Wednesday, December 19, 2018 Edition

Wednesday, December 19, 2018/ Rabi’u Thani 11, 1440 AH

1703 Days after

Vol. 30 No. 046 N150

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peoplesdailyng

. . . putting the people first

The nation awaits rescue of the remaining abducted Chibok schoolgirls

EFCC files fraud Osun guber: Fresh Police parade 2 hurdles for Adeleke as charges against Akwa female kidnappers, FG files more charges Ibom gov, Udom 12 others in Kaduna

Buhari: NASS inflating debts payable to states pAGE 2

pAGE 7

>>>page 6

Presents N8.7trn 2019 budget today As lawmakers defy staff strike

L-R: Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu; Presidential candidate of PDP and former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar; National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus and Governor of Gombe, Dr. Ibrahim Dankwambo at the Northeast PDP 2019 Presidential Election Campaign rally in Gombe, yesterday in Gombe State

I’m rededicating myself to duty, says Buhari >>>page 4

>>>page 5

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (middle), with African Union (AU) President, Paul Kagame (left) and Austria’s Federal Chancellor, H.E. Sebastian Kurz (right), during the 2018 Africa/Europe High-Level Forumon taking cooperation to the digital age in Vienna, Austria, yesterday in Vienna.

ASUU strike: Negotiations ongoing, truce in sight -FG

>>>page 5

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

News CONTENTS News 2-14 Editorial Op.Ed

11 12-13

Politics 15-17 Stockwatch Business Feature

18 19-20 21

World Analysis 22 Africa News

23

World News

24

Osun guber: Fresh hurdles for Adeleke as FG files more charges

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

T

he Federal Government, yesterday, file a seven-count amended charge against the Osun State, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 22, 2018, Senator Ademola Adeleke and four others.

The Nigeria Police initially arraigned Adeleke and four other defendants on a four-count charge, bordering on alleged examination malpractices before Justice Edward Ekwo.

The others are, Alhaji Aregbesola Mufutau (Principal, Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, Ojo-Aro Osun State), Gbadamosi Thomas Ojo (school Registrar) and Dare Samuel Olutope (a teacher).

They pleaded not guilty to the

seven-count charge as the prosecution counsel, Simon Lough asked for a date to commence trial in the matter.

Responding, counsel to Adeleke, Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN),told the court that he need time to respond to all the processes served on him.

Also yesterday, Izinyon, moved an application dated December 17, 2018 for the release of Adeleke’s International Passport to enable him travel abroad for medical attention.

Justice Ekwo granted the application and ordered that the defendant’s travel documents be released to him to enable him travel to the United States of America for treatment between 7 and 28, January, 2019.

The Judge held that Adeleke should return the International Passport within three days of his

return to the country.

Adeleke was in September, arraigned on four count charges, bordering on examination malpractices, along with his brother, Sikiru Adeleke and three others.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail on selfrecognizance by the Court.

The judge announced bail for Adeleke on self-recognition, while the 2nd and 3rd defendants are in the sum of N2 million each.

As part of his bail conditions, Sen Adeleke shall sign an undertaken to always attend trial and must not travel out of the country without the permission of the court.

The second and third defendants on their part, are to provide a surety each in the sum of N2 million.

The sureties, in addition, shall be

owners of landed property within the jurisdiction of the court, which shall be verified by the registrar of the court.

They are also to submit their international passports to the court and must not travel out of the country without obtaining permission from the court.

However, Justice Ekwo ordered the remand in prison custody of the 4th and 5th defendants, Gbadamosi Ojo (school Registrar) and Dare Olutope (a teacher) since they did not apply for bail.

The defendants are accused of fraudulently, through personation, registering as students of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, OjoAro Osun State to enable them sit for the National Examination Council (NECO) examination of June/July 2017.

Gov. Al-makura directs payment of LG workers’ salaries before Christmas

Page 4

Property 25

Gbagi traditional dance troupe entertaining peoples, during Presidential Buahri birthday celebration by members of African Women Arise organization on Tuesday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Health

Gusau varsity senior staff protests over non release of N8bn arrears

26

Sports 30-31 Back Page

32

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From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

T

he Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) Federal University Gusau chapter has demanded that the federal government expedite payment of unpaid earned allowances, and to reinstate the sacked University staffers with immediate effect.

In a peaceful demonstration staged

yesterday led by the SSANU Chairman, Mudassir Musa who said, they have resolved to join the protest embarked upon by the other chapters of the union nationwide grudged that, the federal government has no respect for the verdict earlier passed by the industrial court on the matter.

The Chairman cried that, the Eight Billion Naira meant for the payments of the outstanding earned

allowances had since been approved to pay the non-teaching staff but, the federal government is still reluctant on the matter, “The development out of which we see no sign from the government’s side towards rescuing the situation”.

Comrade Mudassir further lamented failure of federal government over non positive response upon the SSANU’s demands despite several

meetings with assigned related authorities, therefore, “Our last meeting held in Enugu about two weeks ago had resolved on staging protests until the approved funds are released”.

He reiterated the union’s decision on embarking on every legitimate struggle with a view to ensure the unconditional reinstatement of the sacked staffers of University Staff Schools across the Universities in the country.

Katsina govt released N2bn for agric dev’t in 3 years-Masari From Lawal Sa’ idu Funtua, Katsina

T

he Katsina State Government has released over N2 billion to the Ministry of Agriculture and it’s parastatals for the development of the sector in the last three and a half year.

Governor Aminu Bello Masari disclosed this on Tuesday at the 1st state agricultural show held at Kafin Soli, in kankia local government area of the state.

Masari represented by his deputy,

Alhaji Mannir Yakubu said the funds were released for the implementation of various agricultural activities aimed at boosting agricultural production and employment to the state teeming population particularly the youths.

He added that, government has also provided facilities, incentives and the enabling environment to small scale farmers to be fully engaged all year round.

According to him, our target is to ensure that both wet and dry seasons farmers in the state are being supported

and empowered to compete positively with the global challenges.

On the revival of cotton production, the Governor said his administration is collaborating with the Institute of Agricultural Research, ABU Zaria for the production of cotton in the dry season.

Similarly, he said efforts are being made by government to source for improved seed varieties for farmers with short duration of maturity and high yield to increase their production, generate employment and provide wealth.

He however urged agricultural extension service agencies, research institutions, universities and other relevant stakeholders to partner with the state government to boost agricultural production in the state.

While calling on the state citizens to support the administration’s programmes and policies, the Governor appealed to the people to stop the felling of trees, encroachment of forests and grazing reserves to avert drought, desertification, as well as farmers/ herdsmen clashes.

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PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

News

Buhari declines assent to NBC Amendment Bill

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari has declined assent to a bill that seeks to amend the law establishing the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

Buhari’s letter was addressed to the Senate President Bukola Saraki and read yesterday during plenary.

The President explained that his decision to withhold assent to the bill was because the amendment to the powers of the commission “deletes” existing paragraphs 21(U) which contains an important omnibus clause that grants the commission incidental powers which are not specifically provided for in other sections of the Act. The letter reads in part: “ Pursuant to Section 58(4) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, I hereby convey to the Senate, my decision on the 26th November 2018, to decline presidential assent to the National Broadcasting Commission Amendment Bill 2018.

“I am declining assent to the bill because the amendment to the powers of the commission “deletes” existing paragraphs 21(U) which contains an important omnibus clause that grants the commission incidental powers which are not specifically provided for in other sections of the Act. “We suggest that a more appropriate approach for the amendment for the creation of a new paragraph (U) as contained in the bill and the renumbering in the current paragraph (U), as a new paragraph (Y)”.

News Editor, Ese Awhotu

Job creation vital for reduction of illegal migration, Osinbajo tells EU leaders

By Lawrence Olaoye

V

ice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that job creation is pivotal for the reduction of illegal migration of African youth to Europe in search of greener pastures.

According to a statement made available to newsmen yesterday by his spokesman, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo made the declaration yesterday at the Africa-Europe HighLevel Forum in Vienna, Austria, which had in attendance other African and European Heads of States or Government.

Osinbajo, who maintained that Africa and Europe must work together to advance and harvest the economic benefits of digital economy, and at the same time prevent a counter-productive widening of the

digital gap, said “Given our fastgrowing population in Africa, we are, of course, keen to work together to boost the job creation potential of new technologies rather than concentrating on jobs destined to disappear in the digital age. Faster growth, sustainable development and job creation are also vital for reducing irregular migration from Africa to Europe. In our globalized world, people can see disparities in standards of living across regions quite easily. This means there must be increasing openings for entrepreneurship and jobs in home countries for those who would otherwise embark on risk journeys in search of opportunities. In Nigeria we are taking urgent and practical steps to provide such opportunities for our rapidly increasing youth

population.”

Speaking on the forum’s theme ‘Taking cooperation to the digital age’, the Vice President noted that investments in digital technology can make important contribution to growth and development by fostering productivity gains from continuous innovation.

Osinbajo who also highlighted the strides made by the Buhari administration in developing Nigeria’s technology sector through supporting public-private sector initiatives and the advisory group on technology and creativity, noted that the advisory group has been working to build an ecosystem for funding, training, infrastructure and intellectual property protection.

He added that the country’s Social Investment Programme has

been leveraging on technology tools to drive it in its bid to improve the economy and lives of Nigerians.

He said, “Under our social investment programme, 75,000 young people are being trained in coding, software development, hardware maintenance, animation and data management, and we’re set to train another 200,000 young men and women. “ The Vice president also thanked European countries for their support, while calling on other EU member states to partner with Nigeria and Africa to impart skills, raise resources, promote investment and provide infrastructure to build a digital economy.

Several African and European Heads of Government attended the High-Level forum.

Buhari greets ace cinematographer, Ugbomah, at 78

By Lawrence Olaoye

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari has joined the entertainment industry in celebrating ace cinematographer, movie producer and former Chairman of Nigerian Film Corporation, Chief Eddie Ugbomah, who turns 78 today.

According to a statement made

available to newsmen yesterday by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, the President sent warm greetings to the gifted and visionary entertainer, whose love for storytelling and suspenseful narratives turned him into a household name from at a young age, winning awards and recognitions across the globe.

Buhari commended Ugbomah’s

courage and foresight for pursuing the dream of setting up the first Film village in Africa, and remaining undaunted in building a film college to train scriptwriters, actors, directors and producers, providing inspiration for today’s blossoming Nollywood industry.

The President believed Ugbomah’s trainings and exposure in

London in drama and film translated into gains for the film industry in Nigeria, affirming that his patriotism was always captured in the story lines.

While felicitating with his friends, family and professional colleagues on this special day, the President prayed for longer life and good health for the renowned film director and producer.

Army pulls 5 generals out of service

T

he Nigerian Army on Tuesday pulled out two Major Generals and three Brigradier Generals out of service at the Nigerian Army Medical Corps in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the generals that were pulled out are Maj.-Gen. Abimbola Amusu, Maj.-Gen. Patrick Falola, Brig.-Gen. Folorunsho Jegede, Brig.Gen. O. Akinyode and Brig.-Gen. M. Robbinson.

The pulling out parade of the five generals was witnessed by top military officers, both serving and retired.

Amusu, in her valedictory remarks, attributed her success to hard work, dedication, commitment to service and divine help.

She admonished serving military personnel to remain focused and resolute, and exhibit total loyalty to constituted authorities.

“Your loyalty to the Federal Republic of Nigeria can best be given through vigilant security consciousness,” she said.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, was represented at the event by the Corps Commander Ordinance, Maj.-Gen. Joel Unnigbe.

(NAN)

L-R: INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Inspection General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, Chairman of the Occasion, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Chairman Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Kaura Tijani Yahaya, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Muhammed Bello Umar and Oni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi Adeyeye (Ojaja II), during the Nigeria Police/ Stakeholders Security Summit, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Illegal arms possession: Court acquits 4 suspects in Jos From Ado Abubakar Musa, Jos

A

Federal High Court sitting in Jos has discharged and acquitted four persons facing trial over alleged illegal possession of fire arms and ammunitions for lack of diligent prosecution.

Justice Dorcas Agishi, who discharged and acquitted the suspects expressed ``worry’’ over the ``lackadaisical attitude’’ of the prosecution in discharging their

constitutional responsibilities.

The suspects, Daniel Mancha, Rwang Bitrus, Robert Uche and Davou Chuwang, all of Du Community in Jos South local Government of Plateau, were the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th accused in the matter.

They were arrested on April 27, 2016, and detained by the police for possession of various fire arms including an AK47 and an English made Pistol, contrary to and

punishable under section 517 of criminal code and section 27 (1)(a) (i) of the fur earn act CAP 28 LFN 2004.

The Police, who began their trial on five count charge, later abandoned the case, which was taken over by the Plateau State Ministry of Justice.

One Mr. K.D. Kyentu appeared last for the ministry on June 6, 2018 and never again until the court frowned at their attitude

toward the case.

When the case came up for hearing, Mr. Patrick Dihis, Defence Counsel to 2nd and 3rd accused persons, applied to the court for the case to be struck out.

Dihis pleaded for all the accused persons to be discharged and acquitted since the prosecution was not forthcoming in prosecuting their case. The trial Judge in her ruling, struck out the case and discharged the accused.

PAGE 4

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

N EWS Chinese President facilitates with Nigerian president at 76

By Lawrence Olaoye

I’m rededicating my life to service, says Buhari

By Lawrence Olaoye

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari has said that he has resolved to rededicate his life to the service of the people.

The President said this yesterday in response to preponderance of goodwill he received from all and sundries on

the occasion of his 76th birthday.

In a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen, Buhari stated “It’s been my joy and honour to serve our country, Nigeria, for most of my life.

“As I turned 76 today, I am deeply grateful for all the prayers, goodwill messages and

encouragement from Nigerians and friends, at home and abroad.

Life is better lived together in peace, unity and prosperity.

In all, I give glory to almighty Allah for mercies, and thanks to Nigerians for counting me worthy to serve them. It is something I have rededicated myself to, and will do to the very best of my

ability.

Nigeria has all the potentials for greatness. Our greatness as individuals will only derive from Nigeria’s greatness. So, on this special day, I commit myself again to the task of taking our country to greater heights, and invite you to partner with me in that worthy cause.”

C

hinese President, Xi Jinping, has felicitated with President Muhammadu Buhari on his 76th birthday.

According to Femi Adesina, Buhari’s spokesman, a letter signed by the Chinese leader wished President Buhari ‘‘good health and great success’’ in his endeavours. ‘‘At this special occasion of Your Excellency’s birthday, I would like to extend to you my warmest congratulations and best wishes. ‘‘I highly value the ChinaNigeria relations. I would like to join efforts with you, through implementing the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, to further elevate the China-Nigeria strategic partnership to a new level, for the well-being of the two countries and the two peoples,’’ President Xi wrote.

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mr. Leon L. Aliboh, Outgoing Minister of State for Environment/Emir of Nasarawa, Alhaji Jibril Usman and Incoming Minister of State for Environment, Suleiman Hassan Zarma, during the handover ceremony, at the Federal Ministry of Environment, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Gov. Al-makura directs payment of LG workers’ salaries before Christmas From Gambo Ahmed, Lafia

N

asarawa State Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura has ordered that local government workers in the state should be paid their one hundred

percent December salaries prior to Christmas celebration.

The directive was announced by the Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Haruna Osegba yesterday during the last Local Government

Council Joint Account meeting in Lafia the state capital.

The Commissioner who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Bala Sani added that the directive was aimed at ensuring that workers

were able to meet up the demands of their family members.

Bala maintained that the government would continue to accord premium on workers’ salaries and welfare because they are the drivers of the economy.

The meeting which had in attendance all the thirteen LGC chairmen and 18 Development area overseers of the state.

Lack of funding, legal framework our major challenges- CEO ICOH From Kano

Mustapha

Adamu,

T

he Chief Executive Officer of Inter-Country Centre for Oral Health For Africa (ICOH), Dr Sani Balarabe Auwal, has said that lack of adequate funding and legal framework are the major challenges to the activities of the centre.

Speaking at the opening of a 5-day training of the ICOH’s staff, held at Minjibir park in Kano

State, yesterday, the CEO said a law governing the activities of the parastatal has not been passed for the past 30 years.

According to him, lack of legal backing has blocked the centre from accessing some partnership, adding that, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had stipulated that all other 46-member countries should have collaboration with one another.

He however stated that the

law had already passed first and second reading in the National Assembly, adding that the centre is now awaiting the committee report to pass third reading and passed into law soon.

Auwal expressed optimism that, “once the bill passed the third reading, I am hopeful president Muhammadu Buhari would quickly sign it into law.”

“Lack of funding and legal framework are our major challenges. With the legal

framework, others can not collaborate with you. The law has not been passed for the past 30 years, but it has now scaled first and second reading.

“With the law, our centre would be able to be a regional one. It will enable us expand our activities and get more partnership. Thank God, we have now started getting steady funding and our staff’s morale has been boosted, “ he said The CEO explained that ICOH is a training and research center

on traumatic dental injuries, NOMA (Cancrum Oris) oral cancer, oral manifestation of HIV /AIDS and traditional oral health practices in collaboration with WHO. He therefore called on the staff to concentrate on the training and put the knowledge they acquire in to practice in discharging their duties.

2019: We’ve not endorsed Buhari, Atiku — Miyetti Allah

T

he Miyetti Allah KautalHore, a Fulani sociocultural association, on Tuesday said it has not endorsed any presidential candidate for the 2019 election.

The two leading candidates, incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari and main opposition Atiku Abubakar, are ethnic Fulani, but the group said no candidate has unveiled a favourable plan for its members.

It called on the Federal and State governments to secure grazing reserves across

the country, to curb farmers/ herders crisis.

The national president of the group, Bello Badejo made the call in Sokoto during a courtesy visit to the Gov. Aminu Tambuwal.

He said most gazetted grazing reserves had been appropriated by farmers and should be retrieved by government.

“The Federal Government should bring back our grazing reserves, some are gazetted and some are not.

“We do not know the reason why the the government is delaying the preparation of the grazing reserves so that cattle herders can go back to their grazing areas.

“We have the national and the international cattle route, where are they now? This is because the government is not serious about the reserves.

“We are saying that if these ranches are in place, farmers and herders crisis would have been resolved most significantly,” he said Mr Badejo alleged that

recently the National Economic Council gave the Kaduna state government N5 billion to build ranches, which he said was yet to be seen.

On politics, the Fulani leader said the group has not endorsed any presidential candidate, because none of them has unveiled any agenda for herders.

He said while the federal government has many intervention packages for farmers, including soft loans and distribution of fertilizer,

nothing is done for the cattle herders.

“Endorsing any candidate is a very difficult position for the association to make, noting that President Muhammadu Buhari is Fulani and his main rival, Atiku Abubakar, is also Fulani.

“What we want is just a solution to national problems, so that peace reigns,” he said.

Mr Badejo accused the media of being biased in their reporting of the crisis involving farmers and Fulani herdsmen in the country. (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi, Musa Adamu, Christiana Ekpa and Umar Puma

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari has accused the National Assembly of padding his request for N487.8 billion to settle local debts with N890.5 million extra, asking the lawmakers for explanation on the excess amount.

This is even as the President will today present the N8.7 trillion 2019 budget before a joint session of the National Assembly.

Both chambers of National Assembly yesterday discountenanced the industrial action embarked on by the staff of the parliament under the aegis of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), and independently set machinery in motion to receive the 2019 budget to be submitted today

by President Muhammadu Buhari.

However, in a letter dated 10th December, which was read by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, President Buhari alleged that the lawmakers added N890.537million to the N487.852billion promissory note he sent to them for approval.

According to the letter, the fund was meant for settlement of inherited local debts and contractual obligations on refund to state governments for projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government by some state governments.

He however, said the federal lawmakers also reduced the number of beneficiary States from 25 to 21 despite the N890.537million added to the N487.852billion request.

According to the President, the changes made by the National Assembly in the request are not implementable due to provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2007.

Consequently he added that though the Federal Government would not release money to any of the states removed from beneficiary list by the National Assembly but the exact monies approved by FEC for the 21, other states would be paid to them regardless of whether such approvals have been tampered with or not by NASS in its own approval.

The letter titled: “Promissory Note Programme and a Bond Issuance to settle inherited local debts and contractual obligations on refund to State Governments for Projects Executed on behalf of the Federal Government” reads in part: While the Federal Executive Council approved a total sum of N487,852,988,574.74 as reimbursement to State Governments, the National Assembly approved N488,743,526,204.77 implying that the amount approved by National Assembly was N890,537,630.03 higher than the amount approved by FEC; “While Federal Executive Council approved reimbursement to 25 States, National Assembly approved reimbursement to only 21 States; “National Assembly did not approve any reimbursement for four States (Bauchi, Delta, Kogi and Taraba) whereas Federal Executive Council had approved reimbursements for them and note that, the amounts approved

News

NASS inflating debts payable to states -Buhari *Presents N8.7trn 2019 budget today *As lawmakers defy staff strike

by the National Assembly for reimbursement to 21 states are higher than the amounts approved by Federal Executive Councit for reimbursement to 25 states.

“The amount approved by National Assembly for reimbursement to each of the 21 States is higher than the amount approved

by FEC for each of these States except for Adamawa, Jigawa, Kano and Niger.

“The Senate may kindly note the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, which empowers the Bureau of Pubtic Procurement (BPP) to approve vendors and contract sums. The amounts presented to National Assembly for approval were duly certified for reimbursement by the BPP, before they were approved by the Federal Executive Council.

This was after the projects had been inspected through a programme under the chairmanship of the honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.

“Since the BPP is charged with the responsibility of approving contract sums, and there is a need for compliance with the Public Procurement Act, 2007, I wish to request that you forward to us details relating to the amounts approved by National Assembly for the 17 States in excess of what was certified by

BPP for necessary certification and approval Furthermore, I wish to request for review of the reimbursements earlier submitted in favour of Bauchi, Delta, Kogi and Taraba States.

“Meanwhile the Federal Government shall proceed with implementation on the basis of where the amount approved by the National Assembly is the same as the amount approved by the Federal Executive Council: The jointly approved amount would be reimbursed. The States are: Adamawa, Jigawa, Kano and Niger; “Where the amount approved by the National Assembly is higher than the amount approved by Federal Executive Council: The amount approved by FEC would be reimbursed. The States are: Akwa lbom, Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, lmo, Kwara, Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Plateau and Zamfara.

“Finally where no amount was approved by National Assembly, no reimbursement will be made: The affected States are: Bauchi, Delta, Kogi and Taraba”.

Meanwhile, contrary to expectations that the lawmakers will not hold plenary session yesterday due to strike action by the PASAN, who had on Monday effectively shut down the

parliament by withdrawing all services to the lawmakers, the both chambers sat and carried out their legislative functions.

It had been expected that the PASAN members who are suspected to have plotted the strike action against the 2019 budget presentation by President Muhammadu Buhari, may succeed in their game plan and might frustrate the budget presentation to the parliament due to the shutdown of the National Assembly.

However, the reverse was the case yesterday as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yussuf Lassun, and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, stormed the chambers and presided over the plenary session.

Though the turnout of the lawmakers in both chambers was very poor, to the extent that the expected quorum of 37 senators was in doubt, and also the 120 in the green chamber due to abysmal attendance occasioned by glaring absence of the PDP lawmakers, however, the two presiding officers conducted the plenary and even moved the motion that both chambers sit in a joint session today to receive the budget that would be presented by the President, which was adopted.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh (4th, L); Managing Director, GoldMax Chemical Ltd., Prof.

Aaron Baba (3rd, L); Country Representative, Food and Agriculture Organisation, Mr Suffyan Koroma (5th,R); President, Maize Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Bello Abubakar(4th, R); Country Director of Synergos Nigeria Limited, Mr Adewale Ajadi (R) and others, during the inauguration of GoldMax Chemical for total protection against fall armyworm by the minister, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: NAN

ASUU strike: Negotiations ongoing, truce in sight -FG

By Ese Awhotu

T

he Federal Government yesterday refuted some media reports that the meeting between it and the striking university lecturers on Monday was deadlocked.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, made the Federal Government’s position known in a statement issued Tuesday and signed by the Director of Press at the labour ministry, Samuel Olowookere.

He said that negotiation with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, was ongoing and

progress was being recorded and the federal government was determined to reach an agreement with the union soon.

“The ministry wishes to state that the negotiations between the FG and ASUU on the resolution on the strike is still ongoing and making progress as the FG is determined to resolve the outstanding lingering issue to ensure that the strike is called off and students back to school as quickly as possible,” the statement said.

According to the minister, the meeting which he held with the ASUU leaders on Monday was not deadlocked as reported in a section of the media.

He said that, the meeting ended after two hours of commencement because parties involved in the negotiation agreed on the implementation and work plan of the reports submitted at the meeting by ministries, departments, and agencies.

The statement reads in part, “The attention of the minister has been drawn to the negative newspaper publication by some sections of the media on the ongoing negotiations between the Federal Government and ASUU. “The report said ASUU walked out of the reconciliatory meeting between them and the FG.

“The Ministry of Labour and Employment wishes to state that members of ASUU did not walk out of the meeting as reported. After the meeting with ASUU on December 10, 2018, the different MDAs were given assignments and their reports were submitted during the meeting of Monday, December 17, 2018.

“The two parties agreed on implementation and work plan of the reports and gave themselves some days to see if it can be accomplished before Christmas, hence the meeting did not last more than two hours unlike the usual protracted meeting.”

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

PAGE 6

News

Police parade 2 female kidnappers, 12 others in Kaduna From Oyelola Femi Kaduna

T

he Kaduna state Police Command has paraded two notorious female kidnappers and their male accomplish.

The state Commissioner of Police Ahmad Abdul-Raman who paraded the suspects at the Command Headquarters yesterday said kidnappings is taking a new turns as female now lead the gang.

He said the two female kidnappers, Hashiya Dauda, 23 years and Safara’u Mohammed Tahir, 23 years were arrested along side with Ishaq Tanimu Sulaiman 33 years, Sale Ya’u 20

years, Yusuf Sulaiman 23 years, and Iliyasu Ali 22 years.

He said the five suspects are undergoing investigation for criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and being in possession of firearms and will be charged to court soon.

Similarly, three armed robbery suspects were also nabbed by the command, they include; Mark Pwa’ashino’ 28 years, Abdulganiyu Musa 25 years, and Sabi’u Yusuf 24 years.

“I am glad to brief you today on the most recent break through made by the Kaduna State Police Command in its relentless and vigorous fight against crime and

criminality in the state.

“You will recall that we have showcased some successes two weeks ago when we paraded about 27 suspected criminals and several exhibits recovered during investigations.

“All the suspects paraded have been prosecuted accordingly.

Today, I am pleased to inform you that the Command within the last few days has succeeded in arresting 14 criminal suspects and recovered 5 Motor Vehicles among other items.

“The suspects are as follows; three suspects for Criminal Conspiracy, Kidnapping and Being in Possession of Firearms,

Three Suspects in Connection to Criminal Conspiracy, Kidnapping, Culpable Homicide, Theft and Receiving Stolen Property, another “Three Suspects for Criminal Conspiracy, Armed Robbery and Having in Possession of Motor Vehicle Suspected Stolen and five suspects in connection to Criminal Conspiracy and Being in Possession of Dried Leaves Suspected to be Cannabis Sativa ( Indian Hemp) respectively.

“The following exhibits were recovered from the suspects 2 Dane Guns, 1 Black Toyota Matrix (Reg.No.PHC833AGU,Chasis: 2T1LR32E03C035628 1 Toyota Highlander (Ash in colour, Chasis

No.JTEDP21A340041286) iv.1 Camry 2006/2007 Model (Chassis No.4TIBE46K180261020) and .1 black Focus Ford (Chassis No.6XYGCDBXT40036) “ Others includes 1 Green Mercedes C230 (Chassis No. UF33CN6RE85104087), .Large quantity of Dried Leaves Suspected to be Cannabis Sativa,” he said.

The CP said suspects have confessed to various roles they played in the commission of the respective crimes they are being alleged and will be arraigned in court of competent jurisdiction on completion of investigations.

Legal luminary swears-in new market officials

By Usman Shuaibu

T

he newly elected executives of Gwagwalada main Market Traders Association in the FCT have been sworn-in by a legal luminary, Barr. Suleiman Umar at the premises of the market on Monday.

The new officials are: Alhaji Mohammed Nura Rimi; chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Opeyemi; vice chairman, Mr. Ikechukwu E. Nwabilo; secretary general, Bashir Musa; assistant secretary, Alhaji Sabiu Bala; treasurer, Stephen Udofia Okon; financial secretary and Anthony O. Ngene; chief provost.

Others included: Ayizo Maimunat Mohammed; assistant provost, Liman Usman; PRO, Chukwu E. Chibuzor; assistant PRO and Rakiya Shuaibu; Director of social.

In an interview at the occasion, the newly inaugurated chairman of the market, said he would work hand in hand with the traders to move the market forward.

He also said he would continue to partner with the management of Gwagwalada Area Council to put in place the needed facilities in the market.

Rimi therefore, appealed to the traders of the market not to increase the price of their goods during Christmas festivities.

Speaking earlier, the vice chairman of the Area council, Alhaji Mohammed Kasimu, urged the officials to administer the traders with the fear of God. Kasimu said the administration of the council would carry the officials of the market along in the scheme of things in the interest of the marketers.

National Coordinator, Human Right Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) , Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko (middle) Project coordinator, Onwughalu Queen (Left) and the Organization IT Expert, Mr. Friday Ameh, during HURWA’s media briefing on CounterTerror war versus Human Rights, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

NGO trains 50 women on agric business in FCT

By Usman Shuaibu

T

he Women in Agribusiness Facility (WiAF), a NonGovernmental Organisation (NGO) said it has trained about fifty women in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on agricultural business.

WiAF’s National Coordinator, Dr Ibukun Ogwu disclosed this at a workshop in Gwagwalada (FCT) on Monday.

She said the training was aimed at encouraging women to participate actively in agriculture

activities.

Our correspondent reports that, the training includes how women could strengthen their abilities, manage their operations and sell their products in local and foreign markets.

Ogwu said the Foundation had developed women who owned agribusiness across 15 to 20 agricultural value chains.

“We provide them with online and real-time business development services including outlining investment opportunities for women across

the supply chain.

“We identify the gaps that women can fill within the investment spectrum. We work with registered members and take up opportunities project activities,’’ she explained.

She said the women were assisted with the preparation of business plan, documentation for accessing grants, credits and special funding from government.

She also said WiAF supported employability and career development of women professionals in the agricultural

sector.

One of the trainees, Mrs Bibiana Omoha commended the organisation for the training which she said taught them some facts about agribusiness.

She said “I will register with the group to become a member so that I can get connected within the Nigeria Agribusiness community and be updated on issues.’’

Mrs Nwanfor Gift, another trainee, thanked WiAF for the programme, saying she would start keeping records of all inputs in her agribusiness.

Rice farmers applaud Niger govt’s support initiatives From Yakubu Minna.

T

Mustapha,

he Niger State branch of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has commended the state government for its various interventions and support received by the farmers in the state.

The State Chairman of RIFAN, Alhaji Idris Adamu Abini made the commendation in his office

yesterday in Minna while speaking with our reporter, saying that the immediate past chairman, Alhaji Mahmoud El-Mahdys cannot speak on behalf of the association in Niger state.

Abini further said that “we are pleased with the various initiatives by the state government in the area of rice production, which include partnership with International organizations like Fadama 111AF,

KOICA, CARI and NAMDA” he said.

He expressed satisfaction over the gesture from the state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello who came to the aid of the flood victims in the state especially his members who were affected as the succor will go a long way in returning them to farm consistently.

The chairman maintained that “that current state headquarters of RIFAN was secured, refurbished and

furnished through the intervention of the present administration in the state” he added.

He reiterated that the current efforts by the state government towards expanding the Rice Value Chain was commendable hence would enable the state taking its rightful position of the largest rice production in Nigeria but needed to do more in that direction.

He further disclosed that about

30,000 farmers were currently registered in the state however decried that the Federal, State and Central Bank of Nigeria CBN has been doing its best in the provision of various interventions but regretted that the farmers should difficult to pay back loan which has become a serious challenge.

He urge governments and relevant bodies to sustain their support to farmers.

PAGE 7

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

CRIME News

Attacks: Benue communities commend troops over restoration of peace From Uche Makurdi

Nnorom,

T

roops of Operation Whirl Stroke have received commendation from Benue communities for restoring peace to their areas.

The commendation was made yesterday during an assessment tour of Guma local government area, home country of Governor Samuel Ortom by Commander of the Operation Maj. Gen. Adeyemi Yekini.

The communities visited include, Daudu, Mbadwen, Mbaye, Nyiev, Umenger, Ukpam, Udei and Yogbo.

The district heads including Chief Bernard Shawa of Mbadwen, Oliver Chado, Daudu and Abua Aji of Umenger, all expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for deploying the troop to their domain, noting that they have performed well in restoring peace to their areas that came under heavy attack from armed herdsmen.

While intimating that most of the internally displaced persons are gradually returning home and engaging in farming activities, they however, implored the President to deploy more troops to cover the nooks and crannies of the local government council to forestall any unforeseen attack.

“There are many areas that the security men cannot go because the bridges have been destroyed. There are still fears especially amongst those living at the border with Nasarawa state. So, we appeal for more deployment of soldiers to cover all areas. And we also, appeal that to Federal and State governments to assist us in ensuring that the remaining IDPs in camps return home”, Chief Chado passionately appealed.

Speaking with newsmen during the tour which saw the entourage visit Keana and Giza in Nasarawa State, Force Commander Maj. Gen. Adeyemi Yekini disclosed that over 235, 000 persons had returned home following security intervention in their communities.

Gen. Yekini also gave the figure of those who had returned in Nasarawa and Taraba states as 15,000 and 10,000, respectively, stressing that as at now, the whole Joint Operation Area, JOA has been largely cleared of armed herdsmen.

Also speaking, Commander, Sector 1, covering Guma local government area, Squadron Leader Victor Ajeye, disclosed that 141,864 IDPs had so far returned home in five council wards of Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.

Main Entrance of the National Assembly is under lock and key, during the protest by members of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) over the unpaid allowance, at the National Assembly, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

EFCC files fraud charges against Akwa Ibom gov, Udom, others T he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed fraud charges against the Akwa Ibom governor, Emmanuel Udom, and several members of his cabinet.

Mr Udom was charged in a case involving the president of the Nigeria Bar Association, Paul Usoro.

The governor is however covered by constitutional immunity.

Mr Usoro pleaded not guilty in a Federal High Court Lagos to charges bordering on N1.4 billion fraud, the News Agency of Nigeria reported.

The EFCC preferred a 10-count charge against Mr Usoro, in a case before Justice Muslim Hassan.

Also named in the charge is the incumbent governor of Akwa Ibom, Mr Udom, who is described in the charge as being “currently constitutionally immune from prosecution”.

Others charged are: The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Finance, Nsikan Nkan; Accountant-General of the state, Mfon Udomah; state Attorney-General, Uwemedimo Nwoko, and Margaret Ukpe.

The cabinet members are said to be at large.

In the charge marked FHC/418c/18, the antigraft agency alleged that Mr Usoro committed the offence on May 14, 2016.

It alleged that Mr Usoro conspired with others to criminally convert a N1.4 billion property of Akwa Ibom government.

The prosecution said that the unlawful activity include criminal breach of trust which contravenes

the provisions of section 15 (2), 15(3), and 18 (A) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.

On Tuesday, Rotimi Oyedepo, appeared for the EFCC, while Wole Olanipekun appeared with six other senior advocates for Mr Usoro.

Mr Oyedepo told the court that the anti-graft agency had successfully served the criminal charge on the accused on Dec. 10, and sought leave of court for the plea of accused to be taken.

In response, Mr Olanipekun confirmed service of the charge on the NBA President, but hinted the court that after it had directed that the accused be served with the charge at the last adjourned date, the accused was asked to report to the commission’s office for service.

He said that there, at the commission, Mr Usoro was kept for two hours before the charge was handed to him, while he acknowledged same, adding that he was kept at the EFCC for another two hours.

He told the court that the EFCC had earlier informed the accused that he will be detained, but eventually let him go.

Mr Olanipekun then informed the court that the team of defence counsel has been informed that there is already a letter written to the chief judge of the court, seeking a transfer of the case to Uyo, Abuja or any other jurisdiction of the court, apart from Justice Hassan’s jurisdiction.

Based on parity of reasoning and citing diverse judicial and statutory authorities, Mr Olanipekun urged the court to

await the decision of the chief justice rather than proceeding with arraignment.

In response, the prosecutor argued that the matter was adjourned until Tuesday for arraignment of the accused, adding that there is nothing before the court that can be construed as setting aside that purpose.

Referring to provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act Mr Oyedepo said that objections can only be raised after the plea of the accused had been taken.

According to him, section 9 governs the place of trial and enquiry, and requires that the charge be filed in the jurisdiction where the alleged offence took place.

He argued that sufficient facts which would lead to a transfer of the case to Uyo or Abuja, were not available.

Besides, he argued that apart from the letter to the chief justice, there was no formal application before the court seeking a recuse, adding that the prosecution was entitled to join issues on same. He urged the court to proceed with arraignment.

In a bench ruling, Justice Hassan held: “I have listened vehemently, to the submissions of counsel, and I have also read the letter written to the CJ. “The issue in view is narrowed down to whether the defendant can take his plea in the circumstance.”

The court held that although it is not in dispute that the Chief Justice reserved the right to transfer cases, the instant case was already assigned to his court.

He added that it was a rule

that even where such application for transfer exists, the trial judge should continue with hearing of the case, pending any contrary decision.

The court, consequently, called on the accused to take his plea on the charge. Mr Usoro pleaded not guilty to the charges.

After his plea, Mr Olanipekun moved a bail application on behalf of the accused, urging the court to admit him to bail on liberal terms of self recognisance as president of the NBA. Besides, he added that the international passport of the accused be deposited with the court as a measure, adding that he will apply for same whenever the need arises.

The prosecutor did not oppose the application, but left same at the discretion of the court.

However, the court admitted Mr Usoro to bail in the sum of N250 million, with one surety in like sum.

The court added that the surety must be the owner of a landed property within the court’s jurisdiction, or a civil servant not lower than the rank of a Director in the Federal or State civil service.

The court ordered that the accused’s international passport also be deposited with the court’s registry which will be verified if genuine.

The court then ordered that Mr Usoro be handed over to a counsel of the inner bar, E.B Effiong (SAN), pending perfection of his bail terms.

He adjourned the case until February 5, March 5, and March 6, 2019 for trial.(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

PAGE 8

News

Buhari felicitates with oil magnate, Leemon, at 62

By Lawrence Olaoye

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated with a major investor in the oil and gas industry, Chief (Dr) Leemon Ikpea, as he turns 62 today.

According to a statement made available to newsmen yesterday by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, the President appreciated the grace of God, which brought Chief Ikpea from humble beginnings to the topmost rungs of the business ladder today, and described him as classic example of what God can do in shaping the fortunes of human beings who trust in Him. Buhari rejoiced with family, friends and business associates of the celebrant, noting that Lee Engineering and Construction Company, of which Chief Ikpea is Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, is one of the homegrown investors in the oil and gas industry, through dint of hard work.

He saluted the philanthropy of Chief Ikpea, which has seen him awarding innumerous scholarships and bequests, to uplift the weak and downtrodden.

The Itsekiri, Delta State born chief, President Buhari prayed, will continue to serve God and humanity, in good health, and be endued with long life and prosperity.

Rural business: Jigawa gov’s wife disburses N176m to 35,270 women From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

N

o fewer than 35,270 rural women are to benefit N5,000 each as part of the support from wife of Jigawa state governor, Hajiya Magajiya Muhammad Badaru.

Speaking at the distribution of the empowerment grant held at Kafin Hausa local government area of the state, Hajiya Magajiya said, empowering woman is equal to empowering the whole family.

She explained that, the N5,000 empowerment grant can be look as small, but it is not small in the content of small scale business women and it can make difference.

According to her, N5,000 is enough take up capital for rural business woman such as groundnut oil seller, food vendor, etc.

Hajiya Magajiya added that, through women empowerment you can tackle so many challenges militating our society, such as

child malnutrition and domestic disturbances/violence.

“In this round of empowerment, 10 women were selected from each of 3,527 pooling unit in the state as beneficiary of the scheme.

“The total sum of N176,350,000 were approved for the disbursement to the targeted beneficiaries,” the first lady said.

Hajiya Magajiya who described present administration in the state as women’s government said, about 88,035

women have supported with goats and over 540 food vendors have received supported with N20,000 each to improve their business.

Speaking on behalf of 2,030 beneficiaries women in Kafin Hausa local government, Talatu Garba expressed their gratitude to the state government on the gesture, and also promised to continue supporting governor Badaru administration to achieve its desire goals of taking Jigawa state to next level.

Traditional Rulers, at the Police and Stakeholders summit, yesterday in Abuja.

Health workers appeal to Buhari for audience over crisis

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

T

he Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) yesterday lamented that President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to give the union audience despite many attempts made to see him about the frosty industrial relations in the sector.

The President of the union, Josiah Biobelemoye, stated this at the Public lecture to mark the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN); titled: “Industrial Relations in Nigeria Today, Challenges and Prospects,” in Abuja.

He averred that until the

president gives audience to the health workers, he will never know the true face of realities in the health sector.

Biebelemoye however, reiterated that, there must be justice and fairness in the health sector for it to enjoy peaceful industrial relations.

The MHWUN further regretted that President Muhammadu Buhari has given audience three times to the members of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), but failed to give the health workers audience even once since he came to power over three years ago.

“The President and Commander In Chief of this country must change the way he handles the issue of health in the

country.

“The president cannot give audience 3 times to less than five percent of the people who work in the health sector and when the over 95 per cent of the workers in the health sector are agitating and the President cannot give us audience. When he does that, he will know the truth.

“What we are saying is that justice should be given to us.

The president should give us audience.”

He, therefore called on the government to respect collective agreement entered between his group and the government, reiterating that: “ Until the bias stops, the health system cannot work well.

There will be no peace if other professions are seen as more superior than others.”

The health workers, Biobelemoye said, have been working hard to maintain peace in the sector, but however, alleged that, “but this has eluded us because some people have deliberated refused to allow the peace to remain.

“There has been deliberate efforts to cause chaos in the system so that they can use that to advance their own hidden venture of privatization so that they can go back and buy the hospitals for peanuts and deprive the common people of accessing healthcare services.”

Earlier, the Emir of Zazzau,

Shehu Idris, called on the government to heed to the demands of the health workers for enduring peace and harmony in the sector.

“I am appealing to the government to heed to any demand that is for the benefit of the health workers.

“The government should learn to resolve issues in a round table.

This is because whenever there is industrial harmony, there will be more achievement for the benefit of the people,” he stressed.

The President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Com. Ayuba Waba in his remarks appreciated the union for their contributions to the NLC and the Labour movement in Nigeria.

Nigerians residing in UK top list of money senders —World Bank

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igerians in the UK have emerged the highest senders of money to their home country with £3.27m being sent in 2017.

According to a World Bank report, Nigeria was the top receiver of cash from the UK,

followed by India, France and Pakistan, reports Daily Mail.

This makes the UK the fourth largest source of remittances after the US, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with a global total of some £483bn in 2017.

While migrants in the UK were sending large amounts of cash back home, Australia was the largest sender of remittances to the United Kingdom, with US$1.08m being received from there.

The US, Canada, Spain and

South Africa were the next biggest senders to the UK. The World Bank report revealed that, India is the largest receiver of remittances in the world, receiving a total of US$68,968m.

China is the second largest

receiver of remittances, after India, receiving a total of US$63,860m.

The US is home to the largest number of migrants from developing countries and is the largest sender of remittances in the world.

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

By Usman Shuaibu

T

he Presidential candidate of the Peoples Trust (PT), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has said that his party will resist the attempts by some dominant political forces to turn Nigeria into a two party state.

The Peoples Trust candidate, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Hassan Ibrahim, said that the party is aware of some subterranean moves by certain forces to strangulate the emerging political parties and turn Nigeria into a two party state.

The candidate of the Third Force Movement said that any attempt to turn the hand of Nigeria’s democratic progress backwards and curtail the fundamental rights of the people to associate will be resisted squarely.

He said: “There is no democracy in the world where choices are restricted to one or two parties. Even in the United States of America, where you have two dominant parties, there is multiplicity of parties that

Abuja court judge dies at 32 A

32-year-old judge at the Grade 1 Area Court, Kubwa, Abuja, Abdulwahab Mohammed, who slumped on Saturday, has died.

The court’s executive officer, litigation, Umar Kontagora, told the News Agency of Nigeria that Mohammed died at the National Hospital Abuja on the same day.

Mr Kontagora said the late judge, who had his tooth pulled out at the Kubwa General Hospital, had some complications and has been in and out of the hospital before his death.

Mr Mohammed, aged 32, hails from Edo and is survived by his pregnant wife.(NAN)

Page 9

News Presidential candidate alleges plot to turn Nigeria into two party state are allowed to participate in the process.

“The PT is the biggest of all the new political parties according to data from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and we insist on being allowed to blossom and fulfill the yearnings of the Nigerian people who are certainly fed up with a lack of vision, passion and direction for the development of the country.

“Many of the actors in the political scene today who are outside the two dominant parties fought vigorously to ensure respect for fundamental rights of association of Nigerians.”

He further stated that the forces seeking to return Nigerian to a two party state had perfected their acts through the exclusion of several emerging parties at the just concluded Vice Presidential

debates held by the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON).

He further stated: “2019 will not be a choice between corruption and ineptitude. The PT is determined that despite attempts to make it look like that, the 2019 election will not be a choice between the PDP, which has been variously accused of corruption and the APC, which symbolizes administrative ineptitude and economic failure.

“The vast majority of Nigerians still continue to search for credible alternatives to the two political parties in spite of limited resources at the disposal of the multiple alternative platforms.

“Through massive media propaganda, a gang of Nigeria’s parasitic elite who have fed fat on the Nigerian state have tried to ensure that political clime is

narrowed to the two incompetent behemoth- the APC and PDP. “The PT is at the vanguard of ensuring that the Nigerian electorate gets credible alternative in 2019, as it has instituted the consolidation of various alternative platforms, even as it is daily receiving support from Presidential candidates, aspirants and parties.

“We know as a matter of fact that the corrupt PDP elite and the pseudo democrats of APC are desperate to consign Nigeria into a two party state. Apart from misusing state funds at their disposal to their advantage, they are arrogantly telling the suffering Nigerian people that they are stuck between the two devils.

“By the report of the Carnegie Institute, it has been confirmed that using the resources at the

disposal unjustly and to their advantage.

“They are also using Media platforms such as the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria to muscle the emerging political structures.

“We are already seeing some propaganda items in some newspapers questioning whether we should even have more than these two parties in the country at all and advocating for a constitutional amendment to legislate the alternative platforms out of existence.

“We want to remind the authors of such anti-democratic thoughts that the right to a pluralistic democracy was won through hard struggle and cannot be taken away by the wishful thinking of some politicians and their ilk in some corrupt media establishments.”

APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole (left) chatting with , Oni of Ife , Oba Adesusi (right) while Former Head of State , Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakr , IGP, Idris Abubakar, and INEC Chairman , Prof. Yakubu Mahmood look on, during The Nigeria Police / Stakeholders’ Security Summit on Election, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Arabic Board pledges to improve learning in schools

By Lawal Sa’idu

T

he Registrar of National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies, NBAIS, Professor Shafi’ u Abdullahi has pledged the commitment of the board in ensuring quality learning in schools under its umbrella.

Abdullahi made the pledge yesterday in Katsina while speaking at the flag-off of the boards school quality assurance

sensitization programme.

The registrar who was represented by the director administration of the board, Mrs. Hafsat Ahmed, noted that the agency was operating just like other sister national examination bodies in the country.

He noted that the board has no intention of interfering in teaching and learning in such schools, adding that their mandate was to ensure proper

coverage of syllabus by students before taking examinations with the board.

Abdullahi further disclosed that the board has good understanding with states ministries of education where he said a desk was established in each ministry for proper coordination.

He said ‘ the board’ s examination was conducted and coordinated in collaboration with

state ministries of education for decades before the hatmonization of Higher Islamic School Certificate ( H.I.S) and Arabic Grade11 Certificate Examinationas one single and unified national examination in 1975’ The registrar therefore called on participants at the seminar to make good use of what they learn for the benefit of their students and improved teaching.

DPO reiterates commitment to security

By Usman Shuaibu

A

Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Gwagwalada Area Council Unit Command of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), CSP Dankwano D. Wilson, has said that he would continue to give the priority attention to the

security in the area for the benefit of citizens.

The DPO, who stated this after he received the media merit award of distinguished “Visionary Detective 2018” by the management of the Orator Communications Limited, the publishers of orator weekly newspaper based in Niger state

and FCT on Monday in his office, Gwagwalada.

He also said he would continue to give the necessary support to the men of police to wage war against the criminals in Gwagwalada and its environs.

Wilson thanked the leadership of orator weekly newspaper for the award conferred on him.

Conferring the award on the DPO, the managing editor of the orator weekly newspaper, Mr. Nasir Oseni, said the award was bestowed on the DPO based on his outstanding service to humanity.

He charged the DPO to see the award as a motivation to intensify efforts more to fight

crime in the area.

Oseni told the crowd that the media merit award was not conferred on the DPO based on personal interest.

Some of the police officers who spoke during the award ceremony, expressed joy over the media award bestowed on their DPO.

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

PAGE 10

News

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“My bill indicated that I used 605 units in November and they charged N14,000 as against N6,500 for September, where I used the same units.

“They are charging me for what I did not consume because, during the day, I spend most of my time in my shop. I only use the electricity at night at home.

“I have a prepaid metre in the shop and I don’t spend more than N2,000 in a whole month.

“So how come I am not staying at home and I am being asked to pay N14, 000? “I am here in their office, demanding an explanation,” she said.

Also speaking, Fatima Musa, a widow, said, “I was given a bill of N15,000 monthly instead of the N5,000 I used to get monthly.

“I strongly disagree with this outrageous charges given without any explanation”.

She said electricity consumers were at the receiving end,

especially those without prepaid metres, noting that the billing process was “opaque and lacks transparency”.

Ibrahim Suleiman, another consumer who lives in Bolori, appealed to the YEDC to go back to the former status quo where electricity was supplied for 12 hours and not 24 hours.

Mr Suleiman described the stable power supply as a “wastage” because many consumers cannot use electricity during working hours.

“I work from 7 p.m. to 4 p.m.

So I do not need any electricity until I get home. But in this case, whether you consume power or not, you will be billed to pay for it. I think this is not fair,” he said.

Abdullahi Bako, who lives in Gwange, asked, how YEDC can bring a bill between N9,000 and N15,000 to a room apartment in a month.

“We are being forced to

pay for electricity we never consumed. This is extortion. We demand for transparency in the billing methodology,” Mr Bako said.

Responding, Usman Wakta, the YEDC Maiduguri Business Manager, said the company does not bill its customers arbitrarily.

“These complaints may be as a result of the commissioning of the 330kV transmission line which now supplies electricity 24 hours.

He said that before the commissioning of the new line, the stations relied on the 132KV controlled from Biu, which can only supply for a period of ten to 12 hours per day.

“On the average, we now supply electricity in the town for a minimum of 22 hours in a day, which simply implies that the consumption of energy by residents in the state have multiplied or even tripled itself.

“We took a simple study from our prepaid metres users and we found out that the people that usually came to buy unit of N2000 or N3000 in a month now have to spend N15,000 or N20,000 because of their energy usage.

“One thing we notice about the consumers is that they waste energy.

People have this habit of leaving their lights on, even in the afternoon.

“Go to some supermarkets or filling stations, you will see more than 200 bulbs on in the afternoon. So the more you load you use, the more energy you consume.

On the allegation of exorbitant billing of consumers without meter, Mr Wakta said, “We go to people’s home to do load assessment based on the gadgets they have in the house and bill them accordingly.”(NAN)

L-R: Commissioner for Agriculture, Oyo State, Prince Oyewole Oyewunmi; Onijaye of Ijaye, Oba Lasisi Akamo; Oniroko of Iroko, Oba Lasisi Akinola; Chairman, Akinyele East Local Council Development Area, Mr Joseph Akinpade; Onikereku of Ikereku, Oba Olasunkanmi Akinyosoye and representative of the Governor of Oyo State, Mr Toye Arulogun ,during the inauguration of rural access road pilot project, at Ikereku, Akinyele East LCDA, yesterday in Ibadan.

Photo: NAN

Health access: CMD gives hope to less privilege people From Ahmad Mohammed, Bauchi

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he Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, Dr. Mohammed Alkakli has explained that hospitals have mechanism

to address less privileged people who don’t have money to access medical services in the society.

Dr. Alkali described the mechanism as an investment which everybody should be interested in which the teaching hospital has been championing irrespective of all the challenges

associated to it.

The CMD stated this when he received members of a Bauchi based non-governmental organization, ‘Hope for the Living Steve Joy Foundation’ (Hope-L) in his office said that the hospital has over the years developed a Coffers’ Fund Intervention which

people and corporate bodies showed interest.

Dr Alkali said the Union Bank every quarter contributes N3 million to the intervention fund for patients that cannot afford the hospital fees or services, but was dismay that such support to the fund has for sometimes now not

forth coming.

Dr. Alkali observed that it is difficult for the system to cope with the challenges, and therefore advised the Hope-L foundation to create awareness for those that need to come to the aid of people that cannot be able to help themselves.

Ondo Govt imposes time limit on Okada operations

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he Ondo State Government on Tuesday announced a partial ban on commercial motorcycles (Okada) across the state.

It said the activities of commercial motorcycles across its 18 Local Government Areas would

PAGE 11

EDITORIAL

Maiduguri residents bemoan outrageous electricity bills

n appreciable improvement in power supply in Maiduguri has led to outrageous billings by the electricity company, some residents the city have said.

The electricity consumers, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, described the billings by the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) as worrisome, adding that it was not in the interest of the masses because it has hindered economic activities and social life of the people.

They also alleged that YEDC hiked electricity bills by over 100 percent for commercial and residential areas sequel to the improvement in power supply in the area.

Esther Chukwuma, one of the consumers, described the new billing adopted by the power distribution company as frustrating and lamentable.

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

now stop at 10 p.m daily.

Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Yemi Owolabi, said in Akure that the development was to curb criminal activities and maintain law and order.

According to him, any

motorcyclist that is on the street beyond 10 p.m must not carry any load and must show evidence of ownership of such motorcycle.

The commissioner stressed that the ban does not affect private motorcycle owners that may be going to work or attending to

emergency.

“It has got to the notice of the state government that some people are perpetrating criminal activities under the guise of operating Okada till late hours of the night. ”This has to stop, as the issue of security of lives and

property remains priority of the government,” he said.

Owolabi enjoined the public, particularly commercial motorcyclists to cooperate with the government in flushing out criminal elements from the state.

(NAN)

Think twice before acting

T

wice last Friday, the Nigerian Army issued statements, one suspending the activities of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in the northeast of the country and the other lifting the suspension. The first action was faulty, we must say. The second was the triumph of commonsense and we commend it. In the first statement, the military accused the international humanitarian agency of training persons to sabotage the counter-insurgency efforts of troops in the North-east where Boko Haram and its splinter group, Islamic State in West Africa Province, have waged a decade long insurrection in which tens of thousand people have been killed and many more driven from their homes.

These are catered for by aid agencies, including UNICEF.

We said earlier that the suspension was faulty because it was precipitate. It was an action, taken most probably on the spur of the moment. That means it was not thought trough. In this war against insurgency, the military cannot afford new enemies, especially people that are connected internationally. We are not saying if UNICEF staff had done anything untoward, the military should shut its eyes simply because it is an influential world body. No! We are saying that an allegation as weighty as aiding and abetting the insurgency should have been reported to the United Nations while local investigation was going on. From the reaction of the spokesman of UNICEF in Nigeria, it did appear that was not done.

“

A thorough inquiry However, the military In this war against would have alleged that UNICEF established whether insurgency, the was “training and or not the accusations military cannot deploying spies who were true. At the same support the insurgents it would have afford new enemies, time and their sympathizers”. given the military The statement went especially people an opportunity to further to characterise put its case across the agency’s that are connected to Nigerians and “unwholesome practices internationally. We the international that could further community.

But are not saying if that hasty action jeopardize the fight against terrorism and UNICEF staff had of suspending the insurgency”. For that agency’s operations done anything reason, its operations shut that window in the North-east were of opportunity. untoward, the being suspended in the No wonder, many military should northeast until further Nigerians, especially notice. Hours later came shut its eyes simply b e n e f i c i a r i e s a second statement, of UNICEF’s because it is an humanitarian work saying the military had held an emergency the North-east influential world in meeting with UNICEF and other parts of representatives late on the country were not body Friday. “After extensive sold on the military’s deliberations on the need to seek accusations. We recall that that modalities to work harmoniously in April, military declared three with the security agencies in the UNICEF employees “persona theater of operation, the Theatre non grata”, in connection with Command has henceforth lifted alleged leaks of information about the three months suspension soldiers sexually abusing children earlier imposed on UNICEF”. The in the northeast. The declaration military said during the meeting was rescinded days later after it urged “UNICEF representatives pressure from diplomats. And to ensure they share information now this latest faux pas! We with relevant authorities advise that the military, next time, whenever induction or training of try to avoid the embarrassment new staff is being conducted in the of taking a punitive action only to theater”. reverse itself moments later.

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Letter to the Editor

Obahiagbon’s defaced billboards as politics of bitterness

By Sufuyan Ojeifo

R

eports of the serial defacement of the campaign billboards of the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate in Edo South, Honourable Patrick Obahiagbon, aka Igodomigodo, are symptomatic of politics of bitterness, which should not be promoted by conscionable political leaders, particularly in a local election that is undergirded by communal interests.

The fact that Edo south senatorial election affords the people the opportunity to choose among different parties’ candidates from the zone, who would best give them the obligatory senatorial representation in Abuja, should serve to moderate the tenor of electioneering and politicking such that they do not become deleterious to good relations and collective wellbeing.

Camaraderie, harmony and the common interests of the zone should be paramount going into the 2019 general election. This is the best approach to the forthcoming election. But the attacks on Obahigabon’s billboards point in the opposite direction. They negate the imperativeness of self-restraint, politesse and good manners in electioneering for the forthcoming poll.

Beyond the primordial shenanigans deployed in recent elections, Nigerians have got to an intersection where candidates and their programmes should be subjected to critical interrogation. Political campaigns by candidates should, therefore, be a medium for appraising the possibilities and/or potentialities of candidates in comparative terms.

Anyone who indulges in the pastime of unleashing direct attacks on the person or symbolic representations of the other in order to intimidate, harass and discount the electoral base of the other, shows how desperate s/he has become in the task of securing undue advantage over the other. That does not accord with the spirit of a free and fair election.

Elevating electioneering from the pedestal level of personality attacks helps to purify the political and electoral processes. It helps to predispose candidates and their parties to the preservation of the principles of common good and national interest over and above personal interests. The deliberate purification of the process is doable.

The 2015 exertion by the General Abdusalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee that helped to bring the presidential candidates to the table to sign up for a peace deal in the presidential election was salutary to the decision by former President Goodluck Jonathan to admit defeat and congratulate the winner, President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Committee has also weighed in by committing all the candidates in the scheduled February 16 presidential poll to sign a peace deal. Since it worked in the 2015 with Jonathan’s uncommon sacrifice, it behoves President Buhari to assist the process to succeed by creating the necessary conditions.

In order to create an environment that would make it easy for winners and losers to embrace one another, the political elite and their followership in the various political parties should focus on issue-based campaigns in the presidential through governorship to legislative elections for it to work this time round.

In any case, many voters are now conscious and much more enlightened about the electoral process.

They know what they want and who they want, in the context of plurality of candidates, to provide them with the required leadership. Therefore, it will be in the interests of the candidates to focus on propagating or selling their programmes to the people and registered electorate rather than promoting hate campaigns.

Doing violence to opponents’ characters, defacing opponents’ campaign billboards, destroying posters and attacking vehicles or offices of opponents are misnomers in the emerging political culture that aims at the “high mark” of decency and purity in the process that births legitimacy of political sovereigns.

Any candidate who encourages his supporters either directly by verbal instructions or indirectly by body language to unleash destruction on the campaign infrastructure of his or her opponent(s) should be scorned by the electorate. Such rascally disposition should lead to the discounting of

whatever support s/he should have ordinarily enjoyed at the poll.

Voter cards should be deployed to sanction candidates who undermine the regime of decent campaign. Whoever takes steps to contaminate the transparency of the electoral process should be rejected at the poll. This is because such irresponsible acts, as political violence, defacement of campaign billboards and other vices, have the potentialities to diminish the majesty and sanctity of the electoral process.

It is time we ensured that our political and electoral processes enjoy legitimacy abintio,through the imprimatur of people’s acceptability, without obligatory judicial intervention. Processes that are compromised or rigged, one way or the other, cannot escape essential indictment. They are flawed and it becomes difficult for the people to accept their outcomes.

The nexus between the process and the outcome is quite significant in that the process is the substructure on which the superstructure of the outcome rests. Attacking the billboards of any candidate by the other camp, as in the instant case of Obahiagbon in Edo south, is evidently attacking the process, apart from being a sign of desperation by the other camp over the prospects of looming defeat.

The people and registered electorate in Edo south have an idea of those who are responsible for the defacement of the billboards of the vocal politician. But it is sad that the resort to this kind of destructive strategy is not only counter-productive to the real perpetrator but also capable of inflicting a collateral damage to all other candidates except Obahiagbon who stands to benefit from popular sympathy.

But to be sure, Obahiagbon is not necessarily at home with the populism of sympathy votes, which the act of the other camp may have created. He is surely running a robust electioneering that appeals to the community of political elite and latching on the magnitude of his programmes and, as they say in the political parlance, campaign promises, to secure critical support.

Remarkably, as part of a systematic campaign of attrition, the other camp(s) has (have) attempted in recent times to dismiss Obahiagbon’s pedigree in the House of Assembly and the House of Representatives, where he spent a total of 12 years, as comical representation. But Obahiagbon’s counter narratives have been quite succinct in proving otherwise.

A lucid television jingle produced by the Obahiagbon Campaign Organisation, which is being repeatedly aired on some local stations in Edo state, has put paid to the claims that the flamboyant politician did not achieve anything beyond his celebrated involvements in legislative debates while in the State House of Assembly and the House of Representatives.

The message in the jingle is very clear: “Beyond the grammar, in the short period that Obahiagbon was in the House of Representatives, he executed so many constituency projects, to wit: provisions of five blocks of classrooms and furniture for Obakhavbaye, Owina, Oza, Ezomo, Ohuoba, Payne and Oba Ewuare Primary Schools; connecting electricity from Ogba to Umegbe, Iguike, Evborhun, Okpebor, Evbovbioba and transformer for Umegbe and three villages.”

Delivered in impeccable Pidgin English, the jingle continues: “The list is endless: boreholes at Umegbe, Irhirhi, Obakhavbaye and Evbinyomanru and other areas. He facilitated the construction of roads and streetlights, award of scholarship and women empowerment and assisting constituents for placement in the civil service.”

These are the issues that have been put on the table for validation and/or rebuttal. The candidates are to convince the people to invest their trust in their respective ability and track records to deliver. Resort to defacement of campaign billboards or destruction of posters as the PDP governorship candidate in Lagos, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has just complained of, should not be indulged.

Such political rascality is odious, despicable and reprehensible.

Ojeifo, Editor-in-Chief of The Congresswatch magazine, contributed this piece viaojwonderngr@yahoo.com

PAGE 12

Opinion

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

Where PDP got it wrong in Gombe

By Muhammad Baba Gombe

A

fter elections, nothing makes sense to the ordinary man who spent donkey hours, sitting in the queue to cast his vote, than to enjoy the dividends of his democratic investment of choosing the right leaders. Since we are practising democracy, good governance is compulsory to be sought by those whose mandates have been bottled in a man at the helm. To ensure that the leaders do not sway off the lane of providing the basic things that sustain the grassroots, the founders of democracy have hardwired political tools to cut the excesses of governance as a way of keeping political leaders in checks, so they don’t end up as ‘emperors’ in a democratic setting. This is one of the major reasons that separate democracy from military rule. Today, world over, everyone celebrates democracy because of what it can offer and what it had offered in the past. However, in Gombe what we have as driven by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is nothing but ‘emperor in democracy’. The PDP neither listens nor gets checked by the political tool of the legislature in the state. This is a very toxic trend that has made the PDP, a friend to bad governance or better yet an enemy of good governance. In view of the leadership mandate in their hand, the PDP has befriended Gombe to bad governance.

Oh! How art the mighty fallen. The people of Gombe must shine their eyes to kick the PDP out in 2019, before they annihilate the common hope that we share in the future of democracy in the state. When you talk of the PDP administration in the state in the last seven years, there is always a ‘devil in the details. Not sounding immodest, the PDP with their actions and unrepentant desire to put the state not just in debt but

to entrench poverty, I can tell you, is at war with good governance in the state.

In recent times, enough to worry articles have been written on the level of financial recklessness, wasteful spending, unchecked power of the government of Gombe, misplaced priority projects, propagation of fake achievements and the massive debt burden which when combined serve as an encumbrance to the development of the state and in a decent democratic make-up, enough to instigate a legislative check and subsequent impeachment if guilty as charged. A coalition of writers from Gombe have written a lot on the abysmally poor performance which have drawn concerns from Nigerians across board on the true state of events as against the selfexhortatory performance that the Gombe government feeds to the world, yet the legislative arm of government in Gombe State controlled by the PDP majority has kept a ‘zipped lips’ and allowed the ‘emperors in democracy’ to feed on the collective wealth of the state. The PDP-led legislature has proven to all in Gombe that party loyalty as well as self-interest is more a priority than good governance. Hence, since they form the majority in the house, they have decided to keep silent even when the debt profile of the state is hitting an all-time record high. So, the problem is not the legislative arm of government in Gombe state but the PDP members in the house who have not allowed checks of the recklessness of governance by the state’s executive arm.

On May 30, the All Progressives Congress (APC) had in a press release, accused Gov. Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of committing an impeachable offence by sending a supplementary Budget of Local Government Areas, for the year

2017, on May 15, after the passage of 2018 Appropriation Law, seeking the approval of the house for an additional funds of N800 million. The loyal members of the APC were said to have resisted the illegality and gross violation of the Nigerian Constitution, which the APC house members say was against their ideology as a party. The APC members have done a lot in their own right to resist illegalities of the state government but for the majority status to impeach the governor for many of those unconstitutional acts. The only APC member then: the minority leader who went in defence of the governor to support illegality, has been ‘moneyed’ out of the party as his consolations, to where his heart lies. I am not surprised though, that the PDP had attempted to violate the constitution of the country.

Even the constitution of their party has been violated in times that make counting a problem as evident in their just concluded unconstitutional primaries that was held in government house, were Dr Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna was denied the ticket for fears that he will jettison the old lane of corruption and subject many of the bigwigs of the PDP to serious financial probe to recover the wealth of the common man whose geographical location stretches the North, South, West and East of Gombe. If not for the leadership of the APC, in the house, N800 million would have gone down the drain. Little wonder, Gombites have resolved to supplant the PDP government with the APC in all levels of governance in the state.

As far as I am concerned the PDP majority status at the legislative level is nothing but a political collusion to bring wealth to their members and the party at the expense of good governance, thereby depleting the resources of the people. The

PDP members in the house have failed in their democratic responsibilities in terms of bringing the political tyranny of the executive to an end. Instead of protecting the citizens and providing what was promised to the people during election, the PDP-led administration has chosen to abuse the political power which has become the key feature of ‘Peoples (Un) Democratic Party’ as it’s ought to be, based on their style of leadership.

When some articles were written to put in public domain, the debt profile of the Gov. Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo’ s administration, to keep the people of Gombe State abreast of the debtdriven style of leadership of the current administration; it felt as if someone was trying to blackmail the government of Gombe even though the facts were presented as they are in reality. Today, that article has been strengthen with more recent evidence by The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) when it announced on Dec, 10, that Gombe airport will be grounded, listing it as one of the four airports, with a debt profile of N2.6 billion. Surprisingly, Gombe state, was allegedly having a debt profile of N607 million. This led to the threat of services being withdrawn by FAAN. If nothing is done, the destruction of the current tentacles of good governance in Gombe, would be a minor trauma compared to the catastrophe that will herald the continuity of the PDP in state. Dear Gombe voters, please shine your eyes. A vote for the PDP is a vote for bad governance because the PDP is an enemy of good governance in Gombe. APC is the real deal.

Muhammad Baba Gombe a public commentator can be reached viamuhdbaba@yahoo.com

Improving access to legal services in Nigeria

By Tony Okeke

O

ver the years, the way that legal services can be accessed has changed quite drastically. In the early day, all businesses were listed in the Yellow pages. People had to flip through these pages to find listings of lawyers in their community and would then call to schedule a meeting with the office. While this was useful and made it easier to find local services and select some provider, probably based on proximity, they were cumbersome and sometimes difficult to navigate. It’s no secret that as tile progresses, the yellow pages, though free were full of confusing posters and were more of a collection of advertisements than anything else.

While they were very useful at the time, and most likely the only tenable solution then. When the internet emerged as the information super highway, Yellow pages were overtaken by online directories. We can now access industry-specific listings to find and engage providers. Law directories were among the prominent ones. This directory makes it easy to find legal listings and to locate professionals to work with whenever you needed legal assistance.

As the internet emerged, many of these directories could be found online. As lawyers and other legal service providers list their services online, it became a lot

easier to find providers for your specific need. Still, though, it was a case of hoping that the expert you contacted would be suitable to your needs.

Today, we have access to other, seemingly more modern options such as marketplaces. These platforms help to connect people with legal service providers and apparently makes it easier to find professionals to help with your need.

Unlike the directories, those in need of legal assistance search out the kind of help that they need and contact these platforms to connect them with the right expert. The legal industry, which has been slow to embrace emerging technologies, is not left behind in this area. There are now online legal marketplaces and it’s in the increase.

This seems to be paving the way for even easier legal service hiring and more help and assistance with moving forward and finding flexible law services tailored to your needs.

As technology surges on, more and more websites appear online and access to goods and professional services improves.

Arguably, it is now easier than before to find a reliable and flexible freelance attorney.

Like Amazon or ebay, this solution for finding affordable legal services has come to prominence in recent years. They are all geared towards making it easier for you to find the help that you need within the often confusing and complex legal industry

today. The hugely impressive nature of the content based on these websites are expected to make it easy for you to find the help that you need, but do they really?

Although this is presented and promoted as the best solution online today, it barely gives the websites or the organization a powerful opportunity to secure competitive leverage in the sector rather than create a balance in the pursuit for affordable access. It is therefore doubtful if these legal marketplaces could be deemed an answer to improved access to legal services in the context of today’s technology and society.

It still looks like anyone in need of quality legal services will likely find it quite hard to find a bespoke assistance if they are privy to limited funds. When you are low on budget, it’s important to look for affordable, stress-free forms of access to legal aid and assistance. In some these platforms, you may have to consult with various providers who may each claim to be able to handle your matter or at least, be able to assist you. However, when you are not sure about what kind of help you need, even tools like this might not be suitable to your needs. Similarly, their costs are not apparent and in the same manner the fees may not be disclosed to you. Subsequently, there’s always the fear of surprises and hidden charges.

There must be a better solution for picking up legal providers to avoid wasting

time with lawyers who might not be good enough for your needs or may come from a different school of expertise. Apparently, there are models whereby you can provide information about your requirements beforehand Instead of having to sit through expensive (in both cost and in time) meetings with a lawyer to determine suitability. In other words, you instantly make it clear what you need, when, and probably how much you can afford for the projects so that every parties position is clear ahead of time just like you have in the popular marketplaces where goods are traded. This will require posting of your projects freely, and then allow for you to receive proposals back from experts who might be suitable to take on your case.

This alternative provides what could pass as a fair and level playing field for legal service providers and consumers of their service. Such a platform should provide access to high-quality legal providers on demand. Lexdot.com is likely the closest it gets to this solution. Lexdot provides useful tools to help find freelance attorneys and other flexible law service providers and promises to take the stress out of your day.

This seems to be the way forward to finding flexible law services tailored to your needs.

Tony Okeke is a Public Affairs Analyst.

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

PAGE 13

Comment

Nationhood: The need to retrace our step

By Muktar (U.T) Garba

T

he Nigeria founded by our fathers is no longer the Nigeria we are enjoying today, we’ve decided to overlook the sacrifice of the people that have made it possible for us to live in the Nigeria that we are today, we have allowed sentiments, politics, interest, tribalism, and religious ethics to have driven us to a generation where we don’t value each other which is not a good sign that we’ve learnt or inherited what has existed long before now, It is sad that we still smile and laugh over trivial issues, when you look at Nigeria today, the same set of rulers we have had even before I came to existence are still in power. The funniest thing is they are not willing to carry the youths along if not fully in the government but part of the government there’s nothing you will do in these life that doesn’t require orientation or guidelines come to think of it, if today you wake up and find out that all the prominent politicians you’ve been looking up to die and probably you become the president of the federal republic of Nigeria what happens when you don’t even know what it means for you to be the Personal Assistant (PA) of a local government chairman nor to

talk of being the PA to the president, how do you intend to run your government? When you look back, those days in the military regime when Gen. Murtala Mohammed, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, Gen.Mohammdu Buhari, Gen.Ibrahim Babanginda etc. were Heads of States who then were the military administrators? They were their pair groups of late 20’s and early 30’s or mid 30’s almost the whole government was ran by the youngest set of military personnel’s unlike today were you barely can point a youth of 27-29years old as a prominent man in the country, they utilized their youthfulness why can’t we do that in our era? Youths I urge you or us to wake up and be steadfast to seeing that he who is ready to work with the youth becomes the next president of Nigeria we need to revive what was left for us before now if not now in the near future because with time whether they like it or not we will dominate the country at large, what is a youth without unity?

What is a youth with tribalism? What is a youth with religious ethics? It is high time we drop our selfish interest and face the reality into actualizing a dream we can be proud of even after leaving the earth.

Nigeria is a blessed country with natural mineral resources which if utilized can

earn us more than enough to pay Nigerians daily stipends even if it is not much but no Nigerian should go to bed hungry and wake up the next morning thinking of what to eat, yet we go to school become graduates and jobs becomes difficult and our ideas blindfolded with frustrations of no job and nothing to do, if jobs won’t be available your educational ideas or intellect should contribute to the growth of the country and to be sincere we know that doesn’t count now because the believe is we are still children we don’t know what the world is up to meanwhile a boy from his room can access the president’s account in few seconds and only to be noticed after he’s done accessing it, this simply means we are smart, gifted and talented such qualities should be utilized for better ideas, I plead with the youth to stand up and see that we work towards achieving a lot in the next administration and backing the right aspirant who has the youths at heart because the era of I promise you when I become the president died when ZIK,AWOLOWO,TAFAWA BALEWA,SIR AHMADU BELLO passed away.

One thing we forget is without the youths politics in Nigeria is as good as dead, because more than 70% of the youths

are under 35, which is simply saying if we move down to 45 we own about almost 90% of the population in Nigeria which clearly shows God has the power and we also have the buttons to decide who becomes or next president, is it that we are scared to confront our fears or we prefer to be peeping through the window? is high time we come together and shake Nigeria and give it a rebirth.

Lastly I want to use this medium to urge all Nigerian youths that we are working towards organizing a national convention for the youth and also to have an organisation which will guide us through in carrying out of our respective duties in seeing that we bring this dream into a reality or actuality..

Long reign the Names of our founding fathers, long live Nigeria, long live Africa, long live the youth and we pray for a more peaceful, non-violence country.

We say no to tribalism, we say no religious intolerance, and we say yes to rebirth of unity, peace, love and brotherhood!

May God help us all.

Muktar (U.T) Garba is a Public Affairs Analyst.

The lure of constitutional and electoral design

By Festus Okoye

I

have maintained and will continue to maintain that for us to sustain the gains of the 2015 elections and improve on it during the 2019 general elections; we must begin now to plan and prepare for it. Part of the planning and preparation must involve the institution of credible constitutional and electoral framework for the conduct of the said elections.

This means that the Independent National Electoral Commission, civil society groups, political parties and other critical stakeholders in the electoral process must begin early consultation, networking and analysis on what has been done, what has been left undone and what needs to be done in the constitutional and electoral framework of Nigeria.

But why is it that since 1999 we have been in the vicious web of electoral and constitutional reform and design? Why is it that we must always wait till elections are around the corner before embarking on the process of constitutional alteration and Electoral Act amendment? Why has it been difficult to carry out fundamental constitutional alteration and amendment to the Electoral Act that will be substantial, effective, sustainable, enduring and less controversial? Why have we been in these issues for too long and more or less going in circles?

As my friend Udo Jude Ilo of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa posited in a programme organized by a civil society organization, RECLAIMNAIJA “there are fundamental gaps in the way we have approached reform of the electoral process which makes it difficult for us to achieve substantial change that will make our electoral system sophisticated enough to protect the peoples mandate, limit the possibilities of manipulations by politicians and reduce the instability risk factors associated with elections”.

But the truth of the matter is that

the way we have handled issues around constitutional alteration and the reform of the electoral framework for the conduct of elections is consistent with our approach to serious national issues and challenges.

Sometimes we find it difficult to confront and deal with issues that need sheer political will and conviction. Sometimes, we create institutions, assign roles and functions to them and yet find it difficult to submit our constitutional and legal problems to the interpretative and adjudicatory jurisdiction of such institutions.

We go in cycles and pretend that all is well. But that is typical of the way we do things. Unfortunately, the moment a law is passed and policies and decisions are put in place, some of our compatriots move in to undermine the laws, policies and decisions. Sometimes, they move ahead of the law makers.

They think ahead, imagine the next move by civil society groups and other reformists and put in place means and mechanisms to undermine them. To some of these people free, fair and transparent elections are anathema to their physiology and psychology and must be undermined.

Some of them cannot contemplate even remotely mounting the soap box to canvass for votes. It is not part of their psychological makeup. To some of them, it is more convenient to hire, drug and pay some skull crackers to create a state of mayhem around the polling units and scare away the voters and carry the ballot box and ballot papers. Some of them train their own Presiding Officers and use them to doctor and or fill fake result sheets.

They do all these because they are afraid of the people and the power of the vote. But that is just part of the challenge.

The point is that we can conduct credible elections with the present constitutional and legal framework. We can tame electoral fraudsters with the faithful implementation of the provisions of the constitution and the Electoral Act, 2010(as

amended). Unfortunately, regulatory agencies created to regulate and ensure proper conduct and behaviors are in need of regulation.

The enforcement agencies created and empowered to enforce the due observance of the law are also in need of monitoring and policing and the Nigerian people are left vulnerable in an electoral heist.

Rather than confront the weaknesses of our regulatory agencies and our lack of political will to submit to the rule of law and due process we run to redesign the constitution and the Electoral Act anytime we run into a cul-de-sac. Rather than carry out fundamental constitutional alteration and amendment to the law, we approach the exercise half heartedly. We make cosmetic and episodic alterations to aspects of the constitution with electoral flavour and return to the constitution for more alterations at the slightest sign of trouble.

We aborted and rendered inchoate the 4th alteration to the Constitution that had more substance. I may not be totally correct on the 4th alteration to the Constitution as speculations are rife that the former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan assented to it before he left office. But that is at the realm of speculation.

Alteration to the fundamental law of the land cannot be reduced to market place gossip and speculation. The last I heard of the alteration was when the Supreme Court advised the Executive and the 7th Assembly to settle out of Court. But we have been on the road of constitutional alteration since 1999.

On October 19, 1999 the Government set up the Presidential Technical Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution which received memoranda from the public, organized public hearings and submitted its report to the government in February 2001.

The government processed the report

into A Bill for An Act to provide for the Amendment of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; 1999 and for Purposes Connected Thereto.” This Bill expired with the life of the National Assembly in 2003.

The National Assembly again on the 30th day of October 2003 set up its own Joint Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution. Unfortunately, the joint committee could not fly as the Government thwarted their efforts due to lack of funds. On the 21st day of February 2005 the Federal Government set up the National Political Reform Conference. The question of revenue allocation, sincerity of the government and attempts to smuggle in a third term in office for the President bogged down the proceedings of the Conference.

In September 2005, the National Assembly presented for first reading The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999(Amendment) Bill, 2006. The Bill remained still born until the life of the Assembly expired in 2007. In 2007, the Federal Government set up the Electoral Reform Committee which made far reaching recommendations on amending aspects of the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with bearing on the electoral process. The report of the Committee is still subject to debates and contestation.

In 2014 the Federal Government set up the 2014 National Conference. The report of the Conference should be somewhere. Of course we have had successful alterations to the Constitution. We had the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (First Alteration) Act, 2010 which was signed by the Clerk to the National Assembly on the 6th day of January, 2011 and assented to by the President on the 16th day of January, 2011.

Okoye is a Civil Right Activist.

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PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

News

Bauchi new law eases administration of criminal justice – Lawyers From Ahmed Mohammed, Bauchi

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awyers in Bauchi State have hailed the State Government for adopting the “Administration of Criminal Justice Law” to ease prosecution and administration in criminal acts related legal issues.

The State Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Barrister Mahmood Maidoki commended the State Government when he delivered a speech at the opening of the 2018 Annual Law Week in Bauchi. He said “Bauchi State version of the law has been passed into law and

waiting for executive assent by Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, The administration of Criminal Justice Law is a substantial departure from the old model Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) which is of colonial heritage,” .

Maidoki said that t, the new law possess innovations which also come with their own challenges. “Therefore, I call upon lawyers, Judges, police, prison and all other stakeholders to firmly hook up with our programme of events to enable them prepare to overcome the challenges that may accompany the new innovations,” .

The Bauchi State Chief Judge, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar called on lawyers to always refer to the provisions of the Law before taking a position on any matter.

Justice Rabi who responded to the earlier allegation made

by Young Lawyers Forum on government’s plan to appoint unqualified judges to fill the existing vacancies of Sharia Court Judges.

She explained that, judges with Diploma in Sharia and Civil Law are eligible for appointment even as Khadis of Sharia Court of Appeal who can be superior Judges of Court as obtained in

many states of the federation.

Justice Rabi said that her doors would always remain open, and assured that government would always encourage professionalism by appointing lawyers to Professional Positions.

The Chief Judge said Judiciary would strive hard to maintain highest level of professionalism, work ethics and discipline as welfare of Judicial staff Will be given priority.

She noted that, the theme of the Law Week, Administration of Criminal Justice Law, Ease and Challenges is timely as it was in the process of being

Over 1,000 militants surrender in Cross River

President Muhammadu Buhari in a handshake with the Managing Director, Nigeria Film Corporation, Dr Chidia Maduekwe, during a meeting of the President with Leadership of Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria, (Northern States), at the Presidential Villa, yesterday in Abuja. With them are: Chief of Staff, Alhaji Abba Kyari (R) President, Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria, Mr Abdullahi Usman.

Photo: NAN

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overnor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has granted amnesty to over 1,000 members of the Bakassi Strike Force (BSF) who have been operating at the creeks of Bakassi and Akpabuyo local government areas of the state.

The group, led by its leader, Benjamin Ene, popularly called `G1’, surrendered over 47 guns ranging from AK47, General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), rifles, pistols, live cartridges and others.

Speaking at the event, Mr Ayade expressed sadness that it took his administration a long time to bring the militants out of the creeks, adding that he would continue to ensure the provision of security for residents.

He said the group felt the ceding of the Bakassi Peninsula as unjust and unfair which did not follow due process nor the ratification of the National Assembly.

“As a governor, my responsibility is to ensure the security of the state and as a father, my duty is to protect all the residents in the state,” he said.

The State Security Adviser, Ani Esin, said the group has over the years been protesting against what they regarded as injustice, neglect and marginalisation of the Bakassi people by the government.

He explained that during the course of the protest and agitation, the group was penetrated by people with questionable intentions whose motives were contrary to the philosophy of the BSF. “The strike force became more or less like an organisation that was fighting against the state government.

“Fortunately, the state government in collaboration with Operation Delta Safe, initiated the idea of dialogue as a means of resolving all issues concerning the group.

“With the amnesty, they will be free citizens who will be reintegrate into the society, hence contribute their quota to the development of the state,” he said.(NAN)

domesticated in the state for speedy, Smooth Judicious and Technicalities free Criminal Justice Administration.

Justice Talatu Umar used the medium to Declare the Week as Court free to enable members participate fully.

The State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Haruna Dake Muhammad recalled that the week is part of efforts to enhance the capacity of members.

The Commissioner said the State Government would give the desired attention to Judiciary Sector for effective administration of Justice.

Ensure your subjects pay their bills, Emir of Gwandu charges district heads

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he Emir of Gwandu and Chairman, Kebbi State Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Muhammadu Iliyasu Bashar, has charged District and Ward Heads in the Emirate to ensure that their subjects pay their electricity bills as at when due.

The first class traditional ruler gave the charge in Birnin Kebbi yesterday when the management of Kaduna Electric, Kebbi Regional Office held a sensitization engagement with all the district and ward heads as well as all traditional title holders of Gwandu Emirate at the Emir’s palace.

A press statement by the Head, Corporate Communications of Kaduna Electric, Abdulazeez

Abdullahi, disclosed that the Emir of Gwandu who was represented at the event by the Sardaunan Gwandu, Alhaji Yusuf Haruna Rasheed, called on the local traditional authorities to support the current drive for sustainable energy security and warned that “any community that fails to settle its electricity bills would be disconnected by the Electricity Distribution Company.”

“The state government has provided the enabling environment and necessary support to ensure power supply in the state round the clock, you should therefore educate your subjects on the importance of regular payment of bills,” he said.

Earlier, the Commercial

Manager, Malam Musa Yusuf, who stood in for the Business Development and Regional Officer disclosed that the Company supplied electricity worth N742m to its customers in Kebbi State in the month of October, 2018 but the Company was only able to generate N274m in the month of November, less than 40% of the cost of energy supply in the preceding month. He disclosed that “the Company cannot pay for the energy supplied to it by the generation companies if such high rate of default is being recorded”. He announced that “the average daily power supply in the State is 20 hours and this can only be sustained if there is urgent attitudinal change among

the populace towards payment of bills”. He also decried the rate of energy theft, meter bypass as well as illegal reconnection and appealed to the traditional rulers to educate their subjects on energy efficiency.

“We must imbibe energy conservation culture by putting off bulbs and other appliances not needed; this will enable us save our hard-earned money and relief the power supply infrastructure,” he said. The sensitization campaign afforded the company the opportunity to educate the traditional rulers on the challenges facing the power sector and the paradigm shift in the sector from a public sector to a private sector driven industry.

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PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

Kebbi inaugurates Buhari/Bagudu support group

From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

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he National committee on Buhari/Atiku Bagudu support Group has been inaugurated in Kebbi State.

The inauguration which was done by a Federal House of representatives member Hon. Bello Danteni, was held at the City Guest Inn Birnin Kebbi, the State Capital with the aim to ensured victory for Buhari/ Atiku Bagudu re- election

and for the party at large.

The chairman of the committee, Suleiman Ahmed, inaugurated the committee member yesterday shortly after the symbolic decorations which was performed.

Delivering his remark shortly after the inauguration, a Member in the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Bello Dantine Arugungu, urged the committee members and local government coordinators to work hard and ensure the party’s victory

in the 2019 general elections in the state.

The Federal Lawmaker who was also a former Deputy Governor questioned the support group member to have fear of God when discharging their responsibility, saying “if you are supporting Buhari you have to support other party candidates in the state, let us fight for our party and ignore what the oppositions said”.

The former deputy Governor has said that based on the

achievements recorded by the APC government their is need for us to unites again and support Buhari,/ Atiku Bagudu second term bid.

“We should have fair of God, let us be together and ensured success of this government. We should speak one mind. We thank you very much for your support and cooperation” he said.

He called them to support all the party candidate to ensure the party victory while assured them of their support in other for them to

succeed.

In his response, the State Chairman of the committee, Suleiman Ahmed said that their aimed is to ensure Buhari and Atiku continuity.

Ahmed therefore, commended the efforts of President Muhammad Buhari for rescue the country in terms of economy, security, education, corruption crusade and others, promising to deliver more vote for him and other APC candidates in the state.

PASAN can’t stop budget presentation - Lawmakers

R-L: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama presenting a souvenir to the Secretary General, D-8 Organisation, Amb. Actors Ku Jafaar Ku Shaari during a visit to the Minister’s Office, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: NAN

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

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he ongoing strike action of members of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) over non payment of 28% increment on their salaries since 2010, has been described as inconsequential to today’s budget presentation by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In separate interviews with journalists, the majority leader in the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and Hon Yusuf Tajudeen from Kaduna State said PASAN strike cannot in anyway disrupt plenary at both chambers let alone, joint session for 2019 budget presentation.

The House Leader in particular said no strike action can disrupt the workings of the National Assembly.

According to him, the federal lawmakers are not employers of PASAN the same way PASAN are not employees of the Federal lawmakers , so the question of their strike action affecting our plenary sitting is not there.

“Though penultimate Tuesday when they first carried out the protest, we granted them the honour of hearing from them by not sitting that day. That does not mean that they have the right to shutdown the chamber.

“The Legislative Privileges Act is even against any body or group of persons carrying out any action to disrupt legislative sessions, by making provision for six months imprisonment for such an offence which I know every member of PASAN is aware of.

“PASAN members may continue with their strike action but as far as we are concerned as federal lawmakers, their action will not stop us from sitting and hosting the President tomorrow ( today ) “, he said.

Hon Yusuf Tajudeen in his own reaction to PASAN strike action, said it was wrong for the parliamentary workers to continue with the strike action despite intervention made by the leadership of the National Assembly in getting their demands met by the management of of the federal parliament.

“The money they are requesting for is already captured in the 2018 budget but yet to be cash backed the same way, many of the budgetary provisions appropriated for the federal lawmakers in the 2018 budget are yet to cashbacked”, he said.

Adamawa SDP candidate threatens to probe past govs From Umar Dankano, Yola

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he Gubernatorial candidate of Social Democratic Party,SDP in Adamawa state, Chief Emmanuel Bello has pledged to change the fortunes of the state if given the mandate by electorates in 2019 elections.

Chief Bello said the state has been neglected by successive administrations in terms of infrastructural and socio-economic developments, noting that he would run people oriented administration.

Bello promised to explore the untapped arable land in the state with a view to boost and revamping of our economic and social values in the state.

Bello also vowed to probe past executives who stole public funds if elected the state governor in 2019.

Bello who made the statement during the unveiling of his ten point agenda in Yola Tuesday noted that, it amounts to great disservice for any executive to betray the people by stealing resources meant for public good adding that for such reason, he will surely go for the jugular of any past governor who is indicted for corrupt enrichment.

He accused governor Bindow of perpetrating monumental heist in the last three years, pledging to come up with detailed analysis of the monumental sleaze during the gubernatorial debate.

Bello noted that security of life and

property will get the priority attention of his government adding that he would deploy the instrumentality of community dialogue in resolving the lingering farmer/herders imbroglio that has consumed innumerable lives and properties.

He promised to form an all inclusive government and deploy personnel with the competencies and profundities to chart a new course for the state which according to him was experiencing monumental and paradoxical crisis as a result of a continuous leadership failure.

“Adamawa State has experienced monumental and paradoxical crisis of continuos failed leadership that has not met up with the basic needs of the people of the state. Successive

governments were and still embedded in weakness of poor stewardship largely because of weak capacity of governance, misplaced political interests and lost focus on human value system,” he said.

Bello added that disturbed by the litany of failures, he decided to throw his hat into the ring in order to clear the mess generated by mediocre leadership in the past.

Some of the areas that are covered by his ten point agenda include: land reforms, provision of quality hospitals vis a vis healthy citizens, tapping water resources for optimal empowerment, ensuring a clean environment, providing education for all, promotion of investment, community security.

NNPP promises council polls to Bauchi people From Ahmad Bauchi

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Mohammed,

ew Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Bauchi State has pledged to conduct Local Government Councils Election within six months if elected into power.

The party’s gubernatorial candidate in the State, Ambassador Shuaibu Ahmed Adamu, gave the assurance when he addressed supporters of the party in Bauchi, where he said the move is to restore the lost dignity and independence of local government administration.

Ambassador Shuaibu Ahmad said he would declare zero tolerance for Corruption and efficient and transparent delivery of Public Services to reduce waste and improve effectiveness.

He said to ensure poverty reduction and job creation, if given the mandate, his administration would establish Farm training Centers in each of the three senatorial District of the state to facilitate access to among others, farming inputs and improvingcommodity exchange.

The NNPP gubernatorial candidate said the party would

improve the healthcare status of the people ofthe state through providing preventive vaccinations, routine exercise proper Dieting, Hygiene and Sanitation.

He said to address thechallenges of out of school children, Education Enhancement Programme would belaunch aimed at revamping all physical infrastructure to ensure no child deniedquality education because of financial difficulties.

Ambassador Adamu alleged that, despite the huge financialsupport received by the present administration in the state, the State iscurrently faced

with the greatest odds of excruciating poverty, highunemployment, overwhelming illiteracy while access to education and health is dwindling.

The NNPP gubernatorial candidate said the party would ensure Good Governance, Visionary Leadership andpolitics of inclusiveness that will reduce citizen’s frustration and alienation.

Ambassador Adamu solicited the support of the people ofthe state for the success of the Party during the forthcoming Generalelections, assured to meet their needs if given the opportunity.

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PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

POLITICS

I’m not barred from foreign travel - Ekweremadu

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi and Musa Adamu

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he Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekwerenmadu has denied the allegation that he has been barred from traveling out of the country, following the inclusion of his name on the travel ban list of the government based on the request of the Special Presidential Investigative Panel on the Recovery of Public Property.

A statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Uche Anichuksu, Ekwerenmadu said “For purpose of clarification and emphasis, the Office wishes to restate that Ekweremadu is not in court with the Panel or any other government agency over any corruption case.

“He was rather sued by the SPIP on the grounds that he, in the Panel’s words, allegedly “neglected to declare” his assets “in the manner prescribed by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property”.

“Ekweremadu’s position is that the Constitution demands every public officer to declare his or her assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau every four years, a provision he had since fulfilled, hence his refusal to fill fresh asset declaration forms forwarded to him by the Panel contrary to the Constitution.

“It is also his position that the Public Property Special Provisions Act, CAP R4 LFN, 2004, otherwise known as Decree No 3, 1984, which the Panel relied on to charge public officials to court has become obsolete and power to investigate non-asset declaration is now vested in the Code of Conduct Bureau by the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Therefore, only the Code of Conduct Bureau can receive asset declaration forms from public officers.

“The Court of Appeal recently gave a judicial imprimatur to this when it ruled in a similar matter that the SPIP has no prosecutorial powers whatsoever, hence the Panel is acting ultravires.

“It is further recalled that the Federal High Court Abuja at the November 8, 2018 hearing on the matter declined the Panel’s request to order the Senator’s arrest since the Senator is already challenging the Panel’s legality.

“So, whereas the excesses and smear tactics of the SPIP is not in doubt, the report is considered false and misleading, especially since our interaction with those concerned indicated that the only medium that listed Ekweremdu and was subsequently copied by some online platforms, confirmed that the reporter was neither given nor saw any list that contains Ekweremadu’s name.

PDP alleges fresh plot to remove Saraki

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

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he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alerted of a fresh plot to use the Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) to forcefully remove the President of the Senate and Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO), Senator Bukola Saraki, from office as the Senate President.

The PDP raised the alarm in a statement last night by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja.

The party also condemned in totality, what it called the continued clampdown, harassment, intimidation, arrest and detention of members of the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration.

According to the PDP ‘s statement, “The plot, against Senator Saraki, which is akin to the last invasion of the National Assembly by anti-democratic

forces, is to scuttle the success being recorded by the PDP Presidential campaign organization in its consultations and winning campaigns across the nation ahead of the 2019 general election.

“The PDP is privy to clandestine meetings by the Buhari Presidency and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which has not been able to constitute a Presidential campaign organization, on ways to derail the PDP Presidential campaign by going against Senator Saraki.

“Part of the plot is to use the police and the DSS to fabricate spurious charges against Senator Saraki, distract him and destabilize the PDP Presidential campaign, a scheme the PDP described as dead on arrival, as Nigerians are solidly behind the PDP in the mission to rescue the nation from the misrule of the APC. “In condemning the clampdown on CSOs, the party says the development smacks of scare mongering apparently to intimidate and cow the Civil Society

from criticizing the misrule of the Buhari administration.

“Of particular reference is the rearresting and continued detention of a right activist, Deji Adeyanju, by the Police for a matter, which documents, in the public domain, show he has been discharged and acquitted by the court.

“Information available shows that the authorities have not been confortable with Deji Adeyanju’s criticisms. However, arresting and detaining him on a matter for which there has been a conclusive judicial determination 9 years ago is in clear violation of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and in direct infringement of his right as a citizen under the law.

“This is more so as even the spokesperson of President Buhari’s Campaign Organisation, Festus Keyamo SAN, and who was Adeyanju’s defence attorney counsel on the matter which was before the court between 2005 and 2009, has, in a media

report, attested that Adeyanju was discharged and acquitted, and that the prosecution did not file any appeal because it was satisfied with the ruling.

“Nigeria is a democratic nation governed by the constitution and due process of the law. Allowing such impunity and trampling by security agencies to fester, will be a direct invitation to anarchy and chaos; and this is not the way to go.

“Our citizens are also free, within the ambit of the laws, to hold the government accountable on issues.

If the government of the day is not comfortable with criticisms, the acceptable approach is to provide answers, instead of this resort to a clamp down, using a matter that has been decided by the court”, it said.

The party demanded the immediate release of Mr. Adeyanju, if the police had found nothing incriminatory to charge him to court, within 48 hours of his arrest, in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

R-L; President Muhammadu Buhari Receives a birthday card signed the delegation led Former US Assistant Secretary of State Africa Affairs and Senior Counselor of Albright Stonebridge Group, Ms. Linda ThomasGreenfield during an audience with a delegation of NDI and IRI as part of the monitoring of the forthcoming Presidential election in Nigeria held at the State House on Monday in Abuja.

Photo: State House

2019 election referendum on killings, hunger - Dogara

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he Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara has declared that the 2019 elections would be a referendum on the state of security and hunger in Nigeria.

Dogara who was speaking in Gombe, Gombe state capital at the North East zonal campaign and rally of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), challenged Nigerians to do an introspection and decide if they have made progress in the last three and half years or have witnessed a decline in their living standards on a general basis.

While lamenting the current state of situations in the country, Dogara remarked that, “So 2019 elections is about insecurity, whether we can be secured. Then look at your own lives, even if nobody loves or likes you, advise yourself, hold a consultation with yourself, sit down and argue with yourself, ask yourself what progress you’ve made in the last three and a half years? Don’t even ask any other person, in case that person may give you a biased opinion about yourself, but you know yourself very well, just sit down and if you want assistance, sit down close to a mirror so that you can see yourself. Compare yourself the way you look now and the way you looked some three years

ago and then you’ll know, and then decide for yourself whether you want to continue looking like this, that is if it doesn’t get worse in the next four more years. By the time you’ve finished having that conversation with yourself, make a decision”.

“If this is the kind of life that you want us to live, if this is the kind of insecurity you want us to perpetrate for Nigeria. Today in Nigeria thirteen (13) million of our children are out of school, one million, three hundred thousand (1.3m) of those children are from my home state of Bauchi. If we continue like this, the numbers are bound to increase, and the crisis we will face in the future will be more than this Boko Haram crisis that we are witnessing. This is because by refusing to give free and compulsory education to our children, we are raising an army for insurgency that will come and consume us as a people.

“So the vote in 2019 is not about anything, but about you, about you and about you. Do not make it about any other thing, but about what progress do you want to make?

What kind of country do you want to raise your children in? What kind of country do you want to live in? What kind of education do you want to be giving to your children?

“All these are what we have in the

2019 ballot. And we trust as educated and enlightened opinionated people, that you’ll make the right choices.”

He lamented that “Boko Haram insurgency is still fresh, in fact in PDP there was never a time when in one day when more than one hundred soldiers were killed. In any other country, that would have made their security forces to declare a national emergency, but here it didn’t happen.

God forbid, is that the Nigeria that we want going forward? Do you know that today, you cannot travel between Kaduna and Abuja? It is very difficult.

Most of the people that can afford it are always commuting by train, and we thank God for the railways that was almost 95% completed by the PDP Government, before APC took over. If you travel by road, there is a 70% chance that you’ll be kidnapped.

In those days however kidnapping was very strange in the Northern part of this country.

He urged the people of the North East to vote massively for the PDP for the development of the region saying, “We people in the North East have so much in this election. This is election is not about PDP and APC, it is not about Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and President Muhammadu Buhari, it is between you and as an individual Nigerian and a government that has

not fulfill the expectations of Nigerian people, expectations of the people of the North East.

“We have the North East Development Commission that is supposed to kickstart the work of rebuilding the region but unfortunately it has not been constituted up to now. For more than three years we have advocated for the convocation of an international donor conference to raise fund for the development of the north east unfortunately the Federal government has not done anything about it.

Speaker Dogara noted that the current administration has failed in securing the lives and properties of Nigerians, noting that in spite of all the blame game, security in its current state is worst than under PDP rule.

Citing the case of the killing of more than a hundred soldiers in a day

by Boko Haram insurgents, which he said ought to have led to a national emergency on security, coupled with the hunger and deprivation in the country, Hon Dogara said if the APC administration is allowed to continue in power with the way it is handling security, it would only be a matter of time before more insurgents rise up to unleash terror on innocent Nigerians.

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PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

POLITICS

CUPP lobby for budget boycott unnecessary - SGF

By Umar Muhammad Puma and Christiana Ekpa

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oss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), has described the calls by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), to the opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly to boycott budget presentation as totally out of place.

President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to present the 2019 budget estimates to the joint session of the National assembly today.

Speaking to newsmen shortly

after rising from a two-hour closed meeting with the APC caucus in the House of Representatives, the SGF, While denying that his visit was in connection with president Muhammadu Buhari’s scheduled visit to the National Assembly today, or the ongoing strike by the workers, the SGF, stated that laying the budget before a joint session of the legislature is constitutional requirement that the President will fulfill.

“I am not aware but it is also going to be totally out of place to boycott. This is a national responsibility. The president has to

lay the budget as demanded by the constitution and he is going to do exactly that”, he said.

Probed further if he was at the National Assembly as a result of the industrial unrest, he said “no, no, it has nothing to do with the strike action. We were just discussing party matters, which is germane and important to us”.

“I have come to attend a caucus meeting with members of the House of Representatives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) “I have been attending caucus meetings with them; because this is a larger House that is why I came

to the National Assembly. It is a continuation of dialogue with our members”, the SGF added.

Explaining further he said: “We are preparing for elections, we have to come and dialogue and strategise, and plan for the elections. Very soon, they are going on recess and so, we have to plan on what they will do during the course of the recess in terms of deepening democracy and preparing our party for the elections”.

Asked if the APC is not worried by the defections of so many of its Reps members, Mr Mustapha reacted saying “there hasn’t been

any

defections; the major ones happened and we have gotten out of that. We are just on the part of growth now. We have received so many members”.

While saying that the presidency has nothing to say regarding the striking legislative workers due to lack of facts at its disposal, the SGF however revealed that adequate releases have been made to the National Assembly from the 2018 budget.

“It has been released. I can assure you that for their constituency projects.

INEC well prepared for 2019 elections -Chairman

By Lateef Ibrahim

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ith 58 days to next year’s general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission says it has already implemented six (6) out the fourteen (14) activities strictly on schedule as outlined in the timetable and schedule of activities for the General Election.

The Commission assured that it has gone far with its preparations.

The Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu said this yesterday in his remarks at the Police/stakeholders security summit organized by the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja.

Yakubu pointed out that as with all elections, security is going to be a major issue in the 2019 General Election.

He declared that security agencies have a responsibility to secure the environment for elections.

According to him, “We have already implemented six (6) out the fourteen (14) activities strictly on schedule as outlined in the timetable and schedule of activities for the General Election which was release almost a year ago on 9th January this year.

“There is intense interest nationally and around the world in the 2019 General Election.

In just a matter of weeks, some international observers will begin the deployment of their long-term observation missions for the election.

“As with all elections, security is going to be a major issue in the 2019 General Election.

“Security agencies have a responsibility to secure the environment for elections.

“In doing so, there is the overriding responsibility for professionalism and neutrality.

The rules of engagement must be clear to all.

“Learning from the cumulative experience of the offseason elections conducted into 195 constituencies since the 2015 General Election, the conduct of some security personnel has become a major issue of discussion. We are deeply concerned.

“Consequently, it is imperative to review the template for the 2019 General Election in order to reassure Nigerians and the

international community of our commitment to credible elections and to protect the sanctity of the electoral process.

“INEC will engage with the security agencies, particularly the police, in defining new parameters for the deployment of security agencies in the electoral process.

“As I said at a recent Workshop on election security organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), INEC shall fully apply the provision of Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) which places in the Commission the sole responsibility for requesting the deployment of security personnel necessary for elections.

“The responsibility for assigning them is also to be determined by the Commission.

INEC will remain responsible for the conduct of elections.

“The security agencies will continue to secure the environment in a manner that voters, observers and the media shall not feel intimidated or harassed.

“The process of conducting election shall remain the responsibility of INEC. We will continue to emphasise this point in our interaction with the security agencies both in a forum such as this as well as the meetings of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCESS).

“Similarly, we shall continue to work with the security agencies for the arrest and prosecution of violators of the electoral act.

“Working together with the police, we have successfully prosecuted 42 electoral offenders following violent disruption of the Minjibir State Constituency bye-election in Kano in 2016.

“Similarly, a number of other prosecutions are ongoing in Rivers State and most recently in Osun State where the police has forwarded nine (9) case files to the Commission, out of which three (3) cases involving vote buying and illegal possession of PVCs are being prosecuted.”

INEC believes that the best deterrence to violations of the law during elections is swift prosecution. We will continue to work with the security agencies in this regard”.

L - R: Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Hon. Ismaila Muazu and Emir of Akko, Alh. Umar Mohammed Atiku, during an Empowerment Programme organized by Hon. Ismaila Muazu in Akko Local Government Area on Monday in Gombe State

APC claims on killings mischievous, Benue PDP Says From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

T

he Peoples’ Democratic Party, (PDP) in Benue State has described as mischievous comments by the APC Publicity Secretaries that the party in the State is peddling fake news about the killings in Benue.

Conference of the APC Publicity Secretaries (CAPS), last weekend at the end of its 3rd summit in Makurdi, the Benue state capital, issued a communique, alleging that Benue State is suffering in the hands of PDP elements who commit heinous crimes against the people and pass the blame to others.

The APC publicity Secretaries also averred that it is their utmost belief that the provision of infrastructure, payment of salaries, motivation of workforce, creation of industrial base, security of Benue State was better placed in the hands of a brand new APC government in Benue State, in May 2019.

But reacting in a Press Statement made available to Peoples Daily yesterday in Makurdi, the Benue State PDP Publicity Secretary,

Bemgba Iortyom said no responsible political party in control of power would stoop so low as to play politics with the lives of its people.

He added that it is shameful that the APC has abdicated its duty to safeguarding the lives and properties of its citizens and is rather busy seeking to take refuge in blaming the opposition as being perpetrators of crime.

According to him, It remained the first and most sacrosanct duty of the federal government under the control of APC to provide security for the lives and properties of Nigerian citizens.

Bemgba stated that it is sad and tragically that the ruling party has overtime thrown the duty to the dogs, leaving helpless citizens in states like Benue at the mercy of murderous marauding Fulani herdsmen and other forms of crime and terror.

“A government that has refused to bring to book criminal groups which openly claim responsibility for crimes against humanity committed within its territorial

jurisdiction, such as Miyetti Allah has been doing over the years, such a government and its sponsoring political platform, in this case APC, deserve only one response from the suffering masses who have been at the receiving end of the actions and inactions of such a failed government, and that is a resounding rejection at the 2019 elections,” he noted.

He said the APC’s idea of “change” has foisted on Nigeria the worst economic recession in its peacetime history, attended by galloping inflation, acute hunger, worsening unemployment rate, as well as dangerously heightening insecurity.

The PDP spokesman further said the APC government has brought about, unprecedented sense of national disunity propelled by a fanatical brand of nepotism.

According to him, the suffering Nigerians masses though have accepted the “change”, but as ‘change for the worse’ which cannot be consolidated upon, hence their resolve to ‘Change the life-sucking Change’ come 2019.

HEALTH PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

The treatment of diabetic kidney disorders using acupuncture therapy (1). Diabetes injures the small blood vessels in the body. hen injury happens to the blood vessels in the kidneys then the kidneys cannot clean the blood properly.

This means that the body will retain more water and salt than it should When this happens, the outcome is likely to be a gain in weight coupled with swelling of ankles.

There may be protein found in the urine and there will be a build up of waste materials in the blood.

2.​Diabetes also causes damage to the nerves. It is also possible for this condition to cause difficulty in emptying the bladder. A full bladder can result in HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE Building up and this too can cause injury to kidneys.

3.​If urine remains in the bladder for a long time, there will be a rapid growth of bacteria because of the high sugar level in the blood and this can lead to infections developing. ​In the early stages in diabetes, the blood filtering units of the kidneys start to exhibit damage. When this happens important proteins are lost in the urine. As the disease progresses, the

W

Healthy living With Dr. Nanchak Nimzing Pone No: 08036787758, 09052597025 Email:ncnimzing@yahoo.com Website:http://www.meridianspecialists.com kidneys become unable to remove waste products from the blood. ​Like other aspects of diabetes there are no symptoms of the disease until it progresses to the late stages. When symptoms do appear they will include: (a) Fatigue (b) Insomnia (c) Weakness (d) Vomiting (e) Swelling ​ iabetic kidney problems can be D prevented by taking the following measures: (i)​​Keep blood glucose levels under control. (ii)​Keep blood pressure under control (iii)​Have the kidneys checked at least once a year by having the urine tested for small amounts of protein (i.e. urine protein test). (iv)​Make sure your medical advice is

carefully followed. ( v ) ​C o n t a c t a medical practitioner immediately if you suspect a bladder or kidney

infection. (vi)​Use dietary control and/or medication to prevent high blood sugar Please note that testing the kidney is a must. Urine testing is particularly helpful in this respect. Also please note that urine testing is not the best way for testing diabetes because it is not as accurate as blood tests. However, urine testing is of great value as a MONITOR check on kidney health.

Finally, I cannot repeat this enough DO NOT USE TOBACCO! FIVE STAGES OF DIABETIC KIDNEY DISEASE If we examine the five stages we can see how kidney disease progresses: Stage 1 - The flow of blood through the kidneys increases and enlargement of the kidneys takes place. It is possible to stay in this stage indefinitely or

advance to Stage II after many years.

Stage II – Small amounts of blood protein known as albumin leak into the urine. This is called microalbuminuria.

Stage III - This tends to be the diagnostic stage and it is at this stage of disease that many people are first diagnosed. The rate of loss of albumin and other proteins increases. High blood pressure can develop and the kidneys continue to lose the ability to filter the body’s waste.

Stage IV – In this stage large amounts of urine are passed through the kidneys and high blood pressure is almost always present.

Stage V – The ability of the kidneys to filter waste virtually ceases. Kidney dialysis or kidney transplants are treatment options. The only alternative to this is dying.

The diabetic person needs to consciously work at: ▪ Controlling weight ▪ Controlling cholesterol ▪ Controlling blood glucose ▪ Exercising ▪ Not smoking ▪ Not overindulging in alcohol ▪ Eating regularly with a balanced diet.

$100m needed to tackle malnutrition in Yobe, Borno, Adamawa -Experts

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

N

utrition experts at the weekend revealed that over $100 million is need to stamp out the rampant cases of malnutrition in northeastern states of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states.

The experts made the revelation in Yola, Adamawa state, during a media dialogue with journalists/interface with OAPs on child malnutrition in northeast.

The dialogue was organized by the Child Rights Information Bureau (CRIB) of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in partnership with the United Nations Children Funds (UNICEF).

Specifically, Nutrition Consultant, Davis Bamidele, said children malnutrition in Nigeria is prevalence in the northern region, with over 25 million under 5 children suffering from malnutrition while over 10 million affected by stunted growth.

He said “The situation and indices of malnutrition in the North Eastern part of Nigeria remains precarious, the under five mortality rate in these areas exceeds the threshold of 10,000 deaths recorded among children under the age of five daily”.

He further identified insurgency, poverty, lack of education, gender issues amongst others as the drivers of malnutrition in the region.

“Insurgency in the region maybe seen as the major driver of malnutrition as it has over the years led to high good insecurity, negative coping strategies, increased spread if endemic diseases and destruction of access to quality water and optimal sanitation”, he added.

Bamidele said that lack of care and show of love is also an important factor to consider in the fight against malnutrition, saying that most infant deaths results from lack of care from parents.

On his part, the Deputy Director, CRIB in the ministry of information, Olumide Osanyinpeju, stressed that combating malnutrition is imperative to the control

of infant mortality in Nigeria, adding that concerned effort is required to ensure total eradication of malnutrition in Nigeria.

According to him, “Malnutrition is a large burden to a country, and tackling malnutrition entails empowering and educating the people. Also, improved nutrition is the key to improved National and human development”.

“Addressing nutrition is one of the ways sustainable development goals can be achieved, therefore investment in nutrition will help reduce the trend of malnutrition which had been ensured by the creation of this dialogue”.

Universal Health Coverage: CSOs call for 1 kobo mobile tax deduction

C

oalition of Civil Society Organisations acting under the aegis of Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health @ Scale Project (PACFaH) has urged the Federal Government to adopt one kobo per second mobile tax to fund Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

The coalition made the call at a news conference to commemorate the 2018 International Universal Health Coverage Day marked every Dec. 12 worldwide, with the theme “Unite for universal health coverage: Now is the time for collective action”.

Mr Ayo Adebusoye, the Secretary General of Nigeria Network of Non-Governmental Organisations (NNNNGO), one of the panelists, identified mobile phone tax as one of the innovative and surest ways to actualise UHC. Adebusoye explained that such tax would involve charging one kobo per second on every outgoing phone calls from the Nigerian

populace.

According to him, UHC means all Nigerians get quality health services where and when needed without suffering financial burden.

Dr Edwin Akpotor, Programme Manager, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN)PACFaH @Scale Project, explained that UHC required universal contributions.

Akpotor noted that the only way to achieve universal contribution was to utilise the mobile phone tax which every Nigerian can contribute their quota.

He emphasised that the nation was unable to achieve 100 per cent UHC because of inability to solve the problem where every citizen would have to contribute to quality healthcare.

According to him, the propose of one kobo per second tax on every outgoing mobile phone call is to see how everyone can contribute for us to have UHC. “At the moment less than five per cent are

covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS),” he said.

He emphasised that such tax would enable the citizens access free healthcare without any financial burden, adding that at the long run such fund will be used to pay for healthcare services.

“One of the ways to have everyone covered is by looking at tax that is common to everyone.

In Nigeria everybody has a cell phone, so if you take one kobo per second you discovered that everybody is contributing.

“The money, which will be domiciled in TSA account both the government, CSOs, media, among others, will collaborate and decide the modalities of its implementation for UHC as well as enrolling everyone in NHIS. “For example, if MTN or other network providers collect this money from customers it goes directly to a secured account, so if any Nigerian need healthcare service he or she will be treated freely while the government pay

from such fund,” he explained.

Adebusoye recalled that on Dec. 12, 2012, the United Nations unanimously affirmed UHC as an important pillar of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and urged CSOs and International organisations to make it part of the development agenda.

He noted that prior to the global movement of UHC, Nigeria developed health policies and structures like the National Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHDP-1) and NHIS to increase access to healthcare.

The secretary general however noted that in spite of these structure the country was unable to achieve the objectives of ensuring that every citizen has access to healthcare.

Adebusoye further urged the Federal Government to release the Basic Health Care Provision Fund in 2018 health budget without delay and as well urged all tiers of government to fund, implement and ensure accountability of the second NSHDP to achieve UHC. (NAN)

Page 19

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

CSR: Kano Disco to improve host communities in 2019

A

s a way of fulfilling its role of corporate social responsibility, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), Dr Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna (Sardaunan Gombe) says KEDCO will improve upon the previous achievements to make lives better for host communities in 2019.

Dr Gwamna who gave this hint in an interview with newsmen in Kano on Monday said that such improvements had become necessary in view of the numerous benefits that the company was enjoying as a result of its cordial relationship with host communities.

He said that customers and members of host communities are key stakeholders in the power sector in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa States, hence, the king treatment in service delivery to them by KEDCO. According to him, the CSR will majorly be in the health and education sectors, noting that materials would be distributed and the capacities of students built to handle accidents in school using modern first aid box. ``Our quest to improve the well-being of our host communities in 2019 has become necessary because of the countless benefits of our cordial relationship with host communities. ``Customers and members of host communities are major stakeholders in the power sector that is why we treat them as kings in terms of service delivery. ``As part of our social responsibility, we will be distribution more mosquito insecticide nets, blankets, toiletries, drugs, to various hospitals and prisons within the concerned states,’’ he said.

The Kano DisCo boss added: ``We will organise first aid awareness campaign in some selected schools on the dangers of fire outbreak and how to handle such cases. ``As an environmentallyfriendly company, we shall also organise different sanitation exercise to rid the concerned states of dirt by way of building an environmentally healthy communities. We shall also be planting trees to fight desertification and help reverse deforestation.

The KEDCO boss emphasised that serving the host communities was part of the contributions that the company must render to fast-track developments as well as concretise the existing communicative platform, while strengthening all forms of relationships.

He appealed to the members of host communities to partner with KEDCO in keeping peace in their communities and help secure KEDCO installations by reporting suspected attempted to the necessary authority.

Budget: FG’s N40trn Investment in GOEs not yielding results D espite the over N40 trillion the Federal Government has invested in Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs) over the years, what is usually remitted to the treasury in terms of dividend or surplus at the end of each operating year is mostly insignificant.

The Director General of the Budget office of the Federation, Mr Ben Akabueze disclosed this in a town hall meeting with Chief Executive officers of government owned agencies on Tuesday in Abuja. “The record shows that few of the GOEs declare surpluses.

In effect, the Nigerian tax payers and the general public have not benefited much from these investments’ agencies”, Akabueze said.

He noted that out of the total

projected sum of N807.57bn independent revenues in 2017, only N216.66 billion, representing 26.8% performance, was remitted

by GOEs and revenue generating MDAs, stressing that remittances and collections by Government agencies should contribute more significantly to federal government’s revenue.

Speaking on the fiscal year 2017, and between Jan – Sept 2018 budget, he said the performance clearly reveal that government has a serious revenue challenge.

The development is coming just as he said that dwindling revenue challenge was attributed to failure of these agencies to comply with Executive Order 2 recently issued from the presidency.

He said as part of efforts to

address the revenue challenge include the deployment of new and improved technology to increase revenue collection, upward review of tariffs and tax rates where appropriate, stronger enforcement action against tax defaulters, and tighter Performance Management Framework for Government Owned Enterprises (SOEs) among others.

He said that a critical element of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) was the enhancement of domestic revenue mobilization (DRM).

This, according to the Budget boss, would be attained by improvements in both tax policies and collection, as well as significant turnaround in the performance of Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs).

He regretted that the continuous underperformance of the GOEs has made it difficult to achieve enhanced domestic revenue mobilization from operating surpluses of the GOEs. He revealed that it was these concerns about financial performance of GOEs that gave rise to Executive Order 2 of 2017 and the circular ref SGF.50/S.3/C.9.

Mr Akabueze said the Executive Order 2 of 2017 mandates Government owned Enterprises (GOEs) to submit 3-year Revenue and Expenditure Estimates & Annual Budget Estimates to accompany the FGN Budget proposals to the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF) and the Budget Office of the Federation(BOF) for review and verification.

L-R: Assistant National Organising Secretary, “We the People Nigeria”, Agu Obiorah; National President, National Parents Association of Federal Unity Secondary Schools, Mr Kefas Kaura; and Senior Lecturer, Baze University, Dr Sam Amadi, during the Joint Education Stakeholders Action Coalition (JESAC) consultative conference on education, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: State House

NNPC Retail to increase Market Share to 30% by 2020

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, has charged the Corporation Downstream company, NNPC Retail, to increase its current 14 per cent market share to 30 per cent by 2020.

Speaking in Abuja during the first Triennial Delegates Conference of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), NNPC Retail Branch, Dr. Baru stated that the charge was an assignment that must be accomplished.

A release by NNPC Group General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, said the NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Baru, disclosed at the event that the NNPC Management would soon expand the operations of NNPC Retail Limited.

Dr. Baru stated that NNPC was determined to ensure that the prevailing availability of petroleum products across the country was sustained as arrangements have reached advanced stage to acquire

more landed property in Abuja and across the states to build more NNPC retail outlets.

Speaking as Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki, who is a former Group Managing Director of NNPC, described the National Oil Company as an accountable and transparent going concern, saying nothing should deter it from sustaining its core values.

The former NNPC GMD stated that the current Management of the corporation deserved commendation for public accountability, pitched against its periodic and prompt reporting of the company’s operations and financial transactions.

Dr. Gaius-Obaseki, who is also the Chairman of Brass LNG, listed the NNPC core values to include: transparency, integrity and accountability which he explained must be reflected in all the company’s dealings with its stakeholders across the Industry value chain.

“The current NNPC Top Management led by Dr. Maikanti Baru, must be commended for updating the books of NNPC business

units. This is reflective of what used to be. This must be sustained as NNPC business performance should be reported as stipulated in enabling laws”, he said.

Dr. Gaius-Obaseki stated that the decision to establish the NNPC Retail in 2002 had yielded result with the NNPC Mega stations across the country servicing the petroleum needs of the people, noting that unlike the situation in the past, Nigerians now enjoy fuel availability through the effort of the NNPC Retail Limited.

He charged the union to be focused in their relationship with management to enable both parties work efficiently for the benefit of Nigerians.

“Unionism must move away from strikes and protest to developmental focus. We must move away from being a combative group as a union but be forward looking and join management in the development of business,” he stated.

In his presentation entitled: “NNPC Retail Limited: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”, guest speaker, Mr. Adeyemi Adetunji, Managing Director of NNPC Retail Limited, said

the company was moving from a cost centre to profit making entity.

Mr. Adetunji assured the Group Managing Director of NNPC that his company would hit the 30 per cent market share target set by corporation’s helmsman.

In the same vein, PENGASSAN President, Comrade Francis Johnson assured that union members will be encouraged to assist the NNPC Retail management in achieving its target, pointing out that “the NNPC Retail has continued to serve as a vehicle of intervention in the market during periods of emergency and avoidable supply interruptions”.

PENGASSAN NNPC Retail branch chairman, Comrade Baba Shetimah Kukawa, thanked NNPC Retail Management for providing the enabling environment for the union to flourish, pledging the continuous support of the group to the Company.

He appreciated the GMD and other NNPC top management for their support and assured that NNPC Retail under his watch would continue to work hard towards delivering on the mandates.

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

Page 20

METRO

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

Stock Watch: Tuesday, December 18, 2018 Low

OPEN Volume Close High

Symbol CHANGE

Trades

7.95 7.95 0 7.95 8.00 ACCESS 0.00 0 3.97 3.97 0 3.97 3.97 AFRIPRUD 0.00 0 0.79 0.77 0 0.79 0.79 AIICO 0.02 0 6.00 6.00 0 6.00 6.00 AIRSERVICE 0.00 0 6.60 6.60 0 6.60 6.60 BERGER 0.00 0 62.10 62.10 50 62.10 62.10 BETAGLAS 0.00 0 4.21 4.21 500 4.21 4.21 BOCGAS 0.00 0 9.50 9.35 0 9.50 9.50 CADBURY 0.15 0 28.60 28.60 0 28.60 28.60 CAP 0.00 0 0.23 0.23 100 0.23 0.23 CAPOIL 0.00 0 1.91 1.91 0 1.91 1.91 CAVERTON 0.00 0 24.90 25.00 0 24.95 24.95 CCNN -0.05 0 1.68 1.68 0 1.68 1.68 CHAMPION 0.00 0 2.55 2.55 0 2.55 2.55 CILEASING 0.00 0 22.50 22.50 0 22.50 22.50 CONOIL 0.00 0 1.48 1.48 0 1.48 1.48 CONTINSURE 0.00 0 0.22 0.22 0 0.22 0.22 CORNERST 0.00 0 5.40 5.40 0 5.40 5.40 CUSTODIAN 0.00 0 2.03 2.03 0 2.03 2.03 CUTIX 0.00 0 210.00 200.50 0 211.00 211.00 DANGCEM 10.50 0 7.35 7.95 0 7.35 7.50 DANGFLOUR -0.60 0 14.60 14.60 0 14.60 14.60 DANGSUGAR 0.00 0 1.35 1.49 0 1.44 1.47 DIAMONDBNK -0.05 0 6.20 6.20 0 6.20 6.20 ETERNA 0.00 0 16.75 16.00 0 16.75 16.75 ETI 0.75 0 9.00 9.40 0 9.00 9.10 FBNH -0.40 0 1.54 1.58 0 1.54 1.63 FCMB -0.04 0 1,000.00 1,000.00 114 1,000.00 1,000.00 FG112024S1 0.00 0 1,000.00 700.00 10 1,000.00 1,000.00 FGS201916 300.00 0 1,000.00 810.13 10 1,000.00 1,000.00 FGS201918 189.87 0 1,000.00 1,000.00 29 1,000.00 1,000.00 FGS2019S6 0.00 0 1,023.00 1,008.32 10 1,023.00 1,023.00 FGS202011 14.68 0 1,010.00 1,000.00 10 1,010.00 1,010.00 FGS2020S5 10.00 0 1,000.00 1,000.00 10 1,000.00 1,000.00 FGS2020S7 0.00 0 2.03 2.00 0 2.09 2.10 FIDELITYBK 0.09 0 5.40 5.40 0 5.40 5.40 FIDSON 0.00 0 0.33 0.30 0 0.33 0.33 FIRSTALUM 0.03 0 19.35 19.50 0 19.35 19.35 FLOURMILL -0.15 0 21.00 21.00 0 21.00 21.00 FO 0.00 0 12.30 12.30 0 12.30 12.30 GLAXOSMITH 0.00 0 36.50 36.50 0 37.00 37.00 GUARANTY 0.50 0 77.00 80.60 0 77.00 77.00 GUINNESS -3.60 0 0.30 0.30 0 0.30 0.30 HMARKINS 0.00 0 1.16 1.20 0 1.16 1.20 HONYFLOUR -0.04 0 30.10 32.00 0 31.00 31.00 INTBREW -1.00 0 0.50 0.55 0 0.50 0.50 JAIZBANK -0.05 0 0.20 0.20 0 0.21 0.21 JAPAULOIL 0.01 0 23.70 21.55 0 23.70 23.70 JBERGER 2.15 0 0.28 0.30 0 0.30 0.30 LASACO 0.00 0 0.58 0.58 0 0.58 0.58 LAWUNION 0.00 0 1.10 1.16 0 1.10 1.10 LEARNAFRCA -0.06 0

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Stock Close Gain FGS201916 1000.00 300.00 FGS201918 1000.00 189.87 FIRSTALUM 0.33 0.03 JBERGER 23.70 2.15 UAC-PROP 1.77 0.13

Low

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0.66 0.66 0 0.66 0.66 LINKASSURE 0.00 0 0.52 0.57 0 0.52 0.52 LIVESTOCK -0.05 0 1.90 1.90 0 1.90 1.90 MANSARD 0.00 0 2.35 2.35 0 2.35 2.35 MAYBAKER 0.00 0 0.28 0.28 0 0.28 0.28 MBENEFIT 0.00 0 0.41 0.41 0 0.41 0.41 MCNICHOLS 0.00 0 175.00 175.00 0 175.00 175.00 MOBIL 0.00 0 28.55 28.55 0 28.55 28.55 MRS 0.00 0 0.20 0.20 0 0.20 0.20 MULTIVERSE 0.00 0 3.30 3.30 0 3.30 3.30 NAHCO 0.00 0 18.50 18.50 0 18.50 18.50 NASCON 0.00 0 88.00 92.50 0 88.00 90.00 NB -4.50 0 0.54 0.54 0 0.54 0.56 NEIMETH 0.00 0 2.96 2.96 0 2.96 2.96 NEM 0.00 0 1,380.00 1,380.00 0 1,380.00 1,380.00 NESTLE 0.00 0 0.28 0.28 0 0.28 0.28 NIGERINS 0.00 0 5.35 5.90 0 5.35 5.35 NNFM -0.55 0 1.45 1.45 0 1.45 1.45 NPFMCRFBK 0.00 0 5.10 5.10 0 5.35 5.35 OANDO 0.25 0 79.80 79.80 0 79.80 79.80 OKOMUOIL 0.00 0 2.52 2.80 0 2.52 2.52 PORTPAINT -0.28 0 53.00 53.00 0 53.00 53.00 PRESCO 0.00 0 0.56 0.56 0 0.56 0.56 PRESTIGE 0.00 0 11.50 11.50 0 11.50 11.50 PZ 0.00 0 4.25 4.25 0 4.25 4.25 REDSTAREX 0.00 0 0.22 0.22 0 0.22 0.22 REGALINS 0.00 0 0.22 0.22 0 0.22 0.22 ROYALEX 0.00 0 0.38 0.38 200 0.38 0.38 RTBRISCOE 0.00 0 644.90 644.90 0 644.90 644.90 SEPLAT 0.00 0 0.20 0.20 0 0.20 0.20 SOVRENINS 0.00 0 46.00 46.00 0 46.00 46.00 STANBIC 0.00 0 102.00 102.00 0 102.00 102.00 STANBICETF30 0.00 0 1.35 1.50 0 1.50 1.50 STERLNBANK 0.00 0 1.99 1.99 100 1.99 1.99 STUDPRESS 0.00 0 0.20 0.20 0 0.20 0.20 SUNUASSUR 0.00 0 198.00 198.00 0 198.00 198.00 TOTAL 0.00 0 6.10 6.10 100 6.10 6.10 TRANSCOHOT 0.00 0 1.26 1.30 0 1.26 1.30 TRANSCORP -0.04 0 0.65 0.65 0 0.65 0.65 TRANSEXPR 0.00 0 9.80 10.00 0 9.80 9.80 UACN -0.20 0 1.77 1.64 0 1.77 1.77 UAC-PROP 0.13 0 7.95 8.00 0 8.00 8.00 UBA 0.00 0 5.05 5.00 0 5.05 5.05 UBN 0.05 0 3.05 3.00 0 3.05 3.05 UCAP 0.05 0 43.00 43.50 0 43.00 43.00 UNILEVER -0.50 0 0.30 0.30 0 0.30 0.30 UNIONDAC 0.00 0 0.20 0.20 0 0.20 0.20 UNIVINSURE 0.00 0 8.10 9.00 0 8.10 8.10 UPDCREIT -0.90 0 2.17 2.17 0 2.17 2.17 UPL 0.00 0 0.27 0.30 0 0.27 0.27 VERITASKAP -0.03 0 3.46 3.46 0 3.46 3.46 VITAFOAM 0.00 0 18.00 18.60 0 18.25 18.65 WAPCO -0.35 0 0.41 0.44 0 0.42 0.42 WAPIC -0.02 0 0.59 0.60 0 0.59 0.59 WEMABANK -0.01 0 23.90 24.00 0 24.00 24.05 ZENITHBANK 0.00 0 Copyright © 2018 NgTradeOnline

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Page 21

Yuletide: ARDS ups raids on markets for unwholesome fish

By Stanley Onyekwere

T

o ensure consumption of healthy sea food, the Federal Capital Territory Agricultural Rural Development Secretariat (FCT-ARDS) has intensified raids on fish markets within the nation’s capital, with a view to confisticate and destroy unwholesome stocks.

According to the Secretariat, the move would ensure that unscrupulous fish merchants did not take undue advantage of unsuspecting Abuja residents

by flooding the markets with unwholesome stocks especially during this yuletide season.

It added that the measure was also intended to sanitize the markets in the territory and prevent sales of unhealthy aquatic products.

Disclosing this yesterday during end of the year briefing, ARDS Secretary, Mr. Stanley Nzekwe stated that the raids which resulted to arrests of several culprits, had helped to reduce the rate of sales of unwholesome fish in the

territory to 80 percent.

Nzekwe noted that the confisticated stocks of fish amounting to several millions of naira were destroyed, with the culprits handed over to security agencies for prosecution.

While explaining that in an effort to boost aquaculture and fish production in FCT, Nzekwe assured improved supply of wholesome fish for consumption by residents.

The ARDS boss further revealed that the secretariat has restocked the Jabi lake

with over 2,000 assorted fingerlings, while the Children’s park reservoir received 1000 fingerlings.

“The Secretariat has raided several markets in the Territory to confiscate and destroy unwholesome fish, the enforcement department has effected several arrests, and the raids will continue.

“Those we arrested have always been handed over to security agencies for prosecution.

“Our wholesome fish and

meat consumption in FCT has improved, as the constant raiding has reduced sales of unwholesome fish to 80 percent. “ The aquaculture industry is thriving in the FCT and in order to boost fish production, the Secretariat restocked the Jabi Lake with over 2,000 assorted fingerlings.

“Further to this, the secretariat just recently restocked the Children’s park Reservoir with over 1000 fingerlings.” Nzekwe stressed.

L-R: Chairman, Auchi Youth Association (AYA), Mr Umar Ahmed; Auditor of AYA, Mr Usman Momoh; a Trustee, Malam Sediq Aliyu; and the Chief Imam, Malam Ahmed Tijani, during the 2018 Annual Conference of AYA and end of the year prayers, recently in Abuja.

FCT targets 120,000 pupils for school feeding programme in 2019

By Stanley Onyekwere

N

ot less than 120,000 pupils in public schools in the nation’s capital are being targeted by the much awaited school feeding programme in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), according to Coordinator, FCT Homegrown School Feeding programme, Mrs. Victoria Aleogena.

Making this disclosure during a chat with the media in her office, Aleogena revealed that over 123,000 pupils in Primary 1-3, across 626 public schools

in the FCT would benefit from the feeding program, which is expected to begin early next year.

She explained that the school feeding programme is a component of the Federal Government’s social safety net designed to primarily increase enrollment, retention and transition in school, and also increase their nutritional and health status.

She adds: “The other major reasons for this commendable programme include increment in local agricultural production because the women will be

buying the food items from the locality, and lastly, it will also boost the economy of the food vendors individually, that of the community and state.

“We have not determined how many food vendors yet, but we will be needing about 1250 or 1300”, adding that about 2000 applications have already been received so since August, this year, when the committe was inaugurated.”

While appealing to FCT residents to be patient, the Coordinator assured that the committee has deployed best

practices of transparency and professionalism which would be brought to bear in selecting the food vendors, explaining that they had to resort to open ballot system to select the cooks.

According to her, when selected, all the cooks would be required to open account with two or three banks designated by the FCT Administration, through which their monies would be paid to them directly from the Federal Government, adding that the FCTA was working with bakers association to reduce the cost of bread and eggs for the food

vendors.

“We are working Agriculture and Rural Development, Education, Social Development, Area Councils Services, and Health and Human Services Secretariats, as well as the FCT Treasury and Economic Planning, Research and Statistic Departments to give the public the best.

“We therefore appeal to the public, especially the parents, guardians and pupils to be patient and understand that we are following due process to give them the best and serve as a model for the states,” she reiterated.

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

Page 22

world news

international_peoplesdailyng@yahoo.com

Trump’s embattled foundation to shut down U S President Donald Trump’s troubled charity foundation is to close down amid allegations that he misused its funds.

The move comes after a deal

reached with the attorney general of New York State, Barbara Underwood, who will supervise the distribution of its remaining monies.

She has accused Mr Trump

and family members of using it for private and political gain.

The case against them will continue.

Mrs Underwood said: “This is

an important victory for the rule of law. There is one set of rules for everyone.

“We’ll continue to move our suit forward to ensure that the Trump

would be a “significant increase” in the guidance issued to them over the next 14 weeks, as Brexit day approaches.

Businesses will be provided with a 100-plus page online pack to help them prepare and emails will be sent out to 80,000 of those most like to be affected over the next few days.

In the autumn of 2017, The Treasury earmarked £3bn for ‘no deal’ planning.

In March, Chancellor Philip Hammond said half of that had been allocated to 20 government departments, with the Home Office, transport, the environment and business among the largest recipients.

At Tuesday’s cabinet meeting ministers approved £2bn to go to departments for the 2019/20 year, with the priority areas being borders, security and international trade.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has already ordered full “no deal” planning across the National Health Service, he told the BBC’s Newsnight on Monday.

But Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament’s Brexit negotiator, criticised UK ministers, who he said were “glorifying” the prospect of leaving without a comprehensive deal in the hope individual agreements could be reached in areas like transport and livestock movements.

Those, like Jeremy Hunt, who glorify a no–deal #Brexit are totally irresponsible. It is not the job of politicians to make the people they lead poorer, remove opportunities, rights & make lives more uncertain. There is no such thing as a “managed no deal”. https://t.co/f1sPT4R2KS And Labour said a no-deal exit was “not viable” and it would work with other parties to stop it.

“It is testament to the prime minister’s failure in these negotiations that the government

The cabinet has decided to "ramp up" preparations for a no-deal Brexit amid uncertainty over the fate of Theresa May's proposed EU exit deal. is now spending billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to prepare for a no-deal Brexit that is rejected by Parliament and many of those sat around the Cabinet table,” said shadow Brexit minister Jenny Chapman.

And the Lib Dems said the government was “attempting to scare” MPs, businesses and the public with the threat of a no-deal.

“Theresa May is irresponsibly trying to run down the clock so that the only option is to support her discredited deal,” Sir Vince Cable said.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn is under pressure to push for a further vote of no-confidence in the government as a whole.

On Monday night, the Labour leader tabled a motion calling on MPs to declare they have no confidence in the prime minister

because she failed to have a vote on her Brexit deal straight away.

No 10 has refused to make time for the motion and Commons Speaker John Bercow confirmed on Tuesday that there were under no obligation to do so.

Other parties - the SNP, Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru and the Greens - have called on Mr Corbyn to push for a no-confidence vote against the government as a whole.

Unlike a vote aimed at the prime minister, the government would have to allow a vote on this motion and, if successful, it could force a general election.

Labour’s shadow housing secretary, John Healey, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday that tabling a noconfidence motion against the government was “a question of

when, not if”.

However, Nigel Dodds, deputy leader of Northern Ireland’s DUP, whose votes the Conservative government has relied on in big votes since the June 2017 election, dismissed Mr Corbyn’s move as “parliamentary antics”.

Mrs May also appeared to have the support of pro-Brexit backbench critics who last week failed in a bid to oust her as Tory leader.

One of them, Jacob ReesMogg, said he would never vote against Mrs May or a Conservative government and suggested the PM was “at greater risk” from Tory MPs who wanted to remain in the EU than Eurosceptics.

“I had my vote of no confidence in her and I lost. I am not going to repeat the exercise,” he told Today.

On Tuesday, the Daily Telegraph published a letter by 53 business leaders, including ex-Sainsbury’s boss Justin King and Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis, calling on the PM to “take her deal to the British people”.

They said last week’s rebellion by her own MPs “underlines the impossibility of resuscitating it”.

The BBC understands Mrs May is planning to use the Commons vote on her Brexit deal in the middle of January as a “moment of reckoning” for Parliament.

Sources have told the BBC that Downing Street will not stand in the way of MPs who seek to amend the government’s motion on the Brexit deal to put forward potential alternatives.

The prime minister’s Brexit deal sets out the terms of Britain’s exit from the EU - on 29 March 2019 - and includes a declaration on the outline of the future relations between the UK and the EU. But the deal only comes into force if both the UK and European parliaments approve it.

Christmas: Dying neighbour leaves girl 14 years’ of presents

K

en, who was in his late 80s, lived near to Owen and Caroline Williams in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, for the last two years.

The couple said Ken "doted" on their two-year-old daughter Cadi.

He died recently and on Monday evening, his daughter knocked on the Williams' home to deliver the presents.

"She was clutching this big bag plastic sack and I thought it was rubbish she was going to ask me to throw out," said Mr Williams.

"But she said it was everything her dad had put away for Cadi. It was all of the Christmas presents he had bought for her.

"I brought it back in and my wife was on FaceTime to her mum in Ireland. My wife

started to tear up and I started to tear up, and her mum started to tear up.

"It's difficult describing it because it was so unexpected. I don't know how long he put them away whether it was over the last two years or whether he bought them towards the end of his life."

Mr Williams said they have opened one of the presents which was a book but were

not sure what to do about the rest.

"We can tell there's some books, there's three or four soft toys, maybe some Duplo," he added.

Mr Williams said his neighbour - a retired commercial deep sea diver - was a "real, real character".

Source: BBC

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N e w s F r o m A f r i c a Lion King: Petition calls on Disney to Two Scandinavian women drop 'hakuna matata' trademark tourists found dead in Morocco A

Foundation and its directors are held accountable for their clear and repeated violations of state and federal law.”

Mr Trump has yet to comment.

Brexit: Cabinet ‘ramps up’ no-deal planning M inisters approved £2bn to go to government departments to help if the UK leaves the EU on 29 March without a formal agreement.

They will also send letters to 140,000 firms advising them about preparations.

Labour, which has tabled a motion of no confidence in the PM, has accused Mrs May of wasting time.

Business are being urged to activate their own ‘no deal’ contingency plans, as they think appropriate, with 100 page information packs due to be distributed on Friday.

Consumers are being advised to familiarise themselves with advice published this summer, in areas ranging from booking flights to using credit cards, with more details promised in the coming weeks.

Separately, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has told MPs that 3,500 military personnel were ready to be deployed if needed by any government departments in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

But Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable, who is campaigning for another EU referendum, described the government’s latest announcement as “psychological warfare”.

With 101 days left until Brexit and many MPs still opposed to the government’s withdrawal agreement, ministers met for two and a half hours for a longer-thannormal cabinet meeting.

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said the cabinet had agreed that “preparing for a no deal will be an operational priority within government but our overall priority is to secure a deal”.

Media captionJames Brokenshire tells Today the government has been preparing for a no deal “for some time” He said no-deal planning “needs to be much more of a priority for businesses” and there

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

The area near Mount Toubkal is a popular trekking spot

T

wo Scandinavian women tourists have been found dead in Morocco with cuts to their necks, the country’s interior ministry has said.

The bodies of Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and Maren Ueland were found in the High Atlas mountain range.

The families of the two women, from Denmark and Norway, confirmed their identities on social media.

A suspect has been arrested in the city of Marrakesh on suspicion of murder, according to Moroccan authorities.

The man was being held in custody “to determine the motive of the crime while investigations continue”, the central bureau of judicial investigation said in a statement. Two further suspects were arrested later, according to Moroccan reports.

The women had been sharing

a tent 10km (6 miles) from the mountain village of Imlil and their bodies had been found inside the tent on Monday, near the foot of North Africa’s highest peak, Mount Toubkal, reports said.

The area is popular with hikers and climbers, particularly from Scandinavia.

Maren Ueland, 28, from Norway had travelled to Morocco on 9 December with Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, who was 24 and from Denmark.

Maren Ueland’s mother Irene told public broadcaster NRK that the pair had been studying together at the University of South-Eastern Norway and had gone backpacking for their Christmas holiday.

The area near Mount Toubkal is a popular trekking spot She shared a picture on social media of her daughter with the simple message: “Our Maren”. The pair had taken all necessary safety measures before they had left, she told NRK. Denmark’s ambassador to Morocco had travelled to Marrakesh “to ensure the closest possible contact to the local Moroccan authorities”, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

South Africa’s Chicken Licken colonialism of Europe advert banned

The advertisement turns colonialism on its head

A

fast-food outlet in South Africa has been ordered to withdraw a commercial showing an African explorer conquering Europe in the 17th Century.

The advertising board said colonialism was "traumatic" for Africans and was "not open for humorous exploitation".

Chicken Licken said the advertisement was "tonguein-cheek" and meant to create "pride" among South Africans.

Dutch navigator Jan van Riebeeck's arrival in South Africa in 1652 started the country's colonisation process.

The advert shows a young African, Big Mjohnana, leaving his village in 1650 to conquer his hunger for adventure.

His boat finally docks in Holland in 1651, and he says

in South African slang: "Hello, white folk. I like this place. I think I'll call it Eu...rope," before stomping his spear to signal the land's conquest.

The commercial ends with an elderly African man in a bow tie leaving a Chicken Licken outlet, and saying: "And that is the legend of Big John."

South African Sandile Cele lodged a complaint with the Advertising Regulatory Board, arguing that the commercial made a "mockery of the struggles of the African people against the colonisation by the Europeans in general, and the persecutions suffered at the hands of the Dutch in particular".

Upholding the complaint, the board said: "While the commercial seeks to turn the colonisation story on its head

with Big John travelling to Europe, it is well-known that many Africans were in fact forced to travel to Europe in the course of the colonisation of Africa.

"They did not leave their countries and villages wilfully.

They starved to death during those trips to Europe and arrived there under harsh and inhumane conditions."

'Rewriting history' In its submission, Chicken Licken said it was regrettable that the advertisement had been construed as negative as it was intended to show that South Africa had "all the potential to conquer the world and rewrite history from an African perspective".

On Twitter, many people tended to agree with the fastfood chain:

petition accusing Disney of "colonialism and robbery" for trademarking a phrase used in the film The Lion King has attracted more than 30,000 signatures.

"Hakuna matata" means "no problem" or "no worries" in the Swahili language, which is spoken across East Africa.

Disney first applied to trademark the catchphrase in 1994 - the same year it released The Lion King animation.

The row has arisen now amid hype over its live-action remake.

Petition organiser Shelton Mpala hopes he can persuade the US company to abandon its "hakuna matata" trademark.

"A lot of Swahili speakers have been utterly shocked, they had no idea this was happening," Mr Mpala told the BBC. "Growing up in Zimbabwe, I always had an understanding that a culture's language was its richness."

Disney has not responded to the BBC's request for comment.

The Lion King franchise also includes a stage musical,

merchandise such as T-shirts and toys, and computer games, plus several film sequels and TV spinoffs.

Mr Mpala says he is not a Swahili speaker but he believes the trademark is merely the latest example of Africa being "exploited in some shape, fashion or form".

He is not alone.

Some Kenyan newspapers have also accused Disney of stealing from Kenyan culture by claiming ownership of the phrase, and the current debate appears to have started with this article on the Business Daily Africa news site.

News of the trademark has also angered many on social media: Some see it as a missed opportunity that African companies could have capitalised on: While others say they first associate it with a different "Hakuna Matata" song. This track,

by Kenyan band The Mushrooms, was released a decade before the Disney film and later covered by Boney M:

Mozambique army detains journalists

T

hree journalists, one local and two foreign, have been detained by Mozambique's army in Palma district in the restive northern province of Cabo Delgado, a statement from the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) says.

They were detained on Monday morning while on their way to Palma from Chitolo, in the neighbouring district of Mocimboa da Praia, where they had been working.

They told Misa they had been detained despite authorisation from the local and provincial military commanders to work there.

They said a group of soldiers ordered them to stop and told them that they were obeying orders from those who had authorised them to work there.

The soldiers then seized their equipment, including cameras, and detained them.

Mocimboa da Praia and Palma are two of the districts

that have suffered from attacks by jihadists, known locally as alShabab, although it seems they have no direct connection with the militants based in Somalia.

The Palma district capital is also the nearest town to the massive offshore discoveries of natural gas in the Rovuma Basin.

The Afungi Peninsula, just south of the town, will be the site for gas liquefaction plants built by a consortium headed by the American company Anadarko Petroleum.

This the first time journalists in the region have been arrested since the militant insurgency began in August last year.

The government's information office, Gabinfo, which is responsible for authorising journalists to operate in Mozambique, has often denied foreign media permission to report in areas targeted by the jihadists because of alleged safety and security reasons.

Rwandan 'genocide hero' dies

A

Rwandan woman who saved the lives of more than 100 people during the 1994 genocide has died.

Zura Karuhimbi was reported to be 93, although some suggest she was more than 100 years old.

Her husband and several of her children were killed during the genocide but she deployed unusual methods to protect the sheltering civilians, most of whom were ethnic Tutsis, from Interahamwe militiamen.

An estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed during 100 days of bloodshed in 1994.

Mrs Karuhimbi, a Hutu, hid dozens of people in her mud

walled home in Musamo village - among them babies rescued off the backs of their dead mothers.

She said militiamen had surrounded her home waiving their machetes and insisted on searching inside.

But she had her own weapon - her reputation as a traditional herbalist.

The Interahamwe were scared of the herbal concoctions and were convinced she could put a curse on them so they fled.

For her extraordinary bravery President Paul Kagame later awarded her Rwanda's Medal of Honour.

A Twitter user has been mourning her: Source: BBC

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PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

Yemen war: Ceasefire takes effect in Hudaydah after skirmishes

F

ighting between Yemeni progovernment forces and Houthi rebels in the city of Hudaydah has reportedly subsided, after a ceasefire came into effect overnight.

Skirmishes continued for several hours following the start of the UN-brokered truce at midnight (21:00 GMT), but locals now say it is relatively calm.

UN envoy Martin Griffiths said the initiative seemed to be working so far.

The battle for Hudaydah threatened the operation of its port, which is crucial to the delivery of aid supplies.

Half of the war-torn country's population - 14 million people - are on the brink of famine and an estimated 85,000 children may have died from malnutrition.

Yemen has been devastated by a conflict that escalated in early 2015, when the Houthis seized control of much of the west of the country, including the capital Sanaa, and forced President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to flee abroad.

Alarmed by the rise of a group they saw as an Iranian proxy, Saudi Arabia and eight other Arab states intervened in an attempt to restore the government.

'Yemenis hoping against hope' No-one expected the ceasefire to be smooth, simple, or straightforward. There is no trust between the warring sides. Both believe the other still wants a military solution.

The key to this truce largely holding will be the UN's presence on the ground and its ability to enforce the gradual pull-out of all forces and put in place a new order. That is why Martin Griffiths has called for its "swift" deployment.

Pressure from all the outside players in this war made this unexpected truce happen in a week of talks in Sweden. It is also essential if it is to hold. Saudi Crown

Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, regarded as the architect of this war in Yemen, is said to be playing a key role in this shift from a military to a political push.

But the risk of an all-out assault on Hudaydah and Yemen's descent into famine still looms, if it all fails. Millions of Yemenis are hoping against hope that it holds.

What's happening on the ground?

The ceasefire covering the city of Hudaydah and the ports of Hudaydah, Salif and Ras Issa was first announced last week following talks in Sweden's capital, Stockholm. But it had to be delayed by several days because of fierce fighting.

The Houthis, who control the city and ports, and Yemen's government, whose forces are deployed to the south and east, have said they are now committed to abiding by the truce.

There were sporadic clashes along the front lines in Hudaydah city between 01:00 and 02:00 on Tuesday, with Yemeni officials accusing the Houthis of carrying out artillery strikes. However, residents said that by dawn the skirmishes had ended.

"The problem is that the forces have yet to disengage, and when they're close up to each other they are liable to respond to anything they see as a provocation or an alert," Mr Griffiths told the BBC. "So we can expect some of this happening, but the pattern is a positive one."

A co-ordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières, Susana Borges, said hospitals it supported in Hudaydah were continuing to receive patients.

The UN has warned that in a worst-case scenario, the battle for Hudaydah could cost up to 250,000 lives and cut off aid supplies to millions elsewhere.

Its port is the principal lifeline for about

Iraq begins rebuilding of Mosul landmark Great Mosque of al-Nuri

A

n Iraqi religious leader has laid a foundation stone for the rebuilding of Mosul's Great Mosque of alNuri, which was damaged by Islamic State militants.

The head of the Sunni Muslim Endowment, Abdul Latif al-Humayim, was joined by UN and EU dignitaries for the ceremony.

The mosque, whose leaning minaret was one of Mosul's most famous landmarks, is where IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed a "caliphate" in 2014.

The jihadist group blew it up last year as government forces retook the city.

The battle for Mosul lasted almost nine months, left large areas in ruins, killed thousands of civilians and displaced more than 900,000 others.

The Iraq representative of the UN's cultural agency, Unesco, told those attending the ceremony on Sunday that the Great Mosque of al-Nuri's destruction had been "a moment of horror and despair".

"Today, as we lay the foundation stone... we are starting a journey of physical reconstruction," Louise Haxthausen added.

The United Arab Emirates has donated $50m (£40m) for the project, which is expected to take five years.

The first year will be focused on documenting and clearing the site. The next four years will see the rebuilding of the minaret, the prayer hall, and adjacent buildings.

Mosul's historic gardens and other open spaces will also be restored, and a memorial and museum built.

The Great Mosque was named after Nur al-Din Mahmoud Zangi - famous for mobilising and unifying Muslim forces to wage jihad against the Christian Crusaders - who ordered its construction in 1172, shortly before his death.

Despite its connection to such a figure, all that remained of the original mosque until June 2017 was its minaret nicknamed "al-Hadba", or "the humpback" - some columns and the mihrab, a niche indicating the direction of Mecca.

It is not clear whether the minaret will be rebuilt with its distinctive lean - Unesco calculated in 2012 that it was 2.5m (8.3ft) off the perpendicular axis.

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

T

Pro-government forces and the Houthis (pictured) both say they are committed to the truce two-thirds of Yemen's population, which is almost totally reliant on imports.

What happens next?

Under the Stockholm Agreement, once the ceasefire takes effect a "mutual redeployment of forces" shall be carried out from the city and ports "to agreed-upon locations outside".

Mr Griffiths said that the UN would convene, possibly on Wednesday, the first meeting of the Redeployment Coordination Committee, which will monitor implementation. It will include members of the warring parties and be chaired by the retired Dutch general, Patrick Cammaert.

The first phase of the redeployment will see troops withdraw from the ports and critical parts of the city associated with humanitarian facilities within two weeks and the UN taking a "leading role".

The full redeployment of all forces from

the region should be completed within three weeks of the ceasefire entering into effect.

Mr Griffiths said this would include complete disengagement from the main road from Hudaydah to the capital Sanaa, which is crucial for the delivery of humanitarian supplies to the wider population.

The Stockholm Agreement should also see a prisoner swap and the facilitation of aid deliveries to the city of Taiz, which is besieged by the Houthis.

At least 6,660 civilians have been killed, according to the UN. The fighting and a partial blockade by the coalition have also left 22 million people in need of humanitarian aid, created the world's largest food security emergency, and led to a cholera outbreak that has affected 1 million people.

Facebook temporarily bans Israeli PM’s son over posts

A

son of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says Facebook blocked him for 24 hours amid a spat over several posts railing against Palestinians and Muslims.

Last week, Facebook removed a post

by Yair Netanyahu in which he called for “avenging the deaths” of two Israeli soldiers killed by a Palestinian.

A post in which the 27-year-old said he would prefer if “all Muslims leave the land of Israel” was also taken down.

He called Facebook “thought police”.

But it accused him of hate speech.

Mr Netanyahu drew widespread criticism last year after he posted a meme mocking some of his father’s critics, including billionaire financier George Soros, which the Anti-Defamation League said was anti-Semitic.

He also faced a public backlash over his reported failure to pick up his dog’s poo.

His tweet included a screenshot of a deleted Facebook post that criticised the site for taking down his call to avenge the deaths of the soldiers who were shot and killed in the occupied West Bank on

Thursday.

“Hamas, Hezbollah and the Iranian regime have official pages on Facebook.

There are also endless pages calling for the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews. Thousands of violent and extreme left-wing posts against me and my family, including threats of physical violence and immoral murder threats.

“All of these do not violate Facebook’s community rules.”

“Due to that, this content was removed from our platform as we would do for anyone posting similar content about any protected characteristic.

“Following this, Yair Netanyahu decided to share a screenshot of a removed post and called people to share it - which is the same as writing the hate speech all over again.”

The spokesperson said Facebook would continue to enforce its policy.

“In addition, we want to emphasise that we never remove posts for criticising the company and the claim that we are censoring criticism of the company on the platform is plainly untrue.”

Source: BBC

Twitter warns of 'unusual activity' from China and Saudi Arabia

T

witter has warned of "unusual activity" from China and Saudi Arabia related to a bug in a help form.

The bug - discovered on 15 November and fixed the day after - could have revealed the country code of users' phone numbers or if their account was locked, the company said.

IP addresses from the two countries had

sent a large number of inquiries using the form, Twitter said.

These could have had ties to "statesponsored actors", Twitter said.

Stressing that they could not confirm "intent or attribution for certain", Twitter's statement said they had informed the authorities about their discovery in the

Property PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

interest of "full transparency".

Those directly affected have been informed, Twitter said. No full phone numbers were revealed, nor any other personal data.

The company's stock price dropped nearly 7% on Monday.

News of the bug comes on the same day the US Senate released a report revealing how

Russia used every social media platform to influence the 2016 election.

With a particular focus on targeting conservatives with posts on immigration, race and gun rights, the country also tried to undermine the voting power of left-leaning African-American citizens by spreading misinformation about the electoral process.

he Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, management and staff of the ministry has congratulated the newly appointed Minister of Environment, Surv. Suleiman Hassan Zarma, who until his appointment

by Mr President, was the Minister of State II for Power, Works and Housing.

Fashola eulogized the outgoing Minister of State II for his outstanding performance and display of discretion at which he carried out tasks and assignments within the shortest period he served in the Ministry.

This was contained in a press statement signed by PIO, Housing, Olatunji John for: Director, Information stated the minister in fareware message said “you have done very well here and we wish you very well for what you are going to do in the Ministry of Environment, we will miss you dearly, even though you are leaving us in the ministry, we will not leave you alone.’’

He added that the Minister will still be relevant to the Ministry because in building roads, power and housing projects; it will

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By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

Fashola congratulates newly appointed minister of Environment, Surv.Suleiman

According to him, ‘’I have benefited so his counterpart in the Power Sector, Engr.

Louis Edozien noted that Surv. Zarma was much from the wealth of experience from an embodiment of managerial competence, Mr Fashola throughout my stay at the hardwork and a model to be emulated, ministry,’’ adding that the knowledge and adding that his adaptation to work since experienced gained in the ministry will assumption of duty is amazing and marked certainly assist him in his new assignment to bring about the desired impact. with outstanding achievements.

He also thanked the Permanent There were good will messages from Directors and Top Management team, Secretaries and Directors of the ministry attesting and eulogizing the former Minister for their loyalty and unwavering support of State II for his brilliant contributions to shown to him and prayed for God’s guidance in the discharge of duties in the ministry and the nation at large.

In his response, Zarma appreciated everyone’s various fields of endeavor. the Honorable Minister, Permanent Secretaries, Directors of the Ministry and other Top Management for their kind words.

The Midlands and Wales he average house price in England and Wales are the areas with the strongest increased by just 0.2% growth with prices up 3.7% year month on month in November on year in the West Midlands and is just 0.9% above a year to £226,980 and up 3.5% in the East Midlands to £216,893, ago, the latest index shows.

This takes the average price while in Wales they increased of a home to £305,522 as the by 2.7% to £185,893.

In the North West prices are annual price growth is at its lowest for seven year but sales up 1.8% on an annual basis to increased by 2.5%, according to £194,478, in the South West up 1.4% to £287,641, in the North the index from Your Move.

The biggest growth in East up 0.9% to £159,531, in transactions has been in the Greater London up 0.8% to cheapest region in England, the £622,508, in Yorkshire and North East, with transactions in Humber up 0.6% to £189,510 the three months to October up and in the South East up 0.4% 7% on the same period last year. to £373,216.

‘Despite the current By contrast, the South East (the uncertainty it’s most expensive area outside economic London) saw transactions encouraging to see that fall 4%. The capital bucks the there is still some increase in trend, with sales up 2%, but it transaction levels and that, also saw price falls earlier than whilst house price growth is relatively flat, it means for other regions.

A breakdown of the figures first time buyers, for example, show that prices have fallen in the news remains positive,’ the East of England for the first said Oliver Blake, managing time since March 2012, down director of Your Move and 0.2% year on year, but they did Reeds Rains estate agents From Left; Honourable Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, Permanent rise marginally by 0.1% month Secretary (Works and Housing), Mohammed Bukar and Honourable Minister of Environment, Surv. on month to £328,183.

Source: Property wire Suleiman Hassan Zarma, mnis, pose in a group photograph require environmental impact assessment studies, survey planning and social settlements plans.

The Minister stated this at the valedictory session held in honour of Surv. Suleiman Hassan Zarma, who is now a substantive Minister to the Ministry of Environment following his pronouncement and appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Fashola noted Mr President’s commitment to the cleaning up of the oil spillage in Ogoni Land for the benefit of the people in that region and the country at large and therefore solicited the cooperation of the Ministry of Environment and the newly appointed Minister to achieve this huge project.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Works and Housing sector, Mohammed Bukar and

House price growth almost flat in England and Wales

T

Fashola reiterates FG’s commitment to infrastructural development

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

T

he Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has reiterated the commitment of President Mohammadu Buhari’s Administration to providing basic infrastructure needed for the overall development of the entire nation.

Fashola disclosed this yesterday in his Office when he received in audience the Governor of Osun State,Adegboyega Oyetola who paid him a courtesy call.

A statement signed by Assist. Chief

Information Officer Theodore Agbagwa For: Director (Informatio) said the minister described Adeboyega Oyetola as a brother and friend whom he shared common ideas with, adding that they never knew that divine providence would have them in exalted positions as Governor and minister respectively While congratulating him for his emergence as the Governor of Osun State, he wished him the very best in Office as Adegboyega enunciates his various programmes to develop Osun State. He also assured him of his readiness to assist

the Governor when called upon.

Earlier, the Governor disclosed that the purpose of his visit was to plead for the refund on the Federal roads his state has rehabilitated on behalf of the Federal Government. He specifically solicited for the speedy completion of the Iwo –Oshogbo road, the Oshogbo-IlogboOgbomosho road and the Oshogbo-Ilesha road which are under construction but becoming impassable, stressing that the present condition of the roads has paralysed the economic activities in the state.

He further requested for the rehabilitation and upgrading of Dams in the state in order to generate power. He called for the Ministry’s support in Rural Electrification and completion of the construction of Primary Health Centres within the State.

The programme was attended by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing (Works and Housing Sector),Mohammed Bukar and his counterpart in Power and Housing Sector Engr. Louis Edozie, Directors of the Ministry and it’s Agencies.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, december 19, 2018

26

Feature

CLASSIFIED

How ANA Kano celebrated its 2018 Literary Week From Salim Umar Ibrahim, Kano

I

t is not surprising and no news anymore that the creative cycle is gradually diminishing from the light as youth of today have found solace in mostly western contemporary cultures rather than the ideal and reality – throwing away their inherited ways and imitating so much that has to do with mere entertainment that is unreserved to the development of their communities, themselves or rather their intellectual being, dumping all sense of belonging to the pit.

In line with this, in its effort to promote and rescue literary activities from fall off, the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Kano State branch, under the leadership of Malam Zaharaddeen Ibrahim Kallah has successfully and entrancingly celebrated its unique, exciting and most awaited program, Kano Literary Week. The theme of this year’s edition was: Creative Writing as a Tool for Enhancing Democracy.

The program, which commenced with an impressive grand opening at the Murtala Muhammad Library Complex, Kano State, was graced with the presence of the Emir of Kano, His Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II and ten of his high ranked district heads. Many prominent and influential people also graced the occasion with their presence: among others there were Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa, the National Republican Convention (NRC) candidate in the annulled Nigeria’s June 12, 1993 presidential election; the Vice Chancellor of Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Professor Mustapha Ahmad Isa who served as the chairman of the occasion; the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics, Bayero University Kano, Professor Adamu Idris Tanko; Professor Habu Muhammad who was the keynote speaker; the former DG of A Daidaita Sahu, Dr. Bala Muhammad who served as the master of the ceremony (English), and Malam Nasiru Wada Khalil who served as the master of the ceremony (Hausa).

Other important dignitaries are Director of Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Research and Training, Mambayya, Professor Ismaila M. Zango; the Director, Centre for Gender Studies BUK, Professor A’isha Isma’il; the Executive Secretary of Kano State Library Board, Dr. Ibrahim Bichi; the University Librarian of Bayero University, Dr. Musa Auyo; the Dean of Social Sciences, BUK, Dr. Nu’uman M. Habib, the Head of Department of Nigerian Languages, Dr. Ibrahim G Satatima; Professor Aliyu Kamal; Dr. Tijjani S. Almajir; Dr. Saka Aliyu (Sakky Jojo), Dr. Isma’il Bala, Maude Rabi’u Gwadabe, Mahmud Abubakar Zukogi, Malam Lawal Adamu Giginyu, and Malama Sa’adatu Baba Ahmad. Pupils and students from various schools were also part of the great occasion.

In his remark, His Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II stressed the importance of education as the only measure through which Nigerians can embrace to pull out from the present socioeconomic and political bind. The Emir also stressed the need for the government to adopt the use of our indigenous languages as a medium of instruction in our conventional institutions of learning especially in science, technical and medical related courses.

He stressed that writers have a gargantuan role to play in the process of reforming the social life and affairs of our

Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu people. He therefore beseeched the writers to expand their writing horizons so as to cover and create a positive influence in our day-to-day life. He said that many problems that bedevil our society like drugs abuse, incessant domestic violence, poor parental care, high rate of divorce, women/ child trafficking and molestation etc can be addressed through writings.

Similarly, the keynote speaker, Professor Habu Mohammed stressed that ANA has a significant role to play in the creation of awareness among our youth to curtail many of the problems relegating our society, particularly in the education sector.

Another important activity of the program was the “Reading Through Model”.

It was aimed to foster greater interest in reading among children and our teeming youth and to promote reading culture that nowadays dwindles in our society. Leaders, celebrities and other influential people stood before the students and pupils to read some books to them. Photographs of the reading sessions were taken to produce posters for distribution in various schools and libraries. The influential people that read to these young people include Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa, Dr. Mannir Sulaiman, Poetess Maryam Gatawa, Poetess Safiyya Ibrahim Abdulhamid and Malam Lawan Adamu Giginyu.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Kano State Branch, Zaharaddeen Ibrahim Kallah, said writers

are very concerned about the state of their societies, especially poverty, corruption, inequality and bad governance.

According to him, as a group of writers, they were determined to look at these problems and raise a massive campaign towards addressing them.

Writers’ Talk (English Version) Writers’ talk is a new form of presentation by some preeminent writers and scholars to spread various ideas and writing skills in form of short, powerful talks. Different topics related to writings were given to the presenters and each presenter was given 15 minutes to make his presentation. The writers’ talk (English version) took place at American Space, Murtala Muhammad Library Complex, Kano State. The resource persons include the former DG of A Daidaita Sahu, Dr. Bala Muhammad, the Executive Director, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Engineer Y.Z. Ya’u, Malama Maryam Ali Ali, and Malam Kabiru Musa Jammaje who was represented by Osama Jilani Dayyab.

Writers’ Talk (Hausa Version) Hausa version of Writers’ talk also took place at Murtala Muhammad Library Complex. Some preeminent Hausa writers were also selected to deliver such powerful talk on different topics. The classical writers and scholars that made the presentations are: Malam Yahaya Ahmadu Dan-Arewa, Hajiya Balaraba Ramat Yakubu, Malama Fauziyya D. Sulaiman, Malam Nasiru Wada

“

The classical writers that participated in the great parley were: Professor Aliyu Kamal: He is a preeminent, hardworking author of 14 novels which were all translated into Hausa language by him. He is an avid reader, critic, highly resourceful and winner of the ANA-Chevron Award. Some of his books include: Fire in my Backyard, Hausaland, Silence and a Smile, A Possible World, Hausa Girl, Computer Shutdown, Women without borders, among others

PAGE 27

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

Khalil, Malam Faruk Lawan Da’u and Alhaji Aminuddeen Ladan Abubakar (ALA) who was represented by Malam Auwalu G. Dan-Borno.

Literary Quiz for Secondary Schools The sole genesis behind literary quiz for secondary schools is to create ravenous and lifelong readers with expanded horizon, imagination and curiosity and to encourage an independent reading across our schools.

Similarly, it strengthens the position of literature and literary activities and also fosters connectivity around books and reading.

The winning schools of the literary quiz for the English and Hausa literature are: For English Literature, Creative Minds Academy (Winner), Shekara GGSS (First runner) and Khalil Arabic Secondary Schools (Second runner), while from the Hausa Literature were FGC Kiyawa, Jigawa State (Winner), Gora Academy (First runner) and Shekara GGSS (Second runner).

English Writers’ Parley Writers parley, a conference for discourse between some selected classical writers and other writers, readers and audience, took place at Murtala Muhammad Library Complex. It gives an opportunity for the young writers and students to learn about how veteran writers get their ideas and turn those ideas into books. It also helps to make those connections visible for readers, emerging writers, and students.

The moderator of the great parley was Malam Isma’il Bala, who teaches English at Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria, where he specializes in modern and contemporary poetry and literary theory.

The classical writers that participated in the great parley were: Professor Aliyu Kamal: He is a preeminent, hardworking author of 14 novels which were all translated into Hausa language by him. He is an avid reader, critic, highly resourceful and winner of the ANA-Chevron Award.

Some of his books include: Fire in my Backyard, Hausaland, Silence and a Smile, A Possible World, Hausa Girl, Computer Shutdown, Women without borders, among others.

Auwalu Yusuf Hamza: is a bilingual novelist who writes in Hausa and English.

He was former ANA Kano Chairman.

Some of his books include, Gidan Haya, ‘Yarkwatano, Love Path, A Question of Marriage, Open Courts, Citizens Parade etc.

Safiyya Ibrahim Abdulhamid: is a classical poetess of two collections, Jewel from the New World and Destined by the Rhythm. Safiyya has been known for her spiritual gift of excellent poetry rendition and lyrical voice.

Zahra Tabi’u: is a young bilingual novelist of high literary genius. She published her first novel, Desire and Destiny when she was a secondary school student. Zahra short story Tsalle Daya was among the honorable mentioned in the 2018 BBC Hausa short story prize.

Award Presentation/ Grand Closing The award presentation/grand closing ceremony also took place at the same venue. The chairman of the occasion was Professor Abdulkadir Dangambo, while the master of the ceremony was Malam Kabiru Yusuf Fagge (Anka). Some prominent personalities were presented with awards of honour do to their gargantuan efforts in the promotion of literary activities.

Some dead writers who also contributed immensely while alive were also awarded posthumously.

PUBLIC NOTICE ASSOCIATION OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY &ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS EDUCATORS IN NIGERIA THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1.OMAR JARMAKANI - CHAIRMAN 2.REMI WILLOUGHBY- SECRETARY THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1.To cater for the general welfare of its members.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALVATION MOUNTAIN ASSEMBLEY INTERNATIONAL

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PUBLIC NOTICE

REIGNING KINGS FAMILY ASSEMBLY

Global Christian prayer warriors ministry

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. OJEAGA AITALEGBE SAMUEL- PRESIDENT/FOUNDER 2. OJEAGA TESSY PATIENCE - ASST. PASTOR 3. OSAZUWA KINGSLEY - PRO/PROTOCOL 4. OKHIRIA PHILOMENA .E. - SECRETARY 5. IKHINMWIN BECKY - TREASURER 6. IRIBHOGBE CHARLES EHIS - MEMBERS 7. OMOLUMEN CHRISTOPHER - MEMBER THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1. To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

FACE OF JESUS & IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY FOUNDATION

The General Public is hereby notified that the above named Ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

The General Public is hereby notified that the above named Foundation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.PASTOR OSAYANDE EMMANUEL 2.MRS. OSAYANDE OSAGBEMWORHUE SARAH 3.MR. EGBEOBAMWONYI NOSAKHARE

THE TRUSTEES: 1.ESEILE ESTHER OYEMWEN 2.ESEILE GODWIN NOSAKHARE 3.ESEILE ADESANYA BLESSING

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1.To preach the gospel of Christ all over the world.

2. Winning souls through evangelical missions and programmes and preparing them for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

THE AIM AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1.To create awareness on the love of Christ and demonstrate this love on the hopeless.

2.To teach love in place of hate in the world.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, P.M.B. 198, Garki, Abuja within Twenty-Eight (28) days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Secretary

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, P.M.B. 198, Garki, Abuja within Twenty-Eight (28) days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Secretary

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1.Reverend Biodun Adekunle oluwamakinde - general superintendent.

2.pastor Samson Babatunde Adedeji - general secretary THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE : 1. To evangelise communities with Christ gospel in order to win souls for Christ And establish souls in the church society.

2, To re orientate the prayer life of the present day church generation from that of survival to revival.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

HEIRS PARK RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1.AKINTOYE OYEWOLE OYEDELE. - CHAIRMAN 2.NWOKOMA KINGSLEY 3.EJEDAWE JOSEPH E The Aims and Objectives 1. To foster togetherness and peaceful coexistence amongst residents of the estate.

2. To employ and devise legitimate avenues in the development of the estate.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : Kindness A J ESQ 08187917504

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JESUS CLINIC FAITH ASSEMBLY

THE EQUILIBRIUM INITIATIVE

Arya Women Africa Initiative

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. REV. BENEDICT ONAJITE UGHEMINAYE 2. PASTOR (MRS) ESTHER UGHEMINAYE 3. ENGR. PETER ACHOJARE ONORIODE 4. ENGR. JOHN ADERHO 5. GODWIN OBEBEDUO OGHENEWIKOKO

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. PHILIP ARUWA GYUNKA - PRESIDENT 2. OBED MINCHAKPU- SECRETARY 3. GIDEON MICHAEL LOVE 4. ENGR. DANIEL DAVID KADZAI 5. ECHE AMOS NEHEMIAH 6. STANLEY AUGUSTINE KWAWAM 7. NEWMAN SOLOMON MAITORO

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE : 1. TO PRESERVE AND PROMOTE THE DIGNITY AND FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUAL, TO ACHIEVE SOCIAL JUSTICE, FOSTER THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY, STRENGTHEN THE COHESION OF SOCIETY AND ENHANCE NATIONAL TRANQUILITY. 2.TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY AS A MEANS OF ACHIEVE SECURITY, STABILITY AND PROSPERITY FOR ENTIRE WORLD; ASSIST NEWLY FORMED DEMOCRACIES IN IMPLEMENTING DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES; ASSIST DEMOCRACY ADVOCATE AROUND THE WORLD TO ESTABLISH VIBRANT DEMOCRACIES IN THEIR OWN COUNTRIES. 3.TO RAISE AND GROOM THE NEW GENERATIONAL LEADERS FOR SUCCESS; TO EDUCATE AND INSTILL THE MORAL VALUES OF COOPERATION FAIRNESS INTO THE HEART OF THE STUDENTS.

SIGNED : BARR P.E .UTI 08035910306.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_ GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL AND EVANGELIZE THE WHOLE WORLD .

2. TO DELIVER THE CAPTIVE AND HEAL THE SICK THROUGH FAITH CLINIC OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

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SKILLS EMPOWERMENT AND ENTERPRENEURSHIP INITIATIVE

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COMPUTER TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1)Mohammed Magoro Hauwa.

2) Yabani Hauwa.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE : 1) To promote women empowerment and inspire entrepreneurs to solve their socio economic challenges by leveraging technology.

2) To promote collaboration with relevant local and international stakeholders to promote the course of entrepreneurs.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

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UKAN KURUGH HUMANITARIAN FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : (1) MR.OLAOLUWA OGUNTUYI - FOUNDER/CHAIRMAN (2) MISS DOLAPO OGUNTUYI - SECRETARY.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. ONATAFE JOSEPH 2. ADEKUNLE HENRY OGUNLADE 3.ODENIGBO THERESA IFEYINWA 4. CECILIA OBA 5. DADO ZAKARI AUTA 6. BANKOLE KOLADE ABDULHAKEEM

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. PROF. AGBO J. MADAKI, - PRESIDENT. 2. UKAN KURUGH, - EXECUTIVE SECRETARY. 3. DR MRS HELEN TEGHTEGH, - MEMBER. 4. BARR. DOOSUUR BRIDGET KURUGH - MEMBER. 5. MR ALEX ADDINGI MEMBER.

THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1.TO INSTILL THE KNOWLEDGE OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AMONDG NIGERIAN POPULACE.

THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1- TO ASSIST AND CARE FOR THE WOUNDED AND THE SICK., TO CARE FOR,AND PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE VULNERABLE.

THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1.To create skills acquisition for youth, women and men in our society at Large.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

CLASSIFIED PUBLIC NOTICE

AHLUL BAITI YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. SHARIF ISMAIL A ISAH (ILALI) - CHAIw 2. SHARIF AMINU A. USMAN - SECRETARY 3. SHARIF RABIU ABDU - TREASURER Aim and Objective To protect and educate the youth in Nigeria ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

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COMRADE CLIFFORD ANEKE FOUNDATION

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YAMAH’ YAMAH OF GOD’S ORPHANAGE HOME INITIATIVE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : (1) MR. ABRAHAM EMMANUEL DANJUMA-CHAIRMAN (2) MRS. LOLA AMUZAT-SECRETARY (3) MRS. CELESTINA EMMANUEL-MEMBER (4) DR. SAMUEL PAUL MOHAMMEDMEMBER (5) MR. MICAH ELIJAH-MEMBER. AIM/OBJective:(1) TO PROVIDE CARE AND IMPROVE THE GENERAL WELFAIRE OF THE ORPHAN CHILDREN IN NIGERIA BY PROVIDING THE ORHAN CHILDREN WITH A CONDUCIVE LEARNING ENVIROMENT, HYGIENIE ACCOMMODATION, QUALITY HEALTH CARE SERVICES, REGULAR AND PROPER FEEDING E.T.C. SIGNED:- NABHEL BALA OMINIGBO ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

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BRAINIACS TECHNOLOGY AND ENTERPRENEURSHIP FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. Aneke Courage Chikasiemobi 2. Aneke Chiagozie Victor 3. Aneke Rachael Ngozi 3. Aneke Clifford Makuochi 5. Aneke Clifford Okafor

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. MUSA MOHAMMED (CHAIRMAN) 2. YAHAJJA ZARA IBRAHIM ABBA (SECRETARY) 3. SALISU AUWALU

AimS:| 1. To help the less privileged ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

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TRUE HEART OF GOD AND FIRE MISSION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. FRANCIS UDEH EKENE..... PRESIDENT 2. EKEHI MARGARET IFEOMA ... VICE PRESENT 3. UDEH JULIET NKEMAKONAM..... SECRETARY 4. OFOEGBU TIMOTHY ..... MEMBER AIMS: TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD’S JESUS CHRIST. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : E.R. OPANS & COMPANY. 07087009008

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GLOBAL HERITAGE ASSEMBLY

THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1. To promote education, entrepreneurship and innovation.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED :

BY ISHAYA KOSHI DANFULANI ESQ.

PUBLIC NOTICE

BETHANY HUMAN DEVELOPMENT CENTER

CAC/IT/NO. 98655.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR CHANGE OF TRUSTEES UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE OLD TRUSTEES ARE : 1. BARR ADARANJO AJISOLA - REMOVED 2.ADEWOYIN OLUWAKUNMI - REMOVED 3.OLUGBENGA OKUNADE - REMOVED 4.ADEWOYIN OLUWATOMIWA - REMOVED 5.ADEWOYIN OMOLOLA OLUSAYO - RETAINED 6.ADEWOYIN ADEDAYO - RETAINED THE NEW TRUSTEES ARE : 1.DR ADEYINKA AYODELE ADEJUMO 2.DAVID ISIAKA IBRAHIM 3.ROSE NGOZI OYEDELE 4.ADURAPEMI OLUFEMI BUKOLA THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES REMAIN THE SAME. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS APPLICATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY

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GOLDEN OASIS SPRING FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. OBODOZIE VALENTINE EMEKA -- GENERAL OVERSEER 2. CHINEDU LAWRENCE IKEDIEZE 3. THEOPHILUS ANTHONY EDWIN 4. NGOZI VALENTINE OBODOZIE 5. WILSON VICENT 6. EMMANUEL PHILIPS -- SECRETARY 7. DR. ANTHONY E.O. MADUKA

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. MR SODADE ADEGBOYEGA DAVID -- CHAIRMAN 2. MAJEKODUNMI GIDEON SENI -- SECRETARY 3. KAYODE EMMANUEL OLUBUNMI 4. AKEJU EMMANUEL AKINPELU 5. ADELEKE TITILAYO FAVOUR

THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1. To preach the gospel of our lord jesus christ.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1. To provide social welfare to the indigents in the society in the form of food, clothes, footwears and shelter.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

BADAGRY COUNTRY CLUB

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. Mr. Towanu Abiodun Hundeyin. (DCG Rtd.) - PRESIDENT 2. Engr. Thomas Mauton Ogun -VICE PRESIDENT I 3.Aare Samuel Sly Osoba - VICE PRESIDENT II 4.Engr Setonji Abayomi Amosu VICE PRESIDENT III 5. Mr. Setonji Albert Oke-Tojinu - GENERAL SECRETARY 6. Mr. Mautin Abiola Akande - ASST. GENERAL SECRETARY 7. Princess A F I Senami Akran - TREASURER 8. Sir (Arc) Miyise Richard Fasinu - FINANCIAL SECRETARY 9. Chief Rotimi John Toviho - DIRECTOR GENERAL- FUND RAISING 10. Mr Bex Ayo Ade - PUBLICITY SECRETARY 11. Mr. Ayodele Akwe -SOCIAL DIRECTOR 12. Mr Seyido Oluwole Bokoh - YOUTH COORDINATOR 13. Mrs Sonayon Ruth Fatunji - WELFARE OFFICER 14. Mr Yonwato Obarinu Hundeyin - AUDITOR 15. Sp. Apostle Ahisu Dansu - DISCIPLINARY OFFICER 16. Barr. Emmanuel Sunday Kappo - LEGAL ADVISER Aims and objective: To serve as catalyst in promoting the socio-economic development of Badagry and her people.

Signed: GENERAL SECRETARY ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_ GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH TECHNOLOGISTS AND SCIENTISTS OF NIGERIA

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, CAP C20, LFN 2004.

THE TRUSTEES 1 COMRADE EPHRAIM AUDU ANJA 2 AMINU SAMBO 3 AGBA GEORGE THOMAS 4 AHMED MOHAMMED TIJANI 6 NWAEME CHIBUEZO J. 7 ARANSHOLA RASHEEDAT AJOKE.

- CHAIRMAN

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES. 1 TO UPHOLD THE DIGNITY OF THE COMMUNITY PROFESSIONALS THROUGH PROMOTION OF HARD WORK AND DEDICATION. 2 TO PURSUE THE RECOGNITION OF ND/BSC/MASTERS IN COMMUNITY HEALTH TECHNOLOGIST, PHD IN COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENTIST. 3 TO ENHANCE UNITY AMONG THE VARIOUS CADRES IN COMMUNITY HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION OF THE AFOREMENTIONED ASSOCIATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN TWENTYEIGHT (28) DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED NANJUL LIRFA NANSING SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE Zamfara development association residence of karu abattoir market Abuja

Sports

PEOPLES DAILY

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NNL Clubs dare NFF, shun Super 8 wednesday, DECEMBER 19, 2018

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sports@peoplesdailyng.com, SMS- 08142929046

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. Adamu shehu shagari ---chairman 2. Bashiru Ibrahim bingi --secretary, 3. Ashiru Musa Bingi -- member 4. Abdullahi Ibrahim --member 5. Haruna Garba -member 6. Aliyu umar -- Member THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1.To promote the interest and welfare of it members.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

KINGDOM AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST MINISTRY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. Pastor Alexander Ime Umoh -- chairman 2. Dr. John Ekere Etim -- secretary 3. Ime Justus Udoh THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1.To Propagate the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

N

igeria National League clubs have dared the country’s football governing body, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) after most of the 8 clubs that qualified for the 2018 Super shunned the playoff despite NFF directives.

The NFF had after an emergency committee meeting Monday chaired by the NFF President, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, directed the go-ahead of the Super 8 Tournament of the Nigeria National League (NNL) to produce four teams to be promoted to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) for the 2018/2019 Season.

The Emergency Committee thus directed that teams contesting the Super 8 Tournament, scheduled for Aba, should arrive the Abia State capital on Wednesday, 19th December, and the tournament must be concluded by Sunday, 23rd December for the Nigeria National

League to present teams to the Nigeria Professional Football League for the new season.

“The Super 8 Tournament must go ahead with all the teams arriving on or before Wednesday, 19th December. I enjoin all the eight qualified teams to endeavour to be in Aba for this tournament, in order to ensure that the LMC has the names of the four teams promoted from the NNL, and go ahead to conduct its draws for the new season.

“Nobody foresaw these special circumstances. Yet, it is only by obeying the rules and regulations, and being guided by global best practice, that we can move forward.

Nigerian Football is operating within the international football community, and not an oasis in any desert. The NFF Emergency Committee endorses the resolution of the expanded meeting that the

best eight teams in the NNL should contest the Super 8 Tournament, from which the best four teams will be promoted to the Nigeria Professional Football League for the 2018/2019 Season,” Pinnick said in a press statement on Monday.

The Committee also directed that the NNL must proceed with the tournament as scheduled with the Clubs that report to Aba while stating that disciplinary action would be taken against those who fail to honour their obligations to participate in the Super 8 and the directives of the NFF. The Nigeria Football Federation had on Monday through press release directed all the eight teams to arrive Aba and commence the playoff on Wednesday.

But in an apparent disregard to the directive, the NNL club owners had met in Abuja and announced

that they will not be part of the Super 8.

The crises of misunderstanding between the NNL and NFF over the number of clubs to be promoted to the NPFL for the 201/19 have stopped the commencement of the Nigerian leagues on December 1, the earlier scheduled date by the League Management Company.

Report from Aba indicates that only three out of 8 clubs have arrived the Enyimba City, venue of the Super 8 Playoff. The three clubs in Aba are Gombe United, Delta Force, and Real Stars while other five clubs; Bendel Insurance, Shooting Stars, Kada FC, Remo stars, and Kogi United are yet to find their way to the God’s own state.

Eight teams are expected to arrive Aba, play a round-robin league while the top four teams automatically promoted to the elite league.

Cyprus Cup: Super Falcons tackle Belgium, Austria, Slovakia

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PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

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Minister explains why Edo hosting got NSF 2020 hosting right

Sports minister, Solomon Dalung

T

he Minister of Youth and Sports Development Barrister, Solomon Dalung has explained why the Ministry gave the hosting right for the next National Sports Festival to Edo state.

Dalung, who gave the explanation in an exclusive interview with online newspaper, said he did not want a repetition of what happened after the hosting of the 2012 festival in Lagos.

“The hosting right was given to Cross River state when they were going into the 2015 election year. The Governor of the state acquired the hosting right which he handed over to a new governor who didn’t consider the right to be as important as the man who got it.

“I needed to ensure that what happened to the 19th edition whereby it was postponed for 6 years didn’t happen again. I decided that the next National Sports Festival will go to a state where there will be no elections in 2019.

“If you give the hosting rights to a governor who will hold elections in 2019, he will collect it and go to campaign, so nothing will happen until after the election. If he wins or loses, the process of inspection, infrastructural update and regular meetings by the Council of Sports will be put on hold until after elections.

Barrister Dalung also debunked allegations that the hosting right was given to Edo State based on politics.

“If the selection was based on political sentiments, I would have given it to Gov. El Rufai of Kaduna state but he has elections in 2019 just like Gov. Okowa. If it was an APC agenda, I would have given it to Gov Rochas Okorocha but he is a terminal governor. He may collect the hosting rights and the in-coming governor may not be interested in it so I decided that the state that will get the rights will have no election in 2019 so that he can concentrate on the National Sports Festival including budgeting for it”, Dalung said.

Edo State defeated the winner of 19th edition championship, Delta State and two other states to emerge of the 2020 Games.

Edo State was announced as the next hosts for the 2020 edition where Delta, Imo, Cross River and Kaduna states showed interest.

r

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Cyprus Cup: Super Falcons tackle Belgium, Austria, Slovakia

R

eigning African women champions, Super Falcons of Nigeria will face formidable opponents in the Cyprus Cup scheduled for next year.

The coach Thomas Dennerby-led ladies were drawn against Belgium, Austria and Slovakia in the Cyprus Cup which will commence from February

25 through March 7, 2019.

The Falcons will use the competition to prepare for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where they are drawn against hosts France, Norway and Korea Republic.

Belgium are ranked 25th in the world by FIFA, Austria are 23rd, while Slovakia are 45th and six places behind

nine-time African champions.

The Red Flames of Belgium will be the Falcons biggest threat after they finished fifth in the annual Cyprus Cup. This will be their fourth participation in the international tournament while Super Falcons are making their debut.

FCT SWAN Week football: Peoples Daily zooms into final

By Amaechi Agbo

P

eoples Daily football team yesterday qualified for the final of the 2018 FCT Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN Week football 5-aside event after defeating Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) in the semifinal match played in the Area 3 field, Abuja.

Peoples Daily rallied from 2 goals down in the first half to level the scores in second half thereby forcing the match into penalty shootout that ended 2-1 in their favour.

FRCN converted only one of their pot-kick while Peoples Daily converted two to reach the final where they will take on Nigeria Television Authority, NTA. On their part, NTA progressed to the final of the after defeating Independent Television 2-0 in the first semi-final match.

Reacting to his team success after beating ITV 2-0, NTA head coach, Abubakar Sodiq expressed his happiness with the performance of the side while promising more of the same in the final match.

T

he news of the sack of former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho yesterday did not come as a shock to many football fans, especially EPL followers.

The Portuguese, 55, took over in May 2016 and led United to League Cup and Europa League titles, but they are 19 points behind league leaders Liverpool.

The club have made a change after no progress with results or style despite spending nearly £400m on 11 players.

It is understood players and staff are not happy after a disappointing and unsettling period during which young players were not developed.

United are sixth in the Premier League, but closer to the relegation zone than leaders Liverpool, who beat them 3-1 on Sunday.

CLASSIFIED MARYAM I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS MARYAM BALA NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MARYAM AHMAD. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE. OSIKI I, FORMERLY KNOWN ASOSIKI ALOSE NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OSIKI HAUWAU ALOSE. MY date of birth IS 7 january,1991. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE. ZAINAB I, FORMERLY KNOWN ASZAINAB IBRAHIM OSIKIGU NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ZAINAB ISA JA’AFARU OTAKI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE. CHIKA I formerly known as chika James uchegbu, now wish to be known addresed as chika inyama. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE

CENTRE FOR THE INCUBATION OF DISCIPLINE AND INTEGRITY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

LOSS OF DOCUMENTS

LOSS OF DOCUMENTS

This is to inform the general public of the loss of the following documents belonging to Mr. Folorunso Adewale Akinfenwa: Original Clearance Letter from Ad-Hoc Committee on Sale of FGH with respect to Block 7, Flat 9, Limpopo Street, Maitama, Abuja, FCT; Original Letter of Offer dated 30/12/2005; Original payment receipt of N370,000.00 dated 28/01/2006, and Original payment receipt of N3,330.000.00 dated 06/08/2007.

All efforts made to trace the said documents have proved abortive. Concern authorities and the general public should please take note.

THIS IS TO NOTIFY THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF THE LOSS OF ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY IN RESPECT OF PLOT NO. 882 SITUATE AT GARKI 1 AO1 DISTRICT, ABUJA, WITH C OF O NO: AFAUW - 14C44 -57r5r-cf62u-10 WITH FILE NO ED - 10530 RIGHT OF ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY BELONGING TO MR. GEOFFERY OSATOHAMMWEN AIWERIOBA WHO IS NOW LATE NOW BELONGS TO LAWFUL NEXT OF KINS CHARLES OMO AIWERIOBA AND OMOSEFE AIWERIOBA. ALL EFFORTS MADE TO TRACE THE SAID DOCUMENTS PROVED ABORTIVE, IF FOUND KINDLY RETURN TO THE NEAREST POLICE STATION AGIS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE

PUBLIC NOTICE

LOSS OF DOCUMENTS

THE OLD NAME : GLOBAL FORUM FOR LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT THE NEW NAME : GLOBAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FORUM THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR CHANGE OF NAME AND CHANGE OF TRUSTEES UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : (1) AGOYE OLUWAGBENGA ADEWALE.(RETAINED) (2)AKIN-LAGUDA OLAKUNLE ADEDEJI (REMOVED) (3) OLUWATOSIN ADELAKUN JOSHUA (REMOVED) (4)ADEBAYO FRANCIS ADEWALE (REMOVED) (5)ADEBAYO - OLUBI TEINBOEMI IRETIOLA.(REMOVED) (6) AKANBI ADEMOLA (REMOVED) (7)LADEJOBI ADEBISI ADEKOYEJO.(REMOVED) (8) FADASE OYEBOLAJI AKINRINSOLA .(REMOVED) (9)GEORGE OBAFEMI SAMUEL. (REMOVED) 10.AKINLABI ABIODUN GODMAW.(APPOINTED) (11) OMOTUNDE ADEBOWALE ADEDEJI. (APPOINTED).

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS APPLICATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

On his part, coach of the Peoples Daily team, Amaechi Agbo, described the victory over FRCN as a great moment of joy considering that Peoples Daily is the only print medium in the tournament.

He expressed optimism

that his team will emerge triumphant tomorrow in the final despite his opponents being motivated by N2 million winning bonus.

NTA Director General, Yakubu Ibn Muhammed promised his wards Two

million naira cash reward if they can retain the title they won last year.

The final game between NTA and Peoples Daily is scheduled for Thursday, December 20, 2018 at Soho24sport, Jahi.

The decision to sack Mourinho, which will cost more than £18m, has been taken in the long-term interests of United with a regard that the club is bigger than any one individual.

Mourinho is understood to have wanted his own structure, but the new manager will be appointed with a head of football above him reporting to executive vicechairman Ed Woodward.

A United statement said: “A caretaker manager will be appointed until the end of the season while the club conducts a thorough recruitment process for a new, full-time manager.

The club hope to appoint a caretaker manager before they face Cardiff City on 22 December but it will not be assistant manager Michael Carrick or academy boss, Nicky Butt.

United’s haul of 26 points after their first 17 Premier League games

is their worst tally at this stage of a season since 1990-91.

They are 11 points off the top four, which would earn a Champions League qualification place.

Mourinho’s sacking comes after a fall-out with £89m record signing Paul Pogba, who was an

unused substitute for the defeat at Anfield on Sunday.

Following a 1-1 draw with Wolves, Pogba said he wanted United to be able to “attack, attack, attack” at home, which led Mourinho to say the France midfielder would no longer be the club’s “second captain”.

GOD OF MIRACLES SALVATION MINISTRY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1.To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : F. UKPE, ESQ. (SOLICITOR)

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Civil and civic conscience orientation initiative

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1)okoroafor chibuzor Solomon 2)Okoro onwumere chinyere 3)okoroafor Samuel 4)Benjamin Christian onyekachukwu 5)Yusuf Ibrahim.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To build conscience in the life of Nigerians ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED. SECRETARY

FIRDAUSI I formerly known as FIDDAUSI MUKHTAR, now wish to be known addresed as FIRDAUSI SHEHU MUHAMMAD. All former documents remain valid.

Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

SADIYA

I, formerly known as SADIYA A DAHIRU, but wish to be known as SADIYA DAHIRU. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

Jose Mourinho

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1.1. OYEDELE ISAAC SHOLA - PRESIDENT 2. OYEDELE OLUWAKEMI - SECRETARY 3. BOBADE MICHAEL BOLUWAJI 4. AYOOLA ADEFUNKE IRENE 5. DIDIA CLIFORD

THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1. TO PROMOTE DISCIPLINE AND INTEGRITY AMONG INDIVIDUALS ESPECIALLY THE YOUNG ONES AND TO CATER FOR THE WELFARE OF IT MEMBERS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

Peoples Daily football team

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF THE LOSS OF ORIGINAL Citec International Estates Limited Letter of Allocation IN RESPECT OF HOUSE B 16, G ROAD , CITEC MOUNT PLEASANT, MBORA DISTRICT, ABUJA. THE LETTER OF ALLOCATION IS dated 20th June, 2008. WITH REF. NO. CIEL/BD/19A/mb/AII/183.

2 BEDROOM SEMI DETACHED UNIT .THE LETTER OF ALLOCATION IN THE NAME OF FANIYI OLURANTI OLADEJI . ALL EFFORT MADE TO TRACE THE SAID DOCUMENT HAVE PROVED ABORTIVE. IF FOUND PLEASE, KINDLY RETURN TO THE NEAREST POLICE STATION.ALL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES REMAIN THE SAME.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. SLIM DICKENS EBURAJOLO 2. LAURETTA IFEANYI ONOCHIE 3. SHUAIB ZAKARI ISA 4. BABA GANA WAKIL 5. ABDULLAHI BELLO SULEIMAN

Why Manchester United sacked Jose Mourinho Jose Mourinho

PAGE 31

PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, december 19, 2018

ISYAKU I formerly known as AHMED ISYAKU UTHMAN, now wish to be known addresed as ISYAKU AHMED. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE

FOUNTAIN OF LIBERATION INT’L PRAYER MINISTRY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. Apostle Oma-Ojo Richard Ogbu - FOUNDER 2. PST (Mrs) Blessing Ojochide Ogbu - SECRETARY 3. PST Ojogbaduwa Joel James - MEMBER AIMS: 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST 2. TO ORGANISE EVANGELISM, OUTREACH & CRUSADES ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : KINGSLEY O. OBUE & CO. (Notary Public of Nigeria) 08063799609

Hannatu I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS Hannatu obet. NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS Hannatu Victor c ololo. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

QUOTABLE QUOTE “We, the candidates, pledge to uphold the highest standard of conducts and encourage our teeming supporters to do same. I wish to call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all arms of security agencies to put the nation first in their conduct. The world is watching us and the task of building or institutionalizing trust in our political system and institution is fundamental to the growth and development of our country.”

. . . putting the people first

wednesday, december 19, 2018

President Buhari in his remarks during Peace Accord signing by 2019 Presidential candidates, yesterday in Abuja

SPORTS Opening Wider for Common Prosperity latest F

Super Eagles AFCON programme with NFF –Rohr

Gernot Rohr

S

uper Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr has revealed that he has submitted his 2019 AFCON preparation programme to the NFF. Nigeria qualified for the tournament for the first time in three editions after playing out a 1-1 draw with South Africa in Johannesburg last November.

Confederation of African Football (CAF) is seeking for a new host nation for the 24-team tournament which is slated for June/July next year, with bids from Egypt and South Africa confirmed over the weekend.

The former Gabon gaffer confirmed that programme for the tournament has been submitted since the qualifications for the tournament was confirmed in November.

“I have already submitted the match reports for the Eagles’ last two matches against South Africa and Uganda. They are very important going forward in Eagles preparation for next year’s AFCON”, Rohr was quoted.

PSG puts Rabiot on “permanent” bench Adrien Rabiot

P

SG sporting director, Antero Henrique has confirmed that Adrien Rabiot is set to leave the club at the end of the season consequently, he has been placed on permanent bench.

Rabiot’s PSG contract is set to expire next summer, with the gifted technician having, refused to put pen to paper on a new deal in Paris.

The likes of Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham have all been named as expressing an interest in the 23-year-old.

PSG sporting director Antero Henrique said that Rabiot has informed the Ligue 1 champions of his intention to see out his current deal and depart the club as a free agent next summer. As such, Rabiot is set to be ‘indefinitely benched’ moving forward.

Advert: business: news: lagos:

our decades ago Deng Xiaoping, who was regarded as the chief architect of China’s reform and opening up surprised the world by implementing the “open door policy” which have added a glorious chapter to the development epic of China. At the BOAO Forum for Asia Annual Conference in 2018, President Xi complement Deng Xiaoping legacy with his softer tone speech by saying “the Chinese people will continue to work with the world to make greater contributions to mankind, unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development, actively participate in promoting changes in the global governance system.

To build a new type of international relations and to promote the construction of a community of human destinies.” Also, at the same forum, he said “if the partial opening of the economy by Deng Xiaoping brought prosperity to China, then it will be unwise to close the door now to destroys China’s prosperity”; as such, at the BOAO forum President Xi Jinping surprise the world by opening China door much wider. The logic and the strategy behind opening the door much wider is to allow more import and more services and to bring more prosperity to China. This is the secret behind China’s success in the past four decades having a good leadership that will do the right thing at the right time. President Xi Jinping said: “we will never threaten anyone nor overthrow the existing international system no matter how rich or powerful China becomes, we will not seek to build up spheres of influence – China will always be a builder for the world peace, and contributor to global development as well as a defender to international order.” President Xi’s softer tone speech at the BOAO forum is an overture to help resolve the standoff that has fueled fears concerning what the global economy may undergo in terms of protectionism. President Xi’s softer tone speech called for a commitment to openness, promoting free trade, investment liberalization and facilitation, supporting multilateral trading system, connectivity, mutual benefits, build an open global economy, and reinforce cooperation with the G20 and other regional and multilateral frameworks.

According to Xin Ming, Professor at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee said “China reform moved to the next level after the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012. This was the genesis of a novel phase in the Chinese economy as it becomes a period when China becomes more systematic, interconnected and coordinated. As a result of this, in 2013, China established the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to strengthen global connectivity. This initiative has created numerous benefits for nations along the routes. For example, according to Xinhua report titled China sees trade, investment growth with B&R countries, as of August 2018, China has signed 118 Belt and Road collaboration pacts with 103 nations and international organizations, and signed or upgraded five free-trade pacts with 13 nations along the routes. The report

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GUEST COLUMNIST By

Dr. Michael Ehizuelen

Deng Xiaoping

Xi Jinping

further mentioned that China total trade value with nations along the BRI routes surpassed US$5 trillion in the past five years, with an annual average growth of 1.1 percent, in contrast to falling global trade. China is presently the largest trading partner of 25 nations along the BRI routes.

Also, China’s joint direct investment with nations along the BRI routes has soared by 7.2 percent yearly on average. The Xinhua report further mentioned that more than 83 foreign economic and trade collaboration zones have been launched with nations along the BRI routes, with an accrued investment of 28.9 billion dollars. The zones attracted almost 4, 000 firms, generating 2 billion dollars of tax revenue for these nations and creating 244, 000 local employment. At the BOAO Forum for Asia Annual Conference in 2018 President Xi said: “the Belt and Road initiative originated in China, but the opportunities and achievements belong to the world.” He further said that this is not a “Chinese club”. Saudi Arabia and Japan are also discussing plans to join BRI. This indicates that China seeks cooperation rather than competition at the global level.

No doubt difficulties and challenges would happen in course of projects implementation, the fact is, through discussion, mutual trust and

teamwork which are the key basis of the BRI, the BRI nations with their capacities and strength can address these issues collectively and move forward to attain domestic global economic goals.

At the beginning of the reform and opening-up period, numerous Western leaders had doubts about China’s policies and wanted to verify them through Deng Xiaoping. Four decades on, the reverse is the case as numerous nations think that there is much to learn from China in terms of the precision with which it is forging ahead to implement its strategy.

China has vowed to deepen reform and open wider to the outside world.

President Xi Jinping said at the opening ceremony of the First China International Import Expo (CIIE) on November 5 in Shanghai that “China’s economic growth over the last four decades has been achieved with a commitment to opening up. In the same vein, high-quality development of China economy in the future can only be guaranteed with greater openness.” CIIE is the world’s first imported-themed expo held at the national level, which is a vital significant decision made by China to pursue a novel round of high-level opening up, is China’s major initiative to widen market access to the rest of the world. At the expo, numerous

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President Xi’s softer tone speech called for a commitment to openness, promoting free trade, investment liberalization and facilitation, supporting multilateral trading system, connectivity, mutual benefits, build an open global economy, and reinforce cooperation with the G20 and other regional and multilateral frameworks.

exhibitors of the CIIE came from G20 member states as well as nations with the links to the BRI. A total of 172 nations, regions and international organizations exhibited their products and services, plus more than 200 firms from over 40 African nations. CIIE offers a good chance for exhibitors to go beyond the norm and to expand the status-quo of current trading levels. It also provides an excellent opportunity for developing economies to engage with Chinese firms and display their diverse products. CIIE showcases to the world that new trends in economic cooperation are emerging and China is making that happened.

To conclude, Chinese concepts and initiative such as “community of shared future for mankind,” “the Belt and Road Initiative” and the “green development” that originated in China’s own development have been incorporated in United Nation documents and strategies and have become popular concepts in global governance. To conclude, Helga Zepp LaRouche who is the Schiller Institute Founder once said: “if the G20 would put the world silk road on the agenda, then China’s dream would become the world’s dream.” As such, if China’s dream becomes the world dreams, then the world can move from “Emptiness” to “Joyfulness”.

I used emptiness because a nation without a good manufacturing sector to create jobs, financing to fund development projects, sound infrastructure to create a multiplier effect, trade and investment to inject capital into a nation’s economy is empty. As these are the opportunities the BRI is presenting to the world.

So, I urge African countries to look forward to fully participate in the BRI to reverse the continent’s antiindustrialization process due to their failed adjustment, which was guided

by Western “structured reforms” in the 1980s. The final goal is to accelerate technology transfer, employment creation and Africa’s comprehensive transformation.

(Dr. Michael Ehizuelen is the director of Centre for Nigerian Studies, Institute of African Studies, Zhejiang Normal University)

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Override his veto then!

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