Thursday, October 15th, 2015 Edition

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Thursday, October 15, 2015/ Muharram 2, 1437 AH

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NNPC consumes Tribunal nullifies ex40% of money it Taraba acting gov, Danladi’s election generates-Kachikwu << pAGE 3 >>

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peoplesdailyng

Vol. 21 No. 38 N150

Islamic New Year begins today -Sultan

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Buhari’s cabinet

Senate confirms 18 as ministers page 2

l President withdraws Ibeto’s nomination R-L President Muhammadu Buhari being presented with his National Identity Card by the Director General –Chief Executive Officer National Identity Management Commission, Barrister Chris Onyememam and Managing Director, Corporate Commission, NIMC, Alhaji Abdul Hamid Umar during the presentation of National I.D.Card to the President at the State House Abuja yesterday

Photo Joe Oroye

Buhari gets Reps probe Jonathan’s sale national ID of power assets, N18bn rail contract card page 5

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548 Days after Will the abducted Chibok schoolgirls ever be rescued?

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, september 24, 2015

News CONTENTS News 2-11 Editorial 13 Op.Ed 14 Letters 15 Politics 15-18 Business Stockwatch

19-22 23

S/Report 24-25 M/Earth 27 E /Update Feature

28 29 -30

Senate confirms 18 as ministers

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he Senate has confirmed the appointment of eighteen out of the thirty six ministers which President Mohammadu Buhari had forwarded to it for screening and confirmation, just as the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, told the confirmed ministers that oversight will not be business as usual in this era of change.

Those screened and confirmed by the Senate were Ibe Emmanuel Kachikwu, Chris Ngige, Hadi Sirika, Aisha Alhassan, Babatunde Fashola, Abubakar Malami, Solomon Dalong, Kemi Adeosun.

Others were Udo Udoma, Ogbonnaya Onu, Kayode Fayemi, Lai Mohammed, Ehanare Osagie, Abdulraman Danbazzau, Amina Ibrahim Mohammed, Usman Jibril and Adamu Suleiman.

However, the screening of two nominees, including the former

T Metro

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Int’l 39 S/World

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Digest 40 Sports 41 Columnist 48

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Thursday to enable his screening.

The development reduced to nine, the number of ministernominees screened on Wednesday.

Reports said that Amaechi’s nomination is being opposed by ``Integrity Group”, which petitioned the Senate alleging that Amaechi had not answered questions on alleged financial misappropriation when he was governor of Rivers state.

Although the Committee met on Monday, they could not deliberate on the petition as the allegations contained in the petition were said to be before a court of competent jurisdiction.

The Senate President had given today as deadline for the committee to submit its report, following which the committee members left the screening to address the issues.

However, the claim by the chairman of the Senate committee, Samuel Anyanwu, that the

committee members were not able to form a quorum, was debunked by an unconfirmed source, that rather said the members of the committee had abandoned the chairman of the committee because they are not impressed by the way he is handling the probe.

Meanwhile, before the commencement of the screening yesterday, the Senate President announced that the nominee from Niger state, Ahmed Musa Ibeto, has been withdrawn by the President.

Note that Niger state had two of its indigines nominated

by President Buhari, including Ahmed Musa Ibeto and Abubakar Bawa Bwari, until Ibeto was withdrawn yesterday following the request by the President.

Meanwhile, the screening of the remaining ministerial nominees will continue today by 10: am, according to the Senate President.

process and also not in tune with international best practices”.

“All the gains expected from the privatisation process were lost through alleged underhand deals, manipulation of rules of engagement, corruption and disregard for extant laws that are the hallmark of business transaction.

“The sale of power distribution utilities was marked by lack of transparency in bid awards in the three sectors of generation, transmission and distribution as it was alleged the preferred bidders who were selected had low capacity, and lacked technical knowledge in the sector and also had little or no financial and managerial knowhow to run power companies”, Mr. Okafor said.

He stressed further that the absurdity of the transaction arose from the inability of the selected preferred bidders to pay bid value on sale according to BPE guidelines; only to be aided by the same BPE to defer the payment as well as restructure the payment terms in contravention of the bidding rules to the disadvantage of other bidders.

The motion which unanimously passed upon voice votes resolved to set up an Ad-hoc committee to investigate the processes and sale of all aspects of power assets in Nigeria

by the BPE to determine if there were malpractices and misconduct in the exercise and also whether there was appropriate value was for money and determine if any person breached the rules and the law.

Also yesterday, the House of Representatives mandated the Committee on Transport to investigate N18billion contracts awarded for the rehabilitation of rail tracts, standard gauge, bridges, coaches and wagons and locomotives between 2010-2014.

The House sequel to a motion moved by Rep Solomon Ahwinawhi, (PDP Delta), entitled: ‘Need To Investigate The Ministry of Transport And The Nigeria Railways Corporation, NRC, on the award of Contracts for Rehabilitation of Railway Tracks, Maintenance of Bridges and Procurement/ Rehabilitation of Caches and Locomotives from 2010-2014.

In his submission, Ahwinawhi noted that “the level of performance with respect to the 463km Port - Harcourt - Markurdi rail track rehabilitation of the eastern line with the total sum of N19, 963, 752, 330 and out of which the NRC has paid N4, 017, 054, 841, 00, while SURE - P paid N5, 594, 021, 377 and only about 3km of ballast has been done with 400km left undone and

the total money released so far is N9, 611, 076, 218.

“The Abuja - Kaduna rail project had 841 million US dollars as the project cost, out of which the China EXIM Bank provided a loan of 500 million US dollars with about 25 per cent of the project completed when the entire project was envisaged to have been completed in 2014, “he said.

The lawmaker also said that the Lagos to Jebba track rehabilitation project was awarded at a contract sum of N12, 293. 390. 000 with the payments made so far at N11, 699. 999, 218 without any tangible work done adding that the same also goes for Jebba to Kano track rehabilitation which had a contract sum of N12, 169. 237. 337 with payments made to the tune of N10, 337. 023. 111.

He said that the investigation is important because with the billions of funds sunk to upgrade the railway transport system there has been little or nothing to show for it as the locomotives and coaches running on the nation’s tracks are still a relic of modern railway transport.

The motion which was unanimously adopted by the House was presided over by its Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara. Restate

This was contained in a statement issued on behalf of the Chairman, Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs, Sultanate Council, Sokoto and signed by the Palace’s secretary, Sa’idu Maccido.

According to the statement: ‘’The Sultanate Council Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs in conjunction with the National Committee on Moon Sighting did not receive any reports from the various Moon sighting Committees of the Emirs, District Heads and Religious

Organizations across the country confirming the sighting of the New Moon of Muharram, 1437 AH, on Tuesday, 29th day of Zulhijja, 1436 AH, which is equivalent 13th 0ctober, 2015.

“Therefore, today, Wednesday is 30th day of Zulhijja which is equivalent to 14th October, 2015. ‘’His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar CFR, mni, the Sultan of Sokoto and President General, Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCIA) has accepted the report and accordingly declared Thursday, 15th October,

2015 as the first day of Muharram, 1437 AH.’’,it added.

The statement further quoted the Sultan as wishing the Muslim Ummah a peaceful and prosperous 1437 AH. Meanwhile, the Sokoto State Government has declared Thursday, October 15, 2015 (Muharram, 1, 1437) AH, as a public holiday.

A statement issued in Sokoto signed by Malam Imam Imam, the spokesman to Gov. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, congratulated Nigerian Muslims for witnessing the New Year.

Reps probe Jonathan’s sale of power assets, N18bn rail contract

By Umar Muhammad Puma

Al-makura submits list of commissioners Page 18

Governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi, and Adebayo Shittu, who were listed on the order paper for screening yesterday, were suspended till today allegedly due to time constraints.

Reports said that the development followed the inability of its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to submit its report on the petition against him.

The Chairman of the Committee Sen. Sam Anyanwu, while briefing the senate, said that the committee could not meet on Tuesday following the late adjournment of plenary.

Anyanwu said that as at the time of adjournment of plenary, most of the members of the committee were ``too tired to meet’’.

He promised that the committee would meet yesterday so as to finalise the report on Amaechi and submit it on

he House of Representatives yesterday resolved to investigation the alleged non-transparent and fraudulent sale of power assets by the Bureau of Public Enterprise(BPE under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The House in a motion moved

by Rep Chike Okafor (APC, Imo) who noted the lack of openness in the processes leading to the sale of Nigeria’s power infrastructure to private investors by the previous Federal Government.

Leading the debate, Rep Okafor stressed the importance of power to every business, family, public or private institution, household and the general growth of the nation’s economy.

He however, lamented the absence of transparency and openness as well as fair treatment of Nigerians disengaged from their jobs in the process and the lack of improvement in power supply despite the privatisation of the sector.

He said: “the process of the sale of these assets fell short of the prescribed criteria set down by the enabling law guiding the activities of the BPE in the privatisation

Islamic New Year begins today- Sultan

From Raji Bello, Sokoto

T

he Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III has declared Thursday, October 15 as first Muharram, 1437 AH, signifying the commencement of the Islamic new year.

The Sultan explained that the announcement was sequel to a report received from the Sultanate Council Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs in conjunction with the National Committee on Moon Sighting.

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, september 24, 2015

News Ag News Editor Ese Awhotu

NESG: Use concrete for road construction, Dangote urges FG, States

By Felicia Zingfa

F 1 Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan

5 Alhaji Abubakar Malami (SAN)

4 Senator Chris Ngige

2 Senator Hadi Sirika

3 Mrs. Kemi Adeosun

6 Mr. Emmanuel Ibe kachikwu

7 Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN)

Ministerial Nominees screened by the Senate, at the National Assembly, yesterday in Abuja.

8 Barrister Solomon Dalung Photos: Mahmud Isa

NASS: Tribunal nullifies election of Taraba ex-acting gov, Danladi

By Mulega Mkom, Jalingo

N

ational and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Jalingo yesterday nullified the election of ex-Taraba Acting governor, senator Sani Abubakar Danladi representing Taraba north senatorial district in the National Assembly on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP. Mr. Ali Sani Kona of the All Progressive Congress, APC, had approached the tribunal challenging the declaration of Sani Abubakar Danladi of the PDP as the winner of the election on the ground that the election conducted in 54 polling units in

three local government areas of Karim Lamido, Zing and Yorro were marred by irregularities.

He prayed the tribunal to declare the election inconclusive and order a fresh election in the 54 polling units to determine the actual winner of the election.

Counsel to both parties had during hearing exchanged written addresses and called witnesses to prove their case.

In his ruling, Justice Ibrahim Yusuf who read the judgment held that the 1st and 2nd petitioners, Ali Sani Kona and APC respectively have given satisfactory evidence to prove their case.

The tribunal held that given the evidence before it, election in 48 out of the 54 polling units

complained of by the petitioners were not conducted in compliance with the electoral act, as there were evidence of over voting and non accreditation of voters in the units, yet results were declared by the 1st respondent, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. The three man panel of justices then declared the scores awarded the 3rd respondent, Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi in the 48 polling units null and void.

The panel declared the election inconclusive, saying the 36,428 registered voters in the 48 polling units were more the marginal difference between the 1st petitioner and the 3rd respondent.

The tribunal then ordered that the certificate of return issued the 3rd respondent be set aside and election conducted in the 48 polling units within 90 days and the result added to both contestants to determine the winner.

Reacting to the judgment, counsel to the 1st petitioner, Festus Kayode Idepefo Esq hailed the tribunal justices for a well delivered judgment.

On his part counsel to the 2nd respondent, People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Abayomi Akamode Esq said the justices gave the judgment based on what they saw, but he would brief his client and take instruction on the next line of action.

Committee recommends 60 corps members for NYSC award

By Albert Akota

T

he committee saddled with the responsibility of short listing qualified corps members for the 2015 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) presidential honours award has recommended 60 corps members for the award.

Presenting the report to the Director General, Brigadier General, Olawumi Johnson, yesterday in his office, the Chairman of the President NYSC Honours Award Committee, Dr Kevin Ihenetu, said though the screening process was rigorous but the committee was able to shortlist the best among the

222 corps members previously selected.

He said the criteria was that corps members must have distinguished themselves at the orientation programme, primary assignment, the community development service, and the group DCS before they can be nominated from the states.

Ihenetu who said there was no pressure from any quarters on the committee said: “We have worked assiduously with all sense of patriotism and we have come out with a report to the best of our knowledge that would be accepted. The public don’t know us, so there wouldn’t have been any pressure. And all those who

received concessional posting were automatically disqualified. Each state is expected to produce two corps members for the award, but there are some states that did not produce any candidate.

Receiving the report, the DG, Olawumi, who commended the committee, said the selection of the serving corps members for award goes through a thorough process which even himself as director general has not input into.

“The whole process starts from the states where corps members who have distinguished themselves are recognized and it is from the pool of those corps members that a list is compiled and handed over to the committee.

And I also want to emphasise that it only one staff from the scheme that is, the Director Corps Welfare who sits as the secretary of the committee.

“The committee has it composition from various walks of life. We have representatives of the Army staff; Inspector General of Police, our parent ministry etc and the committee has nothing to do with the awardees from the states.”, he explained.

He promised to make the report available for the award the same way it was submitted to him, adding that the scheme would ensure that the award takes place in 2015 as directed by the president.

or Nigeria to achieve its long desired infrastructural development it must embrace the use of concrete for road construction and other construction works, this is the fallout of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG).

Speaking at the ongoing 21st Summit of the NESG in Transcorp Hilton, Executive Director Stakeholders Relations and Corporation Communications, Engr Mansur Ahmed said it is a choice that Nigeria must make.

His comment is against the backdrop of the theme of the Summit: “Tough Choices: Achieving Competitiveness, Inclusive Growth and Sustainability.

Engr Ahmed also moderated the discussion session comprising of the Governors of Kaduna, Katsina, Gombe, Bauchi, Benue and Kogi where he urged them to collaborate in the provision of infrastructure for their people.

He said concrete roads makes more economic sense for a country like Nigeria, as the use of Asphalt has left the roads in deplorable conditions.

He said Asphalt is no longer evoke in developed climes.

He said the construction of concrete road is faster and can last for half a century compare to Asphalt.

Engr Ahmed said concrete roads are 20 per cent cheaper to build.

According to him, in the construction of concrete roads, the cement raw materials are readily available while Asphalt is imported into the country.

It would be recalled that the Chairman of Dangote Cement, Aliko Dangote, recent in Lagos also pleaded with the Federal Government to urgently consider the use of concrete roads in the country.

Concrete roads, according to him, will be to the benefit of Nigerians. Aside from being very cheap, he said concrete roads are more durable and that its maintenance cost is near zero.

According to him: “We are pushing for Nigeria to do a concrete road. It is cheaper to do a concrete road that will last 50 years than to do a bitumen road.

It will also help in eliminating corruption because if you go and build a bitumen road, it will have to be adequately maintained unlike a concrete road that is very durable.”

Currently in 15 African countries, excluding Kenya, Niger and Mali, which are new projects. The company’s current total capacity stands at 48mmtpa, out of which Nigeria alone has the largest chunk of 29.3mmtpa.

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News

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, september 24, 2015

Rights commission quizzes AIG Mbu over violation

By Albert Akota

T

he National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) yesterday in Abuja at its council chamber interrogated Assistant Inspector General of Police, Joseph Mbu for two hours over his monumental role that led to the death of one Mr. Iliyasu Kwarbai.

Mbu had earlier shunned the Commission despite several invitations for fair hearing which was seen to be insubordination to the authority given to the NHRC and amended in 2010 by the National Assembly to summon and interrogate any person, body or authority to appear before

it for the purpose of a public inquiry aimed at the resolution of a complaint of human rights violation.

While addressing Mbu, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Prof. Bem Angwe said that should the former commissioner of police in Rivers state fail to appear before it yesterday, he would be left with no choice than to invoke the commission’s act.

“You (Mbu) have be invited to the commission for fair hearing, you are here to honour the invitation, we have written you several invitations but you were not able to come, we are happy today (yesterday), if you have not come today, the commission

would have invoked the power of its act to compare you before the commission, “he explained.

Mr. Iliyasu Kwarbai had petitioned Joseph Mbu to the commission who instructed DSP Ibrahim Dantoro to put needle in his private part which they did, at a point, the DSP brought out a gun and fired by the side of his leg and continued the torture until his passed out.

The late kwarbia who petitioned the NHRC before he died, said that he was invited

by EFCC and Mr.Uwen Anita

by Mr.Denis Ale that he gave him one hundred and twenty million naira to source for dollars, according to him, it was

not that amount, instead it was six hundred and twenty seven million naira before Mbu was invited into the matter.

Reacting to the petition after drilling by rights commission, the Commandant of Police College Jos, denied all the allegations, said the late Kawarbia was sound and healthy when he left the police custody.

He said he did not shun NHRC invitations rather he was on leave and he resumed work two weeks ago in Jos. Peoples Daily gathered allegedly that the money belongs to a top politician who served under former president, Goodluck Jonathan.

L-R: Deputy Managing Director, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company (Nlng), Mr. Isa Inuwa; Managing Director, Mr. Babs Omotowa and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Ibok Ibas, during the visit of the NLNG delegation to Chief of Naval Staff,Rear Admiral Ibok Ekwe yesterday in Abuja

Gombe gov. tribunal dismisses APC petition against Dankwambo From David Hassan, Gombe

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ombe governorship tribunal sitting in Gombe yesterday dismissed a petition which the All progressives Congress (APC) filed against Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and PDP for declaring Governor Dankwambo winner at the just concluded governorship election in 2015.

While delivery his judgment, Justice Mohammed Suraj told the court that the petition filed against Dankwambo lacked merit.

He said witnesses that were brought before the tribunal by the petitioners failed to give evidence to the court that declaring Dankwambo winner during the governorship election in 2015 was marred by irregularities.

He said the petitioners filed

the tribunal that during the governorship election there was issue of ballot box snatching, intimidation of APC voters by PDP, adding that the said petition failed to give evidence before the tribunal.

Speaking shortly after the sitting, counsel to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Zubairu Mohammed Umar told journalists in an interview that at the end of judgment people were able to know exactly what transpired during the governorship election in Gombe state.

Also speaking counsel to APC and its governorship candidate, Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya commended Mr. Abdulganiyu Bello and the tribunal for conducting a fair hearing, called on APC supporters to remain calm as judgment has taken it course.

Women farmers canvass access to credit Some women farmers on Wednesday in Abuja urged the Federal Government to facilitate access to credit for them to boost production.

The women told a news conference organised by OxfamNigeria that lack of access to loan, land, modern farm implements and market hinder their production and urged the government to come to their aid.

They urged the Federal Government to develop the agricultural value chains to ensure value addition that would further boost wealth creation in the sector.

Mrs Mariam Buhari, the 2014 winner of Oxfam’s Women Food Hero award, said that in spite of the challenges faced by women, they remained the major food

producers in the country.

She said that if women were given the needed support, they would be able to feed the country and food importation would become history.

Contributing, Mrs Chinasa Ashnonye, second runner-up, 2014 Oxfam Woman Food Hero, said that government should make loans available to women farmers as interest rates were very high in the banks.

According to her, women farmers, particularly in Lagos, are faced with lack of irrigation facility which has hampered production in the face of delayed in rainfall.

The women thanked Oxfam for the support, saying that the cash award and capacity building programmes organised by Oxfam had expanded their farm businesses. (NAN)

Adverse vaccine reaction: 40 pupils hospitalised in Makarfi-Council chair

A

bout 40 pupils of Kunkumi primary school in Makarfi Local Government Area of Kaduna State have been hospitalised following adverse reaction after taking “Preziquantel” vaccine.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that “Preziquantel” was administered to pupils below five years of age in 127 primary schools in the area as a vaccine for “Bilheziasis”.

Confirming the incident to NAN on Wednesday in his office at Makarfi, the council’s Interim Management Committee Chairman, Alhaji Hamza Musa-Makarfi, said the council had taken measures to address the situation.

“It is true that some pupils were hospitalised being administered the vaccine; actually by then, I was in Kaduna for an official engagement but I immediately instructed my ViceChairman to rush the affected victims to the hospital.

“Before my arrival, the affected pupils were brought to the hospital, treated and discharged.

“Some people say the affected victims were 30 while some say 50 pupils, but all I know is they were attended to by medical doctors and all of them were discharged, except three pupils for now,” Musa-Makarfi explained.

The chairman said after visiting the scene and the hospitals, he convened a meeting with the council’s head of health, officials of state committee on polio and other health personnel, to ascertain the actual cause.

“During the interaction, we understood that the exercise was being carried out in 127 schools of the local government and it had recorded 100 per cent success in 126 primary schools.

“In view of this, the problem might be as a result of overdose, taking the medicine with empty stomach or taking the medicine while suffering from other diseases, because investigation showed that all necessary protocol were obeyed,” Musa-Makarfi said.

The chairman said he had invited the headmaster of the affected school and confirmed that the man that administered the vaccine had followed the simple training given to him by the state Ministry of Health.

Also commenting, the Head of Health, Makarfi Local Government Council, Alhaji Ashafa Ahmad, said the vaccine was not newly introduced.

Ahmad said that the exercise had been going on in other local government areas of southern Kaduna since 2010, without any problem.

“This exercise had been on in local government areas of southern Kaduna, as well as other councils across Nigeria, and there had never been a case of adverse reaction or any other thing else.

“This is one of the neglected tropical diseases which is now being taken care of in order to address such problems, hence the introduction of the vaccines by the state government.

“But we are suspecting maybe one of the conditions necessary for taking the drug was violated. However, investigation on the matter is still ongoing,” he said. (NAN

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, september 24, 2015

News

Buhari gets National ID card

By Lawrence Olaoye

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari was yesterday issued his National Identity card by the Director General of the National Identity Management Corporation, Chris Onyemenam.

The President on receipt of the ID card directed the corporation to ensure harmonization and integration of data obtained by other government and non-

governmental agencies.

Briefing State House correspondents on his mission to the Villa, Onyemenam said “First, we demonstrated to the President how the national identification number can be used to confirm the identity of an individual even if the person is not present and that is the reason why we said the identification number is a security number. Because with that and if you have access to

our data base, you can confirm the identity of an individual.

“Secondly we presented the electronic card to the President and we demonstrated to him how it will be taken round. This is one Rome that was not built in a day, slow and steady. With the help of harmonization and integration, that he has directed, we are getting rapidly far more than we ever did before, in trying to unite our data base, and I demonstrated that.

So basically, what we did was to activate the electronic identity and the security on it and subsequently, the payment solutions on the card and I explained to the President, that there are certain applications on the card and this activation that he has done cut across the entire activation. What is then left is for each agency, once they are using their own application to then customize it with their security on it and then control

the use of that application.”

He added that with the progress made by the Corporation, biometrics would be stopped by many agencies as integration and harmonization would have been achieved.

“We are processing close to 20 million data from the Bank Verification Number scheme.

We have also collaborated with INEC, PENCOM, Nigeria Police, NCC, Road Safety, Immigration,” he said.

7 killed in fresh Borno blasts From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

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he Borno Police Command yesterday confirmed the death of seven persons, including three suicide bombers, in Tuesday night’s explosion at the outskirt of Maiduguri.

The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aderemi Opadokun disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Maiduguri. ``At about 7.41 pm on Tuesday, there were Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion in three locations at the outskirt of Maiduguri. ``The locations are Gidan Shanu behind Bakassi estate, Sajeri and Bulumkutu,’’ Opadokun said. ``Seven people, including three suspected suicide bombers, died, while eleven persons were injured. ``All the casualties have been removed from scene and taken to the hospital and normalcy has been restored,” he said.

Bukar Modu, a petty trader, repairer in Tudu Natsira had earlier told newsmen that10 of his friends died in the attacks.

“I returned from my workshop around 8pm and as usual, I passed through our joint where we sit and chat. My friends wanted me to wait so that we can chat but I told them I must go home and pick something. Before I got to my house, I heard a blast far ahead.

About two minutes later, there was another blast. I rushed back to check only to discover that my friends that I left there were all dead, except one. I am here with him. We are taking him to hospital. He is now unconscious because he lost a lot of blood.”

Another resident said the first bomb went off near his house. “I was in my room when I heard the blast. I rushed to lock the door of my house when I saw human parts on my door step,” he said.

The blast at Banakwai was also said to have been carried out by a suicide bomber that ran into youths that were chatting after the evening prayer killing many of them.

L-R: Chief Of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olanisakin; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Defence, Amanda Dory; Commander, U.S. African Command, Gen. David Rodriguez; President Muhammadu Buhari; U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle and National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno, after President Buhari’s meeting with the visiting commander, U.S. African Command, yesterday in Abuja

Reps approve committee for IDPs, refugees

By Umar Muhammad Puma

T

he House of Representatives yesterday approved the creation of a committee on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Refugees and Initiatives of the North East zone as a standing committees of the House.

This is as the House also moved matters of refugees and internally displaced person from the Human Rights Committee to the newly approved committee.

This resolution by the House was sequel to a motion entitled “creation and jurisdiction of additional committee, pursuant to order 19, rule 216 (1) of the standing orders of the House of Representatives”, sponsored by Hon. Emmanuel Orker- Jev. “The murderous and destructive activities of the sect, especially in the North East zone has led to the death of over 2 thousand people, displacement of over 5 million others, destruction of properties worth

millions of naira and dislocation of the way of life of the people, particularly in Borno, Yobe, parts of Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe states, “he said.

The law maker said that the committee was necessary due to the large scale of devastation of the North - East zone by the Boko Haram and the compelling need to adopt extra ordinary measures towards rebuilding the zone which has been akin to a theatre of war.

The House unanimously

agreed on the motion which was presided over by its Speaker, Hon Yakubu Dogara.

The Committee would be responsible for oversight of the ministry, agency, parastatals of government department responsible for IDPs, refugees, migrants and stateless persons.

It will oversight and legislative responsibility over the National Commission for Refugees and will also cover policy and legislative measures on the IDPs amongst others.

In a motion entitled “need to Investigate construction works and lack of facilities at Akanu Ibiam international airport Enugu state” sponsored by Hon. Toby Okechukwu noted that the airport which is the gateway to the South East was constructed at a cost of over N4.5 billion.

Okechukwu expressed

worry that the quality of work done in the construction of the 3km runway has inexplicably been degraded and dilapidated leading to potholes in many sections of the runway.

The law maker said that the level of dilapidation at the airport exposes passengers, airplanes and the general

public to avoidable risks adding that the combined effects of inadequate navigational lighting system and the apparent failure of the runway could also result into an unimaginable disaster.

When the motion was put to a voice vote by the presiding officer, Yakubu Dogara, the ays carried the day.

…Probes infrastructural decay at Enugu airport

T

he House of Representatives yesterday mandated its Committee on Aviation (when constituted) to investigate the absence of navigational lighting system and the quality of infrastructural work done in the Akanu Ibiam international airport in Enugu State.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, september 24, 2015

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News

Hajj: Kaduna bags Saudi continental award 2015 From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

K

aduna State has been adjudged as the best state which had conformed with all laid down rules amongst all African and non Arab countries that performed the 2015 Hajj by the Saudi Arabian authorities in Makka.

A statement by Kaduna State Media Committee on 2015 Hajj quoted the Chairman of the Establishment for Mutawifs for

Pilgrims from African and Non Arab Countries, Mr Rami Saleh Labani, as disclosing this at an award ceremony yesterday.

He also advised other states in Nigeria as well as other African countries to follow the example of Kaduna state.

Mr Labani said that Kaduna state came tops in seven critical areas of assessment, including the availability of its officials to receive pilgrims at Jedda airport, the orderly manner with which the pilgrims board buses to their

respective accommodation and the fact that the pilgrims were given decent accommodations.

The Chairman further noted that the pilgrims never spent up to ten minutes before disembarking from their buses upon reaching their destinations either from Jedda airport of Madina.

According to him, some state or countries’ pilgrims used to spend more than 30 minutes in the buses, suggesting that the accommodation was not ready.

He also praised the way pilgrims

were conveyed to Muna and from Muna to Arafat.

Labani pointed out that Saudi authorities took note of every aspect of the Hajj in arriving at the decision, adding that Kaduna state has been winning awards in the last six years but this is the first time it won a continental award.

The chairman advised Kaduna state not to rest on its oars but to continue with its winning streak.

Responding, Chairman of the Task Force on Hajj 2015,

Senator Sani Sale thanked Saudi authorities for giving the state the award. He promised that Kaduna state government will continue to build on its past success.

Senator Saleh also thanked the Saudi authorities for giving the state government the necessary support which enabled it to succeed. The chairman also thanked management and staff of Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board for cooperating with the Task Force.

Ex-gov Audu’s N10b fraud trial stalled

By Patience Paul

T

L-R: British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Paul arkwught; Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state, and Uk Minister for Africa, Mr. Grant Shappes, at the launch of the Nigeria Public Sector Accountability and Governance Programmes, yesterday in Kaduna.

Expert advocates mobile licence authority on highway From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

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Vehicle Inspection Officer (VIO) Aliyu Dan Tsoho has advocated for the establishment of Mobile License Authority on highways to enhance speedy revenue drive and ease the job of VIOs. Dan Tsoho who is the acting Director, Road Traffic Inspection Department, Vehicle Inspection Dept, Ministry of Works and Transport Kaduna State, made the observation while speaking to journalists in Kaduna yesterday.

Aliyu further said establishing mobile licence authority would also reduce difficulties and enforcement problems been faced with vehicle owners by officers

operating on highways.

“If you go to Abuja where Mallam Nasir El-Rufai make the place to be operating rightfully, you will see licence authority working under VIO. When the VIO stop your motor, you get your license, and every other thing here and there. So they consolidate the place into one, so that the issue of going here and there does not arise.

So this is where we are hoping that Mallam will also do for us in Kaduna the same way he did in Abuja”, he said.

Dan Tsoho said one of the major difficulties faced by their officers is the use of force before some motorists would agree to go and follow the process for renew of licence.

According to him enforcement

is not an easy task, saying “Not all motorists are happy seen us on the road to enforce them to do the right thing, so we are facing difficulties in the course of our operations”.

He noted that when motorists were asked to go and renew their license, creates impressions as if they hate the person.

“When someone is ask to go and do something against his wish he may see is as if we are having him or as if we are holding someone and leave the other” he said. The Ag Director also complaints of lacks of equipment and shortage of man power to do their job comprehensively.

On the poor remuneration of officers and allegations of self enrichment that have been

leveled against his men, Aliyu said “ that is what I’m trying to tell you, that with the present government who is a man of the people, who is looking everywhere to see were things have gone wrong and what is needed he address our issue”.

He expressed optimism that government would wage into their issues with a view to address the challenges with time and enable them do their job satisfactory.

He also observed, with dismay, the introduction of Traffic Lights at different roundabouts in Kaduna state, describing it as uncivilized and failure on the part of poor expert advises, and enjoined motorists to be patient and obey the rules of traffic light.

he trial of former governor of Kogi State and the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Abubakar Audu for alleged N10.9 Billion fraud was stalled yesterday due to the absence of the trial, Justice A.O. Adeniyi of the Abuja High Court.

The judge was said to be on assignment as a member of an election petition tribunal.

Many observers who had stormed the court to witness the trial were disappointed when it became clear to them that the trial would not take place.

Audu is being tried alongside a former Director General of the Directorate of Rural Development in his administration, Alfa Ibn Mustapha.

They were arraigned on March 18, 2013 on 36-count charge.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting the former governor and his co-accused for offences bordering on criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of public funds to tune of N10,965,837,040 (Ten billion, Nine Hundred and Sixty-Five Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty Seven Thousand and Forty Naira).

One of the charges reads: “that you Prince Audu and Alfa Ibn Mustapha between 2000 and 2002 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory while being the governor of Kogi state and Director General of Kogi State Directorate of Rural Development respectively, and in such capacities entrusted with dominion over certain property, to wit: an aggregated sum of N2,877,487,690.88 meant for rural development in Kogi State committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said sum which you falsely claim to be payment made to Aresanmi Technical Industries Limited in respect of the contract allegedly awarded Kogi State Directorate of Rural Development to the said Aresanmi Technical Industries Limited and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code, Cap 532, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990”

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, september 24, 2015

News

Lagos CP vows to arrest FESTAC banks robbers

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he Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni has vowed to stop at nothing in unravelling the perpetrators of the banks robbery at FESTAC Town, Lagos on Tuesday.

The robbers numbering about 40 robbed Access and Diamond banks on 4th Avenue.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that commissioner’s assurance is coming after the incident which claimed a mother and her child through stray bullets from the sporadic shooting by the robbers.

The commissioner said in a statement by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Joseph Offor that residents of the state should go about their normal business. ``The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State wishes to reassure the residents of Lagos of their safety and urged them to go about their normal business. ``He has also vowed to stop at nothing in unravelling the perpetrators of this heinous crime,’’ he said.

Giving the details of the robbery, the statement said that the gun battle between the police and the armed robbers forced the robbers to abandon the operation and fled. ``On Oct. 13 at about 8.25 a.m., the Area ‘E’ and the Divisional Police Headquarters both at FESTAC Town received information of sporadic shootings at 4th Avenue FESTAC Town, Lagos. ``In a swift reaction, the Area Commander, Area ‘E’ mobilised a joint Team of Area ‘E’ and Divisional Headquarters, FESTAC that engaged the armed robbers. ``Numbering over 40, dressed in military camouflage and armed with military assault rifles of various calibres, they were robbing Access and Diamond Banks simultaneously. ``The gun battle forced the armed robbers to abandon over N27 million and 240 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition. ``No life was lost on both sides,’’ the statement said.

It added that the case had been referred to Special Anti-Robbery Squad for discreet investigation, while security had also been beefed up within FESTAC Town and its environs. (NAN)

Houses destroyed by flood at Mangorori community yesterday, in Katsina State.

Police nab 20 robbery, Kidnap masterminds in Delta From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

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he police detectives in Asaba and Ughelli Delta state have arrested twenty suspected criminals for various crimes ranging from cultism, armed robbery, kidnapping and fraud.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the State, Mrs. Celestina Kalu who confirmed the arrest of the suspects said “the police in Delta would continue to maintain the tempo of arrest of suspected criminals of various crimes in order to ensure the reign of peace in every part of the state” disclosing that the suspects were arrested at different location in Asaba and Ughelli.

Mrs. Kalu said that items recovered from the suspects include, one locally made gun, several bundles of money, a motorcycle, 32” plasma T.V and another cash of N19,400 and called on the general public to come up with useful and timely information that could lead to the arrest of criminals from their hideouts to reduce crime in the state to the barest minimum.

While saying that the police detectives acted on a tip-off, Mrs. Kalu disclosed that some faceless miscreant dropped a letter by the

•As 13 inmates regain freedom in Sapele

gate of one Madam Ishijenkorelu in Agbor, threatening to kidnap her.

She said that sequel to the report on the development, operatives of special anti-kidnapping squad in Asaba last Tuesday swung into action adding that on trail of the suspect, the operatives arrested one Samson Elelegwu with GSM line number 08064724929 who wrote his name as “Barbar” in the said threat letter.

Mrs. Kalu said that investigation was ongoing while efforts are in place to apprehend three others of his cohorts on the run.

Meanwhile, the police in Ozoro have arrested one Ojewe Eko in Owhelogbo community for alleged robbery in the community.

Mrs. Celestina Kalu, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, confirmed that one Kingsley Umukoro in Owhelogbo community had sometime in August 2015 reported at the Ozoro police station that four armed men robbed him of ten assorted phones and a cash of N20,000 in Agbarho town, saying that the police swung into action a tip-off and identified

one of the robbery suspects Ojewe Eko in the motor park in Ozoro where he was arrested. She said that items recovered from the suspect include one locally made pistol gun, one live cartridge and some charms adding that the suspect is currently under investigation.

Meanwhile, no fewer than 13 awaiting trial inmates were on Wednesday set free at the Sapele prisons by the Delta State Chief Justice Marshall Umukoro while 16 others were granted bail for minor offences.

Justice Umukoro at the ongoing prisons visitation told our correspondent that his visit to all the prisons across the state was not to release criminals but to ensure that those in the prisons were not unlawfully put behind the bars.

He said that his visit would also afford him the opportunity to know whether their cases were ongoing or whether the inmates were in good health condition or had overstayed in the prisons.

The Chief Judge who attended to over 350 cases bothering on kidnapping, armed robbery,

murder, rape, defilement, unlawful carnal knowledge, advance fee fraud and breaking and entry also granted bail to 16 others with minor offences.

According to Justice Umukoro, “the prison visitation is in pursuit of government’s desire to decongest the prisons” saying that the visit was not to determine cases but to find out whether the cases were ongoing and also to know whether the inmates were lawfully detained.

Those who were released, it was reliably gathered include: awaiting trial inmate who had overstayed for offences committed upon conviction, those with no case to answer based on DPP advice, and those with no case file, among others.

Meanwhile the state comptroller of prisons, Mr. Anthony Ojih has listed some of the challenges facing the prison to include lack of vehicles and inadequate accommodation as a result of overpopulation among others and appealed to the Federal Government to help decongest the prisons by giving priority to those with minor offences.

Customs seizes 112 cartons of contaminated poultry products in Katsina

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he Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized over 112 cartons of contaminated poultry products smuggled into the country through the Katsina border.

Briefing journalists on Wednesday in Katsina, the Area Controller, Kaduna/ Katsina Command, Alhaji

Gidado Bala, said that the smugglers were intercepted at Dankama in Kaita Local Government Area.

Bala said that the smugglers on sighting the customs patrol team abandoned their goods and took to their heels.

He said that the frozen poultry products were discovered

to be unsuitable for human consumption when examined.

Bala said that the Federal Government banned importation of poultry products in order to protect the health of its citizens and to encourage animal husbandry and poultry farming in the country.

The controller, therefore,

advised smugglers to desist from such illegal business or face arrest and prosecution.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the seized items were handed over to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for destruction.

The NAFDAC Coordinator,

Alhaji Habibu Garo, said that they would continue to collaborate with customs and other security agencies to curtail smuggling of dangerous products into the country.

Garo advised the public to desist from patronising imported poultry products because it posed health hazards.(NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, september 24, 2015

News FG will ban rice importation by 2017, says Gov.Yari

By Lawrence Olaoye

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amfara State Governor and Chairman Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has said that Nigeria will ban the importation of rice into the country in the next two years (2017).

Yari who briefed State House Correspondents after a meeting of governors of the frontline states producing rice in the country assured that the country would have attained self

sufficiency in food production by then.

According to him, the meeting which held at the Vice President wing of the Villa discussed the new policy on agriculture and food sustainability.

He said “We discussed how we can boost rice production in Nigeria and start thinking about how we are going to put policy in place on how rice importation will be banned in the country.

“We have the potential; we have the human resources; we

have the arable land to grow rice.

“In the next two years, we will not need to bring rice from outside Nigeria. We are going to ban it.

“It is only in Nigeria, a country of millions of people, that there is no food security.

“We discussed the policy with the relevant permanent secretaries and CBN governor.

“The policy is going to be in place and we gave our commitment that we are ready to support the government

policy in ensuring that Nigeria becomes self-sufficient in food production in the next two years.

“Nigeria is currently a major importer of rice. Now, the political will is in place to stop it. We in about nine states are going to be seriously engaged in massive rice production.

We are hoping that in the next two years, rice importation into Nigeria will be banned. We are committed and the political will is in place.”

L-R: Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri; Director, Admin and Human Resources,(NOA), Mr. Ado Solomon and Director, Political and Civic Education,(NOA), Mrs. Ngozi Ekeoba at the One Day Training Workshop on Security Awareness: “Communicating Early Warning Signs and Alert Preparedness” organized by the Agency , yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Plateau Assembly probes N10bn loan

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he Plateau House of Assembly is investigating the N10 billion loan facility being sought by State Government, reports the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

This is sequel to the invitation of the state’s Accountant-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, to shed more light on the request for the facility.

The report said that the proposal for the collection of the loan was contained in a letter sent to the House by Gov. Simon Lalong.

According to the letter, the proposed loan, if accessed, will be used by the government for developmental projects in the state.

It explained that the loan, which was authorised by the National Economic Council (NEC), would be accessed from the Excess Crude Account (ECA).

In his contributions, the member representing Kantana Constituency and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Yusuf Gagdi, urged members to give assent to matters that would spur development.

However, he said the Assembly had only recently approved a loan of N4.5 billion taken by the state government, adding that there was nothing meaningful on ground to show how the loan was utilised.

According to Gagdi, granting approval for the loan will further mortgage the future of the state and its people. ``We as legislators must operate as a people-oriented Assembly; the one that will make good laws that will better the lives of the people. ``Recently, we granted approval for government to collect a loan of N9.8 billion to offset the backlog of salary areas; but we agreed that it

was only N4.5 billion that was accessed. ``The Federal Government also released N5.3 billion as bailout funds to the state to offset salary areas. ``This is a state that commissioners and other government functionaries are yet to be appointed and salaries were not paid, where then are these monies taken to?,’’ he asked.

In his contribution, the member representing Mangu North East Constituency, Mr Abdul Yanga, opined that the Assembly was not rejecting the collection of the loan, but that it needs more explanations. ``If we must approve the collection of this loan, government must accompany this proposal with a clear blueprint on the projects it will be used for. ``We are representatives of the people, and so we must

make laws that will be in the best interest of the people; anything short of that will be antagonistic,’’ he said.

In the same vein, the member representing Rukuba/ Irigwe Constituency, Mr Simon Kudu, wondered what the government was doing with its monthly subvention that it had to always fall back to collecting loans.

He called on the Assembly to direct the state accountantgeneral to appear before the House for a more elaborate explanation about the proposed loan.

After much deliberation from members, the House unanimously agreed that the accountant-general and permanent secretary to appear before its standing committee on Finance for further explanation.

The committee is expected to report back to the House within one week. (NAN)

Death of Oshiomhole’s private sec.: Court awards N1.02m damages against police From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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Benin High court yesterday awarded N1.02m cost against the Nigerian Police over poor investigation of the death of Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, the Principal Private Secretary to Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole.

Delivering judgment on a suit: B/57m/14 in an action instituted under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009, Justice E. O. Ahamioje of the High Court of Justice of Edo State awarded Ugolor, Executive Director of Africa Network on Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), the sum of N1m “as exemplary and general damages against the respondents” and the costs of N20, 000 out of N10m claims.

Barrister Olayiwola Afolabi of Olayiwola Afolabi & Co. represented Reverend Ugolor against the respondents: the Nigerian Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police as well as the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

The petitioner sought declarative reliefs that the seizure of his properties such as personal phones, ipad and cheque book since May 2012, which he willingly submitted for investigation was not only illegal and unlawful but also violated his right to acquire and own property.

He sought an order, therefore, directing the respondents, their agents, successors, and privies to release his properties in their custody.

In his judgment, Justice Ahamioje ruled, “It is my opinion that from the unchallenged or uncontroverted facts in the supporting affidavit, the respondents have no justification in law for the continued seizure of the properties of the applicant after investigation and inquiry had been successfully completed or concluded in the murder case wherein the applicant was exonerated by the Ministry of Justice vide a legal advice Exhibit “B” dated the 29/10/12.”

The compensation brings to N6.02m total costs that Ugolor has been awarded for obvious poor investigation carried out by a police ‘special team’ from Force Headquarters in Abuja constituted to unravel the murder of Oyerinde, led by the then DCP Chris Ezike, who is presently Edo State Commissioner of Police.

Peoples Daily recalled that late Olaitan Oyerinde was murdered in his residence in Benin City on Friday, 4th May, 2012. The police later arrested and detained Ugolor, his bosom friend and popular Federal Government critic without trial even after a court-ordered release.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

Page 9

News News

Gusau Federal Medical Centre procures jaundice treatment machines

From Ibrahim Gusau

Sidi

Son of Late Alamieyeseigha, Victor; Late Alamieyeseigha’s widow Marget and wife of the former President, Dame Patience Jonathan, during a condolence visit to Alamieyeseigha family, yesterday in Port Harcourt.

Muh’d,

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he Paediatric department under Federal Medical Centre Gusau has announced the procurement of 3 locally fabricated phototherapy machine at the cost of 300,000 naira against the 3,600,000 million naira imported ones meant for the treatment of Jaundice patients.

This was contained in a statement by the Head of Department (HOD), Dr Sunday Onazi and made available to newsmen yesterday in Gusau, the state capital, informing that the MDAs should utilise their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) following the dwindling oil prices in the international markets.

He expressed confidence in the purchase of the locally fabricated machines, saying that they were technically observed to be able to serve the same purpose as to that of the imported ones.

Arms handling: Jigawa NSCDC trains 700 officers

J

igawa Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has trained no fewer than 700 of its officers on how to handle arms in the last three years, an official said.

The State Commandant, Mr Muhammad Gidado, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse that the training was part of the command’s efforts to improve efficiency and protection of lives and property in the country.

He said the trainings were done in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, 33 Battalion in Katsina. ``More than 700 personnel are professionally trained on arms handling by NSCD in Jigawa; the training was done in batches within the last three years. ``The officers were trained by the Nigerian Army, 33 Battalion, Katsina, `` Gidado said.

He said the training was first of its kind in the history of the corps in the state.

The commandant stated that a significant percentage of the command’s officers and men were now combat already.

Gidado, therefore, urged the officers to apply the skills they learned during the training, in order to rid the state and the country of crime.(NAN)

600 street sweepers resume duty in Kano From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

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ore than six hundred newly-recruited street sweepers employed by the Kano State government in the Refuse Management And Sanitation Board (REMASAB), resumed duty yesterday.

This came after the discovery of 18,300, out of the 2,600 casual workers by the state government as ghost workers.

The state government then constituted a committee, headed by the commissioner for water and mineral resources, Alhaji Sule Usman Riruwai, to recruit a new set of workers in order to ensure

accountability and probity in the ministry.

However, the workers yesterday took over the streets to conduct a two-day special duty before the taking off of full operation after the screening exercise is complete by the committee.

Speaking, 48-year old Sadi Ibrahim, who is among the suspended casual workers after the discovery of the ghost workers, expressed delight for successfully passing through the screening exercise.

According to him, he was among the workers stationed to operate along the state road, but has now been on the Audu

Bako way to discharge his duty, stressing that he would continue to discharge his duty honestly and diligently. “ I am among the suspended workers. I am happy to scale through after the screening of our batch. Now I am stationed along the Audu Bako way. I pledge to discharge my duties with honesty.

He said A newly recruited elderly person, Abdullahi Saidu, said he was happy to have been appointed as the casual worker in the REMASAB, saying that the monthly allowances would help him fend for his family.

Mr. Saidu also thank the state governor for gifting him the spoils

of democracy, saying “ I thank God and thank Ganduje for getting the appointment. It will help me take care of my family.”

But in his response, the Managing Director, REMASAB, Retired Group Captain Muhammad Kura, said he could not give specific number of the recruited workers, adding that the committee set up for the recruitment is in the position to give the exact figure of the employee.

“I can’t give you the exact number of the newly-recruited workers. You know the recruitment is under the committee that was constituted to conduct the exercise.” , he said

also name medical institution after her.

In a motion moved by the Rep Akinade Fijabi Taofeek (APC Lagos), noted that at the first consultant Hospital, Obalande where the late Patrick Sawyer, Liberian-America citizen flew to Lagos from Liberia and was rushed to for treatment, some of the staff that attended to him including Dr. Adadevoh being primary contact persons contracted and later died

from the disease.

Noting the effort, courage and sacrifice of those persons who lost their lives in the course of treating Patric Sawyer, the House noted the need to be acknowledged, including the management and other staff of the hospital.

The lawmakers acknowledged the courage and bravery of Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh who having realized that the patient was a

carrier of the deadly disease, physically restrained him f mo leaving the hospital, despite knowing the risk involved, thus preventing the spread of the disease.

The House also noted the bravery and sacrifice of Dr. Adadevoh who put her life on the line in the course of duty and paid the utmost price and on the process saved the country from the stead of the deadly disease.

gang members went to their victim’s room at Akara road by Fulani road around 2 am to kill him.

Two of his friends in the room that night were both seriously injured. “ The victim and his two friends were all sleeping when the suspects broke into their room and attacked them. They immediately killed their victim and stabbed his friends in the room, including my son,” according to the mother of Abubakar Alhassan who was seriously injured.

Abubakar is under admission

at Barau Dikko Specialist hospital after undergoing surgery.

DSP Zubairu said the principal suspect one Shatan ( meaning Devil) is on the run and that police are after him.

“Immediately we received the information we decided to rush to the area and we were lucky to apprehend four suspects belonging to the Sara-Suka group. The principal suspects are on the run but we will soon get him arrested,” he said.

Our reporter also reported that a similar incident happened along Dutsinma Street by

Matazau Road in Tudun Wada yesterday where another youth was killed by his rivals. “ In Tudun Wada too we also received a distress call that some youth were fighting but before we got there one person was seriously stabbed and died as he was being rushed to hospital. “ But the principal suspects with the support of the residents was arrested and presently in our custody,” he said.

According to him, all the suspects will be charged to court for homicide so as to face wrath of the law.

Ebola: Grant scholarship to late Dr. Adadevoh’s children, Reps tell FG

By Umar Muhammad Puma

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he House of Representatives yesterday called on the Federal Government to provide scholarship to the children of the Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh who died while preventing the spread of the deadly Ebola disease in the country.

The House also urged the federal government to confer a posthumous National honor and

Police arrests 5 youths for murder in Kaduna From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

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aduna State Police Command yesterday arrested four youths who have been terrorizing residents of Unguwar Rimi for killing a youth in the area.

Public Relations Officer of the Command, DSP Zubairu Abubakar disclosed this to Peoples Daily on phone while reacting to the gang clash at Unguwar Rimi on Tuesday night.

It was gathered that the suspects along with their other

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

News

Okene killings: Ebira community backs Nigerian Army From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

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ollowing the recent killings of suspected Islamic fundamentalists in Inike, a suburb of Okene town in Kogi state by the men of Nigerian Army, Ebira community residing in Kaduna have thrown their support behind the military and also called that the operation should be a continuous process to fish out other sect members who are bent in disturbing the peace and quietness of the country.

The spokesperson of the Ebira community in Kaduna, Alhaji Amodu Ozi-Umaru, disclosed this while reacting to the incident yesterday in Kaduna.

According to him, report reaching from Okene and environs, have shown that the members of the sect have been going around forcing people to buy their ideology or face the consequence, adding that residents have contacted prominent people in Ebiraland including the paramount rulers, Ohinioyi of Ebiraland, Alhaji Ado Ibrahim, informing them of the activities of the sect.

“Those of us from Ebira land who reside here in Kaduna have joined our voices to condemn the sect’s activities and people like us who are Muslims find it difficult to key into some of their idea, especially turning the mosque into armory. Islam is a religion of peace and both the Muslims and Christians in Ebira land will rise against anyone hiding on the cover of religion to wreck havoc on our land.

“Ebira people are naturally peaceful people and accommodating and will never stand as ground for breeding insurgents or fundamentalists.

This will not be allowed to happen now as all true sons and daughters of Ebira know the consequence of such action,” he said.

Another Ebira business man residing in Kaduna, Muhammadu Ibrahim Shuaibu, called on the Nigeria Army to beam its searchlight across nooks and crannies of Kogi state to ensure that similar groups are flush out before they gain support.

He called on the Ebira people to support the military move to rid the land of all forms terrorism.

He however called on the military to ensure that innocent people were not meant to pay for the sin of few.

It would be recalled that men of Nigerian Army stormed Inike community where ten Islamic fundamentalists were reported to have been gunned down in a gun duel with the men of Nigerian Army while some of them managed to escape when they could not withstand the firing power of the Army.

L-R: Representative of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Bridget Okoeguale; National Coordinator, National Malaria Elimination Programme, Dr. Nnenna Ezeigwe and Chief of Party, HC3 Project, Mrs. Anna Melstad, at the launch of guidelines for malaria advocacy and communication, yesterday in Abuja.

Boko Haram ends December, Buhari restates

By Lawrence Olaoye

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari has insisted that the military has the capacity to put an end to the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents by the end of the year.

He expressed the confidence that by December Boko Haram’s ability to attack, seize, ravage and hold any Nigerian territory will have been completely obliterated.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari gave the assurance yesterday at an audience with the Commander of

United States Africa Command, Gen David Rodriguez.

He said that with greater support from his administration in terms of improved training, equipment, logistics and welfare, the Nigerian Armed Forces were now well positioned to meet the December deadline which they have been given to end the Boko Haram insurgency.

The President seized the opportunity of Rodriquez’s visit to restate his appreciation of the United States’ support for Nigeria’s efforts to overcome terrorism and insurgency.

“We must thank the United States of America for sending training teams and equipment to us. The positive results of our collaboration are evident.

“Structured attacks by the insurgents have reduced and by the end of the year, we should see the final routing of Boko Haram as an organized fighting force, “ the President said.

Buhari appealed, however, for greater cooperation from the United States in securing the Gulf of Guinea through which stolen Nigerian crude oil is shipped abroad.

Decrying the severe revenue losses which Nigeria suffers from crude oil theft, the President said that his administration was determined to end this criminal practice and would welcome more support from the international community in this regard.

General Rodriguez told Buhari that he was in the country to strengthen Nigeria/United States military relations, and also explore further options for assisting the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) established by Nigeria and her neighbours, to fight Boko Haram.

Education an instrument for social change – Nasarawa poly Rector From Gambo Ahmed, Lafia

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he Rector Nasarawa State Polytechnic Lafia Dr. Silas Gyar has described education as an instrument for introducing and sustaining social change in human societies and a key for social reconstruction.

Dr. Silas stated this yesterday while delivering his key note address at the school of Basic and Remedial Studies during its first National Conference with a team “impacts and prospects of

Tertiary Education in National Development: challenges of Relevance and continuity” held at the polytechnic in Lafia the State Capital.

According to him “Education imparts knowledge, teaches skills and instills attitudes to the recipient. To educate the mind is to liberate it from shackles of fear, prejudice, ignorance, superstition and to develop a free, independent and responsible citizenry”.

Dr. Silas who said the theme of the event is became imperative for

Nigeria to put in proper perspective the state of education in Nigeria at the moment; adding that, doing so must involve some fundamental questions and answers which according to him include: to what extent have we achieved functional education system?, how strong is the foundation of education visavis tertiary education in Nigeria, how well motivated are the teachers who are the conveyors of education and can it be said that our scholars inspire confidence in our children?

He also identified some of the

challenges confronting tertiary education in national development to include: Inadequate funding of tertiary institutions, shortage of manpower, decline in academic standards, power supply; adding that the only way forward there should be proper funding, prioritization on research innovations, fight against corruption, appointments of Chief Executives on merit and competence as well as good governance in the management of institutions.

Masari seeks Assembly approval for N245m to upgrade Daura Motel From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

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overnor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State has urged the State House of Assembly to raise N245 million to upgrade Daura Motel to a three star hotel.

Reading the governor’s letter before the House, its Leader, Alhaji Lawal Isa said the governor in the letter stressed that the rehabilitation of the motel would boost tourism in the state.

He added that the governor also sought for N20million for rehabilitation of Dutsin-ma Motel

and N30 million for Malumfashi Motel.

Similarly, the governor according to the House sought for N10 million for the renovation of Funtua Motel.

Masari the House leader disclosed requested for a N33 million for the continued

activities at the Funtua Dry Port while a request of N31 million was made by the governor for the maintenance of Katsina Shopping Mall.

After reading the governor’s letter, the Speaker of the House differed debate on the governor’s request to today.

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

EDITORIAL

Let Judiciary be independent perpetual injunction restraining the governor from further releasing the funds piecemeal. He ordered the defendants to henceforth ensure

121 (3) and 162 (9) of the 1999 Constitution in the disbursement of funds to the heads of courts by releasing the allocations directly.

We see the judgement as a landmark pronouncement on what the relationship between the judiciary and the other arms of government should be in a democratic setting.

As ably argued by Professor Itse While we appreciate NUJ Sagay (SAN), it will promote the for doing journalists proud, independence of the judiciary. we hasten to remind the When the judiciary has its funds directly, without being withheld by new Odusile leadership any other arm of government, it that it won’t have a long will have greater independence and honeymoon because there by that, it will be in a good stead to apply the rule of law in any situation is work to do. First and without fear or favour. foremost, it has to re-launch The era of state executives deliberately the battle for the Freedom starving the state judiciaries of funds in order to get positive judgements of Information Act (FoA) to from the judiciary is gone, hopefully take effect in the 36 states forever. Consequencely, all Nigeria where a court said it cannot patriots are expected to support this judgement because it is at the be enforced because it was heart of our democratic system. It a federal piece of legislation is, in fact, baptism of the principle enacted by the National of separation of powers as spelt out in the Constitution.

Assembly.

Even though those opposed to this judgement have the constitutional right to appeal, we warn them transparency in the way and matter that an attempt to appeal the of disbursing funds accruing to the verdict or delay its implementation states’ judiciary. The state governors would amount to undermining were also asked to henceforth comply the independence and financial with the provisions of sections 81(3), autonomy of the judiciary.

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

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n Abuja Federal High Court presided over Justice Adeniyi Ademola early 2014 made pronouncements that were very fundamental in the administration of justice in this county. The court ordered the 36 state governors and the minister of the Federal Capital Territory to comply with constitutional provisions on financial autonomy of the judiciary.

The court’s order was the consequence of a suit filed by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria to challenge what they described as ‘piecemeal’ release of funds to the judiciary from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, contrary to the provisions of sections 81(3), 121(3) and 162 (9) of the 1999 Constitution. The union had in the suit filed in 2012, asked the court to declare that the piecemeal payment/allocation of funds through the states’ ministries of finance to the states’ judiciary at the governors’ pleasure was “unconstitutional, unprocedural, cumbersome, null and void”, and should be stopped immediately.

Delivering judgement in the matter, Justice Ademola had agreed with the plaintiffs and held that the action of the state governments was unconstitutional. He ordered them to discontinue such immediately.

The judge also issued an order of

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OUR VISION

Chairman Malam Wada Maida, Oon, Fnge Director/Editor-in-Chief Rufa’i Ibrahim Hameed M. Bello

Editor, Daily

Chief Operating Officer Ali M. Ali

Acting Editor, Weekend Lawal Sabo Ibrahim

Manager, administration Hassan Hammanyaji

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PAGE 12

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

Opinion Tackling unemployment through MSMEs

By Deacon Ochela

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hat the unemployment situation in Nigeria has reached explosive, nay epidemic proportions is no longer in contention. And that all governments’ efforts at proffering solutions to the malaise have proved largely ineffective is equally not in doubt. What is however of serious concern to Nigerians is the authentic cum impregnable way out of this quagmire.

But in the midst of this seeming gloom lies a silver lining the sky as epitomized in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)–a laudable policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), aimed essentially at offering Nigerians a wonderful window of opportunity to finances and business development services.

It would be recalled that in the 60s and 70s, school leavers secure jobs with relative ease; graduates were scarce and hard to come by, and it was employers who looked for them instead of the other way round; jobs existed in firms and industries that could be counted with mere finger tips and government remained the largest employer of labour. However, those were the good days gone by.

Today, Nigeria is bedeviled with the cankerworm called unemployment so much so that the government has been consistently hectoring Nigerians to think of alternative ways, outside the government circle, on how to become self-employed.

To provide succor for the teeming population of jobless Nigerians seeking alternative means of survival through self-

employment and to lend a helping hand, in a manner of speaking, to those whose businesses are reeling in shock as a result of economic meltdown, the government, through the CBN, elected to package the MSMEs, which account for largely 80% of enterprises in Nigeria and the rest of Africa to provide ‘’greater benefits to society in terms of job creation, and as a result, poverty alleviation.’’

And because MSMEs are usually bogged down by the debilitating incidences of lack of access to financing, business development services and access to trade and capital markets, Kajaura International Consults (KIC) Ltd, working in conjunction with the CBN, has to step in with its wideranging degree of expertise to provide the MSMEs with access to ‘’much-need risk-sharing capital and business development services.’’ So, by working with cooperatives, KIC Ltd has opened up access to the hefty N220 billion CBN intervention fund, which is

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intended to create unlimited nay sustainable jobs for countless millions of Nigerians that are currently roaming the streets in search of seemingly elusive jobs.

From all intents and purposes, with large investment opportunities that abound all over place, money sourced from this intervention fund could be used in creating employment opportunities not only for the borrower, but for those to be employed in the businesses for which such funds are borrowed.

For Nigerians interested in accessing funds from this intervention project, several opportunities are open to them for investment in areas such as piggery venture; fish farming; farming; palm oil trade; restaurant management; bakery project; cassava processing industry; vegetable oil processing; food processing; marketing of farm products; ice fish business; groundnut oil industry; plastic recycling and soya beans cultivation, to mention but a few.

No doubt, Nigeria is a nation

where thousands of her citizens are bristling with wonderful ideas on numerous business ventures.

Unfortunately, those who have such ideas do not have the fund and those with the fund, lack ideas—a conflicting situation that can only be harmonised by agencies such as KIC Ltd through the instrumentality of CBN’s intervention fund.

On this note, a large pool of the unemployed who have brilliant ideas could come together and take advantage of the business development services offered by the synergy between the CBN and KIC Ltd to realise those ideas for the benefit of themselves and the Nigerian economy. Those people, it must be realised are often unable to provide collaterals, which various banks demand on individual basis.

I am of the strong opinion that great attention should also be paid to idea-financing, just like the financing of individuals, which Nigerian banks are accustomed to. If Nigerians are ready to conceptualise useful ideas of

For Nigerians interested in accessing funds from this intervention project, several opportunities are open to them for investment in areas such as piggery venture; fish farming; farming; palm oil trade; restaurant management; bakery project; cassava processing industry; vegetable oil processing; food processing; marketing of farm products; ice fish business; groundnut oil industry; plastic recycling and soya beans cultivation, to mention but a few.

social and economic benefits, then there should be no reason why they should not be encouraged.

And it is for this reason that the cardinal objectives of bridging the gap in financing, which KIC Ltd espouses, should be encouraged in all ramifications.

It has been proven overtime that financing of businesses without adequate provision of business development services is akin to a blind man groping in the dark without the services of a guide. It is the realisation of this hard fact that actually informed the prioritisation of business development services

by KIC Ltd. It is expected that a high preponderance of economicallydistressed nay unemploymentravaged Nigerians and a cornucopia of MSMEs will take advantage of what is on parade with a view to repositioning their economic lot and the economy of Nigeria as whole.

It is because government has so much confidence in the ability of the private investors to establish and profitably manage small and medium-scale enterprises that informed its decision to transfer interest in some of its enterprises to private hands, either by outright sale or sale of part of its equity in such establishments. Above all, government has adopted and is pursuing a policy of financial non-involvement in small scale enterprises, except by way of loans and incentives. This underscores the importance attached to MSMEs, which KIC Ltd is currently pursuing with utmost vigor.

–Ochela is an Abuja-based public affairs commentator.

Helping Inunduh to succeed at FMC Makurdi

By Philip Agbese

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alf a year is a short time to make assessment of achievement in office but for Dr Peteru Inunduh, Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Federal Medical Centre Makurdi, the six months he has pilot the affairs of the tertiary health facility have been impactful to the extent that an interim assessment is in order. The verdict is a resounding vote of confidence that will lead one to declare that the reward for hard work is more hard work. Dr Inunduh must thus be empowered to do more for the medical centre in view of its geo-significance and also in view of the giant strides taken by the CMD within the short time he has been in office.

Perhaps, the greatest of the changes he has brought to the Federal Medical Center Makurdi is the level of sanity restored in terms of peaceful working relationship between the management and the workers thus ending the frequent

and prolonged industrial actions at the centre. The place was one of the health facilities that were often shut down for prolonged periods as management and staff haggled over working conditions. These previous labour disputes had often left patients in untold pains and their relations in anguish as they were unable to get desperately needed care.

Dr Inunduh acted in recognition of the need to keep the Federal Medical Center Makurdi opened at all times because it is a health facility that has the responsibility to save life and provide care. The importance of keeping the Federal Medical Centre open at all times is best appreciated against the backdrop that Benue state is increasingly paying host to victims of flooding, the wounded from farmer-herders clashes and communal crises from within the state and from neighbouring Plateau and Nasarawa states. These patients

present with complications that only the centre can handle.

A direct result of this is that the facilities of the medical center are already being over stretched.

Considering the importance of keeping quality tertiary care available to those who need it, it is imperative that the federal government steps in to give Dr Inunduh’s administration a boost.

A prompt review of the budget for the place is quite necessary.

This will enable it acquire the needed consumables, upgrade of equipment and recruitment of more staff with the necessary incentives. The challenge of expanding infrastructure to cope with growing demand is thus addressed at the same time with increasing staff competence.

This is not discounting the reality that the hospital has world class equipments that were recently procured by the past administration of Dr. Matthias Oyigeya. In the same vein, let it be a task for

the present administration to soar higher. It can build on the existing excellence at the centre and market it as a model for other federal government health facilities and meet world class standard within the shortest time. A further improved FMC Makurdi also becomes a model for the governments in Benue and neighbouring states.

Dr Inunduh’s transparent dealings with public funds in the past shows that he can be trusted to judiciously apply any additional resources released by the government for the intended purpose to improve on the quality and capacity of the health facility. In fact, he is one man that President Muhammadu Buhari can trust with more funds to discharge on his executive functions vis-a-viz health care services to people in and around Benue State.

Incidentally, the CMD is someone who had been appealing for increased funding for the

medical center right from when he was its helmsman in acting capacity. This clearly confirms that he has the vision about what could be achieved when more resources are made available to the hospital.

From what he had previously articulated, more funding means the Federal Medical Center Makurdi is able to step up efforts in funding the hospital to enable it complete ongoing projects and to enable it deliver quality health care to the people of Benue and its environs.

This is thus the time for the Federal Government to act. It will not just help improve the Federal Medical Center Makurdi but will also improve the quality of lives of Nigerians within its area of coverage and consequently yield a population that is healthy to make meaningful contributions to the economy and national growth.

Agbese is a public affairs commentator and writes from the United Kingdom.

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

Comment

Mental shift from political saviors to institutional dependency

By Adewale Sogunro

T

he political reality of our beloved Nigeria remains to be dominated with enormous complications.

Although a nation blessed with abundant natural and human resources and noted as symbolically the “Giant of Africa,” she continues to leave dwarf like footprints on the African continent and the global political terrain. This can be partly attributed to our misguided, visionless, and apathetic as well as cowardice political leadership who are more inclined in maintaining a corrupt and self-serving status-quo than in developing a structure that will benefit the general public. As a result, their inaction has led many young, talented, and gifted Nigerians to not only develop but be recognized, internationally, for proliferating 3 major Black Market Industries: prostitution in Russia, Italy, England, and Dubai; drug trafficking in southeast Asia, Africa, America and Europe; and Yahoo or 419 scamming all over the world.[/caption] While domestically, young Nigerians are relegated to 3 other Black Market Industries: prostitution, criminality, and okada/danfo transportation. Some Nigerians, especially men, have tried to dismiss and justify the existence of prostitution as being one of the oldest professions on earth; yet, if most civilizations only produced a space for their daughters, wives, aunts, etc. to be prostitutes such peoples would have become instinct due to destabilizing

By Kunle Ajibade

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he former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, Mr. Olasupo Shasore; our sister, Mrs. Ayo Obe; my brother, Dr. Chidi Odinkalu and our very special guest, Sandra, I feel honoured to be in your good company on this stage this afternoon in the name of Fela. Distinguished audience, I greet you all. When I was collecting my thoughts last night for this presentation, I decided to watch again the 1978 Fela and Africa 70 concert in Berlin. It was, characteristically, a spell-binding show.

Most riveting, for me, was the outstanding performance of the song “Pansa Pansa”.

Fela was totally in his element when he swore in that song that, as long as there were injustice, hunger and repression in Africa, he would not stop crusading against all the antagonists of progress. He promised that he would continue to give them pansa pansa — a tongue lashing that could be permanently painful when it is inflicted by a popular artist. He did not betray the cause till the very end, when he died at 59.

Fela argued passionately against the wide gulf between the prince and the beggar, between the leader and the led; the gulf between the elite and the masses.

Although, he was a member of the elite himself, he was not a snob. His thoughts open several windows of possibilities in our minds — possibilities of freedom from the shackles of the Thought Police, freedom from the chains of religion, freedom from the shackles of fear. When you unpack his songs, his music, you have all sorts of inspiring stuff coming out. He was the kind of marvellous artist that filled the gap in our political and historical knowledge.

Fela was a strange man but his strangeness was familiar because it was the strangeness of visionaries and prophets. To be sure, he was not a saint but a special priest who preached to millions of black people about how to remove jagajga on their roads to modernity. I pay profound respect to this gifted pathfinder.

There is a sense in which this section supports the logic of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti in Beasts of No Nation. What is that logic?

That you should not wait for tyrants, dictators and corrupt leaders to dash you human rights. He describes these people as “animals in human skin” and “vagabonds

the core of any functioning society that needed women to play an integral part in its development.

Undoubtedly, the rate of prostitution in Nigeria has reached catastrophic levels and needs to be addressed. Of course, this shouldn’t stop us from celebrating the success many young minded and brilliant Nigerians have attained all over the world and in Nigeria with moral integrity despite facing enormous odds. Still, some of Nigeria’s socially deviant behavior should be a cause of alarm and concern, which leads us to deep individual and national introspection and questioning: what is the solution?

Every election period, Nigerians await a political savior, one who will move the masses beyond her current socio-economic limitations while stomping out corruption. Yesterday, it was Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan and today it is Muhammadu Buhari.

The expectation is that elected political saviors will miraculously solve the central issues that Nigerians have been wrestling with for decades. Moreover, these are mere fantasies or imaginary political wishes not grounded in the structural and institutional reality of Nigeria.

Structural or structure signifies the policies of dominant government institutions that are intended to ensure socio-economic gains of individuals and society through institutions. A socioeconomic gain is the economic gain a person acquires from work that will position her to live a better and healthy

social life as well as being a contributor in society. Institution denotes the legal system, public-private schools and housing as well as corporations that bring to life dominant government policies. For example, a government policy to create safer roads is a public value (public infrastructure and safety, education, etc.). In seeking to create a public value, the government policy allocates resources to ensure that the value is funded through awarding and administering an objective contracting system to corporations and public entities (institutions). The end result is not only a public good such as roads is provided but jobs are created as well.

Unfortunately, Nigeria doesn’t have the political machinery in place to produce such public value and the beneficial socio-economic implications attached to such outcomes.

Nevertheless, the lack of structural and institutional formation to produce socio-economic outcomes and create public value seems to be a subset of an overarching dysfunctional governmental structure. In other words, the Nigerian federal government needs to be decentralized and its fiscal and political reach limited; thus, allowing local and state governments to meet the socio-economic and political needs of their respective constituents. For example, Nigeria’s Federation Account Allocation Committee allocates revenue from oil producing states to all other states. This is problematic. First and foremost, it doesn’t challenge local and state governments to formulate

a socio-economic agenda that will create industries, which will employ the masses as well as address the needs of their constituents.

Secondly, it breeds a level of complacency that no matter what socioeconomic outcome a state achieves or doesn’t achieve it will be awarded for being non-productive or mediocre on an individual, communal, and local/ state level. Lastly, it doesn’t permit for elected officials to be held accountable to their constituencies. This is an unfortunate command-control structure inherited from Nigeria’s military days that continues to cause social and economic disarray vis-à-vis local/state and federal government jurisdiction.

Clearly, the structural and institutional inefficiencies that plagues Nigeria seems to be a symptom of a federal government that indirectly encourages a culture of non-productivity by monopolizing political power from local and state governments, which hinders polices that shape public value creation and socio-economic gains on the local and state government level. Moreover, even if major government reform has been undertaken, to decentralize the overarching reach of the federal government, the only sustainable way forward would be to ensure that government accountability and transparency become part and parcel of Nigeria’s political culture. There are too many elected officials getting away unscathed without consequence or

reprieve after gorging themselves in unbridled greed, which has led to the economic genocide of many Nigerians.

In the final analysis, there seems to be a pervasive political culture in Nigeria and Africa, which believes that political saviors will be elected overnight to materialize change in the daytime. Such notions are rooted in fantasy and not grounded reality; it’s very similar to dreaming of losing weight when one’s daily eating habits aren’t structured in accordance with a well-balanced diet. Similarly, the thought of political change can only be entertained in Nigeria once local and state governments are able to determine their political and economic realities, respectively, while simultaneously being able to hold their elected officials accountable in an atmosphere of transparency by their constituencies.

Hopefully, in addition to President Buhari’s stellar and impeccable moral leadership, which outpaces most of his contemporaries; he will devote the time to address fundamental government reform in effectuating lasting and permanent change. Government reform, that decentralizes the federal government’s economic and political power, is the only practical proposal and solution a political messiah can bring to Nigerians not himself.

in power”, who are just incapable of comprehending the humanism in the humanist statement of rights popularly called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

I pay tribute to this true progressive, argumentative, irreverent, playful and courageous man, who has gone before us to join the pantheon of our great ancestors. I draw inspiration for my contribution to this symposium from Article 29, section 1 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

It states that “Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible”.

There is a sense in which this section supports the logic of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti in Beasts of No Nation. What is that logic?

That you should not wait for tyrants, dictators and corrupt leaders to dash you human rights. He describes these people as “animals in human skin” and “vagabonds in power”, who are just incapable of comprehending the humanism in the humanist statement of rights popularly called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Fela’s argument is that because we own the rights, we must nurture them, give expression to them in order to dignify our humanity. And one of way of doing that is through community organising. Which is why the title of this talk is Community Organising As Propeller of Human Rights.

The British academic, cleric and author of The Politics of Hope, Jonathan Sacks describes community as society with a human face. He argues that “it is where problems are best understood and solved, where individuals not otherwise politically engaged can be enlisted in the service of others.” Sacks goes further to say that the neighbourhood, the parish, the congregation, the youth club, the town union, the professional body etc, etc, are where people experience directly and immediately the power of working together to achieve what none of us can do alone.

In the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, community organising is taken seriously as a capacity building process from the bottom-up. In those countries, as you all know, loyalties to their communities, sport clubs, schools, hospitals, bookstores, among others

cultural and political institutions, are always on full display. Since 1880, the history of community organising has gone through many significant phases. From organising immigrant neighbourhoods in urban centres through civil rights movements, anti-war movements, anti-apartheid movements, women’s movement, feminist movements, the Arab spring movement, Occupy-Wall Street movement, Bring Back Our Girls movement, down to Black Lives Matter movement.

Citizens UK, for instance, has been promoting community organising in the United Kingdom since 1989. It is a reputable alliance of community organisers and leaders. Citizens UK recognises that communities can empower themselves when they come together to compel public authorities and businesses to respond to the needs of ordinary people. The following are the objectives of Citizens UK: Our experience of practicing broad based community organising across the UK has confirmed for us that the threads that once connected, the individuals to the family, the family to their community and the community to the wider society are fraying and in danger of breaking altogether. We believe these strands, connections and alliances are vital for a healthy democracy and should be the building blocks of any vibrant civil society.

More so: We believe in building for power which is fundamentally reciprocal, where both parties are influenced by each other and mutual respect develops.

The power and influence that we seek is tempered by our religious teachings and moral values and is exercised in the fluid and ever changing relationship with our fellow leaders, allies and adversaries. We value and seek to operate in the public sphere. We believe that UK public life should be occupied not just by a few celebrities and politicians – but also by the people themselves seeking a part of the action.

In response to growing demands for training, Citizen UK set up in 2010 the Institute for Community Organising as part of its Centre for Civil Society. In the same year, it held a General Election Assembly at the Methodist Central Hall,

Westminster, with 2,500 people from member institutions. The event was three days before the election. David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Gordon Brown, as the leaders of the three main political parties, were present. Each candidate for Prime Minister was questioned on stage concerning his willingness to work with Citizens UK if elected. Each agreed to work with Citizens UK and come to future assemblies to give account of work achieved.

When London announced it would bid to be the host city for Olympic Games in 2012, Citizens UK swung into action to ask for things of benefit to Londoners if the bid was successful. It demanded affordable homes for local people; that money from the Olympic development should be set aside to improve local schools and the health service; that at least 30 percent of jobs should be set aside for local people; that the Olympic Delivery Authority, the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and the Olympic Legacy Company work with Citizens UK to ensure that these promises are delivered.

The Abeokuta Women’s Union gave us a very inspiring example of community organising. Founded in 1946, its first president was Mrs. Funmilayo RansomeKuti. Members of its executive committee included Mrs. F.W. Fagbemi, Mrs. Eniola Soyinka, Mrs. Victoria Soleye and Mrs. S.F. Adeyinka. About 20,000 women were financial members but the union had over 100,000 women in Abeokuta alone as its sympathisers.

Those who have read Barack Obama’s carefully written memoir, Dream From My Father: A Story Of Race and Inheritance, will recall that when the then 22-year old Obama finished his first degree in Political Science and International Relations at the Columbia University in New York, he worked as a community organiser in Chicago. He worked with other organisers at Developing Communities Project between June 1985 and May 1988. They helped to fix run-down schools, parks and black housing estates. They also helped to stop gang wars by black youths. It was tough but they persisted. The experience would stand him in good stead as a law student in Harvard University where

he became the first African-American to edit that university’s prestigious Law Review – he also was the first AfricanAmerican to become the president of the same law journal. The experience helped him during his campaigns for senatorial seat in Chicago. It helped him immensely during the campaigns for the presidency of America. Obama is still very proud of his community organising experience. When some Republican candidates during the presidential campaigns for his first term in office mocked his community organising days, his own campaign outfit retorted that Jesus Christ himself was a community organiser! And they proved it. Obama was merely building on the great traditions of community organising of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. Malcolm X, Fidel Castro, Steve Biko of the Black Consciousness Movement, among others.

It is to the credit of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People that they drew on the inspiring examples of the non-violent community organising strategies of some of the famous civil rights movements when they launched their justified campaign against the maltreatment of Ogoni by the Federal Government and the oil companies in the Niger Delta. With a very articulate leadership whose robust arguments were unassailable, the cause of Ogoni was immeasurably served.

The Ogoni Bill of Rights was sent to the international community. All the accused in that bill of rights had to explain themselves.

The genocide that Saro-Wiwa and the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People pointed out may not have been completely redressed but they managed to bring to the attention of the world the injustice of an oil bearing community that was getting virtually nothing in return. Ken Saro-Wiwa and other compatriots paid the ultimate price in the course of doing that. They paid the ultimate price in the same way that Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr and Steve Biko did. But their murderers could not kill the big idea they represented. Great ideas don’t die — they multiply.

Solomon Adewale Sogunro is Nigerian political enthusiast.

He works as a government consultant and organizational instructor.

Community organizing as propeller of human rights

Kunle Ajibade is Executive Editor/ Director of TheNEWS/P.M.NEWS.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

PAGE 14

News

FG to boost wheat production in Kebbi, Jigawa, Gombe

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he Federal Government on Wednesday expressed readiness to establish National Innovative Platform to boost wheat production in Kebbi, Jigawa and Gombe States.

Dr Oluwasuve Olabanjo, the national anchor, Wheat Value-Chain programmme, disclosed this when he paid a courtesy visit to Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, in Birnin Kebbi.

Olabanjo, also the Executive Director of Lake Chad Research Institute Maiduguri, said the platforms when established would also ensure a ready made market for

the product.

The executive director who anchored the programme for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, insisted that wheat grown in Nigeria was of the best quality around the globe. ``This country has the capacity of producing three million metric tones of wheat annually,’’ he said.

Olabanjo, however, lamented how Nigeria was spending billions of naira on wheat importation annually in spite of the huge untapped arable land in the country. ``We need to realise and harness

our natural potentialities. ``Nigeria will host wheat traveling workshop next year, while a National wheat field day will take place afterwards in Kebbi,’’ he said.

Olabanjo said the institute would distribute modern agricultural equipment to encourage commercial wheat farming in the identified states.

He assured wheat farmers of government’s commitment to reducing importation of wheat by 2017 to at least 50 per cent.

Olabanjo also promised rice farmers of ready made market via patronage from various rice millers

in the country.

The executive director commended Bagudu for his support to farmers and buy-back policy drive aimed at encouraging agriculture in the state.

Responding, Bagudu noted that the wheat farmers had dropped cultivation of the commodity due to poor market and lack of government support.

The governor, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Alhaji Sulaiman Argungu, advised federal government to open market outlets for wheat farmers to

encourage them sell their commodity without loss.

He said farmers had embarked on mass production of rice as stable food and that made the state government to spend N300 million to purchase rice from farmers at production points.

According to him, the aim of the policy is to further stabilise the market price of the commodity and promote food security.

He commended the institute for donating improved seedlings and other agricultural chemical to wheat farmers in the country. (NAN)

We must close gap between rich, poor Nigerians-Fayemi

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ormer governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has underscored the need for Nigeria to close the gap between the rich and the poor.

Fayemi, who gave the advice on Tuesday in Abuja while answering questions from senators in the course of his screening as a ministerial nominee, said it was unfortunate that no fewer than 110 million Nigerians lived below the poverty line on two dollars per day. ``Poverty is clearly deep in our country. If you look at our manifesto, we put it at a figure of about 110 million Nigerians who live below the two dollar per day margin in our country. ``It is not really poverty, it is inequality. You cannot have progress in any country, where one per cent of the population controls 80 per cent of the resources. ``The second issue to tackle, which I believe our government is taking head long is corruption. ``The amount of leakages in the system in our country is unacceptable and we need to do something fundamental about it. ``Leadership by example would have to be where to start. We need to reduce significantly the recurrent expenditure in our country. ``We also need to ensure that crime is linked to sanctions so that impunity will not continue to drive the country deeper and deeper into poverty.’’

He also spoke of the need to diversify the nation’s economy in addition to plugging all leakages from the economy.

The former governor also made a case for the creation of adequate job opportunities.(NAN)

L-R: Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; acting Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Emilolorun Ayelari; President, African Studies Association of African (Asaa), Prof. Lungisile Ntsebeza and the Keynote Speaker, Prof. Toyin Falola, at the International Conference of Asaa, yesterday in Ibadan

Groups to protest non-settlement of WAEC, NECO fees in Zamfara

From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

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he Zamfara state chapter of the Northern Youth Assembly (NYA) in partnership with the state Budget Working Group (BWG) has announced the conclusion of all possible arrangements to stage a peaceful protest over alleged nonpayment of 2014 WAEC and NECO fees by the state government.

Disclosing the development to newsmen in Gusau, the state

capital yesterday, the Chairman of the group, Malam Munnir Haidara Kaura has challenged that, the need for the joint protest by the group of NGO’s in the state has become imperative after being satisfied that, the present administration of Governor Yari is not willing to save the future of the teeming frustrated children. ‘’We have mobilized over 800 students across the 14 Local government areas of the state

that had their results withheld by the WAEC and NECO since 2014 and are going to demonstrate to the entire world how this administration continue to allow them decaying under frustration following refusal to pay for their result”.

He added that, apart from NYA and BWG, there are other civil society organisations and like minded people that have eventually registered their partnership

towards ensuring the peaceful protest.

He further said that, the groups would use every constitutional means to serve President Muhammadu Buhari with a complain letter that would draw his attention to intervene, calling on the people of the state to support the initiative of the groups and contribute strongly towards saving the future of education in the state.

Nigerians urged to pray for Buhari’s anti corruption crusade to succeed From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

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amfara State based business Tycon Alhaji Sahabi Liman Dan Masani Kaura Namoda has urged Nigerians to support and pray for president Mohammad Buhari’s anti corruption crusade to succeed in the country.

According to him, Buhari is not a corrupt leader and will not tolerate corrupt individuals in his administration.

The business Tycon disclosed this in a chat with newsmen in Kaduna state.

He added that it’s a well known fact how some state governors couldn’t pay their staff salaries for months. “ Buhari’s trustworthiness and love for this country and kindness to Nigerians made him to travel abroad negotiating and seeking for support from super power countries like CHINA and United State of America (USA) as well as other

neighboring countries so as to bring back Nigeria’s looted money by unpatriotic corrupt individuals which were deposited in overseas bank accounts. “ This clearly showed that Muhammadu Buhari is not a corrupt leader and will not allow corruption in his administration,” he said. “ As Nigerians we all knew the issue of non-payment of salary accumulated for months by some state governments but it was president Buhari that solved the

issue through the bailed out funds from Federal Governments accounts to the affected states now the staff predicament is history, Dan Masani reminded Nigerians on how president Buhari as PTF chairman was able to bring changes and development in the country. “ It was during President Buhari’s time as a PTF Chairman I was given a contract to Fence Federal Government Hospital Anka Government Zamfara State.

“Renovation of Primary School

within Shinkafi Local Government Zamfara State and Installation of over head Tank in Usman Dan Fodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS).

Immediately engineers testified the quality of the work, payment were made within few days, as a result of his good Leadership style,” he said.

He explained further that if not because God decided to bless Nigeria with a good leader as president Muhammadu Buhari the country will have been backward in Africa and world.

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Only attitudinal change, commitment will win war against corruption - BAHA Speaker From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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L-R: Senator Abu Ibrahim, Senator Ahmed Sani and Senator Ahmed Lawal, during the screening of the ministerial nominees, at the National Assembly, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

INEC lacks institutional independence, needs reform – EU

By Ochiaka Ugwu

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he European Union’s Election observation team in Nigeria; in its final report, says systemic weaknesses still abound that could impede the activities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

EU’s chief observer, Santiago Fisas stated this while addressing journalists in Abuja to mark the end of its 10 months observance period of the 2015 elections.

Mr. Fisas who said INEC appeared to have performed impartially, despite challenges, added that the insufficient requirements for transparency, and lack of full institutional independence,

make it vulnerable to partisan operations.

“The law overly restricts INEC’s powers, rendering it insufficiently effective in challenging inappropriate actions”.

He added that despite the credibility of the voter registration and identification processes, the records in 11 states of the north east could best be considered implausible.

“However in 11 states, over 92 per cent PVC collection was reported, which is implausible given that the deceased have not been removed from the list since 2010.”

Mr. Fisas said EU’s recommendations therefore were the establishment of a more

inclusive cross party system for the selection of INEC’s leaders.

That Nigeria should develop a plan for maintaining the voter’s register after a thorough review of the 2010-2014 registration process.

He added that the plan should include improving biometric functionality, removal of the deceased, as well as extending enrolment of new registrants.

Other recommendations were that INEC merges accreditation and voting process on Election Day, for ease of access for voters, while maintaining other safeguards.

That the constitution be amended for independent candidacy at all levels, while the National Broadcasting

Corporation (NBC) regulatory authority is strengthened to avoid occasion of abuse of incumbency, through the media, as witnessed in the 2015 election period.

Mr. Fisas said the EU also called on political parties to provide regular and adequate information on the promotion of women’s political participation; while ensuring reasonable time frame for the filing hearing and determination of pre-election suits.

He said the detailed recommendations were 30 in number, with 19 of them requiring a change in legislation, while others involve administrative actions by different bodies.

Minister: Buhari didn’t stop me from prosecuting my case-Sen Jummai Alhassan

By Ali Abare Abubakar

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enator Jummai Alhassan, who was yesterday confirmed Minister of the Federal Republic, has denied insinuations that President Muhammadu Buhari made her minister in order to stop her from prosecuting her case against the governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku at the Election Petition Tribunal.

Jummai Alhassan made the

clarification yesterday while undergoing her ministerial screening at the Senate.

Asked to recount from her experience as a magistrate and court registrar why corruption has permeated the judiciary, the Minister detoured only to first clarify the matter regarding reports indicating that the president nominated her Minister only to stop her from prosecuting her case against Governor Ishaku.

“Before I answer your question, Mr. Senate President, may I seek your indulgence to clear an issue that is going around not only in the country but outside the country; a very wrong impression, virile rumour being peddled that my nomination

by Mr. President was a choice between my matter before the Taraba Election Petition Tribunal and being a Minister.

“I say it here, live and direct, it’s not true. Mr. President is a

man of integrity, a man of honour and justice. He will not stop me from pursuing the rights of my people and my party by giving me an option to accept ministerial appointment and drop my case.

“In any case, Mr. President is a committed, loyal party man; he will never betray his party. There is no way being in the APC, Mr. President will ask me to choose between being a minister and my gubernatorial case” Jummai Alhassan said.

he Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly (BAHA), Hon Kawuwa Damina has advocated for attitudinal change by Nigerians, and political commitment on the part of leadership to win the fight against corruption The speaker, who stated this during an interview with newsmen in his office at the state assembly complex yesterday in Bauchi, said that it’s through attitudinal change by Nigerians and political commitment on the part of leadership that the nation can win the fight against corruption.

“The war on corruption is a collective responsibility by stakeholders in the country because government cannot fight corruption alone. There need to be a change of attitude on the part of the leaders and the masses if we are to win this fight against corruption.

“As leaders, we have to sacrifice our lives leading by example. The reason why past governments were unsuccessful in tackling corruption is because of lack of good leadership and political commitment” he said.

The speaker also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for selecting professionals who have track records of proven integrity and achievements to become his cabinet members.

He expressed satisfaction over the president’s fulfillment of his promise to release the list of his ministerial nominees, saying that the screening of the ministers was not only a welcome development for the country, but that it came at the right time.

He noted that although there were reactions trailing the delay in releasing the list of the ministerial nominees, what mattered was that the government was set to work for the interest of Nigerians.

He said: “As far as I am concerned, I am satisfied with the ministerial nominees by President Buhari because of the calibre of persons who are on the list. The President in his wisdom has chosen people with track records of integrity, intelligence and achievements.

“The senate on it part, is doing a wonderful job because there are set down criteria for the ministerial position and whoever is qualified automatically passes the screening exercise.”

The Bauchi Speaker pointed out the relationship between the legislative and executive arm of government in the state was a cordial one and debunked insinuations making the round in the state that there was a rift between the lawmakers and the governor.

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Politics

Edo deputy Gov tipped as Oshiomhole’s successor From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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L-R: Kano State Governor Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; Sokoto State Governor Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwa; Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu; Zamfara State Governor Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari; and Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, after a meeting on Agric, with Vice President, at the Presidential Villa Abuja yesterday.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Tribunal orders fresh election for Reps seat in Taraba From Mulega Mkom, Jalingo

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ational and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Jalingo yesterday nullified the election of Dan-Asabe Charles Hosea representing Kurmi/Gashaka/ Sarduana Federal Constituency on the platform of the PDP. Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the election, Ibrahim El-Sudi had dragged Dan-Asabe of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the tribunal challenging his victory at the poll on the ground that the election was conducted in non compliance with the Electoral Act.

Tribunal chairman, Justice Samson Angor who read the judgment ordered fresh election in 19 polling units in the constituency on the grounds of non compliance with the Electoral Act. The tribunal held that the respondents failed to proof the case of non compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act in the conduct of elections in 19 polling units in the constituency beyond reasonable doubt.

Citing evidence before the tribunal, Justice Samson Angor held that election in 19 polling units in Kurmi and Sardauna local government areas in the

constituency were conducted in non compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act. He also held that the marginal difference in votes between the winner and the runner up was less than the number of registered voters in the 19 polling units where elections were conducted without compliance with the Electoral Act. The tribunal judge then declared the election inconclusive and ordered the setting aside of the certificate of return issued the 3rd respondent, Dan-Asabe Charles Hosea, by the 1st respondent, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Tribunal judge also ordered INEC to conduct a fresh election in the 19 polling units within 90 days.

Lead counsel to the petitioner, Festus Idepefo Esq hailed the tribunal justices for a well researched judgment.

On his part lead counsel to the 2nd respondent, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and 3rd respondent, Dan-Asabe Charles Hosea, M.A Akamode Esq commended the justices for their conduct throughout the hearing, saying he had got judgments in the tribunal before and will not harbour ill feelings over the judgment.

Edo LG boss suspension linked with N383M deficit budget From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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uspended chairman of Oredo Local Government Area of Edo state, Mr. Osaro Obazee, has denied allegations of financial impropriety, stating however that a deficit of N383 million incurred in last nine months by the Council under his watch exposed the weakness of his government.

Obazee cited the huge wage bills for pensioners, teachers’ salaries amongst others as reasons for his inability to pay workers salaries and other sundry accusations may not be unconnected with the reasons for his suspension.

The suspended council boss was sacked along three other Local Government Council chairmen in the state last week, Tuesday by Edo state Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, which was

subsequently ratified by the state House of Assembly.

At a press briefing in Benin City, the Edo state Capital, yesterday, Mr. Obazee explained that, “My members of my family, the church and friends and well wishers said the way the rumours are being peddled in the City is one that is capable of denting one’s name, especially, when one has political future.

“As far as I am concerned Oredo local government has been at the receiving end of the very positive statutory allocations from the federal government.”

According to him, “from January to date the council had received a total allocation of about N102, 579, 700:00m with a monthly wage bill of N54m”, pointing out that the total wage bills for the past nine months represents about N486m while it has a deficit of N383m within the past nine

months.

He said the council started having financial crisis since October 2014, stressing that assumption of office in October 2013 the council had lived up to his commitment in the payment of staff salaries even as the IGR was used for essential duties in daily evacuation of wastes from markets under the council’s jurisdiction besides up-to-date payment of teachers salaries and pensions.

“I am convinced that I have not diverted any fund that is meant to be expended to carry out my original responsibility” even as the council under him has 57 roads under construction with five completed ones, 104 new toilets, remodeled council secretariat, rural electrification for some communities and several other projects that litter within the 58 villages of the council.

He also stated that the least of teachers’ monthly salaries gulps about N114m, the highest is N176m while pensions take about N22.6m monthly, adding that workers have received over three and half months since this year.

He pointed out that the problem of financial crunch to deal with issues amongst the councils is not only peculiar to Oredo as about 15 Local Government Councils are affected by the scourge of not meeting with the peoples’ expectations which led to the state government’s guarantee for loans from Central Bank of Nigeria for the councils in what is popularly known as bailout.

While thanking the governor for facilitating the bailout process, the council boss said it was a rude shock the allegation of diversion of funds as he cannot be that wicked to indulge in such ungodly act as a labourer is entitled to his wage.

pressure group, ‘Nedogheria’, has risen in defense of Edo Deputy Governor, Barrister Pius Odubu as the most credible successor to Governor Adams Oshiomhole ahead next year’s governorship election.

A statement by the Coordinator of the group, Mr. Agene Patrick, yesterday in Benin City, cited absolute loyalty and dedication to duty of the deputy governor to his principal and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the past eight years as reasons for the proclamation by the group.

According to Mr. Agene, “Barrister Odubu is the only politician among the lot who can sustain the legacies of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who will be leaving office then.

“He has worked with the governor for eight years during which he has learnt the ropes, and has drank from the stream of wisdom for good governance, the only key needed to succeed the Comrade next year”, the statement said.

Governor Bindow urges support for Adamawa ministerial nominee From Umar Dankano, Yola

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overnor Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla Bindow, of Adamawa state has urged the three Senators representing the state to support the nomination of Alhaji Mohammadu Musa Bello as ministerial nominee from the state.

Bindow made the call in a statement issued by the state Commissioner for Information, Comrade Ahmad Sajoh, describing the nominee as a good and qualitative representative of the state.

“I want to reaffirm that his Excellency, Sen Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla has fully endorsed the nomination of Alhaji Musa Bello as ministerial nominee for Adamawa state.

“As a government, His Excellency wishes to invite all the three Senators from Adamawa state to give him (Bello) total support.

“As former Senator, the governor also called on his colleagues to clear Bello and confirms him as a minister. Bello is a patriotic son of Adamawa whose credentials and credibility we can attest to”, Sajoh said.

However reacting to the nomination of Bello, the Adamawa APC Organizing Secretary, Alhaji Ahmed Lawal and the North east Protem National Vice chairman of the party, Alhaji Umar Duhu, have expressed concern of the party members in the state over the appointment of Bello.

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Politics

Ministers: Buhari silence Southeast critics – APC Chieftain

By Umar Muhammad Puma

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chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) South-east chapter, Prince Paul Ikonne, has said that those who were mocking supporters of the party before the nomination of prominent Ndigbos into cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari, have now gone to sleep.

While commending the President for nominating “some of the best products” in the region, Ikonne also expressed believe that President Buhari will fulfill all the promises he made to the region during the electioneering campaign.

Reacting in a telephone

interview yesterday, Ikonne, who was the Abia state Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate in 2011, said nominations of Okechukwu Enelamah, from Abia who he described as “a financial guru, quiet and articulate person from Abia state is worthy of note that among many qualified people he was able to fish out this person and nominated him as minister.

“Well, generally I think the

people on the Ministerial list of Mr. President are worthy and qualified Nigerians. When you talk of the nominees in the likes of Dr. Ogbonaya Onu, Dr. Chris Ngige, Kayode Fayemi, Raji Fashola, Lai Muhammed, Rotimi Ameachi and others, like I have always maintained, the President knows the people he want to work with and he will keep doing that till he form his cabinet.

“Like I said the issue of zone to

me is nothing but competence and ability to key into Mr. President vision for bringing a new Nigeria is the most important thing.

When asked about the situation in Southeast now, Ikonne said: “If you notice nobody is talking about marginalisation again, the PDP and other oppositions have gone to sleep because political appointees have started emerging, and more positions will come to the South-east.

“Remember I told you that Mr. President made a promise and I have known him as a person that keeps to promise, he will carry the South-east along because he visited the region more than five times during campaign more than any other zone.”

He asked Nigerians at large to continue to pray for the president to be able to bring about the new Nigeria.

Delta women demand rights of inclusion in peace development

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t least 3,000 women of the Delta state chapter of Women and Security Network (WPSN) yesterday in Asaba demanded their inclusion in peace talk process of the ongoing conflicts resolution.

The women made up of 38 stakeholders, in the early hours took to various streets of Asaba in peaceful protest to press home their inclusion in peace talk process.

Addressing journalists in Asaba, the conveyer of the protest, Mrs. Onose Martha, noted that part of the reasons for their protest was to sensitise the women in different categories especially among the widows and young girls about a document on violence against women.

She said that woman bears the brunt of conflict as they are in most times the target of conflict, stressing the fight for women rights to be taken to the rural women who have been ignorant of their rights.

She explained that it would be imperative to look inwards at location action plan and look at conflict prone areas, disclosing that the Delta state chapter of the Women Peace and Security Network had gone a step further to simplify violence against women documents to allow the ordinary man and woman understand.

She therefore stated that if marriage is not properly registered, there is little or nothing the law can do when a widow is being taken from the Husband’s family and advised every woman to be on the safe side by getting her marriage properly legalized within the confounds of the law so as to have legal backing.

L-R: Ministerial Nominee, Senator Chris Ngige, Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume and Senate Chief Whip, Senator Sola Adeyeyi, during the screening of the Ministerial Nominee, at the National Assembly, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

APC inciting violence in Kogi, Bayelsa to disrupt polls’ – PDP alleges

By Ahmed Abubakar

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he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is inciting violence in Kogi and Bayelsa states with a view to cause confusion, frustrate the electoral process and possibly impede the forthcoming governorship elections in the states.

The PDP alleged that the APC, having realized that it does not have the support of the electorates in the two states, especially given its unpopular candidates, is now employing devious machinations, including violence to terrorize the people, disrupt and eventually truncate the elections.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement yesterday said the imprints of the APC could be felt in the sudden militancy in Kogi as well as the growing cases of political violence in Bayelsa ahead of the November 21 and December 5 governorship elections in the two states respectively.

The party said, “The APC has

perfected a heinous plot to inject crisis in Kogi and Bayelsa, ostensibly to frustrate the electoral procedures within the constitutional time frame, so as to prevent PDP candidates, Governors Idris Wada and Seriake Dickson from being reelected into office.

“We invite Nigerians to note that the build up to the militancy in Kogi has been long started by the APC and its candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu, who has been fouling the state’s political environment with hate and inciting utterances, including threats to lives of PDP supporters and perceived political opponents.

“Intelligence information available to us indicates that the APC has been training and arming thugs to unleash mayhem and destabilize the state ahead of the election.

“Recall that earlier this month, Prince Abubakar Audu directed these thugs to attack and “kill” PDP supporters and those perceived to be opposed to the ambition of the APC in the state. Nigerians should therefore not be surprised at the

sudden militancy in Kogi state. We know that the aim here is to infuse confusion, truncate the electoral process and eventually rig the poll in favour of the APC. “Also, in Bayelsa state, the APC in its desperation for power has been heating up the system and arming thugs, apparently to cause crisis in the state polity, frighten the electorate and possibly derail the election to their advantage.

“Nigerians are witness to the sponsored violence that characterized the APC governorship primaries in Bayelsa, with party leaders pointing accusing fingers at APC’s candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva.

“We are aware that the same set of APC thugs used during their primaries have now been further armed and instructed to attack PDP members and perceived opponents of the APC, intimidate electoral officials and disorganize the elections.

“The PDP therefore charge Nigerians, all security agencies and the international community to note the evil machination of the APC

and hold them responsible for the growing disturbances, especially should there be any breakdown of law and order during the governorship elections in the states.

“In the same vein, we call on President Muhammadu Buhari to see the two forthcoming elections as litmus tests of his democratic credentials. He should, as duty demands of him as the father of the nation to ensure that he takes immediate steps to rein in members of his party, the APC in the two states.

“We also call on the people of these two core PDP states of Kogi and Bayelsa to be vigilant and ensure that they do not fall prey to the gimmicks of the APC in their desperation to subvert their will and steal their mandate.

“Finally, the PDP wishes to state categorically that it would not hesitate to use any means available within the ambit of the law to ensure free and transparent elections and would not accept any attempt by anybody whatsoever to rob us of our oncoming deserving electoral victory in these states.

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Politics

Al-makura submits list of commissioners From Gambo Ahmed, Lafia

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aving careful study of men of integrity to serve in his cabinet, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa State yesterday presented 16 commissioner nominees to the state House of Assembly for screening and confirmation as members of the state executive council.

The Majority Leader of the House, Alhaji Tanko Tunga (APC-Awe North) made the presentation of the nominees on behalf of Governor Al-makura at the floor of the House in Lafia the state capital.

Al-makura who further implored the House to screen and confirm the commissioner nominees so as to enable them assist him in running the affairs

of the state for the overall development of the country.

His words: “My colleagues, permit me to read the Governor’s message, first in the message is that Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura is requesting the House to approve 16 commissioner nominees that will assist him in piloting the affairs of the state.

If they have been screened and confirmed, they will assist

him in running the affairs of the state for the betterment of our people and the society in general.

Those submitted are, Bar. Yusuf Shehu,Dr.Dominic Bako,Ramatu Ajuji-Abu,Dr. Othman Ibrahim-Ahmed,Aliyu Yusuf-Lawee,Sony Agasi,Dr. Daniel Iya,Mustapha Yahaya-Idris,Haruna Iliya Osegba,Eunice Kigbu.

Awgu must produce next governor of Enugu state – Emperor Ibe

El-Rufai knows fate today in election tribunal From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

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nxieties pervade Kaduna as the State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kaduna is to deliver judgment on governorship election petition between APC candidate, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and Polycarp Gankon of APGA. The judgment, according to a statement addressed to Nigerian Union of Journalists Kaduna state council, will commence by 9:00am on Thursday.

Tagged: “Notice of Judgment in the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal”, the statement, which was dated 12th October 2015 was signed by the Secretary of the Tribunal, Mrs. Hannatu Bello on behalf of the tribunal Chairman.

It reads in parts: “This is to inform you that judgment in the above named matters is scheduled to take place at the Kaduna State Judiciary High Court of Justice, Bide Road, Kaduna on Thursday 15th October, 2015 at 9:00 am prompt”.

By Ahmed Abubakar

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L-R: Auchi State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Nuhu Gidado welcoming Team Leader, African Development Bank (afdb), Mr. Tom Robert, during a courtesy call on the deputy governor, yesterday in Bauchi.

Katsina group hails nomination of Mariatu as commissioner From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

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Katsina group, Good Governance and Accountability Initiative has hailed the nomination of Mariatu Bala Usman as commissioner in Katsina State service.

Director of the group, Malam Danjuma Katsina stated that the nomination of Mariatu has clearly

demonstrated the state governor’s commitment to change things for the better in the state.

“Mariatu is a youthful and experienced hand that can help the state in this trying period especially in the areas of economy and prudent management of resources” he added.

He disclosed that looking at the nominees experience in the oil sector especially in market

intelligence and price analysis she has a lot of value to add to a fragile economy like that of Katsina.

Danjuma stated that the nominee has handled a lot of critical responsibility n the NNPC where according to him she demonstrated her expertise as a committed professional.

According to him, Mariatu is a serious personality that holds the principle of accountability and

prudent management of resources as her way of life both in private and public conduct.

The director therefore called on members of the state House of assembly to ensure the smooth and speedy screening of the nominee.

He also urged the state Governor, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari to appoint the nominee if cleared to a position where she would serve the state better.

Former AGF dissociates self from Suswam’s EFCC travails From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

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ormer Attorney- General and Minister for Justice, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN has said that immediate past governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam wants to drag his name into the ongoing probe on him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, with the intent to destroy his hard earned reputation.

Chief Aondoakaa who stated this in a press release while reacting to a story in Nigerian Pilot of Tuesday October 13, 2015 captioned “EFCC To Review Akume’s Case

Others are: Engr.

Mohammed Idris, Isiaka Galadima, Aliyu Tijani, Makeri Godwin, Barr.Gabriel Aka’aka and Team Yiga.

Receiving the list, the Speaker of the House, Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe admonished the nominees to submit 30 copies of their curriculum Vitae (VC) on or before Thursday, October 15th.

Says “I did not receive any case file on Akume” File” wherein it was alleged that in his position as AGF, he received the case of erstwhile governor of the State and now senator representing Benue North- West senatorial district Sen. George Akume.

He stated categorically that throughout his tenure as AGF and Minister for Justice, he did not collect any case file or complaint from EFCC including that of Sen. Akume, maintaining that EFCC as an independent and transparent organ of government never deposited their case files with the

office of the AGF. “It is pertinent to note that the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation does not carry out investigations and therefore, has no business with case files. As a lawyer, I do not believe that Suswam would want to drag my name into this matter with the intent to destroy me for reason best known to him”, he said.

The former Chief Law officer of the Federation expressed awe that Suswam who is also a lawyer would be so quiet on reporting

such criminal allegations for eight (8) years as governor and seven (7) years after he left office as AGF, urging the former governor not to distract him from his business of rice farming where he is creating wealth for local rice farmers in Nigeria, on issues that do not concern him.

It could be noted that Suswam was on Monday 12th October, 2015 quizzed for several hours by the EFCC on allegations of embezzlement of state funds to the tune of over 130 billion naira.

he leader of Save Awgu Forum, Emperor Baywood Ibe, yesterday in Enugu declared that the next governor of Enugu state must be from Awgu extraction.

Emperor Ibe stated this in a signed statement issued to Peoples Daily saying that the declaration had become necessary because of the level of marginalization meted to his people by both state and federal governments.

“Awgu people have been marginalized in the polity of the state. We have never produced any government office-holder at both state and federal levels.

There are no government institutions in Awgu. My people face unemployment and penury because of this negligence.

“The objective of our forum is to emancipate our people from the shackles of political and economic marginalization. Awgu is among the oldest local government areas in Nigeria but remains the most marginalized and underdeveloped.

“We have declared that we shall use every lawful means to ensure that the next governor of Enugu state, after Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, comes from Awgu,” he said.

Emperor Ibe also commended President Muhammadu Buhari in his efforts to eradicate corruption in the country. According to him, corruption has become endemic and requires the courage of Buhari to stamp it out, while condemning Nigerians who stash funds abroad, describing it as unfortunate.

He also urged Buhari to entrench free and fair elections in Nigeria to deepen the country’s nascent democracy.

On the recent trip by the President overseas, Emperor Ibe said the result had been tremendous.

“The nation’s integrity is being restored overseas. This is the first time that some countries are willing to assist Nigeria to fight corruption.

Stealing public funds and stashing them abroad have become nonfunctional because those countries where our leaders hitherto keep the stolen funds have started returning them to the coffers of the country,” he said.

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

FG, Turkey strengthen business collaborations

By Etuka Sunday

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he Federal Government and the Turkish counterpart yesterday agreed to strengthen the existing business collaboration between the two countries.

This was disclosed at the reception in honour of the 27-Man distinguished business delegation from Turkey to Nigeria, hosted by the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Speaking at the reception, the President of Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Tony Ejinkeonye said that the Chamber has been partnering with the Turkish Embassy in the area of business collaborations.

“Some few years ago, this kind of B2B meetings was held at the Transcorp Hilton, where our members met with their Turkish counterparts for networking,” he said.

Ejinkeonye urged the Turkish

visitors to invest more in the country, adding that “Abuja is a place to invest, taking into consideration its vast population and conducive environment.”

He said the Chamber has close to 2000 members of which about 85% are Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), therefore, appealed to participants to use the opportunity positively to improve businesses n the country.

“My appeal to participants is that, this great opportunity

should be used positively to foster your respective businesses,” he said.

Also speaking, the Head of Turkish delegation, Mr Ahmet Korparan said, Turkish government was already aware of the enormous investment potentials in Nigeria, therefore, efforts are on to invest more in the country.

On his part, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Engr. John

Obinna Chukwu said there is a trade imbalance between the two countries in favour of Turkeyn but that efforts are being made to address it.

He put the volume of trade between the two countries at $560 billion dollars in the ratio of $390:170 billion therefore, encourage Turkey to invest in FCT in the areas of Industrial development, Tourism, Housing, Education, Health and Raw Materials exploration.

L-R: Senior economic advisor, African Economic Development, Policy Initiative (ADEPI), Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, and non Executive Director Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Mr. Adetoun Suliaman, during the Roundtable with the Vice President on Reforming Public Institutions to ensure Competitiveness and Accountability at the 21st Nigeria Economic Summit, theme tough Choices: achieving competitiveness, inclusive growth and sustainability, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

NNPC consumes 40% of money it generates - Kachikwu

…Says corporation’s running cost equals five states allocation

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he Acting Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Emmanuel Kachikwu, yesterday disclosed that the corporation, before he came on board, was spending over forty per cent of the revenues it generated.

He also said at the time he took over as the NNPC GMD, he discovered that the amount of money the corporation spent monthly as its running cost was

equal to what about four or five states get as monthly federal allocation.

He made these disclosure while responding to the questions from senators during the resumed ministerial screening yesterday, where he also said there is need to drastically reorganise the NNPC. Speaking further, he said the problem of NNPC was more of structural than corruption, pointing out that the past leaderships of the corporation was lacking the political will to address the structural challenges inherent in the corporation.

He noted that his team is very determined to address all the issues that have prevented the agency from serving the interest of Nigerians, by allowing the change agenda to permeate all the nooks and crannies of the agency.

While responding to the issues of Petroleum Industry Bill

(PIB) which is still pending in the National Assembly, Kachikwu said the country looses about fifteen billion dollars annually because the PIB is not passed by the National Assembly.

He pointed out that the changes his team is seeking to bring about in the NNPC will not be constrained by the non passage of the PIB, but advised the National Assembly not to wait till there is a holistic passage of the PIB which he said may not be feasible.

He advised the National Assembly to split the PIB into beats and pass the less controversial sections to address the challenges fading the country, even as he said the critical areas in it which will impact on the lives of Nigerians should be considered and passed.

Speaking on how Nigeria can become self reliant in petroleum

products, he said his team is working towards improving the refining capacity of the refineries above 25 per cent. This he said, would determine if the government will privatise the refineries or not.

He argued that any refinery that is producing below 60 per cent is notworthy to be sustained, just as he said the target of the federal government is to hit 75 per cent of the production capacity of the refineries.

The GMD further said the solution to the crisis in Nigeria’s oil industry was to privatise the sector, saying this will make investors to invest for profit and to run the sector as a business.

He added that most of those who got licenses to build refineries during the government of President Goodluck Jonathan, could not proceed because they failed to do business analysis of

the project before applying for the licenses.

He said having discovered that they don’t have the capacity and technicalities to deliver on the project, a lot of them resorted to looking for those to sell their licenses.

Meanwhile, he reiterated that subsidy on petroleum will have to be scrapped, but said the concerns is how to tackle the challenges that Nigerians would have to face if it is removed.

“The problem is removing the subsidy without contingency plans to cushion the harsh effects.

We need to determine the actual cost of the subsidy. If we have to remove it we have to put in place the palliative to go with it, like the rail system for easy transportation, health care which benefits majority if Nigerians, and the dialogue is still on going to create awareness”, he said.

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Business

SEC to grow non interest products to a quarter of market capitalization From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

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he Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has revealed that it is planning to grow non-interest capital market products to be 25 percent of the overall market capitalization.

This disclosure was made Tuesday by the Director General of SEC Mr Mounir Gwarzo in Abuja at a round table meeting with a delegation led by the Lord Mayor of London Alderman Alan Yarrow and Nigerian Regulators.

Mounir Gwarzo who was represented by Zakawanu Garuba, Executive Commissioner

Corporate Services stated that “our goal is to boost non-interest capital market product innovation so that the segment can be at least a quarter (25%) of the overall market capitalization.”

The SEC he said wants “to build a strong regulatory regime for non-interest products, encourage stakeholders in the non-interest capital market and ensure the emergence of Nigeria as a prominent non-interest capital market hub both at the regional level and globally.”

Mounir Gwarzo further stated that the SEC was considering modalities for setting up a Sharia

Advisory Council as a body of experts to advise on non-interest product applications.

To boost liquidity of noninterest products the SEC he added is “working with a committee to support the FMDQ platform to enable secondary market trading of the products. We are also engaging the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to obtain liquidity status for non-interest products (especially the sukuk).”

All these efforts he noted are hinged on the fact that “Nigeria has more than 80 million Muslims compared to Malaysia’s total population of 30 million. In

addition, Nigeria has a larger economy than Malaysia’s, being the largest economy in Africa.”

To harness this potential, Mounir Gwarzo said proper planning was imperative which was “why at the SEC we set up an industry-wide Committee of experts last year to produce a 10year master plan on non-interest capital market product. Their recommendations have been incorporated into the broader capital market master plan which we have begun implementing. There have been many successful examples of market development through

R-L, Permanent Secretary, Power, Amb. Godknows Igali, Nigerian Ambassador to Brazil, Amb. Adamu Emozozo and Brazilian Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. JoaoAndre Lima at the Brazilian Business Delegation’s working visit to the Ministry, Abuja

Power sector will drive growth of SMEs – Buhari

By Etuka Sunday

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari yesterday disclosed that his administration would enhance the growth of the power sector in the country as the main driver of the envisaged development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

A statement by the Director, Press, Ministry of Power, Timothy Oyedeji quoted the President to have made the disclosure at the opening ceremony of the 5th Nigeria Alternative Energy Expo (NAEE 2015), in Abuja.

According to the statement, President Buhari noted that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are the bedrock for the development of any society , hence the performance of the power sector therefore is paramount to the survival of the industrial sector.

The statement said, Buhari, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Power, Amb. (Dr.) Godknows Igali, expressed optimism that opportunities abound in this sector, despite the challenge, as such government is doing everything possible to attract massive involvement in the power sector just as it reiterated that Government will ensure regular and steady electricity supply for a viable and sustainable development.

Government is committed to establishing a level playing ground for all interested investors, with encouraging policies and incentives that would leap frog socio-economic growth and development of the country and to complement and support the global investors interest shown to issues around energy, through the provision of infrastructure that meet internationally standard and

sustainable.

He promised that Government will continue to encourage genuine would-be investors with generous duty free repine for all power project components, in addition to tax-holiday and restriction reparation of profits by investors.

Mr. President therefore challenged “investors to go into renewal energy projects, so as to help fill the gap by lighting up our homes, environment and our businesses”.

He stressed that in line with nternational best practice, renewable is the way to go, although it might be expensive initially, the near nil maintenance cost will make renewable cheap in the long run.

He averred that renewal energy offers enormous business opportunities for young people especially in the rural areas. As Electro Entrepreneurs, young people should take advantage of

Government initiatives designed to assist them. For instance he said, the Bank of Industry is already working with the Ministry to fast-track credit lines for renewal energy projects, also Total Oil has a robust plan to develop solar powered equipment that would be used more in the rural area that are off the grid system.

Also speaking at the occasion, Ambassador Denys Gauer, the French Envoy in Nigeria said that France is poise to assisting the continent in increasing access to electricity, so that African women can give birth to children in the light, children are able to do their home lessons using light and vaccines can be stored with electricity.

The target is for the French to improve access on the continent in 15 years to about 80%, through assistance from multi-lateral and Bi-lateral donor agencies.

implementation of master plans and we are confident that our own master plan objectives will be achieved as well over the next decade.” he said.

Inspite of the immense opportunity present in noninterest products, the SEC Director General lamented that Nigeria is faced with the challenge of lack of capacity.

Responding, Alderman Alan Yarrow, the Lord Mayor of London pledged the United Kingdom’s government support stressing that “two things were universally agreed on, Islamic finance will be massive and it’s here to stay.”

Alderman Alan Yarrow expressed concerns that “the difficulty of defining what Islamic finance actually is, is with different scholars and different countries supporting different rules. That is equally true here in Nigeria with about 88 million Muslims and 39 percent of the adult population unbanked.”

Alderman Alan Yarrow said there “is a huge opportunity to offer Islamic finance as an alternative investment and finance model for both Muslims and non Muslims alike.”

Nigeria’s Exchange he said has a crucial role to play in that story since it is the second largest Exchange in sub-Saharan Africa describing it as “the Gateway to African markets and as such, the whole of Africa, to some extent, relies on Nigeria.”

The UK he said is prepared to help Nigeria “from looking at Nigeria’s legal framework, to helping to up the skills of your young, dynamic and ambitious population. London has the expertise, the variety and the capacity to help. And most of all, we offer the willingness and we stand ready to do our bit.”

Naira appreciates at the parallel market

T

he naira on Wednesday firmed against the dollar at the parallel market. The naira gained N1 on Wednesday afternoon as it traded for N225 against the dollar.

It had previously traded for N226 against the dollar. In the same vein the naira also appreciated in value at the official interbank rate as it gained N0.02 to trade at N196.98 as against its previous value of N197.

Traders at the parallel market expressed the belief that the naira might experience further appreciation as the price of oil at the international market went up recently.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the price of oil has risen to 50.15 dollars at the international market. (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

Business High Tension cable fire outbreak destroys Beauty Plaza in Delta From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

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lleged high tension cable fire outbreak on Tuesday in the early hours consumed beauty property plaza in Asaba Delta State worth estimated sum of N30 million.

It was reliably gathered that the building housing the beauty plaza along Nnebisi road, Asaba was gutted by fire at about 6:30 am and allegedly caused by a broken down cable from the high tension wire erected across the building by unknown persons.

At a visit to the shopping complex which includes hair cut saloon and other beauty materials, it was observed that the fire outbreak consumed all the shops in the building where symphatisers were seen discussing the tragic event as well as helping to evacuate debris of the fire disaster.

Speaking to our correspondent, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Multimillion naira complex Mrs. Eucharia Iloba however commended men and officials of the Delta State Fire service for rising up to their responsibility and contend with the fire outbreak even though to no avail.

She noted that although no live was lost, saying that three of the state fire fighters sustained minor bruises as they battle hard to check the fire and save it from escalating into other buildings.

According to her “I certainly cannot quantify the lose now, obviously it can not be anything less that N30m, you know I run a Spa here and the hair, equipments, and others were completely razed”.

Meanwhile some symphatisers would not want their names in the print blamed the fire outbreak on gross insensitive on the part of officials of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) for approving the erection of high tension cable across the shopping complex.

Over 2000 participants for International ICT Conference & Expo 2015 in Abuja

By Etuka Sunday

A

buja Chamber of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with Horizia Consulting Ltd is hosting an International ICT Conference and Expo 2015 in Abuja, as part of efforts to enhance e-commerce market potentials in the country.

This is contained in a statement

by Mr Tony Ejinkeonye, President, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry Limited in Abuja.

More than 2000 delegates drawn from various organisations and representatives from Federal and State Government’s agencies and Parastatals; and Organised Private Sector among others are expected to participate at the conference.

Ejinkeonye said the Fair endorsed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) themed ``ICT IN EMERGING ECONOMIES” scheduled to hold between Thursday, 15th and Friday 16th October 2015 at Sheraton Hotels

and Towers Abuja.

He noted that in spite of a rather late adoption, available data indicates that information and communication technology (ICT) is hastily picking up speed in Nigeria. ``With the proliferation of Informaion Technology companies, speculators and researchers have suggested that the Nigerian e-commerce market potential alone has a staggering value of over $10 billion with over 15,000 jobs in recent years. ``Credited to its many promises, ICTs constitute a potent driver of socio-economic development in emerging economies. ``However, it is not without challenges that require attention of the Government, industrial key players and allies of earnest counterpart beyond the shores of Nigeria,” he said.

He said the events hall shall combine world class conference with rich exhibitions and closing gala/award night.

According to him the fair shall draw on significant insights

and experiences from Nigeria, parts of Africa, and the world at large, convening ICT thought leaders, stakeholders, analysts, researchers and nterest groups on how emerging economies can drive sustainable economic development through Information and Communication Technology.

He said the objective of the fair include creating a forum for Policymakers, Industry Practitioners and ICT stakeholders to share research, experience, best-practices and initiate discussions on the pathways for promoting sustainable economic development through ICT. He said the Fair would also give opportunities to review and keep up to date with global ICT trends, and how ICT can create a more connected society and build smarter private/public sector through: lectronic Transactional Infrastructures - Card Payment Systems & Merchant Services; Enterprise Communication & Mobility; Big Data; Innovative Talent Resourcing& Management,

Cyber Security and Emerging Global ICT Trends / Issues.

He said it would also help in bringing together a record-breaking attendance of professionals, stakeholders, service providers as well as organisations/individuals or user groups seeking innovative solutions to their business challenges.

He said participants shall be drawn from over 2000 corporate members of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, representatives from Federal Government Agencies, Federal & State Govt. Parastatals and Organised Private Sector Representatives.

Others expected participants he said would include Chief Executive Offices and CIOs, Entrepreneurs, Trade Organizations and Associations, Electronic Services Stakeholders and Potential Users, Information Technology Society Leaders, Education and Academic Sector Representatives, as well as the General Public.

L-R: Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Hakan Cakil; FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. John Chukwu and Former Minister of Defence, Mr. Adetokunbo Kayode, at Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, business meeting with Turkish business delegation, yesterday

Nigeria loses N8.7bn using Incandescent bulbs -ECAN

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r Goodluck Enyinnaya, Secretary, Board of Trustees, Electricity Consumers Association of Nigeria (ECAN), says Nigeria loses N8.7 billion yearly because many electricity consumers use Incandescent bulbs which consumes more energy.

Enyinnaya made the disclosure on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. ``Nigeria loses N8.7 billion every year because

many electricity consumers use incandescent bulbs which consume more energy than energy saving bulbs; hence a large quantum of energy is lost by this process. ``That is why ECAN is advising energy consumers in the country to use the energy saving bulbs which consumes lesser energy,’’ he said.

According to him, the essence of using the energy saving bulbs was to ensure that a lot of energies could be saved for other purposes.

He said that the association

was making efforts to ensure that consumers paid fewer tariffs on the electricity they consume.

Enyinnaya urged consumers to be rational in their power consumption by ensuring that they used appropriate electrical appliances, adding that the use of obsolete devices affected power negatively.

He advised consumers to use energy saving bulbs which attract fewer tariffs and also reduced money they spent on buying fuel for their generators because incandescent bulbs also consume

more fuel.

On metering, the ECAN secretary said the association had met with several stakeholders in the sector to ensure that all electricity consumers were metered with prepaid meters.

He said if all consumers were metered, they would know and regulate their usage of energy, adding that the service providers would also know how much their customers consumed.

Enyinnaya added that ECAN had confronted stakeholders in the sector to ensure that meters

were produced locally but they claimed it was not possible because the nation lacked the technology.

He urged Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to implement all the incentives in the Acts that established it which was meant to help the poor to use electricity.

Enyinnaya called on consumers to ensure that they paid their tariff regularly to enable the service providers to provide stable and adequate power supply. (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

Business Fuel: NNPC warns against panic buying, announces 23-Day sufficiency

By Etuka Sunday

T

L-R, Lecturer, University of Port hacourt Prof Ben Vaanen, Former, Vice Chancellor, University of Science and Technology Port Harcourt Prof Barineme Beke Fakal and Veteran Columnist Mrs Donu Kogbara during a Roundtable on United Nations Environmental Programme report implementation review on Ogoniland, yesterday in Abuja .

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Economic Summit: Experts want FG to focus on power, vocational skill

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ome experts on Wednesday identified power sector as an area the Federal Government needed to urgently build to achieve competitiveness.

The experts made the resolution at the design workshop on ``Creating and Sustaining Nigeria’s Competitive Advantage’’, a sideline event at the 21st Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja.

The experts said Nigeria had strong potential for comparative advantage which could be converted into competitiveness in power and vocational skill.

Dr Fiyinfolu Oladiran, a facilitator of the workshop, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the experts believed that with right focus, policies and allocation of resources, the country would achieve competitiveness. ``We (Nigeria) are going to compete with the best of countries

in these sectors identified and as a country that wants to achieve inclusive growth; we need to focus on sectors that will create employment. ``The group felt that manufacturing and agriculture sectors will create employment and these sectors will help the country to earn foreign exchange. `` If you look out at the economy now, only 14 per cent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) comes from oil so already we are working on diversification,’’ he said.

The facilitator, however, noted that diversifying of export had been a major challenge of the economy, explaining that Nigeria growth had been consumption. `` The economy has been internal and domestic; we have not gotten to the area of diversifying our export yet and that effort will help the country to

achieve competitiveness,’’ he said.

According to him, experts have argued that in order to drive the national competitiveness, massive reforms and investment are needed in five key sectors.

He listed the sectors to include agro-allied industries; metal and solid mineral; oil and gas value chain; construction, light and manufacturing and service (ICT and entertainment).

Earlier, Mr Laoye Jaiyeola, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, said the theme: ``Tough Choices: Achieving Competitiveness, Inclusive Growth and Sustainability ’’ was apt.

He said that the choice of the theme was predicated on the fact that in the recent 2014 rebasing, Nigeria emerged as Africa’s foremost economic power. ``The rebasing with an estimated GDP of 536 billion

dollars (which has surpassed the economy of South Africa; accounts for almost 50 per cent of the GDP of West Africa) our growth in the last decade has remained non-inclusive.

According to him, some of symptoms include high unemployment rate, high level of poverty and low developmental indices ranking.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NES has become the largest and most prestigious annual economic forum for policy makers and captains of industries from the public and private sectors of the Nigerian economy.

It also provides opportunity for participants to interact and share thoughts on key issues and challenges facing the Nigerian economy, to evolve a common strategy and policy framework for addressing them. (NAN)

he Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has called on members of the public to avoid panic buying of petroleum products, especially premium motor spirit (petrol), as there is enough stock of the product to keep the entire country wet for 23 days. A statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Ohi Alegbe said, the Corporation gave the assurance against the backdrop of emerging queues noticed at some filling stations in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, arising from rumours of impending scarcity.

It explained that besides the recent meeting of the Management of the Corporation with members of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) to rally them for the uninterrupted fuel supply policy of the administration, it has set up a monitoring team at the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) to check sharp practices that could breach the distribution and supply system.

It put the quantity of petrol stock in its depots across the country at 927,461,000 litres which is enough to serve the country for the next 23 days if no drop of the product is imported within the period. It warned marketers not to engage in products hoarding and diversion as the PPMC monitoring team is empowered to sanction anyone found defaulting in those regards.

The Corporation also reiterated its call on members of the Nigerian public to discountenance the rumour of the reduction of the pump price of petrol to N57 per litre, adding that the price of the product remains N87 per litre.

Odu’a declares N150m dividend payment to shareholders

O

du’a Investment Company Limited on Wednesday declared N150 million dividend payment, representing 26.1kobo per share for each shareholder after such nondeclaration in six years.

The company made the declaration at its 33rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Ibadan.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the

company is a conglomerate jointly owned by Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states of Nigeria.

Chief Isaac Akintade, the Chairman, Board of Directors, expressed happiness at the performance of the company which he said recorded poor performance in 2012 and 2013.

Akintade hinged the company’s poor performance in the previous financial years to the economic situation of the country.

``Our GMD just came back from Turkey and as he mentioned, we are partnering with a company in Turkey to come and establish an agro-processing company here in Nigeria. ``So, we want to use part of the land we inherited to plant a lot of variable crops such as tomato. ``We know our economy is a bit down now and we all know this company is owned by the five states, we will give our best ,’’ he said.

The Group Managing Director, Mr Adewale Raji, said the statement of the chairman and the group result had indicated the company was gradually improving inspite of a five percent decline in revenue.

Raji said that the company had recorded N4.29billion revenue in 2014 as against the N4.51billion recorded in 2013.

He said that the company recorded an increase of 53 percent in its profit before taxation, having

realised N759million in 2014 as against N495million in 2013. ``The group’s Earning Per Share (EPS) notched up 98 percent from N0.72 to N1.43 in 2014. ``All financial ratios demonstrated improved performance fundamentals,’’ he stated.

He expressed optimism of an improved growth for the company in the future going by its 2015-2019 strategic plan. (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

Stock Watch:

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Peoples Daily, thursday, October 15, 2015

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Special Report

Risking death at sea to escape boredom

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any people trying to start a new life in Europe want to escape war or extreme poverty, but large numbers of young Algerians are willing to risk death crossing the Mediterranean because they are bored and fed up with the lack of opportunities at home.

I crawl under a wire and nearly trip on a sleeping dog.

“This way, quick!” hisses Rachid. It is pitch black so I gingerly follow the greenish glow from his mobile phone up four flights of stairs in a halfbuilt apartment block.

We’re up here because Rachid prefers to speak away from the prying eyes of the police or the twitching ears of informers. The warm wind is sweeping across from the sea. We are overlooking Sidi Salem, a rundown suburb of the Algerian port of Annaba. To our left a former French colonial army barracks has been turned into a shanty town.

“Even though I’m free, my life here is like a prison,” Rachid says. “As soon as I get a call about a boat, I’ll be off again to try to reach Sardinia.”

Rachid is a harraga. The word means “path burner” in Arabic, a runaway who flees his or her country for a better life elsewhere. It also describes the practice of setting fire to

identity papers to avoid being traced and repatriated.

Over the past decade, Sidi Salem has become a famous launch pad for illegal migrants.

The Italian island of Sardinia can be reached in just 12 hours with the right weather conditions.

Under cover of darkness, the migrants set out across the open sea, usually 10 or 12 to a boat, with jerrycans of petrol, food, blankets, an outboard motor and a GPS tracking device.

In 2009 the Algerian government made clandestine emigration a crime, punishable by fines and two to six months in prison. Equipped with new

boats and helicopters, the coastguard has also stepped up night-time patrols along the country’s 1,200km shoreline.

The Algerian Ministry of Religious Affairs issued a Fatwa against those who try to cross the border illegally - 14,000 mosques were instructed to preach against leaving.

But the harragas keep trying to go.

Rachid has attempted to escape three times already.

Twice he made it across the Mediterranean, to Sardinia.

On one occasion he managed to stay away for eight months and got into France, where he worked in a halal butcher’s shop, before being caught by

“

French police and sent home.

The second time he was sent back from Italy after 55 days.

“The carabinieri told us that our President Bouteflika had paid 4,500 euros (£3,175) for each of us to be returned and put us on a plane home,” says Rachid. “I felt so depressed.”

He admits his situation is far from desperate. He has a job, albeit a low paid one, as a security guard and a roof over his head. He does not fear for his life on a daily basis as many Algerians did during the brutal civil war of the 1990s, the period known as “the black decade”.

Since then Africa’s biggest country has been largely

Many people trying to start a new life in Europe want to escape war or extreme poverty, but large numbers of young Algerians are willing to risk death crossing the Mediterranean because they are bored and fed up with the lack of opportunities at home.

I crawl under a wire and nearly trip on a sleeping dog.

“This way, quick!” hisses Rachid. It is pitch black so I gingerly follow the greenish glow from his mobile phone up four flights of stairs in a half-built apartment block.

The harragas often use boats like these to try to get to Sardinia

peaceful. Thanks to vast reserves of oil and gas, there are plenty of imported goods in the shops. Healthcare and education are free for the country’s 35 million citizens.

Young people make up more than two thirds of the population but the ruling elite consists mainly of men over the age of 70 - the ailing President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, is in now his fourth term and many feel there is no prospect for change.

Rachid, aged 33, feels life is passing him by. “What kind of future can I have here in Algeria,” he says bitterly.

“There’s nothing for me here.”

On his last attempt to get to Europe he hid inside a cargo ship in the port of Annaba but was spotted and promptly arrested. He was fortunate.

The prosecutor came from his neighbourhood and released him.

But in practice few would be migrants spend long behind bars, says Kourceila Zerguine, a lawyer in Annaba.

“Our prisons can’t accommodate all the hundreds of harragas who are arrested each year,” he says. “This law was imposed by the authorities under pressure from Europe.

Algeria has become a guard dog for ‘Fortress Europe’.”

There are no official figures to show how many harragas try

Many of the migrants suffer greatly at the sea

A policeman keeping guard of a border nation

The situation there wasn’t always pleasant to leave - and many of them never reach the promised land.

Twenty-six-year-old Merouane Belabed disappeared one April night in 2007.

He worked in his father’s graphic design company. The family has a comfortable home but Merouane wanted to visit his cousins in Europe. He applied for a visa five times but was always turned down.

The night before he left he told his father, Kamel, that he was going to spend a few days

in Tunisia on the beach with friends.

“He said, ‘Don’t worry Dad, I’m not asking for money or to borrow the car and I’ll be back within 48 hours - three days at the most.’ “ But the family never heard from him again. He joined a long list of Algerians missing at sea which includes doctors, engineers and even the grandson of the country’s former president, Chadli Bendjedid.

The harragas have become something of a national obsession in the Algerian media, cinema and popular music.

Azzedine Nebil, better known as Azzou - one of Algeria’s leading hip hop artists - has campaigned against clandestine crossings.

His song Harraga tells the story of a journey to Sardinia which nearly ends in tragedy.

The lyrics describe towering waves, a boat full of water and

The Roman ruins of Timgad in north-east Algeria

a group of terrified young men “looking death in the face”.

They are rescued in the nick of time but not all harragas are so lucky.

“When I perform this song at concerts, so many people are in tears,” says Azzou. “I have a friend, a boy I grew up with, who disappeared at sea, presumed drowned but they never found his body.

“What is the point of making it to Paris if you are going to live a miserable handto-mouth existence selling contraband cigarettes on the street? You can create your own dream here, in your own village. You just need to think differently.”

But despite all the subsidies for cooking oil, sugar, petrol and text books, hope is a commodity in short supply in Algeria. An Islamist opposition leader once described Algerian youth as having a choice “between death at sea and a slow, gradual death at home” given the lack of opportunities in a stagnant economy dominated by nepotism and corruption.

President Bouteflika has blamed satellite TV for

spreading propaganda about “a pseudo overseas prosperity”.

And the internet may also have helped to give Algerian youth a chronic, collective case of FOMO - Fear of Missing Out as the diaspora relay tales of social, religious and sexual freedoms and a lively nightlife as well as better job prospects abroad.

The government has urged young people to stay put to help build their own nation. Since the uprising in neighbouring Tunisia, which began in 2010, the Algerian authorities have extended youth employment schemes and given young people interest free loans to set up their own businesses.

Mourad Zemali who heads ANSEJ, the agency which funds entrepreneurs, says so far 340,000 projects have been financed which have created more than 800,000 jobs. At a time of plummeting oil prices, he tells me the state is well aware of the need to diversify the economy into areas such as digital technology and tourism.

Despite stunning scenery and a wealth of cultural treasures - including well preserved Roman cities incidents such as the murder of a French tourist last year and the hostage crisis following an attack on a gas plant in 2013 have discouraged visitors.

And in a country where the state sector provides about 60% of jobs the service culture is sluggish, possibly a legacy of Soviet style centralised economy in the decades after Algerian independence.

“We are helping to provoke changes in mentality,” says Mr Zemali. “As well as financial help, we are trying to give young people values, get them to take responsibility for themselves. So we’re creating a new generation which takes initiative, which is dynamic.”

He admits that some of the companies funded by ANSEJ have gone bust but argues that bankruptcy for some start-ups is inevitable. “The fact that they

have tried to create a business employing other people in itself counts as a success,” he says.

Yet some are sceptical.

Yousef Othomani, who went to catering school in Switzerland, worked in London and has just opened a restaurant in Algiers, suspects the fund is yet another way to mask the lack of real change in Algeria.

Yousef Othomani’s restaurant Bad Buns - he calls it “New York without a visa” He says many young people got loans to set up car rental companies but in practice they just bought fancy new cars for their personal use.

“That is very common and the government doesn’t run after you to pay back the money,” he adds. “I don’t think it encourages entrepreneurship - they don’t ask you for a proper business plan. I see it more as a way of buying the youth. If you guys vote for us and keep us in government, this is what you get.”

However Kamel Daoud, one of the country’s best known writers, says it’s not the economy but sheer boredom that’s driving many young Algerians away.

“Our harragas don’t leave the country because they are poor or jobless…. even if that’s what they say,” he wrote in Le Quotidien d’Oran, the daily paper from Algeria’s second largest city. “They leave because here, in this country, their lives are pointless, there’s no room to dream, and worst of all, there’s no fun, no laughter, no kissing, and no colour.”

And life in Algeria’s villages is one where “the boredom is unrelenting, unbelievable, unbearable and inhuman,” he said.

Young people say they are sick of being treated with contempt - and too often their response is, “Al harga wala hogra” - better to burn than be humiliated.

Source: BBC

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

Mother Earth Rodents invade flood victims at Asaba Township Stadium R From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

odents including reptiles have allegedly unsettled flood victims relocated to Asaba Township Stadium in Delta State.

As it were, Major areas in Asaba Delta State worst hit by flood are: Powerline, Infant Jesus, Ifeanyi Okobi Street, Jesus Saves and its environs where the ravaging flood destroy the victims property leaving two persons allegedly killed.

The victims who recounted

their experiences at the Asaba Township Stadium on Wednesday said it has horrible experiences of insecurity and shortage of food items.

Although the State government through Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah claimed government officials including public spirited bodies have been donating relief materials such as mattresses, nets, and clothes for the affected victims, but those who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity dispelled

the claim as untrue, saying that their lives have been endangered since they were moved into the camp, alleging inadequate food items and insecurity especially at nightfall.

They alleged that they have been faced with the problems of reptiles, rodents, snakes and wild scorpions at the uncompleted stadium building where there are no windows and doors.

One of the affected victims, Uche Eziezie said she lost all her belongings and however said that government should as a matter of

facet build small houses for them in upland instead of what they are passing through at present at the stadium.

Uche who spoke in Pidgin English said “We are not enjoying this place at all, they only give us food once a day, we have killed so many snakes and scorpions since we came in into this camp, no sufficient food, no security, windows are all open”.

She however urged the Ministry of Health to assist them with drugs and other things that will prevent them from contacting diseases.

Meanwhile, the management of the stadium in conjunction with Ministry of Special duties has embarked on total cleaning of the place to make it habitable for the flood victims.

But investigation revealed that the cleaning exercise may have been carried out at surface level as the overgrown weeds that have taken over the abandoned stadium premises in the last two years may portend bad omen for the flood victims who are allegedly being threatened by wild scorpions and other dangerous reptiles.

UN-Habitat Support Office Abuja intensifies advocacy on public spaces correct housing deficit

U

nited Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Support Office, Abuja, said it has intensified advocacy to ensure that states have more public spaces in urban centres.

Representative, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Support Office Abuja, Mr Kabir Yari, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

According to him, public spaces in an area enhance the quality of life of people residing within the area, as everybody has free access to them. ‘’Traditionally, our towns are planned very well with public spaces. ‘’Unfortunately, this is not the case in some modern cities as urban setting is getting narrower by the day. ‘’Without the spaces people will find it difficult to move on none motorised transport thereby reducing automobile emissions into the atmosphere,’’ he said.

According to him, it also helps to reduce the effects of climate change.

Yari said that the situation in some cities was such that people built blocking the roads which result in flooding after it rains. He said that the Support Office was currently working in cities like Akure and Lokoja to provide more public spaces.

Yari said the Support Office was already working with the Federal Government to ensure cities were made sustainable, all inclusive and self sustaining.

He said the office is working with State and Local Governments on request to bring out practical information on how good cities look like and to offer technical assistance.

(NAN)

A flood scene in Delta State

Expert urges FG to use locally available technologies to correct housing deficit

M

r Kayode Beckley, General Secretary, Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Lagos Branch, on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to adopt technologies that are readily available locally to correct housing deficit.

Beckley, who gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said there was need for the government to change its approach to housing problems.

NAN reports that the World Bank estimates that the cost of

bridging Nigeria’s 17 million housing deficit was N59.5 trillion.

According to him, such technologies include the hydrophone bricks, laterites and interlocking bricks with less content of cement.

The builder noted that they were some of the low cost local materials the government could use for buildings to save cost. Beckley said that local technologies for building were the ideal approach for a nation like Nigeria with a huge housing deficiency.

According to him, the government should use low-cost

local materials to build houses for the low-income earners in the country. ``Since the lower income earners are the most affected by accommodation problems, I suggest that laterites and hydrophone bricks which are more economical should be used to construct houses for them. ``The houses can be constructed in local areas where there are empty lands because there are no more empty spaces in the major cities again,’’ the builder said.

He said that hydrophone and interlocking bricks buildings are

environmental-friendly with cross ventilation and cost-saving.

Beckley said that constructing such houses at the rural areas would not only draw people and developments to the areas but would also create job opportunities. ``If the infrastructural facilities found in the cities are also available in local areas, there will be more economic activities and developments because people will be attracted to such places. ``The revenue and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the economy will invariably increase too,’’ she told NAN. (NAN)

PAGE 27

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

Mother Earth

Lions, the disappearing ‘Pride’ of Africa

T

he lion, all over the world is known as the king of the wild. When it roars, other animals cringe.

In the past, lions have special significance in the culture of the African people. They were a symbol of pride, and were represented in different ways in our cultures.

In Nigeria, lion in Hausa language is called Zaki; in Yoruba it is called Kiniwu; in Ibo, it is known as Agwu, and in my Edo language, it is Oduma. The name Zaki, Kiniwu, Agwu as it is called in the three Nigerian major languages, was weaved in our cultures, representing greatness and authority. Some known great hunters and men who did extraordinary things like leading their tribes to wars were called ‘The Lion’. And, when men who had achieved greatness were honored, they were robed in lion skins. This was a symbol of greatness and authority.

And again, killing a lion in those days was considered a great feat, and such person would be decorated and nick-named ‘The Lion’: Zaki, Kiniwu, Agwu.

The killing of a lion then was rare though; hunters were mainly preying on smaller animals for food, such as antelope, deer, rabbits, rats, grass-cutters, etc.

But today, lions the symbol of greatness and authority are disappearing fast into extinction, the remaining few are being targeted by people who kill them mainly to protect their livestock and poachers for bush meat. And in time to come, lions may only be seen at zoological parks.

It may sound funny to hear some scientists suggesting that, “A key step to change that is to reduce human population growth, which the study describes as “one of the most insidious threats to carnivores.”

Researchers who spent six years scouring protected areas in the 11 West African nations where lions were once at home found evidence of fewer than 250 surviving adult lions.

It’s not just West Africa, lion populations are in dramatic decline across the continent.

In Kenya, where they are the symbol of national strength and an essential factor in the tourist economy, biologists have predicted that lions will disappear from the wild within just 15 years.

Continent-wide, the rapidly dwindling population is down to about 35,000 lions in 67 isolated pockets.

Until the new study, published in the journal PLOS One, scientists had paid hardly any attention to West Africa’s distinctly different lions, which are more closely related to a remnant subspecies in India than to lions in eastern and southern Africa.

The study has warned that there has been a “catastrophic collapse” in the number of lions in West Africa, that have unique

genetic sequence not found in other lions including in zoos or captivity. If they are lost then a unique locally adapted population will become extinct, researchers say. With fewer than 250 mature lions of breeding age, there are concerns the entire population could disappear.

The news is even worse than it sounds: Almost 90 percent of the lions live in a single trans-frontier population on the shared borders of Benin, Niger, and Burkina Faso, making them highly vulnerable to political upheaval, poaching, or an outbreak of disease. The other surviving lions are in Nigeria and Senegal. In some of these countries, parks exist on paper only, without staff or budget.

The discouraging news about lions came in the same week as another study showing a dramatic decline in almost all of the largest carnivore species worldwide. The authors of that paper, published in Science, looked at 31 predator species and found three-quarters of them are in decline, including leopards, cheetahs, polar bears, tigers, giant otters, and multiple wolf species. The usual killer is loss of habitat from rapidly expanding human populations, combined with persecution by humans.

Many of these animals are at risk of extinction, either locally or globally. And, ironically, they are vanishing just as we are learning about their important ecological effects, says the report.

The research by Panthera,

Lion

a non-profit organisation, was carried out in 17 countries, including Nigeria, and took more than six years, calling for the lion to be listed as critically endangered in West Africa.

In 2005, West African lions were believed to live in 21 different protected areas. But the survey, published in the scientific journal PLOS One, suggests lions now exist in just four of those sites. The report says lions now roam in just 1.1% of their historic range in West Africa. The majority of their habitat has been converted for agricultural use.

The conservation of lions in West Africa has been largely neglected, whereas in eastern and southern Africa millions of dollars a year are spent for their conservation.

Large-scale plantations for cotton and food crops have contributed significantly to the decline of the lions in the last decade, the survey found.

Today, lions are largely restricted to protected areas, and the poaching of animals, usually preyed upon, to supply local bush-meat markets has been identified as the main threat. In some areas, there has been report of retaliatory killing of lions by herdsmen that entered protected areas illegally with their herds of cattle and goats.

A lack of funding for conservation coupled with an increasing human population and impoverished economies,

Ambrose Inusa Sule environment watch globenviron@yahoo.com 0703-441-4410 (sms only)

“

Today, lions are largely restricted to protected areas, and the poaching of animals, usually preyed upon, to supply local bush-meat markets has been identified as the main threat.

In some areas, there has been report of retaliatory killing of lions by herdsmen that entered protected areas illegally with their herds of cattle and goats.

means lions are increasingly vulnerable, talking about some of the poorest counties in the world - many governments have bigger problems than protecting lions.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says concerted international help is urgently needed. As at today, its only Benin and Senegal among the West African countries that are working with the research team to establish a National Lion Action Plan to identify ways and measures to save the lions in

their countries.

Trophic cascades are now taking place worldwide, according to the new study.

Though people in West Africa kill lions to protect their livestock, for instance, that has allowed olive baboons, a prey species, to expand—causing the strategy to backfire. “Among large mammals,” the new study reports, “baboons pose the greatest threat to livestock and crops and they use many of the same sources of animal protein and plant foods as humans in sub-Saharan Africa.

In some areas, baboon raids in agricultural fields require families to keep children out of school so they can help guard planted crops.” That is, they would have been better off with the lions.

Some studies also suggest that loss of predators, and the resulting increase in rodents and other prey species, can put humans at risk of disease. About 60 percent of all human diseases originally came from animals—as do 75 percent of emerging diseases such as Lyme disease and Ebola. The scientific evidence is mixed so far, but in ridding ourselves of the nuisance of predators, humans may turn out to have made a deadly mistake.

The authors of the new study in Science conclude, “It will probably take a change in both human attitudes and actions to avoid imminent large-carnivore extinctions. A future for these carnivore species and their continued effects on planet Earth’s ecosystems may depend upon it.”

Over the past few decades, scientists have turned up increasing evidence that losing top predators can cause entire ecosystems to collapse, with humans among the potential victims.

To save the lion will require a massive commitment of resources from the both local and international communities.

PAGE 28

Emergency Update

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

NEMA debunks funds seeks for rumour to PINE, VSF support from FG, T Delta

By Saratu Ibrahim

NEMA to tackle

he National Emergency management Agency (NEMA) has debunked the report that, the Federal Government has released 3 billion naira for the Presidential Initiatives in the North East (PINE) and 53 billion to Victim Support Funds (VSF) for rehabilitating victims of insurgency in the North East.

This was contained in a press release signed by the Senior Information Officer Sani Datti said the agency wishes to state that the said story was misquoted, misrepresented and out of context from what the Director General Muhammad Sani Sidi presented at the second meeting of Safe School Leaders meeting in Tehran, Iran.

The statement quoted that DG NEMA during his presentation said

the present government of Nigeria has given her assurance on the sustainability and continuity of the Safe School Initiative programme, and other interventions such as the Presidential Initiative in the North East (PINE), the sum of N3Billion and the Victims Support Fund (VSF) the sum of N53 Billion”.

The statement further noted that, From the above quote there was no place where the Director

General mentioned that such amounts were released to the organizations knowing full well that Victim Support Fund is private sector driven conceived to diversify and enhance the funding sources for supporting victims of insurgency.

Meanwhile, The agency urged members of the public to disregard such story from the public and media ,the statement said .

flooding

T

he Delta Government on Wednesday called on the Federal Government and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to assist the state in addressing the challenges posed by flood.

The Deputy Governor, Mr Kingsley Utuaro, made the call during an inspector visit to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Asaba.

Utuaro, who is also the Chairman of the State Flood Committee, called on wellmeaning Nigerians and corporate organisations to support the state government in addressing the impact of flooding on residents of Delta.

He said that the support would lessen the suffering experienced by those displaced from their various home by flood. ``In Asaba camp alone, we have more than 250 persons in the camp and most of them are children and women who are more vulnerable to flooding. ``And as we speak, we have lost two persons to the flood already,’’ he said.

Utuaro said that the state government could not handle the challenge of the flooding alone, adding that the state government had been doing its best in ensuring that the people of the state were adequately protected. ``The state had also put a lot of modality in place in order to ensure the safety of the people,’’ he added.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee also visited Phase II area of Infant Jesus Road which was also submerged by the flood.

According to the committee, the victims are relocated to temporary sites in various Local Government areas in Delta NAN recalls that the flood had affected Oshimili South, Ndokwa East, Burutu, Bomadi, Patani and Ughelli South Local Government areas of Delta.

(NAN)

A typical flooding area

NEMA underscores need to harmonise modern, traditional knowledge in disaster risk

T

he National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has underscored the importance of synchronising modern and traditional knowledge toward disater risk reduction.

The agency’s Director, Risk Reduction, Mr Alhassan Nuhu, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on yesterday.

He was speaking against the backdrop of the commemoration of the 2015 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.

According to him, the agency’s focus is in line with this year’s theme: `The Use of Traditional, Local and Indigenous Knowledge for Disaster Risk Reduction’. ``Even before modern day hydrological systems studies, there has been traditional knowledge, traditional skills in determining early warning systems. ``The importance of today’s event is to synchronize modern and traditional knowledge for disaster risk reduction. ``Most of our people depend on this credible traditional knowledge

and they can easily assimilate the modern knowledge, if juxtaposed with the traditional one. ``They should not be seen as substitutes, traditional knowledge, modern knowledge are supposed to complement each other.’’

He added that integrating traditional knowledge with modern knowledge was not a setback but a step forward to saving more lives and the environment.

According to him, Nigeria has been able to achieve such giant strides by putting in place a Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) mechanism and increasing preparedness to disaster response ahead of other countries in Africa. ``After the Sendai Framework, Nigeria, ahead of continental efforts, has drawn the Nigerian agenda to focus on the four targets to see how we can improve in all of them. ``The first target is on risk identification; how to be able to identify the risks that is staring at us as a nation. ``The risk governance factor, the role of government,

institutions in terms of disaster risk reduction which we try to ring out clearly and to brace up to it. ``On risk investment, we have also identified measures to ensure that relevant governments at the three tiers invest sufficiently to ensure that the medium to longterm risks are reduced. ``In the area of preparedness, this comprises of early warning systems and the synergy between NEMA, NIMET, and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NHSA) has culminated to the formation of a task team.’’

According to him, the synergy between NEMA and relevant stakeholders has helped in monitoring daily weather events, which has further sharpened the agency’s preparedness to risk reduction and prompt response.

He also disclosed that the Operation Office in Abuja as well as those in states were fully equipped with test planning manuals, conducting rehearsals, drills, and simulation exercises from time to time.

All these, he said, signify the country’s readiness to respond to

emergencies at any time.

According to him, the country has done remarkably well in all the four target areas of the Sendai Framework.

NAN recalls that the Sendai Framework on DRR 2015-2013 was adopted by UN member states at the World Conference for DRR on March 18, in Sendai, Japan.

The Framework contains seven targets and four priorities of action to be implemented by member countries to reduce disaster risks.

The International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) encourages every citizen and government to take part in building more disaster resilient communities and nations.

The International Day for Disaster Reduction started in 1989 with the approval by the United Nations General Assembly.

The UN General Assembly sees the IDDR as a way to promote a global culture of disaster reduction, including disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness. (NAN)

Page 29

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

Feature

R

ows of men and women are gathered in its narrow lanes, some sitting on their haunches. Large plastic drums are placed strategically in front of them.

Suddenly a cry goes up: “It’s here, it’s here.”

A water tanker backs into the lane, and the place descends into chaos.

Young men charge towards the truck, clambering onto the top with pipes, which are then lowered into the tank. Others push the drums in place - there’s a mad scramble to fill them up with clean water.

Fights break out as some people are pushed out of the way.

“It’s always like this,” Jainisha Khatoon says. “People push and pull. We get abused. That’s when I step back.”

In 15 minutes, the water runs out and the tanker drives away, leaving many desperate people behind.

“It only comes once every 10 days or so,” says Rupa Jha, another resident.

“How do you expect it to last?

We have to buy water from private suppliers. Water’s always available but at a price.”

About 20% of Delhi’s population have no access to piped water and have to be supplied by water tankers.

But the difference between demand and supply is more than 750 million litres a day.

So they have to rely on the black market - water supplied by private contractors, or “the water mafia”, as it has come to be known.

“It’s always existed here. A network of people who steal water and then supply it to those who need it,” says Anuj Porwal, a social activist from Sangam Vihar.

“They have the backing of the police and local politicians. That’s why no one can stop them,” he alleges.

The allegations have always been denied.

It costs about $10 (£6) to buy 200 litres of water from the mafia. In contrast, water provided by the city government is free, when available.

“I make about $80 a month. So you can imagine how hard it is for us to come up with that kind of cash,”

Water mafia: Buying water on the black market

In the congested Delhi neighbourhood Sangam Vihar, home to 500,000 people, the air is fraught with anticipation.

About 20% of Delhi’s population have no access to piped water says Bimla, another resident of the area.

Under the cover of darkness, the mafia works to bridge the gap between supply and demand.

It is 04:00 at Balla, a sandy enclave by the banks of the Yamuna river that flows through Delhi.

The single street, with a few shops and houses on either side, is deserted save for a few stray dogs.

It’s also dark - most of the streetlights are switched off or are missing.

A row of tankers sneaked through the street and then pull into one of several alleys. Men jump out

Delhi’s poorest are forced to pay a price for a resource that’s meant to be freely available

Often there’s a mad scramble to fill up drums with the clean water that’s being provided by tankers

and quickly haul thick pipes which are then rigged into the tanks.

The other end of the pipes are attached to borewells sunk deep into the ground. With a low hum, thousands of litres of water are pumped into the trucks.

It takes less than half an hour to fill up a truck. As one leaves, another takes its place. Details are entered into a logbook.

It’s a well organised operation that is conducted swiftly and stealthily.

“No one really challenges them because they can be dangerous,” one local resident warns us.

The men themselves are reluctant to talk.

When one does, he offers this by way of explanation: “We only supply water to those areas that need it.”

The immediate fallout of this informal, but shadowy, syndicate is that many of Delhi’s residents especially its poorest - are paying a

“

Many have to wake up at dawn to catch the water tankers

price for a resource that’s meant to be freely available.

But there’s a long-term impact too.

The mafia is drawing out water from India’s groundwater, which is slowly being critically depleted.

If unchecked it could lead to a potentially devastating social and economic cost.

Source: BBC

Under the cover of darkness, the mafia works to bridge the gap between supply and demand. It is 04:00 at Balla, a sandy enclave by the banks of the Yamuna river that flows through Delhi. The single street, with a few shops and houses on either side, is deserted save for a few stray dogs. It’s also dark - most of the streetlights are switched off or are missing.

A row of tankers sneaked through the street and then pull into one of several alleys. Men jump out and quickly haul thick pipes which are then rigged into the tanks.The other end of the pipes are attached to borewells sunk deep into the ground. With a low hum, thousands of litres of water are pumped into the trucks.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

Page 30

Feature

Pressure mounts for political solution in Libya

L

ibyans are facing increasing pressure from the West to reach an agreement, with the migrant crisis adding to the clamour for a positive outcome.

The envisioned Government of National Accord has been promised unreserved support by some key EU players, including the UK, Italy and France.

Protracted dialogues in times of conflict are nothing new, but they become excruciatingly difficult to steer when there is no dominating political movement or military force. And in this case there are multiple players.

All sides are vying for a resolution that is either completely in their favour, or gives them a slight edge over their counterparts.

For the past year, the East has housed an elected parliament in Tobruk that is internationally recognised but has no real power beyond what the armed factions who back them permit.

The capital, Tripoli in Western Libya was overrun by a loose alliance of militias that resurrected a former parliament, which installed its own cabinet.

The South is a place no-one really wants to talk about, though it has witnessed some of the deadliest tribal clashes to date and is a freefalling gateway for all things illegal.

All this also provided fertile ground for the militants of the so-called Islamic State torise and mushroom the past 10 months.

Mandate ending The Tobruk parliament’s mandate ends in October, and there are worries that another big confrontation over control of the capital is looming if the term ends before a political agreement is reached.

Some believe that certain Libyan blocs in both camps are

Khalifa al-Ghawi runs the government based in Tripoli

“

A UN-led attempt to broker a deal that would usher in a new Libyan unity government has been going on for nearly a year.

Libya is factionalized by conflict

The Tobruk-based government has called for international assistance to fight extremism stalling the process precisely for that reason, with even more political and military posturing inevitable.

But this is Libya, and there are observers who argue - for good reason - that a bigger confrontation between rival militias could also be triggered if a deal is rushed.

Ahmed El-Abbar, an independent politician taking part in the dialogue, is eager to see a deal.

He said: “The fear of creating a constitutional power vacuum come October is what is now making all the parties involved expedite the process of reaching an agreement.”

He remains hopeful because

they have no other choice.

“The country is approaching several crises now, whether it’s economical or even social.”

The latest draft agreement was initialled by most of the political stakeholders in late July, but only after controversial points in it were annexed.

Since then, the Tripoli-based parliament, known as the General National Congress, has practically withdrawn from the talks.

A day before last week’s round of talks in Morocco, the chief Tripoli representative at the talks resigned.

Ominous signs Deep rifts within the two main political camps do not bode well for

Libyans are facing increasing pressure from the West to reach an agreement, with the migrant crisis adding to the clamour for a positive outcome. The envisioned Government of National Accord has been promised unreserved support by some key EU players, including the UK, Italy and France.

Protracted dialogues in times of conflict are nothing new, but they become excruciatingly difficult to steer when there is no dominating political movement or military force. And in this case there are multiple players.

any agreement.

Meanwhile, opposing sides in Libya’s conflict are building up their forces and making unilateral statements that suggest they have other self-serving plans.

There have been locally-led ceasefires in some parts of the country, and some believe this provides hope for a broader “Libyan solution”.

But who could lead a unity government?

It does not appear as if anyone really has a clue at the moment.

But that is what will be tabled this month when all sides submit a list of candidates.

Ideally, the country needs a unifying figure; someone who is politically and ideologically neutral and willing to risk life, limb, and shelter every day until a national force that is loyal to his government is forged.

Western hopes Western nations, like the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain are banking that a new government of unity would ask them for help to stabilise Libya.

A European diplomat told

me they envisioned establishing a “safety zone” in the capital that would protect foreign diplomatic missions using a foreign force.

That coalition would also simultaneously train a Libyan force to protect the government and its institutions.

But try asking foreign diplomats and Libyan politicians about where the “new” Libyan force candidates would be drawn from. You could hear a pin drop.

“We are looking for a minimal international footprint. We don’t want to find ourselves in a position where we are drawn into combat,” I am told.

But this plan is in its very early stages too.

Italy is envisioned to be the “framework nation” that would draw together the coalition.

“But we haven’t even sorted out who would be a part of any foreign force,” the diplomat explains.

So like everything else in Libya, there is a timing issue, and at this stage, it is on no-one’s side.

Source: BBC

PAGE 31

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

Motorcyclist docked for allegedly assaulting policeman

T

he Police yesterday arraigned a 36-year-old motorcyclist, Amade Chimeze, in a Mararaba Grade 1 Area Court for assaulting a police officer.

The accused, who resides behind Zinaria Primary School, Mararaba, is facing a two-count charge of assault and causing grievous hurt.

According to the Prosecutor,

Cpl. Friday Adaji, one Cpl. Asang Francis attached to the ‘B’ Division Mararaba, Nasarawa State, reported the matter on October 11.

Adaji told the court that on the same date at about 09.15a.m, while Cpl. Francis was walking along ECWA U-turn Mararaba, the accused, who was riding recklessly on his motorcycle, knocked him down.

He added that after the accused hit the policeman with his motorcycle, he removed a screw driver and inflicted several injuries on Francis’ hand and head.

Adaji said that the offences contravened Sections 265 and 241 of the Penal code respectively.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused

could bag a three-year sentence, if convicted.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty.

The Presiding Judge, Mr. Albert Maga, granted him bail in the sum of N100, 000 with one surety in like sum and ordered that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.

Maga added that the surety must be a civil servant on at

least Grade Level 7 whose address must be verified by the court.

Further hearing has been fixed for October 29. (NAN)

Hand washing: Ministry to lead campaign in FCT School

T

Water vendor, taking water to his client, yesterday in Karu, Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Cleric tasks Muslims, Christians on unity, peace

By Usman Shuaibu

A

rchbishop of Heavenly Kingdom church International in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Layi Balogun, has called on both Christians and Muslims to genuinely unite as a people, in the interest of building and sustaining peace in the society.

Balogun, who made the call in a recent interview with Peoples Daily at the Church

office in Gwagwalada, stressed the importance of unity in any society.

The cleric urged Muslims as well as Christians to tolerate each other for the benefit of mutual understanding of their religions they are worshiping.

Also, he appealed to Muslim and Christian religious leaders to always preach the words of God as contained in the Qur’an and Bible respectively.

He explained that the holy Qur’an serves as a guard for

Muslims while the Bible also serves as a guard for Christians.

He pleaded with religious leaders to devote their time to pray for Nigeria leaders, so that they would govern the country with fear of Almighty God, at all times.

Furthermore, he charged the political leaders to gear towards implementing policies and programmes that would be of benefit to the majority of people who voted them into power.

According to him, every leader will be accountable to his stewardship in the Day of Judgement.

The clergyman, who is the president of the Heavenly Kingdom Bible Institute of Theology in the FCT, however, called on the FCT Administration and other governments to make education compulsory and affordable for every Nigerian child, to enable them contribute towards national development.

he Federal Ministry of Water Resources will today carry out a hand washing sensitisation campaign in Community Secondary School, Asokoro Abuja, to commemorate the 2015 Global Hand washing Day. The Director, Water Quality Control and Sanitation with the Ministry, Mr Samuel Ome said the campaign would be carried out in partnership with the National Task Group on Sanitation.

Ome said since 2008, Nigeria has joined the international community to commemorate the day, saying it aims at raising awareness on the importance of hand washing.

He said hand washing with soap and water was a means of reducing the incidences of diarrhoea, which affects mostly under-five children.

He, however, urged all Nigerians to inculcate the culture of hand washing, saying this would a go a long way to reduce preventable deaths.

The Global Hand washing Day is celebrated every October 15, to draw attention to the importance of hand washing.

The 2015 theme, ‘Raise a Hand for Hygiene’, stresses the need for all stakeholders to take a stand on hand washing, as a means to stop preventable deaths.

According to the 2015 WHO/ UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme Progress on sanitation and drinking water, one in three people or 2.4 billion people lacked access to water and sanitation facilities globally.

The report showed that no fewer than 1,000 under-five children die each day from diarrhoea caused by inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene compared to over 2, 000 children, 15 years ago. (NAN)

PAGE 32

Photo Splash

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

A middle age man pushing a truck loaded fairly use goods, yesterday in Kubwa.

Vulcanizer on duty at his workshop, yesterday, Area 1 Garki, Abuja.

Gbagi natives in FCT, showcasing their rich culture during the celebration of World Teachers Day in Abuja.

A young engaging in barrow business, yesterday at Nyanya market, Abuja.

An overloaded truck carrying people, along Abuja â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Lokoja road, yesterday in Kwali. Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

Politics

Residents want FCTA to invest more on AEPB to clean up Abuja Vox pop Oluchi Ezugwu, Jabi

H

onestly speaking, the AEPB is really trying their best in cleaning the FCT; the workers should be well compensated because they have dedicated their time and self for the job because not everybody would be willing to go close to dirt even if they would be paid.

Mathew John, Utako The AEBP have been so unfair to street traders/ hawkers, they also believe that anybody carrying a luggage is a trader therefore forcefully takes anyone with a loaded bag to their headquarters and makes sure the person spends fortune before being set free. I’m saying this out of experience, because they have done it to me on my way back from the market (Utako market) days earlier.

Adewole Ikpeaiye, Jabi The AEPB is trying their best unlike before when one keep seeing different kinds of dirt everyday believe the government has really tried in that aspect but should also try to make sure they are well equipped from time to time.

11

Residents of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have stressed the need for authorities of FCT Administration invest more on Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), in order to achieve its mandate of keeping the Territory clean. The residents spoke yesterday to our correspondent Saratu Ibrahim, who sought their views on how the Board has been working to rid the Territory from all kinds of environmental nuisance. Execrates: more on the Board, in order to help sustain the current tempo.

This is because there are a lot grounds still to cover in the area of sanitation in the FCT. Cecilia Kadiri, Zuba In my own view, I think Abuja environmental officials are doing a lot to clean up Abuja, because to be able to sanitize a city as big as FCT it’s something they should be applauded for.

On daily basis, AEPB street sweepers deliver on mandate.

They had always been doing their work to the best of their ability. We cannot deny coming in contact with street sweepers and refuse collectors, who are always on their duty post, not minding the weather conditions.

Also, hawking and begging within FCT Street has been eradicated drastically, which is the most difficult aspects of

it because people must fight to survive therefore, they think intuitively to carter for their respective needs.

However, the excesses of environmental officials should

be checked, in order not to pose as a serious threat to residents and other peoples, even to the point of causing them to loss their lives, thereby jeopardizing their objective of

“

They are really doing a lot like engaging in regular sweeping the streets and routine raids of illegal hawkers defacing the Territory.

For instance around Garki Area 11 where I work, the environment is getting healthier, thanks to the AEPB officials, who defy the rain and sun to ensure the discharge of their duty

safe guarding the environment.

John Musa, Utako For me, the AEPB is doing their best because I have met them in several occasion when they will be seriously picking thick dirt from the gutter .I also want to urge the government to provide for them in terms of working equipment so as to support them in delivering more on their mandate.

Innocent Idiegele, Jabi With what am seeing, I don’t really think the area (Jabi) is as neat as it ought to be yet, there are still lapses in some nooks and cranny of the place. This is because even the street traders are still seen very much around which I believe by now they should have been uncommon trend. So the AEPB have a lot to do in this area.

Philomena Robert, Area

As for me, AEPB official are trying their best to clean up Abuja. They are really doing a lot like engaging in regular sweeping the streets and routine raids of illegal hawkers defacing the Territory. For instance around Garki Area 11 where I work, the environment is getting healthier, thanks to the AEPB officials, who defy the rain and sun to ensure the discharge of their duty. Nevertheless, I think the authorities of the FCT Administration should invest

Oluchi Ezugwu, Jabi Mathew John, Utako

Adewole Ikpeaiye, Jabi

Philomena Robert, Area 11

Cecilia Kadiri, Zuba Cecilia Kadiri, Zuba

PAGE 34

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

Money Sense

How to start a gym business in

By Marie Sana

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here are many in Nigeria who go to the gym everyday to work out and keep physically fit. This rising trend has many advantages, particularly when you think about the concept of starting a fitness and health business.

Nigerians are aware that they have to flex and also stretch out their muscles regularly. So, investing as well as starting a fitness business can certainly be a good option. If you don’t have an understanding of the business plan, below are several business ideas to help you.

1. Choose a good location for your business Selecting a good place to build a gym business is very important.

This is to make sure you have a place accessible to those who want to work out and use fitness equipment. Typically densely populated business centres – targeting the growing middle class. They have and understand the need to keep fit and can afford the fees.

You would find this possible to put your gym business in locations that are accessible and noticeable to the target market like close to the shopping malls and also schools. Having the ability to select a good place can help you

get a lot of clients that will make use of your fitness facilities.

2. Choose high quality gym facilities and better services There are currently a lot of gym businesses that can be found and

provide similar services you have.

Therefore, it is beneficial for you if you’re able to stay ahead of them by providing your customers modern and superior gym equipment as well as facilities.

Some of the equipments you should use in your gym are as follows; • bike • elliptical machine • stepper

• treadmill machine • home gym • Multi function trainer • rubberized flooring • weight benches You can visit the internet about the latest gym equipment to find out if the facilities that you’re planning to purchase are in demand to the needs of your customers. Furthermore, you can also consider to give more services that can target the needs and interest of your customers.

For example, offer your customers stress management as well as job program classes that they might be interested to take part. You can also give them the alternative to request for pop or perhaps rock music to play while exercising.

3. Offer promos and packages The good thing to step up your gym business would be to attract people to exercise in your gym. It will be helpful to provide special packages, promos, giveaways and also fitness business cards to make them more interested to exercise. Offering your customers big discounts for recommending other gym enthusiasts, for instance, might help in increasing the number of customers that will patronize your business.

Exercise keeps your body healthy and better in order to face life with a better aptitude. With this kind of business, many Nigerians will be benefitted about its result.

So, when it comes to fitness equipment, contact Speed Cargo Service GMBH.

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

International

Palestinians yearn for a ray of hope international_peoplesdailyng@yahoo.com

ANALYSIS

By Daoud Kuttab

T

he escalating violence in Palestine is the result of many longstanding, festering issues, but mostly, it’s the outcome of a total absence of hope.

When Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced from the UN rostrum that Palestinians are no longer obliged to adhere to the Oslo Accords, his words ended much more than a 22-year-old memorandum of understanding between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel; Abbas’s statement blocked the last ray of hope of Palestinians for a better future.

The majority of the Palestinian population today are young. According to the Palestinian Census Bureau, 70 percent of the 4.5 million Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza are under the age of 29. For these young people, the view towards the political horizon is obstructed, and there appears to be no real future for an independent and viable Palestinian state.

No matter how many times the word “Palestine” is repeated, and no matter how many pompous flag-raising ceremonies are held - at the United Nations or anywhere young Palestinians look around them and see very little reason for hope.

Leadership’s impotence In Jerusalem, Palestinians feel the entire burden of the Islamic world on them as they try single-handedly to defend Islam’s third holiest mosques.

Aside from hollow rhetoric, the Arab and Muslim world are watching in silence as a handful of Jerusalemites take on the powerful Israeli security machine, intent on changing the decades of status quo on premises of the Haram alSharif.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that Palestinian youth would react violently to this unknown future that has nothing pleasant to offer them.

Not only do they see the impotence of their own

Palestinian protesters throw stones towards Israeli police during clashes in Shuafat, an Arab suburb of Jerusalem [REUTERS]

leadership, which had to wash its hands from the Oslo Accords, but even a sovereign state like Jordan - a strong US ally with diplomatic relations with Israel - is unable to do anything to stop the daily Israeli aggression on al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as the restriction of the right of worship enshrined in all international covenants and supposedly guaranteed in the Israel-Jordan peace treaty. The kingdom, after all, was given special standing with regards to al-Aqsa Mosque and other religious places in Jerusalem.

Perhaps the one place with the greatest cause for hopelessness is the Gaza Strip,

where the Palestinian population feels abandoned by the world.

Even Gaza’s southern Arab neighbour, Egypt, is denying Palestinians in Gaza the right of movement under the guise of its fight against violent extremists in the Sinai Peninsula. The flooding of the borders after the destruction of some 3,500 homes on the Egyptian side of Rafah has further frustrated Gazans, who are now left totally at the mercy of the Israeli occupiers.

The Israeli occupiers and Arab and Muslim countries aren’t the only ones to blame for the sense of hopelessness among Palestinians today. Palestinians need to own up to part of the

“

Palestinians today are in dire need of a window of hope that will make them believe in a better tomorrow.

responsibility for what has happened to the once-shining example of a liberation struggle.

National strategy Deeply divided at all levels (Gaza and West Bank, PLO and Hamas and within Fatah itself) Palestinians must realise that there is a lot that they can do to improve their plight. It is unacceptable that Palestinians are unable to meet and agree on a national strategy that can provide a badly needed ray of hope. The Palestinian cause is a just one that can easily garner worldwide support, but this requires Palestinians to be united with a clear and reasonable national goal and a feasible action plan.

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) is not going to succeed if Palestinians in the diaspora and in Palestine do not work together with the same spirit, goal and direction.

The zenith of the Palestinian national movement was when all Palestinians, both inside and outside the occupied territories, were united in purpose under the auspices of the PLO. The

Palestinian parliament in exile provided a useful forum for all Palestinians to meet, plan and implement a strategy for liberation. Now the deep divisions have made the act of holding a regular session of the Palestinian National Council an impossible task.

A line from a famous poem

by Mu’ayyad al-Din Al-Tughari goes something like this: “How limited life is without a window of hope.”

Palestinians today are in dire need of a window of hope that will make them believe in a better tomorrow.

Everyone interested in deescalating the current level of violence in Palestine must think about how to provide this beam of hope rather than search for more repressive actions or further the disunity of a proud people yearning for freedom and liberation.

Daoud Kuttab, an awardwinning Palestinian journalist, is a former Ferris professor of journalism at Princeton University.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

Page

International

Burundi cameraman killed in ‘raid for kidnapped police’ A

Tanzania rolls out birth registration by mobile phone

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anzania has launched a nationwide drive to help parents register their children’s births by mobile phone so the government can better plan health, education and other public services.

The new system being rolled out across the country over the next five years allows a health worker to send the baby’s name, sex, date of birth and family details by phone to a central data base and a birth certificate is issued free of charge in days.

The initiative is run by the government registration agency RITA, UNICEF and telecommunications company Tigo.

RITA’s acting head Emmy Hudson said the project had accelerated birth registration after years of stagnation.

The country has one of the lowest rates of birth registration in eastern and southern Africa. Some 80 percent of Tanzanians - and more than nine in 10 under-fives - do not have birth certificates, according to the 2012 census.

Parents have to pay 3,500 Tanzanian shillings ($1.6) if they request a birth certificate within 90 days of a child’s birth, or 4,000 shillings afterwards, as well as travel costs - a high price in a country where many rural people live on less than $1 a day.

The government expects to register about a million children under the age of five before the end of this year, and 90 percent of all newborns within the next five years.

Anna Mbelwa, who gave birth to a baby boy at Mbalizi hospital in the southern Mbeya region this month, said the initiative made a big difference.

Burundi state TV cameraman and his family have been killed in the capital Bujumbura by police who say they were trying to free kidnapped colleagues.

The police said 10 people were killed in the incident, including cameraman Christophe Nkezabahizi, his wife and two children and one policeman.

Gunfire and grenade explosions were heard throughout the night.

Unrest began in April when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he would seek a third term in power.

Burundi has been hit by a wave of unexplained killings in recent months, of both opposition activists and security officials.

In September, Burundi’s army chief of staff survived an assassination attempt. Earlier in the same week a spokesman for a party opposed to President Nkurunziza’s third term was shot dead in Bujumbura.

It is not clear who kidnapped the police officers in the latest incident.

Shaded from the sun’’s heat [Getty]

SA police chief suspended over Marikana

S

South African National police commissioner Riah Phiyega

outh African President Jacob Zuma has suspended police chief Riah Phiyega while allegations of misconduct are examined, his office says.

Last month, Mr Zuma’s office launched an investigation into her role in the 2012 killing of 34 miners by officers during a strike at the Marikana mine.

It followed an inquiry’s finding that police followed a “defective” plan to break up the strike.

Gen Phiyega disputes the findings and defends police handling of the strike.

Numerous calls have been made for Ms Phiyega to be sacked over the case.

No-one has been charged or held responsible for the killings.

This suspension is significant because President Zuma is in

essence implementing one of the recommendations from the Marikana inquiry, headed by retired judge Ian Farlam.

After 34 miners were gunned down at the Lonmin-owned platinum mine in August 2012, there were calls for the senior police officers including police commissioner Riah Phiyega to resign.

President Zuma established the inquiry, which concluded that the police had a “defective” plan and lacked adequate training for the type of protest they were dealing with.

President Zuma came in for some criticism for appointing Gen Phiyega, who had no prior police background but came from a corporate environment.

Now that the president has appointed Gen Johannes Phahlane

- a career policeman - as acting head of the police, some stability might return to the turbulent security structure.

A three-member board will examine Gen Phiyega’s leadership decisions and actions which led to the death of the 34 mineworkers.

It will assess whether she or other police officers concealed information on decisions they took in handling the unrest.

Last month, President Zuma asked Gen Phiyega to give reasons why she should not be suspended while the investigation proceeded.

When Mr Zuma made Wednesday’s announcement, the police commissioner was reportedly in parliament presenting the police’s annual report. She has been suspended on full pay.

Scottish Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey ‘critically ill’

S

cottish nurse Pauline Cafferkey, who is being treated for complications from Ebola, is now “critically ill”, doctors have said.

Ms Cafferkey, 39, was readmitted to a specialist isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London last week.

The hospital said in a statement that her condition had deteriorated.

Ms Cafferkey contracted Ebola while working at a treatment centre in Sierra Leone last year.

She spent almost a month in isolation at the Royal Free at the beginning of the year after the virus was detected when she arrived back in the UK. She was later discharged after apparently making a full recovery, but it was discovered last week that Ebola was still present in her body.

Bodily tissues can harbour the Ebola infection months after the person appears to have fully recovered.

A statement released by the

hospital on Tuesday said: “We are sad to announce that Pauline Cafferkey’s condition has deteriorated and she is now critically ill.

“She is being treated for Ebola in the high level isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital.”

“We are not being given any more details but earlier this week her family spoke out - they were very unhappy about how last week apparently she had been sent home after going to an out-of-hours GP. “And of course she’s a nurse, and described the symptoms of meningitis. Now that would fit with one of the possible scenarios.

“What has happened to her is that although she fought off successfully being critically ill once before, somehow the virus stayed lodged in parts of her body.

“It could well be the spinal cord and if she does have meningitis, that would be inflammation of the spinal cord - and extremely difficult to treat.

“She has fought this off once before. The same team will be hoping she can fight it off again.”

Ms Cafferkey had initially gone to an out of hours doctor in Glasgow on Monday of last week, but was sent home after being told she probably had a virus.

Her family has claimed doctors “missed a big opportunity” to spot she had fallen ill again.

She was admitted to the city’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital the following day after continuing to feel unwell, before being transferred to the Royal Free in a military aircraft on Friday morning.

Dr Ben Neuman, a virologist at the University of Reading, told the BBC that the medical team treating Ms Cafferkey was in “completely uncharted territory”.

He added: “It may be that the virus has gotten into a place where the immune system can’t root it out, and that what we are seeing right now is essentially a frustrated

immune system overreacting and basically hurting some of the other organs.

“We don’t know what Ebola looks like the second time around or after a big relapse like this. Right now, she has had this virus about three times as long as the other previous record holder.

“It is bad news, but it is not hopeless news. As long as she is still there, and as long as she is still fighting, there is a chance.

“And there is a chance that some of the new medicines that we have got against Ebola may be able to help a little bit.”

Ms Cafferkey had returned to work as a public health nurse at Blantyre Health Centre in South Lanarkshire.

She had been well enough last Monday to visit Mossneuk Primary School in East Kilbride to thank children for their fund-raising efforts.

Ms Cafferkey was initially treated in a Glasgow hospital before being transferred to a specialist unit in London last week

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

International

Philippine hostages: Video shows kidnapped tourists

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he Philippine government is examining an online video that appears to show two Canadians, a Norwegian and a Filipino who were kidnapped last month.

The tourists were taken from a resort in the southern Philippines.

In the video, one hostage calls on the Canadian and Philippine governments to stop military attacks in the area.

The Philippines often sees kidnappings by Islamist militants in the south, who hold hostages for ransom.

The video, which began circulating online on Tuesday, shows three men and a woman surrounded by masked gunmen, with two black flags in the background.

“We beseech the Canadian government to please, please help us and the Philippine government... by stopping all of the operations that have been going on, like artillery fire which came near us,” one hostage, who identifies himself as John Ridsdel, says in the video.

The other two introduced themselves as Robert Hall and Kjartan Sekkingstad. The Filipino woman did not speak.

A gunman also read out a statement repeating the demand for artillery attacks to stop, and saying the kidnappers were ready to negotiate for the hostages’ release.

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Israel police authorised to seal off Jerusalem areas after attacks

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The video purportedly shows the hostages surrounded by masked gunmen But the Philippine army has said negotiations would be unlikely and military offensives would continue.

Colonel Restituto Padilla, an army spokesman, was quoted by GMA News as saying: “The policy of the government as well as others who have been in this kind of situation is that there is no negotiation that can be made with any of those who

perpetrating this crime.”

Mr Ridsdel and Mr Hall were previously identified by Philippine authorities as Canadian tourists, while Mr Sekkingstad was said to be the Norwegian manager of the Holiday Oceanview resort on Samal Island, where the group was taken last month.

Mr Hall’s Filipino girlfriend,

Marites Flor, was taken as well.

Authorities have still not ascertained which militant group took the hostages.

In a separate case, gunmen kidnapped an Italian man from his pizza restaurant last week in the southern Zamboanga Sibugay province.

Churches attacked, one man killed in clashes in Aceh, Indonesia wo churches have been burned down and at least one person has been killed in clashes in Indonesia’s Aceh province on Tuesday, say officials.

Report say hundreds of Muslim men attacked a church in Aceh Singkil district, setting it on fire.

A human rights group said the attackers then burnt down a second Roman Catholic church.

They then went to a third

Asia & Middle East

church, where a man died in clashes with Christians defending the church and the police.

Tension in Aceh has been rising amid increasing Islamic conservatism in the province and Indonesia as a whole.

Responding to the violence, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo tweeted: “Stop the violence in Aceh Singkil. Any background of violence, especially religion and

belief, destroys diversity.”

Last week, protesters calling themselves Aceh Youth Concerned for Islam held a demonstration demanding that what they claimed were unlicensed churches be torn down by authorities.

The local government had agreed to act, but on Tuesday tensions boiled over and the group took matters into their own hands.

“After burning the church, the

Tension has been building in Aceh province, where authorities have begun imposing Islamic law on religious minorities

mob tried to attack another church, but it turned out Christians were already at the ready,” Aceh police chief Husein Hamidi told the AFP news agency, referring only to the first and third churches attacked.

“A clash occurred, and one man was killed after being shot in the head with an air rifle,” he said.

It is thought that the dead man was part of the attacking group.

Four people were also reportedly injured, one of them a member of the security forces.

In between those attacks, another Roman Catholic church was also burned down, according to human rights group Alliance of United North Sumatra.

Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, although it also has significant Christian, Hindu, Buddhist and Confucian minorities.

Aceh is the only province to have officially introduced Sharia law, which is increasingly being applied to non-Muslims too.

The district where Tuesday’s attacks took place is a Christian enclave, though correspondents say some Christians have already left, fearing religious violence.

Another church was also burnt down in Aceh in August. And in July, a mosque was destroyed in the Christian-majority province of Papua, in eastern Indonesia, on the Islamic holy day of Eid al-Fitr.

srael’s cabinet has authorised police to seal off “parts of Jerusalem”, in an attempt to halt a wave of deadly attacks.

After an emergency meeting, the cabinet said soldiers would also be deployed to help police in some areas.

The moves come after police said three Israelis were killed and more than 20 hurt in shooting and stabbing attacks in Jerusalem and central Israel.

Two attackers in Jerusalem, identified as Palestinian, were shot by police.

Police said they acted after the assailants shot and stabbed passengers on a bus.

Another Israeli died after being run down and stabbed elsewhere in the city.

Later, a Palestinian was killed in clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, medics said.

Near-daily stabbings by Palestinians have left dozens of Israelis dead and wounded over the past fortnight. Several attackers and at least 18 other Palestinians have also been killed.

Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have escalated since last month, fuelled by clashes at a flashpoint holy site in Jerusalem, in the West Bank, and across the Gaza border, as well as the wave of stabbings.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced the new measures after a crisis meeting of the country’s top security officials.

“The security cabinet decided several measures to combat terrorism, notably authorising police to seal off or impose a curfew on parts of Jerusalem in case of friction or incitement to violence,” AFP news agency quoted a statement by Mr Netanyahu’s office as saying.

Many of the recent attackers were from Arab areas of occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli officials said.

The cabinet said soldiers would also be deployed to make public transport safe, and specially trained security guards would be recruited later.

It said the authorities could demolish the homes of Palestinians who attacked Israelis and take away their right to live in Jerusalem.

Mr Netanyahu said the new security measures would be aimed against “those who try murder and with all those who assist them”.

He also told Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to “stop lying, and stop inciting”.

Mr Abbas has blamed “acts of aggression” by the Israeli authorities and Jewish settlers for the upsurge in violence.

In Tuesday’s bus attack, the two assailants shot several passengers and stabbed others on board the vehicle in East Talpiot, a Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem also known as Armon Hanatziv, Israeli police said.

One of the assailants reportedly locked the bus doors in an attempt to stop police from boarding it and passengers from escaping, but police opened fire from outside and shot him.

Minutes later, a man ran over three people with his car at a bus station in the Geula district of West Jerusalem. He then got out of the car and attacked them with a meat cleaver.

The attacker was shot by a security guard and seriously wounded.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

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International

Syria ‘near miss’ prompts US-Russia air safety talks

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he US and Russia are to hold new talks on air safety in Syria after it emerged combat aircraft from both nations came within miles of each other on Saturday.

The planes were in visual contact with each other, 10 to 20 miles (15-30km) apart, a US defence spokesman told reporters in Washington DC. It will be the third round of talks as the two countries seek to find ways of avoiding an accidental conflict.

Despite the talks, the US said Russia’s actions in Syria were “wrongheaded”.

US Secretary of Defence Ash Carter said he expected a deal soon. Russia said it had “updated proposals” to be discussed during a video conference.

Russia began its campaign of air strikes in Syria on 30 September, saying it was targeting Islamic State (IS) militants and other jihadist groups after a request to help militarily from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Western countries and Syrian activists say Russian planes have been hitting non-militant targets - a claim Moscow denies.

In a separate development on Tuesday, two shells struck the Russian embassy compound in the Syrian capital Damascus as hundreds of pro-government supporters rallied outside in support of Russian air strikes.

No-one was killed but a BBC

A

Hillary Clinton attacks rival Bernie Sanders on gun laws

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Russia launched its air strikes in Syria on 30 September Arabic correspondent in Damascus says some people were injured.

Russia described the shelling as “a terrorist attack”.

US and Russian officials are expected to hold a video conference later on Wednesday.

Ahead of the talks, Mr Carter said: “Our talks... are very professional, they’re very constructive, and I expect them to lead in very short order to an agreement.”

But he stressed that the Americans “are not able at this time to associate ourselves more broadly with Russia’s approach in Syria because it is wrongheaded and strategically short-sighted”.

Meanwhile, the Russian defence ministry said it had “updated proposals on Syria for the US” and was waiting for a “third video conference”.

The talks come after US military spokesman Col Steve Warren told

reporters that two US and two Russian aircraft “entered the same battle space” over Syria on Saturday.

He said the aircraft were in visual contact with each other.

Col Warren also said that Russian planes had repeatedly broken air patrols, coming close to US American unmanned aerial vehicles or drone aircraft.

Russia has not publicly commented on this claim.

EU migration: EU presses Turkey to agree deal delegation of European commissioners is heading to Turkey in a last-ditch bid to secure a draft agreement on tackling Europe’s migration crisis.

The EU had hoped to have an agreement in place ahead of a summit on Thursday.

But matters were delayed by three days of national mourning in Turkey after Saturday’s bomb attacks in Ankara.

Nearly 600,000 migrants have reached the EU by sea so far this year, most via Turkey, says the International Organisation for

Europe and Americas

Migration.

Turkey is thought to be hosting some two million migrants, most of them fleeing the war in neighbouring Syria.

In return for greater cooperation with the EU, Turkey is expected to press for more rapid progress towards visa-free travel for its citizens to European countries that have abolished border controls within the so-called Schengen area.

But the EU Council President Donald Tusk has warned that concessions will only be granted if they help reduce the influx of migrants,

which stands at a record level.

Mr Tusk warned that next spring could bring an even bigger wave.

Many of the issues are sensitive ones, say correspondents - Greece, for instance, fears Turkey could increase its presence in the Aegean Sea separating the two nations where the two have rival territorial claims.

And some EU member states have concerns about embracing Turkey, citing concerns over its human rights record, policies towards the Kurdish minority and media freedom.

Two million migrants are estimated to be in Turkey, many trying to reach the European Union from its shores

The atmosphere in Turkey, meanwhile, remains febrile with three top Ankara officials - police, intelligence and security chiefs suspended in the wake of Saturday’s bombings in which 97 people died.

In a letter to the 29 EU leaders ahead of Thursday’s summit in Brussels, Mr Tusk warned that the goal of talks with Turkey was “to stem the wave of refugees to Europe.

An agreement with Turkey makes sense if it effectively reduces the inflow of refugees.

“Concessions will only be justified when this goal is achieved.”

So far in 2015, 710,000 irregular migrants have entered the EU compared with 282,000 for the whole of 2014, the bloc’s border agency Frontex said on Tuesday.

In his letter, Mr Tusk warned that the regional situation was “difficult and politically very complex.

“Just to give one example, Turkey is calling on us to support the establishment of a safe zone in northern Syria, whereas Russia increasingly engaged in Syria - is openly rejecting this idea.”

He went on: “We must ask ourselves if the decisions we have taken so far, and the ones we are going to take on Thursday, are sufficient to contain a new migratory wave” - a wave, he warned, that could mean millions of new arrivals in the spring.

illary Clinton has attacked her main rival Bernie Sanders over US gun laws at the Democratic presidential debate.

When asked if the Vermont senator was strong on gun control, she said, “No, not at all,” before vowing to go after the makers of guns used in shootings.

Mr Sanders also attacked Mrs Clinton, saying her support for a no-fly zone in Syria would create “serious problems”.

His rallies have drawn big crowds and he has challenged Mrs Clinton’s frontrunner status in some key states.

Mrs Clinton and Mr Sanders dominated the debate. The three other candidates on stage in Las Vegas - former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, former Virginia Senator Jim Webb and former Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee struggled to make headway.

The two main candidates were sharply divided over gun laws, in the wake of a mass shooting at a college campus in Oregon.

When Mrs Clinton said her rival was not tough enough, she was referring to him voting in 2005 for a measure to give gun manufacturers immunity from lawsuits by shooting victims.

The two also argued over the merits of capitalism.

Mr Sanders called for a “political revolution”, arguing that “Congress does not regulate Wall Street. Wall Street regulates Congress”.

But when he suggested that the US should look to Nordic countries because of “what they have accomplished for their working people”, Mrs Clinton responded: “We are not Denmark. I love Denmark. We are the United States of America.

“I’m a progressive, but I’m a progressive who likes to get things done,” she said.

Clinton

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

Page 39

Strange World

The most dangerous place to be a woman: The hell of Honduras where men hack off wives’ limbs and sickening rape and murder go unpunished

A

Honduran woman, whose feet were brutally hacked off by her husband because she wanted to leave him, has given a terrifying glimpse into her country’s macho culture - where just being female puts you at risk.

Mother-of-two Heydi Hernandez, from San Pedro Sula, Honduras’s most violent city, opened up to presenter Stacey Dooley for a BBC3 documentary about life in the most dangerous place to be a woman.

Heydi revealed how she was subjected to an agonising ordeal in which she lost both her feet, yet is actually one of the lucky ones - as few women attacked in the crimeriddled country live to tell the tale.

The number of women murdered in the central American nation, which borders Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, has trebled in the last decade.

Murder is the leading cause of death for young females and violent crime against women has become so common it has its own name: femicide.

Recalling her ordeal at the hands of her husband, which was witnessed by her two daughters, Heydi said: ‘I had gone to visit my dad and when I got home my husband said he was tired of being with me. I told him, “if you’re are tired of being with me, then let me leave”.

‘That’s when I saw him pull a machete from under the bed. He said, “I am not going to let you leave me”. He grabbed me by the arm and that’s when he hacked me. He kept going as I cried no.’

Following life-saving surgery, Heydi is healing but she will never walk unaided again. She has lost one foot at the ankle and the other leg at mid calf.

She is desperate for her husband to be punished for his crimes and if found guilty, he would serve 40 years in jail. However, as she cannot afford a lawyer, justice is unlikely.

Stacey learnt his charge could be reduced to GBH, which if convicted, would mean only two years behind bars.

But Heydi’s horrifying story is not unusual in a country where violence is a way of life and it is

Presenter Stacey Dooley meets Heydi Hernandez whose husband attacked her with a machete considered normal to see dead bodies on the side of the street.

And her testimony reveals the sheer difficulty women - and murdered women’s families - have in getting justice for atrocious crimes.

In fact, Plutarco Antonio Ruiz, 32, who has been detained for the shocking murders of Miss Honduras beauty queen Maria Jose Alvarado and her sister Sofia in 2014, may walk away a free man.

The BBC presenter met the girls’ mother, Theresa Munoz, who wept as she recalled how her daughters were gunned down at a party near Santa Barbara.

Maria, 19, was just days away from travelling to London to compete in the Miss World finals.

Theresa said she doesn’t know why Plutarco, Sofia’s boyfriend at the time, shot them both. Ruiz has denied killing both women.

‘That’s what I want him to tell me, why he killed them, he never wanted to talk,’ she said.

Detective Rayas who has been investigating the case explained that Sofia had been dancing with another man and her boyfriend shot her several times in a jealous rage.

Maria threw herself on her sister and he is alleged to have shot her too.

He said: ‘After reloading his gun he shot Maria 12 times... in Honduras this is common.’

He added that while there were 30 witnesses at the party, few have

Forensic experts carry the body Sofia, sister Maria, after their bodies were found buried near the party where they were shot dead

been willing to give evidence for fear of the repercussions. Plutarco is a leading drug dealer with powerful connections in the area and as a result, he could yet walk free.

The fact that a case is being brought against Plutarco is largely down to Maria’s fame and the publicity her death caused around the globe, coming so close to the Miss World final.

Stacey discovered during her time in the country to investigate the documentary, airing on Monday 26 October, that many similar crimes against women go unpunished or even unreported.

Many poor areas are ruled by gangs and drug-related crime is high. San Pedro Sula, in the north-east of the Central American country, is Honduras’ second largest metropolis but it has been ripped apart by the drugs trade and inhabitants’ desires to settle scores with guns. Daily homicide rates are the highest outside of officially recognised conflict zones.

Once a city with a healthy trade exporting bananas, its fortunes stalled after Hurricane Mitch severely damaged plantations in 1998 and production never recovered.

Reuters reported last year that San Pedro Sula is saddled with one of South America’s weakest economies - and nearly 70 per cent of the population live in poverty.

While the city’s exports have shrunk, gang crime has increased with organised crime a huge problem.

On top of this, there is a prevalent ‘macho culture’ in the country whereby many men have no respect for women. They see females as second class citizens who become their husband’s property

when they marry. Rape is acceptable if an attractive woman refuses their advances and murder is justified if a wife has been unfaithful or ‘disobedient’.

According to the US Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, UN figures from July 2014 note that violent deaths of women in Honduras increased 263.4 percent between 2005 and 2013.

The UN reported: ‘In Honduras, violence against women is widespread and systematic and it impacts women and girls in numerous ways.

‘The climate of fear, in both the public and private spheres, and the lack of accountability for violations of human rights of women, is the norm rather than the exception.’

This was borne out by Stacey Dooley, who also met the men who had been jailed for their brutality and was shocked when to hear them blame their victims for their vile deeds.

One prisoner, Homer, who is doing time for the murder of his wife, summed this attitude up as he told Stacey how his wife brought her death on herself.

He explained: ‘She was cheating on me. I told her to quit her job but she never wanted to obey me.

‘In that moment I felt wounded and that’s when I grabbed the machete to finish her off. If she behaved better, she wouldn’t have provoked me to do this.’

Other prisoners at San Pedro Sula Prison told Stacey they also believed murder was justified if a woman was not behaving in a way they deemed appropriate.

One male prisoner said: ‘Men don’t like it when their chicks cheat on them. I can have three or four women but I have one main girl, the one I respect the most and I expect her to respect me back.

‘When a woman shows up dead it is because she had done something.’

He added they are often crimes of passion because, ‘when we love, we love with our whole heart and this is what makes us aggressive.’

Another man told Stacey that being an attractive woman can be dangerous. ‘Many men mistake a sexy girl for being easy,’ he said. ‘I have seen men offer girls money and if they refused, they’d take them by force.’

She was cheating on me. I told her to quit her job but she never wanted to obey me In Honduras the Catholic government’s ban on abortion and the contraceptive pill mean that rape victims, often as young as 11, are forced to give birth whilst only children themselves.

Stacey met some women who are trying to campaign for justice but the government is currently slow to reform and the district attorney evaded an interview with the BBC during their visit.

Many women believe fleeing the country by seeking asylum is their only hope, while others try to better their prospects through modelling.

One model told Stacey: ‘We are trying to move forward in any way we can. The truth is a lot of girls I have worked here aren’t here any more, they are dead.’

DailyMail on Facebook

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, october 15, 2015

Digest

Why dad’s bedtime stories are better for children

By Fiona Macrae

F

athers should make a special effort to tuck their children in at night, according to research which shows that bedtime stories are better for youngsters when they are read by men.

A study at Harvard University in the US into the effect on infants’ language after a year of hearing stories read by their parents found that girls seemed to benefit particularly from being read to by a male.

Elisabeth Duursma, who carried out the research, said: ‘The impact is huge, particularly if dads start reading to kids under the age of two.

‘Reading is seen as a female activity and kids seem to be more tuned in when their dad reads to them – it’s special.’

Men and women also approach the task differently, she found.

Mothers tended to ask ‘teacher-like’, factual questions, such as ‘How many apples do you see?’

Fathers favoured more abstract questions, which sparked imaginative discussions.

Dr Duursma, now based at the University of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia, who will present her work at an international conference later this week, said: ‘Dads were more likely to say something like: “Oh, look, a ladder. Do you remember when I had that ladder on my truck?”

‘That is great for children’s language development because they have to use their brains more.

It’s more cognitively challenging.’

Parenting expert Justin Coulson added: ‘When we read to our children we expand their vocabulary. We help them to feel safe and this can have a profound impact on their capacity for learning.

‘Research has consistently shown that parents reading to children improves the quality of relationships, academic outcomes and resilience.’

Despite these benefits, British research found that one in four parents of young children never reads to them, or does so just once every six months.

Only half of parents said they read to their children every day.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

A study at Harvard University in the US into the effect on infants’ language after a year of hearing stories read by their parents found girls in particular benefit from being read to by a male (stock image)

The 10 best stress-busting foods

By Charlotte Watts

W

e’ve all had those moments when stress leads us to grab junk food - either to cheer ourselves up or get a quick energy fix only to regret it minutes later.

In fact, stress can make us crave junk food and increase our levels of fat-promoting stress hormones, says nutritionist Charlotte Watts, writing for Healthista.

As she explains in her book, The De-Stress Effect, this can lead to weight gain around the tummy, hips and thighs.

Here, she reveals the ten foods that are proven to relieve stress - and

Garlic contains potent antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties, which help support an immune system lowered by stress. Roast it with veg

some of they may surprise you...

BERRIES Famed for their antioxidant content, berries contain compounds that may help prevent the premature ageing often seen with chronic stress.

They also temper the release of sugars into the bloodstream after eating.

This makes raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries the best sweet choice if you feel you just have to have that dessert or sweet snack.

Unlike other sweeter fruits, they cause little fermentation and gas in the bowel and, as chronic stress impairs digestion, this is helpful if you’re under pressure.

CHAMOMILE You may know chamomile as a pre-bed soother, which it does by raising the amino acid glycine to help calm a stressed, heightened nervous system.

But is also increases levels of a substance called hippuric acid that helps fight infection - which is superimportant when you’re stressed.

Drinking chamomile tea after meals may also help regulate digestive issues like stomach cramps and constipation – common symptoms for those with stress-related Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

DARK CHOCOLATE If you’re feeling guilty about your chocolate fix, don’t.

Stress increases our cravings for sweet, fatty foods and when this happens, having some dark chocolate may help.

Research has shown that a 40 gram bar a day can help us cope with stress.

Chocolate may release ‘beta endorphins’ in the brain that help us cope with stress.

It also contains a chemical called PEA phenylethylamine (PEA) that is said to evoke feelings of pleasure and euphoria.

Look for raw chocolate such as cacao nibs or dark chocolate that’s at least 70 per cent cocoa.

NUTS When you’re under stress, your body and brain go through certain vitamins faster.

Nuts are great sources of such nutrients – B vitamins, zinc, magnesium and omega oils – that are all quickly used up when stress strikes.

Nuts naturally balance blood sugar levels and have been shown to reduce sugar cravings, regulate appetite and support metabolism.

And don’t be scared of the fat in nuts. Studies shown those with nuts in their diet are more successful at weight management!

Have a handful of almonds, walnuts or Brazils mid-afternoon to keep stress-related cravings at bay.

CELERY Stress affects sleep and you can find yourself waking with a start in the early hours – a common high stress symptom.

Celery contains tryptophan which helps the body create the brain chemical serotonin, essential to sustaining a positive mood and sound sleep.

A few stalks with some sugar-free peanut butter as a bedtime snack can help sleep quality and keep your blood sugar levels constant throughout the night to prevent sudden night-time

waking.

LIQUORICE If chronic stress is leaving you exhausted, liquorice may help the function of your adrenal glands.

These are two small glands that sit above your kidneys. They make stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin to help get you through those deadlines and challenges.

But their ability to pump out those hormones is finite and when your adrenals become exhausted, so do you.

Try replacing coffee (an adrenal gland depletor) with liquorice tea for adrenal support during stressful times - but be aware it’s fabulously stimulating, so not after 2pm.

Alternatively, try quality licorice from health food stores as an occasional sweet treat.

OILY FISH This contains omega-3 oils in forms called DHA and EPA (look on the label for these).

DHA is needed for good sleep and mood and EPA can help reduce stressrelated inflammation in our cells.

Omega-3 oils also contain B vitamins, zinc and magnesium. These are all needed in higher levels during stressful times and can help reduce stress-related sugar cravings.

The best sources include 2-4 servings a week of mackerel, anchovies, salmon, trout or sardines.

(I’ve left tuna off the list as although it’s rich in omega-3 oils, it’s also high in toxic mercury – associated with headaches and insomnia).

GARLIC Long-term stress affects immunity, which is why you might catch any bug going when the pressure is on.

Garlic contains potent antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties, which help support an immune system lowered by stress.

It can also help reduce tissue and joint inflammation, which increases in the face of stress.

Crush two cloves and add it to a vegetable medley of peppers,

tomatoes and onions with some fresh oregano, lemon and a drizzle of olive oil.

Roast for 20 minutes and serve with grilled salmon or chicken breast.

CABBAGE AND ITS COUSINS Nutrient super-rich cabbage – along with other cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, collards, pak choi, horseradish and mustard leaves – contains sulphur compounds called glucosinolates.

These help our livers detoxify stress hormones.

Eating more cruciferous vegetables can also help women who suffer with PMS. This is because they can help fight a stress-related condition known as ‘oestrogen dominance’ that may be behind pre-period mood changes.

Eat your greens cooked, though – steamed or sauted in some olive or coconut oil.

When raw they can interfere with thyroid function, which may be compromised when you’re under stress.

OLIVE OIL You probably know about its potential for cardiovascular protection, which is vital as stress is now a proven underlying cause of heart disease.

But a newly discovered compound in olive oil known as oleocanthal has now been shown to have the same anti-inflammatory effects as ibuprofen - without the side-effects.

Choose extra virgin, cold-pressed olive oil and drizzle it on salads and vegetables.

Avoid cooking with it as heating can damage the delicate fats present in olive oil.

Instead, opt for cold-pressed coconut oil or rapeseed oil for cooking instead as they have ‘high melting points’ that can withstand heat.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY

Sports

thursday, september 24, 2015

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41

sports@peoplesdailyng.com, SMS- 08142929046

Oliseh is healthy, NFF tells Nigerians

We are capable of defending the U- 17 World Cup - Amuneke

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pg

Murray beats Johnson in China at Shanghai Masters

Eagles coach Oliseh (right) out, assistant Loscuito in for CHAN qualifier

By Albert Akota

T

he Nigeria Football Federation have refuted media reports suggesting that the Super Eagles Coach, Sunday Oliseh, is presently ill and would not be available to oversee the Home based Eagles take on Burkina Faso in the CHAN qualifiers this weekend.

Coach Oliseh had endured hectic times last week following the row that engulfed the national team camp.

He was on hand to oversee high profile friendly games in Belgium; first against DR Congo and then Cameroon, which ended in a sweet 3-0 win for Nigeria.

It was reported that Oliseh

had written the NFF to stay away from the weekend game in Port Harcourt in order to see his doctors in Belgium and address his health issues.

However, the NFF through its official handle on Wednesday said Coach Oliseh is by no means ill adding that he will be joining the home-based Eagles on Thursday.

“Coach @SundayOOliseh isn’t ill & hasn’t opted out of Saturday’s CHAN game. He joins the team Thursday”. The NFF wrote on its twitter handle.

Meanwhile, the NFF has also announced that the 2016 African Nations Championship final round, first leg qualifier between the Home–based Senior National Team, Super Eagles B, and the

4

4 pg

Etalons of Burkina Faso, will now take place on Saturday.

The NFF said the venue remains the Adokiye Amiesieamaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, with kick–off scheduled for 4 p.m.

The highly anticipated clash in the Garden City was previously fixed for Sunday October 18 but will now be played 24 hours earlier.

Nigeria is seeking to be among the 16 African countries to compete in Rwanda.

After earlier misses, the country made her debut show in the 2014 edition in South Africa where the Eagles settled for Bronze.

However, Sunday Oliseh has come under heavy fire over his handling of a row with Lille goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama as

well as the Eagles limped loss to DR Congo in a friendly in Belgium.

NFF general secretary Mohammed Sanusi said the coach has asked to be left out of Saturday’s qualifier because of ill health and in his place assistants Jean-Francois Losciuto and Salisu Yusuf will take charge of the homebased Eagles.

Former Enyimba and Kano Pillars coach Yusuf has been training the Nigeria league players for the CHAN qualifier since last week.

The return leg of the CHAN qualifier will be played the following weekend in Ouagadougou with the overall winners advancing to the final tournament in Rwanda in January.

NFF shifts Nigeria, Burkina Faso match to Saturday

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PAGE 42

Sport

By Albert Akota

C

oach Emannuel Amuneke and the Eaglets after their arrival in Santiago, Chile, for the U-17 World Cup kicking off this weekend Cup holders, Golden Eaglets of Nigeria, have arrived in Santiago, capital city of Chile as one of Africa’s four flag bearers at the 16th edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup finals, which is to be hosted by Chile between October 17 and November 8.

Nigeria has won the competition a record four times with the last being two years ago in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

According to the website of Nigeria Football Federation, the defending champions flew into Santiago from their pre-World Cup camp base in Buenos Aires at 8:20pm local time (which is early hours of yesterday in Nigeria (12:20 am), aboard a Lan Airlines flight.

Speaking to the media on arrival, Coach Emmanuel Amuneke and

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, september 24, 2015

striker Victor Osimhen were upbeat about the chances of the Eaglets successfully defending the trophy.

“We are here to defend the trophy,” said Amuneke. “We are here with new players who want to write their own history and we are looking forward to our first game against the United States of America, which is very important for us.”

Osimhen echoed the sentiment of Coach Amuneke, adding that they have been psyched up for the challenges ahead as the defending champions.

“We are here to win,” said Osimhen who is Golden Eaglets’ top scorer with 39 goals in 71 cumulative international and local matches.

“Just as the coach said, we are here to write our own story as a team and players.”

Immediately after dinner at their Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Santiago-Vitacura, where they are accommodated for their opening match against USA on October 17, Amuneke reminded his wards to focus attention on nothing but

Eaglets land in Chile for FIFA U-17 World Cup football as the team seeks a fifth U-17 world title.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has applauded the Embassy of Nigeria in Argentina for rallying behind the Golden Eaglets during their pre-World Cup preparation in Buenos Aires.

Siji Lagunju, Assistant Director (Technical), on behalf of the Federation, said the Nigerian Embassy ably led by Mr. Tiwalade Adelanwa, the Deputy Head of

Mission, contributed immensely to the Golden Eaglets’ successful stay in Buenos Aires.

Lagunju said that the embassy staff particularly Mr. Elekwachi Ndubuisi, Mrs. Felicia Ezeorah and Mr. Abolaji Olawunmi was very impressive in the discharge of their duties.

“I want to use this opportunity to thank the Nigerian Embassy officials here in Argentina. We were well received right from the first

day, they were hospitable like true Nigerians.

“It was great the NFF brought us to Buenos Aires Football (BAF) to prepare for the World Cup which is a conducive environment that allows for maximum concentration. We are equally very grateful to the staff of BAF and the liaison officials from Eurodata, Juan Partricio who were also wonderful during our stay in Buenos Aires,” said Lagunju before the team left Argentina.

NFF shifts Nigeria, Burkina Faso match to Saturday

Amaju Melvin Pinnick

By Albert Akota

T

Eaglets arrive Santiago for U-17 World Cup 14 goals so far in the Glo NPFL season, is injured and out of the race for a shirt, but apart from fellow Wolves’ boy Paul Onobi who had a knock in training on Tuesday, all other players are fully fit to battle the Etalons.

There are goalkeepers Femi Thomas, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, David Obiazor and Okemute Odah.

Defenders are Chima Akas, Austin Oboroakpo, Kalu Orji, Solomon Kwambe, Idris Aloma, Samson Gbadebo, Jamiu Alimi and Stephen Eze, while midfielders are Abdulrazak Aliyu, Ifeanyi Mathew, Paul Onobi, Usman Mohammed, Bature Yaro and Osas Okoro.

Forwards include Ezekiel Bassey, Chisom Chikatara, Tunde Adeniji, Prince Aggrey, Bright Onyedikachi and Dayo Ojo. Nigeria failed to qualify for the first two editions of the competition reserved for senior players plying their trade in African countries’ domestic league, but won a bronze medal at the third edition held in South Africa early last year.

The winners over two legs between Nigeria and Burkina Faso will be eligible for a place at the 4th edition of the championship taking place in Rwanda early next year.

he Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has announced that the 2016 African Nations Championship final round, first leg qualifier between the Home–based Senior National Team, Super Eagles B, and the Etalons of Burkina Faso, will now take place on Saturday.

The NFF reported on its website Wednesday that the venue remains the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, with kick–off scheduled for 4pm.

No reason was given for the new date of the match which had earlier been fixed for Sunday.

The Confederation of African Football has appointed Boubou Traore from Mali as referee for the encounter.

Traore’s compatriots Bobo Yomboliba, Boubacar Kinta and Harouna Coulibaly will serve as assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and reserve referee respectively.

Mr. Pedro De Morais Neto, from Angola, will be match commissioner.

Meanwhile, 24 players are battling for shirts in Port Harcourt under the watchful eyes of Assistant Coaches Salisu Yusuf CHANGE OF NAME and Alloy I formerly known as Hauwa Kabir Usman Agu. W a r r i now wish to be known and addressesd Wolves’ ace as Hauwa Mohamed Kabir. All former f o r w a r d documents remain valid. General public G b o l a h a n should please take note.

Salami, with

Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea send scouts to tonitor Golden Eaglets

A

couple of English Premier League clubs have sent their scouts to Chile to run the rule over the top stars in the Golden Eaglets fold.

It is confirmed that representatives of Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool will be in the stands on Saturday when the Nigeria Under - 17s clash with their United States counterparts at the Estadio

Golden Eaglets

Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos in Santiago.

The players that are on the radar of the English Premier League trio are skipper Kelechi Nwakali ( ASJ Academy), Funsho Bamgboye (Aspire Academy), Victor Osimhen (Ultimate Strikers) and Joel Osikel ( Young Eleven FC).

Prior to the tournament in Chile, Kelechi Nwakali had flirted with

Manchester City, with the Citizens suits inviting him to England and he was given a tour of the club’s training facilities.

Kelechi Iheanacho, Chidiebere Nwakali and Musa Yahaya were snapped up by English clubs after the 2013 FIFA U17s.

Page 43

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, september 24, 2015

Sport

FIFA ethics committee bans ex-South Africa FA official F ormer South Africa Football Association (Safa) official Lindile Kika has been suspended from all football activity for six years.

The sanction has been handed out by the independent ethics committee of football’s world governing body, Fifa.

Details of the case were not provided, with Fifa saying it was “in relation to several international friendly matches played in South Africa in 2010”.

Kika has denied allegations of match-fixing from 2010.

He was one of five senior Safa officials, including the former

No plans to sell Aubameyang – Zorc

Lindile Kika

Modric eyes return against PSG

L

Luka Modric and Gareth Bale at the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy final

uka Modric hopes to be fit for Real Madrid’s Champions League trip to face Paris Saint-Germain next week.

The 30-year-old was forced to sit out Croatia’s pivotal Euro 2016 qualifying win over Malta as a result of a groin injury picked up in the victory against Bulgaria.

Modric says he does not expect to be ready for the Liga encounter with Levante at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday but he is confident he will be ready to travel to face the French champions on October 21.

“I can’t play,” he told AS when asked if he would be fit for Levante. “Hopefully I’ll be there to play against PSG.” Modric had travelled with the Croatia squad for the 1-0 win over Malta despite being unavailable for selection.

Ivan Perisic’s first-half goal was enough for them to snatch an automatic qualifying spot away from Norway, who were beaten 2-1 by group winners Italy.

Modric has made nine appearances in all competitions under Rafael Benitez so far this season.

B

orussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc insists that the German club has no plans to sell Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Gabon striker has been linked with a move to Liverpool, suggesting the chance for a reunion with Coach Jurgen Klopp.

Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo also suggested Barcelona were keen on signing the 26-year-old international in January, once their FIFA-imposed transfer ban is lifted.

However, Dortmund’s sporting director Michael Zorc has

Manchester City announce profit for first time in history

M

anchester City has announced an annual profit for the first time since Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed completed his takeover of the Premier League club in September 2008.

In their annual report covering the 2014-15 season, City announced a £10.7million bottom-line profit for the period in question.

This return means City will

not be hit by a repeat of the UEFA Financial Fair Play punishments that limited their squad size and transfer activity for the 2014-15 campaign UEFA lifted the restrictions, along with similar sanctions imposed upon Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, in July this year.

City’s overall revenues hit record levels of £351.8m, four years on from reporting a record

president Kirsten Nematandani, put on ‘special leave’ in December 2012 following a Fifa report into match-fixing.

He and the others were reinstated in January 2013 but not exonerated from any wrongdoing.

A meeting of Safa’s executive committee at the time decided the emergency committee went beyond their mandate in suspending the officials.

A Safa statement released on Wednesday said it welcomed Fifa’s action and stressed Kika was no longer involved in the organisation. It added it was working to “root out misconduct”.

loss of £195m in 2010-11 following a significant outlay on players and infrastructure projects.

In December 2014, Manchester City opened their new City Football Academy complex adjacent to the Etihad Stadium, housing its senior men’s, women’s and age-group teams, while the capacity of their home ground was expanded to 55,000 in advance of the current season.

Gabon skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

confirmed Aubameyang is a key player for the club and will not be sold.

And the 26-year-old has expressed his desire to stay with the Bundesliga side, having signed a new deal until 2020 back in January.

“I’m here with all my heart, I never wanted to leave,” Aubameyang said after extending his current deal.

The Gabon attacker has been one of European club football’s best players in 2015/16, netting 14 times in as many games in all competitions for Dortmund.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, september 24, 2015

Page

Sport Conlan wins historic World Championships gold

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elfast’s Michael Conlan has become the first Irish male to win a senior World Amateur Championship title with victory in Wednesday’s bantamweight final.

The 23-year-old Ireland team captain beat Murodjon Akhmadaliev of Uzbekistan on a unanimous point’s decision in Doha.

Conlan shaded the first round and clearly took the second but had to hang on at the end after being knocked down in the final minute.

He adds the world crown to his European and Commonwealth titles.

Conlan had already qualified

for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio. “I am a bit embarrassed at getting knocked down in the last round,” said Conlan.

“It is the first time I have been on the canvas in my life. He hit me sweet on the chin and it was the best punch I have ever been hit with.

Irish light-heavyweight Joe Ward is also through to the final at the World Championships and fights Julio La Cruz of Cuba on Thursday evening.

Earlier, Michael O’Reilly lost a controversial decision to Hosam Abdin of Egypt in their box-off for a place at the Olympics.

Andy Murray and Steve Johnson

Murray beats Johnson in China at Shanghai Masters

B Michael Conlan

Khan wants to fight Pacquiao or Brook

A

mir Khan has raised the prospect of an all-British fight against Kell Brook, as his hopes of a match with legendary fighter Manny Pacquiao diminish.

The 28-year-old from Bolton had hoped to be Pacquiao’s final opponent.

Former two-time lightwelterweight world champion Khan beat Chris Algieri in their bout in June and felt he was close to facing Floyd Mayweather - but the multiple world champion opted to fight Andre Berto in his

ritain’s Andy Murray had a comfortable 6-2 6-4 victory over Steve Johnson in his opening Shanghai Masters match.

The world number two dropped serve in the first game of the match but was rarely troubled by the American in his first outing since GB’s Davis Cup semi-final victory over Australia on 20 September.

Isner’s 6-3 7-6 (7-5) victory over Belgian David Goffin prevented a dress-rehearsal meeting between the world number 16 and Murray before

next month’s Davis Cup final.

World number one Novak Djokovic also reached round three, beating Slovakia’s Martin Klizan 6-2 6-1.

Rafael Nadal also made it through but had a much tougher time.

It took Nadal two hours and 43 minutes to overcome Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-4).

Looking ahead to facing Isner, Murray told Sky Sports: “I think he quite likes the conditions here because it’s quick and he’s a tough guy to play against.”

After starting slowly against

Johnson, Murray broke the American’s serve three times to claim the first set.

The Scot encountered greater resistance in the second set and two double faults in a row helped gift Johnson two break points at 3-3. But a precise drop volley allowed Murray to see off the danger.

With Johnson serving at 4-5, a lob set up three match points and Murray clinched it at the second opportunity when the American sent a forehand long after one hour and 16 minutes.

McIlroy’s foundation back Irish Open

final bout instead.

Seven-weight world champion Pacquiao, 36, would be an alternative high-profile bout for Khan, who has won 31 of his 34 fights, but he is not confident of a deal being agreed.

Khan is instead considering rematches with Americans Garcia, who stopped him in four rounds last year, and Peterson, who beat him on points in 2011.

But he also mooted a meeting with IBF welterweight champion Brook, who has called on his compatriot to get in the ring.

Rory McIlroy

Amir Khan

R

ory McIlroy’s charitable foundation is to continue to host the Irish Open for the next three years.

The four-time major winner threw his backing behind this year’s event at Royal County Down and helped attract big names to the tournament.

McIlroy missed the cut at the

Newcastle links course as the tournament was won by Soren Kjeldsen after a play-off.

The prize fund for the 2016 tournament at the K Club will increase by 60%, rising to 4m euros.

“I was delighted with the support I received, not only from the players who competed this

year, but also from the fans who came along to Royal County Down - they made it another sell-out tournament,” said McIlroy.

“I am sure the K Club - on the 10th anniversary as host of the 2006 Ryder Cup - will be an excellent venue for the 2016 Irish Open.”

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, september 24, 2015

Sport

P-i-c-t-o-r-i-a-l

Ireland may gamble on the fitness of fly-half Johnny Sexton for their World Cup quarter-final against Argentina

Algeria playmaker Yacine Brahimi has urged their fans to maintain their support for the national team following their 1-0 win over Senegal in Algiers

World number two Andy Murray beats Steve Johnson 6-2 6-4 in his opening match at the Shanghai Masters.

Matthew Fitzpatrick is ideally equipped to build on his first success on the European Tour, writes Iain Carter.

Three African stars lighting up the world stage. There have been plenty more shining stars but Andre Ayew, Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez has shown brightest.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, september 24, 2015

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Sport We are capable of defending the U- 17 World Cup- Amuneke

E

mmanuel Amuneke (MFR) was an assistant coach the last time Nigeria won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

He was promoted as the team’s Head Coach early March 2014 and successfully secured Golden Eaglets’ ticket for the 16th edition of the global cadet completion which Nigeria has won a record four times following the successes recorded in 1985, 1993, 2007 and 2013.

On the eve of the team’s departure from their training camp in Buenos Aires, Argentina for the World Cup finals, Amuneke sat with media officer, Morakinyo Abodunrin in a special interview where he discussed virtually everything about the Golden Eaglets. Excerpts...

It has taken you a long road to be here, and the moment of truth is here for you...how do you feel that you will be leading Nigeria to the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile?

First and foremost, I want to thank God that has been there every step along the journey since we started in 2014. I consider it as a privilege to serve the country in another capacity and we have done so with all sense of responsibility. I was clear in my thoughts about what I needed to do by assembling a team that would be able to secure a ticket through the African qualifiers.

It was not easy initially because we had to build the team from one stage to another and eventually we qualified for the African U-17 Nations Cup in Niger and eventually, we also qualified for the World Cup in Chile.

But it was not easy along the way; all along, I knew we had to be firm and strong in our decisions because the process at this category is full of many difficulties. So right from the start, we assumed the responsibility of doing things in the right way and to the best of our abilities.

We were fair and just in all our decisions leading to this stage and it is our prayer as a team that God will crown all our efforts in Chile.

We are set for the World Cup and I would be delighted if the players can put on display all that we have taught them in Chile; and we are optimistic that we are going to have a good tournament.

Amuneke

Many people were of the view that you struggled to qualify for the World Cup by coming fourth at the African U-17 Championship in Niger Republic. Has this in anyway affected your confidence ?

With all modesty, I think we have done reasonably well looking at our circumstances. This process has been long; we started with a lot of players and along the line we were unable to use some of them in Niger Republic because of one reason or the other.

In fact, some of our key players were affected by the MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Test two weeks to the tournament in Niger Republic and we had to just work with the rest of the group to ensure that we qualified for the World Cup in Chile as the defending champions.

I think we did our best in Niger bearing in mind that of all the four teams that represented Africa at the last World Cup in the UAE were in Niger Republic. We are the only one going to Chile and that to me, this is an achievement.

Having said that, we have been working hard to correct some of the problems we had in Niger and we are hopeful that the new players we have added to the team would give us what we want; and add more value to what we already have on ground by the time we get to Chile.

So what has changed since Niger 2015 in February and what is the difference between the team you took to Niger Republic and the team you have picked for the World Cup in Chile?

As I said earlier on, we actually lost most of our key players especially due to the MRI Test going to Niger and that affected our overall performance.

We missed the quality of several players in the attacking midfield and defence but all that is in the past now because we were still able to qualify for the World Cup in Chile, which was our sole objective going to Niger.

People might feel our best was not good enough in Niger but I think the players gave their best though their best was not enough to win the tournament.

The World Cup in Chile is here

Amuneke with officials and we are mindful of the fact that we are going to play our first game against the USA on October 17; and we are working very hard.

Hopefully, the image we gave at the African championship would be very different from what we are going to see in Chile and I’m positive that we are going to do well in Chile.

What gives you this kind of confidence going forward to Chile?

I have always believed in myself and in my team; I believe in the players that I have and in what I’m doing.

I have constantly transmitted the same confidence into them so that they can have the same self –belief in their abilities in order to represent the country very well.

We have told the players that it was a rare privilege for them to be picked to represent the country at this level and I’m confident that those that we have picked will do their best in Chile.

We have some good players in this team but what is important to me is how to see them play as a team and function effectively; we want to see them perform effectively when they have and they don’t have the ball and if they can be able to do this, our job is half done.

Why the emphasis on team work ?

My belief is that a team must play collectively because we have passed the era whereby you rely only on one player to carry the team.

Even those who are sitting on the bench are part of the project and as such, I always want to look at the totality of my team and how each player in different positions would function.

Though you must have two

or three quality players in a team, essentially, I always want the players to function as a team rather than as individuals. If we can function effectively, it allows the individual players to bring out the best in them.

Do you agree with the opinion that Kelechi Nwakali and Victor Osimhen are the best players in your team?

I don’t have to agree or disagree with people’s opinion on such matter but I think this team is not based only on Nwakali and Osimhen; we have other good players in the team but I don’t always like to talk about individual players; we should not forget that these are players just growing up and we should not put too much pressure on them.

I want all the players to work for each other; play as team and that is the only way we can get the best out of them. People easily mention Nwakali and Osimhen because they have been with us for a very long time but in the process of building this team, we have seen other good players.

I just want all our players to go out there and do their best and by the time the tournament kicks off on the 17th, Nigerians would see and identify more talents in the team.

Most Nigerians usually compare your team with the 2013 World Cup-winning team of which you were an assistant coach. What is the difference between that team and the present team you are taking to Chile?

Frankly, I don’t always want to go into this kind of argument or comparison because it is difficult to change what people believe particularly for those who lack the wisdom to know that no two teams

are the same.

Though many people would not give us credit, this team has performed creditably well under very peculiar circumstances that I don’t even want to talk about.

But this is a team that has been competing right from the beginning of our campaign in 2014; and any decent follower of the team will appreciate what we have done, though we never had the luxury of long time camping like the last team.

I really want to thank all the players that went through the process with us until we arrived at this final stage...because without them, we would not even be talking about going to the World Cup in Chile.

We were less than three weeks in camp when we went to the WAFU U-17 Tournament with players coming from all kinds of academies where they were not properly trained but I must give credit to them for always rising up to the occasion and meeting our own high expectations.

Of course, we are always proud of the kind of players we had the last time but are we going to approach the tournament in Chile with the same philosophy with different set of players? By now, all the other teams must have defined how we play in terms of style and tactics but we must design another way of achieving the same goal with a new set of players.

Agreed, African players have natural abilities but our emphasis now is to ensure that we function as a unit because the kind of attention we are going to get in Chile would be different from what we got in 2013 in the UAE. I don’t always want to compare teams because no two teams are the same. Every team has to write its own history.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, september 24, 2015

Some Interesting Facts 1. Everyone has a unique smell, unique finger print and unique tongue print.

2. By age 60, most people will have lost half their taste buds.

3. Your eyes remain the same size after birth but your nose and ears never stop growing.

4. A simple, moderately severe sunburn burns the blood vessels extensively.

5. We are about 1cm taller in the mornings than in the evenings.

6. The strongest muscle in the body is the human tongue.

7. The hardest bone in the human body is the jaw bone.

8. The hands and feet contains almost half of the total bones in the human body.

9. About 32 million bacteria call every inch of your skin home, but they are mostly harmless and some of them are even helpful.

10. Humans shed and regrow outer skin every 27

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Leisure

days.

11. Three hundred million cells die in the human body every minute and everyday and adult produces 300 billion new cells.

12. The colder the room you sleep, the higher the chances are that you would get a nightmare.

13. Humans are the only species that produce emotional tears.

14. All babies are color blind at birth, they see only black and white.

15. The only part of your body that has no blood supply is the cornea in the eye. It gets its oxygen directly from air.

16. A normal human being can survive 20 days without eating but can survive only 2 days without drinking.

17. It is impossible to kill yourself by choking yourself with your hands.

18. Everybody has one strong eye and one weak eye.

19. Your skeleton keeps renewing itself every ten years which means that every ten years you get a new skeleton.

20. The human feet have 500,000 sweat glands and can produce more than a pint of sweat a day.

21. Nigeria, with a 2013 estimated population of 174,507,539 is the most populous Black nation and the 7th most populated nation in the entire world, trailing afterâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;from least to mostâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Pakistan, Brazil, Indonesia, USA, India and China (1.3bn).

22. Nigerians are 1/5th the total population of Black Africa.

quick crosswords

CROSSWORD SOLUTION 87

CROSSWORD SOLUTION 86

Say what?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Regardless of their age, everyone in the Bajau tribe has a place and helps in some way to catch the fish.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

www.peoplesdailyng.com

. . . putting the people first

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015

SPORTS latest

Chelsea manager fined for comments

C

helsea boss Jose Mourinho has been given a suspended one-match stadium ban and fined £50,000 by the Football Association for comments made about match officials.

Mourinho had claimed officials were “afraid” to award his team penalties after Robert Madley denied Chelsea a spot-kick in a 3-1 loss to Southampton.

The FA charged that his comments “imply bias on the part of a match official”.

Mourinho’s ban will only be enforced if he repeats the offence within a year.

The home defeat by Southampton was Chelsea’s fourth loss in the defending champions’ opening eight Premier League games of the season and left them 10 points behind leaders Manchester City and four points above the relegation zone.

Speaking after the game, Mourinho had said the Blues were “always punished” by officials because “there is always a question mark” from the media.

“If the Football Association wants to punish me they can. They don’t punish other managers,” he added.

Mourinho was charged hours after Chelsea said the Portuguese retained their “full support” following back-toback defeats.

His side return to Premier League action at home to Aston Villa - four points and two places below them on Saturday.

Jose Mourinho Advert: 0806 business: 0704 news: 0814 lagos: 0805 0803

QUOTABLE QUOTE “The law overly restricts INEC’s powers, rendering it insufficiently effective in challenging inappropriate actions.

However in 11 states, over 92 per cent PVC collection was reported, which is implausible given that the deceased have not been removed from the list since 2010”.

—EU’s chief election observer, Santiago Fisas making case for INEC reform.

Nigeria and the search for alternative energy

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ext week, the Federal Ministry of Power, in conjunction with the Africa Sustainable Energy Association, the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership and Mathesis Consulting, will host the fifth edition of the Nigeria Alternative Energy Expo in Abuja. Participants will discuss and exchange their visions, experiences, and solutions in order to accelerate the global scale up of renewable energy in Nigeria and the region.

The theme for this year’s conference is, “Consolidating Energy Transformation Gains: Lessons Learned from Key International Players.” Time-tested perspectives on international development from South Africa, Europe and Canada will be highlighting the common challenges faced there and how Nigeria can avoid them, with topics including energy interconnectivity in Nigeria, PPA, Pay As You Go Solar, and green economy, technological innovations and energy-smart cities, among others.

The conference will also highlight the latest technology trends in the renewable energy sector, promote renewable energy as a preferred solution and highlight the role renewable energy can play in terms of accelerating overall development of Nigeria’s power sector.

Chairman of the Local Orangising Committee, Prof.

Emmaunel Onyejeose said “The country is ready to chart the way forward for the industry with likeminded role-players that realize the benefits of investing in renewable energy. We believe that the renewable energy value chain offers solutions for increasing energy access, security of supply, emissions reduction, sustainable development and trust that this conference will contribute to the advancement of the sector in Nigeria, Africa and around the world.”

Chairman, Nigeria Alternative Energy Consortium, Chris Edeh, also reiterated that NAEE would provide the country with a unique opportunity to showcase its nascent renewable energy industry and gain experience from those countries at the forefront of renewable energy deployment.

I have maintained that NAEE is a critical platform that holds the promise of catalysing a revival in Nigeria’s alternative energy industry. With obvious challenges, it still proved to be an entity that is consistently professional and because of this can make the

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THURSDAY Column By

Greg Odogwu needed transition with emerging governance structures.

Last year, I wrote an article suggesting that should NAEE facilitate the unification of Nigeria’s alternative energy players under a single umbrella as is the practice among other trade unions and professional bodies. I also suggested that it facilitated the standardisation of renewable energy installations and systems management as is obtainable in other countries.

Nevertheless, further research showed that perhaps my charge to the body was a tall order considering what the system on the ground dictated regarding its fulfilment.

In other words, perhaps NAEE would have its hands tied by preexisting professional-bureaucratic atmosphere.

For instance, I made a search at the Corporate Affairs Commission and discovered that a particular organisation already existed which claimed to be an organisation uniting renewable energy practitioners. Yet, this body remains mostly in a “ghost mode” as nobody I talked to among industry players is aware of such platform.

An experienced expert told me that what usually happens is that people “block” certain organisation’s registration at the CAC as a professional stock ticker which they can use to trade in the future, so to speak. He told me that there are certain contracts or international openings that require affiliation to professional bodies in specific industries. And when such opportunities arise and membership to a renewable energy platform is needed, the “gambler” can now use his “registered” professional body to make some cool cash.

This is an aspect of corruption I had not known till then, and which is quite shocking.

The second observation is that in my admonition that NAEE get on the task of standardising industry practice in renewable energy, perhaps, I was being a bit naïve. I might not have realised the

matrix of ingrained corruption in the system that would effectively discourage any standardisation moves as it would take away the “chop-I-chop plate” from many regulatory officials and their clique private sector collaborators.

Let us be reminded that the fake – or low quality – solar streetlights on our roads are because of regulators that looked the other way while an industry that has no standards whatsoever takes hold of renewable energy service delivery to an uninformed populace.

I took pains to make the above points because Nigeria is today under a fresh administration that for now is showing some promises when it comes to doing the right thing. If the tempo is then maintained, corruption could be curbed to a very large extent in the near future.

The NAEE needs the support of the current administration because it is a unique platform that could make President Buhari’s dreams come true in power supply. No nation on earth can survive without renewable sources of power at this time the whole world is looking towards entering a zero-carbon emissions future. More so, a country like ours where electricity supply is too little and needs radical upgrade.

It has been reported that the All Progressives Congress averred that the seeming stability in power generation and increase in its supply is attributable to President Buhari’s integrity. The party, through its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, said that power generation in Nigeria was between 3,000MW and 3,500MW before the swearing in of the President on May 29, but then experienced significant increase within two months to a quantum of above 4,500MW. He said it was as a result of the integrity brought into governance

by Buhari, and stated that cases of pipelines vandalism had decreased significantly since the new administration took over from the Peoples Democratic Party.

To me, it would be unnecessary to go to the streets boasting just because of a perceived “stability” in power supply. Even at 4,500MW, we are far behind in generating enough power to even scratch the surface of our manufacturing sector’s energy needs.

What the APC and the Presidency should be doing right now is to shop for alternatives with which to beef up the supply.

Instead of bragging about an “end to gas pipeline vandalism”, the government should painstakingly seek out many other invisible loopholes through which the country loses its energy generating potential.

They should look at the corruption and the gaps in the renewable energy industry. Why is it that for decades now, the country would be spending money in making one renewable energy plan or the other, and never hitting the ground running? South Africa started its national energy efficiency project in 2007 and now it has already been able to save about 6,000MW; while Nigeria, which rolled out its own renewable energy master plan since 2006 has yet to add any green power to the national grid.

Well, it is gladdening that one of the agenda in the NAEE 2015 is energy efficiency where the industry players shall explore the idea of delivering 20,000MW of renewable energy by 2020. I believe that with a serious government and a corruptfree playing ground, everything green and good is possible in our great country.

Greg Odogwu is a Public Affairs Analyst.

DAN GAYE Senate defers Rotimi Amaechi’s screening - News

Hope he will get justice

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