Monday, November 20, 2017 Edition

Monday, November 20, 2017/ Safar 30, 1439, 1439 AH

Vol. 27 No. 64 N150

1313 Days after

@pmlonline

peoplesdailyng

. . . putting the people first

The nation awaits rescue of the remaining abducted Chibok schoolgirls

Global endorsement of Nigeria’s fight against corruption excites FG

Anambra guber: How APGA’s Obiano emerged winner

Non-release of funds cripples committee works in Senate >>>page 2

>>>page 15

page 5

• As some senators abandon oversight duties • Our operations going on smoothly - Spokesman

Force Commander, Multinational Joint Task Force, Maj.-Gen. Leo Irabor, during a town hall meeting, on Saturday at Cross Kauwa Community, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno. Photo: NAN

Labour holds rally for industrialization of Africa today pAGE 6

Mugabe sacked as leader of ruling party, ZANU-PF pAGE 23

Gunmen storm commissioner’s house, kill 3 pAGE 3

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

News

CONTENTS News 2-7,9-10,14 Op.Ed

12-13

Politics 15-17 Stockwatch Business

18 19-20

Metro

21

World Analysis 22 Africa New

23

World New

24

Global endorsement of Nigeria’s fight against terrorism excites FG

By Umar Muhammad Puma

T

he Federal Government of Nigeria has hailed the recent global endorsement of its fight against terrorism, as contained in the 2017 Global Terrorism Index of the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).

In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, expressed delight at the report, which shows that the largest decrease in terrorism deaths globally occurred in Nigeria, where terrorism deaths attributed to Boko Haram fell by 80% in 2016.

The Minister said it was also encouraging that for the second

consecutive year, the total number of deaths is down with a 13% YearOn-Year reduction compared to 2015, with four of the five countries most affected by terrorism - Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria recording 33% fewer deaths.

He said the progress that has been made by Nigeria in the fight against terrorism, since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in2015, was duly acknowledged by the Executive Chairman of IEP, SteveKillelea, who was quoted by the report as saying, inter alia: ‘’The decline of Boko Haram in Nigeria is having a positive ripple effect, with Cameroon, Chad and Niger collectively recording 75% fewer deaths.”

Alhaji Mohammed said Nigeria’s success in the fight against terrorismis a direct result of the leadership provided by President Buhari, who did not just provide the enabling environment for the Nigerian military to regain its lost glory in the fight against terrorism, but also rallied Nigeria’s neighbours to forge a wide, sub-regional front against Boko Haram. ‘’It is fitting, therefore, that the 2017 Global Terrorism Index acknowledges the success recorded by the Multinational Joint Task Force that has been exerting pressure on Boko Haram,’’ he said.

The Minister recalled that President Buhari, in his inaugural speech on the 29th of May 2015,

directed the relocation of the command centre of the fight against Boko Haram to Maiduguri, and then followed up with a shuttle diplomacy that took him to Cameroon, Chad and Niger, and resulted in the rejuvenation of the Multinational Joint Task Force.

He congratulated the Nigerian military for its patriotism and sacrifice that have once again made the country a proud member of the comity of nations.

Alhaji Mohammed said the 2017 Global Terrorism Index will provide afresh shot in the arm for the Administration to continue its efforts to wipe out the vestige of Boko Haram, and to tackle all other forms of insecurity facing the nation.

Governor Masari

Gowon, Masari urge more investments in education Pgae 4

Eucation

27

Feture 26 Sports 29-30 Back Page

32

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L-R: Former Vice President and chieftain of All Progressives Congress Atiku Abubakar and Secretary to the Kano State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji, at the launch of a book in honour of late Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi I, at Emir’s Palace, on Saturday in Kano

Human trafficking, illegal migration threat to national security - Saraki

By Christiana Ekpa

T

he Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has described the alarming tide of human trafficking and illegal migration by some Nigerians as threat to national security that requires urgent response.

The President of the Senate, made the remarks when the Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, (NAPTIP), Dame Julie Okah-Donli, led senior members of the agency’s management team on a courtesy visit to him in at the National Assembly Complex Abuja Saraki said that in view of the bad image being created for the country and the overall security implications posed by the illegal migrants and victims of trafficking, the Senate would support the Federal Government and NAPTIP to work out a cohesive and

comprehensive national response to the twin evil.

He stated that human trafficking and illegal migration activities have reached crisis proportions in the country with severe implications for national security.

“As you know through your valuable work, human trafficking and illegal migration are the EU’s number one issue with Nigeria,” Saraki said.

“The European Union members fear these issues fuel the attraction of many citizens to the divisive messages espoused by ultra nationalist political parties.”

He lamented that thousands of young Nigerians continue to risk their lives unnecessarily as they attempt to transit across the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea on the false promise of a better life in Europe and beyond.

“The crisis has exposed the ruthless human trafficking, smuggling

and criminal cartels that profit on the hopes and dreams of these young people,” Saraki said. “Many of these unscrupulous groups are organized

by Nigerians.”

He added: “Unfortunately, this has caused some in the international community and media to shine negative attention on Nigeria, in this respect, the human trafficking and illegal migration crisis has become a national security issue.

“In response, the Senate is in agreement with NAPTIP that Human Trafficking is a national priority and represents a danger to national and human security.

“Also, we look to work with the Federal Government and NAPTIP in the creation of a cohesive and comprehensive national response to the migration crisis,” Saraki said.

He stated that the Senate is aware of the challenging work and important achievements of NAPTIP as “many

of the EU country delegations have mentioned their partnerships with your agency.” “Therefore, we will make our best effort to support your agency during the 2018 budget/ appropriations process,” he stated.

Earlier, the DG of NAPTIP, Mrs. Okah-Donli, decried the monumental challenges confronting the agency in efforts to fulfill its statutory mandate due to poor and irregular funding.

She called for the intervention of the National Assembly in enhancing the capacity of the Agency to better actualize its mandate through favourable budgetary provision and acquisition of a permanent office for the Agency in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

She also urged State Governments to provide adequate structures for the rescue and rehabilitation of the victims of human trafficking in their States.

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PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

News

Ag News Editor, Ese Awhotu

Human Trafficking: Dogara leads Nigerian delegation to Italy

By Umar Muhammad Puma

S

peaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, is leading Nigerian delegation to Italy to discuss women empowerment and the fight against human trafficking.

The visit is coming on the heels of the death of 26 Nigerian women

in the Mediterranean Sea who lost their lives while trying to cross to Europe.

The Italian government had extended invitation to the Speaker to attend an international conference on “Women empowerment and the fight against trafficking in persons.

The Partnership between Nigeria

and Italy” which will take place in Rome.

This is sequel to the official visit of the President of Italian Chamber of Deputies, Ms. Laura Boldrini, to the Speaker in May 2017.

Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, and Director General of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking

in Persons (NAPTIP), Ms Julie Okah-Donli, among others are also in the delegation .

The Nigerian delegation are billed to attend the Conference on the invitation of the Italian Parliament who are seeking partnership with Nigeria to stem human trafficking especially the increasing number of Nigerian

citizens that enter Italy every year.

During her visit to Speaker Dogara, in May this year, Laura Boldrini, had lamented that in 2016 alone, 37,000 Nigerians arrived in Italy through the Mediterranean sea. The conference also seeks ways of empowering Nigerian women to stop the illegal and dangerous migration of Nigerians to Europe.

FG seeks more cooperation among D-8 members on investments From Abuja

Abba-Eku

Onyeka

F

ederal Government recently hosted Developing-8 (D8) member countries of the world at Transcorp Hilton Hotel to strategize on industrial and economic growth and development cooperation.

In an address, the SecretaryGeneral of the international organisation, Dr Ali Mohammed Mousavi harped on the need to promote industrial cooperation between member states in the area of investment, saying that it is one of the core reasons for formation of the organisation.

He said investment was a key ingredient for economic growth and development, adding that it plays a vital role in poverty eradication by increasing the productivity capacity of the economy through employment generation, among others.

Mousavi therefore called for inclusion of new technology in its pursuance, informing that since its formation, the organisation has achieved for members, capacity building, training, among others.

He said that they wanted to collaborate with other regions and international organisations so as to tap from each other’s knowledge, even as he regretted that they had the challenges of human and financial resources.

Declaring the occasion open, Vice President Yomi Osinbajo

spoke at length on the benefit of collaboration between member states in economic growth and

development.

Represented by the Minister of State of the host

ministry, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), Mrs Aisha Abubakar,

commended the member states for commitment in the organisation.

L-R; President Council for the Registration of Engineering In Nigeria, ENGR, Kashim A. Ali, Chairman Board of Trustee Armaya›u Foundation, Justice Mannan Nasir and Chairman Nigerian Society of Engineers Kaduna State Branch, Engr Abdulrashed Babalola during the 9th Engr. Mahmud Urwatu Armaya›u Public Lectures and Presentation of Award organized by Nigerian Society of Engineers Kaduna State Branch, yesterday in Kaduna.

Photo: Bashir Bello

2 dead, 6 injured in Lagos-Ibadan Expressway auto crash

C

lement Oladele, Ogun Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, said that two people died while six sustained injuries in a multiple accident that occurred at Kara Bridge, on LagosIbadan Expressway on Saturday.

Mr. Oladele told the News Agency of Nigeria in an interview that the accident happened at about 2.00 p. m. The sector commander said that three vehicles were involved in the accident.

Mr. Oladele said that a Mazda

Bus with registration number SGM 530 XA lost control due to speeding and rammed into the other two vehicles. ”Corpses of the victims have been deposited at the mortuary, Ojota General Hospital, while

survivors are also receiving intensive treatment at the same hospital,” he said.

Oladele said that efforts were ongoing to remove the vehicles, with a view to allow free flow of traffic in the area.(NAN)

Terrorism Index: Centre lauds FG over Nigeria’s ranking

By Stanley Onyekwere

T

he Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC) has described the recent ranking by the Institute for Economics and Peace as a reflection of the leadership being by President Buhari and the Service Chiefs on the war against terrorism in Nigeria and around the Chad Basin.

In particular, the Centre said the release of the Global Terrorism Index that ranked Nigeria’s efforts towards curtailing the menace of Boko Haram and other terrorists activities by 80 per cent is not new to those in the country having seen the military drastically reduced the Insurgents activities to the nearest minimal level in the country.

The group in a press conference in Abuja yesterday, stated that it remains a welcome development and a mirror for the military and the Nigerian authorities to evaluate their strategies

in the war against terror.

Reading from the report, SHAC’s Executive Secretary, Comrade Ibrahim Abubakar, said the statistics show that Nigeria has helped to reduce global deaths by about 800,000 to 1,000,000 through its decisive leadership and coordinated military actions that saw Boko Haram Commanders surrendering in droves, rescue of countless Nigerians, reclaiming of lost territories and the rebuilding of the north east.

“It is on record that we have had cause to make several interventions in the past owing to the sheer ferocity of Boko Haram’s attacks on civilians.

“It is a situation that we have continually monitored while we at several times called on the Federal Government and the Nigerian Army to intensify efforts in safeguarding the lives of the populace.

“The decline in Nigeria was due

to sustained military action by the Nigerian government and neighbouring countries against Boko Haram, forcing them to abandon territory they had previously controlled.

“However, they have expanded their terrorist activities in the neighbouring countries of Cameroon and Niger.

“Both countries have seen a significant rise and are now amongst the ten countries with the highest number of deaths from terrorism and are in the top 20 on the GTI. “ “It is remarkable that someone if finally admitting that the government and military efforts dealing with terrorism is finally paying off and on a large scale for that matter,” he stated.

He noted that the implication of the report is that hundreds and thousands of lives have been saved in one year, which shows the administration’s commitment to the global war against

terrorism and focus on reducing needless human suffering.

“It is heart-warming that this which has been conducted under best international practices is a product of an organized military that believes in the President’s covenant with the citizens of Nigeria.

The feat could only have been achieved by a military that is transparent in its dealings with personnel where welfare and regular trainings in modern warfare are hallmarks of its administration. To that extent the Nigeria military Leadership remains the best and have continued to remain focused on its set objectives.

“SHAC uses this opportunity to commend the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government’s approach to the war against terrorism, which has restored hope that it is a matter of time before deaths from these demented killers.

“We laud President Buhari as a friend of humanity, a leader committed to restoring stability in Nigerian considering the glowing ranking by the Institute for Economics and Peace, which is a welcome development. It goes a long way to demonstrate how the administration’s commitment to the safety of lives and properties has finally paid off.

“We similarly commend the Nigerian military for achieving this feat even in the midst of the distractions by vested interests. It takes a professional military to deliver on its mandate under such circumstances.

“Meanwhile, we like to appeal to President Buhari to increase his support for the military so that even the 20% deaths can be further avoided to quickly bring the country to a point where terrorism related deaths are a thing of the past,”he said

PAGE 4

News

Gunmen storm commissioner’s house, kill three

T

hree persons were killed in Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State on Sunday when gunmen stormed the country home of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Udo Ekpenyong.

The killing is coming two days after a similar incident where armed men riding a motorcycle shot dead a policeman and two other persons in a filling station in the local government area.

The police spokesperson in the state, Bala Elkana, who confirmed the latest incident, told PREMIUM TIMES that the commissioner’s younger sister was among those killed by the gunmen.

Mr. Elkana, a deputy superintendent of police, said the gunmen who rode on a motorcycle shot and killed the woman inside the commissioner’s country home at Ikot Oku Usung village.

Two more persons were killed elsewhere in the village as the gunmen fired indiscriminately while on their way out of the village, Mr. Elkana said.

“The commissioner is safe,” the police spokesperson said. “I’m not sure he was in the house when the incident happened.”

He said the police were investigating the incident and that he couldn’t give out more information in order not to jeopardise the investigation.

The police commissioner in the state, Zubairu Muazu, is said to be in Ukanafun to assess the situation in the area.

Meanwhile, the police have banned the use of motorcycles in Ukanafun and in the neighbouring local government area of Etim Ekpo from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.

The police spokesperson in the state, Mr. Elkana, said in a statement that the ban takes effect from Sunday.

“This measure becomes necessary to tackle the rising tide of violent crimes, especially murder and kidnapping in the affected Local Government Areas mainly perpetrated with motorcycles,” Mr. Elkana said, warning that anyone who violates the ban would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

Both Ukanafun and Etim Ekpo have become notorious in the state of late for cult-related violence and killings.

PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

Gowon, Masari urge more investments in education From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

G

overnment at all levels have been urged to invest heavily in education to make the younger generation responsible leaders of tomorrow.

Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon made the call at the twenty seventeen Annual Lecture of the Barewa Old Boys Association, BOBA, held in Katsina.

General Gowon, who is the

Chairman Board of Trustees of the association, observed that the level of development of any society cannot exceed the level of education of its children, and appealed to leaders at all levels to accord priority to the sector.

In his speech at the occasion, Governor Aminu Bello Masari pointed out that his administration has accorded education the highest priority since his assumption in office two years ago.

He explained that so far, his administration has renovated

hundreds of schools across the state and built new and equipped new ones.

The governor noted that his administration has has also employed primary and secondary school teachers and settled three months’ promotion arrears of primary school teachers in the state owed them since twenty thirteen.

He also explained that directors who were redundant in state and local government education departments were also deployed to classrooms to

enhance manpower in schools.

Masari urged the private sector, non-governmental organizations and well meaning indigenes of the state to also invest in public education to better the life of the younger generation.

Earlier in a dissertation, the guest lecturer Professor Jibril Ibrahim, noted that over thirteen million children in the country are out of school, and that eighty percent of them are in the northern part of the country.

A cross-section of Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC) Staff with Rev. Fr. Cornelus Ajaegbu at Holy Trinity Catholic Church Awaka, area of Owerri North during the commemoration of 2017 African Road Safety Day and World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims , yesterday in Imo. Photo: NAN

Child malnutrition rising in Nigeria – Bureau for Statistics From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

T

he National Bureau for Statistics has stated that there is increase in child malnutrition in Nigeria even as it stated that the country has recorded visible drop in infant mortality. This is contained in the fifth Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS5), conducted in 2016 and 2017.

The survey results showed that Nigeria made significant improvements in some areas while others remain unchanged or have worsened since 2011 by not keeping pace with population growth when the last survey was conducted.

According to the results, the infant mortality rate drop to 70 per 1000 live births from 97 in 2011. Equally, deaths among children under age five have dropped to 120 per 1000 live births from 158 in 2011.

“However, malnutrition among children under age five has worsened nationwide with the highest concerns in northern states. Child wasting (children who are too thin for their age) increased from 24.2 per cent to 31.5 per cent, while child stunting (children who are too short for their age) increased from 34.8 per cent to 43.6 per cent.

“MICS5 is a recognized and

definitive source of information for assessing the situation of children and women in the areas of Health, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Education, Protection; and HIV/AIDS amongst others – in Nigeria as well as in other countries where it is carried out.

“The findings of the survey are used for planning, monitoring and decision making on programmes and policies to address issues related to the well-being of children and women in Nigeria, “The use of this new MICS5 data will improve the lives of Nigerians by informing

about important gaps that are impacting children and women so that appropriate actions can be taken”.

Speaking on the data, the Acting Representative for UNICEF in Nigeria, Pernille Ironside, said it is not about data for the sake of date; saying, since 1995, UNICEF has supported the National Bureau for Statistics (NBS), with technical assistance and funding to conduct five rounds of MICS, informing progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Sustainable Development Goals (SGs) and other major national and global commitments.

it necessary to exhibit their talents to excel in life.

He therefore, counseled the upcoming Christian artists not to allow their talents to die, while praying for his daughter to attain a great height in life.

He charged the clergymen to place a higher premium on the upbringing of their children.

Not left out the mother of the artist, Mrs Monica Timai, expressed joy over the gospel

album being released by her daughter, noting that her daughter is gifted in gospel music.

She prayed that God would continued to protect as well guide her daughter through her future endeavor, while advising the young girls to always conduct themselves well in the society.

Meanwhile, the occasion was attended by some clergymen in the area.

Philosophy graduate launches gospel music

By Usman Shuaibu

A

graduate of philosophy from Kogi State University, Precious Loye Timai, has launched gospel music album titled “Oluwa Is Involved” at Sandaco Hotel, Rafinsenyi, Suleja Local Government, and Niger State.

In an interview at the occasion, Loye Timai, said the purpose of launching

the album was to propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Christian Community in Nigeria and the world at large.

Timai also said she came out with the gospel music album in order to win the souls for the lord Jesus Christ.

She advised the Christian religious leaders to always preach the true words of God to their followers, urging them to emulate life style of Jesus Christ at all times.

She, however, called on both Christian leaders and Muslim leaders to tolerate each other for the overall development of the country.

Also speaking, the chairman of the occasion, Rev. Moses Udoh, commended the artist for the step being taken to praise God through the gospel music.

On his part, the father of the artist, Rev. Samuel Timai, advised the youths to deem

Page 5

PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

News

Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River(2ndR), Deputy Governor, Prof. Ivara Esu(2ndL)and others during the second dry of the Carnival, yesterday in Calabar.

Photo: NAN

How non-release of funds cripples committee works in Senate • •

As some senators abandon committee work Our oversight duties going on smoothly - Spokesman

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

A

good number of the Senate committees have abandoned their legislative work and oversight functions on the executive arm of government since they were created by the leadership in June 2015, Peoples Daily checks have revealed.

Poor release of funds budgeted for legislative activities of the various Senate Committees by the Senate leadership have been fingered as reason.

Checks by our correspondent revealed that while some of the Senate committees have never held a committee meeting, many others have only done so only once or twice since the Senate leadership created about sixty eight committees at its inception in June 2015.

Peoples Daily reports that legislative oversight functions on the executive have grossly been scaled down by the lawmakers reportedly due to stringent processes of getting funds released by the Senate leadership.

It was gathered by our correspondents that there is an existing subtle approval given by the Senate leadership to the various committee chairmen who are desirous of oversight to solicit for sponsorship for oversight visits from the agencies of government which are under them.

According to our source, it is only the committees which are allegedly favored by the Senate President like FCT, Appropriation, Ethics and Privileges, TETFUND, among few others, as well as those who are essential to the interests of the Senate leadership, that can receive money for oversight from the Senate budget.

This, the source said, has made some of the committee chairmen to resort to seeking for sponsorship of oversight functions to the agencies of government under them. The source further indicated that the scenario is worst against the committees considered to be ‘less juicy’.

Another source who spoke to Peoples Daily affirmed that the cumulative effect of this trend has made some senators to abandon the committees originally assigned to them.

One of the sources who does not want to be mentioned, said the Senate leadership got it wrong at the onset when it increased the committees of the Senate from its original number of fifty seven at David Mark era to sixty eight, especially when the expectation was that number of committees will be reduced due to the prevailing economic downturn in the country.

According to him, the increase was only political rather than a necessity, arguing that the Senate would not have been able to adequately fund these committees, hence some committees that cannot get money have abandoned their

responsibilities.

He said it was a matter of political expediency rather than propriety for the Senate President to increase the Senate committees to sixty eight for one hundred and nine senators, saying that translates to almost a committee per senator.

However, responding to the question as to whether the Senate leadership has not been approving money for oversight to these committees which have resulted in abdication of oversight activities, or whether the chairmen of those committees might have diverted the money approved for them, the Senate Spokesman, Abdullahi Sabi, said the Senate committees have been carrying out their oversight duties effectively.

He said oversight is not only going to meet the agencies of government at site, but also inviting them at committee level and looking through their documents to ensure that due process and due diligence were followed in their execution of government programmes and projects.

“Let us get it straight, we are not doing monitoring and evaluation, but we are doing oversight, they are two different things. I am a monitoring and evaluation expert. Please let us take one thing, oversight from the legislative perspective is looking through what the executive is doing to ensure that there is due diligence, due process and compliance.

“It will involve what we do at committee level where we sit down in our committee rooms, it also involves when we invite them to have an interactive session with them. It involves when we bring them in for public hearing, it also involves when we decide to visit them on site.

So, do not make any mistake about it, those are the three that constitutes oversight. So within that contest, we now have the chance to now look through and that is how it is. So, do not look at it that you do not see them traveling, and even if it is that, this year alone, I have gone on oversight with more than four committees, and I can tell you that it is not an easy task for us to free ourselves and go out but we have done that.

“We just went to Anambra, Enugu, Imo and Abia with the Senate Committee on Agriculture and I can tell you that this is the very first time they are having Senate committee visiting such locations on oversight. This 8th Senate, we were the first. So, sometimes, when you want to make comparison, you must bring oranges and oranges, do not bring oranges and apples to make comparison.

“The last Senate is gone, the period they were in session, the economy they had is different from the economy we are having. The socio cultural challenges they were having is different from the challenges we are having now, that is why it is

difficult to compare the two because it is not the same condition. There cannot be two senates at the same time. I am not saying there is money issue because I do not know where you are getting your own information”, he said.

The sixty eight committees of the senate are as follows: Committee on Rules & Business, Senate Services Committee, Committee on Ethics & Privileges, Committee on Public Accounts, Committee on National Security & Intelligence, Committee on Agriculture, Committee on Air Force, Committee on Army, Committee on Anti – Corruption & Financial Crimes, Committee on Appropriations, Committee on Aviation, Committee on Banking, Insurance & Other Financial Institutions. Others are Committee on Capital Market, Committee on Communications, Committee on Cooperation & Integration in Africa & NEPAD, Committee on Culture & Tourism, Committee on Customs, Excise & Tariff, Committee on Defence, Committee on Diaspora & Civil Societies, Committee on Drugs & Narcotics, Committee on Downstream Petroleum, Committee on Ecology & Climate Change, Committee on Education (Basic & Secondary), Committee on Employment, Labour & Productivity.

Also, there are Committee on Environment, Committee on Establishment & Public Service, Committee on Federal Capital Territory, Committee on Federal Character & Inter Governmental Affairs, Committee on Finance, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on Gas, Committee on Health, Committee on Housing, Committee on I.C.T & Cybercrime, Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission, Committee on Information & National Orientation, Committee on Interior, Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs.

There is also Committee on Industry, Committee on Judiciary Human Rights & Legal Matters, Committee on Land Transport, Committee on Local & Foreign Debts, Committee on Marine Transport, Committee on Media & Public Affairs, Committee on Public Procurement, Committee on National Identity & National Population, Committee on National Planning & Economic Affairs, Committee on Navy, Committee on Niger Delta, Committee on Police Affairs, Committee on Power, Committee on Primary Health Care & Communicable Diseases, Committee on Privatisation.

And also Committee on Science & Technology, Committee on Solid Minerals, Committee on Special Duties, Committee on Sports, Committee on States & Local Government, committee poverty alleviation and Social welfare, committee on

petroleum upstream, committee on MDGs. To be specific, the senate committees like poverty alleviation and Social welfare, MDGs, State and local government affairs, just to mention a few, had never met once, and have been silent regarding legislative activities since they were created by the senate in June.

Others like: Senate Services Committee, Committee on Cooperation & Integration in Africa & NEPAD, Committee on Ecology & Climate Change, Committee on Diaspora & Civil Societies, Committee on Housing, Committee on I.C.T & Cybercrime, Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission, Committee on Information & National Orientation, have not held any public hearing or oversight visit to government agency or parastatals under them.

Our correspondents gathered that the budget for oversights in the 2017 budget of the senate stands at N10,907,081,970 billion, however, they could not ascertain how much of this fund has been disbursed for the purpose it was meant for, especially in the face of slow pace of legislative activities in the Senate.

Budget of the senate for committee works and other activities are as follows: public and investigative hearing which has about N4,755,295,120 billion, research which has N78,700,320 million, general services which has N12,584,672,079 billion.

There is also a budget of N1,472,494,400 billion for publicity and advert, in addition to a contingency budget of about N1,305,226,400 billion, among others.

While making reference to this ugly development during a plenary session, the obviously worried Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, had called the attention of the Senate President to this malaise, when he said “We must ensure that Senators are placed in the number of committees they can handle”.

Ekwerenmadu had observed that the structure of committees of the Senate at the moment had become very unhealthy and needed to be reorganised.

He drew his observation from the report being presented by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education during which he noted that of the 21 members of the committee only 12 signed the report, even as he declared that it was unusual and cumbersome for the Senate to continue to tolerate the development.

It was learnt that the Senate leadership was becoming uncomfortable with a development where many Senators choose for themselves the committee to belong to because they were assigned membership of different committees beyond what they can cope with.

PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

PAGE 6

News

R-L: President Muhammadu Buhari, in a handshake with President/ CEO, Euphoria Press Limited, Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammad Girei during a Book presentation, “Making Steady, Sustainable Progress, printed by Euphoria Press Limited, recently , at the State House, Abuja.

Labour holds rally for industrialization of Africa today From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

T

he IndustriALL Global Union Africa in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, manufacturers, will today will march for beneficiation and industrialization of African economies.

The Vice President of the Union, Comrade Issa Aremu disclosed this in a press statement made available to the media in kaduna yesterday.

According to him, the organized labour from different part of the country will gathered at Eagle Square where they will proceed to Yar’ Adua Centre.

The statement added that the rally is to mark the 2017 Africa industrialization Day (AID) According to Aremu, Africa industrialization Day (AID) is a significant day declared by United

Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO)an annual platform for Governments, businesses and organized labour linked to industrial development to examine ways and means to stimulate Africa industrialization process.

His word; “Industrialization and industrial policies as well as national development are too important to be left to governments and businesses alone.

“Indeed promoting sustainable industrial policy is one of the critical success goals of our global union.

“In Africa, promoting sustainable industrial policy assumes a special importance. Industry is a key driver of sustainable jobs and development for national economies and the foundation of good living standards.

“It does not matter whether it is first industrial revolution, (Industry 1.0), Second Industrial Revolution (2.0) Third Industrial Revolution (Industry

3.0) or the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) “We as Africans must make what we wear (gold, rings and necklaces, clothes and textile), what we ride, (automobiles), what fuel our cars (petroleum products) what we build with (iron and steel), soaps we bath with (chemicals and allied products) and generate energy we consume.

“We must stop exporting raw cottons, crude oil, mineral resources, gold and diamond only to be importing finished goods from China, Europe and America. It does not matter whether it is small or medium scale enterprises, Africa must consume products it produce not imported or smuggled as it is the case in Nigeria.

“UNIDO over the years had shown that manufacturing industry in SubSaharan Africa (SSA) lags behind other developing regions in almost all measures of economic development, namely

income per head, industrialization and agricultural productivity.

“The distribution of manufacturing activity in SSA, measured by the dollar value of manufacturing value added (MVA), is highly skewed.

“In 2015 Africa has as many as 1.2 billion population. Millions of youths join the labour market annually. Only industry can provide sustainable jobs and living wages and necessary revenues for government to provide the needed infrastructure for development.

“For Africa to meet the Sustainable Development Goal 2030, especially SDG 9 dealing with industry and innovation our continent must innovate and industrialize.

“Africa should stop being romantic and clapping for China through uncritical importation of goods and services.

“Rather Africa must copy China’s industrialization drive which has within

20 years moved over 250 million people out of poverty through manufacturing and industrialization.

“Africa must make what it consumes, otherwise it will be consumed by the rest of the world.

“Many African countries have robust documents and policies on industrialization and diversification, yet few existing industries are closing with mass job losses.

“It’s time South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana! Zimbabwe, Sudan walked/worked the policies and add value to the continent abundant raw materials.

“Today we acknowledge and commend the Federal Government of Nigeria for launching the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. Together with the existing National Industrial Revolution Plan, it can promote revival of industries and creation of mass decent jobs.”

NGO to monitor N266.8m UBEC projects in Kaduna From Femi Oyelola, kaduna

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Non Governmental Organisation, Connected Development (CODE), is mobilising community members and relevant stakeholders to monitor implementation of N266.8 million Universal Basic Education Commission’s (UBEC) projects in four Local Government Areas of Kaduna State.

The NGO’s Senior Programme Manager, Mr Chambers Umezulike, made this known on Friday, during a town hall meeting with community members and relevant stakeholders at Kufana, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

According to him, the project, supported by MacArthur Foundation, would track the implementation of UBEC projects in 70 schools in state, starting with 23 schools in Jema’a,

Kajuru, Kudan and Zangon Kataf Local Government Areas.

He added that the NGO have commenced the tracking process in 23 schools, out of which 16 projects have been awarded at the cost of N266.8 million under 2014 work plan in the selected LGAs. Umezulike explained that the essence of the town hall meeting was to bring relevant stakeholders to discuss the projects for effective

project oversight and improve service delivery.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Kaduna SUBEB, Mrs Kande Bage, thanked CODE for the initiative and called on community members monitor and maintain the school infrastructure.

“Also, the Education Secretary, Kajuru LGA, Mr Yahaya Gardi, thanked CODE for engaging community members in monitoring

government’s spending in the LGAs. Mr Gideon Turaki, School-Based Management Committee Chairman, Primary School Kufan, assured SUBEB and CODE of effective monitoring of the projects.

The women Leader in Kufana, Mrs Jummai Halidu, said that the ongoing projects in various schools in the LGA means that their children would have improved learning environment.

Group calls for Maina’s reinstatement

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

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he Nigeria Women in Action have called for the reinstatement of the former chairman of Pension Reform Taskforce Team (PRTT) Abdulrasheed Maina.

The group which involves wives of pensioners made the call during a protest at the Unity Fountain in Abuja.

The convener of the group,

Mrs Ebere Okafor said the solidarity match was in support of the Anti corruption drive of President Buhari in ensuring that corrupted government officials are be convicted for what they stole.

Okafor said, “What we are demanding is for the President to bring Maina back to the pension office, so that the big amount of money missing could be recovered for our husbands.

We are here to lend our voices to the anti corruption war, we dare say, the war against corruption must in it totality irrespective of how highly placed you may be “.

“This is the first time we are speaking in support of our husbands, who worked and retired from the Federal Civil Service. We are speaking now because it is very important for President Buhari to know that ,

during the time of Abdulrasheed Maina as the chairman of PRTT, our husbands’ pension was increased the and we paid every month “.

She added that, “we want the President to know that, those who are calling Maina a thief are actually the real thieves.

They want all our husbands to die , they are stealing our money every day, imagine them stealing 300m Naira every day , N5.32bn

every month and saying that 3tr is hidden somewhere ,that which belongs to our husbands . Our request to the President is that we seriously need that money , our children school fees cannot paid and some of them have dropped out of school ,because we are no more financially buoyant to meet our children need ,please we want the 3tr Naira to start business, support our children and have our livelihoods back “.

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PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

CRIME News Vandals cut down tower 53 in Cross Rivers state

By Musa Adam

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andals struck at Tower 53, ItuAdiabo 132kV transmission line located in a valley in Inuakpa, Odukpani Local Government Area in Cross rivers state, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), has announced.

TCN also informed that development had cut down the transmission tower, earlier taken out for transmission lines re-conducting to enhance its capacity.

A release signed by the General Manager, Public Affairs, TCN, Ndidi Mbah, noted that the vandalized tower was discovered by TCN engineers around 3pm on the 16th of November, 2017, while on transmission lines patrol.

It said: “This act of vandalism is a clear unpatriotic act of sabotage against the transmission expansion initiatives of the present management of the company.”

According to the release, the Itu- Adiabo132kV transmission line which emanates from the Adiabo transmission station is the second transmission line through which power is supplied to Calabar and environs.

It said though, Calabar was currently being fed from the Adiabo-Calabar 132kV transmission substation, the vandalized tower enables TCN back-feed Calabar when a fault or transmission lines tripping occurred.

It further noted with regrets that TCN spends funds meant for projects expansion on replacing vandalized costly transmission equipment and lines lost to activities of vandals, which was anti-progressive.

It assured that security operatives were already at the site of the incident to assess the damage and conduct further investigations.

Police destroy illegal refinery, parade vandals in Edo

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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olice in Benin have destroyed an illegal refinery sited at the bank of Agbede-Igonu Community River in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo state.

The state Commissioner of Police, Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, said six suspected vandals were arrested by police operatives during the operation which lasted for hours.

The Commissioner disclosed this while briefing Media at the Command headquarters at the weekend in Benin City, the Edo state Capital.

A breakdown on the arrest if over

75 suspected criminals within the last two weeks, revealed that 29 armed robbers, 20 suspected kidnappers and 55 suspected cultists who were also paraded by the police.

Kokumo, displayed a cache of arms and ammunition recovered by police alongside nine exotic cars and over N1.2 million in the various operations across the state through during the parade.

A 26-year-old lover boy, Dodo Michael, was also paraded by the police for allegedly raping and abducted a 16-year-old teenager simply identified as Miss Victory.

The victim was lured the girl

via social media network to Dodo’s house in the Government Reservation Area in Benin City, the state Capital where the suspect began to demand for N4 million ransom before he was arrested.

In an interview, the victim (Dodo), said the alleged abduction of Victory was arranged by the him and the girl whom he alleged was his girlfriend friend.

Five suspects involved in the murder of Prof. Paul Otasowie, Academic staff of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), whose parade were deferred in order not to shuttle police investigation, we’re also paraded by

L-R: Executive Secretary, Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Rev. Uja Tor Uja in a warm handshake with the Chairman, Federal Medical Committee (FMC), Dr. Francis Alu during the 2017 Orientation and Training of Federal Medical Team for this year Christian Pilgrimage Exercise at Savannah Suits , recvently in Abuja.

CSO sensitises citizens, women on anti-corruption war

By Musa Adam

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civil organisation, the Advocacy and Legal Advice Centres (ALAC) has sensitised Nigerians on the need for them buy-in on the on-going anti-coeruption drive of the present administration.

ALAC, an upshoot of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), held a workshop to educate citizens and women groups on their

the Commissioner of police.

Speaking with newsmen during their parade, three of the main suspects in police net in connection with the Prof. Otasowie’s murder, Best Okhumode, Osazee Oghogho and Okoro Happy, said their intention was not to kill the University Don who had raised the alarm.

They said their intention was to snatched his car and bolt away with his car, but, he was shot dead by one of the suspects, Best Okhumode, upon the refusal of the deceased to surrender his car keys to them when they demanded for it.

rights.

CISLAC is currently implementing a project through Transparency International (TI), with support from Global Affairs Canada to empower citizens to become part of the anticorruption campaign, which is the core focus of the present administration.

In his address, the Executive Director, CISLAC, Auwal Musa, said it was expedient for citizens to begin to demand accountability from the

government.

He noted that Nigerians were not aware of their fundamental rights and as such, adding that they could not tell when their rights were violated or know where to go for redress.

He furthet noted that there was a need for all Nigerians to understand their rights and demand accountability from those who govern them.

He explained that ALAC offers citizens the opportunity to actively

engage in fighting corruption by reporting corruption cases.

He saidd: “This is in line with one of Nigeria’s commitment under the Open Governance Partnership (OGP) to support victims and witnesses of corrupt practices.”

He stressed that corruption affects Nigerians everyday lives and that it was important people were encouraged to report incidences of corruption without fear.

Also commenting, a Senior Programme Officer with CISLAC, Kola Banwo, who gave an overview of the IMPACT project, explained that the project was about getting citizens involved in the fight against corruption, building knowledge, sharing ideas and supporting victims and witnesses of corruption. He further stated that ALAC takes information in a confidential manner, so the victim or witness was protected.

Kebbi CJ wants speedy trial of inmates From Ahmed Idris Birnin Kebbi

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he newly appointed Kebbi State Chief Judge, Elizabeth Asabe Karatu has expressed worry over keeping of accused persons in prison for so long without trial by investigating police officers.

This is just as he freed 29 inmates and granted fifteen of them bail in Birnin- Kebbi Prison as part of measures to decongest prisons in the state.

She stated, weekend, during her

famirilization tour to the prisons across the state that there was need to have a strong synergy between the judges and the police in order not to keep accused persons for a long time in prison, most especially those with minor cases. The inmates that regained their freedom includes; 23 males and six females.

While addressing the remaining inmates after she had selected few for pardoned, CJ Karatu charged others who are still awaiting trial, serving their jail terms to comply with the efforts of

Nigeria Prison Services to reform them to be good citizens.

“Your incarceration in prison does not mean you are outside the society, no, you are within the society. Those of you that are found guilty, that is why we are here, we come here to review your cases.

Those of you that are facing prosecution, you must face your prosecution in the Courts. Please, and please, try to get yourselves reform.

“The essence of incarceration here

is not to create additional burden on you. It is to let reflect about your past, what have you done in the past, and think deeply how you can change so that when you leave here, you will not go back to the similar crimes that brought you here.

“Please,change your system and I pray Almighty Allah will change and all of us to be good citizens of this country” she added.

Responding while condemning Prisons Congestion, Comptroller of

Nigeria Prison Service(NPS),Kebbi State,Sani Adamu Potiskum accused Investigation Police Officers ( IPO) for not doing effective work stressed that many accused persons are in prison for many years without receiving judgement on their offences.

Potiskum threatened that if they are not effective, the NPS would be forced to report them to judiciary on any accused persons standing trials for more than three weeks and kept in the prisons.

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PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

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PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

News

Bauchi govt faces court over engagement of private coy in revenue collection From Bauchi

Ahmed

Kaigama,

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itizens of Bauchi Local Government Area of Bauchi state have filed a suit in a Federal High Court against Bauchi state government for engaging the services of a private firm Casacada to collect revenue on behalf of Bauchi Local Government Area.

The suit is filed before Federal High Court sitting in Bauchi by Bauchi LGA citizens Garba Ibrahim and two others against the state government, Anthony General and the Cascada company in Bauchi.

The counsel to the plaintiff Garba Ibrahim and two others.

Barrister Hussaini Saraki said section 7 of the 1999 constitution has given the local government a right over its internally generated revenue.

“We made to understand that the state government had signed an MOU with a company in Bauchi called Cascada over collection of Revenue from the local government which does not go well with the citizens that is why they filed a suit against the three defendant” “If you look at it critical is illegal because Bauchi Local government is a sovereign body that has the right and staff responsible for collecting revenue even if there is arrangements it should be between the Local Government and the private company not between the state and the company, these are the grievances” he said “They are stakeholders, citizens who paid revenue and taxes in Bauchi ,that is why the arrangements did not go well with them and decide to file a suit against the government and the company” Hussaini said Meanwhile the counsel to the defendant Cascada Company Bauchi Maimuna Musa Koko esq, said ‘the matter could not go on because we file a notice of preliminary objections, challenging the jurisdiction of these honorable court , therefore the matter is adjourned to December 14 2017.

The president judge Justice Muhammad Shitu Abubakar has since adjourned the suit to 14 December 2017 for hearing of both motions.

Buhari didn’t support sack of 22,000 teachers in Kaduna- Saraki’s aide From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

K

aduna state All Progressives Congress Chieftain, Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed has said President Muhammadu Buhari never supported the sacking of primary school teachers in Kaduna state.

According to him, the president only said he supported educational reforms carried out by the state governor but not the sacking of teachers.

Baba Ahmed disclosed this

while answering a question on the state governor’s decision to sack 21,000 teachers that failed the competency test during a weekly Hausa programme Babban Gammo aired on DITV/Alheri Radio as monitored on Saturday.

He said because the president supported educational reforms doesn’t mean he wanted teachers to be sacked.

‘I listened to the comment made by the president in English and thank God we understand the language. The president only said he supported the governor’s

educational reform. He never said he supported the sacking of teachers.

‘I think those spreading rumours that President is supporting sacking of primary teachers should stop that because they are only lying and denting his image,’ he said.

Baba Ahmed who is the Chief of Staff in Office of the Senate President also said they are not against genuine reform in the educational sector but the approach is not right.

He pointed out that even

though he was not the Federal government spokesman he believe President Buhari will never support sacking of 21,000 primary school teachers.

Baba Ahmed added that Kano and Sokoto states have done similar reform in their educational sector without sacking any teacher.

He explained that there are teachers in Federal Colleges of Education under the federal government that equally needed to be trained but none was sacked.

L-R: Author of Loud Whispers, Erelu Bisi AdeleyeFayemi; with renowned Ghanaian Poet and Playwright Ama Ata Aidoo; during a reading session at the Ake Book and Arts Festival (AkeFEST 17), in Abeokuta, Ogun State over the weekend

Reports on Zamfara attack baseless - Official From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

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he Zamfara state government has dismissed media reports which claimed that some communities under Shinkafi local government area were attacked last week Friday by the dangerously armed bandits killing a number of innocent people.

Debunking the report yesterday in Gusau the state capital, the Special Adviser to the governor on security matters, Usman Ajiya Shinkafi said, the report was concocted by unpatriotic citizens who connived with some lazy reporters simply to

sabotage the efforts embarked upon by the state government in ensuring peace for legitimate businesses in the state.

He challenged that, “On getting the report, we rushed to the said affected villages and found even nothing of that nature happened, it did not happened at all, there were free movements either from farms to houses or houses to mosques, and weekly markets were in full operations as usual, this indicated a nasty political game played by destroyers of peace”, he added.

He further challenged that, when there is any report especially involving attacks on communities, a reporter is

expected to go to the affected areas or, contact any authority responsible for communication on the matter, but not relying on remote-findings in favour of destroyers whose aims were to cause unrest with a view to achieve political gains.

“Base on reliably gathered information on such a baseless report, the Zamfara state government is satisfied that all the listed villages captured in the sabotaging efforts of some lazy medium reporters, were peaceful, therefore, must take action against the saboteurs to prevent further attempt of destroying the state, he threatened.

Contacted for confirmation,

Malam Shehu Usman, a resident of Mallamawa village said, there was no attack on either their village and even the neighbouring, saying that, they were shocked when they began to saw a convoy comprising armed security operatives from various agencies trooping into the village.

“It was later we were told that, the convoy was there to save us from armed bandits who already besieged our village and even killed many of us, which was not true because almost every member of the community was either at farm, mosque or market as at the time the reports claimed were under attack, “ he said.

Niger gov sets up media strategy, communication c’ttee From Yakubu Minna.

G

Mustapha,

overnor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger state has set up a 13 man committee to assist in that government policies publication.

The committee that would be chaired by the Niger State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists

NUJ, Comrade Mohammed Mohammed with a civil servant as the Secretary from SSGs office is mandated to assist the state government in propagating all government activities and programmes in the state.

Governor Bello who declared that it’s named Standing Committee on Media Strategy and Communication (SCMSC),

added that this is his baby which will be inaugurated by himself at the council just like any other standing committees set up by his administration but this will be given top priority.

He assured to give full support and assistance to the committee to succeed, he regretted that for the last over two years could not get the required results from

successive media teams in charge of media and publicity of his government achievements.

Accordingly, the committee is mandated to coordinate and control the state publicity for proper dissemination, to create good image for the state in all the media platform including print/electronic and online/social media as well to make overall

recommendations to the state government on how to strategize media activities in Niger State.

In his remarks, Comrade Mohammed Mohammed called for the cooperation and support of the committee members and media practitioners in the state to work as a team, assuring not to let the state down in all ramifications.

PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

PAGE 10

News

DSS, NSCDC charge offices commissioned in Zamfara LG

Buhari’s prudence, honesty helped Nigeria out of recession-Osinbajo

From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

By Lawrence Olaoye

I

n its bid to contribute in curbing the lingering security challenges in Zamfara state, Shinkafi Local Government Council has constructed the charge offices of the Department of the State Security (DSS) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to serve at the local headquarters.

Speaking during commissioning ceremony of the two security offices which was performed by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Shaba Alkali in company of state Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr. David Abi, the Chairman Shinkafi local government council, Alhaji Muhammadu Sani Galadi said, the project was part of the promises made during campaign days on security matters.

Alhaji Galadi stressed the need of formidable presence of security, the only development which could pave way for the smooth provisions towards promoting economic, religious and political running in any society.

“Socially, we have to bear in mind that, the functioning security and stability of peace and unity in our towns and villages depends largely on our collective ability to support and provide the security with enabling working environment,” he challenged.

In his remarks, the Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr David Abi, has commended the local government Chairman over the project, assuring that, his command is making preparations to provide arms for the officers and men of the NSCDC of Shinkafi division immediately after finishing refresher arms training under the Nigerian Army.

V

ice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s deployed his attributes of prudence and honesty to get the nation out of recession.

Osinbajo made this disclosure in his remarks at the presentation of a book: Making steady, sustainable progress for Nigeria’s peace, prosperity-A midterm scorecard on President Muhammadu Buhari administration” at the Presidential Villa, weekend.

Osinbajo said the book failed to capture the humourous side of the President.

He said “This book is a book that contains a lot that has been achieved by the present administration, but I must say there is still a lot that has not been covered on account of the fact that this book was meant to have

been presented in May but we thought we would wait until the President returned before presenting it.

“Some things have not been included in the book and I might just supply some of that. One of such things, is the exemplary frugality, the honesty and humility, and sense of humour of Mr. President.

“That frugality can sometimes be a problem, as you know, Mr. President decided that since government provides accommodation, food and transportation for the President and the Vice President, we didn’t need a full salary. Now how much is this salary by the way? It is public knowledge and I think it is N1, 750,000.00 or so, which is under N2million. He said he would take only half of his salary and so I had no choice but also to take over of my own salary. Unfortunately Mr. President turned down my request, to give the other half to a worthy cause –

his Vice President. He didn’t consider me a more worthy cause to give half of his salary! (Laughter).

“In a country where politicians sometimes want to be as wealthy as Dangote, it is refreshing to have a President who most people won’t even dare to discuss any private benefit on a project let alone a bribe or a kick-back.

“Nigeria’s major problem is corruption, it is the main reason for the depletion of our resources, such that we had no savings when oil prices fell, and we were losing over 1billion barrels a day.

“It was the prudence and honesty of the President that ensured that despite the economic downturn, we were able to support the States, spend N1.3trillion on capital expenditure, the largest in the history of the nation, and also to ensure we met all our other obligations, both foreign and local.

“Mr President’s unassuming

personality and humility, is in my view, probably his greatest strength. This is why he is never flattered, or carried away by praise or adulation. He has always said: “I don’t pretend to know all the answers. I am here to provide stability and leadership, to a generation, a group of people, determined to run this country honestly, to provide jobs and prosperity to the poor, and our huge youth population.”

“I remember when he was on medical vacation, and I was speaking to him on the phone fairly regularly and giving him a rundown of what was going on, especially when he was on the first medical vacation. He said to me, “don’t worry about telling me all that is happening, I rely on your judgment keep doing your best, what if I drop dead?! You would have to run it anyway.” I had to say to him, that his dropping dead was not part of the plan. “

L-R: Provosts, College of Medicine University of Ibadan, Prof. Olubunmi Olaopa; His deputy, Prof. Obafunke Dunloye; Wife of Chief Medical Director(CMD), University College Hospital(UCH), Mrs Temitope Alonge; and CMD of UCH, Prof. Oluwagbenga Alonge, during the thanksgiving service to mark 60th Anniversary of UCH in Ibadan.

Photo: NAN

Bauchi: Landlords urged to provide adequate toilets facilities From Ahmed Bauchi

Kaigama,

L

andlords and caretakers in Bauchi state have been urged to provide adequate toilets facilities in all compounds to avoid indiscriminate open defecation in the state.

The Coordinator Women

Empowerment Initiative (WEIN) Bauchi Mrs Hajara C Pisagih made the urged while commemorating world 2017 world toilet day at the weekend in Bauchi with the “theme waste water”.

“We have observed that most of the waste water in Bauchi metropolis is contaminated with human shit due to lack

of inadequate toilets facilities in some areas and compounds . Hajara said “So therefore we are calling with loud voice to all landlords and caretakers to provide adequate toilets facilities in all compound” she said The WEIN coordinator also called Ministries, Departments ,Agencies

and Nongovernmental organisation’s that are stakeholders to action for the attainment of SDG goal 6 with the aim to reach everyone with sanitation, and have the proportion of untreated waste water and increase recycling and safe refuse by 2030.

To achieve this, Mrs Hajara said we need everybody’s

excreta (shit) to be contained ,transport,treated and disposed of in a safe sustainable way.

Mrs Pisigah commended the Bauchi state government for actualizing the urban WASH sector reform through the MDAs ,adding that WEIN is part of it and would continue to support such moves that will tackle the global crisis.

Nasarawa: Hospital CMD denies allegation of negligence of duty From Gambo Ahmed, Lafia

T

he Chief Medical Director of Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital Lafia in Nasarawa State, Doctor Ahmed Yakubu Ashuku has denied online publication accusing medical personnel of the hospital over negligence of duty concerning a

patient.

According to him, “The publication is baseless, absolute blackmail, political and aimed at tarnishing the good image of the hospital. I urged journalists to always verify issues before publication”.

Doctor Ashuku who stated this yesterday while answering

questions from newsmen in Lafia the state capital, added that the publication is purely political, no single element of true as well as urged people to disregard the insinuation.

“I want to assure you that there is no single true what the patient said in the publication. I am aware that a patient came to the

casualty ward and was attended promptly by a team of Doctors.

He was given basic medication while we were preparing him for further investigation. On the process, he now suggested that he wants to be transferred to Keffi where his house is. Later we made to understand that he made some false allegations on

the management staff of this hospital linking us with the state government”.

The CMD implored patients to desist from insinuating falsehood allegation against the hospital saying that, the hospital is doing everything possible in terms of rendering medical care to patients at all times.

PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

PAGE 11

EDITORIAL

Kaduna teachers’ strike: Militancy isn’t an answer

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eachers in Kaduna state’s public wanted to know if organised labour that primary schools have dropped chalk objected to the planned sack wanted those in protest against the government’s who failed the test to be sent back to primary planned sack of 22,000 teachers. school class 4. “Are people saying that we They first gave the government, which is should send teachers back to primary 4?” their employer, a two-week warning to Rufai said all teachers in public primary schools rescind the planned mass dismissals. But were given an ample opportunity to update the government said there was no going their teaching knowledge . In 2012, for back. The teachers made good their threat example, they were given a five-year grace and duly started a state-wide strike Nov. period to acquire the National Certificate of 8.

Education (NCE), which is the minimum The 22,000 teachers the government said it national qualification to teach in primary must get rid of, according to it, flunked a competency test that they themselves had set for class 4 pupils. This was the number that did not meet the 70% cut off mark. The test was administered to 33,000 teachers The problem is this bad. It is over all.The government’s intention is to an emergency and drastic replace the “incompetent, unqualified” teachers with 26,00 new teachers with the measures, such as the Kaduna requisite training and qualifications. state government has taken, Governor Nasir el Rufai, in a recent radio are required. Rather than interview, alleged that unqualified persons found their way into the public oppose it, NUT, the teachers’ school system because standards were union, and NLC, should ignored. “Political patronage, nepotism embrace it in the interest of and corruption became the yardsticks...

Teaching jobs were given to those future of our children. Political connected to politicians and bureaucrats,” brinkmanship is not helpful he said. According to him, “ the future of here. our children is so important that we’ll not take chances. We’ll be vigilant to ensure school. According to him, many failed to that only (qualified) people teach in our take advantage of that window. “We’ll not public schools.” keep unqualified teachers on our payroll,” The governor explained that theJune 2017 the governor vowed. comptency test exposed the extent of the rot in the system. It revealed, he said, a On the face of it, the government stands on a surer ground than the aggrieved teachers general lack of basic knowledge, not just and their union leaders. The rot in the teaching skill.”If you have knowledge, public school system is nationwide. Of but are deficient in teaching skill, we course, there are many factors responsible can retrain you. But when there is no for this. For some, government is to blame, knowledge what is there to teach?” He

“

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

OUR PEOPLE Chairman Malam Wada Maida, Oon, Fnge Chief Operating Officer (Ag) Editor, Daily

Hameed M. Bello Manager, administration Hassan Hammanyaji

such as poor physical infrastructure and teacher remuneration. But, unarguably, the biggest headache is the dearth of qualified teachers. Note the observation of Mr. Nasir Umar, zonal coordinator of UBEC in Kaduna state. He said even if the government did not have to sack teachers, the state would still have had to recruit additional 30,000 teachers for the over 3 million children enrolled in primary schools.

The problem is this bad. It is an emergency and drastic measures, such as the Kaduna state government has taken, are required.

Rather than oppose it, NUT, the teachers’ union, and NLC, should embrace it in the interest of future of our children. Political brinkmanship is not helpful here.

To be sure, the unions do have a point in saying that the competency test was not administered by recognised teaching institutions like the National Teachers Institute and Teachers Registration Council. However, the government’s argument is that no law restricts it to only those organisations. It says the competency test was to test the efficacy of the training and retraining programmes of similarly competent evaluators as ESSPIN and the Teacher Development Programme.

In other words, if a majority of teachers failed the test administered by these two bodies, what difference would it have made if a different body applied it, without having to compromise standards? None whatsoever. Painful as the government’s decision is, as it implies job losses in an economy just emerging from recession, we urge the unions to, for once, put militancy aside and join hands with the government to rescue the comatose education sector.

OUR VISION

“To be a reputable, profitable, innovative and technologically reliant media company offering world class services and products”

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Opinion

PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

Boss Should Learn from Babachir’s mistakes

By Zayyad I. Muhammad

T

he emergence of Boss Gida Mustapha as the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) is a product of providence and due to former SGF Babachir David Lawan’s avoidable ‘economic’ and ‘political’ blunders. The new SGF, Boss should learn from his predecessor’s mistakes and successes; successes? Well, Buhari’s adversaries will argue Babachir recorded no successes as SGF. The truth is, Babachir made some remarkable contributions to the Buhari administration- unfortunately, his political blunders overshadowed them.

The ousted SGF is an experienced man in his own right as well as longtime confidante and loyalist of President Muhammadu Buhari. A man who stood with Buhari through thick and thin and has overtime earned the president’s trust.

But Babachir committed cheap surprising blunders. Babachir, as SGF pettily allowed his personal ‘business’ to mingle with government business. The accusations

were: he abused the use of funds meant for the Internally Displaced Persons in the North East; disrespected his own office as SGF, inflated contracts and was also complicit in 21 bogus contracts awarded to families, friends, cronies and the members of the then Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE).

Babachir second blunder is attitudinal – he is a poor politician who only sticks to people from his clan and hardly stretches his handshake to other people; he also lacks efficient image managers, furthermore Babachir was arrogant and talks more than he works.

The Office of the SGF is a big national office that requires one to be smart politically as well as be watchful of one’s moves. Any person occupying the office of SGF should be very careful not to be caught in a tight web of political intriguesespecially when one is an important member of a Buhari government whom some people are working tirelessly to paint as being corrupt so as to rubbish the government’s fight against corruption.

Public office in Nigeria comes with some privileges, authority and huge funds to spend, so if one does not apply measured restraint and discipline he/she can easily fall into the trap of corruption without even knowing.

Boss Mustapha says he will work to ensure more cooperation between government ministries and departments.

This is good. Babachir was arrogant and undiplomatic in his relationship with other arms of government and his style of politics was pathetic that he failed to get any meaningful public sympathy or concrete defense from the political class. Even his primary constituency- the north, northeast and Adamawa state, gave him no backing.

This is a big lesson for Boss; one cannot be the Secretary to the Government of the Federation of Nigeria and behave like the secretary of a hamlet’s cultural association.

Boss should bring his political and administrative experiences, simplicity and humor to the SGF office. We do not want the SGF to always be in the news for the wrong reasons. However, one cannot

isolate the SGF’s office from politics. Boss is a politician that has gone through the mill. So he must expect political punches from different angles, in fact he was already welcomed by a political tone- ‘Boss is Babachir’s cousin’- because he is from Kilba by tribe from Adamawa as Babachir. Boss is more of a Jimetan (Yola-North LGA) than from Hong LGA- all his credential carries Yola, in fact, he represented Yola in the constituent assembly during the IBB era.

At his age, Boss Mustapha understands the expectation of young Nigerians as well as what leadership needs to do, so Boss will bring simplicity and new approach in the relationship between the executive and the other arms of government. Over his political sojourn, Boss has been a product of friendship and consensus- he will bring that to the SGF office, the Buhari/Osinbajo government needs it now more than any time.

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Jimeta, Adamawa State

Buhari’s tall ranking on terror war

By Okanga Agila

W

ithout mincing words, I did like to confess publicly that I am one Nigerian who believes in President Muhammadu Buhari. I am not his partisan adherent, but my admiration for him as a person and now leader of Nigeria blossoms everyday like a flower.

Buhari is awesomely an intriguing leader and to me, he is not just a cerebral force, but someone in the region of an impenetrable being, who has overpowered all human debilitations, like some gods. Elsewhere in the world, leaders derive their sacredness and veneration from the effervescent of unassailability. And candidly, a leader is not just a piece of cake on a street shop to instantly decode in shape, colour and countenance. So, President Buhari has a big and matured heart. He rarely speaks, but believes more in action.

Today, President Buhari has proven that he emerged not just as an enigma on Nigeria’s political firmament, but on Africa’s delicate leadership ladder to rescue the continent. When one recalls African fables, and the thrilling roles of a talisman, the image of Buhari assail the senses defiantly.

So, when he sought leadership of Nigeria for the fourth time in 2015, many Nigerians, Africans and the world generally thought, this Mr. Uprightness was coming to battle corruption alone. They misconstrued him and underrated his personage.

I keep recounting that throughout his tedious campaigns for Nigeria’s presidency in 2015, the words “corruption and insecurity,” consistently dropped from his lips. His audience, supporters, haters and traducers alike heard him this loud, but never believed that he could do anything else outside battling the monster of corruption in Nigeria. Nigerians who busied themselves with such satanic mindsets, least remembered that President Buhari inherited a country on the cusp of extinction, propelled by these two vices, insecurity and corruption.

I can bet that Nigerians with good retentive memory would reminisce how the engaging immediate past first lady of Nigeria, Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan, echoed at the peak of the electioneering campaigns in the early months of 2015 that

Nigerians should avoid conceding power to General Buhari.

And her simplistic reason was that if given the Presidency of Nigeria, Buhari would build more prisons to incarcerate many Nigerians, up to 300 years in jail.

She sumptuously and contemptuously dwelt on Buhari’s years as military leader of Nigeria. She was emphatic that she has no resources to feed her husband, former President Goodluck Jonathan in jail, then, President Buhari’s main contender in the 2015 general elections.

But today the reality is different.

Among Nigerians and stretching further, the international community, I might be one soul who may not necessarily trust President Buhari as the liberator of Nigeria.

I could even prefer to freely flow with his antagonists and critics to maliciously proclaim how worse or the depths he has rendered Nigeria prostrate.

Whatever negative excuses, or grudges the anti-Buhari elements have nursed against him in other sectors, I don’t want to know or give a thought to it. They have their reasons, whether false or genuine.

But on security and corruption, which these adversaries have often attempted to flatten him, the world has continued to persistently acknowledge his outstanding performances. Buhari is like no any other Nigerian leader since independence in 1960. He’s just in his own metaphysical realm, and I cannot stop admiring him.

We may disagree with President Buhari, and even insult his ancestors for breathing life into him. But in sober moments, we all accept it as unfair and influenced. The good works he is executing in Nigeria or the positive impact on leadership of this country has not escaped the lenses of the world in appreciation.

So, the doubting Thomases were again shocked when Nigeria cum President Buhari’s efforts on security or precisely, on defeating terrorism were celebrated globally, as impactful to reduction in terror-induced deaths across the world.

Nigeria was part of the marginal reduction of 22 percent in five countries and as one of the nations which recorded 33 per cent fewer deaths on global terrorism index rating. We look back at 2011, 2012 and up to 2014; yet, we prefer not to see the changes on terrorism in 2016 and 2017.

But nothing has gladdened my heart in recent times like this global endorsement that in five countries around the world, most tortured by terrorism and condemned to its consuming inferno, Nigeria is mentioned in the report positively. Nigeria is one among the four countries , namely, Syria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, which were in the furnace of terrorism, but have managed it effectively, thus contributing to global reduction of terrorism . The report expansively covered 163 countries, some 99 percent of world population.

The American-based Institute for Economics and Peace’s report titled, “ Global Terrorism Index 2017,” officially launched at the Royal United Services Institute in London, a few days ago, published a comprehensive synopsis of “ global trends and patterns in terrorism over the last 17 years.” It highlighted its peak in 2014, on the eve of Buhari’s Presidency and cheeringly disclosed a decline in years 2016 and 2017.

And the indicators’ upon which the report was based were incisive and commendable too. It looked at terrorism in Global results and trends, Terrorism trends in Europe and other developed countries, Characteristics driving terrorism recruitment, Profiles of the four most deadly terrorist groups and the Economics of terrorism. Yet, Nigeria came up tops.

And the most critical of audience within and outside Nigeria are unconsciously singing songs of Nigeria’s redemption under Buhari.

Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group (NDMG) has led the pack of appreciators of President Buhari’s volte force on security, eloquently and elaborately commending his commitment to ridding Nigeria and the world of the dehumanizing crime of terrorism.

NDMG’s President, Dr. Ibukun Ola, succinctly submitted that Nigerian Army’s operations like ‘ Operation Python Dance,” “Scorpion Sting”, “Lafiya Dole,” “Crocodile Smile” are the backbone to such amazing accomplishments’ in security ranking of Nigeria. But some demented and cursed opposition elements never thought it wise to say “thank you, Mr. President.”

Nevertheless, diasporan Nigerians led by Dr. Ola pricked their conscience in these words, “We note particularity the report by the Global Terrorism Index and

that of the BBC on the development which has confirmed Nigeria’s contribution to winning the war against global terrorism and other crimes against humanity…the number of terrorism related deaths around the world fell according to the report for a second year in 2016, showing that the biggest drop was recorded in Nigeria where there’s being an 80% reduction.”

The group added, “In the South-south region too, the President has through the launch of military operations and other subtle and diplomatic means, been able to nip activities that could graduate into terrorist acts in the bud… these are by no means incidental but results of meticulously designed and worked-out templates borne out of experience in intelligence and strategy that culminated in the appointments of tested Generals who could key into the programme leading to the formulation of the military interventions across the nation.”

I cannot be less proud of my country. The wailing wailers can go and burn themselves in whatever fire pleasing to their souls. But for me, I am proud of President Buhari for ingraining his name in gold prints on global map of nations indubitably committed to rescuing humanity with fatal blows on terrorism. It is his prestigious seat in the history of the global fight against terrorism.

Quite strongly, I am grateful to the COAS, Lt. Gen. TY Buratai, and leader of this delicate counter-insurgency war and an incontestable emancipator of the afflicted masses of Nigeria. No current serving Service Chief of the Nigerian federation deserves lesser commendation and ovations.

The entire grain of the Nigerian military, especially, Nigerian soldiers have all occupied this hall of global fame and etched their names on the marble. If opposition Nigerians are not grateful and appreciative, I am truly and unfathomably grateful. And like the Late Captain Thomas Sankera of blessed memory once echoed, and I paraphrase, I stand to raise a voice for every liberated Nigerian, who cannot find a medium to raise a voice in appreciation of the Nigerian Army, the Chief of Army Staff and the President. \Okanga, is a traditional warrior from Agila, Benue State.

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PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

Comment

The Grace and Disgrace of Robert Mugabe

By Emmanuel Ugwu

H

istory teaches us that dictators tend to rehearse the same tragic script: they indulge the delusion of their own hubris, overreach themselves, and make themselves vulnerable to a disastrous downfall.

Robert Mugabe has yet to acquiesce to his removal from office with a formal resignation.

But for all practical purposes, Mugabe has bitten the dust. The oldest tyrant in the world has been shoved into an afterlife of ignominy.

His 37 years-long chokehold on Zimbabwe has ended. The people he ruled with an iron hand can now breathe. They are now free to imagine a better nation and a more dignified existence.

The low-key ‘’coup’’ of Wednesday was a most unforeseen development. Zimbabweans and the rest of the world had all but given up hope that the Southern Africa country would witness a leadership change in Mugabe’s lifetime. Power seemed to be the 93 year old’s elixir of life. The more he drank it, the more his longevity stretched.

Mugabe was a confirmed megalomaniac. He was so possessed of the lust of power that he was incapable of conceiving a normal life outside the realms of power. He was married to rulership.

Only death appeared strong enough to separate him from the presidency.

Mugabe was a strongman made of the essence of his insecurities. He had grown very accustomed to the performance of power. He dreaded the outcome of the confrontation with the question of the meaning of his life in the absence of imperial appurtenances. He felt threatened by the fact he couldn’t function as a human being in a Zimbabwe he wasn’t actively micromanaging.

As a result, Robert Mugabe tarried in power long after his legitimacy had expired. He outlived his usefulness and transformed into the nagging, noxious curse of Zimbabwe.

Mugabe first made a name as the leader of

the independence war. He was an articulate and bold firebrand. His charisma and conviction enlivened the pockets of nationalist agitators and put him at the head of the guerrilla force that weakened the authority of the white colonialists and bent them to surrender to the urgent demand for black indigenous rule.

At the dawn of independence, Mugabe emerged as the natural choice to lead the newly emancipated country. The revolutionary had won the confidence of the people with his heroic role in the Rhodesian Bush War. He was placed on a pedestal as a reward. At the time, he looked particularly suited to manage the affairs of the nation and deliver its rich promise.

His early days in power did not offer any ominous sign of a nascent sit-tight dictatorship.

But after a modest beginning, Mugabe abandoned humility and shed the sense of stewardship. He redefined himself as the founding father whom the Zimbabwean nation owed everything.

Having cast aside the burden of accountability, Mugabe had no restraint to check his impulses.

He allowed himself the liberty to conflate his significant contribution to Zimbabwean independence with a right of proprietorship of the country. And that warped paradigm of ownership predisposed him to impunity.

He started to administer the nation with jealous possessiveness. He criminalized dissent, institutionalized his parochial views as the fundamental principles of state policy, and turned the conduct of sham elections into an art form.

The immediate cause of Mugabe’s fall was his attempt to leverage his monopoly of power to institute a dynasty. He tried to purge the ruling ZANU-PF of his potential successors and create the room to transfer power to his wife. The plot failed close to the actualization of the endgame.

The surprise deus ex machina that blanked Harare with surreal quietness has been dubbed ‘’coup de-Grace.’’ In the literal sense, the putsch was a necessary blow on a government that was begged to die. On the other hand, the term

memorialized the preemptive measure taken to block First Lady Grace Mugabe from succeeding her husband.

Mrs. Mugabe, 52, cleared her path to power by knocking her more experienced rivals out of the reckoning. She contrived the spurious allegation that former Vice President Joice Mujuru was planning to overthrow President Mugabe and forced her sack. She also told similar lie against Muguru’s replacement, Mr. Emmerson Mnangagwa and instigated his sack.

She was set to step into the vacant vice presidency and assume duty like a proper regent when the military intervened.

The continuation of the Mugabe years by his wife would have meant the elongation of nearly four decades of one-man minority rule in Zimbabwe. And the relatively young Grace would have done no better than perpetuate a status quo that prospered the Mugabe clique and pauperized majority of Zimbabweans. She believed that she was most qualified to take over from Mugabe because she could be trusted to sustain his husband’s legacy.

The nearly successful spousal takeover was a tragedy averted. Mugabe’s legacy cries for reversal. A second Mugabe would have hastened the extinction of Zimbabwe as we know it.

Through a mix of policies–notably, the violent land redistribution –which precipitated harsh international sanctions, trickle-down pyramidal corruption, and the shrinking of government to a personality cult, Robert Mugabe crumbled Zimbabwe and made it the poignant post card of a banana republic.

Grace Mugabe would have aggravated the misery of that dystopian disaster zone. She is a despot wannabe. A wild-tempered thug. A profligate wastrel.

Grace is a cantankerous canker who would have managed to make Zimbabwe worse than a basket case.

The fall of Mugabe reiterates the lesson that a republic may endure the dictator for a while but not forever. He wanes as his years increases. And

Reconnecting Abuja to its original dream

By Goke Omolade

F

or a keen observer of Africa’s most populous nation’s capital city, what readily comes to the fore are the glamour, neatness, compactness boisterousness and dexterity of Abuja. Itself, on the one hand and coupled with these are the fierce individualism and personalised mindedness, easilyfelt for purpose-achievement of the city’s residents, sojourners and carpetbaggers.

Unlike its immediate predecessor, Lagos, Abuja does not suffer any fool or pretender gladly because it is a place essentially for the rich and mighty, powerful and highly connected. Operating here, quite decidedly, you have to be equipped for all seasonal occurrences and any sheer carelessness might be costly in deeds or needs. As a matter of fact, the real politik of the city, along with its shakers and movers who are so schooled and skilled in the manipulative art of its spoils system, is so dynamic and spontaneous that hardly can any seriousminded fellow sleep with both eyes!

A brief recourse to its genesis of existence might suffice. Dating back to the then good intentions of the 1976 declaration of Murtala Muhammed, Abuja was created with the expectation of ushering a national capital where there would be no domineering ethnic or clannish group. Linked to this was another basic reason of combating the Lagos perennially snarling growth-population and traffic. Nevertheless, over 20 years after its stampeded relocation, has Abuja lived up to its advertised billing(s)?

2 Initially, the city’s planners had a central focus of some 75 Districts- scope where the scenic valley of its rolling grasslands atmosphere would be jealously maintained. As at the moment, just 18 of the said districts are already/currently being developed.

What is more, one of the bogey problems, the warlike induced traffic jams, is beginning to make the

Abuja relocation a defeatist gesture.

Abuja, in its original innocence, was not slated for any industrial, combative hurriedness as it is being subjected to. Rather, it was intended to be a sort of an ivory tower for clearly sighted, wellcultured and unbiased cosmopolitan policy makers; guardedly backed by a corps of nation-building civil servants.

Alas, the December 1991 and 1993-’98 ultimata of the then parochially-minded military junta(s) forcefully disconnected the Nigerian psyche from Abuja’s original lofty dream and unless deliberate actions are painstakingly taken, it might be a question of time before Abuja loses its value.

Serendipitously, Nigeria has been reorganised along a six-geo-political grouping and on sincere promptings, each of these has its own area of strength with the attendant comparative advantages. For instance, why site the headquarters of say the Petroleum, Agriculture, Railways, Aviation, Economy and Sports ministries in Abuja?

With the relocation of such pivotal ministries and parastatals outside Abuja, just imagine the consequential effects such would have on their new areas that are yearning for development as well as the needed reliefs these would have on the alreadychoking Abuja in all ramifications.

In form and content, the operational dynamics of Abuja call to question the practice of federalism in the Nigerian settings. Indeed, a federation is supposedly functioning where there is a-two/three tier of government with no dominating power.

Clearly stated, ab initio, are the ethos and principles regulating the affairs of the coordinating components: federal, state/provincial as well as local units.

Without any doubt, there exists the exclusive, concurrent and residual power listings of such a functional federation and, inherently, certain ministries such as Foreign and Internal Affairs,

Defence, Economy etc. are exclusively the reserve functions of the Federal Government. These typical core ministries have to operate from the capital city while others can strategically/deliberately be relocated where their impact can be harnessed for the desirous nation building process.

For instance, why summon chief executives of ministries, departments, agencies, parastatals or commissioners of states’ ministries like school pupils for assemblage purposes in this age of superhighway information, vis-à-vis teleconferencing?

Why waste so much for little?

On an annoying note, the overbearing influences and somewhat self-assigned omnipotence of Abuja has needlessly negated the fundamentals, principles and ethos of autonomy that are central to the operation and virility of a healthy and functional federation. Rather, what is on ground is a quasi-federalism where collaborative cronyism, institutionalised corruption, moral bankruptcies and societal inequities are, avoidably, the rule and order of the day.

In a way, certain measures need to be taken so as to stop Abuja from its gradual slide to the oblivious state that made Lagos outlive its usefulness/ preference as the nation’s capital city. Prior to the December 1991 mad rush relocation, there was an original plan of the Abuja Dream, which took some 15 years of careful planning and construction to be put in place and there is the utmost need to revert to its tenets and provisions without bias, let or hindrance.

Similarly, Abuja has to operate as a haven where purpose/character- driven nation builders, in the mould of the Greek Philosopher-Kings of yore, can be nurtured and made to administer on the prism of justice, equity, fair-mindedness and sincerity of purpose. In their rank, rather than the vain glory of kleptocracy, meritocracy and innovative ideas for generational excellence would hold sway.

he is doomed to provoke fatal disgrace by betting on his false reading of his strength.

If you dropped a pin on the map of Africa, it is likely to fall on one of the dozen countries under the yoke of a despot. Paul Biya’s Cameroon.

Teodoro Obiang’s Equatorial Guinea. Dennis Sasson’s Congo. Omar al-Bashir’s Sudan. Yoweri Museveni’s Uganda. Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s Algeria. Pierre Nkurunziza’s Burundi. Idris Derby’s Chad. Isaias Afweki’s Eritrea.

Gambia’s Yaya Jammeh was recently thrust into oblivion. The head of the legendary Mugabe on a pike should be a more serious reality check to African dictators who fancy themselves invincible. If they are not past redemption, they would be pondering an exit strategy. They would be considering the possibility of creating a footnote that is different from Mugabe’s shameful fade-out. They would be thinking of meaningful gestures of penance, positive ways to atone for their abuse of power.

This teachable moment can also save the soul of the brilliant but budding tyrant of Rwanda, Paul Kageme. If he doesn’t waste the disgrace of Mugabe or interpret it as a warning to tighten his grip on power, he can change course. This third term he secured by rewriting the constitution is his last realistic chance to leave power with minimal damage. If he lingers beyond this tenure, the cosmic principle that drives the dictator to self-destruct will claim his scalp.

The failure of Mugabe’s dynastic dream should prompt the spoiled prince-dictators of Africa to abdicate. Democratic Republic of Congo’s Joseph Kabila, Gabon’s Ali Bongo, and Togo’s Faure Eyadema should all step aside.

The countries their fathers ruled are no family estates.

Robert Mugabe betrayed his fortune. He lost what matters most because he was too weak to deny himself anything.

Emmanuel Ugwu can be reached on immaugwu@gmail.com

Among the fundamental changes that would be so noticed are the instructive cues that the rest of the nation would draw from the new lease of governance once Abuja gets its appropriate bearings. In fact, ranging from the headquarters of Nigeria’s 36 respective states, 774 local government areas to the African continent of 53 nations, visà-vis the world of 202 nation- states, Abuja, by extension, Nigeria’s reoriented leadership, would not only attract respect but command global acceptability.

In this new dispensation, as universally expected, there would be demonstrable adherence to the rules and laws of the land by all and herein, the fundamentals and dynamics for representative, accountable governance would be held sacrosanct.

Without any doubt, none would be able to operate as a sacred cow (above the law) nor as a sacrificial goat (beneath the law). Among the predominant features of such a new era is the genuine fear for codified ethics and ethos of behavior, which have steadily distinguished mankind from the beast, sanity from insanity, altruism from anomie and integrity/character from debased corruption.

For the tribe of the myopic and ephemeral ones, this may sound too distant and unachievable. Even then, for Nigeria to get out of the woods, Abuja, in its entirety, thinking, goals-settings, vision and leadership dynamics, has to be set on the right course so as to strategically position Nigeria in the comity of nations.

So then, reigniting Abuja for its pivotal, inevitable role is a task that has to be done if Nigeria is to keep its date with history and not suffer any further from its self¬-inflicted agonies of avoidable poverty, ethnic strife, intra-and inter-religious wars of attrition.

PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

PAGE 14

News

Piracy: Police draft 16 gunboats, 6,000 officers to Bayelsa creeks

T

he Police in Bayelsa have deployed 16 patrol gunboats and 6,000 police officers to tackle sea piracy and criminality in Bayelsa waterways to ensure safety of the water channels.

The Bayelsa Commissioner of Police, Asuquo Amba, revealed this in Yenagoa on Saturday during a visit by members of the state chapter of the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the CLO team was led by its chairman, Nengi James.

Mr. Amba said the 6,000 personnel had been deployed after undergoing marine training, while

some are still being trained.

The commissioner said intelligence report gathered by the police showed that the Delta and Rivers waterways had recorded relative calm due to synergy of the various state security agencies.

He, however, admitted that there were still some challenges with sea piracy in the state, pledging that the police would soon deal with sea pirates terrorising the state’s waterways.

Mr. Amba said 14 of the 16 gunboats being deployed were refurbished by the Bayelsa Government, while two were procured by the Police Zonal

Command.

“Governor Seriake Dickson has directed that 14 gun boats be repaired for the operation and two donated by the Police high command.

“The 6,000 personnel needed are being trained,” he said.

Speaking on prison congestion and recent cell break at the State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) office, Mr. Amba blamed the deplorable state of police detention facilities on the slow judicial processes for the development.

He said proposal for construction of a new and secured SARS’ cell and the amendment to

improve the judicial process had been submitted to the relevant authorities.

“Most police cells are not in good conditions in the state. Also, the slow process of the Bayelsa judiciary is not helping matters.

“Out of all the states of the South-south, Bayelsa court process is the slowest. All cases depend on Director of Public Prosecution’s clearance and when the case is cleared, it does not move forward.

“I have met with the chief judge of the state on the matter.

I have also met with the state governor on the issue. When a

police custody is congested, the inmates become agitated.” Mr. Amba said.

In his presentation, the state chairman, CLO, commended the Bayelsa Police Command for the recent successes recorded in the state.

Mr. James noted that though some personnel of the command were doing well, others had continually engaged in alleged extortion of members of the public.

He also alleged that some police officers are still demanding bribes before granting bails to suspects in the state.(NAN)

Dankwambo pledges to complete Islamic centre in Gombe

From David Hassan, Gombe

G

ov.

Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo has pledged support to complete AlIhsan Islamic Centre in Gombe before May 2019, aimed at developing education in the state and the country at large.

Dankwambo gave the assurance at the weekend in Gombe during a Maulud of ‘Nabiy’ and laying foundation stone of Islamic centre organized

by Qadiriya Islamic sect Dankwambo said that investing in the construction of the centre would attract more rewards from Almighty God, hence the need for spirited individuals, companies, private sectors as well as organizations to contribute immensely for abundant rewards.

According to him, he has constructed about 11 of such schools and currently government has commenced clearing the side for the foundation.

Gov. Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State represented by his Deputy Hafizu Abubakar commended Gov. Dankwambo for allocating a plot and appealed for timely completion of the project.

He said the project will provide opportunity for people to have quality Islamic Education and employment.

He said if completed many generations yet unborn will benefit from the project for the development and success of Islam.

Ganduje called on the Muslim communities to love one another and ensure forgiveness base on the teaching of Prophet Muhammad peace be up on him.

Sheik Khalifa Nasiru Kabara, leader of Qadiriya of Africa assured that if the project competed it will impact positive on the life of people in the state.

He said that the students would be teach a lot of books such as Qur’an, hadith, Fiqihu and Tafsir among other Islamic books.

He further urged for the unity, peace and harmony among the people in the state and the country at large.

From right (front row) Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Dr. Mustafa Muhammed Inuwa, Katsina State Deputy Governor, QS Mannir Yakubu, Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina state, National Presidentof Barewa Old Boys Association (BOBA), Engineer Dahiru Ibrahim, Malam Ahmed Joda and Alhaji Isa Katsina after a courtesy call by the leadership of BOBA at the Katsina Government House Chamber on Friday 17th November, 2017.

NAFDAC sensitizes stakeholders on ease of doing business From Gambo Ahmed, Lafia

T

he Director General of NAFDAC, Professor Moji Adeyeye at the weekend held stakeholders consultative forum in Lafia the Nasarawa state capital to ensure ease of doing business for micro, small and medium enterprises, MSMSEs, in Nigeria.

The event held at the Savanna Guest Inn Jos Road.

Addressing the stakeholders at the event, the Director General who was represented by the Director Special Duty, Dr.

Abubakar Jimoh said that the forum was to provide a platform for discussion with stakeholders in order to identify the challenges they encountered in the course of registering their products and to come up with a way forward towards eliminating such bottlenecks; added that MSMSEs play a vital role in the economic development of Nigeria and are known to be the main engine of growth as well as provide a key factor in promoting private sector development and partnership aid in the development of local

technology.

The Director General also said that NAFDAC in line with its enabling act CAPNI laws of the federation of Nigeria LFN 2004 is mandated to regulate and control the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetic, medical devices, packaged water, chemicals and detergents collectively known as “regulated products”.

According to the NAFDAC boss “All regulated products conform to accepted standards of quality and

safety. The aim is to protect public health by ensuring that only the right quality regulated products are made available. We achieve this through document review, good manufacturing practices (GMP) inspection of facilities, laboratory evaluation, product registration, post marketing surveillance, pharmaco vigilance, investigation and enforcement activities.

Also contributing, the zonal coordinator, north central zone Mrs. Josephine Dayilim opined

Tropical diseases: Sighsavers Country Reps calls for sensitization in rural communities From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

C

ountry Director Sighsavers International Sunday Isiaku has harped on the need to create more awareness against neglected tropical diseases in rural communities of Kaduna state.

The Country Representative stated this while fielding questions from news men shortly after the flag-off of measuring up to a billion treatments for neglected tropical diseases at Kudaru village in Lere Local government of Kaduna state.

The event was organised

by Kaduna State Ministry of Health in Collaboration with Sightsavers.

He explained that creating more awareness on ways to avoid the diseases and need to for those infected to take their drugs will go a long to eradicate the diseases in the state.

Sunday was optimistic

Kaduna State will be declared tropical diseases free state in the country in the near future.

He explained that though he wouldn’t want to give date but with the efforts of the state government in the fight against neglected tropical diseases like river blindness and elephantiasis it’s achievable.

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PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

PDP chairmanship: Fayose, Daniel suggest primary election for SouthWest aspirants

G

overnor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has advocated the conduct of primary election among national chairmanship aspirants in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West geopolitical zone, so as to have a solid front in the national convention scheduled for December.

He stated this Saturday night when former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, visited him at the Government House, Ado-Ekiti.

A press release by Fayose’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, quoted the governor as saying that presenting one contestant would brighten the chances of the zone in clinching the position at the national convention of the party.

“We need to get a consensus candidate from our zone to clinch the post. We should not go to the convention a divided house. I see nothing bad if we get all the delegates from the Southwest to vote in a shadow election for their preferred candidate.

Then whoever emerges would be supported by all during the convention.

“If we propose that and majority of the aspirants agree, whoever does not agree would be seen as having no follower at all. I can’t work against you or your interest.

“We have too many aspirants from our zone and it is not only us that will decide who becomes the national chairman of our party, it will be decided by every member from across the country.

“As for my position as the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, I am only a voice there. Agree that the governors will play a crucial role in determining who wins, but if I say something, I can’t force it down the throats of my colleagues.

“It is only advisable that we get our house in order. All the aspirants from our area, apart from dividing the votes in the region, are also dividing the votes in the North too. We all know that our party is the party to beat in the country”, he said.

Governor Fayose also assured that he would never work against the interest of Daniel, any aspirant in the zone or the zone itself.

In his remarks, Otunba Daniel, a chairmanship aspirant, said he has all it takes to lead the PDP. “Majority of the aspirants only have the experience of being political appointees. I have contested and won election twice. As a governor, you know what it is to contest and win elections.

I have traversed all the nooks and crannies of this country and I am well accepted.

“Our great party needs somebody like me who has the contacts and the experience to lead it. We are going to contest against incumbents in many states and even at the presidential level, so, we must be up and doing.

“I am assuring our members that I will lead the party to victory in the coming elections,” he said.

Answering reporters’ questions later, Daniel said he was in support of Governor Fayose’s suggestion of a primary among the aspirants from the zone.

Anambra election: INEC declares APGA’s Obiano winner, as political parties speak on outcome

By Ali Alkali with Agency reports

T

he candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Willie Obiano, has won the Anambra the 2017 governorship election.

Governor Obiano who contested foe a second term in office won in all the 21 local government areas of the state with a total of 234,071 votes.

Going by the results of the Governorship election announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the APGA candidate, who is also the incumbent governor of Anambra State, defeated other contenders with wide margin.

He recorded overwhelming victory in all the 21 Local Government Areas of the state, defeating all his opponents.

The Returning Officer for the election, Zana Akpagu, the Vice Chancellor of University of Calabar, after announcing the results declared Mr. Obiano, the incumbent governor, as winner having polled the highest number of votes in the election.

Mr. Akpagu said that a total 448, 771 votes were cast during the election on Saturday. Of the total votes, 422, 314 were valid while 26,457 were rejected.

Mr. Obiano was followed, with a wide margin, by the APC candidate, Tony Nwoye, who polled a total of 98,752 votes.

Mr. Obaze of the PDP emerged third with 70,293 votes while Osita Chidoka of United Progressives Party, UPP, came a distant fourth after garnering 7,903 votes.

In his victory speech, Mr. Obiano asked the losing candidates to join him in administering the state.

The governor called on his cocontestants in the election to see the result as a victory for all Anambra residents. He said the interest of the state is bigger than the contestants’ private ambitions and urged them to join hands with him to build a better place for the people.

Mr. Chidoka, the UPP candidate has already accepted defeat in the election, saying the APGA candidate

won because of his financial muscle.

In its reaction, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has hailed the reelection of Governor Willie Obiano and hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “for a job well done”.

CNPP further commended the people of the state for conducting themselves peacefully and in an orderly manner despite the number of political parties that fielded candidates during the polls.

In a statement by the Secretary General, Willy Ezugwu, CNPP urged INEC to sustain the “level playing field it ensured in Anambra State up to 2019 and beyond.

“For us, the people have spoken and the voice of the people is loud and clear in Anambra State and we urge the candidates to continue to embrace themselves even now that the election is over.

“We rejoice with Governor Willie Obiano on his reelection for a second tenure. We urge him to use this opportunity to build lasting

bridges and extend a warm hand of fellowship to his brothers and sisters who contested against him with a view to harmonizing the huge human and material resources in the state maximally in his next four years in order to do more for Anambrarians.”

“We commend the electoral umpire, INEC, for maintaining proven fairness and impartiality all through the now concluded electoral process in Anambra with the declaration of Chief Willie Obiano as the duly elected governor of the state”, the CNPP said.

Also commending all security agencies, the CNPP advised them to “extend the same neutrality to the 2019 general election to deepen democracy in the country.”

“Given the process to this election, there is hope for all political parties in Nigeria ahead of the 2019 general election if the security agencies can maintain the level of maturity and professionalism in managing security issues in the build up to the polls”, the CNPP added.

Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano (m), acknowledging cheers from the people, yesterday after he was re-elected during the Anambra State Governorship election,

2019: Only Buhari can stop my ambition - Saraki

By Ali Alkali

S

enate President, Bukola Saraki, has revealed that the only condition that can stop him from contesting the 2019 Presidential election is if President Muhammadu Buhari decides to re-contest.

Saraki made the revelation yesterday on a weekly Hausa Programme aired on Alheri Radio, Kaduna, monitored by our reporter.

The Senate President’s Chief of Staff, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who spoke on his behalf said: “There is no way Senator Bukola Saraki will contest for president

in 2019 as long as President Buhari will contest. This I know very well because I work with him and I should know that.

“But if President Buhari says he will not re-contest the position, that is a different case.

“The Senate President will not contest against President Buhari

because he sees and respected him as a father.

“The same thing happened in 2011 and 2015, if you remember.

Saraki declined to contest against him; instead, he joined others to work for the success of the President in the 2015 elections.” he said.

Anambra election: How INEC handled logistics, accreditation — Group

T

he logistics process was fair but there were recorded glitches in the accreditation of voters, a youth-based organisation has found in its preliminary analysis of the gubernatorial election in Anambra State last Saturday.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the Youth Initiative for Advocacy and Advancement, YIAGA, said the voting materials in most parts of the state arrived early, but some people were allowed to vote without authentication of their fingerprints.

Such occurrences, even though they happened at few polling stations, constitute

“a great concern,” for the overall credibility of the process, YIAGA said in a statement by its director, Samson Toldo.

The report was distributed Saturday afternoon as part of the election-monitoring activities of about 500 stationery observers and 29 mobile observers deployed

by YIAGA across the state’s 21 local government areas.

The group said it deployed Parallel Vote Tabulation observation methodology to get make its findings more accurate and efficient.

The PVT is an advanced methodology

that employs well established statistical principles and utilises modern information techniques for election observation.

Mr. Itodo said YIAGA officials also found that there was an average of four polling officers per polling unit, challenging INEC to display transparency by publishing collection statistics of voter’s cards.

“APC party agents were seen at 90 per cent of polling units, APGA at 98 per cent of the polling units, and PDP at 89 per cent of polling units,” it found. “For the purposes of transparency, YIAGA urges INEC to publish the data of the

collection rate of the Permanent Voter Card, PVC.” The findings were similar to what PREMIUM TIMES’ reporters covering the election across the state highlighted earlier today.

Our reporters also found that major political parties, including APGA and APC shared money to the electorate, contrary to denials by their leaders that there was no voter inducement.

Thirty-seven candidates are running in today’s election, which analysts widely see as a prelude to 2019 general elections.

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PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

POLITICS

330 Ex-PDP councilors decamp to APC in Katsina From Lawal Katsina

Sa’idu

Funtua,

N

o fewer than 330 ex-PDP councilors dumped their party and joined the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Katsina state.

The chairman of the state excouncilor’s forum, Katsina State chapter, Alhaji Yusuf Ibrahim, who confirmed to newsmen in an interview, weekend in Katsina that they dumped their former party, noted that it was a member of the House of Representatives, representing Dutsinma/ Kurfi, Alhaji Danlami Kurfi that convinced them to join the APC. He said, “We hold series of meetings with Honourable Danlami Kurfi; and it was after these series of meetings that the lawmaker convinced us to join the APC. And he has been working day and night to make sure that the dream was actualized – and here we are today announcing our position.”

Ibrahim disclosed that their forum hold series of similar meetings with the state governor, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari through the efforts of the lawmaker, where he said they become convinced with the good intention of the governor.

According to him, it was through that effort that the forum decided to withdraw from a suit they instituted against the APC led administration over their alleged illegal dissolution, which he said was what stopped the conduct of local government election in the state.

He noted that their total number was 361, where he disclosed that 352 instituted the legal action, while eight that have already joined the APC opted out of the suit; adding that they are determined to withdraw before the next adjourned date at the court of appeal.

Ibrahim assured that the governor, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari and the Rep Member, Alhaji Danlami Kurfi, have promised them that they would not be marginalized in the running the party affairs in the state and the national level.

Meanwhile, the Rep. Member, Alhaji Danlami Kurfi has over the weekend met with the councilors in Kurfi and Dutsin-ma, preparatory to their formal decamping to the APC in a date to be announced soon.

2019: Why Atiku is no longer an option – APC vice chairman, Eta

T

he National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, (South South) Hilliard Eta, has declared that a former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is no longer an option for the party in the 2019 presidential race.

Eta said he was one of those who canvassed votes for Atiku during the APC presidential primaries

in 2015, revealing that his loyalty shifted to President Muhammadu Buhari after he became the party’s presidential candidate.

The APC chieftain said even the ardent critics of Buhari had been surprised by his performance.

He told newsmen that “Another cycle is about to come; and Atiku is no more an option for me because

I think that the option for me now is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Buhari, who has done remarkably well in keeping the promises that he made to Nigerians.

“Well, because of the sterling qualities of the President, because of the job he has done, the totality of the membership of the party may want him to go back without

contest.

“What I mean is that those who may want to contest against him may join hands with him to build the country and have him only as both the aspirant and eventually the candidate of the party. It has happened in a lot of political circumstances around the world.”

NAN

Scorecard: APC chieftain lauds Buhari on fight against corruption, Boko Harm From Ado Abubakar Musa, Jos

T

he All Progressive Congress (APC) Chieftain in Plateau state, Alhaji Bashiru Ibrahim Wadan-Kawu has applauded President Muhammdu Buhari’s administration towards fighting the menace of Boko Haram in the North East and corruption in the nation’s public institutions.

The chieftain who is vying for the seat of House of Representatives

for Jos North/Bassa constituency applauded President Buhari during the commission of some projects he provided for the people of his his constituency in Jos. On Thursday last week, President Buhari launched a book titled, ‘Making Steady, Sustainable Progress for Nigeria’s Peace and Prosperity: A Mid-Term Scorecard’ of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Wadan Kawu explained that from

the book he learnt that the fight against corruption was beyond arrest and prosecution of suspects, but that Buhari administration has also strengthened public institutions for accountability and transparency.

According to him, his vying for the seat was pushed by the realization that the people of his constituency (Jos North/Bassa) were misrepresented at the national level and needed to be well represented.

He said, “My people didn’t benefit from any developmental projects from the national level and I saw the needful to offer myself to bring change by providing developmental projects to my constituency.

“Some of my achievements even before party’s primary include commissioning of transformers in Jos North and Bassa, and repairing of pipe borne waters across the Jos North that were abandoned for 20 years,” he added.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Sulaimon Lasun Yussuf (right) receiving certificate of the chieftaincy title as Ajagunla of Ikareland from Olukare of Ikareland, Oba Akadir Momoh at Ikare Day celebration while Secretary to t Ondo State Government , Hon Abegunde Abena who Represented Chief Rotime Akeredolu, Governor of Ondo State look on.

Anambra election: Why Bianca defeated Ojukwu’s first son

By Ali Alkali

W

idow of Chief Odumegu Ojukwu, Bianca Ojukwu on Saturday floored her step-son, Emeka Ojukwu Jr. in the Anambra State governorship

election.

While Bianca is a staunch supporter of Willie Obiano, Emeka Ojukwu Jr. had recently decamped to the All Progressives Congress, APC, and thrown his weight behind the APC candidate, Tony Nwoye.

The wife of the former Biafran leader Dim Odimegwu Ojukwu expressed joy with the victory recorded by the APGA candidate at the polling units in her ward, Umudim Central School, in Nnewi North LGA.

A breakdown of results collated in the unit showed that APGA recorded 261 votes, APC 98, and PDP 80.

Speaking to newsmen in the area, Mrs. Ojukwu, said, “In my area, APGA is winning. I believe we will go on to win the election.”

APC Congratulates Jonathan on 60thBirthday

By Umar Muhammad Puma

T

he All Progressives Congress (APC) has congratulates former president, Goodluck Ebele

Jonathan on his 60th birthday.

In a statement issued yesterday and signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party join well-wishers in celebrating a

statesman whose life and politics have been defined by patriotism and humility.

The APC recalls the commendable and exemplary conduct of Jonathan

before and after the 2015 presidential election, which demonstrated his patriotism and love for Nigeria. The Party urges Jonathan to remain steadfast to the positive ideals he

stands for and continue to support the development of the country.

The Party wishes him many more happy, healthy and rewarding years of service to the nation.

Organisation Network (BFON) said in a statement made available to journalists in Benin City, the Edo state Capital, that he recalled that in demonstration of his love for Igbos, Muhammadu Buhari, picked Igbo leaders twice out of the four attempts he made before he became President of Nigeria in 2015.

According to him, Buhari had

picked the late former Senate President of Nigeria, Sen. Chuba Okadigbo as his Presidential running mate in 2003 and again picked the late Chief Edwin UmeEzioke as his running mate in the 2007 Presidential election which he also lost.

Regrettably, “yet, the Ibos rejected him (Buhari) so much that only three persons voted for him in Ume-Ezioke’s village”,

a development which Erhahon said the recent defection of Emeka Ojukwu (junior) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is expected to correct.

He also described President Muhammadu Buhari recent visit to Ebonyi State, Eastern Nigeria, as event that marks political re-birth and U-turn to progressive politics. In the

statement titled: “Thank you Igbos for reciprocating President Buhari’s love”, Erhahon specifically challenged the Igbo ethnic group to show commitment towards the unity of Country, with a charge on “all Patriotic Ibo leaders to persuade the president to see reelection in 2019 Presidential poll.

Igbo leader backs Buhari’s graft war, sets agenda for his people

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

A

leader of the defunct Congress for Progressive change (CPC), Comrade Godwin Erhahon has urged Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari-led government in bringing looters of public funds to book.

Erhahon, Patron of Buhari Friends

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PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

POLITICS

Human trafficking: Dogara leads Nigerian delegation to Italy

By Musa Adamu

S

peaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, is leading Nigerian delegation to Italy to discuss women empowerment and the fight against human trafficking.

According to a statement issued

by Turaki Hassan, spokesperson to the Speaker, the visit is coming on

the heels of the death of 26 Nigerian women in the Mediterranian sea who lost their lives while trying to cross to Europe.

It explained that the Italian government had extended invitation to the Speaker to attend an international conference on “Women empowerment and the fight against trafficking in persons: the Partnership between Nigeria and

Italy,” which will take place in Rome.

The statement said: “This is sequel to the official visit of the President of Italian Chamber of Deputies, Ms. Laura Boldrini, to the Speaker in May 2017.”

The statement further explained that the Nigerian delegation was billed to attend the Conference on the invitation of the Italian Parliament, seeking partnership with Nigeria to

stem human trafficking, especially the increasing number of Nigerian citizens that enter Italy every year.

Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, and Director General of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Ms Julie Okah-Donli, are among those in the delegation.

During her visit to Speaker Dogara in May, this year, the

statement added, Laura Boldrini, had lamented that in 2016 alone, 37,000 Nigerians arrived in Italy through the Mediterranean sea.

It said the Conference would also seek ways of empowering Nigerian women to stop the illegal and dangerous migration of Nigerians to Europe.

5000 PDP, APGA members defect to APC in Katsina From Lawal Katsina

Sa’idu

Funtua,

A

bout 5000 people in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State have defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC. The defectors were members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA and other opposition parties.

They were received by Governor

Aminu Bello Masari at a rally held at the Government House in Katsina.

Speaking at the rally, the leader of the defectors, Alhaji AbdulAzeez Hamza Kankara, who was formerly a member of the PDP, said they left their various parties because they admired the leadership style of Governor Aminu Bello Masari.

Alhaji Hassan Kankara cited how the governor ended cattle rustling and armed banditry in Kankara and

neighboring Local Government Areas which has restored confidence to farmers and pastoralists in the state.

He noted that farmers and cattle rearers in Kankara were now free to engage in agricultural activities without fear of attack by bandits.

He also cited the road from Wawar Kaza to Dayi which has been abandoned for 25 years until the coming of this administration. He said when completed, the road will ease

life, transportation and business for the people of the Local Government Area.

The defectors also called on Governor Aminu Bello Masari to recontest gubernatorial elections in 2019, in order to continue to deliver positive change in the state.

In his remarks, Governor Aminu Bello Masari said his administration decided to launch the amnesty program for cattle rustlers with the

aim of restoring security in the LGAs affected by the menace of cattle rustling.

He expressed satisfaction that the policy has yielded positive result, as agriculture has been fully restored in the areas previously affected by the problem.

Governor Masari pledged to continue to deliver all his campaign promises for the number of years he will spend as governor.

Buhari congratulates Jonathan at 60

By Lawrence Olaoye

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari has on behalf of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and all Nigerians felicitated with former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on his 60th birthday today.

According to a statement made available to newsmen by his Special Adviser in media and publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari joined members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), professional colleagues, associates of Jonathan, and his family in celebrating the unique history of the Nigerian leader, who within a short period rose from being a Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President to becoming Nigeria’s President for six years.

Buhari believed Jonathan’s foray into politics and ascendency to the highest political office in Nigeria from a humble riverine background testifies to the greatness and inclusiveness of Nigeria’s democracy, and serves as an invitation to all those with interest to add value to the nation.

The President prayed that the almighty God will bless Jonathan with good health, wisdom and strength to continue serving the country.

. Party Agents and Observers taking notes, during the collation of result for the Anambra State Governorship Election at INEC Headquarters, yesterday in Awka . Photo: NAN

El-Rufai’s leadership style led to APC Akida faction in Kaduna – Hakeem Baba Ahmed

F

ormer All Progressives Congress, APC, chairman in Kaduna State, Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed has blamed governor Nasir Ahmed elRufai’s style of leadership for the creation of APC Akida faction in the state.

Hakeem, presently the Chief of Staff in the office of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said APC Akida was not a political party but a group of people that were not happy with the way the governor was running the affairs of the state.

Speaking to newsmen in Kaduna, he observed that, “We are not a political

party, we only want the best for the party and we are out to ensure that party guidelines are followed. ”Presently, the governor is destroying the party and we are out to save the party from being destroyed.

He feels he doesn’t need anybody’s advice to run the state, so we are watching. As he destroys, we will try to protect the party.

“We are not a political party; we are only out to safeguard the party from being destroyed. The moment he mends his way the better for his administration.

“He still has a year to do the right

thing; and we hope he will do the right thing or else the same people that supported him are ready to use their voter cards to vote him out,” he assured.

On rumours going round about the possibility of an APC Akida member contesting the governorship position come 2019, Dr Hakeem said, “There is nothing wrong for any Akida member to contest for same position come 2019.

“All we are saying is that if one of them succeeds as governor, he should remember the struggle and do the right thing for the people of the state.”

Hakeem lamented the way the party was being run in the state, saying the present EXCO members of the party were not recognised by the national body of the party.

He kicked against the plan by the governor to sack over 21,000 teachers as part of the educational reforms and warned the governor against spreading lies that President Buhari supported the sacking of the teachers. ”The President only supported educational reform in the state but never said he supported the sacking of 21,000 teachers. They should stop lying against the president,” he warned.

recognise him as the party chairman, a position others vehemently rejected, insisting that he was the leader and must vote.

The argument later turned violent and the thugs, usually fenced off the voting centre, invaded the arena and attacked their targets.

Tyopev Terna, public relations officer of the Plateau police command,

said the police were going after the political thugs that disrupted the exercise.

“We have not arrested anyone, but we are investigating the matter; the thugs beat up many people and destroyed several cars. We shall not rest until they are fished out and dealt with,” he told NAN.

How thugs disrupt PDP primaries in Plateau

Y

outh believed to be political thugs disrupted the PDP primary elections organised to decide the party’s chairmanship candidate for Kanke, in the February 18 local government elections in Plateau.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the thugs, who invaded the Kwall Stadium venue of

the election, beat up members of the PDP electoral committee and officials of the party, and destroyed several cars.

Worst hit in the attack was Anthony Joro, a member of the electoral committee, whose ear was mutilated.

Also hit was Dauda Waptu, the PDP Chairman in Kanke Local

Government, who sustained injuries on his face.

NAN reports that the election, which began peacefully with delegates voting after accreditation, turned violent when it was Waptu’s turn to vote.

Trouble started when some of the delegates said he should not be allowed to vote because they did not

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PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

JIBRIL I formerly known as ABDULLAHI JIBRIL DAWUD. now wish to be address as ABDULLAHI JIBRIL. all former documents remain valid, Authorities Concerned and the general public should please take note.

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PUBLIC NOTICE

SAHANATU

SOUTH EAST GOVERNORS FORUM

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UMAR

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THIS space is for sale

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PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

Nigeria earned N69.2bn from Solid Minerals Sector in 2015-NEITI Audit Report

By Etuka Sunday

N

igeria earned N69.2 billion from the solid minerals sector in 2015, an increase of 24% on the N55.8 billion earned from the sector in 2014, an audit report of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has said.

The report which was approved by the National Stakeholders Working Group, which is the board of NEITI disclosed that the total production of solid minerals in the country stood at 39.27 million tons.

This represents a reduction of 17% from the 47.1 million tons produced in

Wealth of Nigerians can be boosted through agriculture -Emefiele From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

T

he Nigerian government is confident that through agriculture, the wealth of the citizens could be boosted.

This is submission of the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele while in an interview with the journalists in Lagos.

Emefiele who noted that the most successful countries of the world which could boast of employment opportunities and consistent economic growth started with agriculture.

“We are battling with unemployment in Nigeria, and that is the reason again the President called on the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the CBN, Ministry of Employment, Labour and Productivity, and some important stakeholders including the governors together and said there was a need to start thinking about how to create jobs for our people through agriculture; that agric should not be seen as business that is meant for the poor? that you could make money from agriculture.

Countries that have progressed have done so because they took the agric sector very seriously, he assured.

He noted that in a bid to make agriculture attractive, the Federal Government introduced the Anchor Borrowers Programme, adding that with the arrival of the programme, many farmers started recording high yield.

“We are determined to make agric the sector where people make money and we have decided to put in place the Anchor Borrowers Programme. Before we introduced the ABP, farmers would go into rice farming and all the yield they were getting was one to 1.5 metric tonnes per hectare.

After we started the ABP, today we are beginning to see farmers getting yield as high as eight metric tonnes per hectare, reducing their costs and making it possible to make good profit in rice cultivation.

And that is the journey we are embarking on. We want to invite all of you, our friends and foreign investor friends; I heard the President of the Corporate Council for Africa say that some foreign investors are interested in agriculture in Nigeria. We welcome them. Come, Nigeria will receive you”, he said

...to release 2015 oil, gas audit report next month

2014. The drop in 2015’s production was attributed to insecurity in parts of the country and more stringent approval process for explosives used in mining.

However, while mineral production reduced, government revenues went up in the same year. “This increase in revenue was due to the growth in taxes collected from the sector and review of royalty rates paid by companies which came into effect within the year under review,” the report stated. NEITI’s previous solid minerals audit reports had recommended upward review of Nigeria’s royalty rates to align with prevailing industry and present day realities.

The report also disclosed that the value of solid minerals exports in 2015 stood at $9.733 million, which was 1.45% of non-oil exports for the year.

Lead and zinc topped the chart with 79% valued at $7.7 million, while 175 ounces of gold valued at only $122,000 were exported during the period.

The report showed that the solid

minerals sector contributed 0.12% to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015, a marginal increase of 0.01% on the 0.11% contribution of the sector to GDP in 2014.

“This report shows evidence that the contribution of the solid minerals sector to government revenues and macroeconomic indicators is beginning to improve, even if marginally,” said Waziri Adio, NEITI’s Executive Secretary. “The sector could definitely contribute more to revenues, job and wealth creation, exports, imports substitution, industrial development and overall national growth.”

“But there is a sign of progress already,” Adio added. “What we need to do is to build on, deepen and sustain this early promise to ensure that the country returns to being a major mining destination and maximizes the abundant opportunities offered by the sector”.

“Faithful and sustained implementation of the roadmap developed by the Ministry of Mines

and Steel Development and of the recommendations in this report will be necessary.”

The report highlighted the specific contributions by companies and states to the sector revenue growth and development. “Cement manufacturing companies were the major revenue contributors to the sector, accounting for over 60%, while construction companies and real mining companies contribute about 31% and 8% respectively. For instance, three states- Ogun, Kogi and Cross River and the FCT accounted for about 70% of the production volumes in 2015. However, Ogun state topped the table with 36%”.

According to the report, a total of 4,305 mineral titles were valid in 2015. Of this figure, 204 were mining leases, 657 were for small scale mining, 1,865 were for quarrying licenses while exploration licenses accounted for the remaining 1579. It noted that 1,220 of the 4,305 mining titles were issued in 2015 alone.

Adio, the NEITI Executive Secretary,

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, declared open the 18th Committee Meeting of the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa. (GIABA), recently in Abuja.

disclosed that the NEITI 2015 Oil and Gas report will be released next month.

He also reaffirmed the commitment of the Board to ensuring that its reports are more timely.

Adio said: “resources and processes permitting, NEITI plans to clear the backlog of reports by the middle of 2018.

Our goal is not just to make our reports more timely but also to make them as real-time as possible to enhance their utility and relevance.”

“We are finalizing the procurement process of the 2016 reports and will soon commence the procurement for the 2017 reports. We are also working hard to automate our data collection and to mainstream the EITI process”.

“Once we achieve this, we hope to then concentrate more on adding extra value to the country through cutting-edge analyses, modelling and forecasting, and setting agenda for more prudent and accountable application of natural resources for the benefits of all Nigerians.” Adio stated.

The just released 2015 solid minerals audit report recognized the progress being made by the government towards repositioning the sector to be a major driver of the economic and revenue diversification agenda of the present administration.

To sustain this growth and further enhance the capacity of the sector to contribute to the economy, the report called for “the speedy release of the N30 billion solid minerals development fund recently approved by the Federal Executive Council to the intended beneficiaries in order to support some of the activities already stipulated in the Roadmap for the sector”.

The report also called for the improvement of the economic value of Nigeria’s minerals across the value chain before export in order to maximize their potentials and contributions to the growth of the Nigerian economy, while a ban should be placed on the importation of some minerals like gypsum, barite and kaolin which Nigeria has in good quality and quantity.

NNPC, Chevron seal $1.7bn deal to increase Crude Oil, Gas Production

By Etuka Sunday

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igerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) have executed the second and final phase of an Alternative Financing Agreement that would increase crude oil production in the country by about 39,000 barrels per day.

The agreement, which was signed in London at the weekend, is also expected to achieve an incremental peak production of about 283mmscfd of gas.

Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, who signed on behalf of his Corporation, said the increment to be achieved by the agreement would spread “over the remaining life of the asset (until 2045).”

According to him, the project, which is about 92% completed, will cost about$1.7bn, with $780mn expected to befunded by third-party, while it will produce natural gas liquids and condensate extracted from the Sonam

and Okan fields located in OML 90 and 91 in the Niger Delta.

Dr. Baru described the deal as a step in the right direction which would grow the nation’s daily production and support the Federal Government’s strategic domestic gas-to-power aspirations, while aligning with NNPC’s 12 Business Focus Areas (BUFAs).

He said the project would also include the completion of the Sonam non-associated gas (“NAG”) well platform and Sonam living quarters platform; drilling of seven wells in the Sonam field and the Okan 30E NAG well; as well as the completion of the20“ x 32Km Sonam pipeline and Okan pig receiver platform and development of the associated facilities.

“As we speak now, the facilities are 100%completed while wells are 40% executed,” Baru stated.

In carrying out the project, the NNPC/CNL JV adopted a 2-staged financing approach. While Stage 1 which provided $400mn sourced from Nigerian Commercial Banks (NCBs)

achieved financial close on 1st August 2017, Stage 2, (signed today), is set to provide $380mnfrom International Commercial Banks (ICBs).

NNPC spokesman, Ndu Ughamadu in a statement said, out of the US$780mn total financing for both stages, Chevron’s Co-lending totalsUS$312mn while NNPC’s portion of the total facility stands at is US$468mn.

Speaking further on the Alternative Financing approach, Dr. Baru explained that it was aimed at plugging NNPC’s shortfall in funding JV cash call obligations including settlement of pre-2016 cash call arrears.

It will also enable full funding of NNPC’s JV obligations to restore investors’ confidence and stimulate further Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) as we are beginning to witness, he noted.

Earlier in his remarks, the Managing Director of CNL, Mr. Jeff Ewing said his company supported the Federal Government’s aspirations to

sustain oil and gas production.

“We know the important role gas supply to the domestic market plays in growing power generation. We also understand government’s need to seek alternative sources to fund profitable and bankable JV Projects,” Ewing added.

He commended Dr. Baru and other partners for backing the third party financing arrangement, which he said, would lessen cash call burden on the federation account.

He expressed Chevron’s commitment to execute the programme safely, timely and deliver its expected values for all stakeholders.

It would be recalled that in August this year, two sets of alternative financing agreements on JV projects were executed between the NNPC/CNL JV (project Falcon) and the NNPC/ SPDC JV (Project Santolina).

Both are aimed at boosting reserves and production in line with parts of the federal government’s aspirations for the Oil and Gas Industry.

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‘Treat money laundering, financial crimes with zero tolerance’ From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

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he Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has urged Nigerians to treat money laundering and financial crimes with zero tolerance

in order to maintain and sustain economic, financial and political stability.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in

West Africa (GIABA) 18th Ministerial Committee meeting, held in Abuja.

According to him, “We have for long enough affirmed our commitment as a sub-region to fighting Money Laundering and

Terrorist Financing. We must now back this intent with forceful action and visible results” Explaning further, he said: “In the last decade, more than 20,000 lives have been lost to terrorism

L-R; Mrs. Tourism, United Nations 2015/2016/ Founder, Wabio Foundation, Mrs. Ebele Enemchukwu, presenting Best Company in Finance Inclusion award, won by Sterling Bank to The Head, Market/ Liquidity and sustainability Risk, Sterling Bank, Mr. Olufemi OjoOwoniyi, at the SERAs Corporate Social Responsibility CSR Africa 2017 award at the weekend,

Ghana: Access Bank empowers Women to mark Entrepreneurship Day From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

I

n commemoration of global Women Entrepreneurship Day (WED), Access Bank Ghana has empowered over 60 market women from Makola Market in Accra, Ghana.

The workshop organized under the Bank’s flagship programme, the ‘W’ Initiative, was in partnership with the Makola Institute to build the capacity of women business owners. Key topics covered included: Basic Book Keeping, Cash Flow Management, Stock Keeping, Maintaining a Good Banking Relationship and Customer Service.

Speaking to the participants, Head of the Makola Institute, Mrs. Comfort

Oduro Nyarko encouraged the women to constantly review their business performance to ensure growth and sustainability.

“Commitment to growing your business and ensuring its longevity requires attention to detail and consistency in serving your customers.

As a business owner you cannot take the slightest issue for granted because that can likely affect your business venture” she added.

In his opening remarks, the Divisional Head for Retail Banking at Access Bank, Mr. Stephen Abban told participants that capacity building workshops, under the ‘W’ Initiative was instituted to enable women businesses to stay competitive and

profitable.

Mr. Abban said the ‘W’ Initiative is central to the Bank’s financial inclusion strategy because more than half of Ghana’s population is female.

“By supporting women businesses to succeed, we are supporting their families, the community and the nation’s economic growth agenda” he said.

The Group Head for Personal Banking at Access Bank, Mrs. Matilda Asante-Asiedu used the occasion to emphasize the benefits of signing onto the ‘W’ Initiative. She said ‘W’ is empowering women with knowledge, networking and access to markets to expand their businesses and she invited women who have not signed

on to do so.

This year’s WED is celebrated under the theme “Grit: Secret Recipes of Successful Women Entrepreneurs” and will be observed in over 144 countries. Since the launch of the W’ Initiative in May 2015, 30,000 women have benefited from various workshops across the country including the recent collaboration with FMO – the Dutch Development Bank in the Female Leadership Journey.

The ‘W’ Initiative seeks to inspire, connect and empower women across the country by offering a bundle of tailor made products, services and opportunities to young women professionals, women with family and women in business.

propagated by Boko Haram, and more than 2 million persons displaced.

One important question that arises is this: How did a once-obscure sect, domiciled primarily in a single city in Northern Nigeria, evolve to become, at one point, a menace, not only to the country but to the entire Lake Chad Basin?

“I’m certain that a significant part of the answer to those questions will be found in the complicated multinational networks of financing that sustained the group and nurtured its hateful vision. There is absolutely no way that Boko Haram would have grown as dangerous as it did without access to funding and resources, mobilized from far and wide.

“It is clear that without dealing a lethal blow to those powerful criminal networks that funnel money to terrorist groups, we cannot reasonably hope to completely obliterate the threat of terrorism and other organized criminal activity in our sub-region.

“Boko Haram is just one example of how much evil can be done by a subversive group that has figured out how to raise money in the shadows.

There are many others like it, with similar or different goals, all of them united by the need to raise financing to achieve their aims. We know that the lines between terrorist groups, corrupt politicians, traffickers (whether of drugs, guns or people); fraudsters; smugglers; kidnappers; illegal oil bunkerers, etc, have always been blurry; that these groups have always found complementary need for one another’s tactics and strategies.

Indeed, if there’s one thing that the world’s deadliest terrorist groups, from Al Qaeda to ISIS to Al-Shabaab, have in common, it is the ease and expertise with which they diversify their criminal activity while retaining their overarching goal of inflicting maximum devastation.

“Today, in the age of the Internet, that blurring has intensified.

Cyberspace has made it easier than ever for criminal syndicates to not only draw inspiration and learning from one another, but to also devise increasingly complex means of fundraising and of bypassing conventional financial system checkpoints and safeguards.

“The advent of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies provides the unprecedented levels of discreetness preferred by criminal networks. The result is that financial crime is able to always stay a few steps ahead of governments and the law”.

IBBU Lapai/RMRDC completes survey of industrial mineral deposits in North-Central Nigeria From Minna

T

Yakubu

Mustapha,

he Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai working in collaboration with the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has completed mapping and characterization of industrial mineral deposits in three States of North-Central Nigeria geopolitical region.

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Muhammad Nasir Maiturare made the disclosure during the submission of the full report of the project to the Director General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Dr Hussaini Ibrahim on 14th November 2017 in Abuja.

The Vice Chancellor commended the RMRDC for supporting the project through a research grant to the IBB University. stressing that

the gesture was in line with the current government focused on the development of solid minerals to enable a diversified economy.

He said the study mapped and geochemically characterized 5 strategic industrial minerals, namely, clay, marble, barite, talc and feldspar in Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi States.

He said with results showing that cosmetic, jewelry, cement, battery, paint, ceramics, pharmaceutical and

building materials industries could be developed and sustained in these areas using the mapped industrial minerals. If the recommendations in the report should be implemented, Maiturare hinted that solid mineral mining will be revived with concomitant wealth creation, employment generation, poverty reduction and women and youth empowerment in sustainable physical environments.

The Vice Chancellor was however

accompanied to the presentation by the university Director of Research, Prof Nuhu Obaje.

In his remarks, the Director General of the RMRDC, Dr Hussaini Ibrahim expressed satisfaction with the content of the report and promised that IBBU will be invited to carry out similar study in the remaining states of the North Central region or move the project to beneficiation and pilot stage testing of the characterized minerals.

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PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

Disaster: FEMA reviews response plans

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he Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has carried out a comprehensive review of its emergency preparedness and response plan, in order to ensureeffective response to emergency situations in the Territory.

Speaking while declaring the review session open in Abuja, last week, FEMA’s Director General, Abbas Idriss explained that “emerging and complex disaster challenges have made the review of our plan a necessity, hence the need to organize this event.

“Furthermore, acting in an emergency situation or milieu is quite challenging even for trained personnel.

Without this kind of document jointly put together and periodically reviewed by stakeholders, confusion and counter=productive actions will tend to set in, in the field.”

According to him, without making L-R: Immediate Past President, Kubwa Achievers Lion Club, Lion Fadayi Abiodun, President, Kubwa Achievers Lion Club, Lion Bridget Ohikhokhai and the 1st Vice District Governor, International Association of Lion, Lion Oto-Abasi Ansa, during the Public Presentation adequate preparation for disasters, the resultant scenario in an event of of the President and Fund raising ceremony for humanitarian services, at the weekend in Abuja. emergency could best be described as “cacophony of responders who are working at cross-purposes. No meaningful result could ever be achieved in this manner.”

Idriss noted that no emergency preparedness and response plan was meant to be static, but rather dynamic, Stories by Stanley Onyekwere blockage.

Municipal Area Council, Mr. Joseph seems the various agencies are helpless “Provide adequate dust bin and Shauib, said a Prayer House located at in this case. And I pray that this situation so as to meet with societal dynamics, here is imminent serious crisis sanitary convenience; must not dry plot 127, Nyanya Area ‘B’ near Dubys will not result to serious crisis,” Shauib reminding that issues like suicide bombings hitherto thought to be fargradually heating up between cloths in front of the balcony or in front Suite has constituted nuisance to all the stressed. landlords and operators of prayer of his premises or on hedges or side neighbourhoods, even as he stressed Another affected residents who fetched, only heard of or read about in houses and beer parlours, following the walks, must not keep animals or birds that all efforts made by affected residents simply gave her name as Mrs. Beatrice the media were now living with us.

Furthermore, he explained that swelling uncontrolled geometric spread likely to cause nuisance; must not use have proved abortive.

Onah, of Aco/AMAC Estate, noted of mushroom churches and drinking a residential premises for the sale of He revealed that he has petitioned all that the uncontrolled huge increase of while they do not pray for emergencies, joints within residential areas across the alcoholic drinks or as a restaurant or for the relevant agencies and departments drinking joints within residential area adequate preparations must however Territory. other commercial activity.” in the FCT Administration to correct may lead to clashes between landlords be made to effectively deal with them Checks revealed that clear However, some of the affected the abuse of land use, describing the and operators of beer parlours. when they occur, adding that “as first indications emerged following series residents who spoke about the situation as highly disturbing.

According to her, a drinking joint responders to all emergencies in the of complaints from affected residents situation, affirmed that if adequate and “It is a terrible situation in this located at Aco/AMAC Estate, after the FCT, the exercise is highly important over the continued public disturbance urgent steps are not taken by relevant neighbourhood for those of us in Area ‘B’ roundabout along phase 11, immediately and, therefore, no amount of sacrifice by prayer houses and drinking joints Agencies and Departments of the FCT whenever this prayer House organises after Great Talent Star Colleage has been or contribution from stakeholders located within residential areas as Administration, the development could an event. in operation for the past three months, should be considered as too much.” against the Abuja Environmental snowball to a major crisis in the nation’s “I don’t know how best to tackle and as a result residents within the However, the FEMA boss Protection Board, (AEPB) Act, which capital. this knotty issue because there is no neighbourhood have murdered sleep. commended the FCT Administration prohibits nuisance in the environment.

Expectedly, the affected residents agency in FCT Administration I have not “For three months now, we have and other agencies for giving it all In particular, the AEPB Act 1997 also accused some Agencies of the communicated but to no avail. murdered sleep in this neighbourhood the necessary support, especially in Act No. 10 of 1997 Statutory Legislation Administration of not rising up to the “I am a Christian, but I have not because of the loud music from the Applicable Area of the FCT-Abuja occasion despite official complains, seen this form of Christianity anywhere. drinking joint. To worsen the situation, financing disaster prevention and stipulates that the Board has “duty while calling on the FCT Administration They will start prayers from 6.00pm till the area has suddenly becoming a safe response.

On his part, a consultant at the to keep owned or occupied tenement to step into the issue with a view to dawn not minding other people’s faith. place for prostitution and smoking. clean, neat, keep grass low and trim, averting crisis in the future.

“To be precise, I have written to “Our children are daily exposed to event, Dr. Olusoji Adeniyi who made cut and trim flowers; keep drainage One of the affected residents AEPB, Development Control and FCT these vices and it is not good for their two paper presentations, introduction to preparedness and preparedness running through the tenement free from of Nyanya in Area ‘B’, of the Abuja Call Center to step into the matter, but it future,” she stated. plan model, stressed the need for stakeholders to always work together before, during and after emergencies so as to mitigate the impact of any disaster, even as he called on both the he FCT Minister, Malam and dedication shown by the former infrastructural works being initiated the Gwagwalada road, adding that the public and private organizations and Muhammad Musa Bello, has Executive Secretary during his tenure, during the tenure of Ismaila to 15km Apo-Karshi road is ongoing. individuals to ensure buildings have commended the immediate past urging all management staff of the FCT include the eastern portion of the According to him, “We hope it entry and exit ways.

Executive Secretary of the Federal Administration to emulate such spirited Inner Southern Express Way Bridge, would alleviate the difficulties faced by He also advised on the need to Capital Development Authority, Nigerian in the service of fatherland. award of the Villa Roundabout Bridge commuters from Mararaba, Nyanya “always have plans costed for, instead (FCDA), Engr. Adamu Ismaila, for the His words: “On assessing my project; a major component of the and Karu axis. We are also planning of not having plans at all” and also development of infrastructures in the mid term achievements, I must Outer Northern Expressway, ONEX, another bypass on the Keffi-Nyanya ensures that policies on the “release of Territory. recognized with nostalgia the immense namely the Murtala Mohammed road, that would link up at the Mpape funds are emergency-sensitive.”

According to him, the achievements contributions of Engr. Ismaila Adamu, Expressway and the B6 and B12 bridges area.

Adeniyi also urged that while recorded in infrastructural development the former Executive Secretary of otherwise known as Constitution and “Work is also ongoing at the during the years under review could FCDA, who during his tenure has Independence Roads respectively.

ONEX Dutse-Alhaji link road. The planning, attention should be focused not have been possible without the shown tremendous dedication in the Meanwhile, the minister used Administration has secured approval on “best case scenario, most case professional advise of the former development of the city. the occasion to reveal that the of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, scenario and worst case scenario”, Executive Secretary.

“His services for 35 years in the administration has completed the of the sum of N2.6Billion for massive and always “workout the numbers and Bello, who made the commendation territory cannot be swept under the 16.5Km Kuje-Gwagwalada bypass road construction of road infrastructure make adequate preparations” for all while reviewing his mid term in office, carpet. I called on others to follow suit.” traversing major agricultural firms and within the satellite town of Karu Phase groups, such as health, camps, food and others to avoid protest by victims. noted with nostalgia the passion He, specifically noted some of farmlands and could break gridlocks on 2.”

Landlords set for showdown with operators of prayer, beer parlour outlets

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Bello commends ex-FCDA boss on infrastructural dev’t

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PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

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world news

international_peoplesdailyng@yahoo.com

Why some Germans look at Syrian refugees

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etween 1944 and 1947, an estimated 12 million ethnic Germans fled or were expelled from their homes. Overshadowed by the crimes of the Nazis, their stories have often received little international attention. But these days, as Bethany Bell reports from Germany, the new arrivals from Syria have awakened old memories about what it means to flee.

Christa Nolte carefully lifted a little book out of a box of family papers.

“This is what my grandmother, Anna, took with her when we fled,” she told me. “It was important for her to save it.”

It was a pocket-sized Lutheran hymnal, the Silesian Church’s Songbook.

Christa was a war baby, born in April 1943. Her family came from the town of Goldberg in Silesia, which back then was part of Germany. Today it’s in Poland.

“We left in early 1945, my mother, my grandmother, my brother and me,” Christa said.

“The Red Army was coming. It was very cold.”

The family took very little with them. Just a few pieces of cutlery, her brother’s teddy bear and a feather duvet, which her mother, Margarethe, stuffed into her pram.

Christa, not quite two years old, sat on the top.

“My mother originally wanted to get to her brother in Berlin,” Christa told me.

“But our train was stopped just outside Dresden because the Allied aerial firebombing of the city had just begun.”

I had met Christa in Saxony, in eastern Germany. She had just come from Berlin, where she

had taken part in a church choir festival, along with a group from Coventry, another city blitzed during World War Two. Quiet and contained, she told me her story matter-of-factly, without drama.

Outside Dresden, the family set off on foot, through the snow and extreme cold. They eventually reached a camp a little way off south-east, in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia.

Christa got very sick, with measles and then pneumonia. The child in the next bed died. She remembers people crying and air raid sirens - sounds that still haunt her.

At the end of the war, the family managed to get back to Goldberg partly on foot, partly by train. At one point, they were surrounded

by Russian soldiers, one of whom accosted her mother, Margarethe.

She was terrified he meant to rape her, but instead he gave her a piece of ham.

When they got back home, everything had changed. Polish families from eastern regions, which had been transferred to the Soviet Union, had been moved into Goldberg and into their family home.

At the Potsdam conference in the summer of 1945, the Allies agreed that the German territories east of the Oder-Neisse rivers including Goldberg - should be given to Poland.

So in 1946, Christa and her family left again - to become part of a mass exodus west. “We were on a train for nine days. We didn’t know where we were going. We all had lice and fleas,” Christa remembered.

She turned to me, with a rueful smile. “When we eventually

French policeman kills three and himself north of Paris

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French policeman shot three people dead on a street near Paris in an apparent domestic dispute, before killing himself, media reports say.

His girlfriend, as well as her mother and her sister, were wounded in the incident, which occurred late on Saturday in the town of Sarcelles.

Those killed are said to be the girlfriend’s father and two passers-by.

The mayor of Sarcelles, north of Paris, said the woman had recently told the policeman she was breaking up with him.

The officer first killed two people with his service weapon on the street, Le Monde newspaper says.

Christa Nolte as a baby with her mother and her brother - she still has the teddy bear got to the Rhineland, west of Duesseldorf, the farmers we were sent to live with didn’t want us either. The first thing they asked us was: ‘Are you Catholic or Protestant?’ They were Catholic.

We were Protestants. It was our biggest mistake.”

Stories like Christa’s are common. During my short stay in Saxony, I met a number of people who had come from Silesia or East Prussia as children. I also discovered that the old manor house where I was staying had been used as a refugee camp for Germans from the east well into the 1950s.

For many years, the fate of the ethnic Germans has been an uncomfortable topic - always overshadowed by Nazi atrocities,

and repeatedly exploited by farright groups.

“There are books about it, and we talk about it among ourselves,” Christa told me. “I don’t feel so badly affected. Children manage everywhere and in the end things didn’t go so badly for me in the West - although the local children called us names for years.”

But seeing Syrian refugees arrive in Germany today makes her think.

“Their experience is like ours - like that of our mothers and grandmothers - the rapes, sleeping rough, trying to keep your children safe.”

“You mention rape,” I said.

“Did that happen to your mother?”

“She never spoke about it,” Christa said. “Never.”

It was only in 1990, after the fall of Communism, that Christa and her mother were able to visit their old home again - Goldberg, now known by the Polish name Zlotorja.

Christa says Margarethe had made peace with the fact that Polish families were now settled there. “It would be a huge injustice if they had to move,” she’d said.

“Where would they go?”

A week after our conversation, I received an email from Christa, who had gone on to visit Germany’s Baltic coast near Rostock. It contained the photo of a refugee cookery book, recently put together by a local community there. The recipes were from Silesia, East Prussia, Afghanistan and Syria.

José Manuel Maza: Spain’s attorney general dies aged

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pain’s attorney general José Manuel Maza has died suddenly in Argentina, where he was attending a conference.

He was 66.

Earlier on Saturday he had been reportedly taken to an intensive care unit with a kidney infection.

Last month, Mr Maza called for charges to be brought against Catalan leaders, following a banned independence referendum in the region.

Spain’s political leaders have been paying tribute.

In a tweet (in Spanish), Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy expressed his

“deepest condolences” to Mr Maza’s family and friends.

Justice Minister Rafael Catalá described Mr Maza as an extraordinary lawyer and public servant.

Mr Maza was appointed Spain’s attorney general in November 2016.

José Manuel Maza’s sudden death has shocked the Spanish political establishment.

Mr Maza had decided that the Catalan separatists’ attempt to break away from Spain was a criminal matter.

This decision to prosecute found widespread support in Spain’s

conservative government.

Mr Maza’s death may not change Spain’s legal policy towards the deposed Catalan politicians.

Right now, the main target of the prosecution, deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, remains in Belgium - from where he is contesting Spain’s request to extradite him.

“They were local residents - I knew them well because I lived on this street for 10 years,” Sarcelles Mayor François Pupponi told AFP new agency, adding that they had no connection with the policeman.

Waddesdon air crash: Bodies recovered from crash site

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he bodies of four men killed in a crash between a helicopter and plane have been recovered from the site.

The aircraft collided over Waddesdon Estate, near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, on Friday. One of the victims was Capt Mike Green.

Thames Valley Police said it would not confirm the other men’s identities but said one was

a Vietnamese national.

Post-mortem examinations, due to begin later, are expected to last several days, a spokesman said.

He added the force was working with “military support” to remove the wreckage.

An investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Branch into the cause of the crash is ongoing.

Supt Rebecca Mears said: “Our thoughts remain with the families of the men who have tragically lost their lives.

“Specially-trained officers are continuing to offer their support to the families of the victims affected, three of whom we understand to be British nationals, one of whom is a Vietnamese national.

“Work will today focus on removing the aircraft from the

scene.”

Image caption Investigations at the site are expected to last several days Capt Green was conducting a flight instructor course with a student when they both died, his employer Helicopter Services said on Facebook.

The firm said it was “devastated” by his death.

The helicopter and the

Cessna plane both took off from Wycombe Air Park, also known as Booker Airfield, which offers flight training.

It is about 20 miles (30km) from the site of the crash.

Three of the victims’ families visited the site of the wreckage, which is scattered across a wooded area, on Saturday.

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Zimbabwe’s ruling party sacks Robert Mugabe as leader

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imbabwe’s ruling party has sacked Robert Mugabe as its leader, as pressure intensifies for him to step down as president.

Zanu-PF has also given Mr Mugabe, 93, until 10:00 GMT on Monday to resign as president, or face impeachment.

He is due to address the nation shortly, after he met military leaders who have called on him to step down.

The military intervened last week, in an apparent attempt to block him from installing his wife as his successor.

The first lady, Grace Mugabe, and several other senior officials have been expelled from the party altogether.

Tens of thousands of Zimbabweans attended street protests on Saturday, demonstrating against the Mugabes.

No details of the talks between Mr Mugabe and the military leaders have been released. However, photos posted by the state-run Herald newspaper show the two sides - who also met several days ago - shaking hands.

Mr Mugabe was said to be seeking more time to negotiate his exit after nearly four decades in power.

State-run Zimbabwe TV said he would “address the nation live from the State House”, his official residence, shortly.

Cheering erupted when the decision to dismiss Mr Mugabe as party leader was announced in Harare on Sunday.

One senior official later told the BBC’s Andrew Harding: “It’s the dawn of a new era. Mugabe can go farming.”

Zanu-PF appointed ex-VicePresident Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was fired by Mr Mugabe two weeks ago, in his place.

The party’s central committee also warned that impeachment proceedings would begin if Mr Mugabe did not step down as president by noon local time on Monday.

Impeaching the president would require a two-thirds majority in both houses of Zimbabwe’s parliament, which is due to resume on Tuesday.

The opposition MDC-T party has tried unsuccessfully to impeach Mr Mugabe in the past, but this time the ruling party - which has an overwhelming majority in both houses - is likely to go against him.

Mr Mnangagwa, who left Zimbabwe after he was sacked but has since reportedly returned, has also been nominated as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2018

general elections.

Nicknamed “the crocodile” for his perceived shrewdness, Mr Mnangagwa is a former state security chief who is now widely expected to lead an interim post-Mugabe government.

His sacking prompted an extraordinary chain of events over the past week: • Mr Mnangagwa fled the country after his dismissal as Mr Mugabe’s deputy two weeks ago • The army’s chief of staff, Gen Constantino Chiwenga, warned last Monday that the military might intervene to stop purges in the party - and was roundly criticised by allies of the Mugabes • On Wednesday, soldiers seized the headquarters of the national broadcaster • Mr Mugabe has been mostly under house arrest for several days • On Saturday, unprecedented mass protests further weakened Mr Mugabe’s position Speaking ahead of the party meeting, the head of the influential War Veterans Association, Chris Mutsvangwa, threatened to “bring back the crowds and they will do their business” if Mr Mugabe did not step down.

Mr Mugabe has been leader of Zimbabwe for 37 years, having led the country since it gained independence from Britain in 1980.

He has made just one public appearance since events unfolded, speaking at a university graduation ceremony on Friday.

Zimbabwe Mugabe: Where do deposed leaders go?

President Robert Mugabe famously declared that he would cling to power in Zimbabwe “until God says ‘Come’”. And at the age of 93, he might have expected that hour to arrive before a human intervention.

Nonetheless, following the military takeover, the leader of 37 years’ standing must now barter himself a future.

Even now, the military is still negotiating with Mr Mugabe about his possible resignation, but when or if - he goes, can he expect a villa in the sun like fallen strongmen of the past?

Let’s take a look at what happens to deposed leaders...

Favoured destinations Traditionally, when an authoritarian leader is ousted, they flee overseas after securing a promise of impunity. Forced or voluntary, their exile is designed to avoid

conflict or civil war.

France, with its colonial history in Africa, is a popular destination.

Two former presidents of the Central African Republic spent time there, as did the family of Rwandan autocrat Juvenal Habyarimana.

Others are guided by their political sympathies.

Erich Honecker for 19 years leader of the Socialist Unity Party in East Germany, fled first to Moscow, then to Chile, after the Berlin Wall came down.

In 1986, the 20-year reign of Ferdinand Marcos was brought to a close after four days of protests on the streets of Manila. US President Ronald Reagan, a former ally, urged him to step down and he fled the Philippines for Hawaii.

Saudi Arabia is a good bet for ex-dictators with few friends left.

Uganda’s Idi Amin spent 24 years there before his death in 2003.

And eight years on he was followed

by Tunisian ex-President Zine alAbidine Ben Ali, who found nowhere in Africa would take him.

Is it bad PR for the host country?

Does sheltering a deposed leader damage the host country’s image?

The answer is: not usually. Most fallen leaders are only interested in a quiet retirement (and in some cases, avoiding the scrutiny of the International Criminal Court).

Offering exiles asylum can be good for diplomatic relations, with the host nation praised by its peers

all the tools at its disposal,” Mr Conde said.

Libya has opened an investigation into the practice, CNN reported on Friday.

In April, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said it had gathered evidence of slavery in Libya.

The IOM’s chief of mission for Libya, Othman Belbeisi, told the BBC at the time that migrants were priced according to their abilities.

“Apparently they don’t have money and their families cannot pay the ransom, so they are being sold to get at least a minimum benefit from that,” he said.

“The price is definitely different depending on your qualifications, for example if you can do painting or tiles or some specialised work then the price gets higher.”

The International Migration Organization says it has gathered evidence of slavery in Libya

President Mugabe’s wife, Grace, had emerged as a leading candidate to succeed her husband Image copyright Reuters Image caption for “taking one for the team”.

When Mr Ben Ali arrived in Saudi Arabia, for example, the kingdom issued a carefully worded statement.

“Out of concern for the exceptional circumstances facing the brotherly Tunisian people and in support of the security and stability of their country... the Saudi government has welcomed President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and his family to the kingdom,” it read.

In the case of Zimbabwe, African nations may be happy to take Robert Mugabe, but balk at the idea of his firebrand wife, Grace. The 52-yearold has made her political ambitions very plain and potential hosts may worry she would use their territory as a base to interfere in Zimbabwe thus damaging relations.

Where could Mugabe go?

The Mugabe family own property in Malaysia, South Africa and possibly Dubai - but Africa-watchers say the patriarch may aim for Singapore.

“He’s got numerous options,” observes Dr Phil Clark, an African politics specialist at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

“He’s been going [to Singapore] a lot for medical treatment for more than a decade now, and he seems to have a pretty good relationship with the Singaporean authorities.”

The fact that Mr Mugabe is not fleeing a bloody coup but negotiating peacefully with the army and people

inside his own party, Zanu-PF, is likely to help his chances.

South Africa is the other main contender, as Mr Mugabe has a strong relationship with President Jacob Zuma and historic links to the country.

“I think Zuma’s going to find that pretty difficult to justify to his own electorate and party at the moment.

I think that one’s probably not going to happen,” Dr Clark says.

South Africa is also a risk for Grace Mugabe. In August, the First Lady was granted diplomatic immunity over claims that she had assaulted a model at a Johannesburg hotel where her sons were staying.

But if her husband leaves power, that protection will evaporate too.

He may not leave Africa Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said that Zimbabwe’s long-time leader had become a cartoon figure of the archetypal African dictator.

Despite that he is still popular on the continent and seen by some as a liberation hero.

Togo, Equatorial Guinea and Morocco all have past form for taking in exiled presidents, if Mr Mugabe is minded to stay within Africa.

Ironically perhaps, Zimbabwe has welcomed more than one “difficult” diplomatic exile too.

Ethiopia’s Mengistu Haile Mariam, who executed thousands of suspected opponents during the 1970s, has enjoyed a lavish life in asylum thanks to his friendship with Mr Mugabe.

Libya migrant ‘slave market’ footage sparks outrage

T

he African Union (AU) has expressed outrage after footage emerged appearing to show subSaharan migrants being sold at slave markets in Libya.

On the video, released by CNN this week, young men are seen being auctioned off as farm workers.

The AU chairman, President Alpha Conde of Guinea, demanded prosecutions over a “despicable” trade “from another era”.

Migrants trying to reach Europe have spoken of being held by smugglers and forced to work for little or no money.

The footage released by CNN appears to show youths from Niger and other sub-Saharan countries being sold to buyers for about $400 (£300) at undisclosed locations in Libya.

“These modern slavery practices must end and the African Union will use

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PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

Yemen: Finding near-famine - and lots of food

H

ow do you explain a famine in a country where there’s food?

A couple of years ago I was in Ethiopia, reporting on the threat of famine, in the same place where BBC correspondent Michael Buerk covered the “biblical” famine in 1985.

Those famines, or so-called “parched-earth” famines, sort of make sense. If food doesn’t grow because, say the rains have failed, then people starve.

I was in Kenya in 2011, covering a parched-earth famine there too. Catastrophe was compounded by war in both cases - conflict with separatist guerrillas in 1980s Ethiopia and with al-Shabab Islamists more recently in Kenya - but the bottom line was food wasn’t growing.

This is different. Welcome to Yemen in 2017. The UN estimates seven million people are facing famine in the Arab world’s poorest nation - yet there’s no parched earth.

In the frontline city of Taiz, under siege from Houthi rebels for two-and-a-half years, a stroll around one of the local markets reveals abundance.

Huge

pomegranates and oranges, fresh garlic, bananas, courgettes and tangerines.

There are supermarkets full of produce too - fresh meat, eggs, steaks and ribs. So how on earth can this country be starving? It makes no sense.

Soaring prices I was shown around one of the markets in Taiz by a man I’d met the day before. Sami Abdul Hadi, 55, saw our team filming outside one hospital.

He introduced himself to us and said we had to make sure our report included the real crime about the conflict in Yemen: people are starving, he said, yet there’s plenty of food to go round. So we agreed to meet the next day.

“Look at these fruits,” Sami told me, gesturing to a particularly healthy looking pile of oranges.

“Before the war, they were 300 Yemeni rials ($1.2; £0.90), now they’re 600. No-one can afford the food here,” he said, with a sigh of resignation and a shake of his head.

Sami himself couldn’t afford the food on display in front of him. A former insurance

Fruit for sale in a market-place - but few can afford to buy it

salesman, he’d been out of work since 2009 and relied on handouts from the World Food Programme.

Finding decent paying jobs, any job in Yemen, is pretty near impossible, in the middle of the war.

Under blockade As I was talking to Sami, a group of people began to cluster around us.

A man in his 80s said he couldn’t get the medicine he needed for his diabetes. Another man lamented the shortage of petrol and fuel. While one man said he hadn’t been paid for weeks because of the war.

Yemen is cursed by man. Its tragedy isn’t a failure in nature, but a failure of politics. It’s experiencing a political famine.

Before the war 90% of

Saad Hariri, Lebanon PM, to return to Beirut ‘in coming days’

President Macron had offered to mediate in the crisis over Mr Hariri’s resignation

L

ebanese PM Saad Hariri has said he will return to Beirut in the coming days, and will then clarify his shock decision to resign.

He quit two weeks ago during a visit to Saudi Arabia, but President Michel Aoun refused to accept the resignation.

Mr Hariri denied being held in Riyadh against his will, amid speculation the Saudis had forced him to quit as part of a regional power struggle with Iran.

Mr Hariri was speaking after meeting France’s president in Paris.

Mr Hariri said: “I will go to Beirut in the coming days.

I will participate in the independence celebrations, and it is there that I will make known my position on these subjects after meeting President Aoun.”

What sparked this crisis?

It was during a trip to Saudi Arabia on 4 November that Mr Hariri abruptly announced he was resigning.

In a televised announcement, Mr Hariri accused Iran of sowing “discord, devastation and destruction” in the region. He also accused Iran’s ally in Lebanon, Hezbollah, which is part of a national unity government that Mr Hariri formed last year, of destabilising his nation.

He also said he feared for his life. Several members of Hezbollah are being tried at a UN-backed tribunal at The Hague over the car-bomb assassination of Mr Hariri’s exPM father, Rafik, in 2005.

President Aoun refused to accept the resignation, accusing the Saudis of holding Mr Hariri against his will.

The Saudis and Mr Hariri have denied this.

“To say that I am held up in Saudi Arabia and not allowed to leave the country is a lie,” Mr Hariri said in a Twitter post.

Saudi Arabia recalled its envoy to Berlin over comments by Germany’s foreign minister suggesting Mr Hariri was being held against his will.

How are the Saudis involved?

Lebanon is a flashpoint in the decades-long struggle between Saudi Arabia - the leading Sunni Muslim power and largely Shia Muslim Iran for regional influence.

There have been suggestions, denied by Saudi Arabia, that the Saudis had forced Mr Hariri to resign in an attempt to curb the influence of Iran and Hezbollah.

Mr Hariri has close ties with Saudi Arabia. He holds both Lebanese and Saudi citizenship, owns properties in the kingdom, and Riyadh is a key backer of his political party, the Future Movement.

He left two of his children behind in school in Riyadh when he flew to Paris.

Why did Mr Hariri visit Paris?

The Hariri family also have longstanding ties with France, Lebanon’s former colonial ruler.

France had offered to mediate in the crisis, inviting Mr Hariri for the talks.

However, President Macron has also had to clarify the invitation, saying France was not offering political exile.

Mr Hariri and his wife arrived overnight from Riyadh on his private jet and were taken to their Paris residence amid tight security, ahead of the meeting with Mr Macron.

President Aoun had welcomed the Paris trip, saying he hoped it would be a “start of a solution”.

What happens next?

In a tweet on Saturday, Lebanon’s president said Mr Hariri had told him by telephone that he would be back in the country by Wednesday.

This has now been backed up by Mr Hariri.

But after his meeting with Mr Macron, Mr Hariri is expected to visit a number of Arab capitals first.

Mr Aoun, whose party has an alliance with Hezbollah, has said Mr Hariri can only present his resignation in Lebanon and must stay there while a new government is formed.

Yemen’s food was imported anyway. The prosperity of the nation, and its people, depended on fully functioning seaports, an uncluttered road network and open airspace.

The current conflict means these three things are under strain. Saudi Arabia, which is leading a coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen, can close the ports at will, making it difficult for food and aid shipments upon which 21 million people now rely - to get into the country.

That’s exactly what the kingdom did on 4 November, after rebels here fired a rocket, at Riyadh International Airport, across the border.

The aid agencies now fear that unless all the ports fully reopen soon, warehouse stocks will run out in the next few months.

Manmade Yemen’s road network is a mess. Some highways and bridges have been destroyed in the war, and convoys of food have to run the gauntlet of rebels, who’ve been known to hold up lorries, and only send them on to areas sympathetic to their cause.

Lorry drivers also have to worry about routes, that crosscross territory controlled by alQaeda.

All this is what makes Yemen’s “famine” manmade and political.

Sami Abdul Hadi, like millions of Yemenis, just cannot quite understand how he got into this mess.

He was educated at the University of Cairo. He has a degree in political science and he speaks good English. Living off handouts from the UN isn’t what he expected in his life.

But then, how do you plan for a war that’s killed or wounded more than 12,000 people, displaced more than three million, and beggared a nation?

PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

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PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

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F e at u r e

After the Mugabes, which African dynasties remain?

W

ith Robert Mugabe’s hopes of handing power to his wife in Zimbabwe over, which political dynasties are still going strong elsewhere in Africa?

Since the 1990s, multi-party elections and peaceful transfers of power have become far more common on the continent but quite a few current leaders have succeeded their fathers, or are planning to hand power to their sons. (Daughters seem to be less favoured.)

Some dynasties have established themselves through assassinations, coups, and rebellions, while in Zimbabwe’s neighbour, South Africa, President Jacob Zuma is hoping to hand power to his ex-wife in the coming years.

Togo: Oldest dynasty A former French colony, it has been ruled by the Eyadema family for the last 50 years, making it the dynasty that has been in power for the longest period.

And of all the governments currently in power in Africa, it is under the greatest threat of being overthrown in a mass uprising. Crowds of up to 800,000 have repeatedly taken to the streets since August, demanding an end to dynastic rule in the country of 6.6 million.

Protesters accuse the government of tinkering with the constitution so that President Faure Gnassingbé can remain in power until 2030. The government denies this, insisting that it will introduce a two-term presidential limit ahead of elections in 2020.

With the backing of the military, Mr Gnassingbé became president in 2005 after the unexpected death of his father, Gnassingbé Eyadema, at the age of 69. Later, he won two elections, which were denounced by the opposition as a sham.

Faure has shared, or has tried to share, the spoils of power with his family. He appointed his half-brother, Kpatcha, to the all-important post of defence minster after taking office.

However, the two fell-out, and Kpatcha was sacked as defence minister in 2007.

Faure accused him of trying to dethrone him. Kpatcha, in turn, accused the president of plotting to assassinate him. Faure won the powerstruggle, had his half-brother arrested, and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

But his reputation for ruthlessness is nothing compared to that of his late father.

As a 28-year-old army sergeant, Eyadema was widely suspected to have fired the shots which killed Togo’s first post-independence president. Then, on 13 January 1967, the third anniversary of the assassination, Eyadema himself seized power in a bloodless coup.

When he died, he held the title of Africa’s longest-serving ruler. He had been on the political throne for 38 years.

Gabon: ‘Kleptocratic regime’ Also a former French colony, it has Africa’s second oldest political dynasty.

A Christian convert to Islam, Omar Bongo took power 11 months after Eyadema, and ruled for nearly 42 years until his death in 2009.

He left his son Ali Bongo Ondimba, a fortune worth millions of dollars, and the country. He did win an election, although the opposition said it was rigged.

After France launched a corruption investigation against the family, the president of the oil-rich nation announced in 2015 that he would spend his entire inheritance on

development projects, including starting a university and a youth foundation.

French police investigations identified that Bongo family assets included 39 properties in France, located in affluent areas of Paris and on the French Riviera, as well as nine luxury cars, including Ferraris and Mercedes, worth a total of $1.6m (£1m).

Rights groups say the Bongos have turned Gabon into a “kleptocratic regime”, which loots its natural resources, oil wealth and rainforests - an allegation the family strongly denies.

In 2015 Argentinean football star Lionel Messi came under heavy criticism for visiting the Central African state.

He laid the first stone at the construction site of a football stadium for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

Bongo denied giving Messi money to visit Gabon, saying: “When I was in Barcelona a few years ago, I met Messi who had told me that he would come to visit me in Libreville,” he said.

“It’s a promise he made me. He is a man of honour who just kept his word.”

Equatorial Guinea: Luxury cars and Michael Jackson gloves A former Spanish colony, it currently has Africa’s longest-serving ruler, Theodoro Obiang Nguema.

Said to be one of Africa’s most brutal leaders, he seized power in 1979 after overthrowing independence leader President Francisco Macias Nguema, his uncle, and having him executed.

According to campaign group Human Rights Watch, the ‘’dictatorship under President Obiang has used an oil boom to entrench and enrich itself further at the expense of the country’s people’’.

The president’s 48-year-old son, Teodorin Obiang, is his deputy, putting him in pole position to inherit power.

Known for his flamboyant lifestyle, Teodorin is a fugitive from justice. In October, a French court convicted him in absentia of embezzlement.

It ordered the seizure of his assets in France, including a $29m (£22m) mansion.

He also boasted 18 luxury cars in France, artworks, jewellery and expensive designer fashions, The Paris judge found that the president’s son had used his position as agriculture and forestry minister to siphon off payments from timber firms who were exporting from Equatorial Guinea.

In November, Swiss prosecutors seized 11 luxury cars belonging to Mr Obiang junior. They said he had

Most Togolese have lived under only one family’s rule

Voters have returned President Faure Gnassingbé to power in two elections Image copyright plundered his country’s oil wealth to is currently the minister of education buy luxuries, including a private jet and sports in her husband’s cabinet. and Michael Jackson memorabilia.

For now though, there is a push to Teodorin denies all allegations of give Mr Museveni, 76, another term.

Uganda’s ruling party wants wrongdoing. parliament to scrap the presidential Uganda: ‘Playing God’ A former British colony, it is ruled age limit of 75, a move that could by ex-rebel leader Yoweri Museveni. allow Mr Museveni to stand for reHe seized power in 1986, won a fifth election in 2021. It has led to ruling term in 2016, may run for a sixth term and opposition MPs brawling in and could eventually hand power to parliament, as emotions rise over the plan. his son.

The move has not come as a In January, the speculation gained impetus when Mr Museveni surprise. In 2013, renegade army promoted Maj Gen Muhoozi General David Sejusa accused Mr Kainerugaba, his eldest son, to Museveni of “playing God” in Uganda.

“The central issue is a political become a special presidential adviser monarchy - a life presidency and then in a reshuffle of army commanders.

Having graduated from British transiting [to] a political monarchy,” Royal Military Academy Sandhurst he said.

“It is a terribly common African in 2000, Maj Gen Kainerugaba rose rapidly within the military. Last year, story. There is nothing strange about he was promoted from brigadier to it,” the renegade general added at the time. major general.

DR Congo: Dynasty replaces an Others believe that Mrs Museveni’s wife also harbours autocrat A former Belgian colony, the presidential ambitions.

Having served in government since 2009, she Democratic Republic of Congo has been ruled by the Kabila family since 1997, when Laurent Kabila stormed the capital, Kinshasa, with the backing of regional armies, ending the 32-year rule of Mobutu Sese Seko.

A former French colony, it has been ruled Kabila was assassinated in 2001 by the Eyadema family for the last 50 years, by his bodyguards, resulting in the military installing his son, Joseph, as making it the dynasty that has been in president.

After serving two elected terms, power for the longest period. And of all the Joseph was supposed to step down governments currently in power in Africa, it is in 2016 as the constitution bars the under the greatest threat of being overthrown president from running for a third term. in a mass uprising. Crowds of up to 800,000 However, the electoral commission says it will be ready to hold an election have repeatedly taken to the streets since only next year, leaving Mr Kabila in August, demanding an end to dynastic rule in power until then, despite massive opposition protests and international the country of 6.6 million condemnation.

“

His sister, Jaynet, and brother, Zoe, are MPs, The family has built a huge business empire, with a stake in banks, farms, airline operators, a road builder, hotels, a pharmaceutical supplier, travel agencies, boutiques and nightclubs, according to Bloomberg news agency.

South Africa: Divorcees make up A beacon of hope in Africa during anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela’s rule, it could be the next African country to have a dynastic succession, of sorts.

Its polygamous President Jacob Zuma is campaigning for his exwife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, to succeed him as leader of the governing African National Congress (ANC) at its conference next month, and as president in 2019.

Ms Dlamini-Zuma deeply resents being described as President Zuma’s ex-wife, and has complained about such headlines.

She insists that she is a politician in her own right who took part in the anti-apartheid struggle, served in various ministerial posts since the advent of democracy in 1994, and became the chairwoman of the African Union (AU) commission before joining the presidential race.

Her critics say this may well be the case, but Mr Zuma has chosen her as his political heir because she is unlikely to put him - the father of their children - in jail.

Mr Zuma has been accused of widespread corruption, with the Supreme Court of Appeal ruling that he should be tried on 18 counts of corruption, racketeering, money laundering and bribery - all of which he denies.

His critics say he also needs his exwife in power so that his favourite son from another wife, Duduzane Zuma, is safe from prosecution.

Critics allege that he is abusing his relationship with his father to win government contracts for himself, and his business partners, the wealthy Gupta family. They all deny the allegations, insisting that they are not corrupt.

Ms Dlamini-Zuma’s main challenger is Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, a former business tycoon and trade unionist. His supporters are hoping that the Zimbabwean crisis will boost his chances of winning, as ANC members grasp the dangers of a dynastic rule.

Source: BBC

PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

PAGE 27

E d u c at i o n

African Seminary graduates 14 students

By Usman Shuaibu

T

he management of African Independent Theological Seminary (AITS) Rafisenyi in Sulaja Local Government Area of Niger State on Saturday graduated fourteen students ranging from Diploma, Bachelors and Masters in different disciplines.

The president/Rector of AITS, Prof. Peters Omeiza Yusuf, who disclosed this during the 2017 convocation ceremony for graduation, conferment of awards and certificates as well as ordination which took place at Sandaco Hotel in Rafuisenyi.

Yusuf urged the outgoing students to be good ambassadors of the seminary in anywhere they found themselves.

He pointed out that the mission of the seminary was to give proper as well standard training to ministers of the gospel and members of the church in order to make them sound in their judgment as they live for God woks in anticipation of the arrival of Jesus Christ.

He said: “AITS is a nondenominational Bible Seminary for all unbiased biblical training for our students to impact positively on our generation to the glory of God” The Rector, however, appealed to the general public to support the seminary to actualise its dreams.

Addressing the graduates, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Augustine Boro, charged the outgoing students to remain committed to the services of God at all times.

Boro, who is the proprietor of BJY Memorial School Suleja, advised the graduating students to emulate the life style of Jesus Christ by preaching true words of God as were contained in the Holy Bible.

Also speaking, the guest speaker at the occasion, the research professor of theological education from the Bishop Crowther College of Theology, Okene, Kogi state, David S. Maduka, Pleaded with the outgoing students to imbibe the spirit of hard work and dedication to duties as they are going out to do the work of God. On the challenges facing the church in Nigeria in the areas of false religion, false belief system, occultism, sectarianism and heresy, Prof. Maduka, urged the church leadership to adopt ways of stopping the trend in the interest of Christian community.

On his part, the special guest of honour, the former deputy governor of Kogi State, stressed the need for the Christian religious leaders to acquire education to enable them to administering their followers well.

This, according to him, education is needed for effective leadership in Nigerian Churches.

Meanwhile, eight persons were ordained while the two persons were conferred with the Honorary Doctorate Degrees during the graduation ceremony.

Buhari: Education upgrades living standard of citizens

By Usman Shuaibu

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari has said that education upgrades the living standard of citizens, adding that education enables people to become better and more productive citizens.

He said this during the presidential summit on education held at old Banquet Hall, State

House, Abuja, pointing out that the summit was aimed at refocusing the education sector in order to arrest the education some challenges facing the education in the country.

His words: “This administration is committed to revitalizing our education system and making it more responsive and globally competitive”.

“One of the primary roles education is to build and sustain

individual and society’s development.

It renews and improves the economic, social, political and cultural aspects of any nation” he said.

He, therefore, frowned at the state of the education in the country, noting that the quality of education in Nigeria needed the necessary attention and development.

The president estimated that about 13.2 million children were out

of school coping with high illiteracy level and infrastructural deficit and decay, unqualified teachers as well as inadequate instructional materials.

Buhari assured Nigerians that his administration would not hesitate to tackle the problems facing the education sector as well focusing on capacity building of the teachers.

Cross Section of student of centre for teaching and learning (CTL), performing during the convergence Education Summit, recently in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

FG, Diaspora hold maiden convergence education summit

T

he Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu has emphasized government’s determination to place high premium on the attainment of quality education for all Nigerians irrespective of ages gender, geographical and cultural settings.

Mallam Adamu made these assertions in his address delivered at the 1st edition of the Convergence Education Summit organized by the Ministry in Abuja today 14th

November, 2017.

The Minister stated that Nigeria’s education system must prepare its children for the “responsibilities of citizenship and national development”. According to him, the system must also be able to produce middle level and high level manpower with the requisite skills and knowhow needed to play active parts in the country’s drive to prosperity and growth”.

Malam Adamu represented by

Mr. Lawrence Ogundana, Director, Library Services, contained that the declaration of “Emergency in the Education Sector” and the development of the Ministerial Strategic Plan” (MSP) for the education sector are all pointers to the recent actions being taken towards the revitalization of the education sector.

In his goodwill message, Senator Gbenga Ashafa advised that contemporary training, teaching

methods and equipments being used in more developed countries to educate the minds of their people be adopted by our public education managers for improved results.

The Summit with the theme: “New Shifts In Education As A Result Of The New Dynamics in our world today” was attended by education managers, planners and other stakeholders from foreign, national and local institutions and authorities in the country.

Minister calls for improved funding to education sector

By Usman Shuaibu

T

he Federal Government has been called upon to provide adequate funding to education sector in order to arrest some challenges faced by it.

He said: “Education offers us the knowledge, tools, skills and attitudes with which to address and surmount these challenges, to

correct and overcome inhibiting deficits, and to put our country on the path of accelerated development and sustainable change”.

The minister of Education, Mallam Adam Adamu, who made this call while presenting an address during the presidential retreat on education for ministers which tagged “Change Begins with Education” at old banquet hall in

Abuja.

His words: “As we all know, no nation can rise above the standard of its education that serves as the springboard for every kind of development. If education is weak or dysfunctional, society and its development will also be weak and dysfunctional”.

He charged the government of the day to place a higher premium

on the welfare of the teachers, While pleading with the government to take the administrators of the universities as well other tertiary institutions along in the scheme of things.

The minister, however, expressed dismay the manner at which the government allocates annual budget to education from 1999 to date.

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PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

HEALTH

What can doctors learn from studying Las Vegas shooter’s brain?

Stephen Paddock’s brain is being studied at Stanford University. Researchers hope to determine if there is any damage or illness in the mass murderer’s brain.

F

or weeks, investigators have pored over clues in the hopes of understanding why 64-year-old Stephen Paddock decided to open fire on thousands of concert goers in Las Vegas last month, killing 58 people.

But more than a month after the shooting, officials have given no indication that they know anything about Paddock’s motive.

This month, as part of the autopsy, Stanford University researchers are investigating if there is any sign of brain damage or disease in Paddock’s brain.

Damage or injury to certain areas of the brain can be associated with increased impulsiveness, lack of judgment, and other symptoms that can affect a person’s actions.

“Multiple forensic analyses will be performed on Paddock, including a neuropathological examination of brain tissue at the Stanford University Department of Pathology, which is one of the County Coroner’s contracted neuropathology laboratories,” Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg said in a statement sent to Healthline.

How brain damage affects behavior There are certain brain diseases or injuries that are associated with an increase in aggressive or even criminal tendencies, according to experts.

However, finding a simple answer to why a person would meticulously plan a mass shooting that killed dozens is likely impossible from a physical exam of brain tissue alone.

Dr. Hannes Vogel, director of neuropathology at Stanford University Medical Center, who will examine the tissue told The New York Times that it’s unlikely the exam will result in a clear answer to why Paddock did what he did.

“I think everybody is pretty doubtful that we’re going to come up with something,” Vogel said. “The possibilities, neuropathologically, for explaining this kind of behavior are very few.”

Dr. Ryan Darby, an assistant professor of neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said investigators most likely will look for signs of a neurodegenerative disease or lesions on the brain.

They will also likely search for one form of disease caused by misfolded proteins called frontotemporal dementia.

“It’s associated with crimes,” Darby explained.

He said more than one-third of these patients are estimated to have committed a crime.

“But most of them are nonviolent,” he noted.

He said that this disease, which is more common in people between the ages of 45 to 65, can lead people to commit “almost silly or reckless crime,” including things like stealing something small such as a candy bar, trespassing, or indecent exposure.

“Violence has been reported in those patients, but it’s usually rare,” he said.

Stephen Paddock from earlier this year in a Facebook photo.

Darby explained that the areas of the brain affected by this disease influence “our behavior, our emotion, our decisionmaking, our personality.”

Although Paddock has been reported to have died by suicide due to a gunshot wound to the head, Darby said researchers could still look for clues in the brain tissue.

He explained frontotemporal dementia is a diffuse enough disease that it likely would still be found in tissue.

Additionally, he said any tumor in the brain that affected Paddock’s action would likely be large enough that it could be found in tissue.

However, “it does depend a little bit on where in the brain the bullet wound went through,” Darby said. “If it went through and really damaged most of the frontal and temporal lobes, then it might be very difficult” to tell.

Other kinds of neurodegenerative disease include chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, which has been linked to a history of concussion or other trauma to the head. The condition, which has been found in numerous football players and other athletes posthumously,

is associated with “impaired judgment, impulse control problems, and aggression.”

However, Darby said that unless Paddock had a history of head trauma, it’s unlikely he’d be diagnosed with CTE. Researchers may also look for lesions to the brain caused from stroke or tumors that could impact specific areas that control personality aspects like impulsivity or aggression.

Can a brain tumor result in mass murder?

In one famous case, a mass murderer was found to have had a brain tumor, but it’s still unclear if that had anything to do with his actions.

In 1966, Charles Whitman killed 14 people from the clock tower at the University of Texas in Austin.

Whitman, who had exhibited headaches and feelings of hostility prior to the shooting, wrote in a note that he wanted his body autopsied.

He was found to have a small brain tumor in his autopsy, according to reports.

A commission convened by the Texas governor to investigate the shooting

Although Paddock has been reported to have died by suicide due to a gunshot wound to the head, Darby said researchers could still look for clues in the brain tissue.

He explained frontotemporal dementia is a diffuse enough disease that it likely would still be found in tissue.

determined that the virulent form of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme may have contributed to Whitman’s ability to “control his actions and emotions” but that “the relationship between the brain tumor and his actions were unclear.”

Vogel also told The New York Times he’s unaware of brain tumors being linked to other mass killing.

“I don’t think I ever heard in my own experience of someone on a homicidal rampage because they had a brain tumor,” Vogel told The New York Times.

As investigators look for a clear reason for Paddock’s actions, Darby said from what he’s seen reported it’s unlikely researchers will find anything that could be an explanation for Paddock’s actions.

“I think that the most likely thing that will come out of this is that they won’t find anything that’s wrong,” Darby said.

He explained that Paddock’s methodical actions to prepare for the shooting in addition to his behavior with family and friends don’t suggest a condition like frontotemporal dementia, where a person loses judgement and impulse control.

“For these other types of conditions, it’s usually something where the symptoms are pretty apparent to family members and friends,” he said of a patient’s personality changes.

Darby said if investigators do find damage to the brain, even the areas that control judgement and emotion, it doesn’t automatically explain why someone would want to commit something as violent as a mass shooting.

“There are so many things that go into our moral decision-making,” he said. www.healthytips.com

PEOPLES DAILY

Sports

monday, november 20, 2017

Page

29

sports@peoplesdailyng.com, SMS- 08142929046

NPFL to kick off on Jan 14 A

ctivities to kick-start the 2017/18 topflight, which began with the on-going club licensing, will enter the next stage with the annual NPFL preseason tournament from December 11-17 to usher in the grand season opening matches on January 14, 2018.

The schedule of the new season’s activities, which has been endorsed by the League Management Company (LMC), will witness a flurry of activities including the induction and orientation workshop for the four newly admitted NPFL clubs on December 14 and the LMC Pre-Annual General Meeting (AGM)/ Consultative Meeting with NPFL participating clubs on December 16 in Kano where the preseason tournament will be held.

According to Salihu Abubakar, the LMC Chief Operating Officer, other activities scheduled for the month of December include “the draws for the new season, preseason seminar and spot checking on clubs’ compliance to licensing regulations, payment of players and officials salaries, status of facilities, etc.”

The LMC have also fixed January 5, 2018 as the final date for submission of Club Licensing documentation by clubs participating in the league.

The statement read, “January 5 is the cutoff date for compliance with redemption and settlement of any outstanding payment of salaries arising from 2016/2017 NPFL season to players and coaches and or provision of an

acceptable Financial Guarantee to guarantee the overdue payments and a tentative payment plan from the club proprietors,” he said.

Another highlight of the calendar comes up on January 8, 2018 when the LMC, which is First Instance Body (FIB), will issue the NFF Club Licensing Certificate to qualified clubs that meet the criteria for participation in the 2017/2018 NPFL season.

“The 2017/18 season will start at all centres on January 14 and in the first half of the season there will be three midweek matches on match days 2, 4 and 5 while the mid-season break will be from April 30 - May 5 followed by a longer break for the Fifa World Cup from June 14 - July 15.

Resumption from the World Cup break will be on July 18 with match day 25, which will be the first of another three midweek matches in the second half of the season.

The other two midweek fixtures will be on match day 27 and 29,” continued Abubakar in giving a breakdown of the calendar.

The LMC assured that it took into consideration all scheduled fixtures of the Aiteo Cup, Caf Club competitions and the Fifa World Cup in planning the calendar, noting that “this is part of the reason we delayed the release of the fixtures and barring any unforeseen events we definitely will conclude the season on September 30, 2018,” he said.

Source: supersport.com

Tommy Fleetwood beats Justin Rose to Race to Dubai crown finish 17 under in tied fourth.

Fleetwood, 26, shot a modest closing 74 to end on 11 under but his tie for 21st was enough to clinch the money list.

Rahm’s 67 saw him win by one from Shane Lowry and Kiradech Aphibarnrat.

Rose, who was aiming for a third successive victory after back-to-back wins in China and Turkey, had a one-shot lead overnight and led for much of the final day before dropping shots on the 12th, 14th and 16th.

The Olympic champion was then in a bunker on the 17th but splashed out to within inches of the hole and rescued a par that kept alive his chances of a second order of merit triumph.

He then gave himself a long look at an eagle on the last but couldn’t hole the monster putt that would have given him the money list title.

Fleetwood, who started promisingly with a birdie on the first but then made five bogeys in his two-over round, admitted his mind strayed to what rival Rose was doing two groups behind on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Fleetwood

T

ommy Fleetwood beat fellow Englishman Justin Rose to the Race to Dubai title as Spain’s Jon Rahm won the season finale Tour Championship

in Dubai.

Rose, 37, needed an eagle on the 18th to overtake Fleetwood in the standings but could only make a birdie to card a 70 and

‘The best year of my life by a mile’ The Southport player said: “It wasn’t pretty today, I didn’t play how I’d like to and it just showed how tough golf is. From 11 and 12 onwards it was difficult not to think

about what Justin was doing.

“He played amazing for three-and-half days and that back nine showed golf can be a tough and unfair game, but I’ll say it for a while that Race To Dubai champion is very, very cool.

“It’s been a big year, baby Frankie arriving safely and he’s great, I’m going to get married in a couple of weeks. It has been the best year of my life by an absolute mile.

“On the course has been great, I’ve played some of the best golf of my career and done things that I’ve never done before.

Off the course I’m just such a happy person so we’ll have to think of ways to better this one.”

Going into the tournament, Sergio Garcia was the only other player who could have taken the Race to Dubai title - he needed to win the Tour Championship with Fleetwood finishing outside the top 20 and Rose outside the top four.

He ended with a fine 65 including eight birdies that saw him finish on 17 under in a tie for fourth alongside Rose, plus South Africans Dean Burmester and Dylan Frittelli.

Ireland’s Lowry finished with a brilliant 63 that featured 10 birdies and a bogey in what was his lowest round since 2011, as he tied for second with Thailand’s Aphibarnrat, who shot a 67. source: bbc sports

Chris Coleman: Sunderland name ex-Wales boss as manager Page 30

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PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

S p r

t

Chris Coleman: Sunderland name ex-Wales boss as manager Conte takes aim at fixture organisers

C

hris Coleman has been named as boss of struggling Championship side Sunderland after resigning as Wales manager.

The 47-year-old has signed a two-anda-half-year deal, replacing Simon Grayson, who was sacked at the end of October after only 18 games in charge.

Sunderland, relegated from the Premier League last season, are bottom of the table after just one win in 17 matches.

Welshman Coleman becomes their 10th permanent manager since Roy Keane’s exit in December 2008.

Kit Symons, who worked with Coleman at Wales, will be his assistant at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland’s next match is Tuesday’s trip to Aston Villa in the league (19:45 GMT kick-off).

After Grayson’s departure, Billy McKinlay and Robbie Stockdale took joint caretaker charge of the derby match at Middlesbrough, which they lost 1-0.

McKinlay then left to join former Black Cats boss David Moyes’ backroom staff at West Ham, leaving Stockdale in sole charge of Saturday’s 2-2 home draw with Millwall.

That result meant Sunderland became the first team in English football to fail to win in 20 successive home games in all competitions.

They have three opportunities in December to avoid going the whole of 2017 without a victory at the Stadium of Light.

Welshman Coleman finished his playing career at Fulham in 2002, but stayed at Craven Cottage to join the coaching staff.

He took over from manager Jean Tigana in April 2003 on a caretaker basis and helped the side avoid relegation from the Premier League and was consequently rewarded with the full-time role.

He led the Cottagers to ninth place in the Premier League in his first full season in charge, but was eventually sacked in April 2007.

Spells at Real Sociedad, Coventry City and Greek side Athlitiki Enosi Larissa

A

ntonio Conte criticised football’s fixture planners as he prepares his side for a manic month in the wake of their 4-0 victory at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Conte’s side eased to victory at The Hawthorns but Conte is already warning his players they face their biggest game of the season at Azerbaijan side FK Qarabag in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The win against West Brom, which included two goals from Eden Hazard, was the first of nine games in a month in all competitions for the Blues.

Conte is worried about a repeat of the defeat to Manchester City in September, three days after a Champions League game in Spain.

“It was a pity to play against Manchester City only two days after we played Atletico Madrid away,” he said.

“We came back at 5:00 am on Thursday and played on Saturday against Manchester City.

“Sometimes, the people who prepare these type of fixtures must pay more attention to give every team the same possibility.

“I think against Manchester City they were favourites and we stayed very close but if we won against Manchester City the distance is not nine points.

“Now we have another problem. We play Qarabag on Wednesday, we get back to London at 5:00 am then we have another big game against Liverpool on Saturday.

“Is this normal? I don’t think so. If someone wants more balance in this league they must pay greater attention to preparing the fixtures.” followed before he was appointed as Wales manager in January 2012, two months after the death of predecessor Gary Speed.

Former defender Coleman guided

Wales to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 but he arrives at the Stadium of Light after they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. source: bbc.com

Kane wants to retire at Tottenham

T

ottenham Hotspur and England forward Harry Kane wants to spend his entire career at the London club, he told Germany’s Bild newspaper on Sunday.

“My aim is to play my whole career only for Tottenham,” Kane, who is reportedly a major transfer target for the biggest European clubs but whose current deal with Spurs runs to 2022, told the newspaper.

“At the moment, everything fits well for me here and I am happy. We have a fantastic team, a good coach and a professional training centre and we are getting a new stadium as well.”

Kane, Premier League Golden Boot winner for the last two seasons, has scored eight more league goals this season with Tottenham currently in fourth place.

Tottenham’s squad, with a young English core of Kane, Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Danny Rose, Harry Winks and Kieran Trippier, certainly appears to offer a sustainable future.

Promoting home-grown youngsters into the first team is a matter of pride for coach Mauricio Pochettino, who was equally impressive on that front while in charge at Southampton, but Kane’s rise is a particular source of pride for supporters.

The 24-year-old, who arrived at the club as an 11-year-old back in 2004, has also scored five times in the Champions League, with Tottenham having qualified for the knockout stage with two games to spare.

They travel to Borussia Dortmund next week with the Germans all but eliminated from the competition.

‘PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON YOU’ Chelsea head for Qarabag knowing victory will take them into the knockout phase despite back-to-back slip-ups against Roma.

“It was very important for us to start this very busy period with a good win, especially against West Brom because last season we struggled a lot in both games,” said Conte.

“Today the game became easy because we started very well with great concentration and focus.

“This (Qarabag) will be the most important game of the season because we have a possibility with a win to go through to the next round of the Champions League, so to start our path in this way was very positive.”

Defeat for West Brom left Tony Pulis fighting to save his job after just two wins in his last 21 Premier League games dating back to last season.

The Welshman did little to defend his position after the game.

“It’s not my decision,” said the 59-yearold.

“We’ll have to see what happens.

“I’ve got different things in my mind.

The football club is there, but I’ve got a family as well, and I do lots of work with certain charities, and I do other things.

“I’ve been in the game and in life long enough to understand that you can’t affect what other people are going to do.

“They have to make a decision, I met with the Chinese owners last night.

“They are wonderful people but I know as much as anyone you have to get results.

“That’s what it’s about.

“The important thing is that the decision that’s made is the right decision for the football club.” source: supersports.com

PAGE 31

PEOPLES DAILY, monday, november 20, 2017

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THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE : 1.TO PROMOTE EDUCATION BY ENCOURAGING AND AWARDING SCHOLARSHIP TO BRILLIANT INDIGENT STUDENTS IN THE SOCIETY AND ALSO TO ENCOURAGE THE IDEA OF STREET TO SCHOOL.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIR COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIR COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIR COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY

SIGNED : SECRETARY

SIGNED : SECRETARY

QUOTABLE QUOTE

“There is no way Senator Bukola Saraki will contest for president in 2019 as long as President Buhari will contest.

This I know very well because I work with him and I should know that. But if President Buhari says he will not recontest the position that is a different case.”

. . . putting the people first

monday, november 20, 2017

Senate President’s Chief of Staff, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed

SPORTS Jamb: ishaq oloyode’s exemplary record latest

(Full List) – No Nigerian Referee In FIFA List Of 36 For World Cup 2018

W

orld football governing body FIFA has released a list of 36 officials who are expected to officiate at the World Cup 2018 in Russia next year.

No Nigerian referee was deemed good enough by FIFA to be included in the list despite FIFA picking six officials from Africa to represent the Confederation of African Football ( CAF) ..

Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan who awarded the controversial penalty that eliminated Northern Ireland from the World Cup play-offs was the biggest casualty in the list of officials for a World Cup seminar between 25 and 29 November in Abu Dhabi.

Hategan’s decision to hand Switzerland a controversial penalty lead to the elimination of Northern Ireland, and that decision appears to have cost him a spot at the World Cup in Russia as he is the only one who officiated the UEFA World Cup playoffs not included in the list.

See Full List Below: *AFC* Fahad AL MIRDASI (KSA) Alireza FAGHANI (IRN) Ravshan IRMATOV (UZB) Mohammed Abdulla MOHAMED (UAE) Ryuji SATO (JPN) Nawaf Abdulla SHUKRALLA (BHR) DONT MISS ==> Anthony Ujah Breaks Mini Goal Drought In Style With Brace For Chinese Side *CAF* Mehdi ABID CHAREF (ALG) Malang DIEDHIOU (SEN) Bakary Papa GASSAMA (GAM) Ghead GRISHA (EGY) Janny SIKAZWE (ZAM) Weyesa Bamlak TESSEMA (ETH) *CONCACAF* Joel AGUILAR (SLV) Mark W. GEIGER (USA) Jair MARRUFO (USA) Ricardo MONTERO (CRC) John PITTI (PAN) Cesar Arturo RAMOS PALAZUELOS (MEX) *CONMEBOL* Julio BASCUÑAN (CHI) Enrique CACERES (PAR) Andres CUNHA (URU) Nestor PITANA (ARG) Sandro RICCI (BRA) Wilmar ROLDAN (COL) *OFC* Matthew CONGER (NZL) Norbert HAUATA (TAH) *UEFA* Felix BRYCH (GER) Cüneyt CAKIR (TUR) Sergey KARASEV (RUS) Bjorn KUIPERS (NED) Szymon MARCINIAK (POL) Antonio Miguel MATEU LAHOZ (ESP) Milorad MAZIC (SRB) Gianluca ROCCHI (ITA) Damir SKOMINA (SVN) ClementTaiwo TURPINand (FRA)Oduamadi Taye

Advert: business: news: lagos:

A

s at the last count, there were over 4000 vacant Board appointments President Buhari is yet to fill.

This figure was given by Sani Zorro an APC member who represents Jigawa in the House of Representatives. Sani Zorro is my friend, former colleague and former comrade whom we used to fight for the oppressed people of Nigeria before he committed class suicide and jumped ship to join the oppressors.

For all his shortcomings, I know one thing for sure; Sani Zorro is not a rumor peddler.

What do you expect from a journalist who climbed the Olympian heights of journalism in Nigeria to emerge as the National President of the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ)? Speak the truth and nothing but the truth.

It is sad that this President Buhari whom we all worked very hard to make sure he wins the presidency to replace a corrupt and incompetent government has been in office for over two years and has not been able to appoint people into 4000 sensitive offices in government agencies. How does he hope to deliver on his promise of change? We shall return to that some other day.

Meanwhile, thank God for little mercies. At the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) where he demonstrated an unusual courage and put in place a new Board, we are witnessing miracles. Here again I rely on the testimony of another professional colleague who has jumped ship to join the oppressors - Adamu Adamu who as Honorable Minister for Education supervises JAMB. Two months ago, the Minister was reported by the news media to have said that N5 billion had been remitted to the coffers of the Federal Government by the management of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which is the largest remittance by the board in the last 40 years.

As a newspaper reporter with about 40 years in active service, I will not peddle rumor.

Here is how Adamu Adamu was reported in the Nigerian media: “Since JAMB was established more than 40 years ago, the total amount it has given government was N200 million; but in one year, Prof.

Ishaq Oloyede has remitted N5 billion to government. The new JAMB registrar has been correcting many anomalies in the board. Within a year, he has

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Monday Column

Emmanuel Yawe royawe@yahoo.com 08024565402

been able to stop all the untold things that were happening there.”

In the past two months, I have made a diligent search in the media for a denial of this report from Adamu Adamu – all in vain. My first conclusion is that the Minister was quoted correctly. My other conclusion is also that he gave an accurate account of what Prof. Ishaq Oloyede is doing at JAMB. Last week Prof Ishaq Oloyede himself came out to give his report card on what he has been doing since President Buhari gave him the chance to serve as the Registrar of JAMB about a year ago. The occasion was a critical stake holders meeting with the following members in attendance: National Assembly, Educational Institutions/ Regulatory Agencies, CBT Centres (Public and Private), Parents (NAPTAN), Teachers (ANCOPSS), Candidates, Labour (ASUU/ASUP/COESU/ NASU), Students (NANS), Civil Society groups and Media. That Ishaq Oloyede is able to assemble this crowd of stakeholders to discuss the problems of university admission in Nigeria is in itself a novel innovation worthy of praise.

He told the meeting that at the time his appointment came in August 2016, the programme of activities for 2017 had begun and all he tried to do was to take the driver’s seat without derailing a moving train. Even then, he renegotiated the then subsisting service agreements

“

“with the aim of having the best deal for the Nation, doing what is right and earning God’s pleasure”. By this effort alone, he was able to bring down the production cost of the Board per annum by Two Billion Naira.

This achievement came at a high cost because there were various efforts to subvert and sabotage the new prudent order. In his words “We can understand the shock and pains of both internal and external beneficiaries of the old order but the bulls must be taken by the horns and the time is now”.

Today, Ishaq Oloyede has taken full control of JAMB after going through the teething problems of his midway start of last year. He has already put in place some measures to improve the performance of JAMB in the 2018 admission exercise.

These include the creation of a profile by each applicant and purchasing of PIN before the commencement of application; the abolishing of scratch card system and introduction of the Vending of PIN system which has the advantages of security, fraud proof and eliminates hoarding through its elastic variable.

The new management has made the purchase of application documents easier by opening it up to all licensed banks in Nigeria and the Nigeria Postal Service and allowed Interswitch and System Spec (Remita) to participate so as to allow parents and candidates who may wish to use their ATM/ Credit/Debit Cards to purchase

Since JAMB was established more than 40 years ago, the total amount it has given government was N200 million; but in one year, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede has remitted N5 billion to government. The new JAMB registrar has been correcting many anomalies in the board. Within a year, he has been able to stop all the untold things that were happening there.

PIN. To further ease registration, the Board has improved on the technology available by introducing a new system that is capable of configuring 100 registration points at the same time and provided each center with a Router capable of carrying out the multiple registrations. In addition, the ten thousand Naira charge for each access point has been abolished making it free.

Prof Oloyede also briefed members on the arrangements to introduce electronic jammers at all computer based centers and improve services for foreign, blind candidates and those in prisons in this year’s exercise.

These new innovations which are aimed at improving service delivery at JAMB were not arrived at by unilateral decisions of the Board. They are products of delicate consultations between the board and the relevant stake holders such as mobile money operators, banks and other financial service providers, service providers such as (MTN, AIRTEL, GLO) and Technical Advisors and also with Proprietors of Computer Based centers.

It is in full agreement with these stakeholders that the sale of application documents will start this week, November 22 and end January 22 2018, a full two months period in place of the normal one month.

Thus without blowing his trumpet, Prof Ishaq Oloyede is quietly blazing a trail of selfless and prudent service at JAMB. He adds credit to this government.

If only President Buhari had the spleen of appointing men and women of such timber and caliber like Prof Oloyede in the vacant 4000 Board positions, the story of his government would have been a lot different.

DAN GAYE

330 Ex-PDP councilors decamp to APC in Katsina – News

-They must be extremely broke

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