received with shock the news of the death of the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, James Ocholi (SAN), his wife and son in a fatal motor accident along Kaduna-Abuja expressway on Sunday. A statement issued to the media, signed by Chief Chekwas Okorie, National Chairman, the UPP said it was heartbroken over the death of three members of the Ocholi family were returning to Abuja from a Church programme in Kaduna. The party described the late minister as an “embodiment of patriotism and a politician’s politician” adding that “we are saddened that he died at a time he was in active service as a Minister of the Federal Republic.” Part of the statement reads: “Our thoughts and prayers are with members of Ocholi family. We pray to God Almighty to give them the fortitude to bear the loss of their loved ones. “We commiserate with President Muhammadu Buhari on the demise of his Minister and competent Change agent. We also condole with the Government and people of Kogi State for the death of their illustrious son, wife and child.” The party prayed for the souls of the departed to rest in the bosom of the Lord.

Lawmaker lauds Governor Bindow on commitment to transform Adamawa From Umar Dankano, Yola

he ongoing transformation drive by Governor Muhammad Umaru Jibrilla in Adamawa state has been described as the execution of developmental projects having direct bearing on electorate’s lives in the state.

Member representing Mubi South Constituency in the state House of Assembly, Hon. Abubakar Abdulrahman made the commendation in a press statement in Yola explaining that the sustained commitment by Governor Jibrilla Bindow to transform the state at all levels is unprecedented in the history of

the state. Abdulrahman said it was not surprising that the people of Mubi accorded the governor a heroic welcome when he visited over the week as a mark of honour to a performer, stressing that with the present level of dividends of democracy delivered by the state APC led government, the governor

has set a pace for his colleagues to follow. “Today, Adamawa state is the yardstick to measure performance and good governance. “We therefore have to rally round our governor and pray to God to continue to guard him and give him the foresight and wisdom to continue the good

work.” Abdulrahman said. While lauding the government for resuscitating the Mubi burt brick factory and awarding 14 roads contract in Mubi town, Abubakar said that the measures would not only transformed the commercial town to its befitting status but further opened it up for more business opportunities.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Politics

Metuh, others quit May 21

By Ahmed Abubakar

he National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have yesterday declared and agreed that the entire National Working Committee (NWC) of the party will vacate their offices come May 21st of this year. The national Chairman of the PDP Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff who briefed the media on the outcome of the 69th NEC meeting said the decision followed the approval of the time-table for the party’s Congresses and National Convention. The congresses which will commence on Saturday, April 23, 2016 and culminate in the National Convention on Saturday, May 21, 2016 automatically means the current embattled NWC members whose tenure of 4 years also expires on March 24 which was extended to May 21st will give way for

•••holds National Convention March 21

another members to be elected. He said,” politicians should note that in politics we disagree to agree and agree to disagree” assuring that the reconciliation committee must reach out to all aggrieved members with the intention of bringing them back. In the communique issued after the meeting, NEC approved the party’s guidelines for congresses and the National Convention, disclosing that the National Convention holds in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. According to the communique, “NEC after exhaustive deliberations approved the extension of the tenure of office of all organs of the party at all levels until the conduct of Congresses and National Convention. This is however with the exception of Edo and Ondo States. “NEC approved the setting

up of four special committees in preparation for the National Convention. They are National Convention Committee, Reconciliation Committee, Zoning Committee and Finance Committee”. The PDP National Chairman explained that,” politicians should note that in politics we disagree to agree and agree to disagree assuring that the reconciliation committee must reach out to all aggrieved members with the intention of bringing them back”. Part of the communiqué reads: “The NEC condemned the incessant harassment, maltreatment and unlawful incarceration of PDP leaders at various levels by government controlled law enforcement and prosecution agencies. “The NEC also condemned the Friday, March 4, 2016 invasion

and raiding of Ekiti State House of Assembly and subsequent arrest and continued detention of four PDP members of the House by the Directorate of State Services (DSS) on trumped-up charges. “It demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the four PDP members of the Ekiti House of Assembly by the DSS. “It resolved to stand in solidarity with all Nigerians whose fundamental rights as citizens are being infringed upon by the Federal Government. “It called on the international community and all civil rights organizations world-wide to take note of the denial of fundamental human rights, abuse of liberties and freedom of individuals; and the rapid descent of Nigeria into totalitarianism. “NEC also condoled with the families of its 18 members

who were brutally murdered in Ogoni land in Rivers state as well as with the Federal Government and the Government of Kogi State over the unfortunate death of the late Minister of state for Labour, Barr. James Ocholi, and resolved to send a high-powered delegation to condole with his family. “NEC in session also congratulated all its members who won in their rerun elections, including former Senate President, Senator David Mark” the statement added. Only 3 states governors of Abia, Akwaibom and Cross Rivers were absent from the 69th edition of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Governors of Taraba, Gombe, Delta, Rivers, Ekiti, Ondo and Igbonyi state deputy governor were at the meeting.

Oyo state Governor, Sentor Abiola Ajimobi (middle), in a group photograph with Transitional Chairmen of 33 local government areas, after the swearing-in of the chairmen, yesterday in Ibadan. Photo: NAN

‘APGA can’t drop acronym for any alliance’ By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

he National Director of Publicity for All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Ifanacho Oguejiofor, has said the party cannot drop its acronym which it has developed over the years to join in any alliance to form a political party. Oguejiofor disclosed this at the weekend to Peoples Daily, while making clarification on the purported merger between APGA and aggrieved factions of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) to form Peoples

Progressives Party (PPP). He said specifically that it is unimaginable for anyone to think that a well established and registered political party like APGA will dump its name to join an association that is unsure if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will offer it any registration to become a party. While describing those behind the formation of PPP as political jobbers, who are out to swindle unsuspecting politicians, he said APGA does not want to respond to the issues as doing so will amount to glorifying the association.

Oguejiofor further explained that the party has no record where the leader of the alleged APGA group that joined the PPP ever existed in the party leadership both at state and national level, adding that if former ordinary member of APGA decides to join another party, APGA cannot be said to have joined such association. While emphasising that based on a recent ruling by the Supreme Court on the leadership of the party, there is one united leadership of APGA under Ike Victor Oye, he also cautioned those trying to drag the party’s name into unwholesome

association, saying the party will not take it any longer. “Our party is in total decorum, the leadership of the party has been working very hard to build the party structures into a stronger political force in Nigeria ahead of 2019 elections, and there is nothing like disenchantment whatsoever”, he said. Speaking on the Supreme Court judgement in which the party lost to PDP, the APGA National Director of Publicity said it was the card readers that made the party to lose the election to PDP rigging strategy, explaining that where the card

readers failed, there were serious manipulations by the PDP agents. He also called on the INEC to put measures in place to ensure that the ad hoc staff hired by the commission are well trained to become objective, alleging that it is usually the ad hoc staff of the commission who compromise during elections by working for some political parties. Meanwhile, the party urged President Muhammadu Buhari to rise up to the economic challenges facing the country, saying that Nigerians are yearning to see the change which the party promised them during the polls.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

PAGE 17

Politics

As crisis deepens, Niger APC suspends all National Assembly members

L-R: Editor Daily, Peoples Daily Newspapers, Malam Hammed Bello, Deputy National Chairman, Inter- Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Dr. Onwubuya A. Breakforth, and IPAC Secretary General, Chief Sam Eke, during IPAC visit to the of Peoples Daily Newspapers head office, yesterday in Abuja.

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

he continued crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger state has deepened as it took a new dimension following the suspension of all National Assembly members from the state from the party over non remittance of their dues to the party. State Secretary of the party, Barrister Mohammed Liman made the disclosure in Minna yesterday saying that the thirteen National Assembly members (three senators and ten House of Representatives members) respectively produced by the party, only six of them was said to have remitted parts of their dues to the party, a situation, the party said is unacceptable. “The constitution of our party is very clear on it, it says any member or political appointee that came into being through the platform of our party and fails to pay his dues is technically not a member of the party. The constitution says you must pay your dues as at when due. This means technically they have suspended themselves. “Those we elected did not deem it fit to support the party financially, and how do they want the part to move on or survive. “They have deliberately refused to pay their dues, they stand suspended technically. It is only four House of Representatives members and all State Assembly members that have complied” he stated. The prominent members among those that are suspended are Senators Mustapha Sani Mohammed Zone A, David Umaru Zone B, and Aliyu Abdullahi Sabi Zone C. Others include: Hon. Mohammad Mahmood, Lapai/ Agaie Federal Constituency, Hon. Muhammed Bala Faruk, Bida/gbako/Kacha Federal Constituency, Hon. Ahmed Abu Lavun/Edati/Mokwa, Federal Constituency, Shehu Sule, Magama/Rijau Federal Constituency, Salihu Adamu, Shadafi Bosso/Paikoro Federal Constituency and Abubakar Lado Abdullahi, Suleja/Tafa/Gurara Federal Constituency. The affected members could not be reached for their comments as at the time of filing this report.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Bill to gag media suffers setback in Senate as stakeholders kick

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

rovisions of the Frivolous Petition Bill 2015, otherwise known as anti- Social Media Bill, were yesterday overwhelmingly rejected by stakeholders during a one-day public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters. The stakeholders which included legal practitioners in private and public practice, media practitioners, civil societies group and the academia, were unanimous in describing the bill as an act to frustrate the current anticorruption war in the country. Leading attack against the bill was the representative of the Nigeria Law Reforms Commission, Chibuike Okorie, who said his agency would not be able to support the bill because what it aimed at achieving, had been taken care of by the provisions of the nation’s law. Okorie argued that the provisions of the bill, if passed, would affect the President Muhammadu Buhari’s

anti-corruption war as it would frustrate internal investigations of frauds within the Ministries, Department and Agencies of Government. He said, “A situation whereby a member of staff of an agency who writes a petition against a corrupt official within the organisation, was required to support it with an affidavit, would definitely be counterproductive. “The demerits of the bill clearly outweigh its merits. The bill is unnecessary, having regard to the existing laws. Laws must be general not for some people”. Also, the representative of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice at the occasion, Francis Oyong, an Assistant Director, said the passage of the bill will affect press freedom and freedom of expression. He also said the provisions of the bill will hinder quality investigation as most Nigerians living in rural communities who have petitions, may not have access to courts where they could swear to

affidavit. He said, “If this bill is enacted into law the way it was structured, it will lead to judicial condemnation. “What the bill is seeking to regulate, is being regulated by the law of defamation. If the bill is passed, it will violate the African Charter of People and Human Rights. Even if the provisions of affidavit in the bill are removed, it will still not remedy the problem”. The publisher of Breaking Times, an on-line publication, Anthony Ehilebo, said over 15m Nigerians rejected the passage of the bill, barely one week, the campaign started on the social media. He urged the senators to kill the bill in line with the position of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who had already declared it, “dead on arrival” But the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, threw his weight behind the bill saying when passed, it would protect the interests of all. Represented by Justice Clara

Ogunbiyi of the Supreme Court, the CJN said the bill was not out to gag the media. He also urged Nigerians to support the controversial bill which was sponsored by Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC Kebbi South). He lamented that multiple anonymous petitions have become the order of the day across board in the country. He said, “The fact is, their freedom of expression in the constitution, it has to be within bond and not be at large. The bill is very laudable going by the fact that it uses the word frivolous. “The bill is not out to curb or check excesses and recklessness of all arms of government, its aim is to ensure that only facts are disseminated to the public. It is not meant for vengeance but it is out to safeguard the rights and Privileges in the constitution. “It will serve the purpose of verifying the origin of a petition and provide the relationship between parties involved.

Buhari urged to confirm Semenitari as NDDC’s MD By Stanley Onyekwere

he New Initiative for Credible Leadership has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to commence the process of confirming Ibim Semenitari as the substantive Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The group also urged Semenitari to focus on the effort towards repositioning the Commission to attain the target for which it was set up. It also expressed confidence in

Semenitari’s ability to mainstream the NDDC’s mandate with the Change Agenda of the present administration of President Buhari. The group, at press briefing addressed by its Executive Director, Rev Stephen Onwu yesterday in Abuja said that it is unfortunate that sponsored groups are already issuing press releases on behalf of those desperate to succeed Semenitari when she is still striving hard to reposition the commission. Rev Onwu lamented that the distractions of the acting NDDC

Managing Director would not have been possible had politicians in Rivers state, where she hails from, not taken local politics to the extreme when they accused her of things that never happened. The Executive Director said, “We found it unthinkable that youths that should be championing national integration are whipping up sectional sentiments simply because they think the position of NDDC MD should be zoned to their clan. “Mrs Semenitari has the support of Nigerians to continue with the

change she is implementing at the commission. One must commend her efforts to refocus the NDDC for developing the Niger Delta while also exposing the corruption that took place there before she took over. “This clarity of purpose since her assumption of office is an impetus for Mr. President to confirm her for a substantive appointment. This will in no doubt have sent a clear signal to those who think they can hide under pseudo and clandestine platforms to tarnish her good image,” he stressed.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Politics

Al-makura condoles with Buhari over Ocholi’s death By Umar Muhammad Puma

G L-R: Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Sokoto state Governor, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, when the Speaker led a delegation of Hon. Members on a condolence visit to the governor over the death of his Commissioner for Science and Technology, Hon. Nasiru Zarumai, on Sunday in Sokoto.

Nigerian officials most corrupt worldwide – Magu From Ado Abubakar Musa, Jos

he chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu has revealed that the kind of looting by some government officials in Nigeria was the highest form of stealing and had never been done in any country in the world. The chairman who warned that whoever stole public funds in the

country should return it while also calling on all Nigerians to put hands on deck to help the commission in the war against corruption, adding that he alone could not do it, emphasising the people also have key role to play in fighting the menace. The anti craft boss made the revelation on the Hausa Service of the BBC monitored in Jos, when he visited Kano state over the weekend.

He said, “The degree of stealing by corrupt officials in Nigeria is the worst ever in the world. Such kind of corruption has never been done anywhere in the world. We are calling on whoever stole public funds to return it honourably because what has been stolen must be returned”. Asked by the BBC on how much so far the commission was able to recover from corrupt officials, Magu

said, “I cannot tell you the exact amount so far recovered because money gets into account minute after minute.” On why the commission might have restricted its operation to Federal Government, Magu responded that, “our operation cuts across local, state and FG. What we usually do is that, we gather information before arresting you. So, it takes time.”

Dogara, MPs pay condolence visit to Tambuwal over commissioner’s death •••We have lost one of our best brains - Gov By Umar Muhammad Puma

he Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has condoled with the governor and people of Sokoto State over the death of the state commissioner of science and technology, Nasiru Zarummai, who died Friday night. A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Speaker on Media & Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan , explained that Speaker Dogara led some members of the House of Representatives on a condolence visit to the governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal Sunday night, where

he expressed grief at the loss of the commissioner. While praying that God grants the governor and the family of the deceased the fortitude to bear the loss, he recalled that the commissioner was a close associate of the governor and someone instrumental to his election success. The speaker said, “We are here as a family to pay you a condolence visit. The late commissioner for science and technology was like a brother to us. He’s someone we all know was very close to you. We know him and to some extent, we know the role he played, even during your campaign. “So for us, it’s really a loss to

all of us, not just to you and the people of Sokoto State. So we come to share with you in this moment of grief and to say that whether in joy we’re together, and in grief we’ll be together, and to pray that whatever is left behind God will bless it, and God will grant you and the entire people of Sokoto the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.” Responding, Governor Tambuwal thanked the speaker and his entourage, saying his cabinet has lost an irreplaceable honest and hardworking member. “Nasiru Zarummai, to be honest, was one of the very best we had in the cabinet; cerebral, even though young and very dynamic,

very aspiring and very honest and straightforward. On all issues that we’ve had cause to discuss whether on public or private issues, Nasiru always stated his own position and you’ll see that whenever he addresses you; he’ll give you that respect, but he’ll tell you the truth. If I say that I’ve not lost one of my most dependable lieutenants in the cabinet; I’ll be lying. “We have lost a very intelligent career in him. It is our hope and prayer that God that gave us Nasiru and has taken him away will forgive his sins and should give us a replacement amongst the likes of people that we have working with us” Tambuwal said.

Council boss urges residents to collect PVCs

he Chairman, Kwali Area Council, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Daniel Ibrahim, has urged eligible voters in the area to ensure that they collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs)

ahead of the March 19 council polls. Ibrahim made the call yesterday when he visited one of the PVCs collection centres in Kwali, headquarters of the council area.

``The collection of the PVC is very important as it will be the ticket for you to vote for the candidate of your choice during the election. ``I am calling on all eligible voters who had registered for

this card to come out en masse to collect their PVCs,’’ he said. He also called on the striking local government workers in the FCT to have a rethink and end the indefinite strike.

overnor Umaru Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa State has expressed shock and sadness over the death of the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Chief James Ocholi, his lovely wife and their first son. A statement issued in Abuja yesterday by the Governor’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Ahmed Tukur, said Almakura received the news of the death of the Ocholis with deep pains. It said the governor, his family and the entire people of Nasarawa State, offer their heartfelt condolences to the family, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, government and people of Kogi state on the passage of their illustrious son, his wife and son. He said that Ocholi’s demise was a great loss not only to Kogi but Nigeria as a whole, given his invaluable contributions to the enthronement of democracy and development of the country. According to Al-makura, the late SAN was a spectacular, charismatic politician whose example of political courage, kindness and humility influenced his own life and the lives of many Nigerians. “The impact of Ocholi cannot be under estimated in the politics of the progressives and the entire country and apparently, his role and contributions in the development of the country.” He said “Ocholi was a valuable asset in the actualization of the progressive dream which saw to the emergence of the present administration. “His fear of God and spiritual life touched so many people. He was loved by so many within and outside the country. That is why there is grief all over the country.” Governor Al-makura then prayed God to grant the souls of the deceased eternal rest, and comfort all those who mourned them. According to him, all measures are being put in place by the FCT administration to meet the demands of the striking workers. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ibrahim, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is seeking re-election. (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

APR earmarks N1.2bn total dividend for 2015 Financial Year …Proposes 43 kobo per share

By Etuka Sunday

frica Prudential Registrars Plc has proposed a final dividend of forty-three (43) Kobo per share to the delight of its shareholders. The final dividend according to a statement by APR, rounds up to sixty (60) Kobo total dividend for 2015 financial year, having paid an interim dividend of seventeen (17) Kobo on August 31, 2015 after releasing its half year financial results.

The company’s audited results for 2015 which was released to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) last week shows a total of N1.2 billion will be paid to ordinary shareholders of the company if the proposed final dividend of 43 Kobo per share is ratified at the coming Annual General Meeting of shareholders. If ratified by shareholders at the AGM, payment of the dividend will be made on April 13, 2016 to all shareholders on the register of members of the company as at the

qualifying date of March 22, 2016. The Register of Members and Transfer Books of the Company would be closed from Wednesday, March 23 to Tuesday March 29, 2016 (both dates inclusive) for the purpose of updating Register of Members eligible for the dividend payment. In the results released for the period ended December 31, 2015, the company recorded N2.54 billion gross earnings, representing a 15% growth from N2.20 billion in 2014.

Likewise, the Profit Before Tax (PBT) for the period grew by 25% from N1.3 billion in 2014 to N1.6 billion in 2015. By the performance, expense only grew by a marginal 1% from N904 million to N913 million. In a similar trend, basic earnings per share grew by 18% — from 61 Kobo to 72 Kobo. In an interview with the media, Mr. Peter Ashade, Managing Director/CEO affirmed that the company is focused on increasing shareholders wealth. In line with its five-year strategic plan, the company has paid dividend consistently for three years, following its listing on the NSE in

2013. Thirty-five Kobo dividend was paid per share in 2013 and 2014 financial years, while a total of 60 Kobo is being proposed for 2015, having recorded another impressive result. While Mr. Ashade further encouraged investors to keep hope with the company as it sustains the tempo of impressive growth in the years to come, it would be recalled that APR Plc won a double award at the prestigious Pearl Awards in 2015. The company was announced winner and presented with the Best Profit Margin Ratio, and Best Corporate Governance Awards. L-R: President, Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Mines & Agriculture (KADCCIMA), Dr. Abdul Alimi Bello, presenting the Best Award Certificate for Chemical Product to General Manager (Sales/ Marketing), Gongoni Company Ltd., Alhaji Abdulrahaman Abubakar during the closing ceremony of the 37th Kaduna International Trade Fair, on Sunday in Kaduna. Photo: Bashir Bello

Dangote emerges Overall Winner at Kaduna Fair By Etuka Sunday

he Dangote Group has emerged the Overall Winner of the just concluded Kaduna International Trade Fair. The company was also named Best Exhibitor in Foods and Beverages sector. Speaking at the closing ceremony, President of the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA) Dr. Abdul Allimi Bello described the Group as a dependable and worthy partner. He commended the Dangote Group for the sponsorship of the 37th Trade Fair. Dr Bello said during the Trade Fair ideas on how to grow the Nigerian mining sector were

generated and will be forwarded to the appropriate authority. The theme of this year’s Trade Fair is: Promoting solid Mineral sector for sustainable economic development in Nigeria Speaking, Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasiru El Rufai who was represented by the Director of Finance and Admin in the Ministry of Commerce Mallam Muazu Dantata said that he hopes that all the ideas and business relationships that were built during the Fair will be translated into the development of Mineral sector in Nigeria. Participants who visited the Dangote pavilion said they were excited by the innovative products displayed. Some of the products include

the DanQ Seasoning, the rebranded Dangote Salt, cement, pasta and Sugar among others. They commended the Dangote Group for what a participant Mrs Bola Ibrahim referred to as “Special Pavilion.” They were also thrilled by the use of brand materials at the pavilion. The Group’s innovative marketing and sales strategies this year at the Fair include town storming and wet sampling activities of the Dangote Salt and DanQ Seasoning; as well as raffle draws to pull crowd to its stand. In the same vein, the cement sector also made arrangement for products pick-up and delivery for end users. The Dangote Special Day was set

aside on Saturday to celebrate the Dangote brands and participants who bought Dangote products were rewarded with various gift items through the raffle draws. Representative of the Dangote Group at the Special Day, Mr. Dolapo Alli who is the Director of Sales, North Central, Dangote Cement Plc, said the Dangote Group will continue to partner the Chamber to build a boisterous relationship that will benefit the country’s economy. He said Alhaji Aliko Dangote is passionate about feeding and housing Nigerians through its numerous companies. According to him, the Dangote Foundation has affected positively the living conditions of many Nigerians through its philanthropic

activities. Speaking, Vice President of KADCCIMA Hajiya Farida Dankaka said the Dangote Group has since established itself as a Pan African Conglomerate, while commending it for the sponsorship of the Trade Fair. President Muhammadu Buhari had, at the opening ceremony of the fair, described the Dangote Group and other operators in the private sector as central to his economic reform plan. The Trade Fair which was officially opened on Saturday February 27 closed on Sunday March 6, 2016. A staff of the Dangote Salt who sought anonymity said he was excited by the patronage this year.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Energy

Electricity consumers at Ibafo protest 10-year-old power outage, urge Fashola’s intervention

cores of residents of three communities on the IbafoMowe axis of the Lagos/ Ibadan Expressway popularly referred to as ``Second Lagos’’, on Monday protested what they called 10 years of power outage. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the communities were protesting the cutting off of electricity supply to their areas in the last decade. The protesters, who converged on Punch Newspapers premises along the busy Lagos/Ibadan Expressway with some policemen on guard, also blocked part of the road at Ibafo, causing traffic jam. The placard-carrying protesters, who had massed as early as 7.00 a.m., directed their protest at the Minister of Power, Mr Babatunde Fashola and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBDEC) which serves the area. Some of the placards read: ``10 years of darkness must stop; Fashola, IBDEC stop this darkness; 10 years of darkness

at Magboro, Ibafo Mowe communities: Enough is enough’’. According to the protesters, mostly youths, several notices had been given to IBDEC complaining of unfair distribution of electricity. Some of the protesters told NAN that the residents had been subjected to untold hardships since the communities were thrown into the decade-long darkness. A resident of Magboro, Mr Johnson Ogundipe, said:`Ì moved to Magboro about seven years ago, but I have only seen light may be once. `Às one of the leaders in the community, we have written several letters of appeal to the IBDEC and we also contributed some money to make sure that we have power but to no avail. `ÌBDEC always comes up with one story or the other on why electricity was not restored to Magboro. ``Magboro residents are tired of this blackout after contributing several millions of naira to

IBDEC. This is shameful.’’ Another resident, Mr Sola Lawson, said IBDEC had not showed enough commitment to restoring power to the affected communities after several appeals. ``The power issue with our area has been on before the unbundling of PHCN. The suffering in this community is too much as we cannot get petrol to buy to power our generators. ``I hope government will do something about the problem … we will continue with this protest until the matter is addressed.’’ Contacted for his comment, Mr John Ayodele, the Deputy Managing Director, IBDEC in Ibadan told NAN on telephone that the areas were not totally cut off but had been getting power supply intermittently from Abeokuta. He blamed the poor power supply on the uncompleted National Independent Power Project (NIPP) in the area. ``The areas are to get supply

President Muhammadu Buhari (middle), Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (3rd left), Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari (right), Minister of Power, Works and House, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (3rd right), Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, and members of General Electric Group’s delegation, during their visit to the president, recently at the State House, in Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye

from Akute through the NIPP but last year when it was scheduled for commissioning, we noticed that the contractors used substandard materials. `` We decided that the contractors handling the project should reconstruct or `address’ the defects in the project, but as we speak they have not done anything. ``When the plant was to be

connected to distribute power it could not carry the loads in the areas,’’ he said. ``We agreed that the contractors handling the project should reconstruct or address the challenges.’’ On the suggestion that another power project should be provided in the area, Ayodele said it would take between seven to eight months to complete. (NAN)

Oil hits 2016 high above $40; glut warnings resurface

rent crude rose on Monday, hitting a 2016 peak above $40 a barrel as producers sought a new anchor price for oil after a selloff that has lasted nearly two years, although some analysts warned the global glut is still big. Global crude prices have risen more than 40 percent since two months ago when they hit 12-year lows. Monday’s gains were helped by data showing a smaller-thanexpected build in stockpiles at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery hub for U.S. crude futures and talk that OPEC was looking at a $50 bottom. Oil’s rebound from lows of around $26 a barrel was also driven by chart-related buying and asset rotation by investors that resulted in higher allocations into commodities such as oil and copper, as well as equities. U.S. equities have risen about 8 percent since mid-February while Treasuries have weakened. Asian equities hit 2-month highs on Monday. “Money flows from broader financial markets are powering this broader rally in oil,” said Scott Shelton, energy broker with ICAP in Durham, North Carolina. “I don’t think the energy fundamentals for the next few days are going to matter much as the market is making a transition.” Brent LCOc1, the global crude benchmark, was up $1.20 at $39.92 by 11:12 a.m EST. Earlier, it

hit a 2016 high of $40.11, after the 12-year low of $27.10 on Jan. 20. U.S. crude CLc1 was up $1.10 at $37.02 a barrel, after hitting a two-month high at $37.46. On Feb. 11, it hit a 2003 low of $26.05. Price gains accelerated after market intelligence firm Genscape reported that crude stockpiles at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery hub rose by 670,714 barrels to reach 68.8 million during the week ended March 4, traders said. In the previous week to Feb. 26, Genscape reported that Cushing inventories rose by more than 1 million barrels. Bets on rising Brent crude prices hit a record high in the week to March 1. Major OPEC producers are privately starting to talk about a new oil price equilibrium of $50, New York-based consultancy PIRA told Reuters. Technical analysts said the oil rally could be nearing exhaustion at $40. Others said the global crude market remained oversupplied by around 2 million barrels per day, while higher prices raised the prospect of U.S. shale oil producers adding more drilling rigs after recent cutbacks. Morgan Stanley said “a large portion” of the rally was due to dollar depreciation. Thus, prices can continue to rally on headlines and a dollar pullback, but the upside should be limited by bloated global inventories and producer hedging,” it said in a note.

only what they consume. He said government would ensure that customers do not have to pay huge sums to get the meters. Wuyep said the payment would be spread over a period of time even as the contractor had been directed to install some test meters in specific locations to test-run the project. ``The meters would be installed this week and it would be studied for awhile to ensure its efficacy and to ensure that it is working optimally. ``We do not want meters that wouldn’t function optimally and the people at the end of the day would be cheated,’’ he said. He further disclosed that the state government, as a means of

reducing cases of cholera, especially in the rural areas, had adopted a number of strategies to provide potable water for the people. Wuyep said one of such strategies was to provide mobile treatment plants and to have medium level treatment plants that would treat their water. He said that the ministry was working with the Federal Government to extend reticulation from the central dams to reach more Local Government Areas around the dams. ``In this year’s budget we have made some funds available in the capital budget of the water board to reticulate water to the entire Local Government around every dam,’’ he said. (NAN)

Plateau Govt. to resuscitate state electricity corporation, says Commissionera

he Plateau Government has said that plans are currently underway to resuscitate the Plateau Electricity Corporation to improve electricity distribution for the residents. Mr David Wuyep, Plateau’s Commissioner for Water Resources and Energy, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Jos. ``The state government is putting in mechanisms to resuscitate the Plateau Electricity Corporation. ``However, this time around it wouldn’t just be an electricity corporation, but an energy corporation. “Energy is in a way beyond electricity, electricity is just one of

the forms of energy,’’ he said. Wuyep revealed that the bill for the resuscitation of the moribund corporation was in the State House of Assembly and that it would soon be passed so that the Plateau Energy Corporation could commence operations. According to him, the state was blessed with three out of the four major sources of renewable energy. ``Plateau has over 20 hydropoints where we can generate hydro-electricity from. ``As a plateau it is a good shed for water and it drains into various river basins and streams where we can easily generate electricity because it is on a slope and that gives us natural kinetic energy with

which we can generate electricity. ``Plateau is also the third highest solar radiation point in Nigeria after the North-East and the North-West so this puts us at a vantage position to generate solar energy. ``The state is also lying along three wind corridors that have the highest speed in the country almost on the index three and four meaning that we are well poised to generate electricity using wind.’’ The commissioner further disclosed that the corporation would be engaged in the generation and distribution of such within and outside the state. Wuyep told NAN that water meters would be given to the people soon to ensure they pay for

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Page

ICT

Minister calls for patronage of indigenous ICT companies

he Minister of Communication, Mr Adebayo Shittu, has called on Nigerians to patronise indigenous Information and Communication Technology (ICT) companies. Adebayo made the call on Monday during a tour of MainOne Data Centre, located in Lekki, Lagos. He said that the patronage of indigenous ICT companies would

go a long way to promote their local content and boost the nation’s economy. ‘’Nigerian companies and individuals need to patronise indigenous ICT companies because if we continue to patronise foreign companies, then Nigeria money will be stashed away,’’ he said. According to him, government has a duty to protect indigenous

companies through patronage. He said the main aim of visiting the MainOne Data Centre was to assist Nigerian ICT companies to gain self sufficiency. Adebayo called on stakeholders for collaboration on policy that would ensure that indigenous ICT companies were patronised and promoted. Responding, the Chief Executive

Officer of MainOne, Ms Funke Opeke, said the company had invested a lot of money on ICT to make Internet available in the country and bridge the divide. Opeke said that there were submarine cables coming into the country, but they were not fully utilised. She said that the company was building and expanding its

infrastructure, creating jobs to absorb 80 per cent of Nigerians in its work force. According to her, there is the problem of adoption of shared infrastructure, which needs to be addressed. Opeke said that there was need to get services out to consumers, since there was huge capacity in the country. (NAN)

for suspected abuse of market power over breaches of data protection laws. The German cartel office will examine whether Facebook users were properly informed about the type and extent of personal data collected by the company, and if this was in line with German antitrust rules. Vestager, whose antitrust

cases include a number of highprofile technology companies such as Google, Amazon and Apple, welcomed the German investigation. “It shouldn’t only be the Commission doing things that are new in terms of developing competition law,” Vestager told reporters when asked if the EU was going to act against Facebook, or let Germany take the lead “They

are well suited to do it. And since they both do it with the German and European perspective, then basically they do it in a way which is beneficial to all,” she said. Facebook has said it complies with the law. The German cartel office said it was coordinating its probe with the European Commission, competition authorities in other European Union

states, data protection authorities in Germany and consumer rights groups. Facebook has been criticised by politicians and regulators in Germany over its privacy practices and slow response to anti-immigrant postings by neo-Nazi sympathisers. German data protection rules are among the most stringent in Europe. (Reuters)

German regulator well suited to investigate Facebook

ermany, which launched an investigation into social network Facebook last week, is well placed to handle the case, Europe’s antitrust chief said on Monday. The comments by European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager came after the German competition office said last week it was investigating Facebook

L-R: Director, Special Duties, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mrs. Iyabo Sholanke, Director, Public Affairs, (NCC), Mr. Tony Ojobo, and the Executive Vice-Chairman, NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta during the stakeholders forum in respect of the consultancy study on the determination of cost based transmission cable pricing, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Supreme Court rejects Apple e-books price-fixing appeal

he Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear Apple Inc’s challenge to an appellate court decision that it conspired with five publishers to increase e-book prices, meaning it will have to pay $450 million as part of a settlement. The court’s decision not to hear the case leaves in place a June 2015 ruling by the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that found Apple (AAPL.O) liable for engaging in a conspiracy that violated federal antitrust laws. Apple, in asking the high court to hear the case, said the June

appeals court decision that the company had conspired with the publishers contradicted Supreme Court precedent and would “chill innovation and risk-taking.” The 2nd Circuit’s ruling followed a 2013 decision by U.S. District Judge Denise Cote that Apple played a “central role” in a conspiracy with publishers to raise e-book prices. The Justice Department said the scheme caused some e-book prices to rise to $12.99 or $14.99 from the $9.99 price previously charged by market leader Amazon.com Inc.(AMZN.O) “Apple’s liability for

knowingly conspiring with book publishers to raise the prices of e-books is settled once and for all,” said Bill Baer, head of the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust division. Publishers that the Justice Department said conspired with Apple include Lagardere SCA’s (LAGA.PA) Hachette Book Group Inc, News Corp’s (NWSA.O) HarperCollins Publishers LLC, Penguin Group Inc, CBS Corp’s (CBS.N) Simon & Schuster Inc and Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH’s Macmillan. On Feb. 17, the appeals court in New York upheld the

proposed settlement, which had been challenged by an e-books purchaser. The publishers were concerned about the price of e-books being pushed down by Amazon while Apple was looking for a way to make its new iPad product a hit and was seeking to break up Amazon’s low-cost dominance in the digital book market. Apple and the publishers agreed on an arrangement in which Apple would get a 30 percent commission and publishers were allowed to set the prices for their books, a tactic

known as “agency pricing” that prevents discounting. The publishers also agreed they would charge all outlets the same amount, meaning Amazon was forced to raise its prices. E-books that had cost $9.99 suddenly cost $12.99 or $14.99. Amazon said in a statement it was “ready to distribute the courtmandated settlement funds to Kindle customers as soon as we’re instructed to move forward.” Apple did not respond to requests for comment. The case is Apple v. United States, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 15-565. (Reuters)

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Business

Customs generates 1.07bn in Seme

the corresponding period in 2015. ``When I came to this command in January, one of the promises I made was that I would collect maximum revenue and suppress smuggling to its barest minimum. `` I am glad we have started achieving that; the command generated N 1,072,484,462.82 as revenue in the month of February. ``This is the first of its kind in the

month of February since the creation of the command. ``We were able to achieve this in spite of the prevailing high exchange rate, the strike by the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Customs in the Republic of Benin and protest on implementation of unifying exfactory price,’’ he said. Dimka added that the command made 55 seizures with a Duty Paid

Value (DVP) of N15.6 million and arrested six suspects during the period. He attributed the achievement of the command to the commitment of the management team, stakeholders and the members of the community. ``It is easy to attain success, but not easy to maintain success, therefore all hands must be on deck to maintain and exceed the current

record,’’ he said. Dimka urged Nigerians to desist from smuggling and embrace legitimate trade, saying that there was no room for smuggling in the area. ``We are determined to eliminate all loopholes and block all revenue leakages which would translate to more revenue generation for us,’’ he stated. (NAN) R-L: Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, and former President, Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture KADCCIMA, Alhaji M.K. Salami, during the NDIC day at the 37th Kaduna International Trade Fair, recently in Kaduna

Over 5,000 MSMEs register for FG’s grant

he Federal Government on Monday said received over 5,000 grant applications from Small and Medium Enterprises through its recently launched Business Innovation and Growth (BIG) platform. Mr Yunusa Labaran, the Coordinator of the Growth Employment (GEM) Project, stated this while addressing some small business owners in Abuja. Labaran, also the Director of Trade in the Ministry of Trade, said that qualified applicants would be given grants and technical assistance to grow their businesses. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that BIG is an online application portal of GEM,

introduced to support small enterprises to create employment opportunities for Nigerians. Labaran said that GEM was an initiative of the ministry designed to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with finance and technical assistance. He explained that only companies or firms having between one and 100 employees and operating in the target sectors were qualified to apply for such assistance. ``MSMEs are the bedrock of any economy. This is the sector that is driving the economies of Asian countries and we have to do something to support ours.

``This is why government initiated the GEM project, whose online portal (BIG) was launched about two to three weeks ago. ``GEM is targeted at firms, not individuals. Many people have registered. Within two weeks we have gotten over 500 people on that portal. ``Qualified applicants at the end of the day will be given grants, not loans, and some technical assistance on how to grow their businesses.’’ Labaran further explained that the GEM project had five windows through which certain amounts were disbursed as grants to beneficiaries. According to him, the windows

include start-up grant, marching grant, performance grant, innovation grant and institutional grant. NAN reports that GEM is a five-year programme launched in June 2013 and expected to expire in September 2018. It is supported by the World Bank and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID). The GEM coordinator told participants at a workshop in Lagos recently that the project had secured N43.5 billion loan and grant from both organisations to support employment generation in the country. He said the sum comprised 90

million Pounds (N18.687 billion) grant from the DFID and 160 million dollars (N24.837 billion) concessionary loan from the World Bank. Labaran said the programme was targeted at eight sectors of the economy based on their growth and employment potentials. He identified them as Information and Communication Technology (ICT), wholesale and retail, hospitality and tourism, meat and leather and construction and real estate. Others are entertainment industry, agriculture processing, light manufacturing and entrepreneurial development. (NAN)

NSE All-Share Index increases by 0.27% T he All-Share Index of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Monday appreciated by 0.27 per cent to close at 25,890.94 due to marginal gains recorded by some blue chip equities. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this is against 25,820.10 posted on Friday. Similarly, the market capitalisation which opened at N8.881 trillion inched N25 billion to close at N8.906 trillion.

An analysis of the price movement chart indicated that Total Nigeria led the Gainers’ table, increasing by N5.20 to close at N142.95 per share. International Breweries came second with a gain of 90k to close at N19.05, while Stanbic IBTC garnered 25k to close at N14.40 per share. Custodian and Allied Insurance advanced by 18k to close at N3.89 and Oando appreciated by 17k to

close at N3.66 per share. Conversely, Union Dicon led the losers’ pack with 59k to close at N11.25 per share. Vitafoam trailed with a loss of 21k to close at N4.15 and Dangote Sugar Refinery also dipped by 21k to close at N5.70 per share. National Salt Company of Nigeria shed 18k to close at N7.17, while UACN depreciated by 14k to close at N19.96 per share. In spite of the growth in market

indices, the volume of shares traded closed lower with a turnover of 186.38 million shares valued at N1.31 billion transacted in 3,106 deals. NAN reports that this is against the 257.05 million shares worth N1.49 billion achieved in 3,435 deals on Friday. A breakdown of the activity chart showed that Zenith Bank was the toast of investors, exchanging 25.46 million shares worth N310.47

million traded in 344 deals. Fidelity Bank followed with 25.31 million shares valued at N29.08 million transacted in 76 deals, while FBN Holdings sold 19.87 million shares worth N72.02 million in 361 deals. Transcorp accounted for 18.93 million shares valued at N21.72 million exchanged in 132 deals, while United Capital traded 11.69 million shares worth N19.75 million in 153 deals. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

PAGE 23

Stock Watch: Monday, March 7, 2016 Company

Previous Closing Price

Opening Price

High

Low

Change

Trades

Volume

Value

Company

Previous Closing Price

Opening Price

High

Low

Change

Trades

Volume

Value

7UP 170 170 170 170 170

MBENEFIT 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

0 6 151,035 25,675,959.95

MCNICHOLS

ABBEYBDS 1.25 - - - - 0 - -

1.21 0.03 2

ABCTRANS 0.5 - - - - 0 - ACADEMY 0.55 - - - - 0 - ACCESS 4.05 4.11 4.1 4.06 4.06 0.01 59 1,887,248 7,709,066.30 ADSWITCH 1.63 - - - - 0 - -

1.18 1.21 1.21 1.21 270,464 327,261.44

MOBIL 150 - - - - 17 10,350 1,521,554.60 MORISON 1.73 - - - - 0 - MRS 49.66 - - - - 0 - MTECH 0.91 - - - - 0 - MTI 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

AFRIK 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

MULTITREX 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

AFRINSURE 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

MULTIVERSE 0.5 - - -

AFRIPRUD 2.58 2.46 2.46 2.46 2.46 -0.12 26 979,264 2,412,030.84 - 0 - AFRPAINTS 2.59 - - - - 0 - -

NAHCO 4.02 4 4 4 4 -0.02 22 251,094 1,001,583.80

AGLEVENT 0.77 - - - - 2 5,500 4,165.00

NASCON 6.86 - - - - 9 80,100 560,610.00

AIICO 0.8 - - - - 6 62,998 50,338.15 AIRSERVICE 2.29 - - - - 1 4,588 10,001.84 ALEX 9.84 - - - - 0 - ALUMACO 7.75 - - - - 0 - ANINO 0.25 - - - - 0 - ARBICO 5.04 - - - - 0 - -

NB 99.99 99.94 99.94 98.5 99.9 -0.09 68

293,234 29,196,308.21

NCR 11.02 - - - - 0 - NEIMETH 0.72 0.69 0.69 0.69 0.69 -0.03 5

NESF 552.2 - - - - 0 - NESTLE 700 715.5 700 700 700

ASHAKACEM 24 - - -

NIG-GERMAN 4.91 - - -

109,227 2,671,023.97

ASOSAVINGS 0.5 - - - - 0 - -DUNLOP 0.5 - - - - 0 - EKOCORP 3.72 - - - - 0 - ELLAHLAKES 4.26 - - -

518,000 357,600.00

NEM 0.73 - - - - 6 134,441 99,520.75

75,818 52,951,924.47

- 0 - NIGERINS 0.5 - - - - 0 - NIGROPES 7.46 - - - - 0 - NNFM 6.65 - - - - 1 433 2,736.56 NPFMCRFBK 1.08 - - -

- 0 - ENAMELWA 29.78 - - - - 0 - -

4,760 4,950.40

NSLTECH 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

EQUITYASUR 0.5 - - -

OANDO 3.48 3.65 3.49 3.47 3.47

- 0 - -

-0.01

ETERNA 1.76 1.84 1.84 1.84 1.84 0.08 6 97,300 177,432.00

OKOMUOIL 30 - - - - 5 12,300 364,216.00

3,565,310 12,378,579.44

0.5 - - - - 0 - ETI 15.6 - - - - 14 177,450 2,635,288.67 OMATEK OMOSAVBNK 0.92 - - - ETRANZACT 3.1 - - - - 0 - EVANSMED 0.5 - - - - 0 - FBNH 3.79 3.93 3.86 3.8 3.8 0.01

184 90

PAINTCOM 1.04 - - - - 0 - PHARMDEKO 2.14 - - -

5,055,956 19,275,492.20

- 0 - -

FCMB 0.87 0.84 0.87 0.84 0.85 -0.02

- 0 - -

PORTPAINT 3.36 - - - - 0 - -

29,249,726 24,926,812.18

PREMBREW 2.95 - - - - 0 - -

FIDELITYBK 1.21 1.22 1.22 1.22 1.22 0.01 12 128,900 157,724.34

PREMPAINTS 10.93 - - -

FIDSON 2.69 - - - - 27 614,065 1,572,223.05 - 0 - PRESCO 34 35.7 - - - FIRSTALUM 0.5 - - - - 0 - 0.5 - - - - FLOURMILL 18.4 18.99 18.99 18.99 18.99 0.59 27 197,247 3,727,672.78 PRESTIGE PZ 21.9 - - - - FO 342 - - - - 6 15,200 4,938,480.00 RAKUNITY 0.5 - - - - FORTISMFB 5.15 - - - - 0 - REDSTAREX 3.8 - - - - FTNCOCOA 0.5 - - - - 0 - REGALINS 0.5 - - - - GCAPPA 14.46 - - - - 0 - RESORTSAL 0.5 - - - -

GLAXOSMITH

24.17 25.37 25.37 24.99

25.33 1.16

5 11,400 412,350.00 0 - 12 36,726 816,355.90 0 - 3 12,500 49,875.00 0 - 0 - -

ROADS 6.6 - - - - 0 - -

501,798 12,648,111.26

ROKANA 0.6 - - - - 0 - -

GNI 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

ROYALEX 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

GOLDBREW 0.97 - - - - 0 - -

RTBRISCOE 0.5 - - - - 1 941 470.50

GOLDINSURE 0.53 - - -

SCOA 3.96 - - - - 0 - SEPLAT 302.48 317.6 318 318 318

- 0 - -

15.52 30

GUARANTY 16.87 17.45 17.45 16.59 16.66 -0.21

149

388,650 123,626,470.56

SIMCAPVAL 103.24 - - - - 0 - -

3,576,744 59,751,776.00

GUINEAINS 0.5 - - - - 0 - -GUIN-

SKYEBANK 1.08 1.12 1.08 1.07 1.07 -0.01 39 1,959,858 2,104,852.11 SKYESHELT 100 - - - - 0 - -

NESS 118 - - - - 10 15,500 1,818,000.00 SMURFIT 1.02 - - - - 0 - HMARKINS 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0 2 5,004,000 2,502,000.00 SOVRENINS 0.5 - - - - 0 - HONYFLOUR 1.37 - - -

-STACO 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

STANBIC 14.15 - - - - 5 37,001 523,343.90

20,000 27,916.00

IAINSURE 0.5 - - - - 0 - IKEJAHOTEL 2.89 - - - - 0 - INFINITY 1.42 - - - - 0 - INTBKPREF 13.5 - - - - 0 - INTBREW 20 20 - - - 6 14,700 284,197.00 INTENEGINS 0.5 - - - - 0 - INTERLINK 4.21 - - - - 0 - -

Top Gainers Company

Previous Closing Price

Opening Price

High

1.73 1.73 1.73 1.73

1.73

1,104,932 1,911,701.10

STUDPRESS 2.19 - - - - 0 - TANTALIZER 0.5 - - - - 0 - THOMASWY 0.61 - - - - 0 - -

Top Losers Low

Change

Trades

Volume

Value

SEPLAT 302.48 317.6 318 318 318 30 388,650 123,626,470.56 GLAXOSMITH

STDINSURE 0.5 - - - - 0 - STERLNBANK

24.17 25.37 25.37 24.99 29

501,798 12,648,111.26

FLOURMILL 18.4 18.99 18.99 18.99 18.99 0.59 207,732 3,926,887.78

Company

Previous Closing Price

Opening Price

High

Low

Change

Trades

Volume

Value

AFROMEDIA 0.5 - - - - 0 - LENNARDS 3 - - - - 0 - RTBRISCOE 0.5 - - - - 1 941 470.50

WAPCO 80 80.5 80.5 80.5 80.5 19 14,337,554 1,154,154,991.51

DUNLOP 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

DANGSUGAR

ETI 15.6 - - - - 14 177,450 2,635,288.67

5.44 5.36 5.6 5.36 44 2,017,332 11,033,075.32

ETERNA 1.76 1.84 1.84 1.84 1.84 0.08 97,300 177,432.00

INTBKPREF 13.5 - - - - 0 - -

LEARNAFRCA 0.81 0.85 0.89 0.85 0.08 610,400 526,304.00

UBN 5.3 - - - - 8 24,412 126,491.00

UNITYBNK 0.6 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.03 501,617 316,018.71

PREMBREW 2.95 - - - - 0 - -

Peoples Daily, TUesday, March 8, 2016

PAGE 24

PAGE 25

Special Report

Why South Africans will pay ‘sin tax’ for fizzy drinks S

outh Africa has joined the battle against sugar, becoming the first African country to plan a tax on drinks loaded with the sweet stuff. That could hurt many here, for whom a supermarket trip is not complete without stocking up on their beloved garish fizzy liquid. But University of Johannesburg third-year students Nomzamo and Precious tell me they are not about to give up their sugary treats. “I buy fizzy drinks because I love the taste,” says 21-year-old Nomzamo as she surveys her options in a packed supermarket fridge. “It’s also convenient and I don’t have to worry about preparing something to drink if I have people coming over.” Precious, whose hand seems to be drawn to the bright orange Fanta, says the extra tax planned for next year will not put her off. “We’ll still buy them when the prices increase - we might buy less though but I don’t see us stopping,” she says. “I think as long as you don’t overdo it, there is nothing wrong with any one

The average South African consumes 17 teaspoons of sugar a day

“

Fizzy drinks are hugely popular in South Africa, with a variety of international and local drinks to chose from type of food.” At an average of less than $0.50c (£0.36) for a 330ml can, sweetened drinks are affordable for the vast majority, and have become a regular feature of the weekly

diet. And that is part of the problem. Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan introduced the tax on everything from carbonated soft drinks to

Beverage companies have raised concerns about the new sugar tax

flavoured water in February’s budget speech, partly as a way to tackle the country’s bulging budget deficit, but also to deal with people’s bulging waistlines. South Africa has not been

According to a 2014 World Health Organization (WHO) estimate, one in four South Africans are obese. A 2013 study by the Human Sciences Research Council in Johannesburg pointed the finger at sugar as being one of the possible culprits, saying that one in five South Africans consume an excessive amount of sugar. The average South African, according to the results from a survey of 25,000 people, now have 17 teaspoons of sugar a day. And although not the sole culprit, high sugar consumption has been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, which all put a strain on the publiclyfunded health system.

The sugar business employs hundreds of thousands of people across Africa

spared as obesity levels have soared around the world in the past couple of decades. According to a 2014 World Health Organization (WHO) estimate, one in four South Africans are obese.

A 2013 study by the Human Sciences Research Council in Johannesburg pointed the finger at sugar as being one of the possible culprits, saying that one in five South Africans consume

South Africa has many sugar cane farms

an excessive amount of sugar. The average South African, according to the results from a survey of 25,000 people, now have 17 teaspoons of sugar a day. And although not the

sole culprit, high sugar consumption has been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, which all put a strain on the publicly-funded health system.

South Africa’s sugar intake may not be as high as Mexico, 35 teaspoons a day, or the US, 40 teaspoons a day, but it is a cause for concern as the WHO recommends no more than 10 teaspoons be eaten in a day. Taking on giants Despite the aim for this new “sin tax”, some are sceptical about whether it is the right way to tackle the problem. “I think it should be up to each person to regulate their sugar intake. I personally know not to drink sweetened juice every day if I want to stay healthy,” says Lindi, from the south of Johannesburg. “The government shouldn’t take away people’s rights to choose. They should instead look at making healthy food cheaper and not punish people for their choice,” her husband adds. That is a line of attack chosen by the opposition Democratic Alliance. Perhaps more significantly, drinks manufacturers are likely to mount a campaign against the tax. The Beverage Association of South Africa (BevSA)

has questioned why the government is targeting just drinks rather than the entire processed food industry. It argues that one food item cannot be blamed for the country’s obesity issues. But tax expert Kyle Mandy from the accounting firm PwC says that the lesson from Mexico - which has also gone down the sugar tax route is that corporate opposition can be faced down. Average daily sugar intake by teaspoons • South Africa: 17 • Mexico: 35 • United States: 40 • Egypt 21 Does it work? On the key question of whether the tax actually works, Mr Mandy says that in Mexico it “has been relatively effective in reducing the consumption of sugary beverages”. Some argue that the tax could be a blow to poor South Africans who cannot afford better quality goods. but the tax expert says the health benefits need to be weighed against the costs. “It does work, provided it is done well. South Africa will now need to determine the

level at which they introduce the tax, it cannot be too low or too high,” Mr Mandy says. He warns though that the country would need to adopt a comprehensive approach beyond just taxing sugary drinks. “It needs be a package of measures looking at educational campaigns about adopting a healthy lifestyle, access to healthy options for the average South African and regulations on better food labelling,” he tells me. Policy makers will need to carefully navigate some tricky water before the tax comes into effect in April 2017, one of which is to be sure that the tax will not affect the industry to such an extent that it needs to shed jobs. The South African Sugar Association says that one million people depend on the sugar industry for a living and it directly employs 79,000 people in the country. But it seems many agree in principle that the sugar tax is a good place to start to tackle some of the country’s health problems. Water anyone? Source: BBC

Feature

Page 26

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Namibia’s battle with passion killings

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari presented the budget in person

Education is key to stopping violence

n our series of letters from African journalists, filmmaker and columnist Farai Sevenzo looks at why passion kills in Namibia and how to save the lives of the country’s lovers. “Passion killings” have become a tragic trend in the southern African nation of Namibia over the last three years. The Namibian police described passion killings as murder cases between intimate partners such as husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, and exes. Dozens of women, and in some cases men, have been killed at the hands of their lovers across the country - in 2015 there were 48 murders of this type, and 36 the previous year. The suspects range in age from 19 to 64, the victims from 18 to 65 but the majority of cases involve very young adults. These numbers may seem small, but they should be taken in the context of Namibia’s very small population of just under 2.5 million in a vast country. A cursory glance at Namibia’s soul-searching politicians and commentators will tell of gruesome killings and the recurring presence of firearms, knives, sticks stones and even a shoelace as weapons of choice. The murders occur in sudden bursts of rage across the country: A husband stabs his nine-month pregnant wife, a couple who had co-habited for 19 years are discovered with gunshot wounds to the head, a 19-year-old student walking home with her elder sister is confronted by the boyfriend she dumped and both sisters are killed with a stone, some women are decapitated. One Namibian clinical psychologist attributed the spate of killings to a general breakdown of the family unit, to the lack

of parental guidance for selfobsessed young adults who can no longer tell right from wrong as well as “low self-esteem among men, material dependence, poor coping mechanisms and failure to handle rejection”. The question “why?” has been posed by the Namibians themselves. Former president and independence leader Sam Nujoma was moved to declare: “We have fought those who colonised our country, and we will continue to fight those who are killing our girls. “From today onwards, anyone found guilty of committing such evil deeds will have to be buried alive.” ‘Dating contracts’ But the veiled threat of “a life for a life” is not credible since Namibia removed the death penalty at independence in 1990, and those calling for its reinstatement in the constitution are frustrated because the passion killings have one sting in the tail: The killers often take the time to leave a suicide note, and then end their lives. Nuusita Ashipala, a reporter for the New Era newspaper in the northern region of Omusati, which has seen the highest numbers of passion murders, reported last week that a local politician had told an elders’ meeting that it was time to try the radical proposal of issuing the young with “dating contracts”, so that parents would know who their children were involved with. Okalongo Councillor Laurentius Iipinge believes they could also be renewed on a yearly basis to free those who no longer wished to be in certain toxic relationships. “It is better to have agreements

known to the families, rather than hearing that your daughter was killed because she misused her boyfriend’s resources or vice versa,” he added. The councillor was clearly identifying money as the root cause of break-ups and acrimony amongst his region’s couples, where eight young women have already lost their lives this year. Mr Iipinge suggested that such contracts would enable those who feel robbed or simply want to claim back what they have spent on partners, to do so through their families, rather than resorting to anger, rage and murder. Namibia at a glance: • Discovery of diamonds in 1908 prompted influx of Europeans to the Germanoccupied area • South Africa seized it during the First World War • In 1990 Namibia achieved independence after a war of almost 25 years • One of the world’s most unequal countries • Mining and fish processing are its main revenue earners, though most of the rural population support themselves through subsistence agriculture and herding • Popular tourist

“

destination because of its beautiful landscapes, abundant wildlife and national parks Some may see this as a classic African example of tradition meeting modernity the elders with their family-based mediation trying to rein in a Facebook generation lost in its own navels. I spoke to the New Era reporter, who has seen crime scenes in the aftermath of these murders. She recounted yet another murder where a man came home and distributed sweets to his young children then stabbed his wife 20 times, before slitting his own throat with a knife. I asked her what she thought of the councillor’s proposal. “I don’t think it will work. It makes money the root cause of the rage but even if it was, as an independent working woman I feel we all spend on each other during relationships.” Of course this proposal, as an idea, seems unworkable. Which young man or woman wishes to spill the details of his or her liaison to their elders? The causes for such a spike in murder rates are as usual much more mosaic: Despite its diamond and uranium wealth, its booming tourism and excellent infrastructure, Namibia’s poorest

citizens are still grappling with a traumatic and violent apartheid past, which denied them a decent education. Psychological scars The councillor’s own ward, bordering Angola to the north, suffered traumatic abuse when it was a South African Defence Force Army base under whiteminority rule. A violent past creating violent families may have caused psychological scars that run deeper than the nation may wish to admit. Then there’s the availability of lethal weapons with poor gun controls, drugs and alcohol mixed with overwhelming social inequality to create a potent mix for the young and lost. A fight-back of sorts has already begun by trying to educate Namibia’s younger generations - although it is couched in the staid impenetrable language of the donor agencies who speak of “gender-based violence”. As Namibia turns 26 this March, the government and the police need to up their game and protect their citizens from these murders by fighting the idea that passion can best be expressed by taking a life, even one’s own. Source: BBC

The Namibian police described passion killings as murder cases between intimate partners such as husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, and exes. Dozens of women, and in some cases men, have been killed at the hands of their lovers across the country - in 2015 there were 48 murders of this type, and 36 the previous year. The suspects range in age from 19 to 64, the victims from 18 to 65 but the majority of cases involve very young adults.

Page 27

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Defence

Chief of Army staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai

Troops clear terrorists den in Dure

By Joy Baba Yesufu

roops of the Nigerian Armed Forces have intensified efforts of clearing remnants of Boko Haram terrorists in some hideouts in the North Eastern part of the country. In line with this over the weekend, soldiers of 121 Task Force Battalion, 26 Task Force Brigade carried out clearance operations at Dure district. This was contained in a statement signed by the Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR) Col Sani Usman in Abuja. The statement said during the encounter, troops met stiff resistance from the terrorists but they however, overcame and cleared Dure 1, Dure 2 and Jango, Dibiye and other suspected Boko Haram terrorists hideouts within the general area of the district. Usman further said three soldiers however, sustained injuries as a result of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and were immediately evacuated for medical treatment but are in stable condition at the moment. He also said during the operation, troops killed several terrorists and recovered two hand held Motorola radios one of which was booby-trapped, materials for Improvised Explosive making Devices and destroyed several grains storage facilities. According to DAPR, another combined team of units under 26 Task Force

Brigade based in Gwoza simultaneously on same day cleared Amdaga Makaranta and Amdaga Madachi of remnants of Boko Haram terrorists. Two Boko Haram terrorists fighters were killed in the course of the encounter. According to the statement “General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Brigadier General Victor Okwudili Ezugwu, prior to the clearance operation, said Dure 1 and 2 were Boko Haram strong holds in the mainland of Sambisa forest. The operation further revealed the new and desperate strategy of Boko Haram terrorists; hiding their logistics especially grains for the rainy season in dugouts and the use of hand held radios primed with Improvised Explosive Devices as booby-traps. “He assured that the Nigerian military is confident that God that gives victory is helping the military to decode and frustrate all terrorists’ evil plans and machinations. General Ezugwu further noted that it is the military’s determined objective to ensure that the menace of Boko Haram would be consigned to the dustbin of inglorious history in the annals of Nigeria’s corporate existence as a nation”. It is imperative to state that we shall not rest on our oars in implementing the directives of our indefatigable Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai to ensure that Boko Haram terrorists are completely defeated and their remnants are cleared wherever they may be hibernating.

Chief of Nevy Staff, Vice -Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas

Navy foils hijack of merchant ships, recues 25 foreigners

he Nigerian Navy has foiled an attempt by suspected sea pirates to hijack and abduct 25 foreign nationals aboard a Maersk merchant ship carrying general cargo to Nigeria. Briefing journalists on Sunday at Onne Sea Port, Rivers, Olusegun Soyemi, the Executive Officer of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, said the vessel berth safely with the rescued crew members unharmed. Mr. Soyemi said the crew members, including the ship’s captain, were of mixed nationalities consisting of eight Philippines, eight South Africans, five Indians, two Britons and two from Thailand. According to him, Safmarine Kuramo, a Maersk merchant ship registered in Singapore, was transporting general cargo from Port-Noire, Congo, to Onne Sea Port in Rivers. “On Jan. 5 at about 08:00 hours; Safmarine Kuramo was attacked by sea pirates about 60 nautical miles off the coast of Bonny Island (in Rivers) Fairway Bouy. “We got mid-day distress call that the ship was boarded by unconfirmed number of sea pirates after entering the nation’s territorial waters. “We immediately dispatched a warship (NNS Centenary) and attack gunboats led by Navy Capt. Chiedozie Okehie of the Eastern Naval Command to rescue the situation. “The sea pirates apparently on sighting advancing naval troops fled the scene for fear of being arrested by our operatives. “The operation was largely successful as all 25 foreign crew members, including the captain, are safe and unhurt, while cargo onboard the ship is intact,” he said.

Mr. Soyemi,a Navy Captain, said the pirates had fired several gunshots at the ships control room apparently to scare and subdue any resistance from the captain and crew members. Also, the Commanding Officer of NNS Centenary, Chiedozie Okehie, who led the operation, said the crew members locked and hid themselves in the ship’s citadel (engine room). He said the rescue was successful partly due to the courage and bravery exhibited by the ship’s captain – a woman. According to him, in spite all odds, she covertly gave navy operatives briefs while pirates on board the ship made several attempt to break into the citadel. `”Immediately we got to the ship, we carried out thorough searches of the compartments and cabins to check if any pirate had remained onboard. “Investigations are ongoing to ascertain what happened and who carried out the attack,” he assured. Mr. Okehie said the navy under the command of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas remained fully committed to safety of the nation’s waterways and maritime environment. Speaking, the Captain of Safmarine Kuramo, Zetta Gous-Conradie, a South African, described the experience as horrific. Ms. Gous-Conradie hailed the Nigerian Navy for its prompt response to her distress call. “We are very grateful when the navy came onboard because at some point we had thought the pirates would take us hostage. “The heat was stifling because the temperature was very hot at the citadel, and at some point my crew members and I had thought we would suffocate and die,” she said. (NAN)

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Agriculture Genetically modified cotton, cowpea to be available in Nigeria by 2018

Farmers Applying fertilizer on crops

Farmers urge Govt to distribute fertiliser via text messages

ome farmers in Hadejia, Jigawa have called on Jigawa government to distribute fertilisers using the Short Message Service (SMS), to guard against diversion of the commodities. A cross section of the farmers made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Hadejia. NAN recalls that the state government had announced plans to distribute about 5, 000 metric tons of assorted fertilisers to farmer for dry season farming. Malam Hadi Aina, a farmer, said the call was imperative to ensure that the commodity got to the genuine

farmers. Aina alleged that they did not receive fertilisers and other inputs distributed by the government during the past rainy season due to diversion of the commodity. He noted that distribution of the commodity through committees was making it difficult for genuine farmers to benefit from the exercise. The farmer lamented that they were sourcing the commodity at exorbitant prices in the open market, a trend which affected productivity. “It is desirable to distribute fertilisers and inputs direct to the farmers to guard against diversion. “Government should adopt similar

method applied under the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme, to distribute fertilisers through individual’s phone number. “Under GES programme, farmers have access to fertilisers and inputs without difficulties. “We call for application of the same methods in the distribution exercise,” he said. Alhaji Ahmad Gambo, another farmer, commended the state government over the distribution of fertilisers to farmers. Gambo said that the gesture would end scarcity and encourage agricultural activity in the state. NAN reports, however, that the

Federal Government had so far distributed 1, 000 bags of improved seeds to farmers for dry season activity in the state. Other implements distributed include 130 water pumps; 50 grain thrashers and 250 knap sack sprayers. The items were distributed at subsidised rate under the wheat and rice cultivation scheme initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari. According to statistics by the Jigawa chapter of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), over 150, 000 irrigation farmers were registered under the GES scheme in the state. (NAN)

Nigeria can compete with the rest of the world in rice production – JICA Rep

r Nakamura Hirotaka, Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), says Nigeria with its rich environment, has potential to compete with other countries of the world in rice production. Hirotaka made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja. He stressed the importance of Rice Post-Harvest and Marketing Pilot Project (RIPMAPP) technology in boosting rice production in the country. NAN reports that JICA, in collaboration with the Federal

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) recently concluded a workshop on RIPMAPP technology to upgrade the knowledge of local farmers in rice production. According to the JICA official, the post-harvest system consists of a set of operations which cover the period from harvest through to consumption. He stated further that an efficient post-harvest system was necessary to minimise losses and maintain the quality of the crop until it reaches the final consumer. ‘’When food losses are minimised, both food security and income increase, and this is of vital

importance for small and medium farmers, particularly in developing countries.’’ Hirotaka said as Nigeria continued in its rice self sufficiency plan, RIPMAPP technology, under its integrated rice farming project has unveiled techniques to increase local farmers’ prospect and strategist of other developed societies. ‘’What the workshop has done is enormous, and it is my belief that if FMARD will continue to put the local farmers through with the emergence of this technology, there will be great harvest in rice production. ‘’In addition, the country will

compete favourably with other agriculturally developed countries of the world in rice production, following its rich environment. ‘’In few years time, Nigeria will be able to bridge the demand and supply gap with the pursuit in its self-sufficiency in rice production, ‘’ he said. According to him, rice production through adopting RIPMAPP technology, will drastically reduce foreign exchange spending on rice importation. Hirotaka, however, reiterated JICA’s commitment to assist Nigeria in ensuring that the country sustains the RIPMAPP technology to boost rice production. (NAN)

he National Bio-Safety Management Agency (NBMA) says genetically modified cotton and cowpea will be made available in the Nigerian markets as from 2018. The Director-General of the agency, Mr Rufus Ebegba, gave this indication at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja. He said that the agency would ensure their safety before the release of the cotton and cowpea currently undergoing ``confined field trials”. ``Federal Government will not release any genetically modified organism that is not good for Nigerians. ``Before any Genetically Modified Organism is either produced within this country or imported into Nigeria, we must sieve then, it must pass through the safety valve to make sure it passes through our checks, risk assessment will be carried out and we will analyse it. ``We already have a Genetically Modified Organism laboratory for detection and analysis. ``We will test and see that whatever you have claimed that you have put in that organism does not have any adverse impact on the environment. ``We shall also ensure that these Genetically Modified Organisms are substantially equivalent to the conventional one. ``So, Nigerians should rest assured that the agency is well prepared. ``The one that may likely be released in 2018 is that of the cotton; cowpea may likely be 2020.’’ According to Ebegba, the agency is profiling other imported Genetically Modified Organism suspects and surveying them to ensure they were safe for human consumption and the Nigeria environment. He explained that modern biotechnology is a science of moving a trait, inheritance of an organism into another one so that the organism will behave in that manner. The director-general said by adopting this technology the agency had the responsibility to ensure safety in the Nigerian environment and human health. ``The NBMA was established to strengthen government’s position under a legal framework by using the tool of biotechnology to enhance Nigerian economy. ``Bio- safety Management Agency is the safety guard that the government has adopted to ensure that the practice of biotechnology is safe,’’. Ebegba said it had begun to sanction institutions, companies and agencies involved in biotechnology that were yet to formalise its dealings with the agency. The director-general said that offenders were liable to five-year imprisonment or fine of N2.5 million in accordance with the Act establishing the agency. He, however, said the agency would soon embark on sensitisation of farmers and the public to the safety of biotechnology. (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Agriculture Economic diversification: Kebbi govt set to back farmers From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

overnor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State has reiterated his immeasurable support for the farmers in the state in order to ensure food security in line with the federal government’s initiative. Speaking at an NUJ’s meeting which was attended by Journalists from across the seven States of the North /West, the Governor noted that Nigeria’s land mass is not enough for farming as widely believed. He said “we do not have the land. We are only imagining that we have land” According to him, most Nigeria’s land is threatened by either desertification or erosion. He also said that, Kebbi which is one of the leading states in Rice production in Nigeria is being threatened by desertification which reduces it’s land mass. The Governor further expressed his passion about ensuring realisable value for smallholder farmers. His words, “My desire is for the federal government to create enabling environment for farmers, by making it so attractive to them, “more technical methods of agriculture are not known to farmers, modern method of planting, including spacing are not known to farmers and you don’t have the luxury of farming the way you are used to, if you need higher yields” He explained. The Governor further urged farmers to exercise patience as his government is committed to helping out, especially by mobilising for soft facilities for them. He said, “though government does not have enough to satisfy all your needs, we shall get in touch with financial institutions that would partner with us in that direction and as such in the next few years the state aims at millions of metric tonnes of rice per annum.” Presenting a paper at the event which was titled “Revitalising Agriculture As a tool for Economic Growth” an Agric don, Professor Lawali Abubakar, who spoke on the need to revitalise the agricultural sector, said that the instability in international crude oil market, as well as local political realignments within the country has necessitated for diversification of the economy. He added that it was best for government to move from solely depending on a mono economy to having additional sources of income. “Agriculture in addition to solid minerals are two critical sectors been viewed for improvement, so that nation can actually express its full potential in this respect” he added

Corns Affected by Genetically Modified Organisms

New GMO Controversy: Are the Herbicides Dangerous? By Rachael Rettner

lthough genetically modified organisms (GMOs) don’t appear by themselves to have ill effects on human health, the herbicides used on these crops could be an overlooked health threat, some researchers say in a controversial new opinion piece. People have been manipulating genes in plants for centuries, but arguing that this means GMOs are safe “misses the point that GM crops are now the agricultural products most heavily treated with herbicides, and that two of these herbicides may pose risks of cancer,” Dr. Philip Landrigan, a professor of preventive medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, and Charles Benbrook, a crop and soil scientist at Washington State University, wrote in an opinion article published in the Aug. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Most of the corn and soybeans grown in the United States are genetically engineered. This means that products made from these crops are also GM foods, everything from soda to tofu. Many of today’s GM crops have been engineered to be resistant to weed killers, and this has led to an overreliance on these chemicals, Landriganand Benbrooksaid. The authors argued that because some studies have linked cancer risk to the herbicides used on GM crops — in particular, a widely used herbicide called glyphosate (sold under the brand name Roundup) — the United States should reconsider creating labeling requirements for GM foods. Labeling is essential for

“assessing effects of chemical herbicides applied to GM crops,” the two researchers wrote. However, other experts disagreed with the opinion and said that the majority of studies have failed to find a link between glyphosate and cancer, and that this herbicide is much safer than chemicals used on crops in the past. “The whole [NEJM] article is dubious,” said Kent Bradford, a professor of plant science at the University of California, Davis. Bradford noted that one of the authors of the new article (Benbrook) has received funding from and served on the board of the Organic Center, a nonprofit organization that says it brings together “evidence-based science on the health and environmental benefits of organic food and farming.” Landrigan and Benbrook wrote that the emergence of weeds that are resistant to herbicides led farmers to increase their use of these chemicals on crops. And in 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the use of a new weed killer called Enlist Duo. This chemical contains glyphosate as well as an herbicide called 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), a component of Agent Orange used in the Vietnam War. (A different component of Agent Orange, called dioxin, has already been linked to cancer.) [7 Medical Myths Even Doctors Believe] The EPA estimates that the approval of Enlist Duo will result in a 3- to 7-fold increase in the use of 2,4-D in the United States, according to the NEJM article. Landrigan and Benbrook argue that this approval was based on flawed studies, which were

commissioned by the manufacturer and did not examine whether the substance could have effects on people’s hormones, or the regulation of human genes. In addition, earlier this year, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as a “probable human carcinogen” and 2,4-D as a “possible human carcinogen,” the NEJM article says. This decision on glyphosate was based mostly on research done in animals, with studies finding links between glyphosate and tumors in rodents. Some studies have also suggested that people who work with glyphosate may be at higher risk for nonHodgkin lymphoma. The decision on 2,4-D was based mostly on studies done in lab dishes and in animals; this research found that 2,4-D could cause oxidative stress, which is thought to increase cancer risk by damaging DNA. “These developments suggest that GM foods and the herbicides applied to them may pose hazards to human health that were not examined in previous assessments,” Landrigana nd Benbrook said. However, Bradford said that most review studies, including studies from the European Union and the U.S. EPA, have concluded that glyphosatedoes not pose a risk of cancer. “Glyphosate is well known to be a very nontoxic compound,” Bradford said. Bradford also noted that herbicides are used on all crops, not just those that are genetically modified. For example, 2,4-D is used on U.S. wheat crops, which are not genetically modified, he said.What’s more, studies from

the U.S. Department of Agriculture have found that herbicides that were used in the past were up to 16 times more damaging to the environment than is glyphosate, Bradford said. “We should be happy that we were able to move to a much less environmentally impacting herbicide,” he said. Margaret Smith, a professor of plant breeding and genetics at Cornell University in New York state, said she agreed with the authors of the NEJM article that use of GM crops resistant to herbicides, and use of glyphosate, have gone up in recent years. “There’s no question” that there’s been an increase in these factors, Smith said. But Smith also said that glyphosate has a relatively benign impact on the environment, and that its use replaced more environmentally hazardous products. In addition, the increased use of herbicides on GM crops has meant that farmers don’t need to plow their fields as often as a means of killing weeds. This reduction in plowing has environmental benefits, because plowing increases soil erosion and runoff, Smith said. However, the downside of herbicide use on GM crops is that when agriculturalists use the same pest management tactic for years, they start to see pests (such as weeds) that are resistant. “As the use of Roundup has become broader and more c ommon, w e no w s e e more evolution of weeds that are less susceptible to it,” Smith said. “That’s a very predictable thing.” The authors wrote that they believe that the EPA should delay the implementation of Enlist Duo until more independent

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Feature

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

The village of 14, 000 where only 18 people remain and the pickled cabbage and potato cakes and omelettes. But the couple looked reduced to me, more careworn. Nothing at all had changed for the better in Pisky. The peace agreement between the rebels and the government simply ensured that the front lines stayed where they were. But so too did the two million displaced. And so did Anatoly and Svetlana. He complained about the failure of the politicians. Svetlana chipped in that perhaps they would find a solution. But neither of them had much faith in that happening. I worry for them in that place. But they will not leave. In a few months it will be their golden wedding anniversary - 50 years together. They invited me to the celebrations. I promised I would be there. Having met the uprooted who live on the charity of others, or crowded into the flats of relatives, in the safer areas of the east, I understood what kept Anatoly and Svetlana in Pisky. They were each of them 70 years of age and had lived here all of their adult lives. Home was this: the place where the stove kept them warm when the temperatures dived at night; the place where the garden would blossom in a couple of months, and where Anatoly would step out each each summer morning to walk past his vines and the chicken coop to the hives where his bees would be working... and where, in the evening, he and Svetlana would listen to music on the radio as they had done through the long years of their married life. It was about the survival in their lives of the idea of belonging, to a place and to each other. Source: BBC

The ruins of a house in Pisky

t’s a year since an agreement was signed in Minsk that was supposed to end the fighting in eastern Ukraine. But the fighting continues - and civilians continue to suffer. The BBC’s Fergal Keane went back to the village of Pisky to talk to a couple determined to stay in their home, come what may. I woke to the snowy fields. Drifts rose on either side of the track. We had been moving east since dawn. The bridges were blown, the land braided with tank traps and mines. Nowadays it is easiest to travel by train to the front lines of east Ukraine. My journey back to Pisky took place in deep winter. But I will always remember the steppe in the last days before the escalation of war when we stopped once to admire the ripening corn and sunflowers and workers moved along the furrows, a murmuring progress through the heat of the afternoon. Now the war is two years old. It is hunched in the trenches of the land between the Dnieper and the Sea of Azov. It squats in basements and crumbling apartment blocks, and stamps its feet in food queues on snowbound mornings. At Kramatorsk - where I once saw rebels pledge to fight to the death - we disembarked with soldiers from the government army which now holds the town, and we continued by road. Soon the traffic thinned out and then vanished. We entered a zone of emptiness. At Karlivka below the gleaming dome of the Church of the Holy Epiphany, the reservoir was frozen solid. A handful of men were fishing on the ice, hunched above small holes; they heard, but were by now indifferent, to the rumble of fighting another five kilometres up the road at Pisky. The old route into Pisky, across the rough track that led directly to the home of Anatoly and Svetlana, my friend the beekeeper and his wife, has now been mined by the Ukrainians. To reach the

couple we were forced down unfamiliar lanes past rows of abandoned and destroyed houses. Pisky is trapped in a dystopian nightmare. There are 18 people left from a pre-war population of 4,000. The remaining residents are marooned inside concentric circles of devastation. The able bodied are gone. Only the old and sick remain. The wind blew snow into our faces. This is the “wind from the age of stone”, so vividly named by the poet Anna Akhmatova. It carried with it the mutter of guns from the ruined factory at the far end of the lane. The fighting is about 700m away. It goes on intermittently, half-heartedly, a series of reflexive gestures from cold and bored men. • From Our Own Correspondent provides insight and analysis from BBC journalists, correspondents and writers from around the world • Listen on iPlayer, get the podcast or listen on the BBC World Service or on Radio 4 on Thursdays at 11:00 and Saturdays at 11:30 I first came last May when Anatoly was busy with his bee hives and Svetlana brought baskets of vegetables from the garden for our supper. They hosted us generously. They spoke of better lives in the years before the war, and they sat outside with us watching the tracer bullets arc across the sky like a shower of malign stars. When Svetlana opened the door and saw us huddled outside she cried out a joyous welcome and came forward to embrace me and then Daryna, my guide in the world of the east. She bundled us into the warmth of her sitting room. Anatoly came in and his laughter banished all thoughts of the guns stuttering at the other end of Pisky. Their generosity was unchanged: out came the honey from their winter stores

Anatoly and Svetlana’s neighbour, Sonya Tolmachova

“

Now the war is two years old. It is hunched in the trenches of the land between the Dnieper and the Sea of Azov. It squats in basements and crumbling apartment blocks, and stamps its feet in food queues on snowbound mornings.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

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A middle age man selling tomatoes pest at Karu market.

Owners of properties with overgrown grasses to face sanctions – Bello warns By Stanley Onyekwere

isturbed by the increasing number of properties taken over by overgrown grasses, shrubs and weeds in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister of the FCT, Muhammad Musa Bello has said Administration has begun the process of penalizing owners of such properties. Bello, who dropped this hint while inspecting the Abuja city centre, observed that many

of the properties around the Idu industrial layout looked very untidy and unkempt as brown grasses which apparently have been there since the last raining are still visible within the compounds and outside the perimeter fence. The Minister, who was visibly angry at the poor sanitary condition of many houses around the city especially in the highbrow areas, observed that many of the private properties including factories were looking very bushy in spite of the huge investments

made by the owners in the buildings. “Obviously some of us expect government to do everything for them including the cutting of grasses around their homes and businesses and I think this is very unfortunate. “This situation has made the whole city look like a jungle”, the Minister was quoted in a statement signed by his Special Assistant (Media), Abubakar Sani. To this end, the Minister directed the Abuja Environmental

Protection Board (AEPB) to ensure strict compliance with the environmental laws and penalize property owners who failed to adhere to the laid down rules in maintaining a clean environment. Bello also warned all those fond of dumping construction wastes within neighborhoods and drainages to desist forthwith or face the full wrath of the law, lamenting that such wastes which now litter several parts of the city constitute environmental nuisance and would not be condoned.

The Minister inspected the Gosa solid waste dump site, Wupa liquid waste plant as well as the Mpape solid waste transfer station to assess their functionality. Furthermore, in order to ensure proper waste management and maximize the use of the Gosa solid waste dump site, the Minster directed the AEPB to liaise with relevant stakeholders and friends of the FCT to open up the site so as to take in more waste and improve the turnaround time for waste contractors.

Police arraign man over alleged cheating

he Police have arraigned a 63-year-old man, Aniefiok Bassey, before a Kado Grade 1 Area Court, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), for alleged breach of trust and cheating. However, Bassey, who resides in Mpape, FCT, pleaded not guilty to the all the charges leveled against him. The Prosecutor, Judith

Obatomi, told the court that one Nsuka Sunday of Area A, Nyanya, Abuja, reported the matter at Utako Police Station on February 2. Obatomi said that the complainant lost his father, named Sunday Akpan, who before his demise was a Staff of the FCTA. According to her, the deceased family trusted the defendant to

obtain a letter of administration from the court in his name to enable them process the death benefits which he did. She further said that after receiving the letter of administration, the defendant took it to Unity Bank where the salary of the deceased was domiciled and N436, 000 was paid to him.

Obatomi said that the defendant converted the money to his personal use without the consent of the family. She added that the defendant was also seen with a letter to the court asking to pay the benefit of the deceased into his personal account. The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 312 and 322

of the Penal Code respectively. The judge, Malam Abubakar Sadiq, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N100, 000 and a surety in like sum. Sadiq said that the surety must be a civil servant on grade level seven, and adjourned the matter till April 7 for continuation hearing. (NAN)

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Photo Splash

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Two young men eating corn with relish yesterday at Jabi, in Abuja.

Traffic wardens inspecting vehiclesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; particulars, yesterday at Area 3, in Abuja.

Menial workers taking ride behind a truck, yesterday at Area 8, in Abuja.

A pick-up van loaded with scraps, yesterday at Utako, in Abuja.

A middle-aged man pushing a cart to eke out living, yesterday at Utako, in Abuja. Photos: Justin Imo-owo

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

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Metro

Traders hawking their wares, yesterday at Area 1 Motor Park, in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-owo

FCTA vows to drag insurance firms to anti-graft agencies Stories by Stanley Onyekwere

he Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has threatened to drag some insurance firms involved in its Group Life Assurance Scheme to the anti-graft agencies for failing to settle indemnity claims to the several affected staff that are now deceased. Permanent Secretary, FCTA, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye, who issued this threat while meeting with representatives of the nine insurance companies involved in the scheme in his office, in Garki I District, Abuja, described their attitude as callous and insensitive. The Permanent Secretary

lamented that these insurance firms that have refused to pay claims from 2007 to date are deliberately frustrating the implementation of this laudable policy. “We made this policy so that we can take care of those they left behind and if we could bring you in as our partners to implement this scheme and then you default in your own area, year after year, for us to be having unpaid claims from 2007 till date, is seriously unacceptable”. “When I received brief on this issue I felt very unhappy. I felt very bad. If there is anything I don’t play with wherever I go, it is staff welfare, especially the welfare of those who are

so unfortunate to depart from us”, Ajakaiye was quoted in a statement from Deputy Director, FCTA Media and Communications, Muhammad Sule. Ajakaiye reiterated that if this is the only thing that he will achieve during his period as a Permanent Secretary in FCT, he would take it to the highest level because it is people’s money and the money must get to the individual families that are supposed to benefit from the money today to change their lives. The Permanent Secretary therefore gave 30 days deadline to the firms to pay the deceased families or face the full wrath of the law because the era of

impunity is gone forever. Ajakaiye noted that he would go to any length to ensure that these claims are paid; adding “the present crop of leadership in the FCTA places high premium on staff welfare and would not tolerate crass lawlessness and misdemeanor from any insurance company.” “We won’t allow you to continue to do whatever you like with this money. This money is already with you and the Administration does not owe you. “If this (payment) is not done within the stipulated period, we will write to Mr. President on this matter and be assured that the security agencies including the anti-graft bodies will treat this as

economic sabotage,” he insisted. The statement explained that the insurance claims which run into several hundreds of millions of Naira have been pending since 2007; a development that has kept the next of kin of the deceased in financial and emotional jeopardy even when the FCTA had long paid the insurance firms their deductible premiums. It added that some of the companies involved in the FCT Group Life Assurance scheme include Leadway Assurance, Standard Alliance, Crystal Life, Capital Express, Zenith General Insurance, Intercontinental Life Assurance Company, Wapic Life Assurance, Oceanic Life, Lasco and Goldlink.

Bello condoles with Buhari over Ocholi’s demise

CT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello has condoled with President Muhammadu Buhari over the death of the Minister of State for Labour, James Ocholi. The Minister yesterday in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Abubakar

Sani, said he received with shock and deep sense of loss, the news of the Minister’s death adding that more saddening was the fact that he died along with his wife and son in the fatal car crash which occurred along the Abuja – Kaduna road on Sunday.

Bello described Ocholi as an exceptional team player and a loyalist to the core, stressing that his commitment to President Muhammadu Buhari’s change agenda was unwavering and he remained passionate about it until his last breath. The Minister appealed to

the President to take solace in the fact that Ocholi died while working assiduously to actualize his dream of a better Nigeria championed by this administration. The Minister lamented that Nigeria and indeed all Nigerians will miss the late Minister’s

contributions to national development which he has demonstrated during his short but memorable stay in office. Bello urged the people of Kogi state to accept Ocholi’s demise as destined by God Almighty and prayed that his soul will rest in perfect.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Money Sense Five high-growth, high-paying careers

hese $75K+ careers are projected to experience rapid growth from 2012 to

2022. Thinking about pursuing a new career, but not sure where to start? Following your heart has its rewards, but going after jobs with high growth and pay potential may prove the wiser choice if you’re looking to pay the bills. To help you sift through all the options, we looked through the U.S. Department of Labour data to identify some career paths that are projected to grow by at least 16 percent through 2022 and have a median salary of at least $75,000 per year. Career 1: Information security analyst 37 percent If you have excellent analytical and problem solving skills and are a stickler for detail, you might be cut out for a career as an information security analyst. According to the U.S. Department of Labour, these folks carry out security measures to protect an organization’s computer networks and systems from hackers and other cyberattacks. Why they’re in-demand: The increasing frequency and sophistication of cyber-attacks have made it necessary for companies to seek protection, according to the Department of Labour. You’ve seen the headlines about hackers getting the personal data of online shoppers at Target. “Employers are seeing the implications from what happens in the news, and their own IT people are telling them about how easy it is to break in

(to a computer system),” says Leto Papadopoulos, director of training and development for King & Bishop, a talent acquisition and human resources firm, in Waltham, Mass. How to prepare: Most information security analysts have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, programming, or other related field, according to the Department. Sometimes, employers prefer applicants who have a master’s in business administration (MBA) in information systems. There are also a number of certifications that information security analysts could earn which many employers want job candidates to have, according to the Department. Career 2: Civil Engineer 20 percent Those with strong leadership and decision-making abilities and a firm grasp of mathematics may be a good fit for civil engineering. Designing and supervising large construction projects for infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and sewage treatment systems, are among the responsibilities of civil engineers, according to the U.S. Department of Labour. Why they’re in-demand: Civil engineers are in demand for a variety of reasons, depending on the specialty, writes Erin Bushnell, SPHR, director of human resources at Pennoni Associates Inc., an engineering and design consulting firm based in Philadelphia, Pa. Among the top reasons is the need for improvements in the United States. “For example, transportation engineers are highly sought after due to an increase in funding in

many states,” Bushnell says. “We have an aging infrastructure and engineers are critical to making those much needed major improvements.” How to prepare: Civil engineers need to have a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or one of its specialties, according to the Department of Labour. To work as a professional engineer, one must be licensed, which means their degree must be from an ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) accredited program. Career 3: Medical and health services manager 23 percent Analytical, technical, and problem-solving skills are as critical as the abilities to communicate and interact well with others for success as a medical and health services manager. If that sounds like it plays to your strong suit, then you might consider this role. Also known as a health care executive or administrator, these managers coordinate medical services either for an entire organization, such as a hospital, or a sector, according to the U.S. Department of Labour. They must also be able to adapt to evolving health care regulations and technologies. Why they’re in-demand: “Hospitals and doctors need someone to stay on top of the changes both in the law and technology, such as electronic records,” says Papadopoulos. “They need someone to move them into the new century.” How to prepare: Requirements for this type of position vary by facility, according to the Department of Labour.

Prospective managers should have a bachelor’s degree in health administration. Master’s degrees in health services, public health, public administration, long-term care administration, or business administration are also common, according to the Department. Career 4: Software developer, systems 20 percent If you’re a creative type with strong analytical, communication, and problemsolving skills, you may be cut out for software development. According to the U.S. Department of Labour, systems developers design computer programs, like the ones that allow you to do a specific task or run a device or network. Why they’re in-demand: It makes sense that in an age when just about everyone has a smartphone and computer, this occupation is projected to experience high-growth. “There’s a big grab for talent because of the speed of change in the field and the level of skill required,” says Papadopoulos. How to prepare: The Department of Labour states that software developers usually earn a bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field, though some employers might prefer a master’s degree. They must be skilled at programming and understanding new tools and computer languages. The Department tells us that developers will also be expected to have knowledge of the industry in which they work. For example, one who develops bank software programs should have at least a basic understanding of finance.

Career 5: Financial analyst 16 percent Are you good with numbers and a great communicator, someone who is decisive and detail-oriented? Then you might be a match for a career in the financial industry. According to the U.S. Department of Labour, financial analysts study the performance of stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments to help individuals and businesses assess potential and current investments. Why they’re in-demand: Employers are looking for those who understand changing regulations, which are designed to prevent the type of crisis that happened in 2008 from recurring, says Greg Menzone, executive manager of the financial division of Professional Staffing Group in Boston, Mass. Organizations, in particular, want people who can help them be as lean as possible but still have the necessary resources for growth, says Menzone. “Companies want to hire the best of the best among financial analysts, so they can stay nimble and get ahead of the game,” he adds. “They’re demanding analysts who can give them a crystal ball to prepare for 2014, 2015, 2016, and beyond.” How to prepare: Most of these professionals must have a bachelor’s degree. However, different fields of study could provide appropriate preparation for this position, including accounting, finance, engineering, economics, statistics, or math, according to the Department of Labour. www. usdepartmentoflabour.com

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world news Spotlight: Global media pay high attention

international_peoplesdailyng@yahoo.com

to China’s economic policy making analysis

ews media of both the host country and the rest of the world have paid close attention to China’s new economic policy making, as Beijing is holding the 12-day annual sessions of the national legislature and the top advisory body. Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged Shanghai to aim at the world’s most advanced technology, shifting his focus from last year’s stabilization of the general situation for comprehensive reform and opening up to calling for efforts to make breakthrough in core innovative technology, the Singaporebased Lianhe Zaobao reported. Premier Li Keqiang announced a growth target of 6.5 to 7 percent in his Government Work Report to the session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) -- the national legislature -- on Beijing’s plans for the year at the opening NPC session. That was down from last year’s “about 7 percent” and reflects the Communist Party’s marathon efforts to replace a worn-out model based on trade and investment with more self-sustaining growth driven by consumer spending, said reports of the Associated Press. The New York Times said that China’s introducing a band rather than a hard target is a step forward in the right direction. The Reuters news agency also saw China’s greater flexibility in macroeconomic management and guiding market expectations. Foreign media reports suggested that analysts believed achieving the economic growth target for 2016 is still a challenging task. The South China Morning Post, a Hong Kongbased English-language newspaper, reported Sunday that economists said it would be a “daunting task” to keep economic growth at above 6.5 percent. Meanwhile, The New York

Times on Saturday quoted Shen Jianguang, the Hong Kongbased chief Asia economist at Mizuho Security Asia, as saying that the 6.5 percent growth target is “very challenging.” “They want to choose a path that maintains real growth now and defers tough times for later,” Shen was quoted as saying. With regard to this year’s budget deficit, which was targeted at an amount equivalent to 3 percent of the gross domestic production (GDP), foreign media said it fell far lower than they had predicted. Acknowledging that the draft goal saw an increase from

last year’s 2.3 percent, Reuters said in a report Saturday that it “still disappointed some who had hoped for a number closer to 4 (percent).” Other media also paid attention to Premier Li’s announcement that China will for the first time ever replace business tax with value-added tax (VAT). A report by The Press Trust of India on Saturday said the move was “in a bid to streamline tax structures and reduce tax burden.” “This is a significant and positive development as China will have one of the most progressive VAT systems in the world,” it said, citing Lachlan Wolfers, head of indirect taxes

“

at the China office of KPMG, a professional service company that provides audit, tax and advisory services. In the Government Work Report, Premier Li said China aims to create at least 10 million new urban jobs and keep the registered urban unemployment rate within 4.5 percent this year. The report provides a blueprint of China’s aspirations for the next five years across a range of sectors and measures, Reuters said. It shows “Beijing trying to strike a balance between holding up growth and restructuring underperforming industries,” such as the so-called “zombie

According to the draft outline of the 13th FiveYear Plan on national economy and social development, the high-speed railway will be built between 2016 and 2020. It is the first time for an official document of China to mention the planned railway

firms,” Reuters added. “Zombie firms” are economically unviable businesses, usually in industries with severe overcapacity, kept alive only with aid from the government and banks. In his report, Li listed closing such companies as a priority for the government. Earlier, “the government flagged major job losses in key coal and steel industries,” said Reuters. Foreign media also paid attention to a planned highspeed railway linking Beijing and Hong Kong (Taipei). According to the draft outline of the 13th Five-Year Plan on national economy and social development, the highspeed railway will be built between 2016 and 2020. It is the first time for an official document of China to mention the planned railway, Lianhe Zaobao said. Also underway in Beijing alongside the NPC session is the 2016 annual session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) -- the top advisory body of China. Enditem

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News From Africa Hazardous trucking in DR Congo

Bomb blast strikes Somalia airport

he road terminus in Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is abuzz with activity. Traders throng around the only available transport, hoping to get a lift into the town of Bukama, 650km away, where they will sell their goods. Eugene, a truck driver, is one of the few truckers willing to risk the notorious road to Bukama. The bundles of goods are carefully positioned. To him, space is money. A driver has to be careful, an accident can happen any time. The slightest risk, the slightest lapse or distraction and bang… you’ll have an accident for sure The fees are based on the bulk of the goods and their weight. And it is non-negotiable. “The road is really bad, that’s why my transportation [fees] are so high. I need to make some money, so with any heavy bundle I charge 15 or 20,000 francs,” Eugene says. “I need the money to buy another truck. The vehicles last for maybe three, four or five years. But it could break down in a month, or a year or two, you never know.” The road to Bukama is merciless and takes a heavy toll on the trucks. Many have clocked more than a million kilometres. Eugene’s truck is relatively new. It has only notched up 700,000km.

Somalia’s military and AU forces have battled the armed group al-Shabab for years [Feisal Omar/Reuters]

ix people were wounded when a bomb planted inside a notebook computer exploded at an airport in Somalia on Monday, the second such attack in recent weeks targeting civilian aviation in the country. The bomb detonated at a checkpoint in the small central town of Beledweyne, about 325km north of the capital Mogadishu, where last month a l - S h a b a b f ig h t e r s c l aime d responsibility for a blast that tore a gaping hole in a passenger plane shortly after takeoff. “A laptop computer went off at the screening area, and the security forces have also managed to defuse two other explosive devices, one of them

planted in a printer,” police Lieutenant-Colonel Ali Dhuh Abdi told reporters. “Six people were wounded, two of them policemen.” The blast on Monday took place where security screening is carried out before cargo and passenger luggage are loaded on to planes. The security checkpoint was manned by African Union troops from Djibouti, as well as Somali government security forces. No immediate claim of responsibility for the attack was made. On February 2, a blast punched a one-metre-sized hole in the side of an Airbus A321 about 15 minutes after it

had taken off from Mogadishu heading for Djibouti. The suspected bomber is believed to have died after being sucked out of the aircraft, which managed to turn around and land safely. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility saying the bomb targeted Western officials and Turkish NATO forces thought to be on the flight. The armed group - fighting to overthrow Somalia’s government and establish a state based on its interpretation of Islamic law - said the operation was “retribution for the crimes committed by the coalition of Western crusaders and their intelligence agencies against the Muslims of Somalia”.

Tunisia kills militants near Libya border

unisian security forces have killed 28 militants after they launched a cross-border raid from Libya, the government says. Fighting followed an attack on an army base and a police station in the eastern town of Ben Guerdane. Seven civilians and nine members of the security forces were also killed in the clashes, according to the government. There is concern in Tunisia about the threat from Islamist fighters based in Libya being able to cross the border. All entrances to the town have been shut and a dusk to dawn curfew has been imposed, the BBC’s Rana Jawad reports from the capital, Tunis. The border crossing at Ras Jdeir has also been closed. Last week, Tunisian forces killed five militants in the same area after they had entered Tunisia with the aim of carrying out “terrorist attacks”, Tunisia’s Prime Minister Habib Essid said on his Facebook page. Tunisia produces more people who go off to join jihadi groups in

Sinai: Reporting Egypt’s ‘War on Terror’

Tunisia has dug a trench along the border with Libya to help protect it from militants

Iraq, Syria or Libya, than any other country in the region. Now it is having to deal with the problem that officials have long been reluctant to admit to. Tunisia is becoming increasingly vulnerable to militant attacks, but counter-terrorism measures by the state are not limited to securing its

border crossing with Libya. The army has been engaged in battles with local militants in the Chaambi Mountains, along its south-eastern border with Algeria for over a year. Tunisian Islamist militants in Libya are now being targeted and may be trying to return to their home

country to carry out attacks there. Last year, two major attacks on popular tourist spots killed dozens of foreigners in the country. In March, 22 people died when the Bardo Museum in Tunis was targeted, and in June, 38 people were killed when a gunman opened fire on tourists on the beach in Sousse.

he last time Mohannad Sabry, an Egyptian journalist who has reported extensively from the Sinai Peninsula, reported from North Sinai in June 2015, he received a phone call from a source telling him that every military checkpoint east of el-Arish was stopping vehicles, with instructions to arrest him. “Does that make me, as a journalist, a terrorist in their eyes? Or as dangerous as a terrorist?” Sabry wondered. He left the area and has not returned. These checkpoints are part of Egypt’s security apparatus as the military battles an insurgency in the region. North Sinai is the main theatre of Egypt’s ongoing “war on terror” against Wilayat Sinai, considered the most potent branch of the Islamic State group outside of Syria, Iraq, or Libya. In his recently published book, Sabry suggests that the Egyptian military is more concerned with preventing information from coming out of Sinai than it is with tackling terrorism in the sparsely populated but strategic peninsula.

Porn ring behind Kenya Project X ‘sex party’

n international pornography ring was behind a controversial sex party that was planned for Saturday in Nairobi, Kenya’s film board has said. The party, called Project X, has attracted attention after a publicity poster was circulated, declaring “no one goes back home a virgin”. Film board head Ezekiel Mutua said the party was organised so people people could make pornographic films. The organisers have now cancelled the event following the social media storm. They blamed journalists for labelling it a sex party and called “some media houses... narrow minded”, according to a statement quoted in several reports. It adds that the party was supposed to be a place “where young adults can meet up, socialise and have a good time”. The raunchy publicity material showed half-naked women with the promise that it would be “one night to lose your mind”. The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) said there had been a rise of young people being blackmailed after being filmed having sex. At a press conference in the capital, Nairobi, Mr Mutua said the party had been cancelled following “immense public pressure” from “Kenyans of goodwill”, police and politicians.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Gunman shoots himself dead in Sydney factory siege

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Asia&Middle-east

Suicide attack hits Pakistan

gunman who engaged police in an hours-long standoff at a Sydney factory has shot himself dead, say authorities. His death came shortly after three people were seen leaving the building and entering a police vehicle. It has not been confirmed they were hostages. The gunman had opened fire at the industrial unit on Monday morning, killing a man and injuring two others. Police quickly surrounded the factory, located in the industrial suburb of Ingleburn in the city’s southwest. Authorities have named the gunman as Wayne Williams. His motives and relationship to those in the factory remain unclear, but the Sydney Morning Herald said Williams was a member of a motorcycle gang and that the man who was shot dead was connected to another motorcycle club. The two injured men were transported to Liverpool Hospital and were in a stable condition, staff told the BBC.

T A volunteer surveys the blood-soaked pavement after the deadly suicide attack in Charsadda [Mohammad Sajjad/AP]

t least 13 people were killed including two women and a child - in a suicide bombing in northwest Pakistan on Monday, described as a “revenge attack” by a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban. The bomber blew himself up outside a district court in the Shabqadar market area of Charsadda district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, police said. Police said 26 people were also wounded in the explosion - with six

in a critical condition. The blast took place about 30km from the region’s main city of Peshawar. Inspector Ali Jan Khan, from the Shabqadar police station, said the attacker was attempting to enter the court. “The suicide bomber was interrupted by two security personnel, which prompted him to blow himself up outside the court,” he told Al Jazeera. Asfandyar Khan, a hospital

worker, told Al Jazeera that two women and a female child were among the dead. Medical teams were dispatched to the scene, but the death toll is expected to rise, he said. A splinter group of the Tehreeke-Taliban claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing, saying it was a revenge attack for the recent execution of a former Pakistani commando who shot dead Punjab province’s governor in 2011.

North Korea threatens US and S Korea with nuclear strikes

orth Korea has threatened “indiscriminate” nuclear strikes on the US and South Korea as the two begin their largest ever military drills. The exercises, Key Resolve and Foal Eagle, are an annual event and always generate tension. The order for a “pre-emptive nuclear strike of justice” was made in a statement put out by Pyongyang. Such rhetoric is not uncommon, and experts doubt the North’s ability to put nuclear warheads on its missiles. North Korea says it sees the annual US-South Korean war games as a rehearsal for invasion. Last year, it threatened to turn Washington into a “sea of fire”. “We will launch an all-out offensive to decisively counter the US and its followers’ hysteric[al} nuclear war moves,” a newsreader on the state-run North Korean KRT news channel said of the latest exercises. Can South Korea defend itself? Dealing with the North: Carrots or sticks? How advanced is North Korea’s nuclear programme? Approximately 17,000 US forces are participating in the exercises, alongside around 300,000 South Korean troops - both significant increases on 2015’s numbers. Despite starting on the same

Arrests after India woman jumps from balcony to escape rape hree men have been arrested after a woman jumped from a twostorey house in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata (Calcutta) to escape rape, police said. The woman attended a party at the house, where the three men allegedly attempted to rape her after spiking her drink, reports said. She was rescued by neighbours after jumping, and is recovering from a head injury in hospital. Police told BBC Hindi that one of the men arrested was the woman’s boyfriend. The woman had not yet registered a complaint, police said. Indian media reported that the men had been charged with molestation and would be produced in courts later on Monday.

Pakistan bomb: Fourteen killed in Qadri ‘revenge’ attack

Significantly more US and South Korean troops are taking part in this year’s joint exercises

day, Key Resolve is more computer simulation-driven and ends on 18 March, while Foal Eagle is more focussed on field exercises and runs until 30 April. The amphibious assault vessel USS Bonhomme Richard (right) and the USS Ashland leave the southeastern port of Busan, South Korea (07 March 2016)Image copyrightEPA Image caption The amphibious assault vessel USS Bonhomme Richard (right) and the USS Ashland are taking part

The South’s defence ministry has warned Pyongyang against any “rash act that brings destruction upon itself”. “If North Korea ignores our warning and makes provocations, our military will firmly and mercilessly respond to it,” said spokesman Moon Sang-gyun. Japan’s foreign minister also demanded that North Korea show restraint. Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter

to return or tab to continue. Media captionNorth Korean news said the US would be “held accountable” if a war started on the Korean peninsula “North Korea’s nuclear, and nuclear missile development is absolutely unacceptable. We will coordinate with the international community to demand that North Korea show restraint, and abide by the various resolutions including that of the six party talks,” said Fumio Kishida.

t least 14 people have been killed in a Pakistan bombing which militants say was in revenge for the execution of a policeman turned assassin. The suicide attack, at the entrance to a court in the north-western town of Shabqadar, wounded nearly 30 others, police told local media. Militants said it was to avenge the hanging last week of Mumtaz Qadri, who was seen by many as a religious hero. Qadri killed the governor of Punjab in 2011 for opposing blasphemy laws. Shabqadar is located on the border of the tribal district of Mohmand, which remains volatile years after the military said it had been cleared of militants. “The court and judges were our target as their practices are un-Islamic,” a spokesperson for Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group of Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), told Pakistan’s Express Tribune. Why did Pakistan keep hard-line mourners off air?

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

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Europe & Venezuela probes gold miners’ disappearance in Bolivar

Europe shuts its doors to Afghans

enezuelan officials are investigating the disappearance of up to 28 miners from the southern state of Bolivar. Their relatives said they did not return from work on Friday evening. They fear they may have been killed by a gang trying to take control of a wildcat mine near the town of Tumeremo. But the governor of Bolivar state said soldiers sent to the scene had found no evidence of a massacre. He accused local politicians of trying to stir up unrest in the remote region. Venezuela’s public prosecutor said two investigators had been sent to Tumeremo to investigate the incident. The missing worked at the Atenas gold mine. Reports of their disappearance first emerged on Saturday when worried relatives reported that their loved ones had not returned from work. The number of missing miners soon grew from two to 28. The families blocked a road in Tumeremo to demand the disappearance be investigated. With tempers running high at the roadblock, reports soon spread about a deadly stand-off at the mine. Local media quoted “eyewitnesses” who said the discovery of a significant gold deposit had pitched the miners against members of a gang who wanted to lay their hands on the lucrative find. The gang members allegedly opened fire on the miners and later forced the survivors to load the bodies onto a lorry. There are conflicting reports as to where the bodies were taken, with some locals saying they were driven further into the mine and others alleging they were dismembered and disposed of on land belonging to the gang leader. Bolivar Governor Francisco Rangel of the governing socialist PSUV party dismissed the reports as “rumours”. He tweeted [in Spanish] that “members of the security forces checked the site where ‘the massacre’ allegedly took place and found no indication or proof thereof”. He blamed “irresponsible politicians” for wanting to stir unrest. “There’s been no problem in Tumeremo, it’s totally irresponsible to claim things which are false,” he said. Opposition lawmaker Americo de Grazia accused Governor Rangel of trying to cover up the alleged massacre. He compared Mr Rangel to the governor of the Mexican state of Guerrero, where 43 students disappeared in September 2014. Venezuela’s National Assembly is due to discuss the miners’ disappearance on Tuesday in a plenary session.

Nancy Reagan death: President Obama leads tributes

Two Afghan children talk on the grounds of the defunct old Athens airport where they are being given temporary shelter [John Psaropoulos/Al Jazeera]

thens, Greece - Musawir Roshan doesn’t like long goodbyes. At two o’clock one morning about four months ago, he sneaked out of the house where he grew up in Kabul, leaving his father, seven brothers and one sister, the sibling dearest to him, undisturbed in their sleep. Only his mother realised he was gone. “My mother - she knew. That night when I moved out from my house, my mother came out on to the street at two o’clock and she cried and she held me,” says Roshan during a walk on a beach in Athens. Roshan left his native Afghanistan because the Taliban were threatening

to kill him. “The Taliban says music is not good, music is not in Islam. ‘If anybody is singing, we will kill him,’ [they say]. All music.” But Roshan was not targeted simply because he is a musician. His message is highly political. “Because women have problems in Afghanistan, I make a song, asking, ‘Why do the Taliban kill women? Why don’t women go to school?’” he says. “This concert made a big problem for me. The Taliban said, ‘Why did you make this song about women? Women cannot go to school.’” One night as he returned home, Roshan was accosted by a

stranger who lit a torch in his face, then inexplicably disappeared. In retrospect, he suspects it was the Taliban verifying his address. Shortly after, the Taliban killed his cousin, Emal. “He is not a singer, but he went with me everywhere; whenever I sang or had a shoot, he would come.” Emal was gunned down just yards from Roshan’s house. His body was riddled with 16 bullets. The next day, the Taliban posted a death threat on Roshan’s front door. Even then, Roshan dug in his heels. He neither left Afghanistan nor stopped singing, but the Taliban lay in wait for him at night as he walked home along the unlit street.

Migrant crisis: EU and Turkey hold ‘difficult’ summit

S President Barack Obama has led tributes to former First Lady Nancy Reagan, who has died at the age of 94. Mr Obama and his wife Michelle said they were “fortunate to benefit” from Mrs Reagan’s “proud example”. Mrs Reagan, who died of congestive heart failure in Los Angeles on Sunday, was also praised by other senior US politicians and foreign leaders. Her 52-year marriage to Ronald Reagan was once described as the US presidency’s greatest love affair. From 1981-89 she was one of the most influential first ladies in US history; initially criticised for an expensive renovation of the White House, but later becoming a much-loved figure. In a statement, the Obama family said: “Nancy Reagan once wrote that nothing could prepare you for living in the White House. She was right, of course. “But we had a head start, because we were fortunate to benefit from her proud example, and her warm and generous advice.

US and Brazil scientists team up for Zika fight

T Volunteers supply migrants with bread near the Idomeni crossing in northern Greece

uropean Union leaders are holding a crucial summit with Turkey on ways of dealing with Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War Two. The EU is pressing Turkey, through which many migrants transit, to take some back in return for $3.3bn in aid. The Brussels talks have been extended into a working dinner between the 28 EU leaders and Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu. Meanwhile Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the EU of failing to deliver on the

promised aid. “It’s been four months,” Mr Erdogan said in Ankara. “My prime minister is currently in Brussels. I hope he will return with the money.” Turkey is currently sheltering more than 2.5 million refugees from the civil war in neighbouring Syria. The EU wants Turkey to take back migrants who do not qualify for asylum and do more to patrol its own waters. In exchange for this, the Turkish government is reportedly asking for more EU money, a faster path to

towards EU membership, as well as speeding up plans to allow Turks visa-free travel in Europe. Last year, more than a million people entered the EU illegally by boat, mainly going from Turkey to Greece. Many migrants leave Greece in an attempt to reach northern Europe, but eight countries have introduced temporary border controls. Some 13,000 migrants are currently stranded in northern Greece, after Macedonia closed its border to all but a trickle.

here has been a steep rise in the number of babies born with malformations in areas in Brazil affected by the mosquito-borne Zika virus. There are more than 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly, inluding less than 700 confirmed ones. Going from home to home in Paraiba, in the country’s northeast, doctors from the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are working with Brazilian health officials to find a possible link between the virus and microcephaly in babies. “This is obviously something very important to know and we want to get the information out as soon as possible to be able to understand this, and create public health activities,” Dr Alexia Harrist, of the Centres for Disease Control, said. Whether linked to Zika or not, there are more babies now in need of special attention.

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world

Joy as twin boys joined at the stomach are successfully separated by surgeons using a 3D PRINT By KATE PICKLES

onjoined twin boys have been successfully separated after a remarkable twelve-hour operation using 3D printer technology. Medics in China separated five-month-old twins Yu Ce Yuan and Yu Ce Xiang - known as James and Harley - who were joined at the abdomen. They the technology to make models for a virtual operation, sending data from the twins CT and MRI examinations to a 3D printing company to build two models of the conjoined body parts. Parents Yu Dang and Zhou Li travelled, both 20, travelled more than 1,000 miles from their home in the rural, mountainous Guizhou province to Children’s Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai for treatment. Surgeons used the models to develop a plan for the operation, which involved separating the liver and pelvic bone before moving onto the intestines. A urology team then worked to place the babies’ bladders back inside their bodies before orthopaedic surgeons took over to reconstruct there pelvic cavities. Finally the surgeons fitted colostomies and closed all incisions before the boys were taken to intensive care. Mother, Zhou Li, said: ‘In the beginning there was nothing abnormal. It was only when I had the baby that I realised they were conjoined twins. ‘It was very painful and difficult. I felt like I was soon to die, like I couldn’t breathe and there was a lot of blood. ‘I never considered giving them up. I gave birth to these children, they’re my flesh and I wouldn’t give them to anyone else.’ Surgeon, Dr Zheng Shan, said it was an unusual case with about one in 30,000 being conjoined twins. He said the hospital - which was the first to use the 3D printing technology in China last summer had dealt with nine cases of conjoined twins. Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook But he said this was the most complicated case he’d dealt with and said further surgery would be needed. ‘The surgery is important for two people’s lives and their quality of life, urination, defecation and the bodily functions they will use in the future,’ he said. I never considered giving them up. I gave birth to these children, they’re my flesh and I wouldn’t give them to anyone else Zhou Li, 20

‘Their makeup is extremely complicated, they only have one anus, four urethra and four bladders - their structure is incredibly complicated. ‘Regarding protecting their lives, I’m positive. But to ensure two lives are intact, in terms of quality of life, normal functions like giving birth - I think that’s more difficult. ‘The surgical procedures will be long, perhaps the children will have to go two or three surgeries.’ The operation, on February 24, was made possible by the generosity of strangers around the world who donated more than £40,000 to cover its costs.. The couple, from one of the poorest areas of China, had been unable to afford scans before the birth of the twins and the delivery came as a shock to the family and doctors. In parts of China there is a high abandonment rate of children with birth defects, but the couple refused to give up on their babies. The new parents borrowed money to cover the twins’ initial medical expenses but were discharged after being unable to pay the operation fee. Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook The twins’ father spoke of his fears that he would have to choose between his babies’ lives. He said: ‘At the beginning we thought the surgical fee was too expensive, then we were scared we’d have to choose between one and the other. ‘Our hopes are that after the successful surgery their living conditions will be improved. ‘We are thankful towards each kind-hearted person’s help. We are very grateful for their support,’ said Yu Dang. The family were saved by Love Without Boundaries, a charity for orphaned and impoverished children, and after only a month of fundraising sufficient money had been raised. Last week the boys were taken off their ventilators and doctors are thrilled with their progress. Their mother said she hoped the twins would grow up to become doctors themselves. Amy Eldridge, chief executive officer for the charity said the worldwide support for this cause had been ‘truly humbling’. ‘As soon as we heard their story we pledged to help, but it only became possible because complete strangers gave from their hearts. ‘That’s love in action at its finest,’ she said. DailyMail on Facebook

One of the twins photographed after their operation at the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University. Doctors said both were doing well but would need further operations in the future.

Five-month-old twins Yu Ce Yuan and Yu Ce Xiang - known as James and Harley - were joined at the abdomen

James and Harley were born conjoined with this graphic demonstrating their structure before surgeons operated at the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai, China

Watching the biscuit while licking his lips, Finn then accidentally touches the snack with his tongue

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, MARCH 8, 2016

Page 40

Digest

How air pollution could harm your unborn baby By Lisa Ryan

xposure to high levels of air pollution can increase the risk of premature birth by 19 per cent, scientists have revealed. The risk is highest when exposure to small particle air pollution occurs during the third trimester of pregnancy, according to a new study. Preterm birth occurs before 37 weeks of pregnancy – and is the leading cause of infant death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mothers exposed to high levels of airborne particulate pollution have the highest preterm birth rates, concluded scientists from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati. Dr Emily DeFranco, physician-researcher and associate professor, said: ‘Although the risk increase is modest, the potential impact is robust, as all pregnant women are potentially at risk. ‘We estimate that decreasing the amount of particulate matter in the air below the [Environmental Protection Agency’s] standard threshold could

Exposure to small particle air pollution raises the risk of premature birth - the leading cause of infant death - by 19 per cent, according to a new study. Those toxin levels are highest in ‘very urban areas’ decrease preterm birth in women exposed to small levels by about 17 per cent.’ That ‘corresponds to a 2.22 per cent decrease in the preterm birth rate in the population as a whole,’ she

added. A previous study showed that exposure to high levels of particulate matter in the third trimester of pregnancy had a 42 per cent increased risk of stillbirth. In urban areas, diesel

exhaust particles comprise a substantial portion of particulate matter. The size of the particles is associated to their potential for health risks. Smaller particles are the most likely to be inhaled

Scientists examined birth records in Ohio and linked high levels of particulate pollution that are above the EPA standard to preterm births - finding that those exposed to high levels faced the largest risk

into the lungs – which leads to serious health problems, such as heart and pulmonary disease. The scientists examined birth records in Ohio between 2007 and 2010. The population had nearly 225,000 single live births – as opposed to multiple births. Of that group, over 19,000 were preterm. The scientists linked the birth records to an average daily measure of fine particulate matter of 2.5 microns or less in width. The particulate measurements were recorded by 27 EPA network air monitoring stations. Furthermore, 91 per cent of those preterm births occurred in ‘very urban areas’ – where exposure levels were likely to be the highest. The scientists determined mothers exposed to high levels of particulate pollution above the EPA standard had the highest risk of preterm birth. Also, mothers over age 40 or those who were black, had no prenatal care or with a lower education level also faced a high risk. Source: Dailymail.co.uk

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Sport 27 players hit Super Falcons camp in Abuja

Siasia goes tough, drops U-23 stars from Eagles By Albert Akota

Falcons star Asisat Oshoala (left) By Albert Akota

Omeruo proud to stop Eto’o in Turkey

Omeruo in Turkey

Usman Mohammed (left) dropped by Siasia

CAF: Oneya, Sanusi on duty as Nasarawa, others play on Sunday By Albert Akota

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Sport

Zidane backs Ronaldo against Bernabeu jeers

Dalung, others inspect facilities in Rio

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo

Casteels calls for attacking display against Gent

Wolfsburg goalkeeper Koen Casteels

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Solomon Dalung in Rio and others

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti

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Odunayo Adekuoroye By Albert Akota

Nigeria, Egypt remain in Division Two till 2018 at World Team Tourney

Richard Kilty

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Sport Victorious wrestling teams return home with trophies

Adekuoroye (R)

Hon Daniel Igali, President Nigeria Wrestling Federation

Athletes celebrating their gold medals

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